Today's Liberal News

Facebook announces new preelection rules for political ads and claims—but will it follow through?

Facebook, the gargantuan and nation-bending social media behemoth, today announced a collection of new actions intended to make it look Slightly Less Bad in the final weeks of the 2020 elections. Facebook has been harshly criticized as one of the top venues, in any medium, for fake news and propaganda dissemination from political campaigns, from professional hoaxers seeking quick advertising revenue, and from your own particularly gullible relatives.

This Week in Statehouse Action: Hardly Working for the Weekend edition

Happy almost-Labor Day!

I know we’re all anxious to get on with our holiday weekend (for those lucky enough to get to enjoy it), so I’m going to get right to the point.

Two months from today, Democrats across the country have their very last chance to prevent Republicans from controlling the next round of redistricting.

In most states, the legislators elected in November will play a role in drawing congressional and state legislative district lines.

The Atlantic Daily: Trump Calls Americans Who Died in War ‘Losers’

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.CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTYThe president disparaged Americans who died in war as “losers” and “suckers,” multiple sources tell The Atlantic.

‘A Most Beautiful Thing’ in a Time of Racial Reckoning

This week, NBC’s Peacock Channel will begin streaming the feature-length documentary A Most Beautiful Thing. A trailer of the film is on Vimeo here, and the main site for the project is here. I saw a preview version last week and recommend it. The film’s story would be surprising and engrossing at any time, but it has a current power and relevance its producers could not have foreseen when they began making it.

Generation Work-From-Home May Never Recover

To have a job without a workplace, you must build an office of the mind. Structure, routine, focus, socialization, networking, stress relief—their creation is almost entirely up to you, alone in a spare bedroom or on your couch, where your laptop might vie for attention at any given moment with your pets or kids. If the coffeepot runs dry, there is no one to blame but yourself.The first time I undertook this construction process was in 2009, and it was an abject failure.

Healing Needs to Happen: Kenosha Native Rep. Mark Pocan on Trump’s Visit & the U.S. “Policing Problem”

As Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden heads to Kenosha, Wisconsin, to meet with the family of Jacob Blake, we speak with Congressmember Mark Pocan, who was born and raised in Kenosha. “Clearly, what happened — someone shot in the back seven times, close range, in front of their children, by the police — was another example of the policing problem we have in this country,” Pocan says.

Putin “Can’t Afford to See Belarus Fall” as Protests Calling for Lukashenko’s Ouster Enter 4th Week

Mass protests entered their fourth week in Belarus to demand the ouster of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who claimed victory in the country’s August 9 election that critics say was rigged. But Lukashenko shows no sign of backing down, and authorities have responded to protests with violence and arrests. Sadakat Kadri, a human rights lawyer and writer, says Russian President Vladimir Putin is invested in keeping Lukashenko in power.

“Where Is the Accountability?” 23 Deaths at Fort Hood Prompt Commander’s Removal, New Investigation

The top commander at Fort Hood is removed from his post, and the U.S. Army has launched an investigation, after a series of murders and accusations of sexual abuse at the base, with 23 deaths at Fort Hood this year and 13 soldiers disappeared, killed or who died by suicide. In April, the remains of soldier Vanessa Guillén were found near the base, and the main suspect in that case killed himself in July shortly after he was accused of her murder.