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

At least 10 U.S. troops wounded in Iranian attack on Saudi air base

The strike on Prince Sultan Air Base also damaged at least two Air Force refueling aircraft and underscored that despite weeks of strikes, Iran still poses a threat.

House Democrat violated ethics rules, panel finds, putting her seat in jeopardy

The Ethics Committee panel cited a years-long inquiry into whether Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick misused covid pandemic money. She has maintained her innocence.

As Trump feels pressure to end war, allies fear what Iran may do next

The oil price rose to $110 per barrel on Friday, as Iran has demonstrated it can inflict significant damage on the world’s economy, even while outgunned. That creates a dilemma for President Trump.

Bob Costas: The IOC Ban of Trans Women is Common Sense

Trump Isn’t Even Trying to Sell This War

Has the salesman in chief gotten rusty?

House Republicans pass rival DHS plan, setting up Senate fight as shutdown set to become longest in history

House Republicans passed a two-month DHS funding extension, but the 42-day partial government shutdown remains far from over amid continued gridlock.

From the Green New Deal to Supporting the Ayatollah

$4 Gas Is Just the Start of the Price We'll Pay for Iran

One-fifth of the world's oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran can block it until the economic pain forces us to stop fighting.

Trump Says Middle East Is ‘Saved’ as Iran Strikes Injure U.S. Troops in Gulf

At a Saudi event, the president said Iran was “begging to make a deal,” seemingly unaware of reports that an Iranian strike on a Saudi base had injured American troops.

House GOP rams through new DHS funding plan with shutdown far from over

The House passed a DHS stopgap bill, but the shutdown is expected to continue for several weeks as lawmakers leave Washington for Easter recess.

Dem senators dodge crucial question on illegal alien accused of killing Chicago college student

After Sheridan Gorman's killing, several Democratic senators declined to clearly say whether the illegal immigrant charged in the case should have been deported

AI Is Not About To Become Sentient

Most of today’s “artificial intelligence” is better described as artificial autocomplete than artificial mind.

Criminal Research

European jurists should not seek to arbitrate controversial matters best settled by science.

Judge agrees to dismiss charges against officers tied to Breonna Taylor raid

Attorneys for Taylor’s family sharply denounced the Trump administration’s push to drop the charges.

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 Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Judge Agrees to Drop Charges Against Officers in Breonna Taylor’s Death

The Trump administration had asked the court to dismiss the charges, describing them as an example of “weaponized federal overreach” by the Biden administration.

Iranian Strike on U.S. Base in Saudi Arabia Injures 12 American Troops, Officials Say

The combined missile and drone attack amounted to one of the most serious breaches of American air defenses in the course of the monthlong war with Iran.

'No Kings' calls itself leaderless, but its own internal documents tell a very different story

No Kings organizer Sarah Parker says over 3,500 events are planned nationwide Saturday, calling it a people-powered movement opposing Trump's second term.

The ‘Big Black Scar’

Trump is blowing up national-park land in Arizona to wall off one of the border’s last wild places.

The Many Roots of Our Suffering: Reflections on Robert Trivers (1943–2026)

The contributions of Robert Trivers belong in the special category of ideas that are obvious once they are explained, yet eluded great minds for ages; simple enough to be stated in a few words, yet with implications that have busied scientists for…

Lawmakers Eye Crackdown on Prediction Market Gambling

But members of Congress aren't interested in slowing the surge of online betting that's invaded professional sports.

ICE Expands Detention by Converting Warehouses

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement is acquiring and converting warehouses around the U.S. into immigrant detention centers despite concern and pushback from local communities, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Is Anyone Winning DHS Funding Fight?

Friday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, Andrew Walworth, Tom Bevan, and Carl Cannon discuss the Senate leaving town without concluding the battle over DHS and TSA funding, the next round of "No Kings" protests planned for this weekend, and the fa…

States Are Running a Tax Experiment & Red America Is Winning

State tax migration trends reveal Americans moving to low-tax states as high-tax regions lose residents and economic pressure grows.

Rallies Planned in Thousands of US Cities for 'No Kings' Protests

When Will TSA Workers Be Paid? Here’s What We Know

President Trump on Friday directed the Homeland Security Department to pay thousands of airport security officers.

The Republican Party Continues Eating Its Own

What one lawmaker’s defection from the GOP says about the state of politics

Wild Ultimatums and ‘Bombing Our Little Hearts Out’: A Portrait of Trump at War

President Trump has vacillated between boasting about U.S. military superiority and deep frustration that his war of choice is not always having the desired effects.

The First Post-Ideological Bedouin State

Why the misunderstood sovereign UAE thrives, and why ideologues—from the Islamic Republic to the Muslim Brotherhood—are invested in its demise.

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.

As Trump skips CPAC, MAGA’s rifts over Iran war are on display

At the annual gathering of conservative activists, many express reservations about the war, amid support for Trump.

Two Wives, Two Media Standards

Have you heard about the scandal surrounding the social media footprint of Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City's left-wing Mayor Zohran Mamdani?

Not So Fast, Bill Maher

The comedian was set to receive the Twain Prize before a sudden reversal of course.

Parallel Kingdom

Nick Cave’s beautiful and tragic music brings redemptive catharsis to a grief-stricken city.

Sen. Rand Paul Considering 2028 Presidential Run

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he is considering a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028.

Soros-backed group among liberal orgs pumping eye-popping cash into Virginia gerrymandering effort

Virginia's redistricting referendum is being fueled by a tidal wave of liberal cash, with Soros- and Bloomberg-linked groups helping drive nearly $33 million into the effort.

Scouting America moves to shed ‘woke’ label with major recommitment to military, traditional American values

Scouting America is pushing back on 'woke' claims, waiving fees for military families and replacing a DEI merit badge with a military-focused one.

Kaela Berg, a Flight Attendant, Runs for Congress One Layover at a Time

Kaela Berg is part of a crop of working-class candidates that Democrats hope can help the party win back blue-collar voters.

The Transnational Elite's Hero: Spanish Socialist PM Pedro Sánchez

Donald Trump Is Nothing Like Robert Mueller

The absurdity of a man who avoided Vietnam due to “bone spurs” dancing on the grave of a decorated combat veteran

Florida Congresswoman Found Guilty of Ethics Violations

The Incredible Shrinking CPAC

Once the center of conservative gravity, CPAC can't get a single Trump family member to show up.

Treating Myths as Science

Indigenous “Ways of Knowing” have no place in British Columbia’s school science curriculum.

A 79-Year-Old Freshman Senator?

Janet Mills does not have a dicey Reddit history or a recently covered-over Nazi tattoo. But her candidacy is haunted by Joe Biden’s 2024 debacle.

The Edifice Complex

Monuments don’t create legacy; they merely memorialise it.

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…

Claims at heart of FBI’s 2020 Georgia election probe have ‘no basis in reality,’ witness says

The testimony emerged as officials in Fulton County urged a federal judge to order the return of more than 650 boxes of materials seized by agents in January.

A Challenge for ‘No Kings’ Protests, the Third Time Around

Organizers want this to be largest protest yet. But is hitting a number enough to deliver an effective political movement?

Blagojevich to Newsmax: Dems' Policies Fueled Chicago Killing

Former Ill. Gov. Blagojevich said on Newsmax Sat. that Democrats are the party of "open borders" and opposition to law enforcement, using the killing of a Loyola Univ. freshman to argue that state and city leaders helped create the conditions for …

House GOP passes its own funding bill, rejecting Senate version, as shutdown drags on

Senate Democrats have said the plan is “dead on arrival” in the upper chamber.

Kristi Noem Is Gone. Now Mass Deportations Can Really Begin.

DHS has a new leader and a big pot of money to deliver on Trump’s campaign promise.

Donald Trump Previews Week Five on The Five

Republicans Can Win on Health Care Affordability

We Can't Report THAT, It Will Make Muslims Look Bad!

High Stakes, and a Low Bar, For Markwayne Mullin at DHS

Trump’s nominee has one big thing going for him: He’s not Kristi Noem.

A Serious Senate Debate About an Unserious Bill

The most pressing question about the SAVE America Act is not whether it’s going to pass, but why President Trump and his allies are so determined to see the Senate put up a bill that’s doomed to fail.

House Passes DHS Stopgap After Rejecting Senate Deal

U.S. House Republicans rejected a bipartisan Senate deal to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and instead passed their own funding measure late Friday, extending a weeks-long budget standoff that has disrupted travel.

Trump imagines negotiation with Sharpie maker for $5 signature pens

Trump told a lengthy story about negotiating over the price of Sharpie pens. The company says it has no record of any such conversation.

Iran’s Hidden War Against the West: Emily Schrader

Emily Schrader joins Pamela Paresky to explain how Iran’s regime works, why reform has failed, and what may come next.

A Downturn in Las Vegas Could Signal Tough Times for the Nation

The high rollers may still be crowding the tables, but high prices and pinched discretionary incomes are driving a sharp drop-off in visitors to Las Vegas as Nevada’s governor runs for re-election.

Cruz warns ‘radical Democrats’ will ‘burn it down’ if they win back Congress

Sen. Ted Cruz claims Democrats will impeach Trump repeatedly if they win the House in midterms, warning of halted legislation and endless investigations.

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 SAFE Bet Act Could Increase the Illegal Gambling Market

With March Madness underway and billions of dollars being legally wagered across the country, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Paul Tonko chose this moment to reintroduce the SAFE Bet Act, a proposal that remains in a very early stage of the legis…

Getting Away With It

The case of Bao Phuc Cao—released without a conviction after secretly filming over 100 women in public toilets—reveals that Melbourne’s judiciary is drastically out of step with the public understanding of the purpose of criminal justice.

Letters to the Editor

Friday 20 March – Friday 27 March

The Economists Who Got It Right

The Whole World Laughs at Dems' Lame Voter-ID Claims

If voter ID and proof of citizenship destroy democracy, Democrats would have to label virtually every other democracy in the world as undemocratic.

On CPAC’s Main Stage, Fissures in the Party Trump Remade

The Conservative Political Action Conference typically seeks to establish orthodoxy with its roster of speakers. This year, organizers created space for dissent, highlighting ongoing schisms in the MAGA movement.

Trump Must Finish the Job in Iran

The worst thing President Trump could do now is call off the military campaign prematurely.

Report: DHS Locks Bovino out of CBP Social Media Accounts

The Trump administration has shut down three social media accounts that recently retired Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino had renamed to reflect his personal title and refused to return despite their status as federal property.

WATCH: Travelers reveal whom they blame for miles-long Houston airport lines as Trump rescues TSA pay

Neither party escaped travelers’ ire as wait times at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport dragged on several hours and lines stretched for miles.

As War Rages vs. Iran, Time for Peace in Ukraine

As the world understandably focuses on the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine war shifts to a fulcrum moment. This new juncture provides President Trump with an opportunity to prove that he is still, indeed, a president for peace. He can reaffirm to …

AMA: We Didn't Change Our Stance on Gender Affirming Care (NY Times: You Lie!)

Trump ratchets up attacks on NATO, says U.S. no longer needs alliance

President Donald Trump suggested the U.S. might move away from its commitment to defend NATO allies, criticizing them for not supporting the war in Iran.

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.

Kash Patel’s push against Democratic lawmaker raises concerns within FBI

FBI Director Kash Patel is pushing to post documents related to a Democratic lawmaker who has not been accused of wrongdoing, raising alarms within the Bureau.

The Innovation Trap

The central risk of AI is not that machines will become malevolent. It is that human incentive structures, amplified by scalable technology, outrun our ability to govern them.

In Iran, Economy Under Strain and Guns in the Streets

A senior IRGC official in Tehran told state television that children over 12 can join armed patrols and checkpoints.

Trump, Tehran, and the China Calculus

The CCP will certainly take advantage should Iran turn into a major distraction for the US.

Van Duyne to Newsmax: Democrats Put Illegals First in Funding Fight

Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, said on Newsmax Saturday that Democrats have made clear that illegal immigrants are their top priority as a partisan standoff over Department of Homeland Security funding left the government shutdown in place.

SCHUMER SHUTDOWN SALE: 60% Off VIP Memberships!

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

Hegseth Criticized for Removing Four Officers From Promotion List

Bitter rifts have opened over the defense secretary’s campaign to reverse policies that he says are prejudiced against white officers.

DC court rulings stall Trump agenda across immigration, policing, Fed — raising stakes on executive power

Judges in Washington, D.C., have presided over many of Trump's biggest cases to date, including efforts to fire Fed members, deport migrants under a 1798 law, and more.

Trump Says Cuba Next in Speech Touting Military Successes

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said "Cuba is next" during a speech at an investment forum in Miami during which he touted the successes of U.S. military action in Venezuela and Iran.

Is Iran a Political Problem for Trump? Tell Me How Long the War Lasts.

Historically, quagmire abroad and high prices at home are the ingredients of a failed presidency.

Today's Protesters Send a Message to the Epstein Class

Rep. Ro Khanna: For too long, Americans have seen our leaders fight harder for the Epstein class than for the working class.

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.

Drinking Raw Milk Is Risky. Should People Be Able to Buy It Anyway?

Several states are considering bills that would expand access to unpasteurized milk. MAHA supporters say consumers should have the right to choose.

DHS Memos Signal Early Shift Under Mullin

Newly installed DHS Sec. Markwayne Mullin is moving to unwind one of former Secretary's most criticized management controls. Internal documents indicate top-level approval would now be required only for ICE contracts of $25 million or more, not $1…

Tracking who Trump is appointing to fill key administration roles

Follow President Trump’s progress filling over 800 positions, among about 1,300 that require Senate confirmation, in this tracker from The Washington Post and the Partnership for Public Service.

Now it Can Be Told: The Lives Ruined by the COVID Jab

TSA Workers Might Get Paid Monday, but Woes Linger

Transportation Security Administration officers could get their first full paychecks in more than six weeks as early as Monday after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday instructing the Homeland Security secretary to pay them…

Friday's Final Word

Rep. Roy to Newsmax: Islamic Influence Rising in US

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Friday that he is concerned about what he described as growing Islamic influence in the United States, citing recent controversies involving public displays of Muslim prayer near sites connected to the Sept.…

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.

Spanberger denies ‘deal’ with swing-district Democrat as gerrymandering claims abound statewide

Gov. Spanberger denied a redistricting deal with Elaine Luria after a viral video showed Luria confronted over alleged backroom dealings in Virginia.

JD Vance says he was 'obsessed' with UFOs, believes aliens are actually 'demons'

Talking to conservative commentator Benny Johnson about the topic of UFOs, Vice President JD Vance noted that he believes aliens are actually demons.

NASA races to build moon base as US challenges China in new space race

NASA races to build a $20 billion lunar base as China and Russia advance moon ambitions, with experts warning China holds the advantage in space.

Kristi Noem Bought 11 Warehouses to Use as ICE Jails. Now What?

DHS’s next leader will inherit a fast-moving $38 billion plan for industrial-scale immigrant detention.

CNN Political Briefing

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

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.

Trump Caught Between GOP Establishment, MAGA Base in Texas

President Trump has yet to weigh in Texas' high-profile Rep. Sen. runoff, reflecting political caution and the growing influence of his MAGA base, as he seeks counsel from donors and leaders on where to place his endorsement, The Washington Post r…

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.

‘I’m Far Angrier’

Can Cory Booker, once the candidate of love, run for president and stay true to who he is?

MAGA’s eruption has so far kept Trump from endorsing in key Senate race

President Donald Trump seemed set to endorse Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas Republican primary runoff. But strong opposition from MAGA activists forestalled that.

Everyone Has Trump’s Phone Number Now

The president’s personal iPhone has been lighting up.