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

Trump to form ‘AI Force,’ name AI czar but rejects calls for constraints

A growing chorus of lawmakers and industry leaders have called for moving more slowly on the technology.

Russia Warns New U.S. Sanctions Law Would Harm Trump’s Peace Efforts

President Trump signed the legislation, named for Senator Lindsey Graham, at the White House, but he has broad leeway to waive its requirements.

An Anti-Communist Film Festival Comes to Washington, D.C.: It Couldn’t Be More Timely

It’s important that we honor and promote films that challenge and refute the many Hollywood products that have whitewashed communism

Trump hails Greenland security deal that falls short of takeover

The agreement, which Danish officials said is not final, stops far short of Trump's often-stated goal of taking possession of the territory.

Congressman Tom Barrett: 'Being a socialist should disqualify him for people's consideration in my district'

Michigan's Tom Barrett is locked in a tight race in the Lansing-based 7th District against William Lawrence, founder of the Sunrise Movement.

How Trump’s Trade War Could Hurt Republican Efforts to Hold the Senate

In a handful of border states and industrial states that could decide Senate control, the president’s standoff with Canada has drawn criticism from voters, including some who supported him in 2024.

California Cracks Down on Influencers’ Undisclosed Political Ads

Under a new law, creators could face fines of $5,000 per post if they don’t disclose that they were paid to make political content.

The Ape in the Basement

Why is masturbation so shameful?

Trump Says His Son Will Pay Back Russian Businessman for Wedding Party

The president said his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., had decided to return the money, but defended the gift worth hundreds of thousands of dollars as “totally allowed.”

Has Philadelphia DA Finally Taken It Too Far?

Krasner has long worked as a second public defender for the city, running on his work to reduce the prosecution and incarceration of accused felons.

Our Great American Heritage Belongs to All Americans

Objections by ‘heritage Americans’ seem designed to prove my point.

The Canada Goose

Mark Carney is quite the leader. Frustrated by U.S. demands for participation in a North American trading block, which would purportedly sacrifice too much of Canada's sovereign right to make its own decisions about trading relationships, Carney i…

The 'Modern-Day Lynching' Hoax -- and the Elephant in the Room

How did the GOP wrangle its slim House majority? Ask Rep. Tom Emmer.

The Republican whip describes how he worked to get the president's agenda through a closely divided House without burning bridges or losing his sense of humor.

What We Learned From the 2026 Primaries

Primary season came to an end this week when voters in Delaware headed to the polls on September 15. That same day, early in-person general-election voting started in four states. So it's a good time to take a step back and look at what the primar…

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…

Justice Department charges 16 across multiple states with alleged illegal voting, election crimes

The Department of Justice charged 16 people across multiple states for alleged illegal voting, with eight noncitizens in Texas among those accused.

Who is Dario Amodei, the Anthropic CEO pushing independent AI oversight?

Dario Amodei's plan for "embedded evaluators" to supervise AI companies gains new urgency after OpenAI's ChatGPT agents reportedly went rogue.

What to Do When Campus Stalking Is Being Directed by Students

A.I. Gone Rogue? Trump Proposes Not New Rules but an ‘A.I. Force.’

The president proposed a follow-up to his Space Force but continued to dismiss worries about A.I.’s pace or potential for harm.

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.

Psaki on Sweeney Bodd: It's Misogynistic to Get Naked While Not Progressive, or Something

Sydney Sweeney Is the Epitome of What Modern Feminists Fight For

So why are they all so mad at her?

Hispanics flock to this university. It let campus police double as ICE agents.

Leaders of Florida International University signed an agreement to deputize its school police as immigration agents. Some wish they had put up more of a fight.

Why AI Oligarchs Want To Be Regulated

Friday, September 18th on RealClearPolitics - Joined by RCP Contributor and Attorney Richard Porter, along with Institute for Political Innovation founder, Katherine Gehl

Sherrod Brown Tries a New Retort to Criticism on Transgender Issues

A spot from the Senate candidate in Ohio seeks to dismiss the Republican Party’s focus on transgender rights as a distraction from economic issues.

Hasan Piker Does Not Love America

‘You don’t love something that you believe to be wicked purely because if you got your own way and completely recast it, it would be more to your liking.’

Banning Diesel Exports Would Backfire on Americans

Suppressing a product’s price won’t end well if the cost of its essential input stays elevated.

Israel's Most Consequential Election

Israelis go to the polls on 27 October. After seventeen years of Netanyahu, former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot is in the lead.

Debate No-Show Could Cost Rogers in Michigan

Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers skipped a Detroit debate against Abdul El-Sayed - and handed him a free platform in a race that's now a toss-up.

The Marriage Deficit Is an Economic Catastrophe

Secret contracts reveal undisclosed terms in Trump’s drug-pricing deals

Agreements with Pfizer and Eli Lilly include tariff protections, overseas pricing inducements and broad confidentiality clauses.

Citizen Sane

The mainstreaming of therapy culture may be driving us all out of our minds.

News Outlets Express Solidarity After Trump Bars Some Reporters

Some Democrats said President Trump’s ban was an attempt to control the press and distract voters as Republicans face deep challenges in the midterm elections.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

Losing the Sun Belt

What a blow it is to the GOP to lose the South — indeed, to preemptively cede the South.

The Real End of the Arab–Israeli Conflict?

The strategic case for Syria–Israel normalisation.

Lawyer says 250-foot Trump arch disrupts historic sightlines cherished by veterans seeking burial at Arlington

Three Vietnam veterans are suing to block Trump's Great Triumphal Arch, saying it would destroy iconic views near Arlington National Cemetery.

The Insufferable Wokeness of Bates College

The administration decreed that the college had to embark on a crusade to eliminate every possible vestige of colonialism.

'Fake News' CNN, MS Now, Politico Banned From WH

Donald Trump announced Friday he is 'banning' corporate news outlets CNN, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), and Politico from the White House.

Congress Should Block Trump from Business Deals with Putin

The president has broad authority to pursue an appeasement policy with our enemy, but Congress needn’t go along for the ride.

LA homelessness fraud cases expose deeper problem than stolen millions, oversight hawk warns

Rep. Michael Cloud says Los Angeles homelessness fraud cases expose a funding system that rewards program managers while keeping people in dependency.

‘This Country Is But One Scene of Massacre’

In the 31st instalment of ‘Nations of Canada,’ Greg Koabel describes the violent provocations that tipped the St. Lawrence region into all out war in the late 1640s.

Richard Landes on Jihad and the Apocalyptic Mind

A medievalist on apocalyptic movements, shame–honour cultures, and why he believes the Western press has spent twenty-five years reporting jihad backwards.

Vance calls midterms a referendum on ‘common sense versus pure unadulterated crazy'

JD Vance rallied in Iowa, calling the midterms a referendum on common sense and targeting Democrats he says have abandoned the working man.

Black congressional leaders endorse James Talarico in Texas Senate race

Talarico has strong support among Black voters in public polls, but he has recently stepped up his efforts to reach them.

China Is Using Washington's Playbook

When Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Washington for a summit meeting with President Trump, he will have some serious leverage.

Judge is skeptical Trump administration has fully abandoned payout fund

Officials dropped plans for a $1.8 billion fund to pay those who claimed they were wronged by the justice system. But a suit against the effort is ongoing.

What Congress Needs To Do About AI: Staff Up

In 1995, Newt Gingrich lobotomized Congress's technical brain trust. It should be rebuilt.

'Progress, Inc.' Wants Blue-Collar Vibes, Not Policies

The trouble is that the Left - more specifically, a complex of donors, media outlets, consultants, and organizations - can't actually tolerate working-class values when it comes to cultural questions like immigration, race, and gender.

Democrats Need Not Fear the Fact Checkers

Behind Trump’s public confidence, his private view of midterms is sobering

In private, the president has been hearing blunt news from advisers about the GOP’s poor chances in the midterms and has accepted that some of the problem is of his making.

Our Foreign Aid System Is Broken. Thanks to Trump, We Have a Chance to Rebuild It

During my three-decade career as a diplomat and international-development manager, I saw the sector become more wasteful, frivolous, and ideologically self-serving.

Air Force Officer Charged After Protesting Trump Says He Spoke to Defend Constitution

Major Jason Watson could face court-martial in what could become a rare test of a service member’s right to publicly dissent.

Tracking Assault Weapons Bans Across the Country as Court Battles Continue

Here are the states that have sought to limit access to some of the most lethal firearms, as gun restrictions face new legal challenges.

White House budget chief pushes for scrutiny of NIH grants in Oval Office clash

Russell Vought argued the agency has been funding “woke” priorities and suggested the president create a commission to review grants from the National Institutes of Health.

The GOP’s Buffalo buffalo

The White House’s stupid and pointless economic and cultural war with our neighbors to the north could be a legitimate problem for the GOP.

Friday's Final Word

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Trump says he will demand drug companies split up vaccines into more doses

Those comments came a day after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told attendees of a conference for the anti-vaccine group he founded that they have a “friend at the White House.”

How anti-Muslim rhetoric is influencing the pivotal Michigan Senate race

Attacks aimed at Democrat Abdul El-Sayed have brought back painful memories for some in a contest that has raised questions about the acceptability of Islamophobia in politics.

Trump announces new 'AI Force,' vows to protect industry as AI czar announcement nears

Trump's new AI Force mirrors his first-term Space Force creation, with a high-IQ "czar" appointment coming soon to oversee the booming industry.

Trump Bans CNN, Politico and MS-Now From the White House

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 Faced Loss After Loss. He Then Turned to a Familiar Target: The Press.

The president’s ban of three media outlets from the White House fits a pattern of using the apparatus of government to crack down on his perceived enemies.

Do the Women Excusing Murder Because of 'Hormones' Know What They Are Saying?

Push On to Grant ‘Rights’ to Arctic Sea Ice

The rights-of-nature movement has found its latest candidate for legal personhood: Arctic sea ice.

Bad Criticism

Name-calling, guilt-by-association, and other unscrupulous methods of argument are polluting our discourse.

Kirk family has powerful evidence, but Utah law could derail wrongful death case: experts

Utah's broad government immunity statute could block the Charlie Kirk wrongful death lawsuit against Utah Valley University over alleged security failures.

CNN Political Briefing

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

Claire's Weekly Letter: A Bright September Day

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.

How Democrats Can Win Back the Midwest

Even Ohio and Iowa, after trending Republican for years, are battlegrounds in the midterm elections.

After North Carolina’s Gerrymander, Democrat Don Davis Trumpets His Centrism in 1st District

Representative Don Davis is seeking re-election in a district redrawn by state lawmakers to lean more Republican.

FINALLY! Totally Objective Journalism!

Myths and Illusions of the Digital Age

The digital revolution is not remaking the world as the industrial one did.

DOGE and the Doomers

If we’re going to go extinct, we will probably have to do it ourselves.

Newsom: 'We Were Insane' but Elect Us to Be Insane Again

Trust and Safety or Censorship and Control?

This is Trust & Safety 2.0.The last time we had media-generated panics like this (with Russiagate and Covid), social media companies created trust & safety teams to censor conservative and dissident voices. Those hires worked with left-wing NGOs l…

The Future of Woke: The New Issue of NR Is Out

Are we ready for Woke 2, the sequel?

NORAD F-16 intercepts aircraft that violated restricted airspace over Camp David with Trump present: officials

A NORAD F-16 reportedly intercepted an aircraft violating restricted airspace over Camp David Saturday while President Donald Trump stayed there.

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…

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.

Dem’s data center attack in critical Senate race hits snag when money trail surfaces: 'Jekyll-and-Hyde'

Former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown accepted $20,000 from Google's PAC while running ads attacking a Google data center in Lancaster, Ohio.

Kennedy Center Supporters Rally Amid Fears of Trump’s Demolition

Photos of President Trump reviewing a poster board with the title “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED” spurred the largest gathering yet in support of the performing arts institution.

Trump's Latest Trade Threat Would Start a Massive Recession

Cutting off countries that export more to us than they import would mean ending trade with 95 countries and territories: China, Taiwan, South Korea, Israel - even Burundi.

The Price of Affirmative Action in Canadian Academia

Podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Eric Kaufmann about his new report, ‘⁠The Equity-Excellence Trade-Off: A Study of EDI in the Canada Research Chairs Program⁠’

CNN, MS NOW, Politico say journalists blocked from White House after Trump announces ban

President Donald Trump said Friday he would block MS NOW, CNN and Politico from White House grounds. News outlets and press advocacy groups condemned the move as a violation of the First Amendment.

MI Voters 'Just Gross' for Not Wanting the Anti-American, Anti-Breast Cancer Research Anti-Semite

Steelers and Faith: The Foundation Behind the Grit of the Gridiron

Unsealed FBI interviews reveal Obama, Emanuel's discussions about Blagojevich Senate seat deal

Newly unsealed FBI interviews reveal what Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel told agents about Rod Blagojevich's plans for the Illinois Senate seat.

Why the House let out early is a matter of debate after Johnson says chamber has 'done its work'

Thomas Massie claims Mike Johnson sent the House home early to dodge a vote on his eight privileged impeachment articles against Pete Hegseth.

Zineb Riboua on Islamism, Israel and the West’s New Culture War | Quillette Cetera Episode 72

Political analyst Zineb Riboua discusses Iran’s declining influence, the Houthis, Turkey’s ambitions, Israel’s changing role in the Middle East, Islamist radicalisation in Europe, AI doomerism, third-worldism and the West’s demographic decline.