Today's Liberal News

Trump plotted to toss the acting attorney general, insert a stooge, and block the electoral count

Donald Trump driving a crowd into a violent attack on the Capitol may be the defining image that will remain in the minds of most Americans. But that assault on Jan. 6 wasn’t the only coup Trump planned. After his ridiculous legal ploys had all floundered; after his attempts to strong arm governors and secretaries of state had failed; after he had wined and dined state legislators in an attempt to prevent the certification of votes … Trump had another scheme.

Friday Night Owls: How the ‘essential worker’ label is used to bolster an abusive social order

Night Owls is a themed open thread appearing at Daily Kos seven days a week.

Sarah Lazare at In These Times writes—The “Essential Worker” Swindle. How this label is used to justify a social order in which workers are abused, discarded and left to die:

Politicians, pundits, CEOs and think tank staffers have spent the past 10 months effusively praising the heroism and sacrifice of essential workers.

Jen Psaki explains new normal in D.C.—Biden is president, and he’s a Democrat

In her second press briefing as White House press secretary, Jen Psaki was forced to explain a few basics about the new posture of the man now sitting in the Oval Office. Those basics included the fact that Joe Biden is a president who is demonstrating actual leadership in the White House, and he’s delivering on the campaign promises he made as a Democratic candidate.

President Biden has just days to save the last major treaty limiting deployment of nuclear weapons

Over the last four years, Donald Trump did everything possible to help the world unravel. Sometimes that meant withdrawing from organizations like the World Health Organization, or dropping out of the Paris agreement. It also meant flat-out breaking trade agreements or even the six-party nuclear agreement on Iran. Trump has also moved to simply allow existing treaties to expire, including major arms agreements that have (had) existed for decades.

The Atlantic Daily: 9 Poems to Read This Weekend

Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox.Amanda Gorman stole the show.In his piece on the performances at this week’s presidential inauguration, our Culture staff writer Spencer Kornhaber maintained that “the signature art-statement of the day came from a newcomer.

Why Biden’s Inaugural Address Succeeded

Political speeches follow a surprisingly simple set of rules—or at least the successful ones do. Newly sworn-in President Joe Biden observed them all in his inaugural address. Although his 20 minutes at the lectern are not likely to be parsed and studied for rhetorical flourishes, with this speech Biden accomplished something more important: He signaled how he will approach this job and this moment in history.The first rule in political rhetoric is authenticity.

The Grapevine Looks a Little Different Today

This story contains spoilers for Bridgerton and Dickinson.In the Netflix series Bridgerton, everyone reads the pamphlets written by the pseudonymous “Lady Whistledown,” Regency England’s answer to Gossip Girl. Each issue targets the wealthiest and most powerful residents of London in 1813, revealing something new about the city’s high-society ecosystem.

The Books Briefing: Presidential Biographies—And Presidential Mythologies

The critic Carlos Lozada read some 150 books about the Trump era before writing his book What Were We Thinking. In those volumes, he found a regime that was appalling in its lunacy and that would leave a long-lasting carnage.As Trump left office and Biden was sworn in this week, I found myself thinking about other presidential legacies and the books that reflect on them. Some, written years after a leader’s time in office, make the case for vindicating a complicated figure.

What It’s Like to Carry On a Tradition With a Friend Who Can’t Remember It

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 Gabe and Andy, two friends who for more than six years have walked 30 minutes once a week to give each other a high five.

As Pandemic Rips Through Indian Country, Indigenous Communities Work to Save Elders & Languages

We look at the fight to save tribal elders and Native language speakers as the pandemic rips through Indian Country, with Indigenous communities facing woefully inadequate healthcare, lack of governmental support, and the living legacy of centuries of colonialism. Native Americans have died from COVID-19 at twice the rate of white people across the U.S. To combat this crisis, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has prioritized elders who speak the Dakota and Lakota languages to receive vaccines.

As Death Toll Tops 410,000, Biden Pushes “Wartime Effort” to Fight COVID. But Could More Be Done?

On his first full day in office, President Joe Biden unveiled a 198-page national plan to tackle the coronavirus pandemic as the U.S. death toll tops 410,000. He signed 10 executive orders to create a new national COVID-19 testing board, to help schools reopen, to mandate international travelers to quarantine upon arrival, and to require masks on many forms of interstate transportation.