Outside the Beltway

Should celebrities use their influence in partisan politics?

Fifty years ago, a young college student who would become one of the most influential women in Washington was sexually assaulted by a Senator. She didn’t come forward with her story for more than fifty years, and the reasons why strike close to what we’ve been talking about for three weeks now.

The Kavanaugh fight is just another indicator of our national divide.

September jobs growth fell short of expectations even as the top-line unemployment rate reached a point unseen since 1969.

The status of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation remains up in the air, as does the question of whether or not Christine Blasey Ford will appear for a hearing on Monday morning.

Reports about tension between Defense Secretary James Mattis and President Trump are becoming louder, and it’s being suggested that Mattis could be out of office after the midterms.

Be prepared to get a test message from the Federal Government at 2:18 pm Eastern Time on Thursday. This is only a test.

As part of her position as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has use of a rather lavish private residence. This is not a real controversy.

The Federal Budget Deficit is set to end the Fiscal Year close to $1 trillion, and to continue growing after that.

After spending most of his post-Presidency on the political sidelines, former President Bush is hitting the fundraising trail for GOP candidates in Texas and Florida.

Former President Obama took on his successor in his first major political speeches since leaving office.

The fact that American officials talked with Venezuelans plotting a coup against the government of their country is a dangerous turn of events.

Jobs growth in August was slightly better than expected, but still nothing overly impressive.

The second day of questioning for Judge Brett Kavanaugh was a bit rockier than the first, but nothing happened that seriously threatens his eventual confirmation.

Donald Trump spent part of Labor Day engaged in yet another unhinged attack on his own Justice Department.

A Federal Judge in Texas has declined to grant a request to bring the DACA program to an end, but its days appear to be numbered unless Congress acts.

Passports being denied to citizens whose birth records are being questioned.

Sad news about a Senate stalwart who has been fighting an aggressive form of cancer for more than a year.

Through our so-called allies in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the United States is helping to destroy Yemen. It’s time for our support for that war to come to an end.

Kofi Annan, who served as Secretary-General of the United Nations at the dawn of the “War On Terror,” has died at the age of 80.

The legal fight over DACA could end up posing problems for Republicans in November.

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

The Trump Administration has taken the latest step in a process that began in May with the withdrawal from the JCPOA. Where it takes us is anybody’s guess, but the probability of something going wrong is quite high.

Jobs growth fell short of expectations in July but was still relatively decent. Wage growth, however, remains stubbornly stagnant.

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 Oregon has rejected an efforts by a parent’s group to block a school district policy that allows transgender students to use the restroom facilities that conform to their gender identity.

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.

The economy grew at an exceptionally strong pace according to the first estimate of GDP growth, but several caveats remain.

Deficits continue to rise.

Based on what can only be described as pure vindictiveness, the President is apparently planning on revoking security clearances of former officials who have been outspoken against the Administration and its policies.

In trying to assess the Helsinki press conference, a blast from the past deserves a second look.

There should be no question about a request to interview a former US Ambassador.

Despite Republican hopes, the tax cuts passed by Congress in December are not manifesting themselves in increased wages.

Even if all he gets out of the Helsinki Summit is a handshake and a photograph, Vladimir Putin has already won.

The NATO Summit is going about as well as can be expected.

There’s a reason President Trump’s Supreme Court picks are “normal” in a way his national security and economic teams are not.

A Federal Judge has rejected a Trump Administration effort to change a 20-year-old legal settlement that bars long-term detention of immigrant families.

The situation isn’t as awful as portrayed by the AP—but it’s still pretty bad.

Democrats are rallying around the “Abolish ICE” slogan in response to the Trump Administration’s immigration policies, but it could end up backfiring on them.

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 213,000 in June and the unemployment rate rose to 4.0 percent.

Donald Trump had to be talked down from considering military intervention in Venezuela.

The National Debt has passed $21,000,000,000,000 for the first time in history just as the nation begins its return to the era of trillion dollar budget deficits.

Recent polling finds that Americans aren’t feeling quite so patriotic right now. It’s understandable, but we shouldn’t give up hope.

It’s been eight years since we’ve seen a Supreme Court retirement, and despite speculation there were none announced today.

The president has a skewed view of who is trying to enter the US.

The 100-mile Constitution-free zone strikes again.

Donald Trump wants Republicans to make his immigration policies the centerpiece of the midterm campaign. What could possibly go wrong?

The Department of Justice’s Inspector General found that former F.B.I. Director James Comey was ‘insubordinate’ in regard to the Clinton email investigation, but found no evidence of political bias at the Bureau.

A POLITICO story pushes a plausible narrative with an example that’s almost certainly not evidence of it.