Today's Liberal News

Wednesday Night Owls. Trump’s Labor Secretary Scalia is devoted to weakening worker protections

Night Owls, a themed open thread, appears at Daily Kos seven days a week

At The New Yorker, Eyal Press writes—Trump’s Labor Secretary Is a Wrecking Ball Aimed at Workers:

[…] Since Donald Trump entered politics, he has surrounded himself with grifters and figures of gross incompetence. [Labor Secretary Eugene] Scalia is part of a smaller cohort: distinguished conservatives who have joined the Administration to advance their own ideological goals.

A Texas teen might just have found the pathway to a COVID-19 cure

As cases of the novel coronavirus increase nationwide, scientists and researchers are working day and night to develop a vaccine or possible cure, but they aren’t the only ones. While most young teens are dreading online classes and spending a lot of time on social media, one Texas eighth grader has been working on developing a possible cure for COVID-19.

Introducing the Daily Kos Elections Congressional District Snapshot

Here at Daily Kos Elections, we live and breathe elections data, and we’ve collected a ton of it (most of which you can find here). But when you want to know more about a specific congressional district, it can be hard to contextualize hundreds of numbers across multiple spreadsheets. We’ve therefore added a new page for each district to our Atlas of the 117th Congress: a snapshot of key data.

Local elections matter, too: Key sheriff and prosecutor races could advance the cause of justice

Criminal justice reform is on the ballot in communities across the country—but not in a yes/no “do you want to reduce mass incarceration” form. Instead, sheriff and district attorney races carry the possibility of change for the better—or of officeholders who will double down on racial disparities and prosecuting minor drug offenses, cooperate with ICE, and encourage fear over reform.

The Atlantic Daily: The 2020 Election’s Gender Gap

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.NOAH BERGER / AFP / GETTYA century after winning suffrage, women voters will choose the next American president.
“The numbers are clear,” our politics reporter Emma Green noted back in August.

What Happens After the Election

What else is going on in the country, with less than two weeks in this consequential election season? Here is a sampling of recent articles and developments worth notice.Prospects for local journalism: The strength and importance of local journalism have always grown from its attention to the local: What is happening in the town or region, what is getting better or worse, how local institutions are responding.

The Challenge of Documenting White Nationalism

Editor’s Note: White Noise is available to rent now. Find more information here. Today marks the U.S. release of White Noise, The Atlantic’s first feature documentary. The result of a multiyear reporting effort by the director Daniel Lombroso, White Noise explores the rise of the racist right in the United States. The film is an up-close look at a fractured but still-influential movement, and a study of how extremist views have infiltrated mainstream political discourse.

Photos: Prodemocracy Protests in Thailand

In Thailand, demonstrations against the military-backed government and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha have taken place, off and on, since February, interrupted by COVID-19 lockdowns until late July. On October 14, thousands of anti-government protestors rallied near Government House on the anniversary of a 1973 student uprising, calling for the resignation of Chan-o-cha and for reform of the monarchy.

Let Sofia Coppola’s New Film Transport You

Sofia Coppola is no stranger to ennui. From the death-obsessed ’70s teens of her directorial debut, The Virgin Suicides, to the disaffected heroines of Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, and Somewhere, the filmmaker has long fixated on emotionally and physically isolated characters looking for a sense of purpose. Coppola should be the perfect storyteller for 2020, a year when monotony has ruled so many people’s lives.

“Break ‘Em Up”: As DOJ Targets Google, Zephyr Teachout Urges Breakup of More Big Tech Monopolies

The Department of Justice and 11 states have filed a major antitrust lawsuit against Google in a move that could lead to the breakup of the company’s business and holds major implications for other tech giants. The lawsuit accuses Google of engaging in illegal practices to maintain a monopoly on the search market, which fuels its dominance in online advertising.