Smash The Bubble

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

more info

Today's Headlines

Only Cheats Fear the SAVE Act

David Axelrod, Barack Hussein Obama's chief strategist, was clearly worried about Donald Trump's prime time speech about election integrity

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…

I Chaired Canada's Human Rights Tribunal. Here's What I Saw.

During my time chairing the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, I sometimes felt like the agent of a state-funded extortion ring.

It’s the Loudest Issue on the Internet, but Congress Has Logged Off

The casual social media user could be forgiven for concluding that most events of any relevance can be traced back to the pernicious influence of Jewish money and clout.

Let the Flyboys Fly

The Blue Angels did everything right.

Why Soccer Is Boring

How the beautiful game convinced the world that boredom is sophistication.

Trump’s Homeland Security Chief Threatens Election Officials With Prison Time

Markwayne Mullin reiterated the president’s false claims about voting security while escalating the administration’s legally questionable attempts to control state elections.

Trump’s Obsession With Relitigating the 2020 Election Carries a Cost for Democracy

In demanding steps to address the integrity of voting, President Trump persisted in relitigating his 2020 election defeat while finding ways to cast doubt on the 2026 outcome.

Mullin Vows to Keep Up Immigration Arrests Even After ICE Shootings

The homeland security secretary made clear that he would seek to deliver on President Trump’s push for mass deportations.

Charlie Is My Darling

Claudia Verhoeven’s new book is a valuable contribution to the crowded library of Mansonia.

CNN and Blinken in 2024: Yes, China Was Interfering in U.S. Elections

Will Anyone Miss Sociology?

Scott Yenor foresees program reviews that will accelerate the erosion of this field of study.

House vote exposes Democrats’ widening divide over Israel

The symbolic vote showed how far Democratic politics on Israel have shifted, as progressive candidates turn anger over Gaza and U.S. military aid into a campaign issue.

Socialist-backed Dem who ripped the wealthy cracks state’s top 1%, tax returns show

Abdul El-Sayed reported $262,000 in capital gains and owns two rental properties worth $750,000 while campaigning against wealthy landlords.

Thursday's Final Word

Where Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey Succeeds and Fails

I went in with measured expectations — and the movie largely met them.

Reshaping the Middle East

Reconsidering Israel’s wars in 1956, 1982, and 2026.

Republicans in North Carolina Try to Reduce Early Voting on Sundays and on Campuses

Voting-rights activists said the changes are a blatant attempt by G.O.P. leaders to make it harder for Black voters and students, who tend to vote for Democrats, to cast ballots this fall.

Dropping the Drones Man

In what looks like a colossal blunder, Volodymyr Zelensky has forced out Ukraine’s popular defense minister.

Trump Faces the Limits of U.S. Firepower and the Lessons of Past Wars

Like his predecessors, President Trump has struggled to turn battlefield successes into long-term victories.

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.

Trump's 60-day Iran deal reaches halfway mark as ceasefire collapses into escalating war

Halfway through the 60-day negotiating window, the U.S. has struck over 300 Iranian targets while Iran attacks commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Maine Democratic Senate hopefuls back once fringe position after ICE shooting

The leading candidates to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee to challenge Sen. Susan Collins are presenting themselves as fighters in his mold and calling for ICE to be abolished.

Democrat scrambles to meet Angel Mom after she blasts lawmakers to their faces for ignoring families’ pleas

Angel Mom Jennifer Bos revealed Dick Durbin never contacted her despite being his constituent, prompting the senator to offer an immediate meeting.

Darline Graham considering running for full a Senate term as memorial services set for Lindsey Graham: report

Darline Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, has privately expressed interest in running for a full Senate term, a report said.

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…

To Win Their Races, Black Politicians Confront a New Landscape

With the Voting Rights Act weakened, Black representation will depend less on Black voters and more on broad, multiracial appeal or on ideological outsider campaigns.

The Rise and Fall of Graham Platner

Is this the far left's #MeToo moment?

A Crisis in the Humanities

The norms governing scholarship now often serve to protect a rigid orthodoxy on certain politically charged issues—with ideological tests substituted for proper academic standards.

Swing-State Lawmaker Wants a New Focus for Dems

A freshman lawmaker from Michigan says liberals cannot afford to argue over ideology and must reconnect

Olive Garden becomes unlikely face of voter ID fight after restaurant's policy goes viral

Olive Garden's Never-Ending Pasta Pass requires photo ID, sparking conservatives to argue pasta deals are more secure than elections in some states.

Is Venezuela a Colony Now? A Sovereign State? Modern Empires Rule in Ambiguity.

Occupation is a hassle. Large countries have many new ways to control small ones.

Andrew Ross Sorkin Thinks You’re Stupid

The New York Times writer seems to believe that advocates of the Second Amendment cannot read.

Sacked Tufts Professor Was Funded by Mellon Foundation

Academia is not known for self-correction, so it was something of a surprise when the New York Times reported last week that Tufts University seems to have dismissed a tenured professor, following allegations of research fraud. Kerri Greenidge, un…

First Nations Chief, Podcast Pundit, Indigenous Gadfly

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Aaron Pete, Chief of the Chawathil First Nation, about reserve governance, residential schools, ‘unmarked graves,’ and intra-Indigenous politics.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

Susan Collins, with $11 Million to Take On . . . to Be Determined

Its hard to beat somebody with nobody, and at least until July 25, Maine Democrats have nobody.

These battleground Senate candidates raised the most money

Democratic candidates are raising more money than Republicans in key Senate races, and Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) has the most money at his disposal at $42 million.

Democrats Call 'Bull--' on Trump's Election Interference Claims

Democrats raised alarm after President Trump revived his unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election during a Thursday evening address.

Trump Brings Full Weight of Government to Bolster False Election Claims

Intelligence agencies provided the White House with a trove of declassified documents that President Trump cited on Thursday as evidence of election vulnerabilities.

Ashcroft Rips Apart Sen. Schiff on DOJ Weaponization

Former AG Ashcroft ripped apart Democrats' narrative that the Trump administration is using the Justice Department to prosecute

Battleground Democrat said traditionally White outdoor spaces 'will no longer be White'

Rep. Gabe Vasquez complained that outdoor recreation spaces have been dominated by White people and called for "equitable access" for people of color.

Strong Opinions

When critics start issuing dictates, they end up excluding broad swathes of art and culture as well as whole areas of human experience.

This Is Bat-Guano Insane, California

New Republic Says Scott Bessent Is to Blame for His Attempted Assassination

Journal Article Urges MDs to Impede Immigration Law Enforcement ‘Oppression’

It seems to me that such actions would actively endanger more people of the categories for whom the authors advocate than it would protect.

Claire's Weekly Letter: Soccer, Sartre, and the Sixties

Don’t Raise the Inflation Target

If the Fed decides it’s too painful to reach 2 percent — even with unemployment low — how is its new target going to have any credibility?

After Barbara: Illegal Aliens and the Census

Would the Court be willing to abide by the removal of birthright babies' parents from the census figures used to apportion House seats?

Maine Dems Dump Rape-y Nazi and Get a Freak Parade UPDATE

DSA member says she has no problem supporting ‘secret Nazis’ under one condition

The Majority Report co-host and Democratic Socialists of America member said she values platform over personal character

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.

White House dishes out new election security jab over Olive Garden's pasta pass ID policy

Olive Garden's Never Ending Pasta Pass requires photo ID, sparking a political firestorm over election security and the SAVE Act's voter ID debate.

Deep State Covered Up Chinese Interference in '20 Election

A freshman lawmaker from Michigan says liberals cannot afford to argue over ideology and must reconnect with the "drowning" working class.

Tightening Squeeze Heaps More Pain on Iran's Ailing Economy

Iran's leaders have historically proved willing to impose enormous costs on the population rather than accept demands they see as threatening the regime's survival.

House Dem: Leftists' Threats Intimidated Me Into Voting Against Israel

Walz: Hey, Let He Who Has Not Molested a Kid Throw the First Stone, Amirite?

What Drives Me Nuts About the Election Fraud Debate Is the Outrageous Hypocrisy

NEW: DHS Announces New Election-Security Measures After Trump Release of Intel

Clayton and Blanche: Mixed Results in Senate Questions on Trump Elections

If Senate Republicans don’t check Trump administration misconduct, they effectively endorse it.

Vance, Rogan and an Unwieldy GOP Coalition

Vance's appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast was a way of reconnecting with low-propensity voters who were crucial to putting Trump back in the White House.

Pelosi staffer pumps the brakes when pressed on husband's hit-and-run: 'That's enough'

Nancy Pelosi refused to answer questions about husband Paul Pelosi's hit-and-run case in Napa County before a staffer shut down the exchange.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Trump says White House searching for 'vandal proof' material after alleged Reflecting Pool attack

President Donald Trump said the White House is searching for vandal proof material after the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was emptied to repair damage.

Pentagon’s Escort Policy for Journalists Is Temporarily Restored

An appeals court said the Defense Department could require escorts for reporters who visit the Pentagon while The New York Times sues to overturn the rule.

CNN Political Briefing

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

Rubio's call to combat global funders of far-left terrorism could put Singham in crosshairs

Neville Roy Singham faces a grand jury probe as Marco Rubio urges 60 countries to treat far-left political terrorism as a counterterrorism priority.

White House teleprompter operator placed on leave after betting on Trump speeches

A White House teleprompter operator has been placed on unpaid leave after his online prediction market activity, which showed he was placing wagers related to President Donald Trump’s public remarks, was flagged to federal regulators.

‘Blue MAGA’ Has Entered the Chat

It’s a term that can mean whatever the people using it want it to mean. But it’s not a compliment.

Why Iran Is Returning to War

The US and Iran are sliding back into war. This is not because either country has misunderstood the terms of the memorandum of understanding they signed to end the first phase of the conflict.

WSJ: Has Bridge and Power Day Arrived?

Gary Stevenson Is Wrong About Wealth Inequality

Gary Stevenson says Britain's wealth inequality is spiralling out of control. The data says otherwise—and Channel 4 never thought to check.

Generation Trapped: Why Young Australians Have Given Up Hope

Parnell Palme McGuinness on the six distinct "tribes" of young Australians she uncovered—and why personal agency, not income, is the strongest predictor of happiness.

Trump Promised Proof of Election Tampering. His Document Release Fell Far Short.

In the end, the documentary evidence that President Trump claimed would prove his case appeared bound to disappoint those who expected bombshell revelations.

Hegseth Wants To Measure Your Manhood

The defense secretary's obsession with high testosterone levels can't hide MAGA insecurity

Yes, Tim Walz, Deporting Child Rapists ‘Makes Us Safer’

What are we doing here?

Running the Border: The New Issue of NR Is Out

How to make our humanitarian immigration policies serve our interests; a gathering geopolitical crisis; why reading will survive; a new Whizzbang adventure, & more.

WATCH: Minnesota fraud scandal takes absurd new twist as veteran blows whistle

Adam Schwarze says Minnesota records show he voted in 2012, but he was nearly 2,000 miles away in Navy SEAL training in California at the time.

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.

Trump: US Election Data Was Collected by China

Judges Ask Congress for Power to Fix Crumbling Courthouses

Undrinkable water. Leaks. Mold. Federal courthouses need billions of dollars in repairs, and judges say the General Services Administration is a bad landlord.

The Pacific's True Rogue State

Beijing just launched a nuclear-capable missile into the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone and called it routine. It was not.

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.

Move On From 2020, But Pass the SAVE America Act

Trump's address promised 'really big news' and delivered a distraction. What Americans actually needed was a plan for the economy and the Iran war.

Ukraine's Drone Attacks Work on a Free Market System