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

Jeb Bush praises Trump for crippling Iran’s military, but warns of ‘threat’ to US from reported drones in Cuba

Jeb Bush praised Trump for crippling Iran but warned that 300 Shahed-136 explosive drones are reportedly stationed in Cuba, posing a threat.

Questions remain about defense strategy for man accused of killing Charlie Kirk

A preliminary hearing to establish whether there is enough evidence against Tyler James Robinson for the case to proceed to trial enters Day 3 in Utah.

Maine Democrats don’t seem eager for an endorsement from Graham Platner

The Post asked would-be replacement candidates whether they wanted the support of Platner, under fire over a sexual assault allegation. Four responded, in the negative.

Democratic Party fissures are shaping Michigan’s crucial Senate primary

The race is the next, and perhaps biggest, battle between the Democrats’ warring factions.

We Are All Still Living in Bill Clinton’s Moral World

Thirty years ago, the Democratic Party persuaded the American people to stop caring about the moral character of public men.

After Greenland bluster, Trump surprises NATO allies with praise

The president embraced the alliance in a meeting Wednesday, extolling member nations’ defense spending and saying nothing about the Danish territory, officials said.

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.

Democratic factions vie to pick Platner replacement before he leaves Maine race

Potential candidates and their backers moved quickly to gain an edge in the contest over who would replace Graham Platner if he exits the key Senate race.

Ukrainians Cautiously Welcome Trump’s Announcement About Patriot Missile Systems

President Trump said the United States would license Ukraine to produce Patriots, which can intercept ballistic missiles. But it could be months or years before those are ready.

Trump Revives the Red Scare

Recent wins by democratic socialists have Trump reviving Cold War-era fears

Inside the Implosion of Graham Platner’s Maine Senate Campaign: ‘A Slow-Rolling Disaster’

Graham Platner’s bid for the Senate inspired progressive Democrats. But the campaign, which he suspended Wednesday, was messy, disorganized and ultimately doomed by a steady drip of scandal.

Charlie Is My Darling

Claudia Verhoeven’s new book is a valuable contribution to the crowded library of Mansonia.

Can Trump’s Arch Be So Tall? A Panel May Redefine a Law to Get to Yes.

The proposed 250-foot arch would violate a height limit on Washington structures under the traditional reading of the law. But the panel, now led by the president’s allies, has other ideas.

Ex-girlfriend of Graham Platner says he removed condoms without consent during sex

The campaign for the Democratic Senate candidate in Maine called the allegation “categorically false and politically motivated.”

Ro Khanna Shows How Billionaire Taxes Will Become Millionaire Taxes Then...

Peak Mamdani This Week

An Ugly Picture Emerging Around Wikipedia

Wikipedia is decidedly not a lovely, idealistic project staffed by students, scholars, and retirees who just want to share their knowledge to benefit the world. To be sure, there are people involved for whom this is true. But the site has manifest…

Maine voters, once loyal to Platner, abandon him after sexual assault allegation

Some voters said they stuck with the progressive candidate through several controversies, but drew the line after a new allegation of sex assault.

Dems Haven't Learned a Thing From Biden Fiasco

Now that a liberal woman has credibly accused him of rape, the rats have deserted the sinking ship and the Democrat-endorsed US Senate candidate for Maine has dropped out.

Who is Troy Jackson, a Democrat running for Senate in Maine?

Mr. Jackson, a longtime state legislator, lost a Democratic primary for governor this year. He has already earned some high-profile endorsements.

Fetterman: Bernie Owes America An Apology for Pushing a Rapist For the Senate

Trump's voter ID bill catches unlikely break as McConnell remains sidelined

Mitch McConnell's weeks-long absence removes one key "no" vote on the SAVE America Act, but Senate Republicans still face a filibuster problem.

The End of Reading Is Here

Optimists once believed that universal literacy was inevitable. Now it seems that the age of reading might be a short anomaly in human history.

Scruton on the Sacred and Profaned

There is a logic to the things we do, and we often don’t understand what we do.

First Nations Chief, Podcast Pundit, Indigenous Gadfly

Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Aaron Pete, Chief of the Chawathil First Nation, about reserve governance, residential schools, ‘unmarked graves,’ and intra-Indigenous politics.

Why Australia's New Capital Gains Tax Is the Best Tax Policy for Crushing the Economy

Fund manager Derek Francis tells Claire Lehmann that Treasury's modelling of Australia's new capital gains tax contains a basic error — one that could push tax rates on shares as high as 70 percent.

9 possible candidates who could replace Platner on Maine’s ballot

Will Democrats choose another progressive nominee or distance themselves from Graham Platner’s wing of the party amid his scandals?

CNN Political Briefing

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

Toy Story 5 Remembers What Playtime Is For

This is a movie in love with the things worth keeping: play, loyalty, and the small rites by which one generation gives the next something to hold.

The surprising hidden cost quietly adding nearly $132K to new home prices revealed

Government regulations add nearly $132,000 to a new home's price, up 40% since 2021, according to a new NAHB study on the housing affordability crisis.

Who is Shenna Bellows, a Democrat interested in running for Senate in Maine?

Trump says Democrats replacing Platner is 'very hard for them to do'

Trump said Democrats will struggle to replace Graham Platner after the Maine Senate candidate suspended his campaign amid rape allegations from Politico.

Trump Says He’ll Ask Supreme Court to Rehear Citizenship Case, an Unlikely Event

The last time the justices granted a rehearing request after a case decision was in 1965. The court has only once reversed itself after rehearing a case.

A Statement on My Future, and What's Needed To Fix Britain

If I lose, they win. If they win, you lose.

Biden-era enviro rule accused of strangling truckers, squeezing Americans lands on Trump chopping block

The EPA proposes eliminating DEF-related engine deratements that force heavy-duty trucks and farm equipment into limp mode at five miles per hour.

The Long Road to Medical ‘Miracles’

How decades of invisible science produced two cancer breakthroughs.

Supreme Court justices to make rare appearance before Congress

Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett, a liberal and a conservative, are set to testify before a House subcommittee next Tuesday.

Which Is It? Two Media Narratives About Platner: 'We Did Our Jobs Perfectly' and 'We Were Fooled'

WATCH: Omar-backed mayor mocks outrage over Somalia July 4th trip with sarcastic 'apology'

St. Louis Park Mayor Nadia Mohamed faced backlash for traveling to Somalia during America's 250th anniversary, leading to her posting an "apology" video on social media.

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.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

'Trump Peace Prize' Is the Best Idea Trump Hasn't Had Yet

A rich woman for whom I did household chores as a teenager remarked to me once that "Money doesn't buy happiness." I don't recall why she made the remark, but I do recall thinking, "Easy for you to say!"

U.S. and Iran launch fresh strikes following attacks on commercial ships

Iran said it had targeted more than 80 U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, after the U.S. launched strikes in response to attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Does a Sex Assault Claim Kill a Political Career? It Depends.

The swift exit of Graham Platner from the Maine Senate race followed Eric Swalwell’s similar exit from the California governor’s race, but Republicans have taken a different tack.

Back in Ol’ St. Lou

Though far smaller than in its heyday, the city is still thriving.

Why Trump Left NATO Summit on a Positive Note

As it turned out, Trump behind the scenes was a little less bombastic than Trump in front of cameras.

WSJ: Guess Who Was a Red-Flag Parade For Months (That We Never Spotted)?

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.

U.S. Renews Airstrikes on Iran for 2nd Night

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…

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

How Did Dems Get Platner? The Answer Is the Problem

At some point in childhood, through one classic fable or another, most of us absorb the lesson that looks can be deceiving. It's what's on the inside that counts.

I'm Free. Now Pray for China

When guards ushered me into a van last Friday, I thought they were taking me to my trial. I expected a long sentence for founding and leading Zion, one of China's underground, or house, churches. But hours later, I was free. No negotiations, no co…

SEE IT: ICE agents pause arrest operation to save woman in rollover crash

A rollover crash in Milwaukee trapped a 31-year-old woman inside her car until quick-thinking ICE agents rushed from a nearby operation to free her.

The Menace of a Respectable Hatred

What remains of a person, an institution, or a civilisation that dishonours itself when Jews and Israel become the targets of hatred and violence?

The Greatest Tradition of All

Apart from the Declaration and Constitution, there is perhaps no more essentially American document than Thomas Paine’s revolutionary pamphlet ‘Common Sense.’

Trump to ask Supreme Court to rehear birthright citizenship case after 'insane decision'

Trump says he will immediately ask the Supreme Court for a rehearing on its 6-3 birthright citizenship ruling, calling the decision "absolutely insane."

Democratic Governor Andy Beshear Would Decide When to Hold a Special Election for a Senate Vacancy in Kentucky

Unless Mitch McConnell isn’t going to be able to return to the Senate, he shouldn’t quit.

The NGO Industrial Complex: Gerald Steinberg on How Human Rights Became a Racket | Quillette Cetera Episode 67

NGO Monitor founder Gerald Steinberg on how Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, and the UN's "civil society" experiment were hijacked — and why journalists still buy it.

It Turns Out the New Qatari-Donated Air Force One Isn’t Completely Secure

Go figure, it turns out the new Qatari-gifted Air Force One isn’t as perfectly safe and secure as the administration insisted it was.

The Last Thing to Say About Anthony Bourdain

Bourdain could not accept that intoxication is a danger to be managed rather than a glory to be pushed deeper into.

Platner Suspends Senate Bid in Maine After Rape Accusation

Mr. Platner’s withdrawal, which comes after a woman accused him of rape, creates deep uncertainty in a race that both parties see as crucial to their hopes of winning the Senate.

BREAKING: Totenkopf Out - Platner Quits

Bari Bruising 60 Minutes Egos Again, But I Like the Backstory

SF's Abandoned Mall Gets Abandoned Again

Graham Platner Suspended His Senate Campaign. Here’s What’s Next for Democrats.

The deadline to pick a new nominee is July 27 and candidates are already lining up. State party leaders said they would hold some form of nominating convention.

Trump holds Washington hostage over SAVE Act as midterm clock ticks on GOP control

Trump ties the SAVE America Act to $350 billion in defense spending, pressuring Senate Republicans to overcome the filibuster before midterms.

‘The Line Is Burnt’

A society without a posterity in view will almost necessarily not conserve what is good.

House Republican Thomas Massie suggests Obamacare could now be labeled 'Trumpcare'

Rep. Massie of Kentucky said the GOP "has made no serious effort to repeal Obamacare and legalize affordable health insurance after taking control of the House, Senate & White House."

Democrats Suddenly Hobbled by a Bad Case of Platner Fasciitis

This is no longer an election; it is now a Looney Tunes short.

There's a Silver Lining to Democrats' Platner Disaster

Some on the left blinded themselves with ends-justify-the-means thinking. That backfired.

Fury erupts as US brand fires 1,600 employees after securing thousands of foreign worker visas

Microsoft was approved for 2,273 H-1B visas this year while laying off 1,600 Xbox workers, sparking outrage over American jobs going to foreign workers.

Open Mind on Nolan’s The Odyssey

Can we just wait and see?

'American Citizenship Is Not For Sale': Abbott Orders Probe of Hospital For 'Birth Tourism'

Debating the Top Ten Founders

What about John Adams?

Lonnie Bunch Defends Smithsonian Museum After Negative White House Report

In a letter to staff, Lonnie G. Bunch III wrote that the report was “not a fair characterization of the work and totality of the National Museum of American History.”

Why Soccer Is Boring

How the beautiful game convinced the world that boredom is sophistication.

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…

How a Hidden Songbook Survived the Holocaust

The extraordinary story of how a fragile Holocaust songbook, hidden for decades in a Sydney cupboard, came back to the world.

House Dem back in the spotlight as brother faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted

Martin Cuellar's indictment for allegedly misusing county funds complicates Rep. Henry Cuellar's re-election bid months after Trump pardoned the congressman.

The Mask That Made Me

Thirty years as a high-functioning neurodivergent project manager.

Claire's Weekly Letter: Celebrating 250 Years of America

Where the Fight for Israel Can Still Be Won

Recently, I was helping a pro-Israel client decide where to spend its conference budget - which rooms their people would actually be welcome in. Evangelical conferences, obviously. Jewish federations, of course.

Platner’s Exit Sets Off Scramble for New Senate Candidate in Maine

The state Democratic Party has said it will pick a replacement through a nominating convention before a July 27 deadline. Candidates are already lining up.

Iran Won’t Make War with Iran Popular

Anyone hoping that the next piece of news of Iranian perfidy will fundamentally change Trump’s view is emoting in vain.

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.

Who is Nirav Shah, a Democrat interested in running for Senate in Maine?

Dr. Shah, an epidemiologist who led Maine’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, finished second in the ranked-choice primary for governor.

SHOCK: New York Times Editor Has a Bit of Shame!

Wednesday's Final Word

Beware the Honest Oysterman

Between us, didn't the term oysterman ring some alarm bells?

What an Eighth Grader Taught Me About Status

Comparing yourself to others locks you into a contest you can never win and makes other people’s wins feel like your defeats.