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

Losing the Sun Belt

What a blow it is to the GOP to lose the South — indeed, to preemptively cede the South.

California Cracks Down on Influencers’ Undisclosed Political Ads

Under a new law, creators could face fines of $5,000 per post if they don’t disclose that they were paid to make political content.

The Precarious Future of Vote by Mail

Democracy's defenders won round one, but Donald Trump has done plenty of damage to Americans' faith in voting at home.

Trump to form ‘AI Force,’ name AI czar but rejects calls for constraints

A growing chorus of lawmakers and industry leaders have called for moving more slowly on the technology.

DOGE and the Doomers

If we’re going to go extinct, we will probably have to do it ourselves.

'Woke' Is Not Dead

It has merely evolved, as recent events attest.

Psaki on Sweeney Bodd: It's Misogynistic to Get Naked While Not Progressive, or Something

Friday's Final Word

Do the Women Excusing Murder Because of 'Hormones' Know What They Are Saying?

Push On to Grant ‘Rights’ to Arctic Sea Ice

The rights-of-nature movement has found its latest candidate for legal personhood: Arctic sea ice.

Myths and Illusions of the Digital Age

The digital revolution is not remaking the world as the industrial one did.

Hasan Piker Does Not Love America

‘You don’t love something that you believe to be wicked purely because if you got your own way and completely recast it, it would be more to your liking.’

GOP senator alleges Schumer behind 'hit job' report on former patients

Senate Republican Roger Marshall calls a New York Times report on lawsuits against his former OB-GYN patients a Chuck Schumer-funded "hit job."

‘Not a slam dunk’: Trump’s 2028 mail-vote push hinges on one big legal question

President Donald Trump's mail voting executive order faces a critical Supreme Court test over Postal Service authority on tamper-resistant envelopes.

The Future of Woke: The New Issue of NR Is Out

Are we ready for Woke 2, the sequel?

WATCH: Exclusive look at blue-collar workforce fueling America’s AI boom

The American Workforce Academy represents a $115 million workforce development investment training skilled trades workers to build AI data centers.

Trump hails Greenland security deal that falls short of takeover

The agreement, which Danish officials said is not final, stops far short of Trump's often-stated goal of taking possession of the territory.

Anger at Elites & the Establishment Fueling Midterms

Coming midterm elections are starting to be framed not as right versus left but instead the 'well-fed versus the fed-up'

Democrats Need Not Fear the Fact Checkers

Troy Jackson, a Progressive Brawler, Tries to Flip a Senate Seat in Maine

Mr. Jackson landed in the race unexpectedly. Democrats are hoping he can unseat Susan Collins, a Republican, in their bid to retake the Senate.

Our Foreign Aid System Is Broken. Thanks to Trump, We Have a Chance to Rebuild It

During my three-decade career as a diplomat and international-development manager, I saw the sector become more wasteful, frivolous, and ideologically self-serving.

White House budget chief pushes for scrutiny of NIH grants in Oval Office clash

Russell Vought argued the agency has been funding “woke” priorities and suggested the president create a commission to review grants from the National Institutes of Health.

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.

‘This Country Is But One Scene of Massacre’

In the 31st instalment of ‘Nations of Canada,’ Greg Koabel describes the violent provocations that tipped the St. Lawrence region into all out war in the late 1640s.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

CNN Political Briefing

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

Sherrod Brown Tries a New Retort to Criticism on Transgender Issues

A spot from the Senate candidate in Ohio seeks to dismiss the Republican Party’s focus on transgender rights as a distraction from economic issues.

News Outlets Express Solidarity After Trump Bars Some Reporters

Some Democrats said President Trump’s ban was an attempt to control the press and distract voters as Republicans face deep challenges in the midterm elections.

Trump says he will demand drug companies split up vaccines into more doses

Those comments came a day after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told attendees of a conference for the anti-vaccine group he founded that they have a “friend at the White House.”

Trump says new arch will also deploy drones, position snipers and store ammo

Trump says his 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington Memorial Bridge will house drones, snipers and large quantities of ammunition storage.

Richard Landes on Jihad and the Apocalyptic Mind

A medievalist on apocalyptic movements, shame–honour cultures, and why he believes the Western press has spent twenty-five years reporting jihad backwards.

Trump and sons invest heavily in AI economy as he resists calls for slowdown

Trump’s decisions as president on one of the most consequential policy debates of his administration could affect the value of his personal investments.

Steelers and Faith: The Foundation Behind the Grit of the Gridiron

Banning Diesel Exports Would Backfire on Americans

Suppressing a product’s price won’t end well if the cost of its essential input stays elevated.

The Marriage Deficit Is an Economic Catastrophe

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…

What to Do When Campus Stalking Is Being Directed by Students

What Exactly Is a Wave Election? And Should Republicans Be on High Alert?

How today’s polling numbers compare with the results of some previous midterms.

7 Takeaways From the 2026 Primaries

Candidates have been selected for November's midterms - have Republicans and Democrats made the right choices?

Markwayne Mullin Lost His Pick to Lead ICE, as He Struggles to Prove His Toughness on Immigration

Markwayne Mullin is working to overcome hard-liners’ doubts about his leadership, his position undermined by missteps with the White House.

Hispanics flock to this university. It let campus police double as ICE agents.

Leaders of Florida International University signed an agreement to deputize its school police as immigration agents. Some wish they had put up more of a fight.

Why Trump zeroed in on Greenland, the world’s largest island, mostly covered in ice — in 3 charts

President Donald Trump says his Greenland deal gives the U.S. permanent control over the island's security while barring China and Russia from Arctic footholds.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

The GOP’s Buffalo buffalo

The White House’s stupid and pointless economic and cultural war with our neighbors to the north could be a legitimate problem for the GOP.

Sydney Sweeney Is the Epitome of What Modern Feminists Fight For

So why are they all so mad at her?

Banning the Horseless Carriage

Bernie Sanders wants to outlaw artificial superintelligence. The risks he points to are real—but the answer to a powerful new technology is regulation, not prohibition, and China has no intention of pausing.

Trump Bans CNN, Politico and MS-Now From the White House

WATCH: AI safety scare sparks Cap Hill fight over guardrails: 'China's going to eat our lunch'

Trump's dismissal of AI fears as a "hoax" sparks a Capitol Hill clash over guardrails, with lawmakers split on slowing development vs. China.

AI Companies Cannot Regulate Themselves Safely

Trump and Republicans want companies to regulate themselves. It's a dereliction of duty that will make AI less safe

The Price of Affirmative Action in Canadian Academia

Podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Eric Kaufmann about his new report, ‘⁠The Equity-Excellence Trade-Off: A Study of EDI in the Canada Research Chairs Program⁠’

Trump says planned 250-foot arch will be ‘military complex’ for drones, snipers

The president’s post about the 250-foot arch planned near Arlington National Cemetery comes as veterans groups, historic preservationists and others attempt to stop the project.

The Ape in the Basement

Why is masturbation so shameful?

Princeton Has Been Captured by Left

By Edward Yingling '70 and Leslie Spencer '79 Results track with Yale and Harvard studies of faculty showing similar lack of viewpoint diversity. A first of its kind study by Princetonians for Free Speech (PFS) of reported Princeton faculty politi…

COVID cash meant to get kids back on track took surprising detour in blue-state school district

Albuquerque Public Schools spent hundreds of thousands in pandemic relief funds on anti-racism training instead of addressing student learning loss.

Sunday Smiles

Trump Says His Son Will Pay Back Russian Businessman for Wedding Party

The president said his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., had decided to return the money, but defended the gift worth hundreds of thousands of dollars as “totally allowed.”

Trump to meet with Mamdani in New York amid high-stakes midterm push

Zohran Mamdani will host Donald Trump at Gracie Mansion on Monday for their third face-to-face meeting to discuss issues affecting NYC residents.

Free AI

Alaska's Independent Streak Rears Head in Senate Race

Voters say they're tired of political division and greed. They're worried about their fish. And one Senate candidate seems to be winning them over.

How Brandon Johnson's Agenda Hurts Black Chicagoans

By Paul Vallas September 20th, 2026 Mayor Brandon Johnson is trying to rehabilitate his image with Chicago's Black community through divisive rhetoric and actions that demonize the White community. While Whites have a right to be offended by his a…

Secret contracts reveal undisclosed terms in Trump’s drug-pricing deals

Agreements with Pfizer and Eli Lilly include tariff protections, overseas pricing inducements and broad confidentiality clauses.

Claire's Weekly Letter: A Dish in the Sink

A man leaves a dish in the sink. By the end of the night he has been accused of gaslighting, told he lacks emotional intelligence, and sent to sleep on the sofa. Our first feature this week comes from Steve Salerno asks a hard question: has a prof…

Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat, Has an Unlikely Defender: Tucker Carlson

Mr. Carlson, the far-right podcaster, has promoted Dr. El-Sayed’s comments and sharply criticized his Republican rival in a key Senate race. Strategists are scratching their heads.

No Blanket Immunity for AI Companies, Ever

This needs to be a cardinal principle of any future AI regulation

First, Last, and Fair: Sunday Reflection

El-Sayed’s Senate bid raises new concerns over a powerful privilege that comes with the job

Abdul El-Sayed's ties to figures linked to Hamas and Hezbollah alarm conservatives as the Michigan Senate nominee could gain classified access.

The Insufferable Wokeness of Bates College

The administration decreed that the college had to embark on a crusade to eliminate every possible vestige of colonialism.

Zineb Riboua on Islamism, Israel and the West’s New Culture War | Quillette Cetera Episode 72

Political analyst Zineb Riboua discusses Iran’s declining influence, the Houthis, Turkey’s ambitions, Israel’s changing role in the Middle East, Islamist radicalisation in Europe, AI doomerism, third-worldism and the West’s demographic decline.

Behind Trump’s public confidence, his private view of midterms is sobering

In private, the president has been hearing blunt news from advisers about the GOP’s poor chances in the midterms and has accepted that some of the problem is of his making.

The 'Modern-Day Lynching' Hoax -- and the Elephant in the Room

Citizen Sane

The mainstreaming of therapy culture may be driving us all out of our minds.

Why Are Democrats in Hysterics About AI?

Why panic when you could just use existing laws?

Will Trump’s AI Force Accomplish Anything?

It sounds remarkably similar to Bernie Sanders’s proposal to establish a cabinet-level agency to monitor frontier AI systems.

What Trump's New 'Ban on the Free Press' Is Really About

Fights over who gets into the Oval Office might seem like vanity, but they decide how much Americans get to see of their own government.

An Anti-Communist Film Festival Comes to Washington, D.C.: It Couldn’t Be More Timely

It’s important that we honor and promote films that challenge and refute the many Hollywood products that have whitewashed communism

CNN, MS NOW, Politico say journalists blocked from White House after Trump announces ban

President Donald Trump said Friday he would block MS NOW, CNN and Politico from White House grounds. News outlets and press advocacy groups condemned the move as a violation of the First Amendment.

Trump Says His D.C. Arch Would Be a ‘Military Complex’ Housing Drones and Snipers

The president’s announcement on Sunday echoed his justification for the White House ballroom: that the project was necessary for national security.

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…

Dem House candidate settles yearslong $55K debt fight with former mother-in-law weeks before election

Bob Brooks settled a $55,000 loan dispute with his former mother-in-law, but the terms remain unclear as he campaigns for Pennsylvania's 7th District.

How anti-Muslim rhetoric is influencing the pivotal Michigan Senate race

Attacks aimed at Democrat Abdul El-Sayed have brought back painful memories for some in a contest that has raised questions about the acceptability of Islamophobia in politics.

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.

How President Trump Broke the Kennedy Center

Internal emails and documents demonstrate the political capture of the institution, including how officials once pursued a plan to unload much of the art collection.

How did the GOP wrangle its slim House majority? Ask Rep. Tom Emmer.

The Republican whip describes how he worked to get the president's agenda through a closely divided House without burning bridges or losing his sense of humor.

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.

Working-class Americans say their town is the next Dearborn — and they've had enough

Jason Tye says Muslim immigrants and five mosques within seven miles have upended his Warren, Michigan, neighborhood with little help from police.

Congress Should Block Trump from Business Deals with Putin

The president has broad authority to pursue an appeasement policy with our enemy, but Congress needn’t go along for the ride.

Israel's Most Consequential Election

Israelis go to the polls on 27 October. After seventeen years of Netanyahu, former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot is in the lead.

Trump Faced Loss After Loss. He Then Turned to a Familiar Target: The Press.

The president’s ban of three media outlets from the White House fits a pattern of using the apparatus of government to crack down on his perceived enemies.

A.I. Gone Rogue? Trump Proposes Not New Rules but an ‘A.I. Force.’

The president proposed a follow-up to his Space Force but continued to dismiss worries about A.I.’s pace or potential for harm.

Massachusetts' plan to offer postpartum screening home visits sparks online debate

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is investing $2.25 million to send nurses into homes of new parents, sparking a heated government overreach debate.

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.

The Real End of the Arab–Israeli Conflict?

The strategic case for Syria–Israel normalisation.