Outside the Beltway

The way we elect Presidents make it unlikely that a third-party candidate like Howard Schultz could ever actually win the the Presidency.

Roger Stone, who worked with the Trump campaign in an official and unofficial capacity throughout the campaign, has been indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

For the first tine in nearly ten years, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving Second Amendment rights.

In what amounts to a setback, the Supreme Court has lifted an injunction barring the Trump Administration’s ban on transgender service in the military to go forward pending further legal proceedings.

Nancy Pelosi is “suggesting” to the President that the State of the Union be rescheduled for a time after the government shutdown ends, but it clearly seems like more than just a suggestion.

Federal employees deemed “essential” missed a paycheck yesterday in violation of US labor law.

Paul Manafort’s attorneys reveal in a pleading that their client provided insider campaign data to Russian intelligence sources, something that seems an awful lot like collusion.

The Supreme Court is taking up the issue of partisan gerrymandering. This time, though, they’re likely to reach the merits of the cases rather than punting like they did last year.

Washington has become the latest state to ban the sale of semiautomatic assault rifles to persons under 21.

One of the strongest climate regulations in the country is almost certainly unconstitutional.

A Federal Judge has ruled that neither the Sheriff’s Office nor the School Board had a specific duty to protect individual students during the shooting last February in Parkland, Florida.

New York State seems likely to join the list of states where marijuana has been legalized sometime next year.

The mystery surrounding a secret proceeding in Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation has at least partly been solved.

As expected, the Justice Department has issued a new rule banning bump stocks. However, it is likely to face legal challenges.

Mystery continues to surround a proceeding that has been making its way through the Federal Courts in Washington, D.C.

Eight years after it was signed into law, a Federal Judge has ruled the Affordable Care Act to be unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor contends that a recent change in tax law unravels the basis for the Supreme Court’s upholding of Obamacare.

Lies and possible evidence of obstruction of justice make up the bulk of Robert Mueller’s new case against former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the U.S, Attorney for the Southern District of New York have filed sentencing memos that directly implicate the President in a series of felonies.

The Trump Administration is preparing to ban bump stocks in the coming weeks.

Citing substantial cooperation, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is recommending no jail time for former Trump associate Michael Flynn.

The Supreme Court appears ready to impose at least some limits on civil asset forfeiture at the state level.

The Trump Administration is attempting to bypass the Circuit Courts of Appeal and get immediate Supreme Court review of the President’s ban on transgender Americans serving in the military.

Paul Manafort finds himself in new legal trouble after Special Counsel Robert Mueller accused him of lying after entering a plea agreement.

Three Democratic Senators are suing the Acting Attorney General, asserting that his appointment was unconstitutional.

A Federal Judge in Washington ruled that the White House acted improperly when it arbitrary revoked CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass.

Last week, the Mexican Supreme Court pushed that country further down the road toward legalization of marijuana for all purposes.

On Tuesday, Michigan joined the ranks of the states where marijuana is legal and several other states legalized it for medical purposes.

A Federal Judge in Maryland has ruled that discovery can proceed in a case alleging that President Trump has taken payments from outside sources in violation of the Constitution

Just over a week before two states will be voting on referendums to legalize recreational marijuana, a new poll finds that two-thirds of Americans support legalization.

Former Arizona Sheriff and Senate candidate Joe Arpaio is suing The New York Times for defamation. He doesn’t appear to have much of a case.

Marijuana is now legal in Canada, and many people are watching the country to see how it adjusts to this change.

One month before voters in several states head to the polls to vote on legalization referendums, a new poll shows that public support for legalization remains at record high levels.

A Supreme Court first by the newest Justice.

As the Senate prepares for a key procedural vote on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh this morning, the Judge’s fate remains up in the air. However, signs are pointing to reasons for Republican optimism.

A Federal Judge ruled late last week that a lawsuit under the Foreign Emoluments Clause by more than 200 Congressmen and Senators can proceed forward.

Another day, another plea agreement in the Mueller investigation. This one could prove to be problematic for the President.

With a new trial set to start in Washington at the end of the month, reports are circulating that President Trump’s former campaign manager is looking to cut a plea deal.

A new report says that the Trump Administration lobbied the National Park Service to edit photos of the crowd at President Trump’s Inauguration.

The first day of the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings was much ado about pretty much nothing, but then that can be used to describe a process whose outcome is pretty much foreordained.

Judge Brett Kavanaugh reportedly told Senator Susan Collins that he considers Roe v. Wade
“settled law.” This will likely be enough to get her support and that of another holdout Republican Senator.

Another step forward in the seemingly unstoppable movement toward nationwide legalization.

White supremacists held a rally in Washington on Sunday, and almost no one but their opponents and the police showed up.

Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination appears to be on track for confirmation before the new Supreme Court term begins in October.

Another Federal Judge has dealt a legal blow to President Trump’s effort to shut down the DACA program.

Next week, some of the same groups that rallied in Charlottesville last year will be gathering in Washington, D.C. and the D.C. Metro is considering a transportation plan that is causing controversy.

A Federal Judge in Washington State has, at least temporarily, blocked the release of files that would allow anyone to make a 3-D printed gun. The First Amendment seems to clearly indicate that this ruling is wrong.

A Federal Judge in Maryland ruled last week that a lawsuit against the President based on a rather obscure provision of the Constitution could go forward.

A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down part of a Hawaii law barring open carry of weapons, but this win for gun rights advocates may turn out to be short-lived.

The Garden State has put a hold on marijuana prosecutions in anticipation of full legalization by the end of the year.