Outside the Beltway

My (apparently) annual reflections on “The content of their character” day

Would bypassing politicians altogether make the system more just?

An impasse over schedule flexibility could have widespread impact.

Is it time to call the whole thing off?

How long can the unsustainable be sustained?

Half a century have passed since a botched burglary changed history.

A diplomatic nightmare brewing since last week is now upon us.

The plural of anecdote is not data.

A too-small step in the right direction.

President Trump’s destruction of longstanding norms continues under his successor.

The new CDC guidelines raise some serious questions.

The reaction to the pandemic has long since been about much more than the pandemic.

Look at who’s lined up against H.R. 1.

The Free State may have gotten just a little freer.

The evidence is too clear to ignore at this point.

Policy wonks are seeing a refreshing return to the normal order. Some believe that’s a bad thing.

Thinking about unsupported narratives and a little bit about data usage.

When an apolitical process gets politicized.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” will reportedly precede the “Star-Spangled Banner” in the opening week.

Contra the CDC, the AAP says getting kids to class outweighs the modest risk of their catching COVID-19.

The Commonwealth is the first state in the nation to issue regulations.

The system makes it next to impossible to punish bad cops.

Until our kids go back to school, we can’t go back to work.

The bad news keeps on coming.

A disgraced governor is signing a wave of progressive legislation

Paul Volcker, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board who put an end to the rampant inflation that threatened to choke the American economy, has died at 92.

A familiar name has entered the race for the Democratic Senate nomination in Massachusetts.

Workers at a petrochemical plant were told they could choose between showing up for a Presidential speech and not getting paid.

President Trump has named his pick for Labor Secretary.

The Congressional Budget Office assesses several reform proposals.

If Hong Kong’s leaders thought protesters would be satisfied with relatively minor concessions, they have significantly miscalculated the situation.

Do you want to get money out of politics? You need to get politics out of money.

The President unveiled some incoherent ideas yesterday that have no chance of becoming law.

The 2020 debate on Twitter does not represent ordinary Americans. Does that matter?

Moscow continues using information warfare to sow division in Western society.

Democratic pickups in several state legislatures could impact redistricting after the 2020 Census.

Thanks to a last-minute agreement, the United States and Canada reached an agreement for a revised version of NAFTA. It’s a got a new name, but it’s basically NAFTA 2.0.

As expected, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo easily fended off a challenge from actress Cynthia Nixon. Let the Presidential speculation begin.

President Trump’s much-hyped replacement for NAFTA doesn’t really amount to much and won’t amount to anything unless he can get Canada, and the U.S. Congress, on board.

Former Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty failed in his comeback effort last night, confirming yet again that the GOP is now the Trump Party.

Tuesday’s election results were a defeat for the progressive effort to remake the Democratic Party in their image.

In a rare red-state victory for labor unions, Missouri voters rejected a right to work initiative by an overwhelming margin.

Facebook, Google, and several other companies have closed down accounts associated with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

There are good arguments as to why progressive Senators should vote against his confirmation. Let’s stick to those.

Progressive enthusiasm for the notion that our governing framework is dynamic and ought be constantly updated by the judiciary is waning.

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that public sector unions cannot force employees to pay membership fees.

In a significant First Amendment ruling, the Supreme Court has held that a Minnesota law barring “political apparel” at polling places is unconstitutional.

Three Executive Orders signed ahead of the Memorial Day holiday has government employees scrambling.