Outside the Beltway

Trump’s attacks on racial minorities are going to continue, and get worse, the closer we get to 2020. Because stirring up fear and racial resentment among white working-class voters is the only way he can win.

The President unleashed another racist attack, this time on Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings.

The evidence is clear that Russia interfered in the election in 2016 and intends to do so again. Despite this, Mitch McConnell is blocking legislation designed to enhance election security.

A great public intellectual, pioneering blogger, and all-around good man is gone.

A new poll finds that a majority of Americans oppose statehood for the District of Columbia.

He could lose the popular vote by an even larger margin in 2020—and still coast to re-election.

Former South Carolina Congressman and Governor Mark Sanford is reportedly considering an intra-party challenge to President Trump

The lineups for the second Democratic debate are set, and they include some interesting pairings.

The legal and political showdown between Congress and the White House has entered into a new stage.

Once again, twenty candidates will participate in the second debate scheduled to take place over two nights at the end of the month.

The numbers are in and there’s good news for some candidates and bad news for a lot of the others.

The House Judiciary Committee has upped the ante in the showdown between the Trump Administration and Congress.

A federal appeals court has ruled that DC and Maryland officials have no right to bring the suit.

The Congressional Budget Office assesses several reform proposals.

Virginia has finally repealed a dumb and unconstitutional restriction on how bars could advertise Happy Hours.

The Trump Administration has informed Federal District Court Judges in Maryland and New York that it intends to still try to justify putting a citizenship question on the 2020 Census.

A day after appearing to have conceded the issue, the Trump Administration says it is still looking for a way to include a citizenship question on the ballot.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal in a series of cases challenging the President’s decision to end the DACA program.

In a clear defeat for the Trump Administration, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that the Federal Government could not ask about citizenship on the 2020 Census.

In a significant setback for challenges to partisan gerrymandering, the Supreme Court has effectively ruled that Federal Courts do not have jurisdiction to hear challenges to redistricting based on partisan motivations.

The Supreme Court has struck down a provision of the Lanham Act barring approval of “immoral” or “scandalous” trademarks as unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court ruled that a World War One memorial that had been on public grounds for 70 years can stay where it is.

A trio of new polls shows Elizabeth Warren slipping past Bernie Sanders into second place in the race for the 2020 Democratic nomination

The participants for the two-night opening debate of the 2020 campaign season have been announced, and the candidates who were excluded aren’t happy.

The President is once again claiming Executive Privilege to prevent Congress from getting access to certain documents.

With the Trump Administration continuing to stonewall investigations, the House of Representatives is seeking to ramp up the pressure.

As the Supreme Court enters the final weeks of its term, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hints at deep divisions and disappointment for people on the left.

The House of Representatives passed a bill that would extend protection to DACA beneficiaries and other Dreamers, but it’s likely to die in the Senate.

John Kasich hasn’t shut the door completely, but recent comments seem to make it clear he’s not likely to take on the President for the Republican nomination.

Starting tomorrow, we should be getting some headline-grabbing opinions from the Supreme Court.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has ruled out what would essentially be a quixotic primary challenge against President Trump.

Having exhausted their word list and the competitors, the contest ended with octo-champs.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has dealt another legal setback to the Trump Administration’s efforts to end the DACA program,

Not surprisingly, Chelsea Manning is headed back to jail for her refusal to answer questions before a Federal Grand Jury investigating Julian Assange and Wikileaks.

Chelsea Manning, who was being held in jail for refusing to comply with a Grand Jury subpoena, was released yesterday but it’s likely to only be a temporary freedom.

A panel of three Federal Judges has found Ohio’s Congressional District map to be unconstitutional, but a case currently pending before the Supreme Court could mute the impact of this decision.

After disappearing from public view for an extended period of time, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh resigned yesterday amid an unfolding corruption scandal.

Newly discovered evidence shows that foreign governments have expanded their leasing of space from at least one Trump-owned office building in New York City.

A Virginia Judge has ruled that automated license plate collection systems violate state law.

200-odd Congressional Democrats are taking an odd route to go after corruption.

This is my shocked face.

Ballot measures across the country would deny access to those who refuse to release tax returns.

A new poll finds that most Americans do not support impeaching the President at this time, but they also don’t believe the President on the issues of Russian interference and obstruction.

A Federal Court in Michigan has found several of that state’s Congressional and state legislative districts to have been subject to extreme partisan gerrymandering.

Donald Trump speaks largely just to his base, ignoring the nation as a whole. Whether this will be enough to win re-election in 2020 is an open question.

Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld has officially joined the race for the 2020 Republican Presidential nomination

It’s still early in the 2020 cycle, but Democratic candidate are finding rally attendees focused on one thing. Beating Donald Trump.

Howdy, folks. I’m Butch Bracknell.

While polarization in our national politics gets the most attention, several states also face serious rural-urban tensions.

Findings of “foreign influence, conflicts of interest, concerning personal conduct, financial problems, drug use, and criminal conduct” were dismissed.