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

The political battle over grocery prices is here

President Donald Trump is trying to lower beef prices ahead of the midterms.

Fare Gates Can Stop Transit Crime

Congress should fund modernized upgrades of the barriers instead of pouring more money into ineffective transit security measures.

Democrats Are Courting Disaster, Again

Seven years ago, I warned that Democrats were "courting disaster" by turning their frustration with the Supreme Court into a campaign to remake it. Their 2020 presidential field was talking about adding justices, limiting their terms, and otherwis…

Net Zero Won't Fix Climate Change. Technology Will

Treat a warming planet as an engineering problem rather than a moral failing, and it starts to look solvable.

Karoline Leavitt says she’ll miss the press on her last day at White House

A replacement press secretary may not be named for a while, advisers suggest.

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…

RNC threatens legal action against New Jersey officials over noncitizens on voter rolls: 'On notice'

The RNC threatened legal action against New Jersey election officials over noncitizen voter roll records, giving all until Sept. 15 to comply.

‘Bioethics Community’ Publishes Open Letter of Support for Anthony Fauci

The Covid debacle will define Fauci’s legacy regardless of how many pronouncements of support bioethicists make.

Rep. Chuck Edwards argues ‘affectionate friendship’ is not grounds for censure

In a 22-page letter, the North Carolina Republican sought to rebut an ethics report that concluded he engaged in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct.”

Obama to Headline Fund-Raiser With Jeffries in New York

The top Democrats will gather party donors on Sept. 10, just as Republicans converge in Texas for their unusual midterm convention.

How Mayor Lurie Is Cleaning Up San Francisco

While his party debates abolishing prisons and owning grocery stores, Democratic Mayor Daniel Lurie is cleaning up his city.

The Beautiful and Banned

There is a rather large difference between the banned books promoted by celebrities and genuinely transgressive and provocative writing.

What a Queer Fish She Is...

Jews, Literacy, and American Freedom

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

Social media erupts after cops reportedly raid home of Ilhan Omar's son: 'Not a good look'

A search warrant executed at Omar's son's Minneapolis apartment led to police seizing guns and ammunition and arresting his roommate, Abdulrahman Abdi, a report says.

Secrecy in Lawsuits Has ‘Run Amok,’ Scholars Say

Two recent studies say judges are not doing enough to protect the public interest in openness.

Progressives Condemn Pick of Pro-Israel Democrat Atop House Panel

Outrage over making Representative Jared Moskowitz, who is vocally pro-Israel, the top Democrat on a Middle East policy subcommittee reflected the party’s rift over Israel.

From Netflix to GPS: 10 ways this hidden tech infrastructure quietly powers modern life

Data centers power everything from streaming and gaming to AI chatbots and fraud detection. Here's how they quietly run the apps you use daily.

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.

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.

What Are the Canadians Thinking?

A critical view on Canada-US relations, focusing on defense, trade, and political differences.

Pirro’s special grand jury probing D.C. schools, city oversight of youth

The unusual investigation appears to have a broad scope. Prosecutors have contacted D.C. Public Schools personnel to question them about truancy and graduation rates.

Basement-Rated Kimmel Talks About Retiring

Former comedian Jimmy Kimmel is currently on a summer hiatus. This comes not long after ABC/Disney announced his contract would be renewed for only a single year. That year is up in May of 2027, Kimmel is closing in on age 60, and now he's talking…

Drink More Ovaltine

The jokes we told in a Venezuelan prison.

The DSA May Cost Dems Their Blue Wave

A new Echelon Insights poll raises the question: just how inevitable is this menacing Blue Wave?

White House silent on Iran-Oman Hormuz plan Tehran says would ban US warships

Iran says a proposed Strait of Hormuz framework with Oman would exclude military vessels, but the White House won't say if Trump would accept it.

Lake America? Spare Us

Another pointless foot-stamping gesture from a president incompetently locked into several simultaneous tire fires of his own making.

El-Sayed's Latest Blunder

During a live interview on his show, Fox News host Jesse Watters asked Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, So you think it's OK for a parent to slash his kid's ding-a-ling off?...

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…

French Priorities Prove to Be Le Whacked Again

A Death on Another's Head

We should worry about the perverse incentives created by elevating a self-killer and punishing his enemies.

Abbott taunts far-left AG with fiery warning over ICE extradition fight: 'Such bad lawyers'

Minnesota AG Keith Ellison accuses Gov. Greg Abbott of making Texas a "sanctuary state for violent criminals" amid an extradition battle regarding an ICE agent charged in a Minneapolis shooting.

A Troubling Listen

The Rest Is History podcast’s series on the Troubles is commendable.

Gov Shapiro sues Trump administration over ‘lifesaving reproductive care’ in escalating abortion battle

Democrat Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined over 20 states suing to block Trump's new Title X conditions on life-affirming services and abortion.

Lessons From Graham's GOP Primary Win

Darline Graham Nordone's embarrassing debate flub on a basic question about U.S.-Taiwan policy didn't seem to matter at all in the election results.

Trump Signs Executive Order to Rename Lake Ontario to Lake America

The president also reiterated his criticism that Canada “treats us very badly.” Trade talks between the nations collapsed last week.

DHS hits back at James Talarico after Democrat claims ICE 'kidnapped' 5-year-old boy deported with father

Homeland Security Secretary Mullin says James Talarico "won't tell the full story" about the deportation of a 5-year-old boy and his father from Texas.

Scott Wiener's SF Legacy is Still Making People Miserable

Trump keeps winning Republican primaries; his losses may be more revealing

The president is 24-for-24 in Senate primaries and 214-for-218 in House races, according to a Fox News tracker

Nobody Wants Trump's Trade War With Canada

President Donald Trump seems dead set on escalating his trade war with Canada. And no one is really sure why.

Carney Sideshow Continues - What Interesting Things We're Learning During the Syrupean Snit Fit MORE

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

My Burrito, Your Burrito

What people don’t like is uninvited commentary from strangers on how to economize.

C.I.A. Chief Delivered Bleak Assessment of Russia’s War in Secretive Moscow Visit

John Ratcliffe’s meeting this week with a Russian intelligence chief was aimed at pushing the Kremlin to pursue a peace deal with Ukraine.

Creeping Annexation

Israeli governments have never decided what to do with the West Bank—so the settlers have begun deciding for them.

Democrats' Hasan Piker Mess Isn't Going Away

Earlier this month, progressive Abdul El-Sayed defeated moderate representative Haley Stevens for the Democratic nomination in Michigan's crucial Senate race - but by a much slimmer margin than expected.

Claire's Weekly Letter: Punished for Truth-Seeking

The ‘Vocabulary’ Is Only a Symptom of the ‘Problem’

The problem Third Way set out to identify endures, and it endures because the left’s linguistic signifiers are only a symptom of it.

World’s nuclear watchdog endorses Trump’s push for Kim Jong Un meeting

In an interview with The Washington Post, Rafael Mariano Grossi, one of the world’s most respected arms control experts, backed the case for dialogue.

Thursday's Final Word

Susan Collins agrees to four debates ahead of Senate election in Maine

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has accepted invitations to four debates ahead of November’s election in a state that has become crucial to each party’s potential path to power in the Senate.

Canadian Broadcaster: Do Not Refer to 9/11 As a Terrorist Attack

Dolly Parton Was a Mother to the World

Sometimes, you just need a mother’s comfort, and Dolly Parton wrote and sang with that enveloping warmth.

US removes radioactive cancer-treatment material from Central American country over 'dirty bomb' risk

A cobalt-60 source from a disused cancer treatment device in Guatemala was removed over fears it could be stolen and turned into a dirty bomb.

AI and the Bioweapon Threat

The knowledge and infrastructure needed to engineer a pandemic pathogen, once confined to a handful of elite military and civilian research institutions, are quietly becoming more accessible.

Log Cabin Republicans' Retreat Doesn't Make Them Conservative

Log Cabin Republicans announced this week that it is dropping the "T" from LGBT and will now describe itself as an "LGB advocacy organization." President Ross Hemminger wrote that the shift returns the group to its original mission, writing that i…

Behold the Wonders of Socialism in Action

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.

Secret Service spokesperson is put on leave amid investigation

The agency said two other non-law enforcement employees were also suspended in an unspecified misconduct investigation.

Judge Once Again Bars Postal Service From Restricting Mail-In Vote

After reviewing the agency’s final plan to comply with President Trump’s demands, a federal judge barred the Postal Service from imposing new restrictions on mail-in voting.

The Autism Epidemic That Wasn’t

The Trump administration’s scientific illiteracy about rates of autism is going to have catastrophic results.

Even Abortion Supporters Admit Post-Dobbs Predictions Have Not Come True

A professor at Case Western admits that many post-Dobbs predictions made by supporters of legal abortion haven’t come to fruition.

The Truth About the Gender Pay Gap with David Maywald | Quillette Cetera Episode 70

David Maywald on the female wage premium, the rites of passage boys no longer have, and why the science on sex differences keeps losing to ideology.

The Brewing Anti-DSA Backlash in Seattle

Media expect hard-bitten cynicism from their politicians, but that’s not what they’re getting from the Democratic Socialists of America.

Resistance Judging at Its Worst

After the Supreme Court threw out the injunction against Trump’s executive order on noncitizen mail-in ballots, you might have thought the case was over.

Even Democrats Are Souring on Higher Education

‘Distrust in higher education, it seems, is no longer a Republican concern.’

A Radically Simple Plan To Fix Higher Education

Voters are clear in their demand for greater affordability, with college costs near the top of their list. Here's how to deliver it.

L’Affaire Shirer Revisited

The rise, fall, and rise again of one of the 20th century’s most important journalists.

New York Gov Hochul rejects Trump's 'Lake America' renaming with blunt message

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul pushed back on President Donald Trump's executive order to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" amid his trade war with Canada.

We know you care about the environment because you’re sweating

A novel study compared the issues survey respondents said were important to their physiological reactions in a lab.

Fired Journalists From Stars and Stripes Sue Pentagon

Three journalists dismissed from Stars and Stripes accused the government of violating their First Amendment rights, asking the courts to stop their termination.

WSJ: CIA Director Went to Moscow to Issue a Warning (Update)

CNN Political Briefing

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

Trump Administration Will Appeal Harvard Antisemitism Case

A federal judge earlier ruled against Trump officials in a lawsuit accusing the university of allowing persistent antisemitism on campus.

Stories You Don’t Want to Be Told

A new exhibition curated by Lars von Trier provides a fascinating look at who and what has influenced one of the world’s most prodigiously gifted and provocative filmmakers.

Lake America merch is already available, if you have a sense of humor

A new site offers “officially unofficial” items “for a place that may or may not exist.”

Trump signs order renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America, escalating Canada feud

President Donald Trump said he's making the change because “Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade, very sadly.”

New coalition fights Trump’s efforts to weaken protections for historic sites

A coalition of preservation groups says the regulatory, legislative and executive efforts pose the greatest threat in 60 years to a law requiring federal agencies to avoid harm to historic sites.

The Atlantic Takes a Fanciful Futuristic Stab at Influencing German Elections

Judge issues new block on Trump’s sweeping restrictions on mail-in voting

The legal fight over the controversial measure is expected to continue.

Tate Brothers to Judge: We're Just Faking Everything

Did You Know That a Trans Man Has Already Played in the WNBA?

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.

Lake Ontario Didn’t Ask for Trump to Rename It

There is a U.S.-led war in the Middle East and the midterm elections on the horizon, but President Trump’s latest priority seems to be “Making The Great Lakes Even Greater.”

Trump Elevates Ben Moss, Former Vance Aide, as White House Staff Secretary

The move amounted to one of the few major changes in West Wing personnel in Mr. Trump’s second term.

Mamdani stands by DSA insider accused of stiffing landlord amid $1.4M townhome makeover

Mayor Zohran Mamdani twice declined to distance himself from NYC-DSA co-chair Gustavo Gordillo, who faces a pending rent case and scrutiny over his union credentials and family townhouse renovation.

Trump Plans to Mark 9/11 at the Pentagon, Not Ground Zero

President Trump originally intended to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11 with remarks at ground zero, but the memorial’s organizers do not allow speeches. Mr. Trump changed his plans.

The Other Side

It’s worth hearing the other side.

Trump helicopter’s radio warnings went unheard before close call with passenger jet, report says

Marine One's crew made repeated failed attempts to warn Reagan National before departing, leaving controllers unable to halt a commercial jet takeoff.

The Troubled State of Sociology

Increasingly, sociologists are expected to avoid research questions and theories that involve the role of culture in shaping societal inequalities.

In Trump’s Washington, Ballooning National Debt Stirs Little Action

The relative indifference to the news that the U.S. government now owes $40 trillion demonstrates how drastically the politics of deficit spending has changed.

As If Electronics Weren’t Expensive Enough

Nothing that more tariffs can’t make worse.