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

The Right's Woman Problem

With Karoline Leavitt departing as press secretary, the White House loses one of its most conspicuous women.

Drink More Ovaltine

The jokes we told in a Venezuelan prison.

Iceland voters say no to negotiations to join EU

Icelandic voters reportedly narrowly rejected a proposal to restart negotiations to join the European Union, as voters sided with independence versus the capital city's general desire to restart talks that were suspended more than a decade ago.

Silicon Valley exec ignites firestorm after accusing JD Vance of bringing DEI back

Silicon Valley exec Ankit Gupta’s X post describing JD Vance’s push to hire and train Americans as a return of 'DEI' drew sharp rebukes from Trump officials and conservative voices.

Andy Burnham Meets the Standard of Misconstrual

This was an entirely fake controversy, and Burnham’s reputation has been unjustly tarred.

Kevin Warsh Makes the Case for Rate Hikes

In his Jackson Hole speech, the Fed chair did everything but say it out loud.

Leftists Will Never Self-Reflect or Apologize

Leftists will never experience a grand revelation for the horrors they've inflicted on the American people and offer atonement.

West Virginia looks to AI data center boom to help eliminate state income tax

Gov. Patrick Morrisey's seven-point plan would dedicate 50% of hyperscale data center revenue to reducing and eliminating West Virginia's income tax.

Is Trump's Bid To Brand Dems as 'Radical' Working?

After casting his vote in South Carolina, a man who introduced himself as Chestnut was unwilling to give his full name. "You don't have a need to know," the air force veteran declared. He was, however, happy to share his views.

‘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.

Ed Markey Defends Transgender Athletes in Massachusetts Senate Race

Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts has emerged as a vocal defender of transgender rights as he tries to fend off a primary challenge from Representative Seth Moulton.

Supreme Court Just Gave Mail-In Ballot Safeguards a Chance

The Supreme Court's decision to stay the injunction blocking President Trump's March executive order on mail-in ballots gives voters something they are clamoring for: greater confidence in election integrity. A new Rasmussen Reports survey finds t…

Trump says he will report NBC host to FCC for ‘rebuke or punishment’

The president’s latest in a string of threats against broadcasters followed a comment by Kristen Welker about “some mixed results” from his midterm endorsements.

Stories You Don’t Want to Be Told

A new exhibition curated by Lars von Trier provides a fascinating look at who and what has influenced one of the world’s most prodigiously gifted and provocative filmmakers.

I Don’t Like Flock Cameras, but I Don’t Think They’re Unconstitutional

The courts are not going to save us. We’ll have to do this work politically.

Wile E. Coyote Finally Lawyers Up

After Warner Bros. dropped an anvil on Coyote vs. Acme, Ketchup Entertainment saved it from oblivion — and we are richer for it.

DC public schools face special grand jury probe into attendance, truancy and graduation records

A special grand jury is probing D.C. public schools over truancy, graduation rates and how attendance records are documented across campuses.

How states’ fight over an ICE agent could open a new political battleground

Minnesota wants Texas to turn over an officer charged with shooting an immigrant. Such extraditions are usually routine, but in this case politics loom large.

Clarence Thomas Played the Long Game. He Won.

Massive AI boom puts one of America’s oldest manufacturers on path to double in size, CEO says

Corning is partnering with NVIDIA to build three optical-manufacturing facilities as AI data centers drive unprecedented demand for glass fiber.

Dem Senate hopeful pivots on data centers as rising power costs collide with campaign

Roy Cooper celebrated data center growth as North Carolina governor, but his Senate campaign now targets their energy use as a rate hike driver.

Nature: Scientists Should Have to Register with Governments to Prevent ‘Misinformation’

A scandalously anti-science editorial from the world’s leading science journal.

Shapiro's Shame: The COVID Playbook, Lancaster Edition

Why on Earth Shouldn't We Call 9/11 'a Terrorist Attack'?

Next month it will be 25 years since 9/11. But for journalists at CBC, the taxpayer-funded Canadian TV network, reporting on the anniversary could prove tricky.

El-Sayed Apologizes for March Comment About Michigan Synagogue Attack

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, faced criticism from Jewish Democrats after remarking, “hurt people hurt people.”

The Gift of Testimony: Sunday Reflection

Meet the ex-Republicans running as Democrats in the midterms

In races across the country, former GOP politicians are leaning into their pasts.

Trump indicates support for Christian-backed plan to help Canadian Jews escape antisemitism

Trump amplified a plan for expedited legal pathways for Jewish Canadians fleeing antisemitic persecution as Christian lawmakers press his administration.

U.S. Attacks Island in Strait of Hormuz; Iran Retaliates With Missile Fire

The exchange on Sunday was the first known military action between the two nations in a month, raising the risk of a renewed round of fighting.

Is the USA Going Bankrupt?

Mamdani's Universal Child Care Extension Turns Into 'an Absolute Disaster'

The Troubled State of Sociology

Increasingly, sociologists are expected to avoid research questions and theories that involve the role of culture in shaping societal inequalities.

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

Friday's Final Word

Claire's Weekly Letter: Punished for Truth-Seeking

Milo Yiannopoulos, Right-Wing Agitator, Deported Home to U.K.

Mr. Yiannopoulos, an early supporter of President Trump and vocal supporter of mass deportations, was himself sent back to his home country, part of a long fall from right-wing grace.

This Appalachian memoir author is running as a Democratic contrast to JD Vance

Beth Macy is challenging Rep. Ben Cline in a bright-red Virginia district, hoping her own story and the stories she told about the region will win back rural and working-class White voters.

Trump’s Venezuelan Oil Deal Relies on a Powerful and Divisive Partner

The administration will work with a private Venezuelan oil company that has close ties to the country’s government.

Hegseth's Path to the 2028 GOP Nomination Is No Joke

The defense secretary's tough-guy persona may be exactly what wins over white evangelical voters

The Blues Brothers and the Pope

They don’t make a dime, wreck their car, and end up in jail.

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…

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 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.

California bill recognizing 2 Islamic holidays nears Newsom’s desk

Gavin Newsom could soon decide whether California public schools and state workers get formal recognition of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha holidays.

Sen. Ed Markey is 80 and says he’s the voice of Massachusetts’s youth

The Democrat wants to counter his younger challenger’s calls for a “new generation of leadership” by focusing Tuesday’s primary on ideology, not age.

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…

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.

South Carolina mail-in voting law illegally discriminates, appeals court rules

South Carolina's mail-in ballot age exemption for voters over 65 was struck down as a 26th Amendment violation, but the state plans to appeal further.

Ditching Net Zero

Becoming American vs. Living in America

I believe this radical thought that stems from the Constitution, the Declaration, that America exists to secure the blessings of liberty for Americans, which is to say America exists for Americans.

The Autism Epidemic That Wasn’t

The Trump administration’s scientific illiteracy about rates of autism is going to have catastrophic results.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

How I spent my summer: At the Reflecting Pool

Our reporter reflects on her months at the memorial, as it turned blue, then green, then peeling, amid the dead ducks and gawkers and National Guard.

El-Sayed apologizes for March comments about Michigan synagogue attack

The Democratic Senate candidate said he regretted comments in which he linked the synagogue attack to a broader cycle of violence. "You don’t ever want to trample somebody’s pain," he said.

Finally, ICE Catches and Detains the Worst of the Worst

With one swift act, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement makes the country a better place.

A Death on Another's Head

We should worry about the perverse incentives created by elevating a self-killer and punishing his enemies.

The Ever-Expanding 'Discrimination' Definition

Ateacher of English told me in his class more than sixty years ago that his job was to teach discrimination: between the meritorious and the meretricious, the beautiful and the ugly, the good and the bad. If the result of his teaching was that we …

An Unsatisfactory Settlement

What rules should govern our online digital lives? What rights do we have as digital citizens? The Meta settlement raises more questions than it answers.

U.S. forces strike Iranian launch site in first disclosed attack in nearly a month

The U.S. struck Iranian launchers on an island in the Strait of Hormuz, the first publicly acknowledged attack on Tehran’s forces in weeks.

CNN Political Briefing

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

Trump just brokered a deal with the country sitting atop the world’s largest oil reserves

President Donald Trump's Venezuela oil deal targets 65 billion barrels across 17 fields, but major infrastructure hurdles stand before pump relief.

The Most Ridiculous Presidential Ranking

Trump recycled a ranking reflecting midcentury liberal preferences just so he could call himself the ‘greatest.’

Sunday Smiles

How Trump’s Policy Agenda Runs Through One Federal Court, in Texas

For years, conservative litigants flocked to Judge Reed O’Connor’s district. Now, North Texas has become a favorite destination of the Justice Department.

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.

Newsom hit with lawsuit threat as whistleblower begs Trump for help with ‘monumental’ fraud scandal

Assemblyman Carl DeMaio says he plans to file a lawsuit against Gavin Newsom's new California law that he claims criminalizes citizen journalism.

From 'All In' to Tap the Brakes: Josh Shapiro Redefines Pennsylvania's Tech Boom

Republicans tighten screws on Sherrill as noncitizen voter probe enters new phase

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill's reply to a voter-roll inquiry drew fire from Jeff Van Drew, who calls it "snarky" and signals possible subpoenas.

SpaceX Plans to Launch a NASA Space Telescope This Weekend

Life Inside Iran Is Becoming Intolerable

Given the economic pressures on the regime, something has to give.

Mark Carney Goes to War With Trump

The Canadian PM is one of the few world leaders to stand up to the US president. Former colleagues say they are not surprised

AI and the Bioweapon Threat

The knowledge and infrastructure needed to engineer a pandemic pathogen, once confined to a handful of elite military and civilian research institutions, are quietly becoming more accessible.

The Catholic Revival and Free Student Admission to the Anti-Communist Film Festival

A Radically Simple Plan To Fix Higher Education

Voters are clear in their demand for greater affordability, with college costs near the top of their list. Here's how to deliver it.

America's Schools Designed to Tear Down Young Men

Class clowns have been turned into class frowns.

Trump Says Venezuelan Oil Will Refill U.S. Stockpiles, but It’s Not So Simple

New projects can take years to produce meaningful amounts of oil, and that’s especially true in Venezuela, where infrastructure is in disrepair.

Fact-Checking Senate Races in Georgia, Alaska and Texas

Candidates’ attacks are focused on illegal immigration, faith and stock trading.

A Grievous Gap in One State’s Higher Ed

In today’s Martin Center article, Christopher Schilling explains that, though North Carolina “requires Holocaust education for public school students,” there is no such requirement for…

Military leaders warn Hegseth against extending Iran war operations

A recent classified assessment advised that prolonged large-scale operations in the Middle East risk weakening U.S. capabilities elsewhere.

Do Republicans Need More Trump?

Republicans need to give their voters a rationale for voting the straight ticket.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

Postal Service Rule Could Bar Millions From Voting by Mail

A judge temporarily blocked the agency from implementing a strict new rule governing mail voting. The policy could disproportionately affect Democrats and many battleground elections.

Carney Has Canadians’ Support on Trump. Now Comes the Hard Part.

The U.S.-Canada trade war has galvanized Canadians behind their prime minister’s decision to walk away from negotiations. What happens when the time comes for talks to restart?

Women’s Sport or ‘Transformational’ Activism: It Can’t Be Both

A U.S.-based Australian Rules Football league allows trans-identified men to play on women’s teams. When one turned out to be a convicted sex criminal, no one wanted to talk about it.

Why the United States Can’t Quit Its Wars

The country’s longest war came to an end exactly five years ago. Today it offers lessons for policymakers seeking to avoid an endless war in Iran.

Hasan Piker to Dems: Don't Quit Me

Red Reign

A thrash-metal classic turns forty.

Gov. Abbott blocks funding in Texas for Flock cameras as bipartisan fury brews

The automated license plate readers aren’t popular with the public. Politicians are catching on.

Net Zero Won't Fix Climate Change. Technology Will

Treat a warming planet as an engineering problem rather than a moral failing, and it starts to look solvable.

Teleprompter Operator Who Bet on Trump Speeches Is Ordered to Pay Fine

Gabriel Perez had access to the president’s speeches before they were delivered and was accused of placing unlawful wagers on words that would be spoken.

The First Amendment Does Not Belong Only to the Beloved

Some constitutional victories arrive with trumpets. Others arrive quietly in a case the press has decided not to love, for a journalist many would rather not defend. Democracy Partners v. O'Keefe is one of the latter.James O'Keefe is controversial…