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 ‘Officially’ Renames AI, Changing Everything Forever

It means nothing, of course — the quintessentially useless Trump ‘vanity gesture.’

They Keep Pushing the Lynching Hoax

Jasmine Crockett’s PAC released new endorsements. Talarico is still not on the list.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett has stepped back from Texas’s high-profile Senate race since losing the Democratic primary in March.

Trump official central to deportation deals tapped for ambassadorship

Christian Ehrhardt, who negotiated the administration’s controversial “third country” agreements, is the White House pick for ambassador to Cameroon.

Trump Administration Prepares to Ask Tax Filers if They Are U.S. Citizens

The new question, included on a draft version of the primary tax form, comes as part of an anti-immigrant turn at an agency that long prioritized tax administration.

The Senate races that could surprise everyone in November

These races could be competitive in a wave election.

A Tough Ad Reminds Nebraska Voters About a Brutal Crime and a Pardon

A group supporting Dan Osborn, the independent Senate candidate in Nebraska, is airing an ad attacking Senator Pete Ricketts, a Republican, for pardoning a man convicted of sexual assault.

The Economy Is Great, and Also Terrible

Many things are going poorly, despite the headline figures.

From Atmosphere to Empire

U2 reconsidered at fifty.

ICE confusion ignites MAGA backlash: ‘I would have called for impeachment’

Verbal guidance telling some ICE offices to stop arresting illegal immigrants without criminal histories was rescinded within hours amid fierce backlash.

Rob Manfred’s Playoff Bracket Is Decadent and Depraved

The MLB commissioner hates baseball; this is well-known.

Iran War Is Ruining Trump's Presidency

No one would claim that the Iran War has been a political godsend for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. But some Israel-First conservatives are willing to say-and lately have been incessantly saying-that the Iran War hasn't been a p…

Why Iran May Be America's Last Mideast War

We need to beef up our military and be more cautious about where we employ it.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

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…

How Ted Cruz, once a Republican gadfly, became a bipartisan dealmaker

The Texas senator was the driving force behind a bill to overhaul regulation of college athletics that passed the chamber Monday night.

Politico: How Dare GOP Candidates Rebut Dems' Sermons!

Trump's Boasts on the Economy Are Falling Flat

Trump's tariffs and his war against Iran caused prices to rise, but the US president continues to claim it's ‘the greatest economy in history'

History Uprooted

A new exhibition at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg peddles PLO myths about Israel’s war for independence in 1948.

Brisket is missing from Texas menus. A Democrat blames Republicans.

Vicente Gonzalez releases a new ad connecting high beef costs to the loss of an important South Texas tradition.

The Trouble with Chinamaxxers

Gen Z calls it Chinamaxxing. But the West's new infatuation with China is less a triumph of Communist Party soft power than a symptom of our own decline.

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.

Antisemitism Is Thriving Among Young People Online. The Solution Lies in the Real World

Passages sponsors trips to Israel so young people can experience the country for themselves rather than judging it from afar.

The Naivety of Well-Meaning Christian Leaders

The Church of England and the failures of interfaith politics.

Supreme Court climate showdown jolted by Alito's last-minute decision

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from Suncor v. Boulder without explanation, while Elena Kagan faces separate recusal calls.

Academia Has Become East Germany II

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.

Biden's DOJ Spied On and Targeted The Federalist

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith obtained communications from The Federalist, along with more than a dozen other media outlets.

Soros nephew divulges how family's power helped bankroll El-Sayed's education during secretive fundraiser

Jeffrey Soros revealed his role in launching Abdul El-Sayed's career at a secretive Hollywood fundraiser where attendees were asked not to record.

This Senate Democratic candidate is making a play for RFK Jr.’s MAHA supporters

Abdul El-Sayed unveils a health-focused agenda to persuade Michigan supporters of the Make America Healthy Again movement to back his campaign.

Lesbian Fragility, Then and Now

The tragicomic obsession with disability and disease on display at the Last Ditch bar isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s been part of militant lesbian culture since the Cold War.

Drug cartel kingpin among targets in sweeping Trump crackdown on alleged Mexican corruption network

The Sinaloa cartel's Los Mayos faction faces sweeping Treasury sanctions targeting Mayito Flaco, a fugitive born in Anaheim accused of ordering hits.

Top Democrats Start to Fund James Talarico in Texas Senate Race

The main super PAC for Senate Democrats will begin to run digital ads in the state’s Senate race, in a sign of the party’s growing confidence.

Republicans fear they ‘haven’t done a damn thing’ to lower prices ahead of midterm reckoning

Senate Republicans spent weeks passing the Protect College Sports Act while Sen. Josh Hawley and others warn affordability concerns are being ignored.

JMSN, ‘Love Me’ Artist, Demands Trump Stop Using Song

President Trump used JMSN’s song in a recent self-promotional video that was paid for with public money.

NYT: Senate Dems Start Spending in Texas

Inside Operation Blackout: Patel reveals global scam ‘cities’ targeting your parents’ life savings

FBI Director Kash Patel says Operation Blackout has seized roughly $17 billion tied to scam compounds targeting senior citizens across the globe.

Justice Dept. Unlawfully Withheld Grants to Combat Domestic Violence, Judge Rules

Judge Melissa R. DuBose said the department had placed arbitrary conditions on grants created by the Violence Against Women Act.

Office of Personnel Management uncovers $500M in fraud and waste in federal health benefits programs

The Trump administration's Office of Personnel Management uncovered $510 million in fraud and waste across federal employee health benefits programs.

Jack Smith clashes with senators over Trump probes, says he will not be silenced

Jack Smith returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to defend his derailed efforts to prosecute President Donald Trump, telling lawmakers he would not “be silenced by continued threats of prosecution” from the president.

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…

Why Would Anybody in a Swing District Say This?

UK Justice: Immigrant Who Set Asylum Hotel on Fire Gets Same Sentence As Lucy Connolly

Hegseth to cut more generals, admirals in bid to remake military’s top ranks

The defense secretary is expected to announce that the number of top officers will be reduced by as much as 20 percent, officials said.

Bessent Makes a Strong Economic Case vs. Media Gloom

Whether this is the best of economies, the worst of economies, or something in between, you can bet that for the next month-plus we'll be told it's the worst.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Trump Made the Right Decision To Reject Iran's Offer

The US president has denied Tehran the opportunity to use the US midterm elections as a pressure point.

Democrats coalesce around a message about the cost of corruption

Their message accuses Republicans of flagrant corruption, tying the attack to the billions President Donald Trump has made during his second term.

There's a New Migrant Caravan on the Way to the US Border

Genocide and Its Jurors

In 1967, left-wing intellectuals accused America of genocide in Vietnam—they were wrong then, and they’re wrong again now.

The Opposing Forces Reshaping Global Finance

Financial technology is accelerating global integration, while geopolitical tensions are driving fragmentation. How will these opposing forces reshape finance over the next five years?

The Night Linden Avenue Stopped Feeling Safe

A tiny community in Edgewood, Pennsylvania, has been shocked by a horrific home invasion and murder.

A Billion Reasons Why Iran Is Losing

Would Jesus Ask for a Deductible?

‘Everything that we use for our metaphorical miracles — MRI machines, surgery, medications — requires the labor of someone else.’

In Nine Key Senate Races, Five Republicans Won’t Commit to Campaigning With Trump

Three campaigns left their positions unclear, and two said they would not join the president on the trail.

CNN Political Briefing

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

Supreme Court allows third-country deportations to resume for now

The high court will later hear arguments and make a final ruling on the Trump administration’s controversial policy of sending migrants to countries where they are not citizens.

I, Victim

Pascal Bruckner’s book about victimhood culture invites us to choose liberation, and to move from resentment to a secular kind of grace.

Everything Is Racist

F.B.I. Vows to Pursue ShinyHunters Hackers After Personnel Data Theft

“We know how to find you,” Brett Leatherman, a senior cyber official at the F.B.I., said in a video statement released Tuesday.

Trauma and Terror

If you’re not already familiar with the casus belli that ignited the Gaza war, watching the fifth season of ‘Fauda’ will be good for you, but it will also be bad for you.

Hiroshima: A Hinge Point for Humanity

Kiyoshi Tanimoto’s extraordinary testimony about the Hiroshima attack and its aftermath has been published by his daughter some forty years after his death.

What the UK Failed To Notice About 'Asylum Seekers'

TalkTV anchor Julia Hartley-Brewer addresses UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting about the five men arrested in a suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire this weekend -- a base shared with the U.S. Air Force:

A Bad Time for Widespread Economic Pessimism in Iowa

At yesterday’s White House event announcing a new steel plant in Iowa, Trump said, ‘We have the best economy we’ve ever had.’

What to Know About the Hacking Group ShinyHunters and Its F.B.I. Breach

The bureau was the latest target of the notorious gang of cybercriminals that steals sensitive personal data and sells it online.

$10 for a gallon of gas has red Alaska thinking about a Democratic senator

Mary Peltola hopes to unseat Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan in a race all about prices, federal aid and Donald Trump.

The Five Worst Things About Moving

Movers never seem to have working clocks.

Hollywood actress’ performative rant about son’s sexuality at LGBT gala fuels online backlash frenzy

Camryn Manheim told the Human Rights Campaign dinner she "always wanted a gay son," but her boy turned out straight despite her very best efforts.

Why Would New York Dump Its High School Exit Exam?

Eliminating the Regents requirement for graduation will harm students and weaken accountability for schools.

Video shows Florida food truck workers fleeing from ICE during Tallahassee immigration raid

Video captures food truck workers scrambling as ICE federal agents arrive at a Tallahassee Florida, taqueria, with one woman seen being apprehended.

Supreme Court Allows Rapid Third-Country Deportations, for Now

The court also announced it would hear arguments in December on the legality of the Trump administration policy to swiftly deport immigrants to countries not their own.

Rubio Says Incident at UK Air Base RAF Fairford ‘Clearly Involved’ a Foreign Actor

The U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio, told Fox News that what happened at a base used by U.S. bombers flying to Iran was “very serious,” without providing details.

Canadian Prisons to Distribute Paper Straws for ‘Safe’ Drug Snorting

‘Harm reduction’ programs often cause terrible harm. But sometimes they also are beyond absurd.

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.

Australia Is Sick: Misha Saul on What Went Wrong

Investor Misha Saul joins Claire Lehmann to discuss Australia’s declining productivity, immigration policy, and the political choices shaping the country’s future.

Jack Smith Defends Trump Charges as Senator’s Perjury Claim Falters

A Republican eager to prove the former special counsel was dishonest appeared to instead demonstrate his own confusion over basic facts.

Trump unveils America.gov as AI-powered hub for passports, Medicare enrollment and more

President Donald Trump launched America.gov, an AI-powered site that consolidates federal services from passport applications to Medicare enrollment in one place.

GOP senator blocks bill to stop Trump from demolishing Kennedy Center

The bipartisan effort to ban the demolition of presidential memorials was thwarted in the Senate by an objection from Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).

AI Doom Is Not Cybersecurity

An OpenAI agent’s breach of a Medicare portal shows that the real danger from AI is a mundane one—and the labs’ fixation on a coming machine god is making it worse.

Nikole Hannah-Jones' Daughter Still Doesn't Get Her Mom's Decision

Cambridge Waits Out the Arday Scandal

Cambridge has chosen a cover-up, most likely to save half the Education Department from public disgrace.

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.

Newly Victorious Berlin Communists Already Doing the Economic Voodoo That They Do So Well

Number of National Guard Troops in Washington D.C. Drops Below 3,000

The National Guard presence has dipped from a summertime high of more than 5,100 brought to the capital for July 4 celebrations.

Bombshell report exposes healthcare fraud schemes as taxpayers lose up to $521 billion annually

House GOP lawmakers unveil 14 bills targeting Medicaid fraud after a report warns billions in taxpayer dollars are lost annually.

An Open Letter to Scott Alexander

The dangers of AI are real, but doomerism may be counterproductive.

Trump/Xi: The (Rare) Earths Didn’t Move

There is little reason to expect that China will be in a rush to supply the U.S. with its needs in this area.

The Rebuilding of Notre Dame

In France, where for a long time there was nothing but foreboding, something is suddenly alive.

De Gaulle Invades America, Finally

The films will be released this November and December, exact dates still pending.

Macron's Turbulent Exit: France Feeling Insecure

Between a budget crisis and a cost-of-living squeeze, Macron is leaving a country feeling more insecure than ever-and ready to take to the streets.

As Kansas Goes...Is the Senate Race in Play?

There's a reason Republicans aren't panicked about the polls showing the Kansas Senate race is effectively tied. It's also why even Donald Trump-bashing television networks are scarcely focusing on upstart Democrat Adam Hamilton's bid to unseat in…

EXCLUSIVE: Hegseth to double cuts to generals, admirals in major Pentagon shakeup

Pete Hegseth's State of the Force address doubles last year's cuts, targeting a 20% reduction in general and flag officer billets across all services.

The RAF Fairford Follies, Day Three UPDATE