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

6 Takeaways From the Story of Trump’s Decision to Go to War With Iran

New details from the weeks leading up to the campaign show how President Trump’s alignment with Benjamin Netanyahu and a lack of sustained opposition from his inner circle put the United States on a course to war.

The IOC Is Protecting Female Athletics. Canada’s Secretary of State for Sport Isn’t Happy About It

On his Facebook page, Adam van Koeverden accused the IOC’s defenders of channelling ‘stupid conservative pseudo fantasies.’

Virginia: A New Extreme in Gerrymandering

This year's midterm elections aren't just about who wins in November; they're about who wins fights over gerrymandering taking place right now.

BREAKING: US Pounds Kharg Island Ahead of Trump's Deadline; Update: Fractures?

Texas GOP Rift Deepens as Trump Holds Back in Cornyn-Paxton Runoff

More than a month after promising to intervene, President Donald Trump has yet to endorse a candidate in Texas' high-stakes Republican Senate runoff, deepening the divide between Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton, The Texas Tribune …

GOP Lawmakers Urge Trump to End Iran War Soon

Some Republican lawmakers are pressuring President Donald Trump to end the Iran war before congressional approval is required.

Democrats are turning Republicans’ arguments against them in midterm races

Republicans won in 2024 by promising to cut the cost of living, but high gas prices are frustrating voters and providing a potent line of attack ahead of this year’s elections.

‘Pray that we are on God’s side,’ Vance says of U.S. role in Iran war

When asked whether he shared Trump’s view that the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran carried divine backing, the vice president declined to go as far.

Trump’s Cozy Transportation Secretary

Sean Duffy is partnering with the industries he regulates in new ways.

Is San Francisco Sobering Up?

Rohmer at Camelot

Éric Rohmer’s Perceval le Gallois (1978) vividly recreates the imaginative world in which the people of the Middle Ages lived inside their heads.

Reporter's Notebook: Why Trump may not be able to force Congress back over the DHS shutdown

President Trump may lack constitutional authority to summon Congress back to Washington despite the nearly two-month DHS funding shutdown impasse.

Supreme Court sides with Steve Bannon in bid to dismiss Jan. 6 conviction

The influential right-wing podcaster spent four months in prison for defying a subpoena from the House panel investigating the 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol.

Hegseth’s War on America’s Military

Someone needs to explain the Pentagon purges to the American people.

Marjorie Taylor Greene: Remove Trump; Iran Threat 'Evil and Madness'

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Tuesday called on lawmakers to remove President Donald Trump from office under the 25th Amendment after his threat that a "whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran doesn't meet his deadline...

Fact-Checking Republicans’ Misleading Claims About Mail-In Ballots and Fraudulent Voting

President Trump, his administration and G.O.P. lawmakers have claimed widespread issues with mailed ballots and fraudulent voting, but the evidence doesn’t support them.

Can Sam Altman Be Trusted To Control the Future?

In the fall of 2023, Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI's chief scientist, sent secret memos to three fellow-members of the organization's board of directors. For weeks, they'd been having furtive discussions about whether Sam Altman, OpenAI's C.E.O., and Gre…

Hegseth’s boastful claims about Iran war contradict reality, officials say

The defense secretary’s rosy portrayal of U.S. success in the conflict risks misinforming the public and the president, observers worry.

Trump warns 'whole civilization will die tonight,' as Iranian official urges human chains around power plants

President Donald Trump warned that a "civilization will die tonight" as his threats of strikes on Iranian power plants and bridges loomed ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

Trump Says Iran Proposal Isn’t Enough to Stop Attacks on Bridges and Power Plants

President Trump has told Iran it must open the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. Tuesday or face the consequences, although he has delayed previous deadlines.

A timeline of Trump’s escalating deadlines on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz

President Trump issues a fresh ultimatum to Iran, threatening strikes on infrastructure unless all vessels can transit the Strait of Hormuz freely.

Searching for Structure

An autistic writer tries to make sense of his passion for trains, maps, and timetables.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

Midterm alarm bells: Democrats face steep favorability deficit despite election gains

New polling shows the Democratic Party's favorability hitting historic lows, with only 28% of Americans viewing Democrats positively ahead of midterms.

Kidnapped US Journalist Freed in Baghdad

American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped in Baghdad last week, was released, an Iraqi official with direct knowledge of the situation said Tuesday.

This GOP candidate seized a half-million ballots and says he may do it again

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is running for California governor as a Republican, tried to review ballots despite election officials reaffirming the results.

Separating Out the Myths and Facts of AI

Separating out the myths and facts of AI.

Democrat whose parents fled Iran moves to oust Hegseth

Democratic Rep. Ansari, daughter of Iranian immigrants, moves to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for alleged war crimes in the Iran conflict.

Senators Question LNG Tanker Tax Credits

A group of Democrat U.S. senators on Tuesday pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on whether enormous tankers that ship liquefied natural gas qualify for a lucrative tax credit meant for smaller boats that burn the fuel.

‘Definitely a Sham’: As Tariffs Climb, Trade Fraud and Accounting Tricks Proliferate

U.S. imports from China have shrunk drastically. But billions of dollars of the change appear to be the result of accounting gimmicks and outright fraud.

Can Trump & GOP Hold Onto Latino Voters?

Monday, April 6th on RealClearPolitics - Joined by Henry Olsen, Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center

Trump calls into Vance-Orban Hungary event: 'My kind of people'

Trump praised Viktor Orban at a Budapest campaign rally via phone as JD Vance urged thousands of Hungarian supporters to reelect the prime minister.

No Good Way Out

Trump has options to end the war with Iran, but they all come with serious liabilities.

Monday’s Final Word

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.

Public Anger Is Rising

Even TMZ is channeling the national discontent.

The Manosphere Turns on Trump

How many times can a coalition crack before it shatters?

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.

Trump Says He's Made Life More Affordable. Nonsense

The president has boasted about cutting prices of drugs, housing, food and gasoline. It's grossly exaggerated nonsense

Rep. Ralph Norman to Newsmax: S.C. Gov. Race 'Looks Very Good'

As one of seven Republicans vying to become South Carolina's next governor, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Newsmax on Tuesday that the GOP primary race "looks very good for me.

Donald's Doomed Persian Adventure

The president probably hasn't read Thucydides, but he can still see when it's time to cut losses.

Trump Calls Artemis II Astronauts After Their Historic Journey Around the Moon

The conversation celebrated a small, but significant, step in an ambitious plan for missions to the moon and Mars that Mr. Trump had set early in his first term.

Sen. Ron Johnson Warns Trump on Iran Strikes

At least one Republican senator has expressed concern about President Donald Trump's threat to strike Iran's civilian infrastructure.

The Axis of Renewal

Israel and the United States have already done much to dismantle the Axis of Resistance, but the broader network supported by Iran remains most active in Western Europe.

Tucker: Trump Might Be the Antichrist

Trump says God supports U.S. cause in Iran war as he threatens wider bombing

The president offered a new rationale for the costly, unpopular conflict: “God wants to see people taken care of,” he said.

‘Gas prices are not just a number on a sign’

The Washington Post’s essential guide to power and influence in D.C.

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…

Trump Blasts Tucker for Fake Nuke Claim

President Donald Trump on Tuesday slammed Tucker Carlson for comments concerning the Iran war, saying Carlson "has absolutely no idea what's going on."

Trial by Fire: Fuel Tanker Explosions Imperil Critical Bridge Over Panama Canal

Strange Bedfellows

The hard Left has once again allied itself with Islamists in the belief that they will help achieve its goals, hence repeating the mistake the communists made in 1979, in revolutionary Iran.

What to Watch in the Georgia Special Election to Replace Marjorie Taylor Greene

Clay Fuller, a Republican allied with President Trump, will face Shawn Harris, a Democrat, in the election to fill the remainder of Ms. Greene’s term after her resignation from Congress.

Trump's Tuesday Deadline for Iran Is Strategic, Not Stupid

American foreign policy has often drawn a line between military action and diplomacy. Can Trump walk that line?

Iranian Supreme Leader is Unconscious, Unable to Make Decisions

Francesca Albanese and the Perversion of Academia

Three Flemish universities are about to convey the sanction of university-recognised expertise to a deeply dishonest and fraudulent individual.

Wisconsin Supreme Court back on ballot after years-long fight for control

The state’s high court, which liberals will control either way, could take up cases on abortion, redistricting and election disputes in coming years.

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.

Donald Trump: A Real Commander-in-Chief

"They are not going to have a nuclear weapon ... We're never going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon." So spoke President Donald Trump at a Monday presser after it was revealed that the United States military had rescued two downed American soldie…

Voter Suppression, Executive Order Style

Voting rights advocates, the Democratic Party, and state attorneys general are fighting President Trump's midterms-timed attacks on American voters.

Trump's and Israel's Iran Strategy in One Picture

Report: Iran's Supreme Leader Incapacitated Amid War

Iran's new supreme leader reportedly is unable to run the country because he's incapacitated and receiving medical treatment.

U.S. Strikes Kharg Island as Trump Raises Iran Threats to Apocalyptic Levels

U.S. forces launched more than 90 “restrikes” on Kharg Island, Iran’s oil export hub, early on Tuesday but have avoided hitting oil infrastructure.

US Hits Kharg Island Targets, Vance Says No Change to Strategy

U.S. strikes on Iran's Kharg Island do not represent a change in American strategy, Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday as a U.S. official separately told Reuters the additional strikes on military targets did not impact oil infrastructure.

Vance says Iran has '2 pathways' as 12-hour deadline looms, prays US on 'God's side' in nixing nuclear threat

Vice President JD Vance accuses Iran of "economic terrorism" and outlines two pathways for the regime as Trump's Strait of Hormuz deadline looms within hours.

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.

Trump’s Purge May Be Just Beginning

After Pam Bondi’s ouster, other top administration officials could be in jeopardy.

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…

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.

‘No Labels’ Arizona Wants to Rebrand as the Independent Party

Both the Democratic and Republican parties in Arizona have been locked in a legal battle with a chapter of the group “No Labels” as it tries to rechristen itself.

CNN Political Briefing

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

How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran

In a series of Situation Room meetings, President Trump weighed his instincts against the deep concerns of his vice president and a pessimistic intelligence assessment. Here’s the inside story of how he made the fateful decision.

Good News! Comedy Returns to Late-Night TV

Democrats Have a Hasan Piker Problem

In recent weeks, Democrats have been debating a key question: how big should their tent be? One of the big takeaways from their 2024 defeat was that they had struggled to connect with young male voters. As part of this, they had likely hurt themse…

Doomscrolling into Adulthood

Reflections on the crisis of meaning afflicting not only Gen Z but all of us who are too online.

Ex-Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene joins left-wing calls for the 25th amendment as Iran deadline nears

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene calls for President Donald Trump's removal via the 25th Amendment after his Truth Social post threatening Iran's civilization.

The Intellectual Right Is Mad at the Mess It’s Made

Conservatives are criticizing influencers for going too far.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Trump administration’s secrecy on health deals alarms experts, governments

A dearth of information has been disclosed about the agreements, fueling speculation that the “America First” approach to foreign aid is exploitative.

Vance stumps for Hungary’s Orban as Trump-aligned movement faces critical test

The vice president traveled to Budapest as Trump’s deadline for an Iran deal loomed Tuesday, backing the administration’s closest ideological ally in Europe.

The $97 Million Utah Warehouse ICE Bought for $145 Million

Trump wants industrial-size immigration jails, and money is no obstacle.

Major national security vulnerability exposed as DHS reveals how relatives of terror architect allowed into US

Relatives of slain terror leader Qasem Soleimani were living in the U.S. with green cards and arrested shortly after DHS exposed major national security vetting failures.

A Redistricting War in Florida, Georgia’s Runoff and the Latest Politics News

As deadlines approach in the next two weeks, neither is going quite according to the partisan plan.

Utah GOP Lawmakers Rally Behind Lisonbee in Primary Challenge

Utah state Rep. Karianne Lisonbee is gaining significant momentum in her primary challenge for Congress, securing endorsements from 37 fellow House Republicans in a show of conservative unity and growing frustration with incumbent Rep. Blake Moore…

Podcast #332: The Historical Case for Israel

In a new book, US District Court Judge Roy Altman traces Jews’ indigenous presence in the holy land over the last 3,231 years.

Idaho Cut Services for People With Schizophrenia. Then the Deaths Began.

Eliminating outreach to people with severe mental illness set off such a cascade of bad outcomes that Idaho has scrambled to reverse the cuts.

The Complete Rewriting of History, Backed By Pravda Media, Is a Wonder to Behold

Left Baffled (& Still Repulsed) by Working Class

Democrats can rebrand candidates, but they cannot hide a long record of condescension toward the very working-class voters they now need to win back.

Maybe Trump Should Not Have Given This Speech

His address raised more questions than it answered about the war in Iran.

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…

To Meet a Chatbot

An English professor burns the midnight oil talking to Microsoft Copilot about Shakespeare, Dickinson, Hawthorne, and a play he’s been working on—and comes away deeply impressed by its literary insights.

What Australia Can Learn from Israel’s Assimilation Success

The Bondi massacre is a warning that Australia’s failure to demand integration from recent immigrants may be leading it down a dark path. Israel shows that multiculturalism can work, but only in a nation with a strong sense of identity.

The MAGA Intellectual Who Prophesied a Queen Melania

An ally of J. D. Vance who has dabbled in monarchism is now working for Viktor Orbán.

Someday in Tehran

The heartbreak of hoping for a democratic Iran

Communism’s Obsolescence

The structural case for why collectivist systems fail.

Hegseth Likens Easter Rescue of U.S. Airman to Resurrection of Jesus Christ

President Trump also asserted that God supports the American war against Iran “because God is good, and God wants to see people taken care of.”

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.

77-year-old House Dem facing younger primary challengers seeks to impeach Donald Trump

Rep. John Larson mounted a long-shot bid to impeach Trump, citing the president's military intervention in Venezuela as he faces younger primary challengers.

Bash Back: 'Welcome to a New Era of Trans Rage'

Trump: Iran's 'Whole Civilization Will Die Tonight'

President Donald Trump sparked global concern Tuesday with a dramatic post on his social media platform, Truth Social, warning of a potential catastrophic turning point involving Iran and setting a striking deadline of 8 p.m.In the post, Trump wro…

Supreme Court clears path for DOJ to erase Steve Bannon's Jan 6 conviction

The Justice Department had asked the Supreme Court to allow it to proceed with dismissing the contempt case against Steve Bannon, a former Trump advisor and longtime ally.

Benghazi vs. Ishfahan

DeSantis urges Florida lawmakers to ban cousin marriages, links practice to 'stealth jihad'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called for banning cousin marriages in his state, rebuking the practice at a Tampa signing ceremony for a new state law.

Podcast #331: The Ayatollahs’ Assassins

Iona Italia talks to Roya Hakakian about her book ‘Assassins of the Turquoise Palace’ and the past and present crimes of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

With Soaring Prices and Potential Shortages, UK NetNutZeroCzar Says Rumors of Drilling 'Unfounded'

She Testified About Being Raped. Then ICE Showed Up.

Immigration officers are making arrests in sensitive locations, including family court.

What Kind of Leader Openly Threatens To Commit War Crimes?

In the wake of President Donald Trump's obscene and vile Easter-weekend posts on social media, two questions come to mind: Are any senior U.S. military officers preparing to resist unlawful orders?