Outside the Beltway

Either Obama’s Defense Secretary and commanding general are conspiring to undermine his July 11 deadline for withdrawal from Afghanistan or that they’re carrying out his intent.

An essay claiming that the TED talks are “the new Harvard” is gaining some traction from a lot of people who ought know better.

We’ve moved OTB to a new server. Let me know if you see anything unusual.

Steve Slater, the JetBlue sky waiter whose recent meltdown became a viral sensation, wants his old job back.

Unemployment is not equally distributed in America.

Senior staffers are already leaving the Obama administration due to burn-out. But are 18-hour days really necessary for running the White House?

Former Bush administration Solicitor General Ted Olson is making a zealous case for same-sex marriage. Why are people surprised?

A staggering 8 percent of all babies born in the United States in 2008 were offspring of illegal aliens. What are the public policy implications?

Tonight’s topics: Yesterday’s primary elections, the cost of hiring workers in the public and private sectors, anti-Muslim sentiment, and the move to repeal birthright citizenship.

Of the U.S. military’s 10 combatant commands, only three are held by Army or Marine generals.

Jenny, the hottie who quit her job in style using a dry erase board and became an Internet sensation, is actually an actress named Elyse Porterfield.

A special tax rate for millionaires wouldn’t raise much additional revenue but it would make journalists feel better.

Pat Leahy suggests allowing retired SCOTUS Justices fill in when a sitting member recuses himself. A great idea on paper, it won’t work in practice.

Last night’s preseason opener between the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals was the worst sports broadcast I’ve ever seen, barring any recent Olympics.

Are government imposed mandates making it impossible for businesses to justify hiring new workers?

Despite 9.5% unemployment, American firms are struggling to find qualified applicants for job openings.

Dilbert creator Scott Adams says that the amount of stress in the world is constant, with relief always transferred to another person or another time.

Are we nearing the point where presidents won’t be able to fill Supreme Court vacancies?

This year’s Zogby poll of public opinion in the Middle East exhibits a marked shift on the Obama Administration, Iran.

November’s elections will set modern records for most Senate seats and governorships on the ballot.

Some Democrats who support ending the Bush tax cuts for high earners want to exempt their own rich constituents.

A college degree is becoming a virtual necessity to making a good living in America, yet most still aren’t pursuing higher education.

Holland became the first NATO member to pull out of Afghanistan. How long before the rest follow?

Drinking a beer every mile during a half marathon isn’t as good an idea as it sounds.

ABC’s Sunday talking heads show has a new host. Is she a secret Taliban sympathizer?

Should anyone care that Chelsea Clinton’s wedding was ridiculously lavish?

Does anybody here know anything about slide or film scanners or 8mm conversion?

Some number of people are staying married while living separate lives. This is, apparently, news.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi won’t say whether she thinks the war in Afghanistan is worth the increasing toll on American blood and treasure.

The phone call is a dying legacy of a bygone day, supplanted by less intrusive forms of communication.

The US standard of living is not only growing but its lead over Europe and Japan is growing.

Screaming at one another and treating political opponents as enemies doesn’t seem to be getting us anywhere. But is there a realistic alternative?

President Obama went on TV and said something true. What was he thinking?

A review by the Army of its alarming spike in suicides blames it on the new strain of risk-seeking recruits who join during wartime and commanders who neglect to rein them in.

Topics include the WikiLeaks episode and its fallout, the DISCLOSE Act, filibuster reform, and the possibility that the economy has already recovered as much as it’s going to.

Are you really a nonprofit if your CEO is making a million dollars a year?

Three different ways they’re viewing the leaked “war logs” across the Pond.

Depending on which papers you read, the British NHS is undergoing minor restructuring, secretly planning major cuts in basic services, or doing nothing of concern.

You’re invited to attend President Obama’s birthday party. That’ll be $30,000.

General Stanley McChrystal retired with full honors while being lauded by the Secretary of Defense.

Some American atheists are using hair dryers to reverse childhood baptism.

If it’s online, it’s forever.

I’ve got to get a new BlackBerry or move to the iPhone and am looking for suggestions.

The movie version of Captain America will dress like the flag but won’t be waving it.

The median duration of unemployment is at levels not seen in decades. What do we do about it?

Now we’re doubling down on the Karzai government.

While people keep flocking to Facebook in droves, the site has the lowest satisfaction rating of any e-business site.

WaPo’s Breaking News Blog highlights a story that is, well, hardly breaking news: inconsiderate people on the DC subway.