RFK Jr.’s vaccine theories are ‘cruel,’ former CDC director says
“To continue to lift that up is a cruel thing to do,” Richard Besser said.
Today's Liberal News
Even Worse Than The Da Vinci Code
This essay contains spoilers.
The new movie Conclave is a faithful adaptation of Robert Harris’s 2016 novel—and an absurd portrait of the Catholic Church. A thriller about the politicking that occurs when cardinals gather to elect a new pope, it depicts a clash between racist conservatives and supposedly insightful liberals who talk like a cross between an HR manual and a greeting card.
Stop Looking at Your Therapist
A person who is “on the couch” is known to be in therapy, but most therapists these days don’t ask their clients to lie down. The first time mine did, I resisted. I didn’t want to be on display or unable to see her reactions. Plus, the idea seemed antiquated. Sigmund Freud was inspired to use the couch more than a century after observing dramatic hypnotherapy demonstrations by his teacher Jean-Martin Charcot.
A Classic Blockbuster for a Sunday Afternoon
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.
Welcome back to The Daily’s Sunday culture edition, in which one Atlantic writer or editor reveals what’s keeping them entertained.
It’s Time to Start Calling “Megadonors” What They Really Are
Americans should be alarmed and outraged at the role money is playing in their democracy.
The New Trump Voters No One Wants to Talk About
This can’t be explained by just demographics and disorder.
Money Talks: Where Did Victoria’s Secret Lose Us?
The authors of ‘Selling Sexy’ discuss the iconic store’s heyday and dwindling legacy.
What the Markets Had to Say About the Election Results
The stock market was excited by the Trump win. The bond market, less so.
GOP backlash against RFK Jr.’s nomination could jeopardize his confirmation
The president of the anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America, said “there’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary, and of course, we have concerns about” Kennedy.
Washington’s lobbyists are stunned Trump chose RFK Jr.
They’re holding their fire and hoping Senate allies will block his confirmation as HHS secretary.
How RFK Jr. could cause an earthquake for American public health
Food additives, pesticides and vaccines are on his “Make America Healthy Again” hit list.
‘Been a long time since I felt that way’: Sexually transmitted infection numbers provide new hope
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Tuesday shows meaningful declines in STI rates between 2022 and 2023.
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.
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.
There’s a Reason Harris’ Campaign Is Locked in on Quick Fixes
The Democratic nominee isn’t campaigning much on the Biden administration’s bigger, slower-moving policies.
Janet Yellen Defends Her Record – and Delivers a Warning
The Treasury secretary is defending her legacy — and warning that the stability of the U.S. economy is at stake.
Harris dismisses Trump as ‘not serious’ on the economy in MSNBC interview
It was her first solo interview with a national network as the Democratic presidential nominee.
Historian Enzo Traverso: Israel Is Using the Memory of the Holocaust to Justify Genocide in Gaza
In the acclaimed new book Gaza Faces History, historian Enzo Traverso challenges Western attitudes toward Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza by reckoning with the larger historical context of the Holocaust and the Nakba. Traverso details how memorializing the Holocaust became a sort of “civil religion” that honored human rights and the values of Western liberal democracies after the Second World War.
A New Crusade? Trump Taps Christian Nationalists Pete Hegseth & Mike Huckabee to Top Posts
Concerns are mounting over Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, Fox News host and military veteran Pete Hegseth. Hegseth is a vocal opponent of the military’s multiculturalism and decision to allow women to serve in combat, promises to purge the military of generals disloyal to Trump and sports tattoos connected with neo-Nazi and white nationalist movements.
“He Will Make America Sick”: Trump Picks Vaccine Skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Head HHS
Public health officials are decrying President-elect Donald Trump for selecting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services. If confirmed, Kennedy would head a sprawling agency that oversees drug, vaccine and food safety, as well as medical research. Kennedy is one of the nation’s most prominent vaccine skeptics and has spread numerous public health conspiracy theories. Kennedy has claimed HIV may not cause AIDS.
Iraqis Tortured at Abu Ghraib Win $42 Million Judgment Against U.S. Military Contractor CACI
A federal jury in Virginia has ordered the U.S. military contractor CACI Premier Technology to pay a total of $42 million to three Iraqi men who were tortured at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison. The landmark verdict comes after 16 years of litigation and marks the first time a civilian contractor has been found legally responsible for the gruesome abuses at Abu Ghraib.
Is Wokeness One Big Power Grab?
In his 2023 Netflix comedy special, Selective Outrage, Chris Rock identified one of the core contradictions of the social-justice era: “Everybody’s full of shit,” Rock said, including in the category of “everybody” people who type “woke” tweets “on a phone made by child slaves.”
I was reminded of that acerbic routine while reading Musa al-Gharbi’s new book, We Have Never Been Woke.
What’s Behind Trump’s Controversial Cabinet Picks
Editor’s Note: Washington Week With The Atlantic is a partnership between NewsHour Productions, WETA, and The Atlantic airing every Friday on PBS stations nationwide. Check your local listings or watch full episodes here.
Donald Trump hasn’t filled his Cabinet yet, but evidence suggests he’s looking for two main attributes in his picks: loyalty to him and a loathing for what he calls the “deep state.
American Kakistocracy
Why is a regular guy attracted to a billionaire candidate? It’s simple: Because the candidate can play to people’s fantasies. The man knows his television, loves girls, hates rules, knows how to make a deal, tells jokes, uses bad language, and is convivial to a fault. He is loud, vain, cheeky. He has a troubled relationship with his age and his hair. He has managed to survive embarrassment, marital misadventures, legal troubles, political about-faces.