The hottest U.S. Politics Substack posts right now

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The L.A. Times’ Owner Takes the Red Pill. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2276 implied HN points • 05 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Media Elections Government Public Opinion Policy
  1. The owner of the L.A. Times has changed his stance, now supporting more conservative views after previously focusing on systemic racism. This shift raises questions about sincerity in media ownership.
  2. There are concerns about how public media, like NPR, has lost trust with many Americans. A CEO is being called to answer for this trust deficit as funding is scrutinized.
  3. Young people are becoming influential in shaping important decisions in America, much to the surprise of older generations. This reflects a historical trend where youth have led cultural and political changes.

There Is No Antisemitism Crisis In Australia. It's A Carefully Constructed Lie.

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2179 implied HN points • 15 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Media Antisemitism Public Policy International relations Social Issues
  1. There is a belief that the accusations of antisemitism in Australia are exaggerated or fabricated. Some incidents that were labeled as antisemitic may have been staged or manipulated.
  2. The media plays a significant role in shaping public perceptions around antisemitism, sometimes conflating criticism of Israel with hatred toward Jewish people.
  3. The real issues in Australia might be more related to anti-Palestinian sentiments and general apathy toward serious humanitarian crises, rather than a widespread problem of antisemitism.

EXCLUSIVE: Israeli Researcher Says Stanford Shunned and Sabotaged Him After Hamas Attack

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 969 implied HN points • 10 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Discrimination Antisemitism Higher education Legal issues
  1. An Israeli researcher, Shay Laps, claims he faced discrimination and sabotage at Stanford after the Hamas attack in October 2023. He believes his treatment was linked to his Jewish and Israeli background.
  2. Laps's lawsuit alleges that his research was tampered with and that an investigation against him was falsely created. This has raised serious concerns about how antisemitism is handled at Stanford.
  3. Despite Stanford's insistence that they addressed the allegations, they acknowledged a wider issue of antisemitism and bias on campus, especially among Jewish students and faculty.
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Trump’s Spy Chief Alleges a “Treasonous Conspiracy.” Is She Right?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 885 implied HN points • 22 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Elections Political Scandals National Security Media
  1. Tulsi Gabbard, the former director of national intelligence, has accused Barack Obama of being involved in a treasonous conspiracy during Trump's transition to the presidency.
  2. Gabbard claims that high-level officials rushed out a false intelligence assessment about Russia's election interference to damage Trump's reputation even before he took office.
  3. She has called for a Justice Department investigation into these accusations, which, if proven true, could be a major scandal in American history.

What I read this week...

Chamath Palihapitiya • 1631 implied HN points • 03 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics
  1. Infant mortality rates in the U.S. are rising due to various factors like delayed motherhood and increased infertility.
  2. Many Americans are unaware of President Biden's EV tax credits, which can make electric vehicles more affordable than traditional cars.
  3. There is a shift within the Democratic Party, with some members failing to support resolutions condemning antisemitism and terrorism, indicating a changing stance towards Israel.

👶📉 3 long-shot ways to solve the global baby bust

Faster, Please! • 1096 implied HN points • 25 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Demography Policy Economics Culture Technology Society
  1. Governments can't just pay people to have babies. Cultural views on family size have changed, making it hard to encourage larger families this way.
  2. A shrinking workforce doesn't mean a bad economy. In Japan, fewer workers have led to higher wages and better productivity, showing there can be benefits.
  3. For future generations, three ideas could spark more births: a revival of religious communities that encourage larger families, AI making family life easier, and the excitement of space exploration that needs more people.

None Of These War Criminals Will Face Justice While The US Empire Exists

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2463 implied HN points • 17 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics War Crimes Justice Government Accountability International Law Media Criticism
  1. Many officials involved in war crimes don't face justice because powerful countries protect them. They often continue their careers without consequences.
  2. Questions about war crimes can lead to disrespectful treatment, even removal from press conferences. The focus is more on the questions being asked than the issues raised.
  3. Real change and justice seem impossible as long as the current power structures exist. The cycle of violence and impunity will continue unless there's a shift in global power.

Disaffected, Episode 162

Disaffected Newsletter • 699 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Legislation Media Activism Elections
  1. The WPATH Files reveal that the World Transgender Health Association is aware of the possible harm done to children but continues with their practices.
  2. Mainstream media often fails to accurately report on controversial topics, like the Moms4Liberty group's efforts to remove certain books from school libraries.
  3. President Biden's recent speech included tense remarks aimed at the Supreme Court and addressed serious issues, like a murder case involving an illegal alien.

Actually, Horseshoe Theory is True

Mon0’s Substack • 39 implied HN points • 28 Aug 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political theory Authoritarianism Psychology Extremism Political Ideology
  1. Horseshoe theory suggests that far-left and far-right groups are more alike than different in certain ways. They may share similar psychological traits, making their mindsets closer than we think.
  2. Research shows both political extremes display traits like dogmatism, intolerance, and a rigid belief system. They often think in black-and-white terms, leading to conspiracy theories and overconfidence in their views.
  3. Authoritarian tendencies can be found on both sides of the political spectrum. This means that extreme ideologies, whether left or right, can lead to similar behaviors and mindset challenges.

The Real Villains

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2905 implied HN points • 06 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Healthcare Corporate Profits Social justice Legal system Insurance Practices
  1. The murder of a health insurance CEO sparked discussions about the harm caused by insurance companies. Many people feel upset with how these companies treat patients, especially when they deny claims.
  2. The legal system often protects powerful corporations rather than regular people. It's important to recognize that the real problems in society often come from legal actions that allow harm to happen.
  3. Big corporations make massive profits while exploiting workers and environments. This exploitation leads to suffering and poverty, showing that profit-driven systems can be very harmful.

What the Right Kind of Nationalism Sounds Like.

Breaking the News • 2206 implied HN points • 02 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership Nationalism Trade policy International relations
  1. Leadership requires addressing national interests clearly and passionately. Trudeau spoke strongly about the importance of Canada and the negative effects of trade wars.
  2. Effective communication is about explaining complex issues without being rude. Trudeau made sure his American audience understood the consequences of tariffs without sounding threatening.
  3. National pride can be expressed in a respectful way. Trudeau delivered a firm message about Canada’s values and partnerships while emphasizing that the country would stand up for itself.

Should I go all in on post-partisanship?

Jeff Giesea • 419 implied HN points • 25 May 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Partisanship Democracy Political Identity Polarization
  1. Post-partisanship is all about working together and finding real solutions instead of sticking strictly to one political party's views. It's about being practical and collaborative.
  2. There's a growing fatigue with constant polarization in politics, and many people want to see a shift towards more open-minded discussions and problem-solving between different sides.
  3. Rebranding could help connect better with the idea of post-partisanship, but it's important to think about what that change means for staying true to personal beliefs and identity.

🛑 Here’s how it all went wrong. Let's not repeat the mistake

Faster, Please! • 913 implied HN points • 21 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Populism Economy Governance Technology Critique
  1. In the 1960s, some people started to worry that our tech-focused society was losing its human touch and becoming too controlled by big organizations.
  2. Critics believed that technology was making us lose our individuality and prioritize cold efficiency over our well-being and culture.
  3. This growing concern led to political movements that challenged the postwar economic boom, emphasizing the need for more human-centric values.

THE SHOW NOTES: Houthi Attacks, Biden’s EPA Failure, & The Coldest NFL Game Ever?

Erick Erickson's Confessions of a Political Junkie • 1238 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics International Climate & Environment Health Politics News Business
  1. The coldest NFL game in history could be the Dolphins at Chiefs playoff game.
  2. The US and its allies conducted a significant attack on Yemen's Houthi rebels after they ignored demands to cease attacks on merchant ships.
  3. Remote workers are being promoted less frequently than office workers and also receive less mentorship.

EMERGENCY POD: H20 Drama

ChinaTalk • 711 implied HN points • 13 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy Technology Policy National Security International relations Trade policy
  1. There are strong arguments for and against selling AI chips to China. Some believe it helps China's technology, while others think it keeps them dependent on U.S. tech.
  2. The H20 chip, designed by NVIDIA, is still competitive despite being banned in the U.S. It has high bandwidth memory that no Chinese chip can match, giving it a unique edge.
  3. Selling these chips can complicate U.S.-China relations. The situation is tricky because technology sales can benefit businesses, but they may also strengthen China's military and technological abilities.

Conservatives Are Lying on Immigrant Crime

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 3657 implied HN points • 07 Oct 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Immigration Policy Crime Rates Public Discourse Political Rhetoric Data Analysis
  1. Many people incorrectly believe that immigration leads to higher crime rates. In reality, data shows that most immigrants, especially legal ones, tend to commit less crime than native-born citizens.
  2. Some politicians use scary language about immigrants increasing crime to push their agenda. This can create a false narrative that makes the public fearful and misinformed about the actual impact of immigration.
  3. Immigrants often face more crime themselves and can actually help reduce crime rates in communities by starting businesses and contributing to the economy. So, they can serve as a buffer against crime rather than a cause of it.

Misinformation Scholarship Exposed as Liberal Activist Grift

The DisInformation Chronicle • 720 implied HN points • 07 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Misinformation Media Activism Academia Censorship
  1. Some so-called experts on misinformation may actually have political motives. They sometimes portray themselves as neutral scholars while pushing specific agendas.
  2. There's a concern that the field of misinformation studies is not diverse in viewpoints. Most experts seem to lean towards one political ideology, which could affect the objectivity of their work.
  3. Censorship and suppression of dissenting opinions can be justified in the name of fighting misinformation. This raises questions about who gets to decide what is true or false.

The Luigi documentary has an IG tip line

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 2806 implied HN points • 17 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Health care Crime Influencer Culture Documentaries
  1. A new documentary about Luigi Mangione is being made, focusing on serious issues like healthcare and violence in America. The filmmaker wants to talk to people connected to the case to get different perspectives.
  2. MrBeast, a popular YouTuber, is struggling to stay relevant after a series of controversies, leading him to collaborate with various lesser-known creators. This shows how even big influencers can feel pressure to adapt and regain their audience.
  3. Pew Research found that nearly half of American teens are online all the time, mainly using platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Facebook and Twitter are losing popularity among this age group, indicating a shift in social media preferences.

Israel Admits It Violated The Ceasefire And Hamas Did Not

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2174 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy Conflict resolution International relations Media Analysis Political Commentary
  1. Israel has acknowledged that it violated the ceasefire while Hamas did not break any agreements. This is significant because it sheds light on the true cause of the ongoing tensions.
  2. The ceasefire is in danger as Israel has introduced new demands that were not part of the original agreement. This could lead to renewed fighting if Hamas feels pushed too hard.
  3. There is concern that the media may not report these facts accurately, so it's important for people to stay informed about what is happening behind the scenes.

What have we learned about child poverty in America?

Can We Still Govern? • 145 implied HN points • 22 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social Policy Tax policy Family Policy Labor Policy Inequality
  1. A near-universal expansion of the Child Tax Credit in 2021 sharply reduced child poverty, roughly halving the rate and lifting millions of children out of poverty.
  2. Much of the federal spending on the CTC and EITC did not go to children in poverty—only a small share reached kids below the poverty line while over half of the dollars went to families above 200% of the poverty line.
  3. The 2021 payments were delivered accurately and reached most children with minimal short-term effects on parental work, but making such expansions permanent would likely reduce parental employment more, raise fiscal costs, and still pose access gaps for some groups.

America This Week: Terror Attacks Live Discussion at 10 ET, Friday, January 3

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 2569 implied HN points • 03 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Terrorism Media Coverage Public Safety Law enforcement
  1. The discussion about recent terror attacks in America will be held live, responding to many new developments. It's important to stay updated as details can change quickly.
  2. Authorities have been giving contradictory information about the attacks, making the situation confusing. Clear information is essential for understanding what is happening.
  3. This live discussion will include not just news coverage but also a unique take on literature, showing the blend of different topics in a single show. Engaging with diverse subjects can enrich our perspective.

Political Realism

In My Tribe • 880 implied HN points • 12 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political theory Public Policy Economic Policy Lobbying Government Regulation
  1. Political Realism suggests that government officials often act in their own interests instead of just fixing market problems. This means sometimes they may take advantage of their power for personal gain.
  2. Rent-seeking is when interest groups spend a lot of resources to influence government decisions that benefit them. This can lead to a lot of money being wasted on lobbying instead of being used for productive activities.
  3. The combination of subsidizing demand and restricting supply by the government doesn't always make sense. In practice, it often serves the interests of producers rather than addressing the real issues in the market.

To J.D. Vance, His Family, & His Staff, Hannukah Is a Subset of Christmas

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 184 implied HN points • 06 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Religious politics Nationalism Extremism Political Figures American identity Political History
  1. Some political leaders treat Hanukkah as a subset of Christmas and promote a public identity centered on Christianity rather than equal recognition of Jewish traditions.
  2. U.S. civil religion has long swung between broader "Abrahamic" or "Judeo-Christian" frames, and some actors are now trying to narrow it further toward ethnic or Christian nationalism.
  3. A more inclusive civic celebration would recognize many winter festivals from different cultures instead of reducing diverse traditions to a single Christian narrative.

Tom Cotton Admits The US Doesn't Actually Care About Spreading Democracy

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2263 implied HN points • 02 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Foreign Policy Democracy Political Commentary Government actions Geopolitics
  1. Tom Cotton believes the US cares more about countries being pro-American than about them being democratic. This shows a focus on power over principles.
  2. The article highlights a pattern where politicians will support friendly dictators over democratically elected leaders if it aligns with US interests.
  3. It suggests that the actions of both the Democratic and Republican parties in foreign policy often prioritize US hegemony rather than genuine democratic values.

The Epstein Files Tell the Institutional Story of Our Time

European Straits • 25 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Institutions Scandal Elections Governance Corruption Political Economy Public Trust
  1. The Epstein files spotlight a system where powerful people often avoid accountability, and that lack of justice has eroded trust in courts, media, and elite networks.
  2. Economic and technological cycles reach maturity and create deep imbalances that make long-standing institutions brittle, so once they stop serving stability they can collapse quickly.
  3. When political leaders fail to deliver real systemic change, public anger turns to radical levers like scandals, using outrage to push for a sweeping institutional reset.

the game theory of epstein

bad cattitude • 165 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Corruption Power Dynamics Game Theory
  1. Building secret alliances can be a strong strategy for gaining power without drawing attention from rivals. It keeps the focus away from the group's actions.
  2. Groups formed on shared secrets or transgressions tend to stick together and can be very effective. They rely on maintaining that secrecy to stay strong.
  3. When powerful people are involved in wrongdoing, it can be very hard to expose them. Those who know about it often find themselves trapped in a system where they can’t speak out without risking their own safety.

Chartbook 342 Are we all dead in the long run? John Maynard Keynes and the politics of time

Chartbook • 2617 implied HN points • 22 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Economic Theory Political theory Future studies Climate Politics Historical Analysis
  1. Keynes' famous quote 'In the long run we are all dead' is often misunderstood. It doesn't mean he didn't care about the future; instead, he criticized how some economists ignore present issues in favor of uncertain future predictions.
  2. Keynes saw the future as full of possibilities, suggesting we should focus on bold and significant plans that address current crises rather than worrying too much about long-term outcomes.
  3. He believed in experimentation and creativity in political action, encouraging open-ended approaches to solve today's problems while keeping an eye on the potential futures we can create together.

ATW Livestream Tonight at 8 PM ET/7 PM CT

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 2583 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Media Elections Government Society Current Events
  1. There is an upcoming livestream called 'America This Week' tonight at 8 PM ET/7 PM CT. People can join Matt Taibbi and Walter Kirn as they discuss important stories from last week.
  2. During the livestream, they will also look back at 2024 and share predictions for 2025. This includes talking about how a second Trump administration might change the media landscape.
  3. The hosts expressed their appreciation for the support they've received from their audience over the years and shared their excitement for what’s coming in 2025.

A Scarcity of Abundance

Bet On It • 935 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Progressivism Regulation Housing Transportation Energy
  1. Housing can improve through deregulation, and it's already happening in places like California. This sparks hope for better access and affordability.
  2. Transportation and energy need big improvements too, but current efforts often focus too much on rules rather than building better infrastructure and supporting new energy projects.
  3. The book suggests that big government hasn't been effective, especially in places run by one party, and it might be more beneficial to focus on accountability and smarter use of funds.