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

Trump calls deadly Charlottesville rally a ‘peanut’ next to Israel protests

Donald Trump’s comments marked his latest downplaying of a 2017 white supremacist event that he declared had “very fine people on both sides.”

A Democrat’s Case for Saving Mike Johnson

Why Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez wants to rescue the speaker from his own party

Grad Students Say They’re Often Poorly Informed

The government needs to stop doing something, namely, lending money for college.

The Terrible Title IX Regulations

Madeleine Kearns discusses Biden’s outrageous Title IX rewrite.

Trump Deflates

It wasn’t just Putin who lost in the House vote on Ukraine aid.

Supreme Court hears arguments on Trump immunity case

The Supreme Court heard nearly three hours of arguments Thursday in the blockbuster case over whether former President Donald Trump may claim immunity from prosecution in the federal election subversion case.

Key Solar Panel Ingredient Is Made in the U.S.A. Again

REC Silicon says it will soon start shipping polysilicon, which has come mostly from China, reviving a Washington State factory that shut down in 2019.

Erdogan’s Hypocrisy

While routinely declaring that Israel’s behaviour toward Hamas is genocidal, Erdogan has consistently denied the real genocides carried out by Turkey.

A N.Y. court tossed Harvey Weinstein’s conviction. Could it help Trump?

Legal experts said the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s trial will have to scrutinize the appeals court’s decision.

Nostalgia for Confinement

Why are some in Russia and Eastern Europe pining for the communist system that once oppressed them?

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.

Donald Trump to Newsmax: 'Very Good Session' at SCOTUS

Former President Donald Trump told Newsmax on Thursday that he had a "very good session" before the Supreme Court during his hearing for presidential immunity.

Big Sister Returns: Criticism of My Work Is a Dire Threat to Democracy

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…

NY v. Trump: Tabloid publisher testifies he bought stories on Tiger Woods, ex-Obama chief of staff

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified that he purchased stories about professional golfer Tiger Woods, former Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, among others during questioning by defense attorneys for former President Trump.

Politics of the Day

Politics of the Day

Officials knew Manhattan Project chemicals disposed improperly at Missouri sites, documents reveal

Records have revealed that government officials knowingly disposed toxic chemicals improperly while trying to convince the people of St. Louis that the site was cleaned.

‘Ukraine’

Noah Rothman, Michael Brendan Dougherty, and Charles C. W. Cooke continue the debate over Ukraine that they started on Tuesday’s episode of The Editors.

#Bidenomics Update: Or 'How to Crash a Soft Landing'

DOJ Snubs GOP's Second Demand for Biden-Hur Audio

The DOJ has once again snubbed a demand from Republican lawmakers for audio recordings of President Joe Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur, intensifying a standoff over access to critical materials in the GOP's impeachment investiga…

Investigating the Academy

In a recent speech to University of Toronto scholars, a Quillette editor explained why many of his fellow journalists are reluctant to report on administrative scandals at Canadian universities.

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.

Conservative Justices Appear Poised to Rule Ex-Presidents Have Some Level of Immunity

Such a ruling would probably send the case back to a lower court and could delay any trial until after the November election.

On the Unprecedented Challenge Facing Israel in Gaza

An insightful take on the challenges of an existential conflict against Hamas.

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.

Republicans' Hollow Threats Against Dem Corruption

Erick Erickson made a splash within right-wing circles on the Right's alleged departure from limited-government, free-market principles.

Co-conspirator #1

In this week's episode, the crew discusses what's happened in former president Donald Trump's New York trial so far – and what we're hearing from witnesses. Washington Post reporter Devlin Barrett returns to take us inside the courtroom, while se…

A Conversation with NPR-AI, the Latest Large Language Model Chatbot

‘Would you like me to recommend some reading that will help you unlearn your destructive mental habits and educate yourself, Davx?’

Ukraine Could Use Long-Range ATACMS to Hit Russian Targets in Crimea, U.S. Says

The goal for a recent delivery of ATACMS, a coveted long-range missile system, is to put more pressure on Russian forces in eastern parts of occupied Ukraine.

New Republican challenger to Elizabeth Warren says ‘no one has disappointed Massachusetts more’

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren now faces two Republican challengers: lawyer John Deaton and City Council president Ian Cain who launched his campaign this week.

'Death to America' rapidly emerging as key slogan of anti-Israel agitators in US

The slogan "Death to America" has become a more common rallying cry among anti-Israel protesters across the country in recent weeks, who have spread to college campuses.

Peter Schey, Tenacious Lawyer Who Defended Migrant Rights, Dies at 77

He won the right to services like school and health care for people illegally crossing the border into the U.S. He also fought the Trump administration’s family separation policy.

Rep. Perry to Newsmax: Biden Touts GDP as Americans Struggle

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., told Newsmax on Thursday that President Joe Biden is touting the newly released gross domestic product (GDP) numbers as a positive development while Americans are struggling and "can't afford anything."

Testimony ends for the day in Trump hush money trial

The prosecution continued to question the ex-publisher of the National Enquirer David Pecker as Donald Trump sat in a New York courtroom Thursday for his criminal hush money trial.

Watchdog Group Accuses Trump Campaign of Violating Finance Law

The Campaign Legal Center said in a complaint that Trump political committees had used an intermediary firm “as a conduit to conceal payments” totaling $7.2 million.

Face of Farcical Wokeness: Respecting a 16-Year-Old Runaway's Pronouns

Taylor Swift: Why You Gotta Be So Mean?

In her latest album, the pop star crucifies ex-boyfriends like never before.

Campus Antisemitism. Again

As far back as 2006, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issued a report on pervasive and growing campus antisemitism.

‘Are the Student Protests Hateful?’ Rothman and Hussein Ibish Debate

Noah Rothman joined Dan Abrams on News Nation for a debate with Hussein Ibish.

Let Cops and Schools Take out the Trash

While Columbia University apparently remains locked in ‘negotiations’ with student protesters, other universities have learned from its disaster.

Is This the First AI Hate Hoax? White Principal Accused of Racism Based on Fake Audio

Gaza Is Dividing Democrats

No recent Democratic president has faced such fierce internal conflict over a foreign-policy issue.

The Supreme Court Goes Through the Looking Glass on Presidential Immunity

At this morning’s oral argument, the justices debated the ins and outs of Trump’s dangerous proposition.

DEI Was Supposed to Help People Like Me. It Didn’t

My bosses wanted my Caribbean face at diversity training sessions. What they didn’t want were my actual viewpoints.

The biggest 2024 Supreme Court rulings so far, and what’s still to come

We’re tracking decisions in the biggest cases before the Supreme Court in 2024. See the latest.

Sheppie Abramowitz, Who Advocated Relief for Refugees, Dies at 88

She helped people fleeing conflicts in Vietnam, China, Kosovo and elsewhere around the world, and established the Washington office of the International Rescue Committee.

Giuliani to Newsmax: Arizona's Targeting Lawyers 'Fascist'

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani told Newsmax on Thursday that the indictments brought in Arizona against attorneys for challenging the state's 2020 election results are "dictatorial and fascist."

Takeaways from Supreme Court Arguments on Trump’s Immunity Claim

Several justices signaled interest in some protections for official acts, which could impede a swift trial in the federal election subversion case.

U.S. to Withdraw Troops From Chad, Dealing Another Blow to Africa Policy

The departure of U.S. military personnel in Chad and Niger comes as both countries are turning away from years of cooperation with the United States and forming partnerships with Russia.

Critics say the justice should not judge Trump's election-subversion case, because his wife supported overturning the election, attended Trump's Jan6 rally.

Biden highlights chip investments during New York trip

Live updates from the 2024 campaign trail with the latest news on presidential candidates, polls, primaries and more.

Criticism, praise of Texas Gov. after dramatic use of troopers on protesters

The three-term governor on Wednesday ordered scores of riot gear-clad state troopers to arrest protesters on the University of Texas Austin campus.

Whitaker to Newsmax: Appellate Courts Should Favor Trump

Former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker told Newsmax on Thursday that he believes appeals courts would be inclined to support former President Donald Trump in his legal battles.

Democrats’ Unproven Plan to Close Biden’s Enthusiasm Gap

Progressive organizers are betting they can flip the conventional wisdom on voting.

From Banana Slugs to Human Beings, There Are Just Two Sexes

An examination of 18 supposedly ‘trans animals’ disproves activist claims that we all live on a non-binary gender ‘spectrum.’

Uh Oh. US Fertility Rate Hits Record Low

Chaos: Pro-Hamas Protesters at Emory University Clash with Police

Judge Points Out Biden DOJ's Hypocrisy, Double Standard

Peter Navarro, a former Trump trade adviser, is sitting in jail for defying a subpoena from Nancy Pelosi's star chamber, the January 6 Committee.

40 Policies That Will Define the 2024 Election

Results of a comprehensive new poll of 4,038 registered voters from The Liberal Patriot and Blueprint conducted by YouGov.

Why Did U.S. Planes Defend Israel but Not Ukraine?

There are lessons for other nations in the events of the past few days.

CNN Poll: Trump Treated Differently Than Other Defendants

A majority of Americans believe former President Donald Trump is being treated differently than other defendants regarding his criminal trial in New York over allegations of falsifying business records to cover a payment to porn star Stormy Daniel…

The Supreme Court Hints at a Break for Trump

The justices could issue a ruling that would make a trial in the Jan. 6 case unlikely before the election.

White House Remains Terribly Upset with the NY Times' Coverage of Joe Biden

Watchdog: Biden Administration Used Campaign Slogans in Official Communications

NYC Councilwomen to Newsmax: Professors Indoctrinated Protesting Students

New York City Councilwoman Joann Ariola, a Republican, told Newsmax on Thursday that many of the students protesting the war in Gaza "have been indoctrinated by the professors that are standing there with them."

'Reverse Coattails' Won't Rescue Biden

Across the battleground states, down-ballot Democrats are running well ahead of President Biden. This delta has been a defining electoral feature since the 2022 midterms, where congressional Democrats significantly outperformed expectations set by…

What Trump was doing on the other Jan. 6.

On. Jan. 6, 2017, President-elect Trump welcomed two important figures to Trump Tower: FBI Director James Comey and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.

Trump compliments prosecution's first witness in criminal trial: 'very nice'

Former President Donald Trump said the prosecution team's first witness in the NY v. Trump case, David Pecker, is a "nice guy," in comments ahead of court Thursday.

DOJ to SCOTUS: Trump Committed Crimes, Predecessors Didn't

Donald Trump is the first former president to face criminal charges because his predecessors didn't commit any crimes, Michael Dreeben, an attorney representing Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith, told the Supreme Court on Thursday.

Taliban Join Climate Talks! We Are Saved!

What Donald Trump Fears Most

A potential reckoning that he has spent a lifetime eluding could be coming.

The Lonely Death of an Ojibway Boy

Charlie Wenjack has come to symbolise the deadly horrors of Canada’s Residential Schools. Unfortunately, many details of his tragic story have been misrepresented in the process.

Alabama lawmakers advance bill that could lead to prosecution of librarians

The Alabama House of Representatives has voted 72-28 for a bill that could see librarians prosecuted for providing 'harmful materials to minors;' the legislation now moves to the Alabama Senate.

Trump says hate at deadly Charlottesville rally ‘wasn’t the kind of hate that you have’ at Gaza protests

House to Vote on Antisemitism Bill Amid Campus Protests

In response to escalating tensions surrounding anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiments on college campuses, the House of Representatives is gearing up to vote on the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 next week, the Washington Examiner reported Thu…

Supreme Court seems poised to allow Trump Jan. 6 trial, but not immediately

Conservative and liberal justices grappled with the historic significance of the case, which will impact presidential power and Donald Trump’s D.C. trial.

US energy giant sounds alarm on Biden's climate rules targeting power plants

One of the nation's largest energy companies, which provides power to more than eight million customers, said President Biden's environmental regulations will threaten the grid.

House Lawmakers Propose Renaming D.C. Street after Hong Kong Political Prisoner Jimmy Lai

The street in front of Hong Kong’s de facto embassy would be called ‘Jimmy Lai Way’ as an effort to impose reputational costs on China.

A Majority Are for Mass Deportations

Axios is out with eye-popping results from a poll it ran.

Blue state in battle over AG's illegal immigration dictate that 'handcuffs' police

A group of New Jersey Republicans is trying to reverse a directive from the state's liberal district attorney general that "handcuffs" local law enforcement cooperation with ICE agents.

American Carnage

Alex Garland’s spectacular new film ‘Civil War’ is a warning of what can happen to democracies when civil society collapses.

Minneapolis ordinance imposes highest minimum cigarette price in America

The Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously on Thursday to impose a minimum cigarette price of $15 per pack — the highest in the country.

Biden EPA Threatens to Shut Down Coal Plants Amid Energy Crisis

Trump Has a Path to Victory

The upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election is shaping up to be tightly contested between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Amidst economic struggles and concerns over border security and global conflict, the polls show a nar…

GOP Applauds Texas's Response to UT Austin Protest

Republicans from Texas cheered the state's Republican governor, Greg Abbott, and the University of Texas at Austin for their success in shutting down a pro-Palestinian protest within hours of it starting, The Washington Examiner reported.

Trump Is Getting What He Wants

The Supreme Court seems to be endorsing his views on presidential power.

Highland Fling: Scotland's Execrable First Racist Tosses Green Party From Power Deal in Last-Ditch Switch

Democrats Target Ted Cruz To Stave Off Senate Disaster

With just over six months to go in the 2024 campaign, incumbent Republican Ted Cruz has a healthy seven-point lead over Democrat Allred.

Mexican gang member captured after 2 dozen prior arrests for illegally entering US

Border Patrol agents stopped a Mexican illegal immigrant who is also a "Tango Blast" gang member and has entered the U.S. two dozen times.

Mortar attack on Gaza coast spotlights risk to U.S. pier mission

Assembly of the floating pier has begun several miles off Gaza, and aid delivery is expected to start within days, U.S. officials said.

Ex-F.B.I. Lawyer Who Criticized Trump Says Bureau Failed to Warn Her About Stalker

A man who pleaded guilty to stalking the lawyer, Lisa Page, had been discharged from the Marines after expressing an obsession with her as well as mass shootings, information that was shared with the F.B.I.

Stifling Free Speech Online: Australia’s Misinformation Bill

Every censorship regime in history has claimed to be protecting the public. But no regime can have prior knowledge of what is true or good. It can only know what the approved narratives are.

What Democrats Want Out of the Trump Trial

WHAT DEMOCRATS WANT OUT OF THE TRUMP TRIAL. Former President Donald Trump is back in a Manhattan courtroom after a Wednesday break. On the way to court Thursday morning, Trump stopped at a construction site where he received an enthusiastic welcom…

Jewish Students Fear for Their Safety. Where's Biden?

The recent explosion of antisemitic demonstrations on Ivy League campuses is a tipping point for President Joe Biden's America.

A Clean, Calm Debate between Me and Noah on Ukraine

Each of our conclusions about Ukraine rests on a series of disagreements about other factors.

CNN Political Briefing

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

The Axe Files with David Axelrod

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

What’s Next in Trump’s Immunity Case

Arguments heard in late April almost always yield decisions near the end of the court’s term, in late June or early July.

U.S. troops to leave Chad, as another African state reassesses ties

Dozens of U.S. Army personnel will leave Chad in Central Africa, at least temporarily, as the two governments discuss their security relationship.

Early in-person voting starts for North Carolina primary runoffs

Early in-person voting began Tuesday across North Carolina for the runoff elections being held next month, including Republican primaries for one congressional and two statewide seats.

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 Accidental Speaker

What if Mike Johnson is actually good at this?

Misadventures of a Stalinist Stooge

Benn Steil’s engrossing new biography of Henry A. Wallace is a timely cautionary tale and a masterpiece of 20th-century American history.

An Absurd Umbrella: Neurodiversity and the Autism Spectrum

Autism has become a catchall term to explain and dismiss the problem child. But it can also be viewed as a superpower.

Kennedy Now Threatens Biden and Trump

For a while there, the independent ticket of ex-Democrats Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Nicole Shanahan seemed to be taking crucial votes away from Democrat Joe Biden, at least as indicated by comparing three-way and five-way (with Cornel West and Jil…

More People, More Prosperity: The Simon Abundance Index

The Simon Abundance Index 2024 finds Earth’s resources 509% more plentiful than in 1980.

Cruz Condemns Biden's, AOC's Responses to College Protests

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, criticized the responses of President Joe Biden and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to protests that have occurred on numerous college campuses, such as Yale University, Columbia University, and New York University, …

Trump’s Misogyny Is on Trial in New York

To read through the court filings is to be plunged back anew into the dizzying chaos of those last few weeks before the 2016 election.

The Trump Trial’s Extraordinary Opening

The first days of the criminal case against the former president have been mundane, even boring—and that’s remarkable.

Trump focused on campaign, not family, in ‘catch and kills,’ witness says

Trump sought to block damaging media reports during the 2016 campaign but did not seem worried about how his family would feel about them, witness testifies

Surging GOP Senate candidate unleashes on 'both parties' during border visit: 'Failing the American people'

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan visited the southern border on Thursday, as he called for Washington to embrace solutions to solve the ongoing migrant crisis.

Democrats Have a Trump Trial, Now Just Need a Crime

We've never seen a case like this one where a dead misdemeanor from 2016 could be revived as a felony just before the 2024 election

Agent Removed From Harris’s Detail After ‘Distressing’ Behavior

The Secret Service agent was removed during an incident on Monday morning shortly before Vice President Kamala Harris left for a campaign event in Wisconsin.

Biden’s Safe, Polite Campaign Stop in Scranton

The president’s kitchen-table issues approach seems to lack true vision.

Jean-Luc Godard in Retrospect Part II: Fanaticism and Failure (1966–2022)

After half a decade of critical adulation, Godard’s career slumped into doctrinaire Maoism, bitterness, incomprehensibility, and irrelevance. It never recovered.

Giving Up on Elite Colleges--and Heading South

'Even if I could've gotten into Harvard, I wouldn't have gone.'

Sen. McConnell: No Presidential Immunity for Criminal Prosecution

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has taken a stand against presidential immunity, particularly in the case of former President Donald Trump, for criminal prosecution.

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…

Pamela Paul on Grievance Culture and 'Progressive Stacking'

Gaza Glampers Receive Praise — and Funding — from Enemies of the West

Not only must the universities clear the encampments. They must be held to account for cultivating young minds to scream ‘Death to America!’