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

U.S. Military Sinks Boats Said to Aid Drug Smuggling Near Ecuador

Unlike dozens of similar strikes, no one was killed after people suspected of drug smuggling were removed from what the U.S. military described as a floating refueling station.

Lindsay Clancy and the Inversion of Feminism

The comparison works in reverse too. To make Lindsay Clancy representative of ordinary women is to make ordinary women more like Clancy

For Fired DeSantis Campaign Staff Member, a Second Chance at State Dept.

The hiring of Nate Hochman, who lost his job amid an uproar over a video containing a Nazi symbol, underscores the administration’s willingness to overlook past transgressions.

Revolutionary Bloodlust, Ghoulish Satisfaction

Another senseless murder elicits a depraved reaction.

Trump Says More Insane Things About the Federal Reserve

He doesn’t understand how any of this works.

The Federal Reserve Is Out of Excuses

If Americans want inflation to return to normal levels, the Fed is going to have to do what it knows it has to do.

With a Gerrymander Vanquished, Wisconsin Democrats Aim for Control

The swing state of Wisconsin had one of the most undemocratic State Assembly maps in the country. Now Democrats have a chance to take control of the legislature.

Trump appeals to Supreme Court as time runs out on push to restrict mail voting

With November midterms approaching, two swing states are sending ballots, and other states plan to send theirs soon.

Red Reign

A thrash-metal classic turns forty.

Time to Defeat the Legal Jihad Against 9/11 Families

Politics of the Day

Politics of the 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.

Claire's Weekly Letter: The autism epidemic that wasn't

Naked in America

To be naked is to give up obsessive self-presentation and take off the mask.

Pistol-packing man knocks over fairgoers forcing his way toward Ohio governor candidate Amy Acton, police say

Amy Acton's campaign says the Ohio governor candidate was targeted by an armed individual at the Canfield Fair as political violence fears mount.

Big Money to Be Made Assisting Suicides

Do we really want to financially incentivize access to suicide and let doctors get rich providing it?

Armed Man Arrested After Charging Toward Democratic Candidate for Ohio Governor

The authorities are charging the man, who they said had two pistols and a Taser on him but did not draw his weapons, with misdemeanor assault.

Republicans Get a Win at the Supreme Court

Looking Back on 9/11

I hate to use this column to say I told you so, but in this case, The Nation was on the right side of history.

Covering the Culture Wars

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Benjamin Ryan about his journalistic adventures reporting on AIDS, monkeypox, gender activism, and the Jason Arday saga.

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.

Friends and Foes

‘I think there’s something admirable and rare about going to bat for your old pal.’

The Legacy of Cain: Sunday Reflection

Trump begins major midterm spending with $10 million ad buy in Texas

Republicans, nervous about the tight Senate race in the Lone Star state, hope Trump’s political war chest can boost GOP nominee Ken Paxton.

Sunday Smiles

Kushner, Witkoff set for Kyiv talks after Putin meeting in US push for peace

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Vladimir Putin for over three hours in Moscow before heading to Kyiv to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Power Without Principle

The Trump administration does not know how to use American power to expand American influence, and its officials do not care to learn.

The Dumb Prince and His Stupid Wife - Making No Friends Anywhere They Go

Is a Blue Wave Building?

Democrats lead in the same average of polls on the generic congressional ballot, which measures which party voters prefer to control Congress.

Saturday'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.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Hasan Piker brushes off Dems who see him as a liability, names his '28 choice

Hasan Piker told Fox News his job isn't to help the Democratic Party, even as consultant James Carville called him "an idiot" who isn't a Democrat.

Dems descend on posh island getaway packed with deep-pocketed donors as midterms close in

Hakeem Jeffries, Jon Ossoff and Josh Turek are among Democrats flocking to Nantucket to court wealthy donors despite the party's anti-elite rhetoric.

WSJ: Say, Trump May Actually Win the Hormuz Crisis – by Mooting It

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.

The mystery behind an audio clip that helped upend a Senate race

Artificial-intelligence tools increasingly allow political actors to fool voters — and help candidates cast doubt on reality.

Trump removes White House shrouds as he prepares for Xi visit

The president had ordered repairs to the iconic, and Ionic, columns outside the White House entrance.

Remembering the Morning of September 11, 2001

A quarter-century ago, on the Tuesday morning of September 11, 2001, I took a late commuter train from Westchester to the Manhattan Institute's offices. Around Spuyten Duyvil, the flip phones-those old Nokias and Motorolas-started ringing, followe…

Trump appears to debut darker hair, sparking online buzz

New photos of President Trump stepping off Air Force One with what appeared to be a darker hairstyle have quickly fueled social media buzz.

Summer of Mush: We're in Another Period of Stasis

I have a theory. We're in another period of stasis. Nothing much is happening, in politics at least. The economy remains surprisingly buoyant-check today's new jobs numbers. Inflation bobs along, a low-grade fever. The expected tariff-driven chaos…

Vance on Tucker

Drawing a bright line here is the right thing to do.

Gen Z's Politics Aren't What People Think

After 12 years of dominating American politics - either as president, as a candidate, or from the sidelines - Donald Trump will finally exit the stage in 2028, and it's anybody's guess what will come next.

For Trump’s Former Fixer, a Tortured Path From ‘Rat’ to Reconciliation

The president has made peace with Michael D. Cohen, his onetime lawyer who turned against him. But contrary to Mr. Trump’s claims, Mr. Cohen has not recanted the testimony that helped convict his former boss.

Sanders pushes 'death penalty' for crucial US industry that could give advantage to foreign adversaries

Progressives on Capitol Hill are pushing a proposal to ban artificial superintelligence, but critics warn the move could hand global tech dominance over to China and Russia.

Does Trump Even Care About the Midterms?

Such is the US president's narcissism that he would see a Democratic victory as proof that he's indispensable - meanwhile, his every decision spells calamity for voters

‘Destroying the American way of life’: El-Sayed’s political orbit complicates effort to moderate his image

Abdul El-Sayed claims he's not a socialist, but Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democratic Socialists of America ties tell a different story.

New York’s Race to Moderation

In the New York City suburbs, appealing to moderation is a winning bet.

Fact-Checking Midterm Ads Referring to Jeffrey Epstein

Candidates have traded attacks on votes to releasing the Epstein files and political donations from those with links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Pennsylvania Democrats Denounce Fetterman as 'Disgrace'

Pennsylvania Democrats are speaking out about accounts in a sprawling Wall Street Journal report of Sen. John Fetterman skipping constituent meetings and dodging responsibilities.

As War Grinds On, Trump Relishes Renovation Projects

President Trump is basking in the momentum of the various projects he has spurred around downtown Washington.

Rent Control ... Still Doesn't Work

As Midterms Approach, Republicans Find There Is No Escape From Trump

The president’s strategy, message and spending have left the G.O.P. in a difficult spot as lawmakers try to outrun his sagging approval ratings.

Trump Administration Again Asks Supreme Court to Allow Mail Voting Restrictions

The filing puts the legality of the president’s push to impose limits on mail voting squarely before the justices even as states begin sending out ballots.

Trump pledged to lower prices in eight areas. Have they risen or fallen?

Test your knowledge and see which campaign promises the president has achieved.

After 'Lake America,' Trump suggests a new name for the state of New Mexico

The White House reposted Trump's Truth Social image showing New Mexico crossed out and rebranded as "America" days after the Lake America order.

Vance’s Scoreboard

It’s not clear to me that Vance’s statement is especially supportable.

America Still Needs an Endgame in Iran

Iran exploited U.S. fears of escalation for decades, but Trump's military pressure campaign is finally making asymmetry work both directions.

The Case for Elites with Richard Hanania | Quillette Cetera Episode 71

Political scientist Richard Hanania discusses why populism usually fails, why Western elites matter, immigration, MAGA, H-1B visas, housing and declining fertility.

The World Isn't Ending, But Liberal Progressivism Is

It turns out most of us no longer believe in progress. And when that happens, it quickly becomes a crisis for societies like ours

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…

New Science Ph.D. Program Saves Time and Money

A new program offers an alternative to the standard academic Ph.D. in science, and this competition will prove beneficial.

Armed individual ‘lunged’ at Democratic nominee for Ohio governor, campaign says

Amy Acton’s campaign said multiple people were injured at the event at a county fair in Canfield, Ohio.

The Battle to Save General Donahue From Hegseth’s Army Purge

Gen. Christopher T. Donahue’s vision for fighting future wars won him powerful supporters around the world. Could they save his career?

The Questions We Must Ask About Islam

A Muslim reformer's warning about Western timidity, Islamist extremism, and the defense of civilization.

Why So Many Young Men Are Giving Up on Work

Sydney psychiatrist Tanveer Ahmed on why men who quit work aren't depressed but demoralised, and how mental health labels became a rival source of status and dignity.

Trump admin’s mail-in ballot fight lands back at Supreme Court

The Trump administration asks the Supreme Court to enforce postal service ballot mail restrictions as North Carolina ballots already enter the mail.

Arthurdale's New Deal Experiment, and the Debate Over Socialism

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…

An Abject Policy Failure

An unorthodox survey suggests it’s time for the Australian government to concede defeat in the tobacco wars. Will it have the guts to do so?

How Trumpism Is Ushering World Into a New Era

This US presidency is rewriting the rules of global governance and ushering the world into a new era.

On the Suppression of KSM’s Coerced Confessions in the 9/11 Case

Again the gnawing question: what to do about terrorists who should be executed when it may be impossible to try them?

‘The Battle of Algiers’ at Sixty

Watching Gillo Pontecorvo’s film six decades after its release permits a nuanced understanding of the events that it portrays, which was unavailable when it first came out.

Letitia James’ Times Square shooting probe draws GOP criticism over New York’s mental health crisis

Saritha Komatireddy proposes a new Office of Civil Commitment after the Times Square fatal stabbing, saying New York fails mentally ill people.

The Times on the Latest Trump Leak Investigation

The fact that intelligence leaks may embarrass the president is not a reason to refrain from investigating them.

Stop the Democrats' Scheme to Pack the Supreme Court

These are the most important House races to watch in November

Democrats are favored to win the House, but Republicans have viable paths to keeping control. These are the key themes and races to keep an eye on.

CNN Political Briefing

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

Mamdani under fire after symbolic 9/11 pen goes to former al Qaeda defense lawyer

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faces backlash for handing a 9/11 ceremonial pen to aide Ramzi Kassem, who represented a convicted al Qaeda member.

How a Colorado School District Is Fighting Trump’s Anti-Transgender Push

Jefferson County, Colo., is one of the few public school systems to sue the Trump administration over demands that it revoke transgender protections or face funding cuts.

8 everyday things that would quit working without data centers

Data centers power everything from streaming and gaming to AI chatbots and fraud detection. Here's how they quietly run the apps you use daily.

Claire's Weekly Letter: Naked in America

Friday's Final Word

New Hampshire Democrats Sound an Alarm: ‘We’re Losing’

The state has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 2010. But Chris Pappas, the likely Democratic nominee, anticipates a tough race against a well-known opponent, John E. Sununu.

Inside Pirro’s special grand jury probe into D.C. agencies supervising kids

The investigation appears focused on whether officials are adequately supervising children in and out of school, with scrutiny on attendance and social worker visits.

Reasons to Leave China

The Chinese Communist Party cannot and will not accept that its time in the sun has passed. But the public knows.

This Take on Hamas and Its Western Supporters Is Worth Reading

The $64 Question, Again

Anna D. Shapiro’s recent revival of Eric Bentley’s 1972 play about the HUAC hearings offered entertainment along with the pleasures of moral certainty and ideological reinforcement.

Trump’s Mail-In Ballot Rules Return to the Supreme Court — but the Actual Dispute Is Missing

The Court will be presented with a kabuki dispute over a power the USPS isn’t claiming, even after the president ordered it to claim precisely that power.