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

'After your boy': Hasan Piker lashes out over fed probe into Cuba trip

Political influencer Hasan Piker lashes out at OFAC subpoena over his Cuba trip, calling it an "intimidation operation" with a chilling effect on speech.

The Steyer Smear

The Creation of a New Murdoch Empire

James Murdoch is taking over New York magazine and Vox, building a different media company than his father's.

The Iran Talks: How the Administration Sees Things Now

In the last couple of days the Iran war has been going through another one of the up-and-down news cycles - in which some sort of resolution seems imminent and then not so imminent - that have become a familiar story.

With Big Decisions Ahead, the Supreme Court Collides With a Testy Trump

President Trump has alternated between bullying the justices and cozying up to them as the court prepares to announce major decisions that will determine the fate of the key aspects of his agenda.

Artificial Intelligence Floods Court Dockets with Home-Brewed Lawsuits

For years, courts have welcomed cases brought by self-represented litigants. Now those plaintiffs have A.I., and their filings are consuming more and more bandwidth.

Shooter killed near the White House was previously charged with trespassing

Nasire Best, 21, had cut off contact with even his closest friends and began claiming that he was Jesus Christ.

Kingdom Come

A new book about Stephen King’s early novels will only appeal to hardcore fans, but its very existence is a reminder of its subject’s incalculable cultural impact.

Doug McCain, eldest son of John McCain, dead suddenly at 66

Meghan McCain shared news of her brother Douglas Shepp McCain's death Sunday at 66. The eldest son of Sen. John McCain was a retired Navy pilot.

The Witches of Luigi Mangione

By John Kass Sunday May 24, 2026 The media has an odd term for the sullen young women who have made a sexual fetish of pretty-boy killer Luigi Mangione. They're called Luigi Fangirls. It evokes a frolic, young women skipping down the street, singi…

'Zionists' Didn't Destroy Massie's Political Career-Massie Did

The Kentucky congressman and his admirers need to understand why he lost.

What to Know About the Citizenship Lists Trump Wants to Create

President Trump is trying to create individual lists of citizens by state to determine who can vote, even as his administration acknowledges they would be unreliable.

California mayors revolt over Newsom bullet train plan they warn could ‘raid’ local tax bases

Ten California mayors push back against Gov. Newsom's high-speed rail funding plans, opposing the use of local taxpayer money after 16 years of no track.

'Wasteful distraction': Experts slam Mamdani's taxpayer-funded grocery stores

Economists and local grocers warn NYC Mayor Mamdani's plan for city-owned supermarkets could crush small businesses while sticking taxpayers with the bill.

Leo Leads on Artificial Intelligence: Wisdom, Challenge, Women & Other Takeaways from Magnifica Humanitas

This is the Church at her best in engaging culture: Making Church teaching clear and guiding the faithful through the moment’s most confusing challenges.

He Name-Drops Ocasio-Cortez in His Bid for Congress. She Doesn’t Talk About Him at All.

Saikat Chakrabarti, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s former chief of staff, is running in San Francisco to succeed Representative Nancy Pelosi, whom Mr. Chakrabarti irked with an incendiary tweet seven years ago.

Shots Fired at 17th and Pennsylvania Ave - Secret Service Take Gunman Down UPDATES

Sunday's Final Word

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

CNN Political Briefing

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

King Trump and the Looming MAGA Challenge

How News Aggregators Reinforce Political Ignorance

Rubio Says Details on Iran Nuclear Program Still to Be Negotiated

The Secretary of State said the United States was prepared to begin those talks if Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz as part of an apparently emerging deal on the war.

Kyle Busch, R.I.P.

Two-time NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Busch passed away yesterday at the age of 41.

Saturday's Final Word

More Lighting, Less Crime. But . . .

Net-zero Britain might be more concerned with tackling climate change.

As war evolves, more female troops make the ultimate sacrifice

On Memorial Day, military families remember the Iran conflict’s fallen and navigate heartbreak without mothers and wives.

Rubio Says U.S.-India Ties Are Strong, Despite Fury Over Trump’s Actions

In New Delhi, Secretary of State Marco Rubio tried to explain why President Trump has pushed aggressive trade and immigration policies affecting India and Indians in the United States.

Australia's Broken Justice System: Andrew Bushnell | Quillette Cetera Ep. 64

From the murder of a five-year-old Aboriginal girl to Melbourne's tobacco wars, Andrew Bushnell joins Zoe Sankey to examine the human cost of Australia's broken justice system.

Letters to the Editor

May 23 2026

Three Year College Degrees — Pro and Con

Exploring choice in educational programs.

White House blasts Cruz, Pompeo for trashing Trump peace efforts as Iran appeasement

President Donald Trump's inner circle fired back at former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sen. Ted Cruz's criticism of Iran peace efforts.

How this age of extreme gerrymandering is transforming American politics

Politicians, no longer content to leave elections to chance, are working to choose their voters as often as every two years.

L.A.'s Bonfire of Liberal Vanities

Spencer Pratt draws national attention, as he tells the truth about the city's ills and mayor Karen Bass.

The Language of Love: Sunday Reflection

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.

'Not Even the Dead Are Safe': 'Reds' and Communism’s Eradication of History

Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez Try Boosting Progressives in Red Districts

In highly competitive House races that Democrats need to flip in November, the left is betting that calls for universal health care and taxing the wealthy will resonate — even among Republicans.

A Democrat Took on Red Sox Ownership in an Ad. A Network Pulled it.

Graham Platner, a Senate candidate in Maine, blamed private equity for destroying “our favorite baseball team.” NESN, which is owned by the team, pulled his campaign ad, citing an intellectual property violation.

5 Big Moments in the Texas Republican Senate Race

The contest between the incumbent John Cornyn and his challenger Ken Paxton will culminate in a Tuesday runoff. Here are the developments that shaped the campaign.

Honoring the Dead at Shiloh

Happy Memorial Day. May it be equal parts reflective and joyful.

Claire's Weekly Letter: From the Medieval Road to the English Countryside

Bystander Wounded in White House Shooting Is in Stable Condition

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating to determine who shot the bystander, who underwent surgery, and how many bullets were fired.

What Is the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor?

Creating NGOs that misuse the language of human rights is an effective strategy for advancing terrorist goals.

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.

Vets torch Dem Senate hopeful who called Army ‘fat, lazy trash,’ mocked soldier shot four times

Combat veterans and GOP senators denounce Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner for calling soldiers trash and mocking a Purple Heart recipient.

Retiring senator warns if Trump continues to do 'stupid things' it will kill GOP in November

Sen. Thom Tillis warns Trump's decisions are "killing our chances" for Republicans to hold the Senate, escalating a feud with the president.

AI and the Regulatory Superpower

Europe’s AI regulations are already driving innovation abroad, ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet warns.

An Ivy League University Looks Inward

Podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Yale Law School professor Sarath Sanga, co-author of a new ⁠report⁠ explaining why the American public is losing trust in the country’s colleges and universities.

Why AI Is Not About to Go Feral

Worries about AI doom rarely take Darwinian evolution seriously. A new paper argues we should—but we are still further from that scenario than its authors suggest.

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.

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…

Trump faces health questions ahead of another Walter Reed trip

The president trumpets claims that he is in excellent health, but independent physicians say the White House hasn't answered key questions ahead of his third visit in 13 months.

Taiwan in the Balance

Donald Trump seems to have given up on Taiwan’s long-term future.

The DNC’s Disastrous Report

‘A lot of it reads like it was written by ChatGPT because it’s so saccharin.’

The Ballad of East and West

In a fascinating new book, historian Anthony Bale vividly reconstructs the brutal, fantastical, and sometimes deeply religious experiences of medieval travellers across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

‘Glaciers Are More Than Human Beings’

Ice has no consciousness. It can’t reciprocate with people in any manner whatsoever. Glaciers have no ‘agency.’

Trump’s Self-Indulgent Streak Deepens G.O.P. Fears He Is Risking Losses in Midterms

“The stupid stuff is killing our chances,” said a retiring Republican senator.

Memorial Day 2026

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…

Britain Preparing for Mission That Could Clear Strait of Hormuz

At Gibraltar, at the tip of Spain, British forces are ready to deploy autonomous mine-hunting equipment if a peace agreement is achieved.

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

From Babylon to Eurovision

My nephew's schoolmate sang at Eurovision last week. Here is what the people who booed him don't understand.

Grab Your Financial Stake in America’s Decline While You Can

If crypto is a vehicle for criminals to sell pieces of the U.S. to its enemies, you’d think the stewards of American interests would take a firmer line against it.

Dem socialist running for Wisconsin governor pushed 'abolishing the police'

Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong called to defund and abolish police in posts made before and during her time as an elected official.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Marine vet prosecutor refuses to cross constitutional line on Spanberger ‘assault weapon' ban

Virginia prosecutor Ryan Mehaffey refuses to enforce Gov. Spanberger's new assault weapons ban, arguing it violates Second Amendment protections.

Axios: Iran Agreed to Discuss Surrendering Its Uranium Stocks; UPDATE: Trump Responds

An Autopsy on an Autopsy

The ruinous price increases that took place during the Biden-Harris administration do not get a mention.

A Man for All Seasons

Susan Owens’s handsome new monograph reconsiders the life and career of the English landscape painter John Constable.

From rally gunfire to White House shooting, threats against President Trump continue to mount

The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner shooting is the latest in a growing series of security threats and incidents involving President Donald Trump.

A Few Things About Magnifica Humanitas That Caught My Eye

Some links to early commentary and summations on Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical.

Campus Intellectuals Prefer the Iranian Mullahs to America

The academic left turned on Azar Nafisi for criticizing Iran’s regime.

Canada’s Newspaper of Record Asks: ‘What If They Ultimately Find Nothing?’

Five years after it helped promote a nationwide social panic over ‘unmarked graves,’ the Globe & Mail admits those graves might not actually exist—while also suggesting that it doesn’t really matter anyway.

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.

Sunday Smiles

Rubio pushes back on India's concerns over US visa curbs, says policy must be 'America First' under Trump

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Trump's immigration reforms are not targeted at India but applied globally during a news conference in New Delhi.

It Was Only Saturday Night in Chicago: 21 Shot, 5 Cops Rammed by Silly Youth in Car

A Final Message From the Last Veterans of World War II

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the final survivor will be gone by 2037, severing our firsthand connection to the greatest calamity in human history.

Omar confronted on camera over GOP proposal targeting foreign-born lawmakers: ‘Good luck to her’

Rep. Ilhan Omar responds to Rep. Nancy Mace's proposed constitutional amendment that would bar foreign-born individuals from serving in Congress.