Today's Liberal News

Ukraine Update: Bakhmut holds, and that shouldn’t be a surprise

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Yesterday, Mark Sumner noted that over a week of panic over Bakhmut seemed to have culminated, with Ukraine back in control of many of its recently lost positions (including the hilariously mistranslated “wine factory” and the ever-present trash dump.) It is a seemingly dramatic turnaround from last week, when both Russian and Ukrainian telegram were reporting the collapse of entire Ukrainian defensive lines.

Here are the winners of 2022’s Daily Kos Elections prediction contest, sponsored by Green’s Babka!

With Raphael Warnock’s triumphant victory in the Georgia’s Senate runoff election, we can now unveil the winners of the 2022 Daily Kos Elections prediction contest! As you may recall, we asked you to submit your predictions for the winners in 10 Senate, 29 House, and 12 gubernatorial races, as well as six downballot deep cuts ranging from ballot initiatives to judicial elections.

Is the short-term rental bubble really bursting? Should it?

I’ve stayed in my fair share of Airbnbs. I’ve stayed in units where I had the entire space to myself, and I’ve stayed in units where the host was present. I’ve gone for the cheapest option, and I’ve splurged. But at this point, I’d choose a hotel every time. 

Preference counts here, obviously. In my personal view, there is something to be said for privacy.

The Lionel Messi Guide to Living

The literary critic Edward Said coined the phrase late style to describe the final works of a composer or writer—when the decay of the body can’t help but inform artistry, when creativity is infused with the bumps, bruises, and wisdom of a life almost fully lived.  In soccer years, 35 makes the Argentine forward Lionel Messi a veritable geriatric. And this World Cup was his final opus, his version of Beethoven’s last string quartets or Monet’s lily ponds.

SNL Bids Farewell to Cecily Strong

Compared with last year’s Saturday Night Live Christmas show, when the extremely contagious Omicron coronavirus variant necessitated a reduced cast and crew, this year’s managed to avoid any major disruptions. But one piece of news, released mere hours before last night’s airing, delivered an unexpected turn: The show would be Cecily Strong’s last.

The Qatar World Cup Is History

Picture scenes of a battle or from a play; a massive religious ritual; a game of chess. The penalty kick that decided the Argentina-Netherlands quarterfinal game was all of these things.Overhead footage showed the Argentine goalie Emiliano Martínez at far left; seated alone on the turf, he looked as if he was surrounded by a sea of grass. By blocking two earlier penalty kicks from the Dutch team, Martínez orchestrated this opportunity.

Girls’ School

There were two Hannahs. There were  
eight Amandas. There were three Lindsays,  
and each one wanted a nose job.
One got it. One Hannahran 12 miles in the morning,
the Los Angeles dust moving under her steps.
The other studied the brains of zebra finches
that were simultaneously held captiveand falling in love. Two rings of purple
culled Lindsay’s white face,
and for six months all her expressions
she could not express. The other Lindsay said,  I support it.

Why No Singer Has Replaced Lady Gaga

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.Good morning, and welcome back to The Daily’s Sunday culture edition, in which one Atlantic writer reveals what’s keeping them entertained.Today’s special guest is Spencer Kornhaber, a staff writer who covers music and pop culture.

Qatar Won

This is an edition of The Great Game, a newsletter about the 2022 World Cup—and how soccer explains the world. Sign up here.“The thing with the royal family is that for most of the time, it’s just a slightly tawdry soap opera,” a friend of mine reflected when we met up in the days after the funeral of Queen Elizabeth earlier this year. “But then, occasionally, it rises to become pure opera.

The Joy of Morocco

This is an edition of The Great Game, a newsletter about the 2022 World Cup—and how soccer explains the world. Sign up here.There is a video from the World Cup that I can’t stop watching.It’s not of Christian Pulisic’s self-sacrificial goal against Iran that sent the United States into the round of 16, or Lionel Messi dancing past a Croatian defender before providing the assist that sealed Argentina’s place in the final.

Biden, Like Trump Before Him, Derails Effort to End U.S. Support for Saudi War in Yemen

A new UNICEF report finds that over 11,000 children have been killed or injured in the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led war in Yemen since 2015. A six-month ceasefire between warring parties expired in October. Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders withdrew a Senate resolution Tuesday that would have ended U.S. support for the war, following pressure from the White House. Sanders said he would bring the resolution back if they could not reach an agreement.

Six very real threats to democracy

Voters rejected election deniers in key states, but the path to extremism remains open.

By Jessica Goodheart, for Capital & Main

First the good news.

One of the biggest concerns heading into November’s midterm elections had been the possibility that election deniers would sweep statewide offices that oversee elections in key battleground states. Another was that they would refuse to concede once they lost.