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

Trump Reposts Anti-Immigrant Tirade Calling China and India ‘Hellhole’ Places

The president touched off a furor with his post sharing a podcast episode in which the host referred to China and India as “hellhole” places.

‘FBoy Island’ contestant’s bet on his own Senate bid exposes perils of Kalshi

A former reality TV contestant turned candidate in Virginia and two U.S. House hopefuls in Texas and Minnesota have been banned from the prediction market for five years.

In Tehran, Money Is Short, Return to War Looms

On a bright Tehran spring day, Sanaei Ghaznavi street, with its mix of shops selling groceries and household goods alongside fast food and flowers, seems like an everyday place.

Third U.S. aircraft carrier arrives in waters near Iran

The path of the USS George H.W. Bush to the Middle East has been closely watched as President Trump demands progress in peace negotiations with Tehran.

Sen Hawley warns it would be 'unconscionable' if billions of taxpayer funds flow to trans kids’ sex changes

Sen. Josh Hawley urges House Speaker Mike Johnson to immediately block taxpayer funding for sex change treatments for minors in a new letter Thursday.

The Posting Will Continue Until Morale Improves

Trump’s Iran messaging seems desperate.

House Republicans Press ActBlue CEO to Testify

Republicans in Congress are escalating their scrutiny of ActBlue, the major fundraising platform for Democrats, with a formal request for its chief executive to testify on Capitol Hill.

Virginia’s map war lays bare state's sharp partisan turn as legal fight looms

Virginia's redistricting fight heads to the state Supreme Court after a county judge blocked certification of a narrowly approved ballot measure.

Rep. Jeffries Threatens FISA Fight Over FBI's Patel

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is raising the stakes in the battle over renewing key U.S. surveillance powers, warning that Democrats may withhold support as long as FBI Director Kash Patel remains in charge.

An Extra-Embarrassing White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Why is Donald Trump breaking bread with the “enemy of the people”?

Happy St George's Day From the British Prime Minister Who Can't Bring Himself to Say 'England'

What Abdul El-Sayed Doesn’t Get About Trump

How Democrats can lose Michigan, again

Trump unveils new drug price deal with Regeneron amid affordability push

The drug company is the 17th to agree to lower its prices as part of the administration’s Most Favored Nation initiative. It will make a new gene therapy available free.

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.

Fox News Poll: Modest boost in support for Iran conflict, but concerns persist

A new poll shows support for U.S. military action in Iran rising to 45%, but a majority of voters still oppose the conflict and question its costs.

DOJ watchdog launches review of agency’s compliance with Epstein files law

The audit by the department’s inspector general follows months of lawmaker complaints over the congressionally mandated release of investigative files.

Rep. Luna to Newsmax: 'No Fair Justice' as DOJ Ignores Misconduct

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told Newsmax Thursday the Justice Department is failing to hold lawmakers accountable for alleged misconduct while aggressively prosecuting a U.S. service member linked to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas…

After Governor's $$$ Threat, Houston City Council Has ICEy 'Upon Further Reflection' Moment

NYT Now Promoting 'Microlooting' as Social Justice

Girls in an Online World

Iona Italia talks to writer Freya India about her book 'Girls: Gen Z and the Commodification of Everything.'

Report: Rep. Ronny Jackson Weighs Armed Services Bid

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, said Thursday that he is considering a run to be the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee after the midterms, Politico reported.

KT McFarland to Newsmax: Iran's Economy Near Collapse

KT McFarland told Newsmax on Thursday that Iran's economy could collapse within "a week, maybe at the most two weeks," as U.S. pressure halts the country's oil exports and chokes off its primary revenue stream.

SPLC's Racial Shakedown Was a Criminal Scheme

FNC's Greg Gutfeld comments on the DOJ's announcement that the SPLC has been indicted:

Todd Blanche Targets Trump’s Enemies Amid Jockeying to Lead DOJ

Mr. Blanche’s salvo of actions are meant to demonstrate progress on the president’s priorities, chief among them payback.

Can Blackface Be Anti-Racist?

In her early comedy career, Sarah Silverman mocked bigots by impersonating them. What could possibly go wrong?

Social media erupts after Mamdani's far-left supporters turn on him over homeless shelter: 'Oops'

East Village voters who backed Mayor Zohran Mamdani by a 40-point margin are now suing to stop a homeless shelter plan, drawing conservative criticism online.

U.S. House Experiences Sudden Outbreak of Accountability

But that doesn't necessarily mean the institution will change.

Who’s out in the Trump administration’s spring shakeup

At least five officials have left Trump’s Cabinet and U.S. military leadership since the start of the war with Iran. Here’s a look at who left and why.

Va. High Court to Hear Map Referendum Challenge Monday

The Virginia Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments Monday on a challenge to a referendum narrowly approved by voters April 21 that would redraw the commonwealth's congressional map to heavily favor Democrats.

18-Year-Old Arrested in Plot to Attack Houston Synagogue

Turns Out Charlottesville Was Underwritten by the Left

The Southern Poverty Law Center has been indicted for fraud and is accused of having funded organizers, supervised racist posts, and coordinated transportation to the Unite the Right rally in 2017.

Utah Democrat Running for Congress Accused of Misconduct

Canada’s 215 Imaginary Martyrs

How will Canadian journalists cover the five-year anniversary of the 2021 ‘unmarked-graves’ social panic without admitting their complicity in promoting a fake story?

California’s Blue Armageddon

One of the most liberal states in the country can’t find a Democrat to lead it.

History Is Running Backwards

Why reactionaries are taking over the world

Fox News Poll: Voters see AI as a risk to privacy and paychecks

A Fox News Poll finds most voters see artificial intelligence as a threat to privacy and jobs, driving an overall 54% unfavorable opinion of AI.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

How the Iran War Is Morphing Into a Volatile Standoff in the Strait of Hormuz

The conflict has morphed into a volatile standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, as the economic costs mount and President Trump faces a political backlash at home.

White House eases mandatory requirements for preserving presidential records

After the Justice Department said a post-Watergate records law is unconstitutional, White House lawyers established a new policy that experts say weakens safeguards.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

Trump Says Israel and Lebanon Agree to Extend Cease-Fire by Three Weeks

The president made the announcement after he hosted a meeting at the White House of Israeli and Lebanese diplomats.

In the Air Tonight

How Phil Collins created the pop sound that defined the 1980s.

Trump intends to invite Putin to G-20 summit in Miami, officials say

The Russian leader has not yet committed to attend the annual gathering of world leaders, which is scheduled for December at the president’s Doral golf resort.

Trump’s Dreams for a Battleship Led to His Navy Secretary’s Ouster

The Navy secretary, John Phelan, was supposed to deliver the first of the president’s ships by 2028. The timeline was nearly impossible.

Trump: Iran Has 'No Idea Who Their Leader Is'

They have a hard time figuring out who the hell can speak for the country, the president told MS NOW's The Weekend host Jacqueline Alemany in a call.

Epstein fallout grows as DOJ watchdog digs deeper into handling of the case

The DOJ's inspector general is investigating whether the agency fully complied with the Epstein Transparency Act in releasing related records.

Trump Voters Like Marco Rubio More and More

And J. D. Vance less and less

Court Revives D.C.’s Ban on High-Capacity Gun Magazines, for Now

The Trump administration and D.C. officials, normally at odds over the city’s strict gun laws, had both asked the court to reconsider the case.

Strait of Hormuz Is Hosting Gunboat Diplomacy

Donald Trump's indefinite shelving of the plan to bomb Iran's bridges and power stations on Tuesday night is being widely described as leaving the conflict in limbo, but that is anything but the truth.

Male Prisoners Are Abusing Incarcerated Women in MA

The Department of Justice should investigate MCI-Framingham, where trans-identified male inmates threaten the safety of incarcerated women.

Soldier Used Classified Information to Bet on Maduro’s Ouster, U.S. Says

Federal prosecutors say that Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who was involved in the operation to oust Nicolás Maduro from power in Venezuela, used the information to place bets on a prediction market.

Letters to the Editor

10 April – 17 April 2026

Thursday's Final Word

California's Lukewarm Governor Debate Won't Shake Up Race

Four Democratic candidates for California governor took the stage in San Francisco Wednesday night, hoping to shake up the scattered Democratic support and emerge as a frontrunner while knocking the two Republicans out of their leading positions.

Iran War Has Drained U.S. Supplies of Critical, Costly Weapons

The Pentagon’s rush to rearm its Mideast forces makes it less ready to confront potential adversaries like Russia and China, administration and congressional officials say.

CNN Political Briefing

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

Trump Voters Are Over It

A shocking number of the president’s supporters have turned against him.

What Did You Think Decolonisation Meant?

Decolonisation theory operates as a rigid, Manichaean ideology that neatly divides the world into evil perpetrators and innocent victims.

Dems Should Side With Families Over Teachers Unions

The federal school choice tax credit program should be an easy choice for the remaining undecided states. But politics are getting in the way.

Good News, Frustrated Progs - Turning Canadian Just Became So Much Easier

LA Proposes a Light Tax to Repair Streetlights Damaged by Crooks

Policy Group Investigates Virginia Redistricting Vote

The America First Policy Institute on Thursday launched an investigation of Virginia's redistricting amendment vote, seeking records from election officials and a major school district amid allegations of irregularities and improper influence.

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…

The Professor and the Pariah

How a brilliant mind fell for bad history and worse people.

Trump’s Enormous Gerrymandering Blunder

The Republican redistricting effort backfires.

What I Learned About Billionaires at Jeff Bezos’s Private Retreat

For the richest men on Earth, everything is free and nothing matters.

Leftists Applaud for the Terrorist, Ban the Victim From Speaking

Rep. Issa: Iran Standoff Ends With Economic Collapse

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said Thursday the standoff with Iran is unlikely to end without economic collapse in Tehran, telling Fox Business the Trump administration's pressure campaign mirrors the strategy that broke the Soviet Union.

Trump Says He’s Renovating ‘Filthy’ Reflecting Pool on the National Mall

The pool, which is more than 2,000 feet long, was the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and other events.

The FBI Director Is MIA

Kash Patel has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.

FIRST ON FOX: SPLC’s legal woes grow as Jim Jordan fires latest salvo at left-wing group

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan demands documents from the SPLC, alleging coordination with the Biden DOJ after the nonprofit's federal indictment.

Conservative nonprofit investigates Virginia redistricting vote after court blocks certification

The America First Policy Institute launched an investigation into the Virginia redistricting amendment vote, targeting mail-in ballot procedures and alleged school political activity.

Trump Keeps Talking About Iran’s ‘Nuclear Dust.’ What Is It?

First of all, it isn’t dust. It’s Iran’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade uranium, which is stored in large canisters about the size of scuba tanks.

New Republican plan would fund ICE for rest of Trump’s term

Republicans took a step without the help of Democrats toward fully reopening the Department of Homeland Security and ending the partial government shutdown.

Rubio Says Iran’s Soccer Team Can Attend World Cup

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that while the players were welcome, anyone accompanying them who has links to the Iranian military would be denied entry.

Senate Passes Budget Resolution To Fund ICE; Will House Deliver?

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.

Sen. Warren Warns AI Debt Bubble Risks 2008-Style Crash

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., warned Thursday that the debt fueling the artificial intelligence boom is building toward a 2008-style financial crash and urged Congress to enact structural reforms before the bubble bursts.

Here are Virginia’s new congressional districts and who is running

Some House races are newly competitive, and four Republican incumbents are now endangered.

White House Blames GOP for Virginia Redistricting Defeat

The White House is hitting back at Republicans claiming they did not do enough in the wake of a vote being passed that could give Democrats up to four additional congressional seats in Virginia. "It's funny about the grumbling, especially from the…

Defense Department scientist’s accidental death raises questions as probe into missing scientists grows

A government chemist who researched Novichok nerve agents died in a 2022 incident ruled accidental, but colleagues and family say it doesn't add up.

Hardest Part Still To Come for Democrats After Virginia Win

Democrats have promised the changes will be temporary. But if Republicans simply refuse to stop gerrymandering, what then?

Fun With Grace

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's 'Project Hail Mary': A Review

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.

Hasan Piker Is the Enemy

If liberals wish to forge an alliance of convenience with a socialist and apologist for jihadist violence, they will be betraying the very values they profess to uphold.

Documenting a Decade of Academic Meltdowns

Podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with filmmaker Ric Esther Bienstock about her new CBC/BBC documentary, ‘Speechless’—which explores the rise of censorship and mobbings on campus.

Big Sky Crack-Up

Montana Democrats thought they found a novel way to win control of the U.S. Senate—until the party faithful started fighting back.

John Phelan forced out as Navy secretary after 13 months

The billionaire was a significant contributor to President Donald Trump’s campaign, but officials said he clashed repeatedly with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

California Democrat Candidates Agree: Requiring Truck Drivers to Speak English Is Racist

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…

The Strait of Hormuz Reverse Uno Card

When Raji Khabbaz and I were running Silver Arrow Investment Management, whenever we were trying to figure out why something happened, he was unsatisfied the explanation that people are sometimes stupid and institutions are often stupid.

‘Lame duck’: Jeffries rips DeSantis after Florida invitation as redistricting fight heats up

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries ripped Ron DeSantis as a "lame duck" governor during a heated Florida redistricting battle ahead of the key 2026 midterms.

Ukrainian Attack on Russian Oil Refinery Blankets Town in 'Black Rain'

Statecraft and Seduction

In an excellent new biography of Rasputin, British military historian Antony Beevor argues that perception can be a more powerful shaper of world events than reality.

US Invites Putin to G20 Summit but Trump Doubts He'll Come

The United States will invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to a G20 summit in Miami, a U.S. official said Thursday, but President Donald Trump said he doubted his counterpart would come.The invitation would mark a major easing of international…

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.

Dems jockeying for Newsom endorsement give passing grades on issue that ignited 'poop map' crisis

Democratic candidates gave Newsom no lower than a B-minus on homelessness, drawing sharp criticism from Republicans at a California gubernatorial debate on Wendesday.

The Problem With Hasan Piker’s Einstein Story

People scrutinizing influencers for their views should also hold them to account for their facts.

Apocalypse Soon?

Earth Day once helped focus public attention on real environmental problems. Today it is a festival of alarmism, misanthropy, technophobia, and moral theatrics.

Trump Cabinet member scraps Obama-era gender identity housing rule, cites ‘biological reality’

HUD halted enforcement of an Obama-era rule on gender identity in federally funded housing and shelters, shifting policy to recognize only biological sex.

Trump officials reclassify medical marijuana as lower-risk drug

The Justice Department said the drug will now be listed on Schedule III, similar to some common prescription painkillers. The order does not decriminalize marijuana for recreational use.

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.

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.

U.S. soldier accused of pocketing $400,000 through bets on Maduro’s capture

The bet on the seizing of the Venezuelan leader has drawn scrutiny to insider trading within the growing prediction market industry.

UK to Face 'Big Tariff' If It Won't Drop Tech Tax: Trump

President Donald Trump said the United States will retaliate with a "big tariff" if Britain continues to target companies like Apple, Alphabet's ​Google and Meta with its technology tax.The United ⁠Kingdom rolled out its ​2% digital services tax …

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.

A New Worry for Republicans: Latino Catholics Offended by Trump

In 2024, the president made significant inroads with Hispanics. But in a competitive Arizona congressional district, voters now express dismay at his feud with the pope.