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

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Recalling one of the best reactions to Charlie Kirk’s murder.

This Is the Way the World Ends

Sex is declining because the options seem endless. This is counter-intuitive, but biologically it makes sense.

“Think of it: $22 trillion coming into this country.”

No Mission Creep for Women’s Employment

Gender parity in employment is here. Now what?

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.

Vance declares Democrats ‘party of hatred,’ says party has moved beyond big government, censorship

Vice President JD Vance will use a deeply personal speech to reflect on the legacy of late friend Charlie Kirk, the joys of fatherhood and the future he hopes America can provide.

“When Medicaid programs for homeless or expecting mothers in states like Minnesota and Wisconsin, they began to fall apart because the money that y…

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.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Trump team expands midterms spending to $57 million so far

The operation’s long-awaited spree extended competitive House races

Antizionist City

A community that embraces a set of shared beliefs is not necessarily a bad thing, but the value of solidarity depends entirely on the merits of the cause in question.

Top GOP senator reveals what Dem colleagues are fretting about behind closed doors

Senate Republican John Barrasso says Democratic senators privately admit the progressive wave led by Abdul El-Sayed and others is their future.

7 Takeaways From the Republican Midterm Convention

On the second night of the Republican gathering in Dallas, Vice President JD Vance was the headliner. But President Trump returned to center stage.

“Under Donald Trump’s leadership, we’ve created one million new jobs. And unlike the last administration, where most of the job growth went to ille…

‘World Suicide Prevention Day’ Hypocrisy

Let’s stop the hypocrisy and rename it.

Democrats play up Trump investigations, Epstein files during GOP convention in Dallas

The countermessaging includes speaking to Texas voters about affordability issues and Democratic efforts to regain control of the House.

GOP convention attendee calls for shooting Democrats during Cruz’s speech

Democrats condemned the calls for violence. The Republican senator did not address the outburst in the moment but later posted a clip in which it could be clearly heard.

“Americans who were finishing school suddenly found themselves competing not against their fellow Americans for jobs, but against 25 million new il…

Trump admin's list of US-designated 'foreign terrorist' groups in Latin America expands to 21

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the foreign terrorist designation of Los Tiguerones during his diplomatic tour through Latin America.

A Challenge for the Right a Year After Charlie Kirk's Death

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

Democrats Need To Figure Out How To Keep Fetterman

The bloom is off the rose. The honeymoon is over. The Democratic Party seems determined to divorce John Fetterman.

LIVE BLOG: GOP 2026 Midterm Convention, Night Two

RFK Jr. uses military aircraft as he campaigns for GOP in midterms

The White House and Department of Health and Human Services lawyers signed off on the plan to let the health secretary use military jets, according to people familiar with the plan.

These Charts Show That America Is on the Rise

The United States remains economically dominant as China loses ground.

Ontario premier wants Republicans to lose House and Senate over Trump's trade war

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he hopes Republicans lose the House and Senate in the midterms to hold President Donald Trump accountable for the trade war with Canada.

Trump’s Grand Midterm Convention Finale: ‘I’m a Little Bit Tired of Politics’

The president made clear as his midterm convention wrapped up that he wants to carry his party through a tough midterms. He just won’t go too far out of his way to do it.

Measuring the Economic Cost of Affirmative Action in Academia

A new report on the Canada Research Chairs program analyses the reduced standards applied to scholars belonging to ‘equity groups.’

The Assisted-Suicide Threat in Britain

The House of Commons is taking up a terrible bill tomorrow.

Seattle's Big Businesses Demand More Action on Public Safety

Thursday's Final Word

Using AI to Evaluate Faculty Political Orientation

A researcher wanted to see if his method could discern an overall political orientation in a department.

An Award for Scholars Who Tell the Truth

One of us (Mr. Fryer) released a study in 2016-later published in the Journal of Political Economy-finding that police aren't more likely to shoot black Americans than white Americans, after accounting for the relevant context. Colleagues who read…

“Now we’re cutting your prices by 50, 60, 70, 80 and, a couple of cases, 90 percent.”

CNN Political Briefing

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

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.

More Reading on the Gipper

Jonah tries to give more political coherence and consistency to Reagan’s overall record than I think is really there.

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…

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.

Trump set to honor 9/11 victims, first responders at Pentagon on 25th anniversary

President Donald Trump will attend a Pentagon ceremony on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 while JD Vance joins former presidents at the World Trade Center.

Too Fun to Check: Has Hollywood Finally Had Enough of Dems?

Rubio in Latin America - 'Getting Involved Here Is Not a Favor but Essential to Our Own Security'

Vance, Eying 2028, Relishes the Spotlight at Trump’s Convention

The vice president, widely seen as a potential White House candidate, sought to use his speech in Dallas to show a more personal side to the MAGA faithful.

“We delivered the largest tax cuts in American history.”

Republican cavalry arrives for Ken Paxton as big-bucks Texas offensive opens cash floodgates

Top Senate Republicans are pouring eight figures into a new Texas PAC to boost Ken Paxton against James Talarico in a razor-thin Senate showdown.

The post-9/11 wars changed politics. Not everyone who served agrees how.

Interviews with two veterans in Congress highlight how the terrorist attacks that sparked wars in Iraq and Afghanistan changed the nation’s politics but did not leave its leaders with monolithic views.

9/11 hero’s legacy lives on 25 years later as son unveils new tech lifeline for those facing grief

Doora, an AI grief chatbot from nonprofit Hold the Door, launched on the 9/11 anniversary to honor a father killed in the World Trade Center.

Down the Road, Conservatives Debate GOP Future

IRVING, Texas -While the Republican Party faithful streamed through Secret Service checkpoints in downtown Dallas, other conservatives flocked to the Rayleigh event center in Irving, less than two miles up the road. A new conservative programming …

Trump said the top U.S. general was at the midterm convention. It’s not true.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, was at a 9/11 memorial event nearby.

No Alternatives for Merkel

To be clear, Merkel was the second-worst chancellor in German history.

Smithsonian Is a Better Institution Because of Lonnie Bunch

Robyn Autry: Lonnie Bunch leaves the Smithsonian better than he found it

Last Man Standing

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

Mamdani heads to 9/11 memorial despite 110,000-signature push from victims’ families to stay away

Scores of New Yorkers and 9/11 families signed a petition urging Zohran Mamdani to skip the Ground Zero memorial over his Ramzi Kassem pick.

Senior House leader to talk about Republicans targeting ‘communism’ in midterms

Conference chairwoman Lisa McClain will focus on Democratic policies, including those on immigration.

“We have banned corporate tycoons from buying up our housing stock because we hold the simple belief that American homes ought to go to the America…

Crowd erupts as Vance smacks down protester waving Mexican flag: 'Get your a-- over there'

JD Vance fired back at a protester waving Mexican and Palestinian flags on the GOP convention floor, offering to buy them a plane ticket to Mexico.

Top Trump official reveals how 30-minute military op unlocked Venezuela oil windfall for US buyers

Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the Trump administration is tapping Venezuela's 300 billion barrels of oil reserves to expand supply and cut prices.

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.

Claire's Weekly Letter: Naked in America

Republicans try at midterm convention to aid Paxton in his tight Senate race

Republicans hoped to boost enthusiasm for Ken Paxton during the two-day event in Dallas. The Texas attorney general is facing off against Democrat James Talarico in November for a U.S. Senate seat.

“I built almost 2,000 miles of wall.”

Please Make Tiny Phones Again?

Does anybody want to launch the Anti Big Phone Movement alongside me?

The Bond Market Chews Up and Spits Out Scott Bessent

Despite his meager intervention, interest rates on the national debt have continued to shoot up.

We're Still Living in the Shadow of the War on Terror

I don't remember 9/11. I was 6 years old - I also have a bad memory - so I have no recollection of what I was doing that day, or when I learned that terrorists had killed nearly 3,000 people.

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.

Prosecutor leading probe into Trump foes resigns, vows investigation will continue

Joseph diGenova — a Trump loyalist — told The Washington Post that he has submitted his resignation to the attorney general amid disagreements over the pace of the investigation into Trump's political foes.

What the Aftermath of 9/11 Taught Me

Government should be about producing results for people.

How Trump Is Using the Postal Service to Intervene in Elections

Our politics reporter Reid Epstein explains how the Trump administration is using the Postal Service to intervene in mail-in voting in state elections.

Right-Wing Attacks on El-Sayed Keep Faltering

With energetic campaigning and savvy responses to the media's Hasan Piker obsession, the Michigan Democrat is maintaining solid poll numbers.

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.

Leftists Always Make Things Worse for All the 'Right' Reasons

Lone Juror's Holdout in Clancy Trial Is an Act of Courage

The children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, have been the forgotten victims in this case.

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.

'Up Your Nose With a Rubber Hose' for LA's Fire Season

Idiots: The Economist Tells Us Not to Fear Islam, While Providing Evidence We Should

The Worst Day

A New Jersey teenager watched the second plane hit and heard a rumor that his own father was dead. It was the worst day.

Be Wary of Industries Asking for Regulation

To the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic, red tape would be a subsidy.

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 Retro Fashion of the Wealth Tax

Every few decades, the ideas with the worst track records come back into style.

Do Not Forget Charlie Kirk

There is so much more to life than politics.

Trump issues blunt midterm warning, Vance greeted with ‘48’ chants: Top takeaways from GOP convention

President Donald Trump led the Dallas crowd in a voting pledge and warned supporters they'd "go to hell" if they skip the midterm elections this November.

Media Warns About 'Out-Of-Control Tesla'

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…

'Transfeminist Abolition' and 'Communist Sex Forests': Inside the Socialism 2026 Summit

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.

Progressives Building Power, One Person at a Time

Progressive political candidates in 2026 are doing more than just trying to win an election.

You Can Take the Girl Out of East Germany, but You Can't Take East Germany Out of the Girl

WATCH: Socialist protester blames 'provocateurs' after assaults at 'closest entry point' to Trump convention

A socialist protester blamed right-wing provocateurs after Dallas police in riot gear arrested two near the Republican National Committee convention.

Let’s Prevent Suicide! Let’s Legalize Suicide! Britain Currently Makes No Sense

Britain cannot make up its mind. It’s either suicidal or it’s not.

My Friend Charlie--and the Line Between Good and Evil

A year ago, on the afternoon of September 10, 2025, I was 20 feet away when my friend Charlie Kirk was murdered

See photos from the Republican midterm convention

The two-day event features elected Republican officials, musical performances and other speakers in support of the party’s midterm candidates.

4 takeaways from the GOP midterm convention

Trump got his big show. Vance took the baton. ‘Common sense’ was the term. No bad vibes allowed.

Vance appears more like Trump’s heir apparent at GOP convention

The vice president characterized Democrats as the “party of hatred,” while urging Republicans to unify. His role could strengthen his potential presidential bid.