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

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…

Prosecutors struggle to turn voter fraud claims into criminal charges

Many leads turn out to be innocuous or accidental, lacking evidence of malicious intent.

Abortion as a Sacrament Wins Again

It's the Year of the DSA in Democratic Politics

Despite a small setback in an Arizona House primary this week, 2026 is still very much the year of the DSA in Democratic politics.

New York Nuns vs. the Empire State’s Culture of Death

As New York’s assisted-suicide law goes into effect, four communities of Catholic religious sisters fight back.

The Eyes Have It

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.

Claire's Weekly Letter: Wars of Choice

Dems With Big Lead as Midterms Approach

Thursday, July 23rd on RealClearPolitics - Joined by Emerson Polling Director Spencer Kimball

Trump allies notch redistricting win as judges find no 'smoking gun' to scrap red state map

A three-judge panel ruled Tennessee's redrawn congressional map can stand for the Aug. 6 primary, rejecting claims it targeted Black voters in Memphis.

Dispute Over Trump Tariffs Snarls Russia Sanctions Deal

A bipartisan bill championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham has become mired in a dispute over expanding President Trump’s tariff power.

Number of U.S. Troop Deaths in Iran War Appears Lower on Pentagon Website

Three military officials and a Pentagon spokesman gave conflicting explanations for why the number of Americans killed in the Iran war had changed.

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed accused Trump of inciting terrorism over Whitmer kidnapping plot

Abdul El-Sayed accused Trump of inciting terrorism over the Whitmer kidnapping plot, raising questions as his Michigan Senate primary heats up.

Netanyahu to visit Trump at White House, attend 'dear friend' Lindsey Graham's memorial service

Benjamin Netanyahu will meet President Trump and attend Lindsey Graham's memorial service in Washington as U.S.-Israel operations against Iran continue.

It's Important Mamdani Said Netanyahu Is a War Criminal

1 in 3 U.S. adults believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, including nearly half of Democrats polled. Will the Democratic Party listen?

The Modern Mythology of AI

LLMs are incredibly useful, even astonishing. But they aren’t “thinking” about anything.

Another Wildberries Hub Burning, This Time in St. Petersburg

Democrats Vote to Put South Carolina First in 2028 Primary

The state, along with several others still being chosen, appears set to play an important role in determining the party’s next presidential nominee.

‘McCarthy trials’: Hasan Piker, far-left figures erupt over subpoenas in $39M Singham probe

Hasan Piker and CodePink's Medea Benjamin rally behind BreakThrough News after congressional subpoenas target groups tied to communist tech tycoon.

The Robots Cometh

The humanoid revolution is coming-and the Chinese firm Unitree is leading the charge.

Why Not Combine Liberal Arts and Occupational Education?

Some schools are moving toward a hybrid model.

Oh Good, Bombing Iran Some More?

Supporters of bombing swear they don’t want ground troops but that they are committed to the end of the regime. One may have to give way to the other.

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.

Ireland's Antisemitism Crisis with Rachel Moiselle | Quillette Cetera Episode 68

Activist Rachel Moiselle on why a country with 3,000 Jews obsesses over Israel, how antizionism became a faith, and the cost of speaking out.

The Curious Case of the Woman Who Was Baited Into Saying the 'N' Word

Mainstream Bioethics Does Not Represent Mainstream Beliefs

The last thing the world needs is to depend on views approved by the bioethics establishment.

Iran and the New Rules of Global Power

The making and unmaking of American dominance.

Trump says Iran will pay — what it takes to end the war remains unclear

Trump's Iran campaign now focuses on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but no clear conditions exist for ending strikes as nuclear talks stall.

WSJ: No, Really, Trump's Had It With Iran Negotiations

Elon Musk Blasts Both Barrels, Reloads, and Fires Again

Trump Is Losing Patience Over Iran War

President grows skeptical of diplomacy and is in ‘revenge mode' against Tehran, according to senior administration official

CBP intercepted biological materials tied to U.S.–China virus network before COVID, new documents show

Rand Paul reveals documents showing CBP intercepted undeclared biological materials tied to a U.S.-China coronavirus research network as early as 2018.

House votes to limit Trump on Iran; Senate fails to advance similar measure

The votes marked the first test of Republican support for the conflict since President Donald Trump resumed military strikes against Tehran this month.

The Long, Strange Trip for Democrats in Maine Is Almost Over

This weekend's convention is a surprisingly low-key end to a truly wild ride.

Kagan Says Supreme Court Has Stood Up to Trump in Key Cases

At an annual meeting of judges and lawyers, the liberal justice defended her conservative colleagues from criticism that they have rubber-stamped President Trump’s agenda.

Abdul El-Sayed scores Sen Tina Smith's endorsement in Democratic primary that exposes party divide

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, a Democrat from Minnesota, has thrown her support behind Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate primary candidate Abdul El-Sayed.

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.

Iran’s New Leader Is More Open to Pursuing a Nuclear Weapon, U.S. Intelligence Says

The previous supreme leader, who was killed early in the war, had renounced nuclear weapons. U.S. spy agencies believe his son is more interested in building a bomb.

Second lady Usha Vance shares family photos featuring newborn who is less than 1 week old

Usha Vance shared the first family photo with all four children, including newborn Alec Neel Vance, joking about the challenge of a decent shot.

On the Brink Again

A collapsed ceasefire has pushed America and Iran back towards full-scale war over the Strait of Hormuz. Now Trump must decide whether to finish the job or give Tehran one more chance.

Tariffs: Out with the Old, in with the New

Congress? Anyone there?

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

Amish Shah beats Democratic establishment pick in House primary in Arizona

Rep. Andy Biggs, who voted to overturn the 2020 election results, won the GOP nomination for governor. Among Democrats, a left-wing challenger failed to unseat Rep. Greg Stanton.

Omer Bartov: What Went Wrong?

A distinguished historian of the Holocaust views Israel through the wrong prism.

Rubio’s Chesterton Moment

Chesterton wrote a novel over 100 years ago that helps place the significance of Rubio’s most recent speech on the century’s left-wing terrorism problem.

Is Iran Chickening Out Against Israel to Prevent Hezbollah's Collapse?

Voters Think All Politicians Are a Little Corrupt, but Trump Might Be Pushing It

There’s a difference between ordinary influence peddling and the first family’s outright self-enrichment.

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.

Thursday's Final Word

They See Dead People

Following on false claims that 215 child corpses were discovered in western Canada, a First Nations chief claims that Indigenous people can communicate with departed spirits.

Colleges and Universities Adrift in Administrative Bloat

One might conclude that student learning has become an afterthought.

NYC: Two Men Stabbed by Suspect Yelling 'Allahu Akbar'

Bombshell memo shows Biden planned to leave Trump with even more massive immigration crisis

Sen. Eric Schmitt obtained a Biden White House memo revealing plans to expand TPS to over 3.1 million noncitizens in the administration's final days.

Democratic Voters Keep Defying the Party Establishment

The House Democratic campaign arm has stepped up its interventions in high-profile contested primaries. But this week, it suffered its third primary defeat in two months.

CNN Political Briefing

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

The Patriarchal Mind Virus

By dismissing the importance of biological sex, Robin Dembroff earned predictable acclaim from fellow scholars. But as a work of philosophy, ‘Real Men on Top’ is unconvincing and deeply flawed.

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.

Democrats Prepare for Possible Election Clashes With Federal Government

Top officials overseeing state elections and law enforcement are stepping up plans to prepare for what they worry could be interference in the midterms.

Trump Meets With Top Advisers as He Weighs a Major Escalation in Iran

President Trump has insisted the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran would be a relatively short “excursion,” although it has now lasted nearly five months, with no end in sight.

El-Sayed's Slippery Argument About Israel's Right to Exist

El-Sayed says he's for self-determination for Palestinians and Jewish Israelis. But for most Israelis, that means a Jewish state.

GOP rift grows as Thune hits brakes on Trump's election bill to avert shutdown

Sen. John Thune prioritizes a continuing resolution over the SAVE Act, sparking GOP tensions as Sen. John Kennedy warns against negotiating with Democrats.

Elbridge Colby: A Defense of Trump's Grand Strategy

A Pentagon official argues that "people can no longer take the United States for granted."

The Oldest Tradition in Art

Christopher Nolan's Odyssey, shot entirely on IMAX cameras, is the newest chapter in an old story: technological innovation creating new forms of art.

The Real Bernie Sanders Always Stands Up for What’s Wrong

Bernie’s blindness has a long history.

Who Let the Noncitizens onto New Jersey’s Voter Rolls?

This investigation isn’t over just because Sherrill wants her preferred answer to be taken as the end of the story.

Leavitt vows Trump will deliver 'entertaining' speech at his return to White House Correspondents' Dinner

Karoline Leavitt says President Trump's rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner speech will be "unifying yet vicious" and "entertaining."

Jews Are No Longer Safe in New York, They Should Leave

Exit the city to save it... and yourselves

Is This the Future We Really Want?

There is probably a camera on a pole at the entrance to your neighborhood. You've probably stopped noticing it. It is small, solar-powered, unremarkable, and it photographs every car that passes: yours, your neighbor's, your teenager's. And it rea…

The Most Irresponsibly Stupid Column of the Year

A USA Today column on the WNBA’s Caitlin Clark — who for no earthly reason is hated by sportswriters — is stridently deranged.

This Is How Slippery Slopes Work: MAiD by Organ Donation

With Hopes High for New H.I.V. Prevention Pill, Merck Takes Steps to Ensure Access

Companies in Africa and India will make generic versions of the pill that could cost as little as $5 per person per year. But access to the drug and other new products in much of Latin America remains uncertain.

How a Grieving Trump Decided to Back Lindsey Graham’s Sister for Senate

The president initially backed a little-known congressman. Then he talked to Gov. Henry McMaster and Ms. Graham herself.

The Tobacco Wars

How Australia's war on tobacco backfired.

Stop Twisting Sophie Cunningham’s Words

‘She didn’t lay down any crazy vitriol.’

'An Insolent American Sadist: Sly Stallone and the Anti-Communist Film Festival

WATCH: Scalise serves up Olive Garden reality check for Democrats in voter ID fight

Steve Scalise compares Olive Garden's photo ID requirement for its unlimited pasta pass to the lack of a federal voter ID law in U.S. elections.

Trade Wars Redux: Trump Imposes New and (Legally?) Improved Tariffs on 80+ Countries

Speaking of Revolutionaries

Zayd Ayers Dohrn, son of prominent members of the Weather Underground, is not a chip off the old block.

The Grift at the Gate

The Grift Industrial Complex targeted Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey—and got buried.

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 Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

The Real Epidemic Is (Again) the Legacy Media

Cyclospora is at least the fourth major media effort this year to make Americans believe that Robert F. Kennedy has destroyed their public health infrastructure. Total deaths: zero.

The Artist Matthew Taylor Is Helping Trump Reshape Washington

Matthew Taylor, a conceptual artist and political strategist, made influential ads and documentaries produced by Steve Bannon. Now he’s assisting the White House.

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.