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

Sunday Smiles

Michigan Thinks Freshmen Can't Handle Getting Grades

Two elite universities already tried protecting freshmen from hard truths - and walked it back. University of Michigan hasn't gotten the memo.

The U.S. Military Wants A.I. Dominance. Feuds and China May Thwart It.

The administration is veering wildly in its response to the national security implications of A.I. as China, America’s main technological and military rival, charges ahead.

Hasan Piker Should Not Be Silenced

Hasan Piker should not be silenced. The radical leftist influencer has burst onto the political scene as a self-styled Marxist kingmaker and viewpoint enforcer.

Angry at the Supreme Court, liberals push a slew of plans for overhauling it

As the midterms near, Democrats are proposing adding more justices, limiting their terms and more.

Jason Arday Should Never Have Been Allowed High Enough to Fall as He Did

Arday was found dead in his home on Friday.

Trump reduces military exercises with South Korea, citing good ties with Kim Jong Un

The president cited the cost of the drills and said he did not want to send a signal that is "totally inappropriate and hostile" to North Korea. He also criticized South Korea for not helping him on Iran.

Blanche on whether DOJ will be independent: ‘I’m not going to pledge that’

The newly sworn-in attorney general rejected the idea of an independent Justice Department, lent support to Jeanine Pirro and declared the “anti-weaponization” fund dead.

Could El-Sayed Cost Democrats Michigan?

Not all progressives are equal: Candidates of the activist left typically don’t perform as well as other Democrats.

What Bank ATMs Teach Us About AI

Bessent Makes the Economic Case for Deportations

Scott Bessent links mass deportations to rising wages, lower rents, and economic improvement in the US.

No, Jason Arday Was Not Hounded to Death

Claire's Weekly Letter: What We Take on Trust

For AOC, the Time Is Now

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will probably never have a better opportunity to be elected president than 2028.

Between Iraq and a Hard Place

Amid a regional scramble to shape the “day after,” Jordan appears to be the only country without a plan of its own.

So what is attracting voters to DSA’s ‘Sexy Socialist Summer’?

Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed or aligned candidates have won a number of Democratic primaries up and down the ballot this cycle.

Out in the Open: Antisemites Not Even Trying to Hide It Anymore

Democrats Face a Potential Tea Party Moment

A string of primary wins by progressive candidates has revealed the strength of a high-energy insurgent movement but also its possible limitations.

The Electoral Integrity Issue Isn't Israel -- It's Islam

Trump says White House needs ‘military complex’ as courts block his ballroom

When Trump first unveiled his plans for the new East Wing addition, he said it was needed to host VIP guests. More recently, he is calling it a “desperately needed National Security structure.”

Democrats' Pick in Wisconsin Shows a Shift in Priorities

The safe pick looks a lot different than it did in 2018.

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.

'Talladega Nights' Predicted America's Sunbelt Shift

Twenty years ago, Will Ferrell's stock car manchild presaged an overheated era of US culture

Mamdani Comes for Amazon

‘Americans aren’t unhappy with Amazon. Amazon is extremely popular.’

Democrats approve 2028 primary calendar that puts South Carolina first

South Carolina would hold its primary on Jan. 22, 2028 under the Democratic National Committee’s plan. Nevada would follow on Feb. 1. The plan aims to give a bigger voice to Black and Latino voters.

Under new Florida maps, a White Democrat aims to win a heavily Black district

Debbie Wasserman Schultz is competing in a racially thorny primary in which everyone seems to think experience is important — but they don’t agree on what kind.

Mangione Pleads Guilty in Federal Court

Mangione’s lawyers contend that his federal guilty plea to a stalking charge bars Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg from pursuing a state murder charge.

The Trouble With Taming Odysseus

Christopher Nolan wants to tell a fundamentally different story than Homer told.

Democrats Make South Carolina the First Contest in 2028 Presidential Primary Calendar

The party’s membership finalized the new order for the first six states to winnow the candidate field, pushing back Iowa and New Hampshire.

Three Ancient Ways of War

In a new book, Robert O’Connell situates the battlefield tactics of ancient Greek hoplites within the grand sweep of bronze-age military history.

Humanoid robots could patrol southern border, CEO pitches, as futuristic technology moves closer to reality

Foundation CEO Sankaet Pathak said humanoid robots could conduct autonomous surveillance and reconnaissance along the southern border's rugged terrain.

The President Is an Idiot

That can be the only explanation for this treatment of North Korea at South Korea’s expense.

Trump Orders Pentagon to Curtail Military Exercises With Ally South Korea

In a social media post, the president scolded South Korea for not helping denuclearize Iran, and also praised North Korea and its leader.

Share Your Experiences With the Public Health System in Louisiana

The New York Times is examining how public health is changing in the state, from the whooping cough outbreak to vaccine policies, and we want to hear from you.

WSJ: Dems Getting Mighty Tired of Hasan Piker. Here's Another Reason Why.

Trump blames vandals for dead grass on National Mall where he hosted 4th of July celebration

President Donald Trump claimed that vandals damaged grass near the World War II Memorial, but photos show his July 4th stage covered the same spot.

J.K. Rowling vs. Amnesty

Is this the reckoning that human-rights NGOs have long avoided?

Institutional Failures in the Garden of Great Intellects

The Cofnas and Arday controversies show that on matters of race, administrators at Cambridge have failed to conduct deliberate checks, failed in probity, and failed in their tolerance for unsettled science.

Show Us the Prompts

How AI prose exploits the charity that makes reading possible.

Progressive Minneapolis mayor's viral hip-hop moves spark 'humiliation ritual' mockery online

Video captures Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey dancing alone at the Black Entrepreneur State Fair, sparking a wave of conservative mockery online.

The Samurai and the Prisoner: Who Decides Who Lives?

Kiyoshi Kurosawa channels the samurai masters in his latest film.

Claire's Weekly Letter: Cowardice at Cambridge

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.

Billy Bunter and the Man from Animal Farm

A look back at the 20th century’s most entertaining literary spat—one of the few such encounters that Orwell emphatically lost.

The Ecstasy of the Young Communists

Together Alone

American individualism and the western, from Fred Zinnemann and John Ford to Larry McMurtry and Taylor Sheridan.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

How Louisiana’s New Surgeon General Wants to Transform Public Health

Dr. Evelyn Griffin is pushing for more emphasis on wellness and prevention. She has also aligned with the MAHA movement in fighting government mandates and questioning the safety of some vaccines.

CENTCOM commander touts USS Abraham Lincoln mental health record after more than 260 days without port call

CENTCOM Adm. Brad Cooper said the Lincoln's leadership has prioritized mental health as the carrier nears the end of its extended deployment.

Hasan Piker torched over playbook to dodge his past controversies: 'Bats--- crazy'

Shannon Watts accused Hasan Piker of deflecting past controversial remarks, sparking a heated exchange over Democrats' responsibility for rhetoric.

Mission Statements: Sunday Reflection

New England Journal of Medicine Opinion Editor Takes Credit for Ruining Its Reputation

The editors of the NEJM can restore the publication’s reputation as a sober source of important medical information rather than one with ‘soul.’

Identifying the Enemy

Immigration issues are making unlikely bedfellows in some parts of Europe, while a possible contender for the French presidency talks of a ‘New France.’

Blanche Refuses to Say He’ll Always Be Independent of Trump as Attorney General

The new head of the Justice Department said on “Meet the Press” on Sunday that the president had never asked him to prosecute specific people — and never would.

Russell Fry endorses ex-rival Darline Graham after failing to advance to special GOP US Senate primary runoff

Rep. Russell Fry, who placed third in the South Carolina special GOP U.S. Senate primary, endorsed Sen. Darline Graham ahead of the runoff in which she will face Rep. Ralph Norman.

Democrats' Extremism Will Surely Backfire

Instead of mocking or maligning President Donald Trump, Democrats are trying to win by mimicking him.

Senate hopeful Talarico touts his faith. Texas Republicans call it blasphemy.

The Democratic nominee is seeking to win over faith-based voters in Texas, the Bible Belt’s largest state, but evangelical Republicans aren’t sold.

Red States Will Pay as GOP Ditches Federalism

The Republican Party once treated state government authority as sacred. Now it regards that authority as an inconvenience.

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…

How Republicans Embraced Brandon Herrera, a Texas Republican Candidate and Gun Influencer

Brandon Herrera, long an anti-establishment outsider, is trying to help the party defend a red-leaning House district in West Texas. It’s proving messy.

The Tip of the Iceberg

The Jason Arday fiasco is a reminder why academia has developed a reputation for cowardice, careerism, and conformism in recent years.

I Arrested Laken Riley's Killer 6 Months Before Her Murder

Ethan Curreri is a former New York City police officer who arrested Laken Riley's killer for a lesser crime six months before the illegal migrant was released a€” thanks to New York's sanctuarya€¦

Federal judge clears path for border wall construction in Arizona

A federal judge ruled against a Native American tribe's trespassing claims, citing a 1907 proclamation reserving 60 feet of Arizona border land.

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.

Thirty Years’ Warning

It is not a good sign that the yields on 30-year treasuries continue to rise.

Why Australia Gave Up on Getting Richer

McKinsey's Chris Bradley on why Australia stopped investing—and why he believes the poorest country in the world could live as well as Switzerland does today by 2100.

Navy weighs major warship redesign to match Trump’s preferences

The president wants the new fleet of aircraft carriers to more resemble those from World War II. Such a change could cost billions.

In ‘The Brink of War,’ a Return to an Era of Razor-Edge Diplomacy

A new film depicts the 1986 nuclear arms summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, which both offered and dashed hopes of a dramatic breakthrough.

Anti-Israel nonprofit under federal investigation over financial dealings: report

The Department of Homeland Security is reportedly probing a U.K.-based nonprofit with ties to NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani over sanctioned group links.

Obama to Tell 'the Brothers' to Vote for El-Sayed

Using Mild Language to Sell ‘Rights of Nature’ Radicalism

We can’t let activists’ non-threatening demeanors seduce us into complacency.

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.

On a Possible Mangione Federal Guilty Plea

A federal guilty plea would probably doom Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s separate state murder prosecution.

Todd Blanche backs Jeanine Pirro after Lincoln Memorial pool vandalism case dismissal

AG Blanche called Pirro's overall work ‘phenomenal’ while acknowledging that President Trump remains frustrated over the dismissed Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool case.

From Drone to Door

Cambridge and the Stigmatisation of Intelligence Research

Nathan Cofnas joins a historical line of academics demonised for delivering unwelcome or upsetting news about group differences.

Trump orders major cut to US-South Korea drills as North Korea ramps up missile tests

President Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, citing costs and a hostile signal to Kim Jong Un amid North Korea tensions.

Reclaiming the Middle: Chautauqua's Slow Push Toward Balance

CNN Political Briefing

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

Vance on How Republicans Can Fight Socialism

He’s right to say that criticizing young people for being lazy won’t win them over. But the results of Trumponomics so far hold a warning for Republicans.

With Trump, the Buck Always Stops Somewhere Else

Former President Harry Truman famously kept a The Buck Stops Here sign on his White House desk. But the current president, Donald Trump, often veers from that motto of taking responsibility.

The only map you need to see as California's billionaire tax fight heats up

Mark Cuban warns he'll pull startup investments from California if the proposed billionaire wealth tax passes, calling founders who stay "idiots."

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…

Saturday's Final Word

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

How Islamophobia Moved From the Fringe to the Mainstream in Texas

Muslim communities have been growing for decades, particularly around Dallas. Now, conservatives want to roll up the welcome mat.

Top Admiral Praises Sailors but Concedes Hardships After Visit to U.S.S. Lincoln

Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, acknowledged the difficulty of the carrier’s nearly nine-month deployment but said mental health issues were lower than on other vessels.

IN PICTURES: Historic Smithsonian museum packed with woke political messaging on race and gender

Exhibits at the Smithsonian's Museum of American History link sports and entertainment to divisive political topics and events, like the "Los Sons" and BLM protests.

What the Mecca Defense Pact Means

The agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan may herald a new Middle East.

A Time Capsule of Free-Range Childhood

The kids have guns and cigarettes, and sure as hell want to see a dead body. 'Stand by Me' would horrify helicopter parents, but it's worth rewatching, writes Kat Rosenfield.