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

Ed Gallrein Shows Northern Kentucky What He Is Made Of

For the first time in over a decade, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) faces a 1-on-1 primary challenge. His challenger, Ed Gallrein, is as Kentucky as they come.

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…

The Roots of Recession

As an energy shock looms, a new book reframes recession as the product of historical circumstance, not cyclical inevitability.

Hospitals and Insurers Are Getting Rich Off Medical Fraud

“Too Much Science in the Curriculum”

Tragicomic scenes from reparations-based medicine.

The Pressure’s on in Maine

‘This is a Groundhog’s Day thing with the Maine ladies. They’re always facing the most dangerous challenge of their political career.’

Maple Sugar Daddy: The Case of Herr Platner Gets Curiouser and Curiouser

The First Lady of Kentucky on Dressing for the Derby — and the Spotlight

The first lady of Kentucky talks hat dos and don’ts, the best way to walk across a horse track and balancing personal and political style.

Communist and socialist groups call for 'revolution' and seizure of property at Minneapolis May Day rally

A Minneapolis May Day rally organized for immigrant rights drew communist and socialist groups demanding revolution, rent caps and wealth redistribution.

Pirro says video shows moment gunman fired outside correspondents’ dinner

Defense attorneys for the alleged gunman have questioned the evidence in the case, and the U.S. attorney’s X posts go beyond what prosecutors have said in court filings.

Will Crime Cost Democrats the Midterms?

Friday, May 1st on RealClearPolitics - Joined by Fox News Contributor Mary Katharine Ham

British Columbia’s UNDRIP Fiasco

By enacting the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into provincial law, B.C. effectively handed veto power over policy-making to First Nations lobbyists.

Toward Race-Blind Justice Under the Law

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court narrowed the conditions under which states must draw districts with a majority of minority voters.

Buy Fast or Lose Slow

America’s strategic edge will not be preserved by nostalgia for past procurement habits.

From Zionist to Hamas Apologist

The extraordinary career of Oxford historian Avi Shlaim.

Dementia Patients and Death by Intentional Undernourishment

The ethical questions of intentionally withholding nourishment from dementia patients, who may still want to eat and drink, are upon us.

Pentagon to pull 5,000 troops from Germany, alarming Republican lawmakers

NATO said it was working to understand details of the plan to draw down about 5,000 troops, which coincides with a feud between the president and the German chancellor.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

In Mississippi, a Democrat Challenges the Senator Who Blocked His Judgeship

Scott Colom, a state prosecutor, is running against Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican who denied him a seat on the federal bench. In a tough year for the G.O.P., Democrats see hope for his long-shot bid.

Trump is running out of options to contain gas price backlash

The rising cost of oil is becoming a major political concern for the White House, as the stalemate between President Donald Trump and Iran drags on.

The Monarchical Logic of Trump’s Tariffs

This is not how a free, self-governing people are meant to manage their own affairs.

How the Weak Prevail

From ISIS to the IRGC, how groups with sacred commitments outlast adversaries with far greater firepower.

We Meant to Do That

Pity the suckers in the cities governed by the radical left who let themselves believe that the new order would rain taxpayer-provided goodies down around them.

Chicago’s May Day Action Civics Nightmare

A socialist-friendly teachers’ union has managed to set aside May Day for the partisan indoctrination of public school students.

Abortion pill fight heads to Supreme Court as manufacturer warns of ‘chaos’ after ruling

The Supreme Court faces an emergency request from abortion pill mifepristone manufacturer Danco Laboratories, GenBioPro after a 5th Circuit ruling blocked mail-order access, reinstated in-person prescription requirements.

New Video Analysis Suggests Suspect in Correspondents’ Dinner Attack Fired First

A Times analysis of footage released by the F.B.I. on Thursday night appears to show the assailant shot at a Secret Service officer, who then returned fire.

Will Republicans Blow It on Immigration Issue?

Political dinosaurs insist on surrender on immigration. Beltway GOP insiders seem intent on snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Trump Tells Congress ‘Hostilities’ with Iran Have ‘Terminated’ Despite Dueling Blockades

For now, the president is trying to navigate his way through the War Powers Act by dissembling rather than challenging its constitutionality.

Tucker Carlson Really Can't Defend That Interview with Nick Fuentes

Party Time: The Anti-Communist Film Festival

Chernobyl Forty Years On

How fear, misinformation, and myth came to define the world’s worst nuclear accident. 

Radical Lessons in Solidarity and Resistance

The son of Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers has written a perceptive, fascinating, and rather sad book about his lonely life as the child of violent revolutionaries.

Friday's Final Word

Higher Education's Problems Go Way Beyond Trust

Yale put out a report earlier this month reckoning with why America's universities have lost the public's faith. But the study doesn't tell the full story-and may be asking the wrong questions.

Trump Faces the Complicated Reality of a Costly, Unpopular War in Iran

President Trump’s predictions of a relatively short-term conflict with minimal economic consequences appear to be crumbling.

Supreme Court Asked to Restore Access to Abortion Pill by Mail

A federal appeals court temporarily halted a Food and Drug Administration regulation that has greatly expanded access to the abortion pill mifepristone.

Claire's Weekly Letter: How the Weak Prevail

Two more Southern states move toward adding Republican House seats

GOP-led states are rushing to take advantage of the Supreme Court’s decision to curtail the Voting Rights Act with new maps that could end the careers of several Black Democratic House members.

A California Dream? Some Democrats Fear Harris Picked the Wrong Race.

Some wish Kamala Harris had decided to run for governor in California, where Democrats are struggling to break through, rather than weigh another White House run.

The ballot box showdowns this month that you need to watch

The 2026 primary season heats up in May with races across a dozen states testing Trump's grip on the GOP ahead of critical midterm elections.

Ahead of 250th, a Display of America's Grace and Grit

Saturday's shooting, Trump's unity message and King Charles' speech to Congress days later.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Nixon Was Right

After all these years, the Communist Party is still handcuffed to its American rival, and it is unable to break free.

Democrats who rallied at ‘No Kings’ protests applaud King Charles in Congress

Democrats face mockery for welcoming King Charles III to Congress after rallying at "No Kings" protests targeting presidential power weeks earlier.

Universities face funding threat as lawmakers target schools with ties to adversarial nations

A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced bills to crack down on foreign influence in American higher education by targeting ties to adversarial nations.

Platner's Triumph, Explained by a Maine Reporter

One of the most hotly contested Democratic primaries of 2026 ended with a whimper rather than a bang Thursday, as Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) suspended her Senate campaign, making outsider oyster farmer Graham Platner the overwhelming favorite for …

Hegseth tightens control at Pentagon, defiant and more confident than ever

Trump’s combative defense secretary has grown more self-assured of his job security despite his early missteps in the role, people familiar with the matter said.

Saturday's Final Word

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.

Behind Supreme Court Voting Rights Ruling, a Clash Over the Reality of Racism

The Supreme Court ruling said there must be proof that a racial group was “intentionally” disadvantaged. The dissent called it “well-nigh impossible.”

Two More States Take Steps To Redraw House Maps

The Republican governors of Tennessee and Alabama called state lawmakers into special sessions on Friday, initial steps in what could be a scramble to redraw congressional maps after the Supreme Court narrowed the Voting Rights Act.

U.S. Fast-Tracks Arms Deals Valued at $8.6 Billion to Mideast Partners

The Persian Gulf countries and Israel have faced repeated Iranian attacks during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. The State Department move bypassed congressional review.

The surprising history of Black representation in Congress

It took the Voting Rights Act in 1965, and its revisions decades later, to restore Black congressional representation in the South after Reconstruction.

He spent 60 years building Black political power. He sees a wipeout coming.

Press Robinson, who years ago mounted a legal fight to become the first Black person elected to a Louisiana school board, was on the losing side of the Supreme Court case weakening the Voting Rights Act.

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.

Turning Civil Rights Inside Out

The Supreme Court has now invited racial gerrymandering, as merely political and thus beyond judicial challenge.

'New Democrat Party': Senate GOP sounds off on 'extreme' Graham Platner as Senate race in Maine heats up

Senate Republicans eye attacks on Graham Platner's progressive record and ties to Sanders and AOC now that Maine's Democratic primary is settled.

Trump endorses Andy Barr in race to succeed Mitch McConnell

Trump also asked one of Barr’s rivals to drop out of the Republican primary in Kentucky, where the winner of that race is likely to succeed McConnell.

Uterine Transplants and Reproductive Anarchy

‘I want,’ or, ‘I don’t want,’ are becoming the lodestars of reproductive morality.

'Needs to resign': California vice mayor ripped after commenting '86 47' on state GOP's online post

California GOP demands Los Altos Vice Mayor Larry Lang resign over "86 47" posts he made on social media roughly a month after ex-FBI Director James Comey was indicted for the same thing.

Power the Future sends letter to lawmakers over data

Power the Future, a pro-energy group, is asking Rep. Comer and Sen. Paul to probe nonprofit funding it alleges is fueling anti-data center campaigns across 24 states.

A Court Case Challenges IRB Restrictions on Research

The basis for the lawsuit is that a governmental entity is interfering with freedom of speech.

Mamdani allocates $500K for reparations talks as NYC faces $5.4B deficit

Under Mayor Mamdani, New York City has set aside $500,000 to fund community discussions on reparations and other forms of assistance for Black New Yorkers despite a budget deficit.

Drugmakers ask Supreme Court to restore abortion pill access by mail

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that the commonly used abortion drug mifepristone can only be picked up in-person.

Trump returns to public events, delivering profane speech

In his first public speech since the White House correspondents’ dinner, the president mocked transgender weightlifters and the “medical crap” an adviser was telling him.

Pro-China tech tycoon's network helped organize NYC May Day protests where Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke

Groups financially backed by Shanghai-based tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham were key organizers at NYC May Day demonstrations, an investigation found.

Can Our Civilization Survive Its Betrayal By Elites?

Tyler Robinson's Defense Team Wants Prosecutors Held in Contempt

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…

Dr Oz names 5 states in fraud crackdown as Trump administration targets Medicaid abuse

Dr. Oz says CMS has written letters to five states as the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on Medicaid and healthcare fraud schemes.

If America's So Rich, How'd It Get So Sad?

"The United States was a reasonably happy country for a long time," the University of Chicago economist Sam Peltzman wrote in a 2026 paper. "It is not happy now."

Pittsburgh Is Just Built Different

Spirit Airlines, low-cost innovator, shuts down after Trump bailout plan fails

The airline said early Saturday it had “no choice” but to wind down operations immediately, dashing hopes of a last-minute financial lifeline.

How SPLC Became 'Weaponized Against Right-of-Center'

Having the Southern Poverty Law Center label you, a black woman, as an 'apologist for white supremacy,' it sort of makes you like kryptonite for any universities that would be looking to hire you, Carol Swain told JNS.

XTC: All Hail the Amazing Crash-Boom-Band

If you ever cared even a whit for brilliant, furiously intelligent pop music, then you should know about XTC.

Trump disapproval reaches new high, Post-ABC-Ipsos poll finds

Democrats now hold a five-point advantage in support for Congress, up from two points in February.

Liberals Showed Their Spirit When They Killed an Airline

A Great Idea for Data Centers and Electricity Rates

Through selective deregulation, a proposed bill would encourage AI companies to build their own energy supply.

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.

CNN Political Briefing

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

Why Israel Can’t Live With a Nuclear Iran: Gadi Taub

Gadi Taub discusses Israel’s war aims, Iran’s nuclear threat, the legacy of Oslo, and how postmodern ideas have shaped Western foreign policy.

The Americans Who Could Be in Trump’s ‘Garden of Heroes’ Statue Park in D.C.

President Trump plans to build a park along the Potomac River featuring life-size statues of 250 Americans.

This Is Not the 1970s

Amid the great uncertainties produced by the Iran War, some likelihoods have begun to emerge.

Trump's troop cuts in Europe could be blocked by Congress — here’s how he might get around it

Trump threatens to pull U.S. troops from NATO allies Germany, Italy and Spain after they resisted supporting operations tied to the Iran conflict.

Claire’s Weekly Letter: Naming the Enemy

Delayed Louisiana Primaries Stoke Confusion at Ballot Box

On the first day of early voting, some glimpses of voter bewilderment came into focus, part of a dizzying scramble playing out days after a major Supreme Court ruling.

The Banquet and the Burrito

The ballroom was full of journalists in formal wear. The burrata salad with spring peas had just been served. A magician was demonstrating a feat of mind-reading to the President and those seated with him at the head table. Gunshots rang out. It t…

Investigation Finds DC Police Officials Manipulated Crime Stats

Zyn Isn't Sin

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 Declaration of Independence’

On episode 103 of The Charles C. W. Cooke Podcast, Charles talks to Michael Auslin about his new book, National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America.

Trump Says He Is Reviewing Iran’s Latest Offer but Doubts It Is Acceptable

The comments came one day after President Trump flatly rejected the proposal. He later clarified he was only briefed on the “concept of the deal.”

One Issue Uniting Democrats and Republicans? Worries About A.I.

The growing unease over artificial intelligence is something elements of the left and the right can agree on in a polarized age.