Outside the Beltway

The election of an anti-austerity government in Portugal is raising some concerns.

The news that the late football legend Frank Gifford suffered from the same chronic brain disease that has been diagnosed in many N.F.L. players in recent years, and the upcoming release of a new film on the issue, seems certain to increase pressure to protect players at all levels of football.

The economy performed a little better than previously reported over the summer. It’s not great, but it’s probably enough to convince the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates next month.

You thought Betamax died three decades ago didn’t you?

Donald Trump likes to tell people that he’ll never be beholden to special interests because he’s self-funding his campaign. So far, though, that doesn’t really seem to be true.

You may not be aware, but your local Starbucks is the new front in the ‘War On Christmas.’

To no real surprise, the Obama Administration has rejected the application to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. It is likely to remain an issue in the upcoming Presidential campaign, though.

A much stronger than expected October Jobs Report suggests that the Federal Reserve is likely to move on interest rates, and raises questions about how economic issues will play out politically in 2016.

Another piece of news that all but guarantees the fate of the Keystone XL project will not be resolved before President Obama leaves office.

Boldly going……..again?

Thanks mostly to well-founded demographic concerns, China is ending the ‘One Child’ policy, but it is probably too late for them to avoid the consequences of the forty year program.

As expected, the Senate easily passed the two-year budget deal early this morning.

Gross Domestic Product grew at a sluggish 1.5% in the just-concluded Third Quarter, calling the Federal Reserve’s apparent plan to raise interest rates at some point even further into question.

While it did draw 14 million viewers, last night’s CNBC debate had the smallest audience of any Presidential debate so far. That was probably a good thing for CNBC considering how bad the debate was.

From now on, you’ll just have to read it for the articles.

Obama’s first Secretary of State has come out against Obama’s Trans Pacific Partnership.

September’s Jobs Report was disappointing to say the least, and calls into question the Federal Reserve’s apparent plan to raise interest rates in the near future.

A Federal Judge has ruled that the copyright to ‘Happy Birthday To You’ has been invalid for at least the past eighty years.

After months of hinting that interest rates would be rising this month, signs of economic weakness led the Federal Reserve to hold back.

The August Jobs Report was positive, but weak, calling into question the Federal Reserve’s apparent plan to raise interest rates this month.

Today’s revision of Second Quarter G.D.P. growth was good news, but it doesn’t seem likely to last.

Yesterday’s stock market drop led some Republican candidates to say some particularly dumb things.

So does this mean Big Bird will show up on Game Of Thrones?

“Fiscal conservative” Scott Walker is handing Wisconsin taxpayers a $400 million bill for a new arena for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The July Jobs Report indicates that while the economy is growing, it is not growing very much. This seems to call the Federal Reserve’s interest rate plans into question.

China adds to its status as the honey badger of intellectual property law.

Low costs and regulatory barriers are attracting people to red states–thus turning them purple and blue.

Relying on a particularly strained and incredulous legal analysis, the EEOC has ruled that laws against discrimination based on gender also bar discrimination based on sexual orientation.

It’s easy to see what Greece thinks it still needs Europe, it’s more of puzzle why Europe thinks it needs to hang on to Greece.

Greece reached a new deal with European bankers that seems oddly similar to the one that voters rejected just a week ago.

A Federal Judge has uphold a Patent Office ruling revoking the Redskins Trademarks on the ground that they are “disparaging” toward Native Americans.

In the past month, the Chinese stock market has lost more than 1/3 of its value.

The winners of the Women’s World Cup will get paid far less than the men that played last year, but that’s not because of sexism.

Greek voters rejected the latest bailout package, but that only seems likely to make things even worse for them.

The June Jobs Report was okay, but it certainly doesn’t inspire much confidence.

Greece’s Prime Minister seemed to give in to some of Europe’s demands today, but bankers are continuing to hold to the strict conditions they set last week.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a major case about public employee unions that could go a long way toward restraining their power.

The Greek Government is basically shutting the banking system down tomorrow as negotiations over its debt problems continue.

The Confederate battle flag is suddenly toxic.

Well, that didn’t take long.

Taylor Swift is taking a stand against Apple’s new streaming music service, and she’s largely right.

Surely it’s time to put a woman on American currency again, but why go after Alexander Hamilton?

Marijuana is legal in Colorado, but it’s illegal under Federal Law. Because of that, the Colorado Supreme Court dismissed a claim by resident who was fired when he tested positive for pot.

House Democrats defied President Obama on an important trade deal today, thus arguably marking the official beginning of his lame duck status.