The Philadelphia Inquirer Is Probably Not Hiring Copy Editors

Yang Tries to Appeal to Gay Democratic Group, Loses Endorsement to Stringer

nyc mayoral race

When he was asked about how he would tackle issues faced by LGBT New Yorkers, Yang reportedly responded by mentioning gay bars.

Wall Street Spooked by Biden’s Tax Plan

wall street

By Eric Levitz

Investors fear the president’s new capital gains tax will hurt America’s salt-of-the-earth, hardly working millionaires.

Did a Human or a Computer Crash This Tesla?

business

By Jen Wieczner

The question is having a big impact on Elon Musk’s company.

Most Popular

The Fateful Question of How Latinos Vote Going Forward

Trump and his party over-performed with Latino voters in 2020. It’s important for both parties to figure whether that was a fluke or a trend.

What Happens Next After the Derek Chauvin Verdict

By Nia Prater

Many legal issues remain unresolved, from the fate of the other officers who arrested George Floyd to federal efforts to address police brutality.

NASA Rover Creates Breathable Oxygen on Mars

mars

A device known as MOXIE produced enough oxygen for an astronaut to breathe for ten minutes, a major step toward manned missions to Mars.

Georgia Republicans Wonder What to Do About Herschel Walker

2022 midterms

His indecision about a 2022 Senate race after Trump urged him to run is complicating life for other would-be senators.

Senate Passes Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Bill in Landslide Vote

By Nia Prater

The legislation was approved 94-1 in response to a surge in violence during the pandemic, with only Josh Hawley dissenting.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Act Picks Up Steam

voting rights

With a broader bill stalled, the Congressional Black Caucus pushes Democrats to restore the original Voting Rights Act.

Why the World Can’t Trust America on Climate

climate change

By Eric Levitz

And what Democrats can do about it.

4/22/2021

The Supreme Court ruled that judges can sentence juvenile offenders to life without parole without laying out why they think the child can’t be rehabilitated

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 vote, ruled Thursday that a judge need not make a finding of “permanent incorrigibility” before sentencing a juvenile offender to life without parole. At the center of the case was Brett Jones who was 15 when he stabbed his grandfather to death during an argument about Jones’ girlfriend. He was convicted of murder, and a judge sentenced him to life without parole.

“In such a case, a discretionary sentencing system is both constitutionally necessary and constitutionally sufficient,” the court’s conservative justices wrote.

Writing for the majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said: “As this case again demonstrates, any homicide, and particularly a homicide committed by an individual under 18, is a horrific tragedy for all involved and for all affected.”

He added: “Determining the proper sentence in such a case raises profound questions of morality and social policy. The States, not the federal courts, make those broad moral and policy judgments in the first instance when enacting their sentencing laws. And state sentencing judges and juries then determine the proper sentence in individual cases in light of the facts and circumstances of the offense, and the background of the offender.”

Supreme Court Rejects Restrictions On Life Without Parole For Juveniles

—NPR

U.S. Vaccination Pace Stalls After Months of Growth

vaccines

By Benjamin Hart

A sharp week-over-week drop is a bad sign in the fight for herd immunity.

4/22/2021

Biden formally committed to the U.S. cutting fossil fuel emissions at least in half from 2005 levels by 2030

Saying the United States and other big economies “have to get this done,” President Joe Biden opened a global climate summit Thursday aimed at getting world leaders to dig deeper on emissions cuts. The United States pledged to cut in half the amount of climate-wrecking coal and petroleum fumes it is pumping out.

“Meeting this moment is about more than preserving our planet,” Biden declared, speaking from a TV-style set for a virtual summit of 40 world leaders. “It’s about providing a better future for all of us,” he said, calling it “a moment of peril but a moment of opportunity.”

“The signs are unmistakable. the science is undeniable. the cost of inaction keeps mounting,” he added.”

Biden’s administration is sketching out a vision of a prosperous, clean-energy United States where factories churn out cutting-edge batteries for export, line workers re-lay an efficient national electrical grid and crews cap abandoned oil and gas rigs and coal mines.

At ‘moment of peril,’ Biden opens global summit on climate

—AP

GOP Stands Up to ‘Cancel Culture’ by Criminalizing Dissent

conservatism

By Eric Levitz

Republicans believe that corporations opposing conservative causes undermines civil liberties, but governments criminalizing protest does not.

Derek Chauvin Held in 23-Hour Solitary Confinement As He Awaits Sentencing

minnesota

The convicted murderer is only being let out of his cell one hour per day for exercise and is under observation every 30 minutes.

‘King of Absentees’ Accused of Skipping Work at Italian Hospital for 15 Years

andiamo

New heights in working from home.

After the Voting Wars, Who’s Likely to Turn Out in 2022?

2022 midterms

The net impact of laws to suppress or expand voting rights is unclear, and will compete with many factors affecting the level and shape of turnout.

The Most Powerful Weapon for Police Reform Is Back

By James D. Walsh

Biden’s Justice Department takes out a tool shelved by Trump to force local law enforcement to change.

Steve Scalise’s Ignorant, Racist Case Against D.C. Statehood

the national interest

By Jonathan Chait

Republican from murderous, corrupt state says D.C. has too much crime and corruption to be a state.

How to Sign Up for a COVID Vaccine in New York

coronavirus vaccine

All New Yorkers over the age of 16 are now eligible to sign up for a shot.

Manhattan Drops Prosecution of Consensual Sex Work

power

By Claire Lampen

The DA will still pursue charges for visiting sex workers and for sex trafficking.

Reconciliation May Not Solve Democrats’ Immigration Woes

immigration

As with the $15 minimum wage, a path to citizenship could succumb to a Senate parliamentarian’s ruling. And then there’s Joe Manchin.

Justice Department Launches Probe of Minneapolis Police Practices

By Nia Prater

Merrick Garland announced a probe into whether the department has engaged in a pattern of “unlawful policing” a day after the Derek Chauvin verdict.

Why Should Black Protesters Trust a Senate That Underrepresents Them?

the national interest

By Jonathan Chait

Peaceful police reform means taking democratic reform seriously.

4/21/2021

Perhaps the future of the increasingly Trumpy GOP is … a guy Trump soundly beat in 2016?

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is seriously considering running for president in 2024, three people familiar with his thinking tell Axios.

… Christie, whose 2016 bid for the nomination was short-lived, has told friends that he’d be the only person in the 2024 field with executive experience who has run a presidential race before.

That’s a clear shot at one potential rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who’s enjoying a surge of popularity from Republican voters for his handling of COVID-19 and his sparring with the media but hasn’t yet endured the scrutiny of a presidential bid.

Christie could run on a reputation for toughness that appeals to Trump’s base minus the former president’s recklessness, said one source. Another said he has a mix of combativeness and charisma that Republicans are looking for to take on President Biden and Democrats.

Scoop: Chris Christie friends believe he's running in 2024

—Axios