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

Crucial Senate race could come down to Michigan’s Black voters

A disruptor or a pragmatist? In Tuesday's contest between Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens, Democrats weigh whether to remake the political system or work within it.

Common Problems

I often think the divide about common good conservatism is mostly about families.

Is the Pro-Palestine Movement Israel’s Unlikely Ally?

By framing terrorism and armed struggle as legitimate resistance, the pro-Palestine movement has unwittingly strengthened Israel’s case that withdrawal and concessions carry unacceptable risks.

Ceuta Crisis, Despite Sánchez's Assurances, Gets Even Worse

Florida's DOGE Is Delivering

Red states across the country need to match Florida's pace and provide the governance their citizens demand and deserve.

F.B.I. Agent Is Accused of Stealing Cryptocurrency

The agent confessed to making unauthorized withdrawals from a criminal target overseas, according to court papers.

Biden’s Covid Coordinator: ‘It Is More Likely to Have Been a Lab Leak.’

Dr. Ashish Jha, Biden’s coronavirus response coordinator, said this weekend, ‘I have come to conclude that it is more likely to have been a lab leak.’

Claire's Weekly Letter: Truths About Men and Women

A democratic socialist in the White House? Activists are thinking big.

The Democratic Socialists of America summit was abuzz about whether to endorse a presidential candidate, potentially Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Capturing the ‘Odyssey’

Homer’s epic provides a window on to a strange, paradoxical, fascinating, beautiful, and terrifying world that is at once familiar and unfamiliar. 

No One Failed Harder During Covid Than Our Media

Anthony Fauci's recent appearance before Congress is a good reminder that his reign of error during COVID would not have been possible without a deeply partisan and starstruck press.

Kay Granger, first GOP woman from Texas to win House seat, dies at 83

The trailblazing Republican served as the first female mayor of Fort Worth and spent 28 years in Congress, rising to lead the Appropriations Committee.

The Election Questions Democrats Won't Answer

On July 16, President Trump gave a long and detailed speech describing various ways noncitizens are impacting American elections and violating our sacred right to determine the political future of our own country.

If You Want to Hurt Russia’s Economy, Graham’s Bill Is the Best Option

Graham’s smart strategy was to take something Trump instinctively loves and use it to make Vladimir Putin’s life even more miserable.

Let Spain's Overrun Border Be an Election Reminder

The invasion of Ceuta is just a snapshot of what Democrats will do with America's border next time they get power.

What Do You Want to Liberate Me From?

Sometimes freedom is the freedom to destroy.

Socialist House candidate says he agrees with Republicans on 'one issue'

Donavan McKinney says he agrees with Republicans on waste, fraud and abuse but targets corporate subsidies and the top 1% instead of the poor.

Ceuta and Melilla Are Spanish

To refer to these cities as ‘Spanish-administered’ is as bizarre and disturbing as referring to, say, Tucson or Albuquerque as ‘American-administered.’

GOP lawmaker's gifts, 'effusive affection' toward young staffers detailed in explosive ethics report

The House Ethics Committee recommends censure after an ethics probe found Chuck Edwards violated the code of conduct with two young female staffers.

CNN Political Briefing

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

Trump can declare Iran victory now and withdraw troops, former counterterror official argues

Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent continues to call for President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from the Middle East.

Jay Clayton Sworn In as Director of National Intelligence

Mr. Clayton’s delayed swearing-in ceremony gave Bill Pulte, a key ally of President Trump, a few more days as acting director of the office he boasted about shrinking.

What on Earth Is She Thinking? Francesca Hong Campaigns With Hasan Piker and Ilhan Omar.

Boeing’s Smallest 737 Jet Wins F.A.A. Approval

After years of delays, the Federal Aviation Administration has certified the Boeing 737 Max 7, the smallest version of the company’s best-selling plane.

New Guttmacher Report Finds That Many Women Circumvent Pro-Life Laws

Further evidence that the Trump administration needs to prioritize placing limits on chemical abortion.

Trump v. Smithsonian: A timeline of how the White House fight over 'woke' history unfolded

Trump's executive orders target the Smithsonian Institution, arguing exhibits prioritize decolonization and DEI over patriotic American history.

Sex Differences Above the Neck

The evidence for innate sex differences has been accumulating for decades. Steve Stewart-Williams's new book is a welcome inventory.

Mamdani: You Need Voter, er, Eater ID to Buy Groceries at Commie Basket!

Go Figure, It Turns Out the Iranian Regime Is ‘Unbelievably Duplicitous’

Never has a president been so eager to announce to the world that he has been fooled by the other negotiating party, over and over again.

Claire's Weekly Letter: Hormuz and Homer

Author of Democrats’ 2024 Autopsy Says Party Left Out Key Chapter

A dispute over the chapter between the author and the Democratic National Committee has added to the party’s turmoil as it tries to look forward, not backward.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

America Is More Than an Idea

The vice president was right about what America is, and we need to reengage both the idea and the people who made it.

POLITICO: 'Open Secret' That New Jersey's Illegal Voter Registration Is Much Larger Than Reported

Dem senator accuses Pentagon of murder with boat strikes targeting drug traffickers

Sen. Tim Kaine said in a letter to President Donald Trump that evidence indicates that boat strikes killed people who were not engaged in narcotrafficking.

When It Comes to Iran, the Trump Administration Leaks Like a Sieve

Even if all this information is accurate, it does not logically follow that America’s only option then is a humiliating retreat.

Sunday Smiles

Max Miller, Accused of Abuse, Is Not Stepping Aside. Here’s What We Know.

The Ohio Republican who is seeking a third term defiantly denied domestic abuse allegations ahead of a deadline to replace him on the ballot.

What We're Learning About Screens in School

Technology came to "optimize" education. Young children pay a heavy price.

The Massachusetts Muslim Protection Racket

Blood, Progress, and Amnesia

There is real value in Noah Rothman's century-spanning chronicle of left-wing terror, but it falls short in analysis.

Can't Hate 'Em Enough: The Guardian Calls Cunningham 'Anti-Black' For Defending Girls' Spaces

Why Trump is lashing out at Chevron amid profit windfall

The president criticized Chevron for not giving the administration what he considers adequate credit for the oil major’s financial success.

Trump DOJ corners school district with 7-day ultimatum over trans policy keeping parents in the dark

Harmeet Dhillon demands Anne Arundel County Public Schools stop hiding student gender identity information from parents or face DOJ litigation.

Men Without Meaning

Men are quietly leaving the workforce—not for lack of jobs, but for lack of purpose.

How Democratic Socialists Are Wrestling With Their Next Moves

After notching primary victories, D.S.A. members in Chicago debated whether socialist candidates should be free to distance themselves from goals like abolishing prisons as they chase more seats this fall.

Park Service Finds Trump’s Arch Could Detract From Dozens of Historic Places

The 250-foot-tall edifice would alter views across Washington and Arlington Cemetery.

Don't Forget How Florida Defeated Faucism and Vindicated Federalism

Struggling Colleges Raiding Their Endowments To Pay the Bills

It's the last resort for institutions on the brink: tapping restricted funds from donors to keep the lights on. ‘The money they donated is not being used for what they gave it for.'

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.

Star Academic at Cambridge Can't Back Up His Own Stories

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…

For Trump, the Year Is Always 2020

President Trump insists on revisiting and rewriting much of what happened six years ago, including the coronavirus pandemic and the election he lost. Many voters would rather he focus on 2026.

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…

Top Dem torches socialists taking over his party: 'They're anti-American'

Josh Gottheimer says Democratic Socialists of America are "not Democrats" and accuses them of trying to hijack the party as a vessel for socialism.

Fauci vs. the Republican Witch Hunt

The right danced a jig of joy over Dr. Anthony Fauci's invoking the Fifth Amendment before Rand Paul's Senate Homeland Security Committee. The Kentucky Republican knew in advance that Fauci would give no substantive testimony. Yet he paraded the 8…

New Prime Minister Burnham Has a Prisoner Problem on His Hands

The Rise of Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons

In the 30th instalment of ‘Nations of Canada,’ Greg Koabel describes the expanding Jesuit presence of the late 1630s—and the increasingly bitter opposition it provoked among France’s local Indigenous allies.

Blanche’s Documents Addressing Trump I.R.S. Deal Leave Loopholes

Critics say the written assurances are a political solution to a political problem, rather than a legally binding document.

NYT Column Decries Calling the Civil War the ‘Civil War’

Anthony Conwright claims doing so leads to ongoing racism and the erosion of democracy itself.

A Beautiful Odyssey, Made Dreary By Remorse

Christopher Nolan’s creation is a big movie in every technical sense. But inside, it is diminished and faded: heroes who aren’t allowed to be heroes and gods who aren’t allowed to be gods.

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.

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 Grift at the Gate

The Grift Industrial Complex targeted Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey—and got buried.

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 Has Forgotten What Voters Want

Throughout a turbulent weekend, Trump oscillated between profound and preposterous issues that all seem to merit equal time in his mind.

GOP Transformed 3 Times in 20 Years, Each Time Got Stronger

Ashley Etienne, the former communications director for Vice President Harris, said on this week's NBC 'Meet the Press' roundtable that the Democratic Socialists are an "existential threat" to the Democratic Party establishment

Inside the Secretive Boards Deciding Trans Troops’ Fate

The Pentagon is relying on closed-door hearings to kick out transgender service members. An Army Reserve lawyer is one of the few who have seen how they really work.

Five Takeaways About the Common Good

Fusionism was, is, and will be the best framework for holding the tension between the moral order we need and individual liberty.

FIRST ON FOX: Trump to open direct line with military families in ground-up readiness push

Trump's executive order creates a Military Spouse Commission chaired by Jennifer Hegseth to address childcare, housing, employment and healthcare.

Biting the Hand

Artists increasingly insist that their work and their politics are indivisible. They should not be surprised when the institutions that fund them agree.

Top Trump ally warns super PAC bankrolled by Dem billionaire is meddling in his GOP primary

Rep. Andy Ogles says the $2 million clean energy PAC spending against him in Tennessee's Republican primary proves how much groups profit from subsidies.

Outrage over noncitizens allegedly voting in elections ignites probe into Garden State Dems

Jim Jordan and Bryan Steil demand documents from New Jersey on federal voting law compliance after 6,600 noncitizens were added to voter rolls.

Documents Undercut Trump’s Claims About Bears Ears National Monument

President Trump said recreation in Bears Ears National Monument was virtually impossible. Documents reviewed by The New York Times show officials knew otherwise.

The ‘Sex Recession’ is Real

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay talks to Debra Soh, author of ‘Sextinction: The Decline of Sex and the Future of Intimacy,’ about neuroscience, hypergamy, elephant seals, politicised sex research, the perils of polyamory, and the sex-repellent…

Trump's AG pick off life support after key Republican rebels relent

Todd Blanche's AG confirmation has new life after Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said they were satisfied with the deal to kill the anti-weaponization fund.

NEW: Trump, Blanche Concede – Cut Deal with Cornyn

The School for Civic Life Is an Asset to UNC

Which is perhaps why lefties on the faculty and student body don’t like it.

What Darline Graham Isn't Saying

Missing was any reference to Iran, Ukraine or any of the foreign-policy issues that animated her late brother during his 23 years in the Senate.

MI Senate Primary Becomes Democrats' Latest Proxy War

Chuck Schumer isn't much for subtlety. When the Senate Democratic leader called retiring Sen. Gary Peters into his office in late June, Schumer went right to discussing the primary to succeed Peters in his home state of Michigan.

Galloway: 'He's Implying We've Done Something Wrong'

Pre-Trump GOP Is Coming for Vance

The Wall Street Journal opinion page tried to stop Donald Trump a decade ago and again in 2024. Now, the standard-bearer of traditional conservatism is making an early case against his presumed heir.

Kay Granger, Pathbreaking Texas Congresswoman, Dies at 83

She was the first Republican woman from the state to be elected to the House. It caused a stir in 2024 when she was discovered to be residing in a senior living facility while still in office.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

‘Special sauce of crazy’ — Midwest Dem candidate’s policies too extreme for voters: opponent

Mike Rogers says he's ready to defeat either Abdul El-Sayed or Haley Stevens in Michigan's Senate showdown as the Democratic primary battle rages on.