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

'Project Freedom' Will Escort Ships Through Strait

Countries from all over the World, almost all of which are not involved in the Middle Eastern dispute going on so visibly, and violently, for all to see, have asked the United States if we could help free up their Ships, which are locked up in the…

Iran threatens retaliation after Trump says U.S. will guide ships in Strait of Hormuz

The president left unclear what measures the U.S. would take and whether any forces would be at risk. Iran said it would strike any foreign force approaching the strait.

Your Whereabouts Are Known at All Times

Pentagon to pull 5,000 troops from Germany, alarming Republican lawmakers

NATO said it was working to understand details of the plan to draw down about 5,000 troops, which coincides with a feud between the president and the German chancellor.

Drugmakers ask Supreme Court to restore abortion pill access by mail

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that the commonly used abortion drug mifepristone can only be picked up in-person.

British Columbia’s UNDRIP Fiasco

By enacting the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into provincial law, B.C. effectively handed veto power over policy-making to First Nations lobbyists.

Inside China’s AI ‘wolf pack’ drones built with Taiwan conflict in mind

China is developing AI-powered robotic wolf packs designed to scout and support troops in a potential Taiwan invasion, according to an Foundation for Defense of Democracies report.

Rubio to visit Italy, Vatican amid troop drawdown call, tension with Trump, Pope Leo: reports

Marco Rubio is reportedly traveling to the Vatican and Italy this week for meetings aimed at steadying relations strained by Trump-Pope Leo disputes.

The Pressure’s on in Maine

‘This is a Groundhog’s Day thing with the Maine ladies. They’re always facing the most dangerous challenge of their political career.’

“Too Much Science in the Curriculum”

Tragicomic scenes from reparations-based medicine.

Spirit Airlines, low-cost innovator, shuts down after Trump bailout plan fails

The airline said early Saturday it had “no choice” but to wind down operations immediately, dashing hopes of a last-minute financial lifeline.

Why the 'Special Relationship' With UK Is In Tatters

An old but memorable view holds that an ambassador is an honest gentleman sent to lie abroad for the good of his country.

Liberals Showed Their Spirit When They Killed an Airline

Marco Rubio spotted behind DJ booth at family wedding as social media reacts to viral clip

Marco Rubio is going viral for stepping behind a DJ booth at a family wedding, spinning a high-energy dance track and drawing cheers from the crowd.

Saturday's Final Word

Abortion pill fight heads to Supreme Court as manufacturer warns of ‘chaos’ after ruling

Supreme Court faces an emergency request from abortion pill manufacturer Danco Laboratories, GenBioPro after ruling blocked mail-order access, reinstated in-person prescription requirements.

His Majesty and Our Travesty

The last time Charles came here for a state visit, nobody seemed to notice.

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.

Patel says FBI has cut bureaucracy, moved 1,000 agents to field offices in 'generational' overhaul

FBI Director Kash Patel says a 14-month overhaul has shifted agents to the field, embraced AI and cut bureaucracy to restore trust in the bureau.

Democrats Add 8 Candidates to House Battlefield Program for Midterms

The party’s congressional campaign arm is promoting more contenders to take down at-risk Republicans — and is taking sides in some competitive primaries.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

'What Is Truth?' Sunday Reflection

Nixon Was Right

After all these years, the Communist Party is still handcuffed to its American rival, and it is unable to break free.

Trump Faces the Complicated Reality of a Costly, Unpopular War in Iran

President Trump’s predictions of a relatively short-term conflict with minimal economic consequences appear to be crumbling.

Trump disapproval reaches new high, Post-ABC-Ipsos poll finds

Democrats now hold a five-point advantage in support for Congress, up from two points in February.

Zyn Isn't Sin

XTC: All Hail the Amazing Crash-Boom-Band

If you ever cared even a whit for brilliant, furiously intelligent pop music, then you should know about XTC.

2 U.S. Service Members Are Missing After Military Exercise in Morocco

The two Army soldiers were reported missing during a joint military exercise on Saturday near Cap Draa Training Area, a coastal area in southwestern Morocco.

CNN Political Briefing

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

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

The Great Antifa Hoax

Last July 4, a group of 11 protesters, among them a middle school teacher and a UPS worker, held what they called a "noise demonstration" outside the Prairie­land Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detention Center in the town of Alvarado, Te…

China Seeks an Advantage With Both Trump and Iran as War Evolves

With President Trump’s visit to Beijing looming, China is pushing Iran to negotiate even as its companies export material that could be used by Iran’s military.

Chernobyl Forty Years On

How fear, misinformation, and myth came to define the world’s worst nuclear accident. 

A Great Idea for Data Centers and Electricity Rates

Through selective deregulation, a proposed bill would encourage AI companies to build their own energy supply.

Sunday Smiles

Trump is running out of options to contain gas price backlash

The rising cost of oil is becoming a major political concern for the White House, as the stalemate between President Donald Trump and Iran drags on.

Uterine Transplants and Reproductive Anarchy

‘I want,’ or, ‘I don’t want,’ are becoming the lodestars of reproductive morality.

Chicago’s May Day Action Civics Nightmare

A socialist-friendly teachers’ union has managed to set aside May Day for the partisan indoctrination of public school students.

Hegseth tightens control at Pentagon, defiant and more confident than ever

Trump’s combative defense secretary has grown more self-assured of his job security despite his early missteps in the role, people familiar with the matter said.

Palantir Comes To Campus

On a Thursday in April, I headed to the north end of Yale's campus and persuaded a passing fellow student to swipe me into a building.

Bison Have Grazed These Lands for Centuries. Trump Wants to Evict Them.

The Trump administration is evicting bison herds from federal grasslands in Montana, siding with ranchers and Republican leaders over environmentalists and tribal leaders.

Dem Senate candidate Sherrod Brown claims he supports 'closing the border'; GOP says record proves otherwise

Republicans call out Sherrod Brown for allegedly being disingenuous on illegal immigration ahead of Ohio's competitive Senate primary election Tuesday.

'Finding the Third Way'

As a nation, we increasingly want our politics the way we want our news, the way we want our Sunday barbeque conversations with neighbors - and the way we want our marriages. We want to marry people who have the same political affiliation.

Trump Backed Forced Treatment for Homeless People. Utah Shows the Challenges.

State lawmakers declined to back a Trump-inspired plan to move 1,300 homeless people to a campus on the edge of Salt Lake City, but supporters are trying to keep the plan’s spirit alive.

How the Weak Prevail

From ISIS to the IRGC, how groups with sacred commitments outlast adversaries with far greater firepower.

Spirit Airlines’ Demise Could Help Other Airlines

Even in its reduced state, the company played an important role in forcing other airlines to keep fares low, some experts said.

The ballot box showdowns this month that you need to watch

The 2026 primary season heats up in May with races across a dozen states testing Trump's grip on the GOP ahead of critical midterm elections.

Out of control, unqualified illegal alien truckers endangering kids on US roads, insider warns: ‘Just madness’

A trucking industry insider warns about unqualified CDL holders on U.S. highways, calling sham driving school abuse and lax standards "just madness."

From Zionist to Hamas Apologist

The extraordinary career of Oxford historian Avi Shlaim.

Trump hosts PGA Tour at Doral — and he’s the big winner

For a decade, golf’s biggest circuit shunned the president. In his second term, it has welcomed him back.

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.

The Chicago Teachers Union Parks Itself Outside My Window for May Day

Hearing some of the stupidest and most entitled progressive maniacs in Illinois scream into their bullhorns was, at least, illuminating.

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 Would-Be Assassin: The Problem Isn't Education -- It's Ideological Isolation

Inquiry Into Fed Chair Jerome Powell Could Be Resurrected, Jeanine Pirro Says

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, dropped an inquiry into Jerome Powell last month after a federal judge blocked her grand jury subpoenas.

Tucker Carlson Really Can't Defend That Interview with Nick Fuentes

He spent 60 years building Black political power. He sees a wipeout coming.

Press Robinson, who years ago mounted a legal fight to become the first Black person elected to a Louisiana school board, was on the losing side of the Supreme Court case weakening the Voting Rights Act.

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…

This Is Not the 1970s

Amid the great uncertainties produced by the Iran War, some likelihoods have begun to emerge.

Everything Is Reality TV. And Spencer Pratt Knows It

The reality-TV villain turned mayoral candidate just used the same tactics that once made him infamous to produce one of the most effective, viral political ads in decades.

The Widow of the Firefighter Slain by a Would-Be Assassin Speaks Out

The conspiracy theories around the Butler, Pa., assassination attempt hurt Helen Comperatore, but in this age of distrust, partisanship and social media, she nurtures a conspiracy theory of her own.

The U.S. Army’s ‘Big Experiment’ in the Arctic Cold

How would soldiers from places like Florida, Texas and Georgia fight and persevere in temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees?

Trump Says U.S. Will Help Stranded Ships Leave Strait of Hormuz

President Trump offered few details on how the new program, which he called Project Freedom, would work, but said interference would be dealt with “forcefully.”

Claire’s Weekly Letter: Naming the Enemy

The Insanity Theory of Kamala Harris

Perspective: With 2028 looming, Democrats are eyeing potential candidates for president. And Harris is making moves.

Why Israel Can’t Live With a Nuclear Iran: Gadi Taub

Gadi Taub discusses Israel’s war aims, Iran’s nuclear threat, the legacy of Oslo, and how postmodern ideas have shaped Western foreign policy.

How Republicans came to embrace psychedelic drugs

After decades of backing a “war on drugs,” the GOP has warmed to psychedelics for mental health treatment as high-profile backers and veterans tout the drugs.

We Meant to Do That

Pity the suckers in the cities governed by the radical left who let themselves believe that the new order would rain taxpayer-provided goodies down around them.

Republicans Set to Best Democrats in Mid-Decade Redistricting War

Residents of Modest Means Bear the Cost of Public Disorder

Prince George's County didn't clear a homeless encampment. Now condo residents face eviction.

Reading Orwell in the Age of AI

Prescient about the possibility of machine-generated writing, George Orwell’s life and work offer a deeper warning about the LLM era.

SCOTUS Keeps Overturning Precedent. It Swears That It's Not

As the Supreme Court was barreling toward the final weeks of its term last year, Chief Justice John Roberts made a rare public appearance to defend his colleagues from criticism that they were all too eager to kick decades-old precedent to the curb.

Why Does the Left Give Hasan Piker a Pass?

While mainstream conservatives have kept Nick Fuentes on the fringe, Democrats and the media have been far more willing to embrace Hasan Piker.

A Court Case Challenges IRB Restrictions on Research

The basis for the lawsuit is that a governmental entity is interfering with freedom of speech.

Latest Trump assassination attempt exposes ‘educated assassins’ moral crisis, university president says

Accused Trump assassination attempt suspect Cole Allen was highly educated with teaching ties, prompting concerns about moral formation in education.

Trump Tells Congress ‘Hostilities’ with Iran Have ‘Terminated’ Despite Dueling Blockades

For now, the president is trying to navigate his way through the War Powers Act by dissembling rather than challenging its constitutionality.

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…

Claire's Weekly Letter: How the Weak Prevail

Party Time: The Anti-Communist Film Festival

Radical Lessons in Solidarity and Resistance

The son of Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers has written a perceptive, fascinating, and rather sad book about his lonely life as the child of violent revolutionaries.

Pittsburgh Is Just Built Different

Obama-era 'clean energy' solar power plant still uses fossil fuels – and kills thousands of birds annually

An Obama-era solar plant in the Mojave Desert kills thousands of birds with its concentrated solar rays and relies on natural gas to operate each day.

Rudy Giuliani hospitalized in critical but stable condition: 'He's fighting'

Statement says Rudy Giuliani remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition as supporters rally with prayers.

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.

ActBlue sues Texas AG Ken Paxton, alleging political retaliation over Democrats' fundraising

ActBlue sues Texas AG Ken Paxton, alleging he used his office to retaliate against the Democratic fundraising platform ahead of his Senate runoff.

A long-standing Senate tradition is being quietly undermined

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has resisted President Donald Trump’s pleas to kill the filibuster, but Republicans circumvented it to try to fund immigration enforcement agencies.

Buy Fast or Lose Slow

America’s strategic edge will not be preserved by nostalgia for past procurement habits.

What SCOTUS Did - and Didn't Do - With Callais Ruling

In a widely expected, but nevertheless bombshell decision, the US Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down racial gerrymandering - Congressional redistricting plans designed to ensure black and Hispanic candidates win seats by requiring most voters …

The Monarchical Logic of Trump’s Tariffs

This is not how a free, self-governing people are meant to manage their own affairs.

Pirro says ballistic evidence shows correspondents’ dinner suspect shot officer

A buckshot pellet from the suspect’s shotgun “was intertwined with the fiber of the vest” worn by a Secret Service officer, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.

Blanche Says Others Who Post ‘86 47’ Message Won’t Be Charged Like Comey

The acting attorney general said such messages were “posted constantly” and said the Justice Department had gathered other evidence against the former F.B.I. director, but declined to describe it.

‘The Declaration of Independence’

On episode 103 of The Charles C. W. Cooke Podcast, Charles talks to Michael Auslin about his new book, National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America.

BREAKING: Trump Announces 'Project Freedom' to 'Guide' Neutral Ships Out of the Gulf; UPDATE: No Escorts