Trump Asked Deputy Attorney General If He Was “On My Team”

Yet another demand for a loyalty pledge from a law enforcement official by a President under investigation.

Justice Department Won’t Be Retrying Senator Bob Menendez On Corruption Charges

Embattled New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez has dodged a bullet, but still faces uncertain prospects for reelection.

False Missile Alert In Hawaii Still Shrouded In Mystery

Two weeks later, it’s still unclear what caused a false missile alert to be sent out in Hawaii.

Train Carrying Republican Members Of Congress To Retreat Collides With Truck At Crossing

A train carrying Republican Congressmen and Senators, and their families, was involved in a crash in western Virginia.

After A Year Of Unparalleled Divisiveness, Trump Tries To Sell Unity At State Of The Union

The President talked about national unity last night, but given his own rhetoric as a candidate and as a President, it’s a call that seems to be hypocritical.

Preventative Care Doesn’t Save Money

A longstanding claim—that I myself believed to be true—is that spending money on preventative care like regular checkups would save money in the long run by catching health issues before they become acute. The evidence does not support this.

Trump’s Immigration Plan Meeting Opposition, From Republicans

The White House’s immigration plan is facing opposition in both chambers of Congress from moderate and conservative Republicans alike.

Ireland To Vote On Referendum Liberalizing Abortion Laws

In May, Irish voters will vote on a referendum to remove the near-universal ban on abortion in the nation’s Constitution. And it looks as though it will pass.

Trumps Fails To Implement Sanctions Against Russia Passed By Congress

Once again, President Trump is going soft on Russia. Why? I’ll leave that up to the reader to decide.

The State Of The Union Address Is Unnecessary and Irrelevant

Do yourself a favor and skip the State Of The Union Address tonight. You won’t be missing anything important.

FBI Deputy Director, Trump Target, Steps Down

Andrew McCabe has stepped down as the FBI’s number two after months of attacks from President Trump.

Three Female Naval Academy Grads Running for Congress

Three women who attended Annapolis together are running for seats in Congress.

35-Year-Old Videogame Record Thrown Out by People with Way Too Much Time on Their Hands

Todd Rogers has been stripped of his world record for the Atari 2600 racing game Dragster.

‘Trump Slump’ In Travel To The U.S. Has Cost $4.6 Billion And 40,000 Jobs

International travel to the United States has declined since Donald Trump took office, and it’s having a measurable impact on the economy.

Prospects For A DACA Deal Looking Grim

The prospects for a deal in Congress on DACA are starting to look grim.

The Myth And Dangers Of “No Daylight” Between The United States And Israel

The Trump Administration has acted in a manner to create the impression that there is “no daylight” between the United States and Israel. This is a myth, and pursuing such a goal poses real dangers for America’s national interests.

Many South Koreans Not So Thrilled With The Idea Of A Unified Korea

The recent cooling of relations between North and South Korea has led to some talk of eventual reunification, but for many South Koreans that idea is a non-starter.

Soldiers Revealing Secret Locations With Fitness Wearables

A quarter century ago, soldiers were first using GPS to help them navigate the battlefield. Now, GPS is giving away their location.

Government Orders Massive Increase in Streaming Rights Fees

A government panel has mandated a 50% increase in the revenue share streaming services pay songwriters and music publishers.

Challenges to the Health of American Democracy

Democratic norms are eroding.

Polish Government Sending History Of Polish Collaboration With Nazis Down The Memory Hole

The Polish Government appears ready to approve a law that seeks to whitewash the truth about the role that many Poles played in the Holocaust.

A Return to “a Republic, not a Democracy”

And a little Electoral College for good measure.

Donald Trump Reportedly Won’t Visit United Kingdom Unless Theresa May Bans Protests

Donald Trump is wildly unpopular in the United Kingdom, and that’s apparently causing him to eschew visiting the United States’s most important ally.

Republicans Are Slavishly Backing Trump At Their Own Risk

Despite mounting evidence and outrageous behavior, Republicans nationwide and on Capitol Hill continue to do the Administration’s dirty work. They’ll most likely live to regret it.

What Trump Economic Boom?

President Trump and his supporters like to claim that the economy has been booming since he became President. A look at the numbers reveals that this is not the case.

European Allies Rebuffing American Efforts To Renegotiate Iran Nuclear Deal

America’s closest European allies are rebuffing the Trump Administration’s efforts to renegotiate the nuclear deal with Iran. They’re right to do so.

A Strong, But Not Spectacular, Report On Economic Growth

The economy grew in the final quarter of 2017, but at a slower pace than earlier in the year and far slower than what the President has promised.

Trump Tried To Fire Robert Mueller In June

And the evidence for obstruction of justice continues to mount.

Donald Trump Shrugging Donald Trump Shrugging

Trump Appears To Make Concessions On A DACA Deal, Then The White House Pulls Them Back

Less than a day after the President appeared to make a major concession regarding DACA, the White House has thrown a monkey wrench into the whole process.

Senate Democrats Prepared To De-Link Budget Talks From Progress On DACA

Democrats in the Senate appear ready to de-link DACA from the budget. That would remove the threat of a government shutdown, but it could anger their base.

As Trump Withdraws Into Fortress America, The World Moves On

President Trump has alienated America’s allies and friends, and they are acting accordingly.

Congress Needs To Act In Response To Trump’s Illegal War In Syria

With the Administration set to commit the United States to a forever war in Syria, it’s time for Congress to act.

The Growing Partisan Divide Over America’s Relationship With Israel

Americans were once largely united in their opinions about Israel and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. That’s not the case anymore.

The Path To A DACA Deal Won’t Be An Easy One

Getting to a DACA deal isn’t going to be easy.

One Year After Trump Withdrew, Canada Forms A New Trans-Pacific Partnership

Just over one year after President Trump’s foolish and ill-informed decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Canada has stepped in to rescue the deal.

The Case For Bringing Back Earmarks

It’s been seven years since Congress eliminated earmarking, and what we’ve seen has provided good evidence for the argument that it should never have been eliminated.

OTB Site Update [Updated]

We’re slowly fixing the site.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Strikes Down House District Map Due To Partisan Gerrymandering

Another win for forces fighting partisan Gerrymandering.

Who Suffers the Most from Government Shutdowns?

My latest for The National Interest has posted.

Democrats Facing Blowback From The Left Over Deal To End Shutdown

The deal that led to the end of the Federal Government shutdown isn’t sitting well with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Senate Votes To Approve Agreement To Reopen Government, House Expected To Go Along

While final votes remain to be taken, the Federal Government shutdown effectively ended this afternoon with an overwhelming bipartisan vote to reopen the government, combined with a commitment from Republicans to consider a DACA bill over the next three weeks. What happens next, though, is entirely uncertain.

Trump Wants To Claim Credit For Thawing Of Relations Between North And South Korea

President Trump is apparently pressuring the President of South Korea to give him the credit for talks between North and South Korea that the United States isn’t involved in at all.

Government Shutdown Enters Day Three With Resolution Still Uncertain

As the Federal Government shutdown moves into the work week, there are some rumors of a possible deal, but nothing concrete and the lack of trust between the two parties could make a deal hard to achieve.

Trump Calls On Senate GOP Go Nuclear On Filibuster. That’s Not Going To Happen

President Trump called on Senate Republicans to eliminate the legislative filibuster to resolve the government shutdown. That’s not going to happen.

Government Shutdown Enters Second Day With Few Signs Of Quick Resolution

It’s Day Two of the Federal Government shutdown and there are few signs of a quick resolution.

OTB Admin Update

The redevelopment of the site that I posted about a few weeks back is underway in a phased approach.