Outside the Beltway

Some musing on guns: who uses them, how, and why.

Is America’s focus on defense weakening the country?

40 years after Roe v. Wade, support for the decision is still strong, but the effort to restrict it continues apace.

40 years later, the public continues to support the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade.

For its 60th anniversary, Chevrolet has redesigned the Corvette for 2014. It looks surprisingly like a Corvette.

The ultimate impact of the Newtown tragedy on the nation’s gun laws is likely to be very limited.

One major factor in the skyrocketing cost of a college education in America is a huge increase in overhead costs.

Would Liability Insurance Help Minimize Threats to Public Safety?

Alex Pareene’s annual hack list omits an obvious candidate: Alex Pareene.

Conor Friedersdorf contends “The U.S. Already Had a Conversation About Guns—and the Pro Side Won.”

Will the massacre of twenty children in a Connecticut elementary school mark a turning point in America’s gun culture? Don’t count on it.

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates is bemused that the generals who worked for him lived more lavish lifestyles than he did.

Why the bureaucratic tyrants at the FDA regulate your yuletide drinks.

The Republican Party needs more than outreach to Hispanics to become a viable national party again.

The impact of outside spending on the election turned out to be far less consequential than many had feared.

Demographics are not destiny; policy positions drive decision, ultimately.

Posting pictures of your ballot to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is a crime in some parts of America.

David Brooks tries to “describe what being a moderate means” in a way that most Americans would find puzzling.

Increasingly, the right of people to speak is being sacrificed in the name of “tolerance” and “security.”

A victory for opponents of Pennsylvania’s Voter ID law, but likely only a temporary one.

Technically, you don’t own your digital music files. That means you can’t transfer them to your heirs after you die.

I give it a C+/B- (adequate, passing, nothing exceptional).

A new book by one of the Navy SEALs involved in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden differs significantly from the official version put forward by the government.

Yesterday it became clear that the Presidential campaign is headed into the mud.

The Fort Hood shooter is being ordered to shave his beard or have it forcibly removed. It’s rather silly.

Don’t look for an effort to enact new gun laws in the wake of the Aurora shootings.

Carbon emissions in the U.S. have declined just as use of natural gas in electricity production has increased. That’s no coincidence.

Once again, the usual suspects are exploiting tragedy for political purposes.

In a stunning reversal of policy, DOD is allowing soldiers to march in a gay pride parade in uniform.

Democratic rhetoric since the Supreme Court decision on ObamaCare raises the question of whether they made a political mistake.

An unsurprising decision from the Supreme Court.

The conspiracy theories regarding Fast And Furious are simply not believable, but that doesn’t mean the matter shouldn’t be investigated.

Chuck Shumer wants to force airlines to let families sit together for free.

Washington has become the first state in decades to privatize its state-run liquor stores. They’ve coupled this with onerous fees on private distributors.

New York City’s Mayor wants to control the size of soft drinks.

A story headlined “American Airlines Rejects Female Passenger Because Political Pro-Choice T-Shirt is ‘Inappropriate'” is going viral.

The price of a DC cab ride went up big time recently and neither riders nor cabbies are happy.

Welcome to today’s Outrage Of The Day

Charlie Savage documents a major shift in Barack Obama’s philosophy of presidential authority.

Marine Sergeant Gary Stein will soon be free to criticize the commander-in-chief all he wants. As a civilian.

Far from being deterimental, there is a case to be made that SuperPACs have actually expended democracy during this election cycle.