Today's Liberal News

News Roundup: American Rescue Plan nears passage, FBI issues warnings, and Piers takes walk

As the American Rescue Plan inches towards becoming law (a final vote in the House is expected tomorrow), the Biden administration continues to undo Trump damage and federal investigators continue to warn of the dangers posed by the insurrectionist far-right. Meanwhile, the interminable world focus on Britain’s royalty has finally achieved at least something worthwhile: booting the still-insufferable Piers Morgan into self-exile.

Republicans, seriously, aren’t you getting tired of being abused by this guy?

My dearest Republicans, I know that somewhere, way back deep in the recesses of your memories,  when you ran for elected office—maybe not all, but at least some of you—had some sense that you might actually do something good for the country. That you had something—it may not have been much, but something, at least—to contribute to make this country just a little bit better.

Madison Cawthorn tweets out racist immigrant thing he says Twitter won’t let him tweet

Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, like many politicians (and people for that matter), has embellished his personal history at points. Cawthorn, unlike most people, has seemingly generated an almost entirely fact-free mythology about himself. He’s lied about being accepted into schools. He’s lied about anonymously running a racist website that attacked his opponent in the North Carolina District 11 elections. He’s lied about his pursuit of Olympic excellence.

Alabama professors thought it would be funny to pose with whips and nooses for a Halloween photo

Not one but three professors from the University of South Alabama have been placed on leave after photos of them dressed in racially insensitive Halloween costumes surfaced. According to the Associated Press, the photos are from a 2014 on-campus party, in which one professor identified as Bob Wood dressed as a Confederate soldier while the other two identified as Alex Sharland and Teresa Weldy posed with whips and nooses.

Winners of the 2020 World Nature Photography Awards

The submissions to this year’s World Nature Photography Awards have been judged, and the winning images and photographers have just been announced. Thomas Vijayan was the Grand Prize winner, with his image of an orangutan climbing a tree. The contest organizers have shared with us some of the winning images, shown below, from their 13 categories. Captions were provided by the photographers and have been lightly edited for clarity.

Royals Could Choose Ordinary Anonymity

In 2019, a romance blossomed between an eligible European royal and a Black commoner whom traditionalists considered unsuitable for a royal marriage. The lovebirds were not Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who had already been married for a year. They were Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and her boyfriend, a Californian named Durek Verrett. Like Prince Harry, Princess Märtha Louise is a spare heir with a brother in training for the throne.

We Have to Grieve Our Last Good Days

For me, it’s the last time I swam in the ocean. It was a February evening in Florida, and I didn’t know that the people I was there with would be the last new friends I’d make, on a work trip I didn’t know would be the last I’d take.Everyone else seemed content to sit on the sand and look up nearby restaurants on the internet. But I felt like maybe I’d regret it if I didn’t go in.

The Burglary That Exposed COINTELPRO: Activists Mark 50th Anniversary of Daring FBI Break-in

Fifty years ago, on March 8, 1971, a group of eight activists staged one of the most stunning acts of defiance of the Vietnam War era when they broke into an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania, and stole every document they found. The activists, calling themselves the Citizens’ Commission to Investigate the FBI, began leaking shocking details about FBI abuses to the media.

The Murder of George Floyd: Officer Derek Chauvin Trial Set to Begin as New Charges Considered

The murder trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter for killing George Floyd, is proceeding to jury selection despite an order from an appeals court judge that a third-degree murder charge be considered, as well. We speak with Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney and racial justice activist, who says that if the trial proceeds, who serves on the jury could prove crucial in the case.

We Now Can See a Virus Mutate Like Never Before

In the beginning, there was one.The first genome for the virus causing a mysterious illness we had not yet named COVID-19 was shared by scientists on January 10, 2020. That single genome alerted the world to the danger of a novel coronavirus. It was the basis of new tests as countries scrambled to find the virus within their own borders. And it became the template for vaccines, the same ones now making their way to millions of people every day.