Posts by Doug Mataconis

Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Tories Set To Pick Between Two Women To Replace David Cameron

Regardless of the outcome of the Conservative Party’s leadership race, the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom will be a woman.

June Jobs Report Bounces Back From Spring Doldrums

A good month for job growth in June.

Two Shootings, 1,000 Miles And 2 Days Apart, Bring Police Misconduct Back Into The Spotlight

Two cases quite a distance from each other, but in both police seem to be acting with a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ attitude, especially when it comes to African-American men.

Homicide Rate At 51 Year Low

If you listened to politicians or the media, you wouldn’t know that homicide rates are at a level unseen since 1963.

Former Fox News Host Gretchen Carlson Accuses Roger Ailes Of Harassment In Lurid Detail

If the allegations of a new lawsuit are true, things are truly lurid behind the scenes at Fox News Channel.

NASA’s Juno Probe Enters Orbit Of Jupiter

NASA’s latest probe has begun a two year mission to study the Solar System’s biggest planet.

President Obama Announces Yet Another Slowdown Of Withdrawal From Afghanistan

American forces will continue to stay in Afghanistan well after Barack Obama leaves office thanks to a new policy announced today.

Clinton Cleared Legally, But Her ‘Extreme’ Carelessness Will Follow Her To The White House

Hillary Clinton’s extreme carelessness with classified information probably won’t cost her the election, but it should.

Quixotic ‘Stop Trump’ Movement Still Out There, Still Doomed To Fail

Despite a year of utter failure, one group of Republicans apparently still thinks they can deny Donald Trump the Republican nomination.

Donald Trump Shrugging Donald Trump Shrugging

Fact Checker Finds 78% Of The Factual Claims Donald Trump Has Made Are False

Truth? Donald Trump can’t handle the truth.

Federal Judge Strikes Down Law Granting Special Protections To Same-Sex Marriage Opponents

Mississippi tried to provide special protection to opponents of same-sex marriage and transgender rights. A Federal District Court Judge, properly, finds the law to be unconstitutional.

ISIS Suicide Bombers Hit Inside Saudi Arabia

The wave of Ramadan attacks continues, including a strike near the second holiest site in Islam.

ISIS Attack Kills More Than 140 In Baghdad

A third major terrorist attack inside of a week.

Mike Pence Meets With Trump About Veep Slot

Is Indiana’s Governor a contender to be Donald Trump’s running mate?

Elie Wiesel, Holocaust Survivor, Author, And Human Rights Advocate, Dies At 87

A man who survived great horrors to become a tireless witness for truth and advocate for human rights has passed away.

Hillary Clinton Interviewed By F.B.I. Regarding Private Server Investigation

In a sign that the ongoing F.B.I. investigation into her use of a private email server and handling of classified information is coming to an end, the former Secretary of State was interviewed by Federal Agents today.

20 Dead In Bangladesh Attack Claimed By ISIS

A third major ISIS-inspired or planned attack in three weeks.

New Poll Finds Strong Support For Enhanced Background Checks For Gun Sales

A new poll finds strong public support for enhanced background checks and barring people on Federal watch lists from purchasing weapons.

Attorney General Will Defer To F.B.I. In Investigation Of Hillary Clinton’s Email

Attorney General Loretta Lynch will essentially recuse herself from making a decision about indictments in the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s email server.

SCOTUS Declines To Hear Appeal Of Pharmacists With Religious Objection To ‘Morning After’ Pill

The Supreme Court won’t hear the appeal of a pharmacist who objects to providing the ‘morning after’ pill.

Chris Christie Reportedly Being Vetted For Spot As Trump’s Running Mate

Chris Christie remains at the top of the list of potential Trump running mates.

Post-Brexit, Both Of Great Britain’s Major Parties Are In Crisis Mode

One week after the Brexit vote, both the Conservative and Labour parties find themselves in chaos.

California Will Vote On Marijuana Legalization In November

Californians are set to vote on marijuana legalization in November and, this time, it looks like it will pass.

The Fourth Amendment Was Meant To Protect All Of Us, Not Just The “Innocent”

When it comes to the protections of the Fourth Amendment, it doesn’t matter if you’re “guilty” or “innocent,” it protects all of us.

Hillary Clinton Leads Donald Trump In Seven Battleground States

Hillary Clinton holds solid leads over Donald Trump in seven battleground states.

The Beginning Of The End Of The ‘Conservative’ Supreme Court

Depending on the outcome of the election, the Supreme Court’s just concluded term will most likely be remembered as the point at which the Court’s rightward tilt that began at the end of the Warren Court Era came to an end.

At Least 41 Dead In Terror Attack On Istanbul Airport

A massive attack hits Istanbul’s airport.

Benghazi Committee Report Uncovers Mistakes, But No Wrongdoing

As with each previous committee that investigated the 2012 attack on the U.S outpost in Benghazi, the House Select Committee finds that mistakes were made but no evidence of wrongdoing or cover-ups.

N.F.L. Coaching Legend Buddy Ryan Dies At 82

An N.F.L. defensive legend has passed away at the age of 82.

Turkey Apologizes To Russia For Downing Jet

Turkey has issued a formal apology to Russia over the November 2015 downing of a Russian jet that had briefly strayed into Turkish airspace.

A Lesson In Polling

One result from the new NBC News poll shows us how important it is to pay attention to how poll questions are phrased.

In McDonnell Decision, Supreme Court Places Important Limits On Prosecutors

In overturning former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s conviction, the Supreme Court has sent a powerful message to overly zealous prosecutors.

Nobody Wants To Speak At Donald Trump’s Convention

Republican officials are running away from Donald Trump the way they’d run away from a horde of mosquitoes infected with the Zika virus.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Texas Abortion Law

The Supreme Court has handed down a major abortion rights ruling that reaffirms the central reasoning of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and makes it less likely that Roe will ever be overturned.

Why Didn’t The Brexit Vote Require A Supermajority For ‘Leave’ To Win?

Given the consequences of a Brexit, one wonders why the referendum didn’t require more than just a simple majority to pass.

Donald Trump’s Bad June Shows Up In The Polls

Donald Trump has had a bad June, and it’s showing in the poll numbers.

Lyle Denniston Leaving SCOTUSBlog

A true legend in legal journalism is moving on.

George Will Leaving GOP Over Donald Trump

George Will isn’t just refusing to vote for Donald Trump, he’s leaving the GOP entirely

What Does The Success Of Brexit Tell Us About Donald Trump’s Chances? Pretty Much Nothing

Many pundits are arguing that the victory for ‘Leave’ presages good news for Trump in November, but there’s no reason to believe that.