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

Senator's daughter wins Democratic nod in closely watched race to replace outgoing Dem incumbent

Stefany Shaheen defeated Maura Sullivan and a crowded Democratic field in the NH primary to replace Chris Pappas, who is pursuing a Senate bid.

Authorities decline to prosecute woman who made false report against Buttigieg

The accuser has a history of alcohol abuse, hallucinations and delusional thinking, according to an Indiana prosecutor who determined she was not able to form criminal intent.

Trump’s Venezuelan Oil Seizure and the Chavez Crony Abetting It

A likely double fail in which the president both undermines the American-led global order and fails to get the oil.

Establishment wins and other takeaways from the New Hampshire primaries

Former Republican senator John E. Sununu and Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas easily won their primaries for an open U.S. Senate seat.

Pappas To Face Sununu in NH U.S. Senate Race

(The Center Square) a€” Democratic New Hampshire Rep. Chris Pappas will face former Sen. John E. Sununu in the November elections to settle an open U.S. Senate race that could

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.

As He Backs ICE Crackdown, Nebraska Governor Employs Undocumented Workers

Gov. Jim Pillen’s family business is one of the nation’s largest pork producers. As he seeks re-election, he has aligned himself with President Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda even though his farms have taken on undocumented laborers.

Sen. Tafoya? Minnesota Polling Shows a Dead Heat

Brand new polling from the heartland shows that the Democrats have a problem in the Gopher State.Right now, Lt Gov. Peggy Flanagan has a slight 2-point lead, within the margin of error, at 40% vs. 38% for former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya. …

An Abject Policy Failure

An unorthodox survey suggests it’s time for the Australian government to concede defeat in the tobacco wars. Will it have the guts to do so?

Anthony DiLorenzo, a Trump-Backed Auto Executive, Wins House Primary in New Hampshire

Anthony DiLorenzo, an automotive executive who ran with the president’s endorsement, will be the Republican nominee in the First Congressional District.

Trump-backed candidate wins high-stakes GOP primary for New Hampshire battleground district

Donald Trump endorsed Anthony DiLorenzo defeated Novel Iron Works owner Hollie Noveletsky and state Rep. Brian Cole to clinch the GOP nomination for the Granite State's 1st Congressional District.

Cal State Professor Paints a Target on ICE Agent

Grammer Lesson: The Courage of Conviction

The Press Looks Beyond the Midterms to the Democratic Civil War of 2027

Once GOP legislators have been swept aside, the Democratic Party’s real challenges with its socialist upstarts will begin.

Canada Recruiting America's Worst Professors; Best Trade Deal Ever

Against the Stay-at-Home-Mom Subsidy

The proposal, supported by the vice president, would expand the entitlement state to parents who aren’t currently receiving benefits.

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.

Vance on Tucker

Drawing a bright line here is the right thing to do.

Ex-Dem lobbyist for company that promoted addictive opioid clears key gubernatorial hurdle

Cinde Warmington faces renewed attacks over her Purdue Pharma legal work as she secures the Democratic nomination for New Hampshire governor.

Claire's Weekly Letter: Naked in America

Pennsylvania Democrats Denounce Fetterman as 'Disgrace'

Pennsylvania Democrats are speaking out about accounts in a sprawling Wall Street Journal report of Sen. John Fetterman skipping constituent meetings and dodging responsibilities.

JD Vance: Neoconservative

What the vice president is doing is changing how the money is spent to further conservative social policies.

Unelected Empress of Europe Bestows Gifts on Greenlandish Subjects

Armed man charged after confronting Ohio governor candidate at county fair

The suspect pleaded not guilty to assault and inducing panic after pushing through a crowd toward Amy Acton. He was accused of knocking down two elderly people.

Paxton’s former top law enforcement official endorses Talarico

David Maxwell, a former Texas Ranger decorated for his decades of service, reported Paxton to the FBI in 2020.

Draining the Swamp, Continued

How bad do you have to be when even the Qataris and UAE aren’t interested in the influence you’re offering?

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.

Reasons to Leave China

The Chinese Communist Party cannot and will not accept that its time in the sun has passed. But the public knows.

Appeals court upholds order blocking IRS from sharing taxpayer data with ICE

A federal appeals court upheld an injunction blocking the IRS from sharing taxpayer information with ICE, ruling the policy violated tax confidentiality laws.

Traffic drama threatens to end Dem governor's tenure as voters head to polls in Rhode Island

Democratic Gov. Dan McKee could become the first elected governor in 12 years to lose renomination as Rhode Island's primary centers on a bridge crisis.

The $64 Question, Again

Anna D. Shapiro’s recent revival of Eric Bentley’s 1972 play about the HUAC hearings offered entertainment along with the pleasures of moral certainty and ideological reinforcement.

Is This the Left's Big Moment? We'll Know in 2 Months

Progressives and socialists made historic gains in Democratic primaries. But what happens in November is what really matters.

Iran sends wave of missiles toward U.S. base in Jordan after vowing escalation

Under economic pressure from the U.S., Iranian leaders have signaled they will not capitulate amid stunted diplomatic efforts to end the war.

National Guardsman Charged With Pointing Gun at Another Soldier on D.C. Patrol

The office of Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, charged Zion Mitchell with two felonies.

ABA Ditches DEI Requirement for Accreditation of Law Schools

Remember When Bill Clinton Wanted an ABC 9/11 Miniseries Shut Down?  

Democrats took umbrage at a scene that made the national security adviser look weak.

GOP voters rally around businesswoman as they try to flip crucial House seat red

Lily Tang Williams and Victor Orlando battled in New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District GOP primary to flip the seat held by Maggie Goodlander.

GOP indulges Trump with 2-day pep rally, putting him right where Democrats want him

At Trump's urging, the GOP is staging a midterm convention centered on him.

LIVE PRIMARY RESULTS: Will DSA Score Again in New Hampshire?

State of play: Retiring Dem senator’s daughter holds slight lead in closely watched race

Stefany Shaheen and Maura Sullivan remain locked in a too-close-to-call New Hampshire primary as Chris Pappas vacates the seat for a Senate bid.

Antitrust in the Time(s) of Tariffs

The second Trump administration's tariff policies underscore the need for antitrust vigilance.

Trump gave $45,000 cash gifts to Natalie Harp, two other close aides

Financial disclosures show the sums were equivalent to nearly one-third of each of their salaries. Experts say the gifts are without precedent and may violate the law.

US Targets Iranian Ships Near Kharg Island in Response to Attacks Monday

Trump Settles on a New Priority: Renaming New Mexico

New Mexico's name isn't up for debate - it's been ours since before the United States existed, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said.

Incumbent GOP governor rolls to primary victory after keeping Trump at a distance

Kelly Ayotte cruised past Republican primary challengers, setting up a high-stakes New Hampshire governor's race against Democrat Cinde Warmington.

Trump’s Ability to Channel Voter Concerns Is Tested as Republicans Gather in Dallas

As Republicans face down tough midterm elections, President Trump has appeared out of step with the party on Iran, the economy and other issues.

California Profs Endorse Violence, Forget Constitutional Oath

‘You cannot call yourself a revolutionary and not be talking about training with weapons,’ one professor said.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

Amazon Cargo Jet Pilots Appeared to Try Aborting Landing, N.T.S.B. Investigation Indicates

The sequence of events detailed by National Transportation Safety Board investigators showed that the pilots lost crucial seconds before the plane ran off the runway in Miami.

Record gas prices squeeze Americans as summer travel season ends, midterms loom and Iran war wages on

Gas prices hit a record $4.15 per gallon over Labor Day weekend, shattering the previous high and posing a significant political test for Trump.

Chinese Threat Requires a Broader Spying Mission, C.I.A. Deputy Director Says

China’s economic competition with the United States makes Chinese companies a legitimate target, the agency’s deputy director, Michael Ellis, said at a conference.

Musk Targets Transgender Issues in Key Midterm Senate Races

A political group for the world’s richest man, who is ramping up a midterm spending blitz, began running attack ads against Democrats in Texas, Ohio and Iowa.

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…

AI Is Here, Kenyans Hit Hardest

Steinem's Complicated Legacy

She changed the world for women but backed off fighting for women when the going got tough.

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.

The Learning Crisis Begins Before the Classroom

Differences in height between men and women—a biomarker of stressor exposure in childhood—suggest that poor early health and nutrition constrain what children are achieving at school.

Report: Jimmy Kimmel's Late Night Show to End Next Year

Naked in America

To be naked is to give up obsessive self-presentation and take off the mask.

The Democrats Are Both Cynical and Naive

At the beginning of his essay Thank God for the Atom Bomb, the literary critic (and World War Two Army veteran) Paul Fussell recalled a poetic advertising slogan he used to see on the sides of city buses. In life, experience is the great teacher. …

Will Trump’s Midterm Convention Help or Hurt Republicans? 5 Things to Watch.

At an unusual gathering in Dallas, some of the party’s top candidates will be forced to decide just how tightly to tether themselves to an unpopular president.

Chris Pappas Defeats Progressive Challenger in New Hampshire Senate Primary

Mr. Pappas, a moderate Democrat who has served four terms in the House, will face former Senator John E. Sununu, the Republican nominee, in November.

John E. Sununu Wins Republican Senate Primary in New Hampshire

The general election race to replace Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, could help determine control of the U.S. Senate.

Honoring 9/11 heroes, Trump repeats disputed account of his role in recovery

Trump awarded the Medal of Freedom posthumously to Welles Crowther, who saved an estimated 18 people before dying in the World Trade Center.

A Jobs, Manufacturing Boost Just in Time for Midterms

American manufacturing is on the rebound, and that good news could hardly come at a better time for President Donald Trump, as Republicans gird themselves for the midterm elections just two months from now.

The Times on the Latest Trump Leak Investigation

The fact that intelligence leaks may embarrass the president is not a reason to refrain from investigating them.

Safety Culture Is Harming Children's Development

Karyann Parkinson, a mother of five from Virginia, was convicted last month of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, after allowing her five-year-old son Sam to walk alone to a pond. After taking Sam for a walk through their gated neighbourh…

The Case for Elites with Richard Hanania | Quillette Cetera Episode 71

Political scientist Richard Hanania discusses why populism usually fails, why Western elites matter, immigration, MAGA, H-1B visas, housing and declining fertility.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Literary Studies Without the Literature

English departments are increasingly ignoring the great works of the past, in favour of popular literary works that reflect activist themes and nonliterary works of political and social theory.

Trump and GOP Kick Off Midterm Show in Dallas

Downtown Dallas will be home to the two-day "Trump-a-palooza" this week as the Republican National Convention makes a pitch to voters ahead of November's midterm elections. The party will have to combat counter-messaging, traditional low turnout, …

Can the 'best showman in politics' deliver again? GOP bets on Trump at historic midterm convention

Donald Trump headlines the first-ever GOP midterm convention in Dallas, aiming to energize low-propensity MAGA voters ahead of key 2026 races.

California, an Environmental Bastion, Warms to Nuclear Energy

The state is considering extending the life of its last nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon, and allowing construction of new reactors to help meet its clean energy goals.

How Did Trump Do on His Labor Day Report Card?

Spoiler alert: He flunks. But will the working class take note?

WSJ: MAGA Money Makes It to Texas. So Does California's.

Power Without Principle

The Trump administration does not know how to use American power to expand American influence, and its officials do not care to learn.

As Trump remakes White House, the group founded to protect it stays quiet

The White House Historical Association, a nonprofit set up by Jacqueline Kennedy to preserve the building’s character, has declined to criticize the president’s changes.

Sen. Roger Marshall’s challenger in Kansas criticizes him for suing patients

Adam Hamilton, a Methodist pastor, is facing an uphill battle against Marshall. No Democrat has won a Senate race in the state since 1932.

How Canada, with elbows up, could hurt Trump in the midterms

The president's fight with our neighbor to the north — a constant over the course of his second term with a focus on trade — has turned ugly in recent weeks.

Big Money to Be Made Assisting Suicides

Do we really want to financially incentivize access to suicide and let doctors get rich providing it?

Conflicting court rulings leave Missouri congressional map in chaos

Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh and a federal judge issued opposite decisions on the fate of a congressional map that favored the GOP, leaving races in limbo.

Dueling Court Rulings Leave Missouri’s Congressional Races in Chaos

After losing in two courts and winning in another, Missouri officials said they planned to forge ahead with using a congressional map that was redrawn to benefit Republicans.

CNN Political Briefing

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

Wife of top ex-Biden advisor easily advances to House showdown in November

Maggie Goodlander faced challenger Paige Beauchemin in the New Hampshire Democratic primary as the district braces for a reshaped political map.

Tuesday's Final Word

Last Man Standing

Francis Fukuyama’s new memoir assesses an intellectual life devoted to the health of the liberal-democratic idea.

UK Losing Its Third Highest Taxpayer

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 Countdown to Iran’s ‘October Surprise’

The Islamic regime’s remnants are keenly aware of American electoral dynamics — their best opportunity for an advantageous settlement to the war.

The Gender Wars Advance Toward Election Day

A Democratic strategy to appease moderate voters is more woke than it appears

Covering the Culture Wars

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Benjamin Ryan about his journalistic adventures reporting on AIDS, monkeypox, gender activism, and the Jason Arday saga.

Establishment Dem defeats socialist challenger in crucial battleground Senate primary

Chris Pappas defeated Karishma Manzur in the New Hampshire Senate primary, but a heated general election awaits against a former U.S. senator.

Why So Many Young Men Are Giving Up on Work

Sydney psychiatrist Tanveer Ahmed on why men who quit work aren't depressed but demoralised, and how mental health labels became a rival source of status and dignity.