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

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.

Arthurdale's New Deal Experiment, and the Debate Over Socialism

Trump Posts Map Suggesting New Mexico Be Renamed as ‘New America’

The suggestion, posted on social media, appeared to be the latest in the president’s efforts to alter geographic names.

Mamdani under fire after symbolic 9/11 pen goes to former al Qaeda defense lawyer

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faces backlash for handing a 9/11 ceremonial pen to aide Ramzi Kassem, who represented a convicted al Qaeda member.

AfD's Surge a Humiliation for Germany's Establishment

Tonight Germany stands on the brink of its biggest political crisis since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Not since 1945 has a nationalist party of the hard-Right won power at state level in the Federal Republic. Now the Alternative for Germany (AfD)…

After Charlie Kirk’s death, Turning Point forges ahead, with eyes on JD Vance

The conservative group’s leaders still grapple with grief. But they also have a mission: 2028.

Sherrill anti-ICE policy hammered after fleeing migrant driver injures Dem mayor’s wife

An illegal immigrant fled ICE agents and crashed into a Democratic mayor's wife on a New Jersey highway, reigniting the sanctuary state debate.

A Place Where Memories of the 9/11 Victims Have Faded Away

Relatives who traveled to the U.S. Navy base in Guantánamo Bay left memory stones and messages for those killed in the attacks 25 years ago.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

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…

On the Suppression of KSM’s Coerced Confessions in the 9/11 Case

Again the gnawing question: what to do about terrorists who should be executed when it may be impossible to try them?

Big Money to Be Made Assisting Suicides

Do we really want to financially incentivize access to suicide and let doctors get rich providing it?

AfD's Win in Germany a Dark Day for Europe

This party is among the most extreme in Europe. To protect our democracies, liberal parties must urgently change their tactics, says Cas Mudde, author of The Far Right Today

Vance on Tucker

Drawing a bright line here is the right thing to do.

Does Trump Really Want To Win the Midterms?

Even though Donald Trump professes confidence that the nation loves him and his policies, he isn't putting his money where his mouth is - and that has Republicans running scared, especially if they are running for office.

Trump pledged to lower prices in eight areas. Have they risen or fallen?

Test your knowledge and see which campaign promises the president has achieved.

How Republicans Can Win the Midterms in 5 Easy Steps

Republicans face tough midterm polls, but two months remain to turn things around. Discover five key steps the GOP must take to keep control of Congress.

Naked in America

To be naked is to give up obsessive self-presentation and take off the mask.

The $64 Question, Again

Anna D. Shapiro’s recent revival of Eric Bentley’s 1972 play about the HUAC hearings offered entertainment along with the pleasures of moral certainty and ideological reinforcement.

The Legacy of Cain: Sunday Reflection

Trump Says More Insane Things About the Federal Reserve

He doesn’t understand how any of this works.

New York’s Race to Moderation

In the New York City suburbs, appealing to moderation is a winning bet.

JD Vance: Neoconservative

What the vice president is doing is changing how the money is spent to further conservative social policies.

Election Pits Trump's Record vs Blue Wave of Weirdo Dems

When we return to work after the Labor Day weekend, the hope is that America will start paying attention to the stark choice offered at the midterm elections in November.

Revolutionary Bloodlust, Ghoulish Satisfaction

Another senseless murder elicits a depraved reaction.

Woke Machine Is Lying In Wait for a Political Comeback

Corporate America's woke machinery hasn't been dismantled - it's merely paused, and the midterm elections may determine whether Woke 2.0 returns.

Fact-Checking Midterm Ads Referring to Jeffrey Epstein

Candidates have traded attacks on votes to releasing the Epstein files and political donations from those with links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump suggests renaming New Mexico amid torrent of online memes and taunts

The suggestion came as the president unleashed dozens of social media posts. He lacks authority to rename New Mexico or any other state.

Israel's ambassador says NYC’s Mamdani is ‘sowing chaos’ ahead of Netanyahu’s UN appearance

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said "instead of actually welcoming all world leaders," NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is "doing exactly the opposite."

This House candidate wants you to know she helped imprison a fellow Democrat

Shannon Taylor touts her prosecutor past as she runs against Rep. Rob Wittman (R) for a battleground seat in Virginia.

The Learning Crisis Begins Before the Classroom

Differences in height between men and women—a biomarker of stressor exposure in childhood—suggest that poor early health and nutrition constrain what children are achieving at school.

A.I. Models Built a Computer Worm That Could Rapidly Hack WeChat Accounts

The attack, discovered by A.I. researchers, could have compromised hundreds of millions of devices within hours, experts said.

The last test of dynastic politics in an anti-establishment primary season

The two distinct races represent the last gasp of dynastic politics in a primary season largely defined by deep antiestablishment fervor.

What to Watch in Tuesday’s New Hampshire Primary Elections

Voters will nominate candidates for one of the most high-stakes Senate races in the country. And a Democratic House primary has emerged as a test of the party’s establishment.

Pistol-packing man knocks over fairgoers forcing his way toward Ohio governor candidate Amy Acton, police say

Amy Acton's campaign says the Ohio governor candidate was targeted by an armed individual at the Canfield Fair as political violence fears mount.

Armed individual lunged at Democratic nominee for Ohio governor

Multiple people were injured at the event for Amy Acton at a county fair in Canfield, Ohio.

Don't Let Dems Take American Dream from Small Biz

Small business owners in New York sued the Mamdani regime for using taxpayer dollars to compete against them, threatening the American Dream.

Stop the Democrats' Scheme to Pack the Supreme Court

As War Grinds On, Trump Relishes Renovation Projects

President Trump is basking in the momentum of the various projects he has spurred around downtown Washington.

Friends and Foes

‘I think there’s something admirable and rare about going to bat for your old pal.’

Key swing state voters to settle dueling Senate primary fights in crucial open-seat race

Karishma Manzur's socialist surge threatens Chris Pappas in the New Hampshire Senate primary as the far-left notches wins across the country.

Claire's Weekly Letter: The autism epidemic that wasn't

Rare charges against ICE agent highlight DOJ’s broader retreat from shooting probes

The case against Christian Castro is unprecedented in President Donald Trump’s second term, as ICE agents face little fallout from shootings of protesters and others.

Veterans and Democrats intensify fight against Trump’s planned arch

Opponents of the 250-foot triumphal arch project say it could disrupt military burials at Arlington, during construction and after its completion.

The Federal Reserve Is Out of Excuses

If Americans want inflation to return to normal levels, the Fed is going to have to do what it knows it has to do.

GOP faces brutal midterm headwinds as Republicans paint election as ‘competition with communism’

President Donald Trump headlines the first-ever GOP midterm convention in Dallas as Republicans fight to hold slim congressional majorities amid inflation.

CNN Political Briefing

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

Trump’s Mail-In Ballot Rules Return to the Supreme Court — but the Actual Dispute Is Missing

The Court will be presented with a kabuki dispute over a power the USPS isn’t claiming, even after the president ordered it to claim precisely that power.

Reasons to Leave China

The Chinese Communist Party cannot and will not accept that its time in the sun has passed. But the public knows.

After 'Lake America,' Trump suggests a new name for the state of New Mexico

The White House reposted Trump's Truth Social image showing New Mexico crossed out and rebranded as "America" days after the Lake America order.

John Eastman Was Disbarred. Larry Krasner Got a Laugh.

Trump appears to debut darker hair, sparking online buzz

New photos of President Trump stepping off Air Force One with what appeared to be a darker hairstyle have quickly fueled social media buzz.

Covering the Culture Wars

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Benjamin Ryan about his journalistic adventures reporting on AIDS, monkeypox, gender activism, and the Jason Arday saga.

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.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

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…

Rent Control ... Still Doesn't Work

The Monkeyfisher: an Award for the Year’s Worst Journalism

5 Races to Watch This Fall for Answers to the Biggest Midterm Questions

From Iowa to Michigan to Texas, key contests will offer clues about voters’ views of President Trump, progressive ideas, the war with Iran and more.

With a Gerrymander Vanquished, Wisconsin Democrats Aim for Control

The swing state of Wisconsin had one of the most undemocratic State Assembly maps in the country. Now Democrats have a chance to take control of the legislature.

Why the AfD Wins

Three weeks before the German state of Sachsen-Anhalt went to the polls to elect a new legislature on September 6, Germany's leading news magazine, Der Spiegel, ran a cover story

Hasan Piker brushes off Dems who see him as a liability, names his '28 choice

Hasan Piker told Fox News his job isn't to help the Democratic Party, even as consultant James Carville called him "an idiot" who isn't a Democrat.

Claire's Weekly Letter: Naked in America

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.

Roger Marshall Sued 700 Patients for Debts; 81 Were Arrested. Now He’s a Senator.

Patients sued by Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas were routinely charged 18 percent interest, The Times found. Some had bank accounts garnished.

WSJ: Say, Trump May Actually Win the Hormuz Crisis – by Mooting It

Emergency crew rescues worker injured during White House construction

Local dispatchers called for a “high-angle rescue” for the worker, who was part of a team removing scaffolding from Trump’s project on the North Portico.

With Ohio’s governorship up for grabs, a toxic race turns violent

An alleged assailant forced his way Sunday toward Democratic candidate Amy Acton at a county fair, officials and witnesses said. Authorities said he was carrying two pistols and a Taser.

This Take on Hamas and Its Western Supporters Is Worth Reading

Power Without Principle

The Trump administration does not know how to use American power to expand American influence, and its officials do not care to learn.

Time to Defeat the Legal Jihad Against 9/11 Families

Saturday's Final Word

Real News Is Hard To Find

On this week's episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, RCI Editor J. Peder Zane and RCI Senior Reporter James Varney mark Labor Day by giving their g...

Trump officials strip military language criticizing Confederate memorial

A new sign at Arlington National Cemetery omits wording that said the 32-foot bronze statue “mythologized” the Confederacy and gave “sanitized” depictions of slavery.

Sanders pushes 'death penalty' for crucial US industry that could give advantage to foreign adversaries

Progressives on Capitol Hill are pushing a proposal to ban artificial superintelligence, but critics warn the move could hand global tech dominance over to China and Russia.

Far-Left Dems Had Huge Summer. Now They Have Big Demands

The left wing of the Democratic Party flourished this summer as fed-up liberals in key races across the country have eschewed traditional, more moderate candidates in favor of hard-charging progressives.

‘The Battle of Algiers’ at Sixty

Watching Gillo Pontecorvo’s film six decades after its release permits a nuanced understanding of the events that it portrays, which was unavailable when it first came out.

Ousted Kennedy Center Chairman Buys Dismantled ‘Blue’ Sculpture

David Rubenstein purchased the sculpture, which was removed from the center last week, from the artist’s foundation. He will display it at the National Gallery of Art.

The Times on the Latest Trump Leak Investigation

The fact that intelligence leaks may embarrass the president is not a reason to refrain from investigating them.

The Case for Elites with Richard Hanania | Quillette Cetera Episode 71

Political scientist Richard Hanania discusses why populism usually fails, why Western elites matter, immigration, MAGA, H-1B visas, housing and declining fertility.

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.

Everything Is Bigger in Texas -- Including the Senate Stakes

Democrats try a novel path to defeat a battleground Republican: Moving to the left

Antiestablishment candidate Randy Villegas is testing the conventional wisdom about what it would take to unseat Rep. David G. Valadao in California.

Sen Jim Justice finds way through Senate polarization to bring WWII hero memorial to DC

Jim Justice reveals how a last-minute conversation with Martin Heinrich broke a partisan logjam to pass the Hershel Woody Williams monument bill.

Trump admin’s mail-in ballot fight lands back at Supreme Court

The Trump administration asks the Supreme Court to enforce postal service ballot mail restrictions as North Carolina ballots already enter the mail.

How a Colorado School District Is Fighting Trump’s Anti-Transgender Push

Jefferson County, Colo., is one of the few public school systems to sue the Trump administration over demands that it revoke transgender protections or face funding cuts.

Workers Deserve a Level Playing Field

Americans need an economy that works for working people.

Vance’s Scoreboard

It’s not clear to me that Vance’s statement is especially supportable.

It's Labor Day, Not Union Day. U.S. Workers Deserve a Choice

Union bosses exploit Labor Day to push coercive policies like the PRO Act, which would repeal right-to-work laws and force compulsory union dues.

Why So Many Young Men Are Giving Up on Work

Sydney psychiatrist Tanveer Ahmed on why men who quit work aren't depressed but demoralised, and how mental health labels became a rival source of status and dignity.

An Abject Policy Failure

An unorthodox survey suggests it’s time for the Australian government to concede defeat in the tobacco wars. Will it have the guts to do so?

Can William Lawrence, a Progressive, Flip a Key Michigan House Seat?

William Lawrence, a progressive challenging a first-term Republican, is trying to rewrite the playbook for Democrats running in swing districts.

Sunday Smiles