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

Portland Homeless Shelter Nonprofit to Close After Claims of Financial Mismanagement

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.

Rep. Lawler to Newsmax: Dems Blasted as DHS Funding Fight Drags On

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said on Newsmax Saturday that Democrats should return to Washington and vote to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, accusing Democratic leaders Schumer, D-N.Y., and Jeffries, D-N.Y., of prolonging a funding standoff.

PR exec demands Senate Dems apologize for spreading 'falsehoods' about him during heated Noem hearing

CEO Benjamin Yoho demanded an apology from Senate Democrats who accused him of using his DHS insider wife to secure $143 million in contracts. He says he got $226,000.

Utah Judge Keeps Charlie Kirk Case Filings Open

The fight over what the public can see in the Charlie Kirk case moved back into open court Friday, when a Utah judge rejected the defense's effort to keep a key filing out of public view, but left the door open to closing parts of a hearing next m…

Sinema acknowledges affair with Senate bodyguard while in office

The acknowledgement is part of a legal filing to dismiss an “alienation of affection” lawsuit against the former senator from Arizona.

The Oil Price War

For an Iranian regime facing existential struggle, pushing crude up is key measure of success

Judge Rules Lawmaker Must Be Allowed to Join Kennedy Center Board Meeting

A judge ordered that Representative Joyce Beatty, a Democrat, be given access to planning documents and have the chance to oppose changes to the center at a board meeting next week.

CNN Political Briefing

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

Push for GOP voting law has many switching sides on filibuster issue

Some Republicans, just like Democrats in 2022, are eager to change the Senate’s rules in an effort to pass a national election law.

Trump Urges Unpaid TSA Staff 'to Work' Amid Shutdown

President Trump on Saturday urged unpaid TSA officers to keep reporting to work as the partial shutdown of the DHS entered its 29th day, sharpening a standoff in Washington that has left airport screeners without full pay during the busy spring br…

The Historic Drop in U.S. Crime

The U.S. homicide rate fell last year to a projected 125-year low, with other reported crimes also decreasing, according to a report.

Donald Trump Checkmates Iran On Day 14

Iran’s Risky Gamble

The war with Iran is reshaping the entire Middle East from the Gulf States to Lebanon with surprising speed.

Dan Schueftan on Gaza, Iran & the Future of Israel

Israel faces not a solvable conflict but a permanent condition—one requiring deterrence, “violent maintenance,” and historic patience—while confronting both regional enemies and a cultural battle in the West.

Pentagon’s Boat Bombings Are Illegal, Human Rights Panel Is Told

Experts condemned the U.S. campaign at a human rights meeting in Guatemala, and the Trump administration condemned the meeting.

Why Little Was Done to Head Off Oil’s Strait of Hormuz Problem

Geography and regional rivalries have prevented Gulf countries from finding a true alternative to the strait, which the war with Iran has effectively shut down.

6 dead after U.S. Air Force refueler crashes in Iraq while supporting Iran war

The KC-135 tanker was involved in an apparent accident with another KC-135. The other aircraft landed safely, officials said.

The Pete Hegseth Exception

Nearly a year after a national-security scandal erupted on my iPhone, no one in the Trump administration has faced consequences.

Ex-Dem senator admits to affair with former bodyguard in explosive court filing: 'Romantic and Intimate'

Sinema, the former Arizona senator, outlined details of the affair in a new court filing seeking to dismiss an 'alienation of affection' lawsuit filed by her bodyguard's estranged wife.

Everyone Now Has Trump’s Phone Number

The president’s personal iPhone has been lighting up.

Letters to the Editor

Friday 6 March – Friday 13 March

California Probes Video Showing Cash for Petition Signatures

California election officials said Friday that they are investigating whether signature collectors in San Francisco illegally offered to pay people to sign ballot petitions using false names.

Trump says U.S. struck Kharg Island, core of Iran’s oil economy

The strikes destroyed more than 90 military targets, including missile facilities, but preserved oil infrastructure, U.S. Central Command said Saturday.

Democrat darling Talarico called out for making sixth-grade public students write ‘Obama memoirs’

Texas Senate candidate James Talarico is taking heat after it was discovered that he made his sixth-grade public school students write “Obama memoirs" celebrating his election.

BOOM: Senate Votes To Block Private Equity Buying Homes

For 15 years, elites have fought against homeownership by ordinary people, instead pushing a renter society. That may have ended with an 89-10 vote in the Senate against Wall Street owning homes.

Bombshell Report on CA Medicare Fraud

If your retirement portfolio is over $50,000, it may be time to think about diversifying into gold and silver.Markets are volatileInflation continues to erod...

Trump: Countries Will Send Warships to Keep Hormuz Open

President Donald Trump said Saturday that multiple countries will send warships alongside the United States to ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open amid tensions with Iran.

Florida Passes Citizenship Verification Voting Bill

The Florida Legislature passed a bill requiring verification of U.S. citizenship for registered voters, reflecting calls from congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump for sweeping election-law changes.

High Stakes, and a Low Bar, For Markwayne Mullin at DHS

Trump’s nominee has one big thing going for him: He’s not Kristi Noem.

Telling the Truth Is Not "Phobic"

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.

Tim Kaine Is Forcing the Iran War Debate From the Minority

Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, has found a way to repeatedly occupy floor time and force all senators to take votes challenging President Trump’s use of military force.

60 Minutes: We've Had the Havana Syndrome Weapon for More Than a Year

The Soft Disinformation Contagion

How we learned to reason poorly with accurate data.

Virginia Democrats dig in on DHS funding line despite ISIS-linked shooting at ODU, illegal immigrant murder

Virginia Democratic Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine oppose DHS funding without reforms, despite a deadly shooting at Old Dominion University involving suspect with ISIS links.

Hollywood Enters Oscars Weekend in Existential Crisis

A group of young assistants from WME - the talent agency representing Martin Scorsese and Ben Affleck - were debating their career choices between rounds of

New White House Visitor Screening Center Proposed by Trump

The facility would replace trailers and tents the Secret Service uses to screen visitors to the White House. It would be the latest presidential building project.

The Movies Against MeToo

It's happening again. The Motion Picture Academy is holding a ceremony to honor its contributions to the global imagination.

The United Nations Is Going Broke

Too often, the UN’s valuable field work is overshadowed by cynical political posturing. As a result, collecting annual dues from member states has become more difficult.

Feds Move to Drop Charges Against Veteran in Flag Burning

The Justice Department has moved to dismiss charges against an Army veteran who set fire to an American flag near the White House last year to protest President Donald Trump's executive order on flag burning.

Dems Hope to Flip Deep-Red Kentucky District

A Kentucky congressional district that went for President Donald Trump by 15 points in 2024 is in Democrats' crosshairs.

Good News: Trump Mulls Suspending Jones Act to Alleviate Oil Crisis

Too Fun to Check: Hamas Condemns Iran? Plus, Israel Tees Up 'Massive' Invasion

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.

Powell Probe Clouds Warsh Nomination for Fed. Chair

A federal judge on Friday dismissed Justice Department subpoenas in a criminal probe of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, complicating President Donald Trump’s effort to install Kevin Warsh as the next Fed leader.

Can Florida save Trump’s plan to keep GOP in power?

Republicans in Florida say they may not be able to deliver the type of redistricting bonanza that would give the party breathing room in the midterms.

Hearts of Darkness

Laura K. Field’s smart new book takes a critical look at MAGA’s Ivy League intellectuals.

Podcast #328: The Extraordinary Exploits of Agent Zo

Iona Italia talks to historian Clare Mulley about her biography of Polish war heroine Elżbieta Zawacka, aka Agent Zo.

NEW: Trump Orders Strikes on Kharg Island, Warns Iran On Hormuz; UPDATE

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…

How Tragedy, Wealth and Trump Shaped JB Pritzker

The governor of Illinois and Trump antagonist has become a national figure for Democrats. Where will that lead?

Rep. Biggs to Newsmax: 'No Mercy' Act Will Keep Americans Safe

Rep. Sherry Biggs, R-S.C., said Saturday that her newly introduced "No Mercy for Terrorists Act" would strengthen penalties for Americans who aid terrorist groups and would help protect the country from attacks.

Trump Issues Executive Orders to Tackle Housing Supply, Demand

The orders could undermine bipartisan legislation the Senate passed earlier this week, the most significant housing package in decades.

Dems continue to reject GOP efforts to fund ICE in DHS fight despite terror concerns: 'That's on them'

Democrats accuse Republicans of prolonging government shutdown over ICE funding dispute, as impasse enters second month with no clear resolution in sight.

The Five Things You Must Know About Energy Policy

On Truth and Beauty

Why art and science serve different ends.

In anti-Muslim post, Tuberville suggests New York’s Mamdani is ‘the enemy’

The senator from Alabama, who is running for governor, has previously called for the mass expulsion of Muslims from the United States.

In Arizona, an Electric Utility Holds an Election, Open Only to Property Owners

Turning Point is involved, as is the Sierra Club. But voting rules that seem to echo feudalism exclude renters, favor large landowners and limit who can influence a Phoenix utility board.

The Republican Who Wants to Banish His Own Constituents

Representative Andy Ogles wrote on Monday that “Muslims don’t belong in American society.” He represents thousands of them in Congress.

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.

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…

Arizona Is Now at the Center of Election Investigations

Both the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are probing the results of the 2020 election in Arizona.

Pete Hegseth’s Moral Unseriousness

The defense secretary appears unable to approach matters of life and death with even the slightest bit of reverence or humility.

‘We Need to Do McCarthyism to the Tenth Power’

Conservative influencers are pushing for a return to the dark days of 1950s inquisitions.

A New World Order in the Making

An interview with Dr Shmuel Bar.

Lindsey Graham Is a Happy Man. MAGA Is Wondering: How?

Pro-Trump media figures warn the president is trapped in a hawkish echo chamber around the senator

Hegseth vows thorough probe of school strike that Trump blamed on Iran

The announcement appeared to tacitly acknowledge a growing body of evidence that U.S. forces, not Iran, were responsible for the deadly attack.

Vance touts Trump economy gains during North Carolina tour, cites rising home purchases

VP JD Vance claims economy improving in North Carolina campaign visit, touts rising home purchases and falling rents while campaigning for GOP candidates.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

DOJ: Iran War, FBI Cuts Raise Terror Threats

In New York City, two men who federal authorities say were inspired by the Islamic State brought powerful homemade bombs to a far-right protest outside the mayoral mansion.

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…

Antifa Defendants Guilty of Supporting Terrorism in Attack on ICE Detention Center

A Police Report About a House Candidate Surprised the White House

A woman’s allegations of rape against a Republican House candidate have put Trump in a bind.

When Government Decides What You Can Read

The Biden White House Speech Suppression Campaign, the CCDH Connection, and the Failure of Judicial Accountability

I Recognize the Look on Liam Ramos’s Face

The 5-year-old was briefly held at Dilley, where families are sent after ICE roundups.

Why Populism is Rising in Australia: Immigration and One Nation Surge

Australia has long been considered politically stable compared with Europe and the United States. But according to political scientist Eric Kaufmann, that period of “Australian exceptionalism” may be coming to an end.

Trump and Rubio’s Vision of War: The Art of Destroy and Deal

Unleashing his inner hawk, Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans President Trump’s military interventions. So far, they favor regime compliance, not change.

Yes, This Is Real

Iran, 'America First' and a Raging Debate on the Right

The president's most dedicated supporters are on his side - but significant numbers of Republicans have serious doubts.

A Paradoxical War

The American debate about the campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

Virginia Dems send sweeping gun ban to Spanberger as West Virginia weighs expanding machine-gun access

Virginia Democrats advance sweeping assault weapons ban while West Virginia Republicans propose allowing machine gun ownership, highlighting sharp divide.

Court blocks Justice Department subpoenas of Federal Reserve

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg cited a lack of evidence against central bank chief Jerome H. Powell and suggested the subpoenas aimed to pressure him.

Why Europe Still Misreads America

Why Germans fear American religion, and what this reveals about Europe.

10 Senate races that could decide control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms

Top 10 Senate seats to watch in 2026 midterms include vulnerable Republican holds in Maine, Texas primary battles and key Democratic retirements.

GOP, fearing tough fight for Texas Senate seat, paints Democrat as radical

Talarico, who is looking to flip Texas blue in his quest for the U.S. Senate, says the attacks from Republicans are a distraction from real issues.

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.

An Amusing Dissent to the 9th Circuit Has Progressive Judges Upset

Trump is counting on his ‘favorite Mormon’ to deliver health care wins

Chris Klomp, a political unknown a year ago, is now steering the $2.6 trillion health department. Several controversial appointees have since left.

Friday's Final Word

Why Trump Changed His Mind on Kristi Noem

Congressional questions about contracts, ads, and extramarital sex ended her tenure.

Trump’s War Alliance With Israel Is Reshaping the Middle East. But It Carries Risks.

President Trump is the first American leader to embrace fighting a full-fledged, joint war with Israel. Washington has tried to avoid that level of coordination in the past.

Trump Kennedy Center's new leader revealed as Ric Grenell exits top role

Ric Grenell is stepping down as the Trump Kennedy Center president as the venue shifts focus to major renovations. VP Matt Floca is taking over leadership.

Critical swing state candidates reveal where they stand on DHS funding after suspected terror attacks

Four suspected terror attacks hit the US during DHS shutdown as Michigan Senate candidates split on funding with Republican Mike Rogers supporting reopening the department.

Trump Isn’t Even Trying to Sell This War

Has the salesman in chief gotten rusty?

TikTok Investors Set to Pay $10 Billion Fee to Trump Administration

The large fee is the latest example of the White House’s inserting itself into corporate deal making in unusual and aggressive ways.

Vance reveals $19B fraud uncovered in Minneapolis, hints California is next target

JD Vance alleges $19 billion in fraud was discovered in Minneapolis, and the Trump administration may target California for its next major federal investigation.

The Republican Party Continues Eating Its Own

What one lawmaker’s defection from the GOP says about the state of politics

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

Trump's demand for colleges nationwide to fork over race data faces legal hurdle

A federal judge blocked Trump's requirement for colleges to immediately collect and turn over race data, siding — for now — with a group of Democrat attorneys general

White House proposes new visitor screening center to access grounds

The 33,000-square-foot screening center, planned below Sherman Park, would be the Trump administration’s latest effort to remake the White House grounds.

AI and the Sin of Sloth

The real problem with generative AI is that it's working as intended: making us lazier and less able to think.

With Endorsement, Trump Clears Oklahoma Senate Path

The move, as other Republicans confirmed they would not run, all but assured Representative Kevin Hern would succeed Senator Markwayne Mullin.

MN Medicaid Funds Takeover Tied to Fraud-Hit Agency

Minn. Gov. Tim Walz has proposed a plan that will see the state take over the handling of Medicaid funds, but places the state agency that allowed the million-dollar healthcare fraud scandal in charge of overseeing the funds, the Washington Examin…