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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Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor: Friday 30 January — February 6, 2026

The Case Against Don Lemon Is Junk, and Dangerous

If the Cities Church case falls apart, it will not be the first such embarrassment for Trump’s Justice Department.

Donnie Demands Dulles

He won’t get what he wants, but if he did, it would veer close to karmic justice.

Trump refuses to apologize over video showing the Obamas as apes

“No, I didn’t make a mistake,” the president said.

Profiler D'Ambrosia to Newsmax: Neighbor Input Vital in Guthrie Kidnapping

Investigators should use new tips from neighbors to build a fuller picture of missing woman Nancy Guthrie's routines and recent contacts, including anyone who may have had a reason to be near her Tucson-area home, criminal profiler Leslie D'Ambros…

Trump Struggles in Bid To Kill Education Department

The White House is continuing its efforts to dismantle the Education Department, but Congress just fully funded it.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Multimillion-Dollar Ransom Note Cited in Search for Nancy Guthrie

The FBI and the Pima County Sheriff's Office are investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie after her daughter, Savannah Guthrie, and two siblings released a new video appeal Saturday saying they would pay to get her back, as media reports d…

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.

The Middle East’s Politics Come to NYC

Snow uncleared, garbage piling up? Mamdani’s remedy is to take a page out of the Middle Eastern playbook he’s spent his entire adult life admiring.

Alleged key participant in 2012 Benghazi attack brought to U.S. to face charges

Officials announce the arrest of a man they called a key participant in the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed a U.S. ambassador and three others.

The Democratic Party We Once Knew Is Dead

Despite some grumbling, there was never any doubt that Gov. Hochul, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and Attorney General Letitia James would be on the fall ballot.

Bezos' Annoyance Over Super Bowl Helps Push WashPost CEO Out

Will Lewis stepped down Saturday as publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, days after the newspaper announced sweeping layoffs, amid a report that owner Jeff Bezos was angered by Lewis attending Super Bowl week events in the Bay Area while cuts…

Trump’s Oil Grab in Venezuela Shatters an American Taboo

U.S. presidents have long been accused of plotting to control foreign oil. But President Trump has asserted a U.S. right to take it.

Saturday's Final Word

This Senate Democrat wants voter ID for his campaign events — but not federal elections

Sen. Jon Ossoff required government-issued photo IDs for an Atlanta campaign rally Saturday even as he's voiced opposition to similar voter ID requirements.

“No Friends but the Mountains”

America and the West have once again betrayed their Kurdish allies. Al-Sharaa’s assault on the Kurds of northern Syria, with Turkish backing, is just the latest chapter in the Kurds’ long struggle for self-rule.

How Not to Develop a Country

The idea that we should redistribute wealth by fiat from prosperous to low-income and stagnating countries remains popular even though it is profoundly misguided. 

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.

At the Winter Olympics, Team USA Can’t Escape the Politics at Home

A backlash to Trump administration policies has followed U.S. athletes to Italy. One skier’s comments drew a furious response from the president himself.

Calm amid chaos: Noem defies calls to resign, touts border victory as shutdowns, storms and riots swirl

Kristi Noem faces mounting criticism as DHS secretary amid ICE operations that sparked riots and deaths, but Trump defends her border security record.

An Undisciplined Novel

Randa Abdel-Fattah’s latest novel is a heavy-handed parable designed to show that Islamist radicalisation in Australia is merely a myth invented by a racist establishment. In the wake of the Bondi shooting, this seems less believable than ever.

Vermont Cold-Weather Shock

Rumor has it that Vermont can get a bit chilly in the winter, but central planners don’t worry about little things like that.

Why This Shutdown Is Different

Now come negotiations over the administration’s immigration crackdown.

Adam Schiff is a leader of Democrats’ opposition to Trump. He also has to govern.

Six years after leading Trump’s first impeachment trial, Schiff reflects on the balance Democrats must strike between opposing Trump and lawmaking.

Murder Most Foul

William J. Mann’s new book about the notorious Black Dahlia case is a valuable corrective to the cottage industry of speculative theories that proliferated after her murder in 1947.

‘It’s a Five-Alarm Fire’

The FBI’s search and seizure of material from Fulton County election offices marks a major escalation.

Pentagon cuts academic ties with ‘woke’ Harvard to focus on training ‘warriors’

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is ending graduate-level programs for military personnel at the school, which he claimed had become a breeding ground for “radical ideologies.”

Imane Khelif Admits to Having Male Chromosomes

Here’s What To Know About the Los Angeles Mayor’s Race

The week leading up to the filing deadline saw candidates dropping from the field and a surprise last-minute challenge to the incumbent mayor, Karen Bass.

Colleges Should Teach Students How to Engage in Argument

Training in argumentation can prevent rancor and conflict.

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…

Moderate Republican willing to break with party is set to lead ICE hearing

Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-New York) faces the challenge of leading the questioning of top immigration officials at the peril of angering the White House.

Only Hegseth Can Save VMI From Woke Lawmakers

Pete Hegseth backs the Virginia Military Institute as state lawmakers threaten funding over alleged racism. Federal intervention looms for the historic college.

The world’s top nuclear powers have no arsenal limits, here are the countries with nukes

The expiration of the New START treaty leaves more than 10,000 U.S. and Russia nuclear weapons unconstrained for the first time in decades.

Ohio Man Is Charged With Threatening to Kill JD Vance

During the investigation, the man was found to have child sex abuse materials on his phone, federal prosecutors said.

For $1 Million, Donors to U.S.A. Birthday Group Offered Access to Trump

A new organization blessed by the president is raising money for events and projects that will put a Trumpian spin on the nation’s semiquincentennial.

The Wisdom of Light: Sunday Reflection

Trump Wants Dulles International Airport and New York’s Penn Station Renamed After Him

And he’s withholding congressionally appropriated federal funding for a major infrastructure project, in violation of the law, to make it happen.

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.

Sunday Smiles

Epstein Files Reveal Scope of Ghislaine Maxwell’s Role in Clinton Circle

Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime companion helped advise on the kickoff of the Clinton Global Initiative and arranged for $1 million in funding for it, emails show.

Fetterman Predicts DHS Shutdown as Feb. 13 Deadline Nears

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said Sunday he "absolutely" expects a partial government shutdown tied to Department of Homeland Security funding, with Congress facing a Feb. 13 deadline.

FBI's Rob Chadwick to Newsmax: Guthrie Letters Likely a 'Red Herring'

Ransom demands that have been received in connection with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, are likely a "red herring" to throw law enforcement off in their investigation, former…

CNN Political Briefing

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

The Second Death of Charlie Kirk

The activist’s assassination unleashed anti-Semitism that is pulling the Trump coalition apart.

Talks on Immigration Enforcement Still Stuck as DHS Funding Deadline Nears

Democrats’ demands include that immigration officers be required to show visible identification and have judicial warrants when they enter private property to make arrests.

Holt to Newsmax: If You're Going Against the Clintons, 'Don't Miss'

Democrats have "all stuck to the same script" on Benghazi and are still protecting Hillary, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt said Sunday on Newsmax. "This Republican Congress has yet to do criminal referrals," he said, "..if you're going t…

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.

Virginia Dems Aim To 'Protect' Democracy - By Screwing Voters

Virginia is the new Illinois.A Democrats there are moving to go from a congressional delegation with six Democrats and five Republicans a€” broadly representing the partisan make-up of the state a€” to a€¦

Ofir Akunis to Newsmax: No Nukes for Iran

Iran must be prevented from maintaining nuclear weapons capabilities or having long-range intercontinental missiles, but it will be up to President Donald Trump, not Israel, to make decisions about any potential U.S. military action, Consul Genera…

The Canadian Paediatric Society Is Trapped in a Pre-Cass Time Warp

While other jurisdictions adopt balanced, evidence-based protocols for treating gender dysphoria, the CPS has doubled down on an obsolete policy instructing doctors to reflexively ‘affirm’ trans-identified youth.

Newsom Tries To Ride the Rails to Glory in 2028

California's high-speed rail project burns $12 billion with zero track laid as costs soar to perhaps $128 billion for 171-mile segment delayed by decades.

Trump Is Doubling Down on All the Wrong Things

Republicans are worried about the midterm elections, but the president doesn’t seem to be.

No Bodies, No Accountability

A new book catalogues the damage to Canadian society caused by a 2021 social panic over non-existent ‘unmarked graves.’

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

RNC to Host Spring Retreat in Palm Beach

It’s unclear whether President Trump will attend the retreat in person, though it’s likely that RNC leaders will try to fit him into the event’s programming.

Did Gavin Newsom Witness His Mother’s Murder?

If the ‘courageous doctor’ intentionally administered an overdose with the intent to kill Tessa Newsom, it was murder.

County Attorney Incensed That ICE Arrested Sex Offenders Outside Court

Lying 'Journalists' Are Never Punished

I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues

Nicki Minaj fans say they’re leaving Democrat Party as rapper’s politics spark backlash and praise

Nicki Minaj fans are reportedly switching to the Republican Party after her Trump support, with viral social media posts showing "Barbz" leaving the left.

The WaPo Wipeout

‘I find the sense of entitlement with other people’s money wildly annoying.’

The Choices That We Make

How Minneapolis Looks From the Police Chief’s Squad Car

In the city where George Floyd was killed, Trump hastens a new social breakdown.

Mass Deportation: Who Was More 'Inhumane' -- Obama or Trump?

ICE After Minneapolis

Trump’s team wants a reset on its mass-deportation goals, not a retreat.

How Jeff Bezos Broke The Washington Post

The paper of record for the nation’s capital cut a third of its staff this week. It didn’t have to be like this.

Did AIPAC Blow Themselves Up in New Jersey?

In this telling, AIPAC is to blame for its own unenviable circumstance.

The American Spirit Remains Exceptional

Friday on RealClearPolitics - Joined by RCP Contributor John J. Waters: 00:00 Trump Rx Launches7:13 Kamala Harris is Still Rebooting 15:37 Another Shutdown C...

Bioethicist: Government Whole Milk Push Is Racist

Sometimes whole milk is just whole milk. It’s about improving health, not promoting bigotry.

Tulsi Gabbard denies wrongdoing over delayed whistleblower complaint referral to Congress members: 'Baseless'

A classified whistleblower complaint alleging wrongdoing by Tulsi Gabbard sparked a political battle over national security and congressional oversight.

‘Trust Has Been Breached’

The broken relationship between Minnesota and the federal government

Hims & Hers Withdraws Knockoff Weight-Loss Pill After Regulatory Scrutiny

Federal officials had warned that the new product from the online provider of weight loss drugs might be illegal.

The Stakes Are Too High To Be This Cringe

A year in, the Democrats still have no plan for Trump's second presidency.

The Murder of The Washington Post

Today’s layoffs are the latest attempt to kill what makes the paper special.

Democrats' Gains Shake Up Republicans

Republicans woke up in a panic last Sunday. Why? Because the night before, Democrat Taylor Rehmet had pulled off a 32-point swing in a Texas state senate district that President Trump won by 17 points in 2024.

Heir Jordan

Aaron Magid has written a timely biography of a consequential monarch.

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…

Man arrested for allegedly threatening to kill JD Vance was in possession of child sexual abuse materials: DOJ

Ohio man allegedly threatened to kill Vice President JD Vance during January visit. Federal agents also said he had child sexual abuse materials.

The Thornhill and Palmer Affair: When Evolutionary Biology Challenged Rape Orthodoxy

For their research showing that rape is generally motivated by sexual desire, Randy Thornhill and Craig Palmer were subjected to death threats and hounded in their personal and professional lives. And yet, they were right.

Virginia Democrat gives profanity-laced response to Cruz's criticism of the state's redistricting push

A Virginia Democrat hit back at Sen. Ted Cruz after he said the state's redistricting push was a "brazen abuse of power [and] an insult to democracy."

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.

Killers without a cause: The rise in nihilistic violent extremism

Amid a burst of high-profile targeted violence, authorities have identified a new source of terror.

Federal appeals court upholds Trump mass detention policy for illegal immigrants

A federal appeals court ruled that Homeland Security can lawfully detain illegal immigrants without bond hearings, a major legal win for the Trump administration’s immigration policy.

Pete King to Newsmax: Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping 'Unbearable'

Former New York Rep. Pete King on Sunday told Newsmax that the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, is "unbearable" and described the family's willingness to pay a ransom as an act of desperation driven by…

LA city councilwoman previously backed by DSA running for mayor in primary challenge to former ally Bass

Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman launched a last-minute mayoral challenge against incumbent Karen Bass just hours before the filing deadline.

Super Bowl Sunday: Here are some of the political, social commercials you can expect during the big game

Super Bowl ads are about more than just products sometimes, with spots at this year's game highlighting Trump Accounts, antisemitism, faith and campaign pitches.

Rep, Barry Moore to Newsmax: Make DUI Deportations Mandatory

Rep. Barry Moore, whose legislation would require the removal of illegal aliens convicted of drunk driving, told Newsmax on Sunday that enforcement against such individuals eroded during the Biden administration."I talked to many judges under the …

West Virginia worked with ICE — 650 arrests later, officials say Minnesota-style 'chaos' is a choice

ICE surge in West Virginia nets 650 illegal immigrants in two weeks with strong local cooperation, contrasting sharply with Minnesota-style protests.

Stellantis Takes a (Very) Big Hit

Stellantis has joined the list of car companies taking massive charges as a result of their adventures in electric vehicles.

Girls vs. Boys

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.

MAGA’s Split Over Israel Extends to a Ship Attacked 58 Years Ago

The Israeli military killed 34 people on the U.S.S. Liberty in 1967. Whether it was an accident, as many historians believe, has become a litmus test within President Trump’s movement.

Jack Kingston to Newsmax: Violence in Russia Could Pressure Putin

Recent violence inside Russia could signal internal pressure on President Vladimir Putin as the war in Ukraine continues, former Rep. Jack Kingston said on Newsmax Sunday."I do believe that the Russian people have lost too many sons," the Georgia …

Nationalizing Elections Is a Very Bad Idea, as It Was When Democrats Tried It

We all should want a system that functions in a way that balances the imperative for facilitating majority rule with the imperative for securing minority rights.

John Phelan, Trump’s Navy secretary, listed in Epstein flight logs

Documents indicate that Navy Secretary John Phelan was a passenger on Jeffrey Epstein’s Boeing 727 for two transatlantic flights in 2006.

Fleitz to Newsmax: Talks on Iran Enrichment 'a Bust'

Former National Security Council official Fred Fleitz and retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt agreed on Newsmax Sunday that U.S.-Iran negotiations show little chance of success unless Tehran agrees to address ballistic missiles, regional aggr…

Saudi Arabia’s Counter-Reformation

The Takfiris are back in business.

Progressive Moral Reasoning and Iran’s Revolt

Progressive discourse has become highly adept at identifying oppression, exclusion, and harm. But it is far less capable of understanding the basic conditions of political order.

Takaichi: the Japanese PM America's Been Waiting For

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's ruling coalition is likely to win big in Japan's lower house election on February 8. Hopefully, Washington recognizes

The single crushing problem American cattle ranchers wish Trump would fix instead

Trump expands beef imports to cut prices, but American cattle ranchers say the real problem squeezing their profits lies elsewhere.

Reaction to Trump’s Racist Post Shows He Is Not Always Immune to Politics

With the midterm elections nearing, President Trump has found himself in the uncomfortable position of backtracking, even if only by degrees, at key moments.

Meet the New Proud Boys

The far-right group’s views and tactics are now emulated by federal agents.

The Troubled State of the Senate Has Members Eyeing Governorships

A record number of senators running for governor reflects deep frustrations with the upper chamber.

WP Layoffs: Democracy Takes Another Hit Under Trump

Jeff Bezos's axing of more than 300 jobs at the storied newspaper has renewed fears about the resilience of America's democracy to withstand Trump's attacks

The Dangers of Being Seen by a Nonphysician

Trump’s New Method of Humiliation

The president doesn’t seem to fire people anymore, but he marginalizes them in other ways.

Anti-ICE Activists an Insurgency, Not Protest Movement

The objective isn't dissent. It's obstruction.

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…

Whistle-Blower Report Involved Intelligence About a Trump Contact

Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, moved to lock down an intelligence intercept that referred to someone close to President Trump, the report said.

How a $30B Welfare Program Became a Slush Fund for States

Republicans and Democrats alike decry the lack of oversight for America's famous antipoverty experiment. ‘Fraud by design.'

Newsmax's James Rosen: Iranian Regime Caught Off Guard by Protests

Secret documents and recordings smuggled out of Tehran show the regime believed it had prevented an uprising, only to be caught off guard by the unrest that erupted late last year, Newsmax chief correspondent James Rosen reports. "

Epstein Mania on the Digital Borderlands

The longevity of the Epstein story owes less to new facts of criminal conduct than to its symbolic utility in alleging deviancy.

Friday's Final Word