Today's Liberal News

The Books Briefing: The New Legacy of America’s Wilderness

In nature documentaries such as A Perfect Planet and Planet Earth, the wilderness seems free of human influence, Emma Marris wrote in a recent story for The Atlantic. Sweeping, unpeopled vistas and close-up shots of animals render the world in an enhanced, almost unnatural, high-definition style.Such visions of untouched, wild lands are nothing new; John Muir, an early conservationist, even likened our country to a sort of Garden of Eden.

When Your Best Friend Becomes an ‘Aunt’ to Your Kids

Each installment of “The Friendship Files” features a conversation between The Atlantic’s Julie Beck and two or more friends, exploring the history and significance of their relationship.This week she talks with Judie, an introvert, and Kristi, an extrovert, about their opposites-attract friendship, and how Judie leaned on it when her daughter was diagnosed with cancer during the pandemic.

Biden Sanctions Russia for Cyber Espionage While Remaining Silent over Israeli Cyberattack on Iran

The United States has imposed new sanctions on Russia and expelled 10 Russian diplomats after the Biden administration accused Moscow of being involved in major cyberattacks. The Treasury Department claimed Russia interfered in the 2020 election and was behind the SolarWinds hack, which compromised the computer systems of nine U.S. government agencies and scores of private companies. The sanctions target 32 Russian entities and individuals and bar U.S.

“Cold-Blooded Murder”: Chicago Police Officer Shot 13-Year-Old Adam Toledo with His Hands in the Air

Protesters in Chicago took to the streets to condemn the police killing of Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old Latinx boy, after bodycam video released by the Chicago police showed Toledo had his hands up in the air when a police officer shot him dead on March 29. Police initially described the incident as an “armed confrontation,” but the video shows Toledo raised his hands after being ordered to do so.

American Insurrection: Deadly Far-Right Extremism from Charlottesville to Capitol Attack. What Next?

A scathing new report by the Capitol Police’s internal watchdog reveals officials knew Congress was the target of the deadly January 6 insurrection, yet officers were instructed to refrain from deploying more aggressive measures that could have helped “push back the rioters.” Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports domestic terrorism incidents surged to a record high in 2020, fueled by white supremacist, anti-Muslim and anti-government extremists on the far right.

News Roundup: Republican whining; Trump campaign collusion; Jim Jordan won’t shut up

Today in the news: After promoting false conspiracy theories in an attempt to overturn an American election, Republicans continue to whine that Joe Biden is being mean to them by proposing policies the American public strongly supports. Chicago officials release the video of police killing an unarmed 13-year-old child. And the federal government makes a new key conclusion about collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russian intelligence.

A terrible disease, children at risk, and a promising treatment that’s about to vanish: Part II

Editor’s note: This is Part II of a two-part story. You can read Part I, which was originally published on April 14, by clicking here.

A rare childhood disorder, Niemann-Pick Disease type C (NPC), affects just a few dozen children in the United States each year. One of a number of lysosomal storage disorders, the disease affects the ability to metabolize cholesterol, and results in widespread damage over time.

Biden says the U.S. will withdraw from Afghanistan, 20 years after the War on Terror began

There remain no good answers in Afghanistan. President Joe Biden’s announcement that U.S. military forces would be leaving that country by next Sept. 11, the two-decade anniversary of the original al Qaeda-plotted terrorist attacks against the United States that resulted in a U.S. military invasion to hunt down al Qaeda members and rout the theocratic Taliban government from power, was a decision that multiple U.S. presidents from then to now could never quite stomach.

MAGA world rages after Ivanka gets the Fauci ouchie

Ivanka Trump has spent the past five years trying to position herself in the public’s mind as the “reasonable” Trump. Granted, that’s a pretty low bar. All she really needed to do is show up as “warm-blooded” on infrared surveillance cameras, and she was basically there. Another useful tactic? Avoid appearing on video every 10 minutes, like the unofficial spokesperson for pure Colombian cocaine.