Today's Liberal News

How Alex Trebek Made a Mundane Game Show Brilliant

It’s strange to think that a show like Jeopardy became so popular; after all, watching Jeopardy is just watching people answer questions. Although small winning streaks might form, and close calls in the “Final Jeopardy” segment might add some flair, most of the regular season can seem, I dare say, boring. But since the show received a makeover in 1984, it has always transcended its humble premise thanks to the steady hand of its charismatic host, Alex Trebek.

The Lame-Duck Vaccine

Editor’s Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers. Find the collection here. In the end, there was no October surprise. Donald Trump spent months declaring that a COVID-19 vaccine was imminent, a gambit that failed to pressure the FDA into an approval before Election Day but did succeed, nevertheless, in eroding the American public’s confidence in a vaccine.

Europa’s Mysterious Glow

NASA / JPL / University of Arizona / The AtlanticUpdated at 6:53 p.m. on November 10, 2020.One of Jupiter’s moons might be glowing in the dark.At first glance, this is perhaps unsurprising. Our own moon glows in the dark, reflecting the light of the sun. Jupiter is far away from here, but our star still illuminates the planet and its many moons, including the moon Europa.But Europa is different from the others.

Palestinian Peace Negotiator Saeb Erekat Dies of COVID as Virus Rips Through Occupied Territories

Saeb Erekat, the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, has died at 65 after he became infected with COVID-19. Erekat was a key Palestinian negotiator involved in peace talks for over three decades and stood in staunch opposition to the Trump administration’s Middle East plan, which he called the “fraud of the century,” and condemned recent agreements normalizing relations between Israel and Gulf nations.

As U.S. Faces Out-of-Control Pandemic, Pfizer Raises Hope for Vaccine, But Many Questions Remain

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has announced that a Phase 3, late-stage study found their potential COVID-19 vaccine showed more than 90% effectiveness. The two-dose vaccine still faces several challenges, including how to store and transport it, since it must be refrigerated at subzero temperatures. Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist Laurie Garrett says the news is hopeful, but urges caution. “There’s been no scientific release.

Monday Night Owls. Analysis: 99% of Green New Deal co-sponsors won their 2020 races

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

Kenny Stancil at Common Dreams writes—

Shedding more light on a significant electoral trend that progressives have drawn attention to in the aftermath of the 2020 U.S. election, a new analysis by Earther found that of the 93 House co-sponsors of the Green New Deal resolution who ran for reelection this year, only one lost their congressional race.

White Tears Alert: St. Louis gun couple sues photographer for ‘severe emotional distress’

The last time we saw Mark and Patricia McCloskey, they had cleaned themselves up to give an impassioned re-branding speech at the Republican National Convention. In that speech they warned America that the Democratic Party would “abolish suburbs.” Very on-brand for the couple whose singular claim to fame is coming outside of their expensive St. Louis home to threaten peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters with guns. They received some felony charges for that.

Sen. David Perdue chickened out on his last debate with Jon Ossoff. Will he agree to runoff debates?

Jon Ossoff has challenged Sen. David Perdue to three live televised debates before their January 5, 2021 runoff election. 

“Our country continues to face great challenges—acute public health and economic crises, persistent economic hardship for working families, unequal justice under the law, deep political divisions, and widespread corruption in our political system,” Ossoff wrote in a letter to Perdue.