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

Saturday's Final Word

GOP warns Democrats' DHS shutdown could jeopardize World Cup security

The stalemate over DHS funding could disrupt World Cup security preparations as Democrats and Republicans clash while the summer tournament rapidly approaches.

After Trump’s Iran Decision

The real dilemma is not between war and negotiation. It is between episodic action and sustained architecture.

Dems' potential 2028 hopefuls come out against US strikes on Iran

Top Democratic 2028 presidential candidates unite against Trump's Iran strikes, calling the military action unnecessary and unconstitutional warfare.

Trump’s Suddenly High-Stakes State of the Union

The president is visiting Congress in a dramatically different place from where he was a year ago.

Dershowitz to Newsmax: Iran Strikes Constitutional, Critics 'Dead Wrong'

President Donald Trump's strike against Iran is constitutional and not in violation of federal law, Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said Sunday on Newsmax while rejecting claims from "dead wrong" critics that the action amounts to a…

A Texas Senate race is testing Democrats’ stomach for race and gender fights

Latino voters will probably decide the primary contest between Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico -- two rising stars who are stylistic opposites.

Dangerous Playbook Revived for U.S. Housing Agencies

Increased buying of mortgage securities by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae marks a return to a risky business model

Trump subpoena, administration probes taking shape, House Democrats say

If they take control of the chamber after the midterms, Democrats are planning to summon Trump to testify and launch an array of probes of the administration.

CNN Political Briefing

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

Iran vows 'decisive' self-defense at UN after Trump kills supreme leader in Operation Epic Fury

Iran's U.N. ambassador condemned U.S. strikes that killed Supreme Leader Khamenei, calling the attack a sovereignty violation at a Security Council meeting.

Trump’s Iranian Dilemma

President Donald Trump must choose between a military strike on Iran, whose consequences no one can predict, and a deal that would leave the Islamic Republic still able to attack its own citizens, menace Israel, and export terrorism worldwide.

Sen. Rick Scott to Newsmax: Iran Strikes a Return to 'Peace Through Strength'

Sen. Rick Scott on Sunday praised President Donald Trump's approach to Iran and the broader Middle East, calling it a return to "peace through strength" and crediting U.S. intelligence and military forces following the death of Iran's Ayatollah Al…

Trump Started War w/Iran To Benefit Himself, Not America

There's no four-dimensional chess here. There's just the president, and what we know he's like.

Bill Clinton tells GOP-led panel he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes

The appearance in New York marks the first time a former president has been compelled to testify before Congress under a subpoena.

In Texas, Trump revels in playing kingmaker but has yet to crown a candidate

All three leading Republican candidates in the state’s GOP Senate primary attended Trump’s rally, “Apprentice”-style, in a staging befitting of the former reality-TV host.

Trump Now a Bush-Style Regime Change President

The America First president who built his political brand on opposing foreign military adventures has unleashed a war of choice aimed at regime change

Trump Report Card

Seeing Is Believing: Sunday Reflection

The First Couple of a Dysfunctional DHS

A forthcoming book reveals new details about Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski.

Trump Stays Out of Public View After U.S. Launches Military Assault on Iran

President Trump did not deliver a formal address to the American public to explain why the country was at war, a departure from his predecessors.

Trump orders strikes on Iran; experts say he can bypass Congress (for now)

Trump launched a military operation in Iran, raising constitutional questions about presidential war powers and congressional authorization requirements.

Vice President Kamala Harris, a former US senator from California who previously served as the state's attorney general, could be the first Black woman and Asian American to lead a major party ticket after receiving President Joe Biden's support t…

'Body Heat' and Kicking the Washington Post One Last Time

I Used to Beat Up Sex Offenders. Now I Question the Mob.

An ex-prisoner reflects on Jeffrey Epstein, the Epstein files, Prince Andrew, and the rise of online conspiracy theories.

The Democrats Who Got Weird During the State of the Union

They found a bizarre, crass way to push back against Trump.

Trump’s attack on Iran risks alienating war-weary supporters

Approaching midterm elections and a growing battle over the party’s post-Trump identity heighten the political stakes of military action.

Just One in Four Americans Support US Strikes on Iran, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

Only one in four Americans approves of the U.S. strikes that killed Iran's leader on Saturday, while about half - including one in four Republicans - believe President Donald Trump is too willing to use military force, according to a Reuters/Ipsos…

Trump: ‘Freedom’ for Iran is goal of ‘major military operation’

The president spoke to The Washington Post early Saturday after announcing that the U.S. had begun striking Iran to bring about regime change.

BREAKING: Iranian Regime Media Admits Khamenei Is Dead

The ‘Crazy’ Plot to Release the Epstein Files

How an unlikely duo of lawmakers partnered with victims to try to hold the powerful accountable

Former Amb. Friedman to Newsmax: Trump Warned Iran Often

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said Sunday that President Donald Trump is carrying out warnings he previously delivered to Iran and that Tehran should not be surprised by the U.S. response.

Mamdani's response to Trump's Iran strike sparks conservative backlash: 'Rooting for the ayatollah'

NYC socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani faces conservative backlash after condemning Trump's Iran strike that killed Ayatollah Khamenei, calling it an illegal war.

Concerns rise over DHS shutdown in shadow of Iran strikes: 'Now would be a good time' to end it

Lawmakers and DHS sound the alarm over unpaid agency employees as homeland security comes into focus after Trump and Netanyahu's Iran strikes.

Trump's Shift From Diplomacy to Operation Epic Fury

(Bloomberg) - Donald Trump was done negotiating.

How Wesley Hunt of Texas Is Working in Plain Sight With Outside Groups

Exchanges between two X accounts appear to offer a vivid example of how campaigns may sidestep campaign-finance law to share strategic information.

Power Beyond Realpolitik

In geopolitics, moral culture shapes whether influence is experienced as leadership or domination, cooperation or coercion.

Sunday Smiles

Podcast #326: Catching a Serial Killer

Managing Editor Iona Italia speaks with Maureen Callahan about her book "American Predator", which chronicles the crimes of serial killer Israel Keyes.

The Texas Senate Primary Offers a Test Case for Each Party

Should Democrats concentrate on swing voters or their base? Can more traditional Republicans win in the MAGA era? Tuesday’s Senate primary in Texas will show the direction the parties are taking.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Sherrod Brown Is Grinding It Out

The aggressively rumpled former senator from Ohio is back. Will working-class voters follow?

Why Diplomacy Was Doomed: Trump’s Issue Was Iran’s Leadership Itself

President Trump’s envoys negotiated with Iran over its nuclear program. But Mr. Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel wanted much more.

NEW: Netanyahu Promises to Intensify Attacks On Tehran; UPDATE: Trump Pledges to Sink Iran Navy

Trump Tells Iranians to ‘Take Over’ Their Government. But How?

President Trump’s ambiguous appeal comes after he undermined U.S.-funded media outlets that normally would have helped the administration reach people inside the country.

New Report Reveals the Struggles of Holding Public Office

A new report reveals the struggles of people in public office - and should raise concern about local politics.

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 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.

Enemy within: Counterterrorism experts fear sleeper cells could be poised inside US

U.S. counterterrorism agencies monitor suspected sleeper cells following joint strikes on Iran that killed Ayatollah Khamenei, amid fears of retaliation.

Bill Clinton's credibility threatened by decades of scandals amid grilling over Epstein ties

Bill Clinton faces renewed scrutiny over his Jeffrey Epstein ties as lawmakers question his past. A look at decades of sexual misconduct allegations.

What Can the Texas Primary Tell Us About Democrats?

Our reporter Elaine Godfrey on getting kicked out of a Jasmine Crockett rally

June Strikes a Test Run--Iran Had Chance To Make Peace

In early January, President Trump warned Iran's Islamist government that if it killed peaceful civilians protesting the economy's collapse, the United States of America will come to their rescue....

‘Elaine From Atlantic … She Needs to Leave’

Representative Jasmine Crockett claimed I wasn’t kicked out of her rally. Here’s the audio.

The Feel Good Videos - Dancin' in the Streets...of Iran

Trump's SOTU: Common Sense Over Ideology

Trump is on the side of a revolution based on self-government that does not serve a radical philosophy. That was his theme in the SOTU.

Democrats demand immediate vote to restrain Trump on Iran

Congress is expected to vote on two resolutions that seek to block further military action, the latest test of a long-shot strategy to reassert lawmakers’ war powers.

Rep. Perry to Newsmax: Trump Solving Iran's Threats

President Donald Trump is "finally solving" the threat posed by Iran following a sweeping series of coordinated strikes, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., said on Newsmax Sunday, calling the operation devastating and long overdue.

From hostage crisis to assassination plots: Iran’s near half-century war on Americans

Dozens of direct or indirect attacks on Americans both militarily and civilian-wise have been carried out or aided by Iran's Supreme Leaders Khomeini and Khamenei

DHS shutdown could go on for a while — because voters aren’t paying attention

Lawmakers say their constituents are focused on other issues, like mail service and inflation.

NEW: Iranians Announce Khamenei's Heir Eliminated; New Leaders Want Trump Talk?

Ralston Delivers Gold With His Reid Biography

Trump, the Self-Declared Peace President, Goes to War Seeking Regime Change

President Trump has become increasingly willing to assert American power overseas, a decade after propelling himself to the highest office by promising to focus on “America first.”

Trump’s Favorite Voter-ID Bill Would Probably Backfire

Congressional Republicans are trying to pass a strict “election integrity” law that seems almost custom-designed to disenfranchise their own supporters.

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.

Sustained war with Iran could drain US missile stockpiles, test escalation control

U.S. officials say limited military strike against Iran is feasible, but sustained conflict complicated by missile defense shortages from Ukraine.

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.

Ezra Klein’s Feeble Liberalism

Liberals must act aggressively to uphold the values of free society.

Sen. Mullin to Newsmax: Iran Strikes Protect US Interests

Sen. Markwayne Mullin on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's military action against Iran, telling Newsmax that the operation was aimed at protecting U.S. interests and deterring future threats, not launching a broader war or pursuing regime …

Democrat Fetterman Backs Iran Strikes

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said Sunday that President Donald Trump's strikes against Iran were "entirely appropriate," breaking with many Democrats as questions mount on Capitol Hill about the legal basis, the risk of escalation, and what comes n…

Iranian FM: Our Command And Control Functions Are Gone; UPDATE: Video Added

Why I Got Thrown Out of a Jasmine Crockett Rally

The crowd was fired up. The candidate was on her game. And I was escorted out by armed guards.

Trump Decision to Strike Iran Opens Fissures in Midterms

Republicans largely supported the decision, while Democrats mostly opposed it — but divisions appeared in both parties.

Obama official who backed Iran deal sparks online outrage with reaction to Trump's strike: 'Sit this one out'

Ben Rhodes, the Obama official behind the 2015 Iran deal, faces conservative backlash after criticizing Trump's military strike on Iran on social media platforms.

Push from Saudis, Israel helped move Trump to attack Iran

President Trump launched a wide-ranging attack on Iran after weeks-long lobbying by an unusual pair of U.S. allies in the Middle East: Israel and Saudi Arabia.

In tragedy-torn Uvalde, it’s a scandal-ridden incumbent or ‘the AK Guy’

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) is accused of having an affair with an aide who later killed herself. His primary challenger, Brandon Herrera, is running on a pro-gun platform.

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…

U.S. Ability to Determine What Comes Next in Iran Might Be Limited

Questions remain about how much effort the Trump administration will put into changing the Iranian government.

Podcast #325: Why We Need to Talk About Transgender School Shooters

Jonathan Kay speaks with journalist Adam Zivo about the 10 February school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia—a mass murder perpetrated by a trans-identified male gunman who was initially identified by police and journalists as a woman.

Iran 2026 Is Not Iraq 2003

This regime has been waging war against Americans well since 1979, and after half a century of being one of the worst actors in the world, President Trump has called time on it.

The Buzz in Kristi Noem’s Home State

South Dakota Republicans worry that she might return.

Nine Intellectual Virtues

Either universities appoint and promote professors who display and disseminate intellectual virtues, or they reward those who exemplify and cultivate intellectual vices.

Attack on Iran may have motivated man who killed 2 in Austin, officials say

A man who fatally shot two people and wounded 14 others at a bar in Austin, Texas early Sunday morning may have been motivated by the U.S. attack on Iran.

The Cost of Indifference

The sad and curious case of the chronic fatigue syndrome. 

Trump: US Sinks 9 Iranian Naval Ships

President Donald Trump on Sunday said U.S. forces battered the Iranian navy during the weekend strikes. Trump wrote on Truth Social, "I have just been informed that we have destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some of them relatively large an…

The End of Australian Exceptionalism

The surge in support for Australia’s populist right-wing party One Nation suggests that immigration restrictionism has become increasingly popular with voters: a political trajectory that echoes that of many other Western nations. 

Rep. Crenshaw to Newsmax: Iranians Celebrating End of 47 Years of Oppression

Many Iranians are celebrating Saturday's U.S. strikes against Iran's regime, as "47 years of oppressive history ended in one fell swoop," Rep. Dan Crenshaw said Sunday on Newsmax.

Fareed explains why AI's massive energy demands are straining the power grid, but also why AI could enable big breakthroughs in sustainability and clean energy.

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…

Sen. Rounds to Newsmax: Peace Possible if US Can 'Neutralize' Iran

Sen. Mike Rounds said Sunday that neutralizing Iran's nuclear ambitions would mark "a major step forward" for peace in the Middle East and let the U.S. refocus its military priorities worldwide.

Democrats Are Red-Pilling People by the Minute

The Democrats' reaction to both the State of the Union and now the bombing of Iran will have a sobering effect on anyone who hasn't already been red-pilled by a party that has, it's fair to say, collectively lost its mind.

The Left Must Rediscover Working-Class Nationalism

On a warm July afternoon in 1935, four thousand steel and coal workers carrying American flags gathered at a playground in Homestead, Pennsylvania to commemorate the great strike of forty-four years earlier, and to send a message to US Steel, the …

Only 21% of Americans Support the United States Initiating an Attack on Iran

The public’s appetite for a U.S. attack on Iran was low before President Trump and Israel took action on Saturday.

Fact-Checking Trump’s Justifications for Attacking Iran

The president made unsupported and exaggerated claims in a speech announcing the attack on Iran.

An Hour of Reckoning

Iran has never been weaker and America has never been more poorly led.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

Sen. Cotton: US Strike's Focus Is on Iran Missiles, Launchers, Plants

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Sunday that U.S. military strikes in the coming days would methodically target Iran's missile stockpiles, launchers, and manufacturing sites.

Trump’s War of Choice With Iran

Our national security correspondent David E. Sanger examines the war of choice that President Trump has initiated with Iran.

The C.I.A. Helped Pinpoint a Gathering of Iranian Leaders. Then Israel Struck.

The killing of Iran’s supreme leader and other top Iranian officials came after close intelligence sharing between the United States and Israel, according to people familiar with the operation.

UK's New Grooming Gang Scandal

Illegal immigration is fueling another wave of crimes against women.

The Republican Party Has a Nazi Problem

How did the GOP become a haven for slogans and ideas straight out of the Third Reich?

Jeb Bush commends former rival Trump’s Iran operation: ‘This is their time to take their country back’

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Ambassador Mark Wallace praised President Donald Trump's strikes on Iranian targets that apparently left dictator Ali Khamenei dead.

In the wake of the Republican National Convention earlier this month, Fareed speaks with historian Niall Ferguson about how and why the modern-day GOP has changed since the Reagan era of the 1980s.

Khamenei, One of Most Evil People in History, Is Dead

Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and …

The U.S. Olympic Men's Hockey Team Did It the Right Way

The White House Urges Republicans to Ignore Trump’s Diversions

They will let Trump be Trump, but everyone else needs to stay focused on the economy.

Islamism: Shooting the Messenger

The British establishment tends to deflect attention from the dangers of Islamism by attempting to silence those who point them out.

In Black History Month, Trump casts racial progress as largely settled

The centennial of what became Black History Month offered a microcosm of President Donald Trump’s views on race and progress.

Rep. Mast to Newsmax: Killed Service Members 'American Heroes'

President Donald Trump took necessary measures against Iran to counter an imminent and longstanding threat to the United States, Rep. Brian Mast said on Newsmax Sunday.