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

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.

Farage Wins Handily, Handout Inquiry Reopens, New Labour Ministers Caught With Their Hands Out

The American Dream Is the Promise of a Process

The American Dream is the promise of a process: if you work hard, and make smart and virtuous decisions, you will live a better life than your parents, and your children will live a better life than you do.

Too Bad to Check: Maine Dems' Featured Labor Day Speaker Will Be ... Der Oysterführer?

Thursday's Final Word

Alex Vindman knows he needs to ‘prove it’ in Florida

Alex Vindman thinks he can do what no Democrat has been able to do over the past decade: break through Republicans’ hold on Florida.

Insurance Fraud Enabled 'Gender-Affirming Care'

Shapiro's Ideology Is Completely Divorced From Reality

Shapiro's ideology makes a lot more sense if you understand it as a ChatGPT-esque AI bot, but trained entirely on 2003-era GOP talking points and ignorant of everything that happened since.

The Taliban Kicked the U.S. Out of Afghanistan. Now They Want It Back.

In an interview, Afghanistan’s foreign minister called on the U.S. to reopen its embassy and invest in the country — a near-impossible sell for now, analysts and former diplomats say.

Truth Social’s sale of fast access to Trump posts draws legal concerns

A lawsuit filed this week alleges that the product is unconstitutional, and other experts warn it could violate securities laws.

Karoline Leavitt Exposed Dems' Double Standard on Women

At 28, Karoline Leavitt was the youngest press secretary in history. Now she's leaving to be a mom - and getting mocked by Democrats for it.

Oh, Joy! 'Diverse' Somali Child Care Owner Wins Democrat Primary for State House Seat in Rural MN

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

New York City’s lone Republican in Congress accuses Mamdani, Schumer of 'hypocrisy' in voter ID fight

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y. argues Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats block the SAVE Act while claiming to support voter ID in their districts.

Why Australia Gave Up on Getting Richer

McKinsey's Chris Bradley on why Australia stopped investing—and why he believes the poorest country in the world could live as well as Switzerland does today by 2100.

EEOC Files a Lawsuit Against Washington University Over DEI Training

A Pro-Life Thing That Caught My Eye: Abortion in Massachusetts, Prenatal Diagnosis, and Gratitude for Life

Your life is beautiful, even when you feel like you’ve made a disastrous mess of it. If we are still here living, we can still do something about it.

Alberta Isn’t Likely to Become Independent . . . At Least Not Anytime Soon

On October 19, the Canadian province of Alberta will vote on a referendum . . . on whether to hold another referendum on the province separating from Canada.

Michigan’s marquee Senate race close in first poll after El-Sayed primary win

Both major-party candidates are unpopular in a race viewed as critical for Senate control.

Susan Collins drops brutal reminder of Dem rival rocked by accusations

Republican Sen. Susan Collins says Democratic challenger Troy Jackson "struggles to control his temper" after a resurfaced 1988 police report emerged.

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.

American Missionary Kidnapped in Niger Is Said to Be Released From Captivity

The release of Kevin Rideout, an American missionary pilot who was seized in Niger’s capital last fall, has been a priority for the White House.

Russell Fry Backs Darline Graham in South Carolina Senate Runoff Amid Trump Pressure

The president has been focused on the race since the death of Lindsey Graham in July. Ms. Graham, the late senator’s sister, is competing against Representative Ralph Norman in a runoff on Aug. 25.

Minnesota Senate Race Could Ruin Democrats' Plans

If Democrats want any shot at taking back the Senate, they need to win the seat in Minnesota being vacated by retiring Democrat Tina Smith. Normally, this wouldn't be a tough task: The party hasn't had to worry about a Minnesota Senate seat in nea…

Can Polls Measure the True Strength of the Left?

Recent polling issues could continue in Democratic primaries in part because progressives are more likely to enjoy taking surveys.

Dems Face Challenges in Nov. Turnout Isn't One of Them

Primary turnout isn't the only way to measure the enthusiasm that will translate into votes in the fall. But it's a particularly good one.

BREAKING: Mangione Pleads Guilty in Federal Court

Trump officials ask Supreme Court to let ballroom construction continue

The appeal escalates the legal fight over the controversial project to the nation’s highest court.

Amid intra-MAGA fight, Trump weighs going all in for Darline Graham

The president is actively fighting for his endorsed candidate in the South Carolina Senate runoff, Sen. Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham.

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Greenlight White House Ballroom

The planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom is estimated to cost $400 million and is part of the president’s broader effort to remake Washington in his own style.

David Hearn’s Lawyers Ask Court to Bar Future Reflecting Pool Charges

Citing comments by President Trump, David Hearn raised the prospect of “prosecutorial harassment.”

WWII Memorial vandalism suspect in custody, charged with two felonies, Pirro says

Melissa L. Farris was served two felony charges for allegedly vandalizing the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

White House says more than 40 nations help China dodge tariffs

A new White House report says that China sends billions of dollars worth of goods to the U.S. via third countries in order to skirt Trump's high tariffs.

Three Ancient Ways of War

In a new book, Robert O’Connell situates the battlefield tactics of ancient Greek hoplites within the grand sweep of bronze-age military history.

Why the Tide Might Turn on Marijuana

A backlash might start with a ban on public pot-smoking.

CNN Political Briefing

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

3.4 Percent Is Not a Good Inflation Rate

The only acceptable number is 2 percent or less, as Kevin Warsh has promised.

Kevin Rideout, American Missionary Kidnapped in Niger, Is Released

Kevin Rideout, a pilot, was abducted from his home in the country’s capital, Niamey, last fall. His mission organization said he was in “good health” after his release.

The NGO Racket: How Durban 2001 Led to 'Rape Dogs', SPLC Corruption, and More

Institutional Failures in the Garden of Great Intellects

The Cofnas and Arday controversies show that on matters of race, administrators at Cambridge have failed to conduct deliberate checks, failed in probity, and failed in their tolerance for unsettled science.

‘Raw material for election fraud’: Expert flags voter-roll problems far beyond one state

Chuck DeVore told Fox News Digital that liberal states treat elections as census exercises, supercharging weaknesses in noncitizen voting safeguards.

Trump’s Justice Dept. Targets Smaller Fraud Cases

As the Trump administration drops charges against corporations and the wealthy, it is also taking aim at small-scale fraud cases, including against the operator of a weathered food truck in California.

How a baby born via surrogate became the center of an abortion fight

The intended parents had asked to end the pregnancy at 20 weeks when the fetus was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition, setting off a painful legal battle.

Inside the DSA's Audacious Quest for Power

It was the Democratic Party's "Summer of Socialism," as an email from the Republican National Committee cheerfully called it that morning, and Ashik Siddique, a co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America, was standing on a chair outside a ba…

Woke 2 Will Be Worse

If we want to avoid a rerun of the early 2020s, then-to paraphrase Seuss-we will have to get rid of Woke 1 and Woke 2.

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 Trump Administration Picks the Kennedy Center Name Fight Again

The Trump administration remains the undisputed world champion of picking stupid fights with little or no political upside.

Some of the Bloom Coming Off That Faded Becerra Rose

Cuban ties put powerful US union under microscope over alleged communist influence push

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chair Bill Cassidy demands answers from IAM over alleged Cuban regime influence scheme.

The Party of Hasan Piker Still Wants To 'Trans the Kids'

While the issues of medicalizing kids ("transing the kids") or biological men playing in women's sports have taken a backseat to "affordability," the economy, and the war in Iran, they are still major issues that will keep people like me voting Re…

Billy Bunter and the Man from Animal Farm

A look back at the 20th century’s most entertaining literary spat—one of the few such encounters that Orwell emphatically lost.

Testing the Kill Zone

One reason Ukraine has proved so successful this year in slowing Russia’s advance in the east of the country has been the creation of a ‘kill zone.’

For AOC, the Time Is Now

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will probably never have a better opportunity to be elected president than 2028.

Show Us the Prompts

How AI prose exploits the charity that makes reading possible.

Mamdani Solves the Problem of Too Much Liberty in New York City

If the obdurate public won’t boost labor’s clout of their own accord, the American left has concluded, they must be forced into it.

Sizing up the 2028 Republican presidential contenders

Can anyone win by distancing themselves from President Donald Trump?

The Tip of the Iceberg

The Jason Arday fiasco is a reminder why academia has developed a reputation for cowardice, careerism, and conformism in recent years.

MN Senate candidate ripped for blaming Walz for fraud despite being his #2: 'Knows she's cooked'

Minnesota Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan pointed the finger at Tim Walz when asked about her responsibility for the massive fraud scandal.

From the Supreme Court to Philadelphia to Boston: Is Abortion in America Ever Going to Be Extreme Enough for Us?

We just need to face the overwhelmingly obvious fact that most of us need to be doing something different, something more.

Crémieux on Fertility Collapse, Ozempic, IQ & Pit Bulls | Quillette Cetera Episode 69

Why a Victorian obscenity trial tanked the birth rate, what the wellness industry gets wrong, and the case for choosing your baby's genes — with the internet's most data-obsessed anon.

Mark Lynch endorses Ralph Norman as congressman heads into runoff against Darline Graham

Mark Lynch endorsed Rep. Ralph Norman, the candidate running against Sen. Darline Graham in the South Carolina special GOP U.S. Senate primary runoff.

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.

El-Sayed’s half sister revealed as radical professor arrested for allegedly assaulting a cop at anti-ICE riot

Abdul El-Sayed's half sister Eman Abdelhadi was arrested on a felony charge for allegedly spitting on a trooper during anti-ICE protests in Broadview.

El-Sayed in the hot seat after 'sickening' animal control record goes viral on social media

Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan Senate bid faces scrutiny over thousands of euthanized animals at Detroit Animal Control during his tenure as the city's health director.

U.S. military has lost roughly 25% of its Reaper drones as Iran war depletes arsenal

The aircraft, which cost up to $50 million each, have seen heavy use around the Strait of Hormuz — but they are relatively easy targets for Iran and its proxies.

Detransitioners reveal how doctors pushed them toward life-altering treatment as teens

Three detransitioners say doctors pushed puberty blockers, testosterone and double mastectomy on them as teens without adequate mental health screening.

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…

AOC Exposes MAGA's Motherhood Hypocrisy

The New York congresswoman freezes her eggs, and Republicans show their true feelings

Mining Claims Staked on Land Cut From Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Monuments

Prospectors are eyeing mineral deposits within the former boundaries of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah.

Thirty Years’ Warning

It is not a good sign that the yields on 30-year treasuries continue to rise.

Together Alone

American individualism and the western, from Fred Zinnemann and John Ford to Larry McMurtry and Taylor Sheridan.

America Has Tried Socialism Before — and Quickly Abandoned It

The rise of the Democratic Socialists of America is nothing new says historian Michael Barone.

Graham Platner to speak at Maine rally in return to public eye

The Labor Day event, where he is slated to discuss the role of unions, will follow the scandal-hit former candidate’s withdrawal from the U.S. Senate race in July.

In turnabout, Blanche lauds DOJ career staff in first speech as attorney general

His remarks come after months of firings and disparagement of the Justice Department workforce by President Trump.

Between Iraq and a Hard Place

Amid a regional scramble to shape the “day after,” Jordan appears to be the only country without a plan of its own.

Abdul El-Sayed Trails Mike Rogers, but AWFLs Love Him

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…

Group sues AMA seeking transparency over Medicare billing codes

PatientRightsAdvocate.org says it wants to republish the proprietary billing codes that guide billions of dollars in health care payments.

Backtracking on 'Woke 1' Puts Organizers at Risk

Progressive and democratic socialist politicians are recanting pandemic-era statements on police and prison abolition

NEW: Trump Asks SCOTUS for Permission to Fill Gigantic Hole on White House Grounds

An Unlikely Emergency Appeal to the Supreme Court From a Dog Named Bruce

A last-ditch filing this week came on behalf of a dog that a judge found to be “vicious” and shows how the court’s emergency docket has been growing.

On a Possible Mangione Federal Guilty Plea

A federal guilty plea would probably doom Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s separate state murder prosecution.

Newsom-appointed judge who freed migrant before fatal stabbing said justice 'sometimes means a dismissal'

Judge Nichelle Holmes once said justice can mean "dismissal." After she released Marcos Iriarte-Valdez, he allegedly killed Todd Stewart, 68.

AOC May Never Get a Better Shot at WH Than This

That's the question Ocasio-Cortez faces: Will she ever again have the opportunity that appears to lie before her?

Poland Stopped a Russian Plot to Murder an American Citizen

Claire's Weekly Letter: Cowardice at Cambridge

Who's Replacing Karoline Leavitt?

Thursday, August 13th on RealClearPolitics - Joined by After Party host Emily Jashinsky and RCP White House correspondent Carolina Lumetta

Outrage at UnitedHealth and Other Insurers Persists After Brian Thompson Killing

Higher premiums and rising medical bills have intensified Americans’ dissatisfaction with their medical coverage.

Unearthed El-Sayed essay draws explosive Trump-bin Laden parallel: ‘recruited, radicalized and reassured’

Abdul El-Sayed's now-private 2021 blog post argued Trump should be treated like Osama bin Laden, calling the Capitol riot comparable to 9/11.

J.K. Rowling vs. Amnesty

Is this the reckoning that human-rights NGOs have long avoided?

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Cambridge and the Stigmatisation of Intelligence Research

Nathan Cofnas joins a historical line of academics demonised for delivering unwelcome or upsetting news about group differences.

Appeals Court Sidesteps Key Question Over Trump’s Use of Alien Enemies Act

The court dismissed a case over the Alien Enemies Act in a messy conclusion to a long-running legal battle that had seemed destined to end up before the Supreme Court.