Outside the Beltway

Donald Trump and friends speak to the NRA.

It doesn’t appear the Uvalde TX police were underfunded

An example of security theater with proven negative social impacts

Tragedy has played out so often that it has become a statistic.

Assumptions of racial animus are overshadowing a story that’s outrageous enough on its own.

And yet the state still extracted their pound of flesh

An extraordinary example shines light on coercive factors that incentivize plea deals

A Michigan jury believed the FBI created the crime.

A key planner of the Capitol riot has agreed to testify against others in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Two hundred-odd people have pled or been found guilty. One has been acquitted.

Democrats want the DOJ to act more quickly.

His conversations with lawyers about stealing the election are not protected by privilege.

A new trial that might not have happened with a plea

New evidence changes the story ever so slightly.

The convicted criminal has been released pending appeal.

A novel and persuasive argument.

The former President should have known that his claims of election fraud were baseless.

Two notorious cases indicate a policy shift on federal prosecutions of cases already tried in lower courts.

Manhattan’s new DA seems to think he has a weak case.

An example of how lack of regulation leads to practices that damage public faith in policing

Why clearing criminal records makes economic sense

With choices like these it’s easy to understand why people take plea deals

Our system lacks accountability.

Former President Trump routinely broke the law with respect to protecting public records.

The infamous duo will have to do what they were already supposed to do for a year.

A ginned up controversy regarding a border nature reserve has escalated.

But from what? Comparing two stories from Tennessee that show our society’s contradictory impulses when it comes to “protecting the children.”

Not Mayberry. Not even close.

Two stories about our culture’s focus on punishment

A year after the Capitol riot, DOJ is coming after the most violent perpetrators.

The safety gap between affluent, white and poor, minority communities has grown over the last three decades.

It doesn’t matter what I believe. It only matters what I can prove.

The head of the House investigatory committee seems to think so.

We’re likely to see more instances like the Capitol Riot and the Kyle Rittenhouse shootings.

Our reactions to recent murder trials tells us a lot about our divided country.

A just verdict—but just a verdict.

A woman who declared “Civil War is coming” and “they have to kill me” has asked for and received leniency.

A pattern is emerging.

A serial criminal murdered five and injured dozens.

A contrast in styles.

The expected has occurred.

Exercising Constitutional rights comes with a price.

A really strange case.

The erstwhile QAnon Shaman will spend another three-and-a-half years in jail.

A conversation in two parts.

He’s controversial but consistent.

Pretrial rulings strengthen his self-defense claims.

Disappointment turns to tragedy.

The 16th time may be the charm for Robert Kennedy’s killer.

The weirdest goddamn story you’re likely to read today.