Today's Liberal News

A Macron Victory Isn’t Enough

We live in a time of constant upheaval and infuriating inertia. Existential threats to Western democracy abound, but nothing seems to change. With new ideas and technologies transforming the ways we live and work, much of the public seems impatient, urging on change, while the rest demands control and protection. Amid such feverish division, elections morph from battles of ideas to totemic fights for a nation’s soul.

Ukraine update: Russia captures small towns along frontlines, but no major breakthroughs

The “major” Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine continues, producing minor Russian territorial gains as a “senior U.S. defense official” warns that Russia is still continuing to add to its forces in the region. 42 towns were captured by Russia on Thursday, according to Ukrainian officials.

Despite that, Ukraine’s government sounds the most optimistic of the two.

Call for Koscar nominations #7: Outstanding Commenter

Daily Kos was born on May 26, 2002. That makes 2022 our 20th anniversary year, and just one of the ways we’re celebrating is by bringing back the Koscars! One of the things that makes Daily Kos special is our open platform, where community members can publish stories alongside staff. The Koscars seeks to acknowledge and honor outstanding writing contributions from everyone. The entire Daily Kos membership is “the Academy,” so your votes decide the winners.

Viral video catches Bill O’Reilly harassing JetBlue employee over delayed flight

Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly is going viral and, unsurprisingly, it’s not for a good reason. A video of O’Reilly exploded online Tuesday. In the video, the 72-year-old right-wing, disgraced host can be seen belittling a JetBlue employee at John F. Kennedy International Airport, all because his flight was delayed.

“What you’re gonna do … it’s three hours late,” O’Reilly is heard saying in the video.

Donald Trump loses again as Omarosa wins $1.3M judgment against his campaign

Omarosa Manigault Newman is best known for being Omarosa. Omarosa is best known for being a pretty wretched reality television star who rose to a form of celebrity during her many appearances on The Apprentice, hosted by disgraced president Donald Trump. When Trump won the electoral college vote in 2016, Omarosa ended up becoming one of the myriad White House aides to subsequently find themselves pushed out of a job in the following weeks and months.

I Went Surfing in an Office Park

When I felt the wave lift my board and push it forward, I knew exactly what to do. I stood up, turned left, and put my weight forward to shred the surf. If this were San Diego, where I’d just been surfing, I’d see the sun rise over the beach. Instead I saw two gated hot tubs, a row of private cabanas ($370 for the day), and a photo booth selling pics for $15 a piece.This is Urbnsurf, an artificial wave lagoon roughly 10 minutes from Melbourne Airport.

The Cutest Thermonuclear Explosion in the Universe

The first known record of an exploding star comes from Chinese astronomers in the second century. A radiant object, bursting with color, appeared suddenly in the night sky and glowed for about eight months before fading away. In the 11th century, the glow of an exploding star hung around for two whole years, appearing brighter than the moon in the beginning.

As Russia Intensifies Attack on Ukraine’s Donbas, Volunteers Try to Help Civilians in Leveled Cities

We get an update on the Donbas region of Ukraine, where Russian forces are now focused. Russia has backed a separatist movement in the Donbas since 2014 and used protecting the Russian-speaking population there as a justification for its invasion in February. We speak with Brian Milakovsky, who lived in the Donbas town of Severodonetsk before he evacuated to Croatia in January and is now fundraising for people trying to flee Russian attacks.

The Punt Presidency

At the start of his career, Joe Biden was a young man in a hurry: the sixth-youngest senator, an ambitious force in Washington, and a repeat presidential candidate. Now, at the pinnacle and close of his career, the president prefers to procrastinate.Although every leader comes to a decision he or she would rather not make, delay has become a signature tactic of this presidency.

Matrix of War: Russian Elites Unlikely to Split from Putin Despite War Losses & Western Sanctions

Russians are weathering the fallout of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine with no sign of a negotiated peace deal soon. Economic sanctions have driven up food prices, and there has been repression of political dissent within the country. We speak with author Tony Wood, a member of the New Left Review editorial board, who says the crushing Western sanctions are unlikely to end Putin’s rule and are only hardening attitudes.

Free Alaa Abd El-Fattah: Meet Sanaa Seif, Just Out of Prison, Calling on Egypt to Release Her Brother

Calls are growing for the release of imprisoned Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who launched a hunger strike on April 2 to protest the harsh conditions he is held under at Cairo’s Tora prison. Abd El-Fattah, who became a leading voice of the Arab Spring revolution, has been in and out of prison for nearly a decade for his human rights activism. His family recently obtained U.K.