Bird flu mutations raise fears of a broader outbreak
Experts warn of inadequate testing by the CDC, which maintains the risk to humans “remains low.
Today's Liberal News
The Most Memorable Advice of 2024
In a year that brought both deeply polarizing moments and events of global camaraderie, these Atlantic writers, contributors, and experts tackled the quandaries and questions we encounter in our everyday lives.
Their advice, grounded in experience and expertise, offers new ways to think about topics such as parenting, cooking, and building relationships. Their words of wisdom provide guidance on when to give children a phone, why we should reconsider plus-ones at weddings, and more.
Big Tech Backs Trump to Cut Taxes, Boost Crypto, Replace Workers with AI: Tech Investor Roger McNamee
Silicon Valley and tech billionaires are lining up to support the incoming Trump administration. With the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, as one of Trump’s closest advisers, Trump has hosted Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for dinners at Mar-a-Lago. Amazon, Meta and OpenAI’s Sam Altman have all announced donations of $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural committee.
Imperialist Fantasy: Historian Greg Grandin on Trump Threat to Retake Panama Canal, Invade Mexico
Donald Trump has set his sights on the Americas, threatening to retake the Panama Canal if Panama doesn’t lower fees for U.S. ships. The United States controlled the waterway until 1977, when President Jimmy Carter signed a landmark treaty to give Panama control of the canal. Trump has also recently floated the idea of annexing Canada, and even a possible “soft invasion” of Mexico.
“We’re Not for Sale”: Greenlandic Member of Danish Parliament Responds to Trump’s Vow to Buy Island
We speak with a Greenlandic member of the Danish Parliament, Aaja Chemnitz, about incoming U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans to make America larger, in part by taking ownership of Greenland, which is controlled by Denmark. Greenland’s prime minister rejected the idea this week, saying, “We are not for sale and will never be for sale.” Trump’s statement on Greenland was made as he announced he was picking PayPal co-founder Ken Howery as his pick for United States ambassador to Denmark.
Gideon Levy on Israel’s “Moral Blindness”: Gaza Babies Freeze; Strikes Kill Medical Workers, Reporters
In northern Gaza, the director of the besieged Kamal Adwan Hospital says five medical workers were among 50 people killed in Israeli strikes near the hospital. Israeli forces then stormed the hospital and forced hundreds, including patients, into the streets. This all comes as The New York Times has confirmed past reporting by +972 Magazine that on October 7, 2023, Israel loosened military rules meant to protect noncombatants in Gaza.
A Diet Writer’s Regrets
My first byline in a national magazine appeared in the August 8, 1995, issue of Woman’s Day under the headline “What’s Sabotaging Your Diet?” Woman’s Day, that bastion of the checkout line, was known for unironic covers featuring decadent desserts under headlines about healthy eating. This particular issue’s cover featured the title of my article over a photo of a chocolate cake frosted to look like a sunflower.
I was 23, newly married, living in a studio in Brooklyn, and making $18,000 a year.
How Putin Tapped a Well of Ethnic Hatred in Russia
Far-right activists from Russia’s largest nationalist movement, Russkaya Obshchina, donned black camouflage and patrolled multiple cities last month hunting for “ethnic criminals.” They raided dormitories, parks, and construction sites in search of migrants from Central Asia, nabbing six on November 24. On social media, the activists celebrated their “joint raid with law-enforcement officials,” posting a video of themselves leading migrants in chains on their way to deportation.
From Behind the Money: Why Northvolt Failed to Become Europe’s Battery Champion
The story behind the Swedish start-up’s ambitious rise and massive downfall
Bogotá’s Open Streets Program Is the Most Successful in the World. I Went to Find Out Why.
If you ask a Bogotáno where they learned to ride a bike, they all have the same answer.
The Most Obvious Thing That Would Make Sports Gambling Safer
Credit cards make sports betting dangerously easy—but they also come with hidden fees and risks that sportsbooks won’t tell you about.
Mark Zuckerberg and Meta got a big win. They have the House GOP to thank.
The billionaire and his company needed Speaker Mike Johnson’s help to stop legislation that would have regulated social media for the first time.
Biden administration scraps rules to expand birth control access
The move, welcomed by conservative organizations, leaves in place a Trump rule allowing more employers to opt out of providing coverage.
The contortions GOP senators are making for RFK Jr.
Republican lawmakers are looking past Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s views as they consider his nomination to lead HHS.
The ‘really sticky’ situation facing the public health establishment: RFK Jr.
Public health officials see promise in some of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plans to prevent chronic disease but despair at his vaccine conspiracy theories.
Kennedy to meet with Republicans on key committees
Trump’s pick to lead HHS heads to the Hill this week.
Is Aziz Ansari Sorry?
The Waves also discusses the Riverside Church controversy and the case of Sarah Milov.
Your Opinions on Her Wardrobe Are Probably Unwelcome
What we say matters, especially depending on whom we say it to.
What Role Does HR Play in the #MeToo Era?
The Waves also discusses the case against Jeffrey Epstein and Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Fleishman Is in Trouble.
Stephen Miran is Trump’s pick to lead Council of Economic Advisers
Miran has called for a sweeping overhaul of the Fed to ensure greater political control over the central bank, including giving the president the power to fire board members at will.
Biden: Trump’s tax and tariffs plans are a ‘major mistake’
Five weeks after the election, the president took his sharpest swing at Trump’s policy plans.
Trump voters feel very differently about things now that he’s won, our new poll shows
A pair of POLITICO|Morning Consult polls, one conducted in the final days of the election and the other conducted after Trump won, show how public opinion has changed.
It’s still the economy: What TV ads tell us about each campaign’s closing message
The final paid messages: Economy, culture wars and character.
Harris is pounding Trump on fascism. Some Dems think that’s a mistake.
Harris has ratcheted up her warnings about the dangers of a second Trump term in recent weeks.
A Tribute to Blacklisted Lyricist Yip Harburg: The Man Who Put the Rainbow in The Wizard of Oz
His name might not be familiar to many, but his songs are sung by millions around the world. Today, we take a journey through the life and work of Yip Harburg, the Broadway lyricist who wrote such hits as “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” and who put the music into The Wizard of Oz, the movie that inspired the hit Broadway musical and now Hollywood blockbuster, Wicked.
Star Trek’s Cold War
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I retired from a long teaching career a few years ago, but during my later years in the classroom, I offered a course on the Cold War and American pop culture, to try to help younger students understand the fears that dominated so much of American life in the 20th century.