Today's Liberal News
Red state governors reject Biden on mask orders
The politicization of mask-wearing shows how difficult it will be for Joe Biden to build consensus around even basic public health strategies after he’s sworn in.
Labs sound alarm on coronavirus testing capacity, supplies
The nation’s testing capacity has increased, but not fast enough to keep pace with the swarm of new cases.
Fauci and Biden team steer clear of each other — for now
Biden’s transition team must plan for a crisis response without access to essential information about the nation’s supply chains and testing supplies.
Moderna close to revealing first data on whether its vaccine works
The news comes days after Pfizer revealed that initial data suggest its vaccine is more than 90 percent effective.
Pandemic invades nursing homes again
Care facilities can’t keep the virus out as it spreads through communities.
Help! My Son Never Acknowledges the Surprise Gifts I Send.
He says it’s my responsibility as the sender to follow up.
Dear Care and Feeding: We Walked In on My Husband With a Man. Now Our Son Is Acting Homophobic.
Parenting advice on traumatic discoveries, hurtful beauty standards, and misplaced bitterness.
How One Georgia Theater Brought Delight to the Polls
When Dad’s Garage Theatre became a polling place, its staff decided to offer voters more than lines and ballots.
The hangover awaiting Biden: Deep wounds from Covid-19
Biden will inherit an economy similar to one he and Obama did 12 years ago. But unlike last time, he’ll have few tools to deal with it.
China shapes a new U.S. economic era: The return of industrial policy
The latest episode of POLITICO’s Global Translations podcast explores the new industrial policy emerging in America to counter China’s ascent.
Fox survey finds 63 percent say country heading in wrong direction
The economy weighs heavily on voters’ minds.
Wall Street notches second-best Election Day of trading
The gains are a sign of positive trader sentiment, although it’s unclear if that has to do with hopes of a clear winner emerging.
GDP rebounds at record pace, but dark clouds reappear
Trump got a great economic report to use on the campaign trail. But behind the surface, giant risks are looming.
Voting Activist Desmond Meade on Re-enfranchising People & Why “Ex-Felon” Is a Dehumanizing Label
In Florida, tens of thousands of newly eligible voters who were previously disenfranchised due to their criminal records turned out to the polls for the 2020 election. Amendment 4, a measure that in 2018 overturned a Jim Crow-era law aimed at keeping African Americans from voting, restored voting rights to people with nonviolent felonies who have completed their sentences and was hailed as the biggest win for voting rights in decades.
Can Trump Pardon Himself? Jane Mayer on Trump’s Desperate Bid to Stay in Power & Avoid Prosecution
President Trump has only made one brief public appearance since the election was called for Joe Biden, and his Twitter feed is filled with conspiracy theories about widespread voter fraud, which state elections officials have repeatedly rejected.
“More of an Exorcism Than an Election”: Priya Gopal on What Biden Win Means for Britain & Ireland
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been one of President Trump’s closest international allies. How will he adapt to working with a Biden administration? Cambridge professor Priya Gopal says Johnson was clearly betting on a Trump reelection, especially amid Britain’s exit from the European Union. “I think they were certainly hoping that there would be a Trump victory,” says Gopal. “Brexit and Trump, as Trump quite correctly recognized, are very deeply in sync.
Trump Loss Decreases Chance of Iran War, But Many Iraqis Fear U.S. Policy Under Biden, Too
We look at how Joe Biden’s presidency will affect the U.S. footprint in the Middle East with Guardian correspondent Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, who says Biden’s win is being viewed with “anxiety” by many Iraqis who are eager to avoid war between the U.S. and Iran. “Any conflict will take place on Iraqi soil,” says Abdul-Ahad. “There is not much optimism. There is anxiety towards Biden and his team in the way they deal with Iraq.
Sunday Night Owls. Dayen: Day One Agenda is now more important than ever
Night Owls, a themed open thread, appears at Daily Kos seven days a week
A couple of weeks ago, Night Owls excerpted David Dayen’s important September 2019 essay at The American Prospect titled The Day One Agenda: The Next Administration—Using Presidential Power for Good.
Cuomo Bashes Trump, Threatens Legal Action For Equal Access To COVID-19 Vaccine
The New York governor tore into Trump after the president’s threat to hold up COVID-19 vaccine distribution to his state.
What J.R.R. Tolkien can teach us about life after Trump
“A great Shadow has departed.”
With these words, Gandalf reveals to Sam the success of his and Frodo’s quest to destroy the One Ring, the fall of the evil Sauron, and the liberation of Middle Earth. Joyful celebration ensues, Frodo and Sam are lauded as heroes, and they all live happily ever after.
Only, not quite.
SpaceX Launches 4 Astronauts To The International Space Station
This is the first full-fledged taxi flight for NASA by a private company.
Hillary Clinton has to be tired of waiting 4 years for the country to realize she was right
Hillary Clinton called it four years ago when she pointed out then-Republican nominee Donald Trump’s propensity to cry system rigging when he happened to face an undesired result. “You know, every time Donald thinks things are not going in his direction, he claims whatever it is is rigged against him,” she said during the final presidential debate of 2016. “He lost the Iowa caucus. He lost the Wisconsin primary.
Science Will Save Us From COVID-19, But First We Have To Save Ourselves
Without political leadership, it’s up to everyday Americans to do what it takes to get the pandemic under control
Nuts & Bolts: Inside a Democratic campaign—Hot takes?
It’s another Sunday, so for those who tune in, welcome to a diary discussing the Nuts & Bolts of a Democratic campaign. If you’ve missed out, you can catch up at any time: just visit our group or follow the Nuts & Bolts Guide. For years I’ve built this guide around questions that get submitted, hoping to help small-race candidates field questions.
Violence breaks out after nightfall in D.C. as MAGA marchers bring thug tactics to the capital
The anti-democratic strategy concocted and nurtured by the radical right over the past four years—organize busfuls of out-of-town far-right thugs to invade liberal urban centers in order to engage in faux “protests” primarily designed to spark violence—came to the nation’s capital this weekend. The results were as ugly as they were predictable.
Trump Throws Twitter Tantrum As Long-Shot Attempts To Stay In Power Fade Away
The outgoing president retweeted a supporter who called his opponents “anti-American and anti-Christian” following an underwhelming protest in Washington.
Biden Advisers To Meet Vaccine Firms As Trump Stalls Handoff
“Of course it would be better if we could start working with them,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said of Biden’s presidential transition team.
Montana: Images of the Treasure State
Montana is the fourth-largest state in the nation, yet it is home to just over 1 million residents. Big Sky Country has about 30 million acres of public lands—roughly one-third of the state. From the mountains, along the rivers, to the vast plains, here are a few glimpses of the landscape of Montana, and some of the wildlife and people calling it home.This photo story is part of Fifty, a collection of images from each of the United States.