menu_open Columnists
Nicholas Liu

Nicholas Liu

Salon

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

When big business rolled over for fascism — and cashed in: A lesson, or a warning?

When big business rolled over for fascism — and cashed in: A lesson, or a warning?

The aspiring dictator promised to crush the left and deliver big profits — so the capitalist class went all-in

05.04.2025 40

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"Worse than the worst-case scenario": Stock market nosedives after Trump tariff announcement

The scale of Trump's tariffs far exceeded what many investors were bracing for

03.04.2025 6

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Republicans panic over Trump tariffs: Last time "we lost the House and the Senate for 60 years"

Republicans panic over Trump tariffs: Last time

"They’re not only bad economically, they’re bad politically," warned Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul

03.04.2025 4

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"Our courts are not for sale": In setback for Musk, liberal candidate wins Wisconsin court seat

Susan Crawford's victory preserves the 4-3 liberal majority on the state supreme court

02.04.2025 5

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Trump DOJ says "administrative error" led to an innocent father being sent to an El Salvador prison

Trump DOJ says

Lawyers fear that Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia will be tortured in the notorious Terrorism Detention Center

01.04.2025 10

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"A vicious dagger": College Democrats condemn ICE arrest of University of Alabama doctoral student

The Trump administration has not said why it targeted Alireza Doroudi, a doctoral student

27.03.2025 4

Salon

Nicholas Liu

The Atlantic releases full texts showing sensitive Yemen attack information was shared on Signal

The Atlantic releases full texts showing sensitive Yemen attack information was shared on Signal

In the chat, Trump officials discussed the benefits of bombing Houthi targets in Yemen

26.03.2025 10

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"This is an embarassment": Democrats grill Trump intelligence officials over Yemen group chat leak

At a hearing Tuesday, Senate Democrats pressed Trump officials to explain why they were texting about war plans

25.03.2025 6

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"It happens": Republicans shrug off Trump administration's leak of Yemen war plans

Republican lawmakers are trying to blame the media for the Trump administration's war-planning group chat

25.03.2025 30

Salon

Nicholas Liu

In the long-awaited sequel to "Wolf Hall," mortality stalks Cromwell's conscience

In the long-awaited sequel to

Thomas Cromwell dies as he has not lived, reflecting on sins that tarnish his soul

23.03.2025 10

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Trump to sign executive order that purports to dismantle the Department of Education

Trump to sign executive order that purports to dismantle the Department of Education

Trump is expected to sign the executive order on Thursday

20.03.2025 10

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Trump has "declared war on the rule of law," says retired conservative judge J. Michael Luttig

The criticism comes after the Trump administration defied a federal court order

19.03.2025 20

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"It pisses me off": JB Pritzker channels liberal anger at Trump — and his own party

A billionaire heir to a hotel fortune, the Democratic governor is striking a combative, populist-inflected tone

19.03.2025 20

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"Like Armageddon": Israel resumes its war on Gaza, killing hundreds of Palestinians

Israeli airstrikes have shattered a ceasefire agreement from January, killing 400 Palestinians in a matter of hours

18.03.2025 5

Salon

Nicholas Liu

How Kash Patel could quietly — and even legally — use the FBI to target Trump critics

Government agents interviewing your co-workers and friends, examining your phone data, rummaging through your trash, email history and transaction...

13.03.2025 10

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Can Democrats finally quit the "consultant class"?

Newly elected DNC Chair Ken Martin has promised to review the party's existing contracts with consulting firms

08.03.2025 40

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Trump may revoke legal status for 240,000 Ukrainian refugees, clearing way for deportations

A White House spokesperson denied that a decision has already been made

06.03.2025 3

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Trump admits that Elon Musk is the head of DOGE, contradicting DOJ denials in federal court

Trump's admission undermines DOJ arguments that Amy Gleason, not Musk, runs the government-slashing operation

05.03.2025 20

Salon

Nicholas Liu

US pauses intelligence sharing with Ukraine, kneecapping efforts to resist Russian invasion

Trump has said that he wanted to see a Zelensky "committed" to peace before resuming aid

05.03.2025 10

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"Free speech" warrior Trump announces "unlawful" assault on college protests

"The goal here seems to be intimidation and fear to chill free speech," ex-prosecutor warns

04.03.2025 6

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"Cowards": Top Republican warns lawmakers to dodge town halls after furious constituents lash out

The directive comes after some bruising encounters with town hall attendees furious or concerned about DOGE cuts

04.03.2025 3

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"Americans will pay more": Stocks tank, US hit with retaliatory tariffs after Trump announcement

Fox News showed the Dow Jones plummeting as Trump touted his economic record

04.03.2025 3

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"System collapse": Ex-Social Security chief warns DOGE may cause "interruption of benefits"

Martin O'Malley warned people to start saving in preparation for disruptions in monthly benefit checks

04.03.2025 7

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"Corruption in plain sight": Musk appears set to take over $2 billion FAA contract from Verizon

In 2023, Verizon was awarded a contract to modernize the FAA's air traffic control system

27.02.2025 50

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Latest DHS hire called for "martial law" after Trump lost the 2020 election

Paul Ingrassia has been tapped to act as the White House's liaison to the Department of Homeland Security

27.02.2025 50

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Spooked by public outrage, GOP aides urge lawmakers to reconsider future town halls

Angry constituents and protesters have been giving their congressmembers an earful over Trump-Musk spending cuts

26.02.2025 40

Salon

Nicholas Liu

The Blackwater plan for Trump's mass deportations: Military camps and a private army of enforcers

Former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince is pitching a plan to deputize private citizens to arrest immigrants

25.02.2025 50

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Kash Patel confirmed to lead the FBI, an agency he has vowed to purge of Trump's "deep state" foes

Patel, a Trump loyalist, was confirmed despite fears he intends to purge the bureau he has been chosen to lead

21.02.2025 6

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Mitch McConnell announces retirement after 2026, ending four decades in the Senate

The former Senate Majority Leader helped shape the modern GOP, even if he doesn't quite recognize it anymore

21.02.2025 4

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"Intentional cruelty": Trump administration accused of "disappearing" immigrants at Guantánamo

The Trump administration is refusing to say who it is sending to Guantánamo Bay or why

19.02.2025 3

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Are Democrats screwing this up? Lawmakers and activists quarrel over how to fight Trump

Outside groups, frustrated at ineffective opposition, have urged supporters to give Democrats an earful

15.02.2025 10

Salon

Nicholas Liu

RFK Jr. is now America's top health official after winning Senate confirmation to lead HHS

Kennedy, who built a career as an anti-vaccine activist, now leads the Department of Health and Human Services

13.02.2025 10

Salon

Nicholas Liu

America's next spy chief: Senate confirms Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence

Gabbard, a former Democratic lawmaker who embraced MAGA, has defended dictators and promoted conspiracy theories

12.02.2025 5

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Pope Francis rebukes Trump and Vance, saying immigrants deserve "dignified treatment"

Pope Francis described attacks on immigrants from right-wing politicians as ungodly behavior that would "end badly"

11.02.2025 10

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Judge temporarily limits DOGE access to Treasury Department payment system

A group of unions filed a lawsuit accusing Elon Musk's operation of illegally forcing access to payment systems

07.02.2025 20

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Musk's DOGE operation sued over effort to "intimidate and threaten" Department of Labor employees

The lawsuit alleges that Musk threatened employees with termination if they didn't comply with unlawful orders

06.02.2025 4

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"An invitation to foreign actors": Bondi tells DOJ to quit worrying about foreign lobbying campaigns

The new attorney general said she would focus DOJ's efforts on transnational drug cartels instead

06.02.2025 40

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"Like a bad, sick joke": Trump's plan for a Gaza purge amounts to "ethnic cleansing," critics say

Trump suggested that after removing Gaza's 2 million Palestinians, U.S. soldiers could then occupy the territory

05.02.2025 3

Salon

Nicholas Liu

GOP thwarts effort by House Democrats to subpoena Elon Musk

The subpoena, proposed by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, was defeated by a 20-19 vote

05.02.2025 5

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"An absolute disaster": Musk's assault on USAID blamed for spread of HIV among newborns

The White House said it was allowing "lifesaving" foreign aid to continue, but DOGE's actions suggest otherwise

04.02.2025 6

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Trump vows to save white South Africans while Musk calls for welcoming them as refugees

Trump and Musk have spread false claims that South Africa's government is oppressing white people

04.02.2025 5

Salon

Nicholas Liu

A pro-Israel group says it gave the Trump administration a list of students to deport

Betar, a self-described Zionist group, wants to help Trump curtail pro-Palestine speech

31.01.2025 20

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Democratic governors urge Schumer to fight back harder against Trump

A half-dozen Democratic governors urged Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step up the fight against Trump

31.01.2025 10

Salon

Nicholas Liu

The year of the snake: How my mother came to embrace her zodiac sign

Cunning? Resourceful? The snake from Chinese mythology has guided my mother in ways that benefited my autism

30.01.2025 30

Salon

Nicholas Liu

RFK Jr. claims he had "nothing to do" with Samoan measles outbreak, but record suggests otherwise

RFK Jr.'s testimony to senators clashed with past articles and letters he wrote concerning Samoan vaccine policy

30.01.2025 8

Salon

Nicholas Liu

New White House lawyer described himself as a "raging misogynist," praised Nazi theorist

Andrew Kloster, chief lawyer in the government's HR office, has a history of making sexist and racist comments

29.01.2025 7

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Trump administration rescinds OMB memo that imposed illegal freeze on federal spending

A memo ordering federal agencies to suspend most federal grants was already temporarily blocked by a judge

29.01.2025 8

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"Blatant attempt to rip away health insurance": Medicaid system suspended nationwide, senator says

The shutdown comes as Trump's budget office ordered a suspension of most federal spending

29.01.2025 50

Salon

Nicholas Liu

Trump, challenging federal law, tries to fire labor board leaders who backed worker rights

Trump fired the National Labor Relations Board's general counsel and one of its Democratic members

29.01.2025 50

Salon

Nicholas Liu

"Five-alarm fire": Trump OMB tries to freeze federal spending in unconstitutional power grab

A two-page OMB memo falsely claims that the president can refuse to spend money on programs authorized by Congress

28.01.2025 7

Salon

Nicholas Liu