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

Massie-led push to handcuff Trump on Iran gets Jeffries' backing

House Democrats join GOP Rep. Thomas Massie to force a vote on a war powers resolution aimed at curbing President Trump's military authority regarding Iran.

Trump’s Favorite Voter-ID Bill Would Probably Backfire

Congressional Republicans are trying to pass a strict “election integrity” law that seems almost custom-designed to disenfranchise their own supporters.

Oregon Dems block effort to alert ICE before illegal immigrant murderers are released

Oregon Democrats unanimously rejected a proposal requiring ICE notification when illegal immigrants convicted of violent felonies are released from prison.

Today's Deep Question: Why Did Biden-Era DoJ Spy on Wiles' Call With Attorney?

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…

Melania Trump to Preside Over UN Security Council in a First for a First Lady

First lady Melania Trump will preside over a U.N. Security Council meeting in what the United Nations on Thursday said would be a first.When the wife of President Donald Trump takes her seat in the president's chair on Monday afternoon, it "will b…

WATCH: Dem senator who ditched Trump's SOTU caught praising naked bike riders, 'patriots' in frog suits

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon credited Portland Frog Brigade protesters with defeating Trump's National Guard deployment to Oregon Tuesday.

Kansas law invalidates transgender driver's licenses and birth certificates

Kansas invalidated driver's licenses and birth certificates for transgender residents under a new law. About 1,700 people must get new IDs at $26 each.

Hillary Clinton derides her Epstein deposition as GOP ‘political theater’

The former secretary of state appeared for hours behind closed doors in New York before members of the Republican-led House Oversight Committee.

Vance says America 'cannot give power back to congressional Democrats' following their behavior at SOTU

Vice President JD Vance slams the behavior of Democrats at the State of the Union speech and warns against giving them power in November's midterm elections.

Michigan Gov. Whitmer: US-Canada Bridge Set to Open Despite Trump

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced that a long-awaited international bridge between the United States and Canada will move forward, despite past opposition from President Donald Trump.

First Duty: Protect Citizens, Not Illegal Aliens

President Trump's State of the Union address was completely in character. Like the river Meander, it took a circuitous path

Trump Sets a Trap for Democrats

Wednesday on RealClearPolitics - Joined by Presidential Historian Tevi Troy and RCP Senior Elections Analyst Sean Trende

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.

Trump’s Suddenly High-Stakes State of the Union

The president is visiting Congress in a dramatically different place from where he was a year ago.

Surprise Guests! Medals! The SOTU Game Show

By the time the men's Olympic hockey team showed up, which honestly wasn't all that far into things, it had already become clear what kind of State of the Union this was and what kind it was not.

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to End Protections for Syrian Migrants

The president has sought to end the program, known as Temporary Protected Status, for various migrants as part of his mass deportation efforts.

The Cost of Indifference

The sad and curious case of the chronic fatigue syndrome. 

Newsom's California in a Nutshell

Trump’s Iranian Dilemma

President Donald Trump must choose between a military strike on Iran, whose consequences no one can predict, and a deal that would leave the Islamic Republic still able to attack its own citizens, menace Israel, and export terrorism worldwide.

A Wee Bit O' Justice at Last Meted Out In NYC

The Epstein files have brought a wave of resignations and investigations

A number of prominent figures have stepped down or are facing investigations after their communications with Jeffrey Epstein and his former longtime companion, Ghislaine Maxwell, were released last month.

Podcast #325: Why We Need to Talk About Transgender School Shooters

Jonathan Kay speaks with journalist Adam Zivo about the 10 February school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia—a mass murder perpetrated by a trans-identified male gunman who was initially identified by police and journalists as a woman.

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.

Biden-appointed judge who slapped down Trump deportation policy previously rebuked by SCOTUS

Federal judge defies Supreme Court again, declaring Trump's third-country deportation policy unlawful despite previous high court rebuke and warning.

Hillary Clinton Denies Knowing Epstein or His Crimes in a Tense Deposition

After resisting testifying for months, the former secretary of state entered the session defiant, and grew irate after a Republican leaked a photo from inside the room.

No Populism Without Cultural Populism

If you want your populism to be effective.

Family of UN's Albanese Sues Trump Admin Over Sanctions

The family of U.N. investigator Francesca Albanese has sued the Trump administration over U.S. sanctions imposed on her last year for her criticism of Israel's policies during its war against Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists.

U.S. and Iranian Officials Wrap Up Latest Round of Talks

Representatives of the countries were in Geneva this week to discuss the fate of Iran’s nuclear program.

Sherrod Brown Is Grinding It Out

The aggressively rumpled former senator from Ohio is back. Will working-class voters follow?

CNN Political Briefing

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

Federal Judge: The Hacks In the Back Filed a Silly Attack, And It Turned Into a Ballroom Blitz!

Judge Declines to Halt Construction on Trump’s East Wing Ballroom Project

A federal judge ruled that a lawsuit challenging the project needed to be revised before he could consider the larger questions it presented.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Unsafe, Dysfunctional Cities Are the Opposite of Compassion

Leftists and progressives gather online every few months to insist on a bizarre thesis: That wanting to keep public transportation systems free from open drug use, indecent exposure or violent threats is a sign that you are, at best, a pathetic wi…

The Uplifting Medicine of 'Scrubs'

For some, this sitcom's jabbing satire is easier to swallow than the cutting realism of

In Texas, Crenshaw faces primary challenger, a test for MAGA

Representative Dan Crenshaw, who has at times clashed with President Trump and his allies, is facing a conservative challenger in Tuesday’s primary.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor: Friday 13 February — Friday 20 February

Man pleads guilty in death threat to Kennedy Center’s Richard Grenell

A Virginia man charged with threatening Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell and others pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court.

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…

Dems Score Another Epstein Scalp: Davos Summit CEO; Update

Things Are Suddenly and Mysteriously Spicy Along the Canadian Border in New England

The White House Urges Republicans to Ignore Trump’s Diversions

They will let Trump be Trump, but everyone else needs to stay focused on the economy.

Judge Says U.S. Is Intentionally Violating the Law on Immigration

Judge Zahid N. Quraishi said federal prosecutors in New Jersey had lost credibility on immigration issues. He’s the latest federal judge to show impatience with the Trump administration.

DOJ reviewing if Epstein files with Trump allegations were wrongly withheld

Three summaries of interviews the FBI conducted in 2019 with a woman who had accused Trump of sexual assault are missing from the files, it has been reported.

Kristi Noem’s Audience of One

The DHS secretary is suddenly talking about more than just mass deportations.

It Was a No-Brainer, But Democrats Refused To Stand

The Democrats showed their true colors at Tuesday evening's State of the Union when they failed the president's test of allegiance to this country.

Government Still Building Case for U.S.S. Cole Trial 25 Years After Attack

Prosecutors are scrambling to shore up the case from adverse judicial rulings. Defense lawyers say they are not ready for trial.

Denver mayor orders ICE agents detained if they ‘assault or shoot’ residents

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced an executive order directing city authorities to detain ICE agents using excessive force during immigration operations.

Ezra Klein’s Feeble Liberalism

Liberals must act aggressively to uphold the values of free society.

Iran Is Facing a Berlin Wall Moment

Iranian protests and military setbacks create historic opportunity for Middle East peace. Could this be a

Kansas Law Voids Transgender Licenses, Birth Certificates

A new Kansas law that went into effect Thursday invalidates driver's licenses and birth certificates of transgender individuals, reports the Kansas City Star.

The CIA Democrats... UPDATE...Data Republican Is on the Case

Vance: ‘No chance’ U.S. will be in drawn-out war in Middle East

As President Trump contemplates military action in Iran, the vice president told The Post he still sees himself as a “skeptic” of overseas military intervention.

Slop: How the Most Recent Attack on Candace Owens' Critics Got Started

Trump stirred rumors for years. Now, it’s the Clintons’ turn to speak about Epstein.

Bill and Hillary Clinton have survived decades of scrutiny and conspiracy theories. Often, their adversaries come out on the losing end.

Terror and Transformation

Southeast Asia in World War II, Part Two: The Japanese Occupation and Its Repercussions

Success Sequence: 'Don't Stop Believin' and Hold on to That Feeling for a Better Life

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.

SOTU Seen by 32.6M, Down 4M From 2025 Speech

An estimated 32.6 million people watched President Donald Trump's State of the Union address this week, down four million from his speech to Congress last year and the smallest audience he's ever gotten for the annual message.The Nielsen company s…

Anthropic Says It Cannot ‘Accede’ to Pentagon in Talks Over A.I.

Anthropic said it was standing firm on not having its A.I. used in certain scenarios by the Pentagon, which has imposed a Friday deadline on the company to give unfettered access to its technology.

Oikophobia and the Crisis of Western Democracy with Shany Mor | Quillette Cetera Ep. 62

An Israeli former National Security Council official examines Australia’s anti-Israel protests, the rise of antizionism in Western academia, and the growing crisis of democratic confidence across the West.

Bertrand Russell’s Cancellation and the Ongoing Battle Over Campus Speech

How religious conservatives cancelled philosopher Bertrand Russell in 1940, sparking academic freedom debates that echo today.

Republican Strict New Voter ID Bill Seems Stalled in Senate Despite Trump Push

Election-year legislation to impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements on voting appears stalled in the Senate for now, despite President Donald Trump's call in his State of the Union speech for Republicans in Congress to pass the bill "…

Trump tells NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Columbia student detained by ICE will be released

Columbia student detained by ICE will be released after NYC Mayor Mamdani spoke with Trump following their White House meeting on immigration issues.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

CNN Analyst Warns Democrats Trail GOP on Immigration

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said Thursday that voters still trust President Donald Trump and the Republican Party more than Democrats on immigration and border security.

Communists in Hollywood Refuse to Host the Anti-Communist Film Festival

Travis County DA faces renewed ‘soft on crime’ criticism after career criminal charged with murder

A Travis County district attorney is facing new scrutiny for allegedly freeing a career criminal charged with murdering a father of five.

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.

Seeing the Mayor of Grand Rapids in Action Explains Why Their Police Chief Quit

Islamism: Shooting the Messenger

The British establishment tends to deflect attention from the dangers of Islamism by attempting to silence those who point them out.

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 End of Australian Exceptionalism

The surge in support for Australia’s populist right-wing party One Nation suggests that immigration restrictionism has become increasingly popular with voters: a political trajectory that echoes that of many other Western nations. 

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.

Silence on Sudan

In Sudan, a civil war involving Arab supremacists backed by the UAE has left as many as 400,000 dead and displaced twelve million. The silence on campus is deafening.

Prosecutor says Trump officials did not pressure him to charge Abrego García

Justice Department lawyers worked to convince a federal judge that they did not seek to indict the Maryland man in retaliation for his successful challenge of his illegal deportation to El Salvador.

Virginia Gerrymandering Is About Demographics

Virginia redistricting and immigration debates intensify as NOVA's population growth reshapes congressional maps and political power statewide.

Republicans think they laid an immigration trap ahead of the midterms

Republicans still see immigration as a potent political issue, even as polling shows them losing their longtime edge on the topic.

The Disappointment of Young Trump Voters

Americans under 30 swung to the right in 2024, but they’re not getting what they voted for.

Trump’s Go-To Tactic in the State of the Union

Our reporter Zolan Kanno-Youngs examines the context of a moment in the State of the Union speech when President Trump turned to a favorite tactic on immigration.

Judge rules Trump’s White House ballroom can continue, for now

The group that has sued to stop the ballroom said it would immediately try again. The planned $400 million project has been a top priority of the president.

The First Couple of a Dysfunctional DHS

A forthcoming book reveals new details about Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski.

Biden Justice Department Funneled $18 Million to Fani Willis

GOP Senators Press DOJ to Release All Trump Epstein Files

Republican senators urged Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Justice Department to release any Epstein-related records that mention President Donald Trump, arguing that questions about withheld material will persist until the department discloses …

CBS Accidentally Proves Trump Right on South Africa

The '60 Minutes' report fixates on a semantic issue while conceding the underlying reality of violence against white farmers in South Africa.

Trump Declared Victory in Minneapolis. But What Did He Accomplish?

The Trump administration came under fire for an operation that turned lethal and politically toxic. But the show of force may also have had a bigger purpose: to serve as a warning.

US Threatens Swiss Bank Over Ties to Iran, Russia

The Treasury Department on Thursday threatened to block MBaer Merchant Bank AG from accessing the U.S. financial system, accusing the Swiss institution of maintaining ties to sanctioned Iranian and Russian actors.

The Republican Party Has a Nazi Problem

How did the GOP become a haven for slogans and ideas straight out of the Third Reich?

The Democrats Who Got Weird During the State of the Union

They found a bizarre, crass way to push back against Trump.

Illegal immigrants could lose public housing under Trump HUD plan to end Clinton-era loophole

Trump administration proposes new HUD rule requiring citizenship verification for public housing, ending "do not contend" provision from Clinton era.

Regime Change in Cuba Appeals to Trump but Carries Risks

The Trump administration is signaling a different approach, after demanding an end to Cuba’s communist leadership.

GOP Rep Davidson 2nd House Republican to Back War Powers Limit

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, on Thursday became the second House Republican to back a resolution that would seek to limit President Donald Trump's ability to take unilateral military action against Iran, setting up a potential bipartisan clash ov…

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 Buzz in Kristi Noem’s Home State

South Dakota Republicans worry that she might return.

Justice Department Sues 5 States, Most Republican-Led, for Voter Data

The Trump administration sued Utah, Oklahoma and West Virginia, as well as Kentucky and New Jersey, to obtain unredacted voter registration databases in pursuit of baseless claims of voter fraud.

The Epstein Emails Show How the Powerful Talk About Race

The files reveal the disgraced financier’s interest in “race science.”

Sen. Moreno Eyeing NRSC Chair: Report

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is eyeing a bid to lead the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 2028 election cycle, two Republican senators told Politico.

To Raise Low Birth Rates, Help Mothers

Easing the child penalty in the labour market could also increase fertility

Hillary Clinton comes out swinging after GOP grilled her during marathon Epstein deposition

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spent roughly six hours in the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center for a deposition before the House Oversight Committee.

Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency

Activists who say they are in coordination with the White House are circulating a draft executive order that would unlock extraordinary presidential power over voting.

Nine Intellectual Virtues

Either universities appoint and promote professors who display and disseminate intellectual virtues, or they reward those who exemplify and cultivate intellectual vices.

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.

Why I Got Thrown Out of a Jasmine Crockett Rally

The crowd was fired up. The candidate was on her game. And I was escorted out by armed guards.

Noem: DHS Shutdown Hits World Cup, America 250 Security

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that the shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security is disrupting security and planning work for the 2026 World Cup and the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations.

SOTU Showmanship Won't Fix Trump's Midterm Problem

President Trump's State of the Union address may energize his base, but it largely failed to address many of the top issues Americans face.

Kash Patel purges more FBI agents tied to Mar-a-Lago investigation

FBI Director Kash Patel dismissed more FBI agents and staff tied to the probe into Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents.

GOP bill seeks to block illegal immigrants from being armed law enforcement

Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate introduce the "Stop Illegal Alien Cops Act" aimed at preventing illegal aliens from carrying firearms as police officers.