Smash The Bubble

News and opinion from both the left and the right, mixed together so you can break out of your filter bubble.

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Today's Headlines

What Going ‘Wild on Health’ Looks Like

The potential consequences of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s most troubling ideas

How Trump Could Make Congress Go Away for a While

An untested provision in the Constitution might allow him to install his Cabinet picks no matter what the Senate has to say.

Live updates: Vance seeks to build support among senators for Matt Gaetz as attorney general

Get the latest news on the transition to the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump and a new Congress.

Everything you need to know about Biden's student loan forgiveness program

President Joe Biden's federal student loan forgiveness program, which promises to deliver up to $20,000 of debt relief for millions of borrowers, is on hold indefinitely as legal challenges work their way through the courts.

Drone, Missile Defense Top Priorities for Next Defense Secretary

Pete Hegseth faces critical challenges in addressing U.S. vulnerabilities to advanced missile and drone threats as global tensions rise.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

Humiliation of TV Libs Continues, and it Is Glorious

While the House ethics panel deliberated, Rep. Sean Casten (D-Illinois) announced that he would move to...

Trump’s New York Sentencing Must Proceed

An election is not a jury verdict, and winning an election doesn’t make you any less guilty.

Get Ready for Higher Food Prices

Trump vowed to lower food prices. His policies will almost certainly do the opposite.

Things at Bluesky Going as Well as Could Be Expected

Georgia Gov. Kemp, after life sentence for Laken Riley killer, says justice 'was swift and severe'

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says that justice was served after a judge sentenced the 26-year-old migrant from Venezuela who was convicted of murdering Laken Riley to a life sentence in prison.

Trump Picks Are Agents of His Contempt & Vengeance

With them, Trump will tear down any person or institution that tried to restrain his worst impulses or hold him accountable

Delta CEO: Trump Will Reverse Biden's Govt 'Overreach'

The chief executive of Delta Air Lines said the incoming Trump administration will be a "breath of fresh air" for airlines after what he called government "overreach" under President Joe Biden.

Trump Is Getting a Honeymoon, Believe It Or Not

Hmmm: Danish Navy Corners Chinese Vessel After Baltic Telecom Cable 'Sabotage'

Could Trump Actually Get Rid of the Department of Education?

Getting rid of the agency would cause a lot of harm and wouldn't really change school curriculum.

The fine print of the Respect for Marriage Act

Let's start with the positive: Republicans and Democrats are coming together to protect same-sex marriage from the Supreme Court.

Get to know Donald Trump's Cabinet: Who has the president-elect picked so far?

Donald Trump has begun selecting people to fill top administration jobs in Washington upon returning to the Oval Office in January. Trump beat Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

House Ethics chair: No agreement to release Gaetz report

Trump Applauds Guilty Verdict in Laken Riley Murder

The guilty conviction Wednesday of Venezuelan illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra for murdering Laken Riley on the University of Georgia's campus can hopefully "help bring some peace and closure to her wonderful family," President-elect Donald Trump said.

What a World It Could Be If Our Military Only Had to Fight, Like, Bad Guys

Tracking Trump’s picks for his Cabinet and administration

Here are the people Donald Trump has picked or is considering to fill his Cabinet and key positions in his administration.

Polling, Like the NYT/Siena Polls, Is Not the Problem

Why it can't fix our messy politics.

No Agreement on Releasing Ethics Report on Gaetz: House Committee Chair

The chairman of the U.S. House Ethics Committee said on Wednesday the panel had not reached an agreement on whether to release findings of its probe into allegations of sexual misconduct by Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attor…

House Speaker: Biology Matters on Capitol Hill

Speaker Mike Johnson Says He Will Ban Transgender Women From Capitol Bathrooms

The G.O.P. speaker sided with hard-right members of his conference who called for blocking Representative-elect Sarah McBride, the first transgender member of Congress, from using Capitol women’s rooms.

Behind the Scenes at a Secretive Gathering of Rising MAGA Donors

The Winklevoss twins, Rebekah Mercer, allies of Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr. and top Trump campaign aides recently joined a conclave of right-wing donors who are suddenly flush with power.

Nearly 200 groups urge Biden to release migrants, close detention centers before Trump arrives

Nearly 200 migrant advocacy groups called for President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas to make sweeping moves ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House.

WaPo Wonders: Why Won't Trump Let 'Deep State' Vet His Nominees?

American Kakistocracy

Italy knows a thing or two about what the United States faces—but there are key differences between the two countries’ experiences.

Paul opposes Trump’s plan to use military for mass deportations

Court Ruling Stops Louisiana From Requiring Ten Commandments in Classrooms for Now

Louisiana's plan to make all of the state's public school classrooms post the Ten Commandments remains on hold under an order Wednesday by a federal appeals court in New Orleans.

RFK Jr. Collects His Reward

The conspiratorial and chaotic independent is poised to join the government that he claims is lying to you.

Will Democrats Ever Get Tired of Losing?

Anti-Zionism’s German Roots

While Islam traditionally treated Jews with contempt, antisemitic conspiracy theories imported from Germany escalated this animosity by vilifying Jews as agents of diabolical evil.

Trump Picks Matthew Whitaker to Be U.S. Ambassador to NATO

Mr. Whitaker briefly served as acting attorney general in Mr. Trump’s first term.

Trump's cut to Biden's EV tax credit, backed by Musk, may impact auto industry, experts say

Automotive experts reveal their thoughts on President-elect Trump reportedly considering a slash to the tax credit for electric vehicles.

Fareed explains why AI's massive energy demands are straining the power grid, but also why AI could enable big breakthroughs in sustainability and clean energy.

Brainwashing and Blood Feuds

The Communist Party bears responsibility for the outbursts of Chinese hatred against Japan and its citizens.

While America Is On the Dawn of Economic Recovery, the Sun's About to Set on California

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

Go beyond the soundbites and get to know some of the most interesting players in politics.

Vice President Kamala Harris, a former US senator from California who previously served as the state's attorney general, could be the first Black woman and Asian American to lead a major party ticket after receiving President Joe Biden's support t…

World Leaders Seek Stability With China as Biden Exits the Stage

The return to power of President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has vowed to confront China on tariffs, has created deep uncertainty about the U.S. role in avoiding global conflicts.

RFK Jr's abortion 'issue': Senate GOP plans to scrutinize Trump HHS pick's position

Republican senators have some concerns about Trump's choice of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

'Common sense': Red state governor makes crucial move to boost Trump's deportation push

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is planning to deport criminal illegal immigrants in state prisons, coinciding with a push by the incoming Trump administration.

Top House Ethics Democrat suggests GOP did not support releasing Gaetz report

Old British MacDonald Had a Farm, E-I-E-I-Gone

Trump’s Cabinet Picks Raise Big Questions. Past Nominees Have Been Undone by Far Less.

Back taxes, youthful pot smoking and undocumented nannies scuttled previous presidential choices. Some of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s candidates face bigger questions.

Office of Management and Budget director

Pollster Nate Silver Calls on Biden to Resign

Pollster Nate Silver called for President Joe Biden to resign on Wednesday and allow Vice President Kamala Harris to finish out the last two months of his presidency.

House Ethics Panel Deadlocks on Whether to Release Gaetz Report

Senators in both parties have demanded to see the committee’s investigative report into sexual misconduct and illicit drug use allegations against Donald J. Trump’s choice for attorney general.

Meet the woman steering Biden's bipartisan winning streak on Capitol Hill

The Biden administration managed to rack up a long list of major legislative wins in its first two years despite facing one of the most closely-divided Congresses in history. From bipartisan action on infrastructure, gun safety and same-sex marria…

Sen. Collins: Grill Trump Health Admin Appointees

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, called for President-elect Donald Trump's health administration appointees to face "extensive committee investigations" as part of the confirmation process, Axios reported.

CNN Political Briefing

The political news you need to know, in 10 minutes or less. Hosted by David Chalian.

JD Vance Courts Senators With Matt Gaetz, Controversial Cabinet Pick

Vice President-elect JD Vance was on Capitol Hill with Mr. Gaetz, the former representative that President-elect Donald J. Trump wants to be his attorney general.

PA Recount: Democracy or Election Denial?

Tuesday on the RealClearPolitics radio show -- weeknights at 6:00 p.m. on SiriusXM's POTUS Channel 124 and then on Apple, Spotify, and here on our website -- Tom Bevan, Andrew Walworth, and Carl Cannon talk about the recount of the still-contested…

New SEC Chair Must Have Backbone for Job

The next chairman will inherit a troubled SEC, along with its problems and problem children. The chairman will need to clean house and end flawed enforcement actions that ring of regulation by enforcement.

Either Way, Matt Gaetz Wins

Trump’s pick for attorney general will get to burnish his MAGA-loyalist credentials whether or not the Senate confirms him.

Who Are the Women Backing the '4B' Movement?

The election has led some women to take the lead from the South Korean feminist protest by boycotting relationships with men.

How Kyrsten Sinema's decision makes Democrats' 2024 Senate map tighter

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema decided to shake up the political world on Friday by becoming an independent. The former Democrat is still caucusing with the party in the Senate, so the Democratic caucus still has 51 members. Now, instead of 49 Democr…

How Dems Are Losing Tomorrow's Elections Today

The elections of the 2030s are already taking shape a€” and Democratic governors are making the next decade's fights for the House and White House much harder for their party to win.

North Carolina Republicans Push to Seize Power From Top Democrats

The state’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a sweeping bill that would erode the power of the Democratic governor and attorney general and hand the G.O.P. more control over elections.

Lindsey Graham urges GOP not to form 'lynch mob' ahead of Gaetz confirmation

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., urged his Senate GOP colleagues not to form a "lynch mob" and to give Matt Gaetz a fair shot during his confirmation hearings to be U.S. attorney general.

The Perverse Logic of Trump’s Nomination Circus

The sheer quantity of individually unqualified selections might make blocking any of them harder.

Washington Is Shocked

Just shocked, I tell you.

The ‘Democracy’ Gap

Almost all Americans say they support democracy—but they have very different ideas about what the word means.

Senate Democrats force Israel weapons vote, citing Biden inaction

The Senate will vote on measures brought by Sen. Bernie Sanders and a handful of Democrats to block the sale of some $20 billion in U.S.-made weapons to Israel.

How to Win Latino Voters

A conversation with a Democrat who did.

Decline and Folly

‘Megalopolis’ and the rise and fall of Francis Ford Coppola.

I Thought Being a Gay Man Would Save Me From Womanhood (It Didn’t)

Queer theory transformed me from a depressed, weird, intellectually curious child into a brainwashed teen who disfigured her body.

The Centre Must Rise

No centrist who understands the current moment has ever truly laid out their case to the Democratic Party base in the context of a serious political campaign. It’s time to change that.

The Democrats’ 2022 Error Message

Swing-state successes in the last midterms gave the party false optimism about 2024.

The Church at a Crossroads

Whoever becomes the next Archbishop of Canterbury will face the arduous task of uniting the now-radicalised wings of the Church of England.

Trump Takes His Time With Choice for Head of Secret Service

It just might be the most personal hiring decision President-elect Trump will ever make, but if he's already chosen, he's keeping the contenders in suspense.

No Trump administration pick is viewed positively by most Americans

Views of Trump’s administration picks are mixed, but many Americans simply have no opinion.

House Ethics Committee says no agreement reached on releasing Matt Gaetz report

The House Ethics Committee held a meeting on Wednesday but did not reach an agreement to release the report on its investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz.

A Rose-Tinted View of Immigration

Hein de Haas’s new book has been billed as a balanced, fact-based approach to the immigration debate. In fact, it is just another Pollyannaish pro-immigration polemic.  

Trump's Lawyers Urge Judge to Ignore Prosecutors, Dismiss N.Y. Conviction

As prosecutors push to preserve President-elect Donald Trump's historic conviction, his lawyers urged a judge Wednesday to ignore them and scrap the case before he takes office in January.Echoing their stance since Trump's win, his lawyers argued...

Size of slim Republican House majority hangs on 4 uncalled races

There are still four uncalled House races that will determine the size of the Republican majority in Congress after the 2024 elections.

The Humiliation of Alan Lichtman, Credentialed Idiot

Science More Dogmatic Today Than 17th Century Catholic Church

Peter Thiel during an interview with Bari Weiss last week spke about how modern science is failing to balance skepticism and dogmatism.

Senate Judiciary Committee Dems Ask FBI for Gaetz Files

Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats have requested that the FBI send its file on President-elect Donald Trump's attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz, Politico reported on Wednesday.

Podcast #259: The Campaign Against ‘Settler Colonialism’

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay talks to author Adam Kirsch about the growing corps of academics and activists seeking to demonise ‘settler colonialists’ in North America, Australia—and especially Israel.

Anybody Notice That Nobody Is In Charge?

Ga. election workers ask court to punish Giuliani for more false claims

Two Georgia election workers want a judge to force Rudy Guliani to stop repeating false claims that resulted in a $148 million judgment against him.

Democratic Ohio Rep. Kaptur narrowly wins re-election, keeping Republican majority at 218 seats

A northwest Ohio House race that many believed could determine who ultimately controls the House of Representatives was called by The Associated Press three weeks after Election Day.

Trump taps Matthew Whitaker, former acting attorney general, for NATO ambassador

Whitaker has little to no experience in security or foreign policy, both of which are central to the NATO role.

Brace for the Storm

The first year of Trump’s new administration may be as dangerous as the last year of his previous one.

California school official compared 'Save Girls Sports' shirt to swastika, rebuked girls wearing it: lawsuit

A high school athlete's family filed a Title IX complaint after she was moved to junior varsity to make room for a transgender athlete on the varsity squad.

Democrats Must Pick Fights with Woke Activists

Ignoring the far-left’s identitarian agenda is not enough.

How to Avoid Contentious Holiday Gatherings After the Election

How to avoid a contentious family holiday after the big election.

Hezbollah’s Rockets Remain a Threat Despite Israel’s Crushing Offensive

Israel’s failure to tamp down the short-range rocket threat has put pressure on its government to embrace a cease-fire.

Margins of Error

Look closely at almost anything and you'll find data—lots of it. But what are those numbers really saying about who we are and what we believe? Harry Enten is on a mission to find out.

Is Trump More Flexible on China Than His Hawkish Cabinet Picks Suggest?

President-elect Donald J. Trump is assembling a team of aides bent on confrontation with China. But he also has advisers who do business there, including Elon Musk.

Trump Lawyer to Newsmax: NY Paperwork Case 'Must Be Dismissed'

David Schoen, who served as Donald Trump's impeachment lawyer, told Newsmax that the New York paperwork case against the president-elect "must be dismissed."

Podcast #260: Making Britain Great Again

Iona Italia talks to Sam Bowman about how to combat the economic stagnation and excess bureaucracy that are currently preventing the UK from reaching its full potential.

In the wake of the Republican National Convention earlier this month, Fareed speaks with historian Niall Ferguson about how and why the modern-day GOP has changed since the Reagan era of the 1980s.

The notable legal clouds that continue to hang over Donald Trump

All eyes are on former President Donald Trump, who has launched another White House bid.

Savage Entertainment

A new version of Tinto Brass and Bob Guccione’s notorious 1979 film ‘Caligula’ provides a valuable record of one of the most fascinating disasters in cinema history.

Speaker Brings Transgender Bathroom Ban to House

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Wednesday announced a new policy to prevent transgender women from using women's bathrooms on the House side of Capitol Hill, Politico reported.

Megalopolis: Bloated, Outré—and Brilliant

Like a Hieronymus Bosch painting, it’s chaos alright—but it’s a dazzling chaos.  

Speaker Johnson announces new Capitol bathroom policy in response to controversy over trans House member

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced a new bathroom policy banning biological males from women's spaces at the Capitol and House office buildings.

Pennsylvania Voters to Sen. Casey: 'It's Over, Bob'

Columnist David Marcus talks to voters in Bucks County and finds Democrats and Republicans agree that Sen. Bob Casey's refusal to concede is a bad look.

How Science Lost Our Trust & Turned to Health Policy Skeptics

Lingering resentment over pandemic restrictions helped Kennedy and his "Make America Healthy Again" campaign draw people from the left and the right.

Media Polls Were Manufacturing a Fake Harris Lead All Fall

Hey Nate, we weren't coordinating with the Trump campaign like I think an investigation could find that Selzer may have been. I control the numbers completely myself, and they are 100% a product of my own work. You should probably retract that.

Actor Bure to Newsmax: Christians Scared to Speak Out During Election

Many Christians were "scared to speak out" during the presidential election, but the way to do that is with "kindness and respect," actor Candace Cameron Bure said.

House panel was told Gaetz paid two women $10,000, in part for sex

The House Ethics Committee is expected to vote on whether to release its investigation into the former congressman.