Outside the Beltway

SCOTUS has upheld the use of election commissions to draw Congressional district lines.

Pope Francis’s new encyclical isn’t exactly being received positively by American conservatives, because they seem to be missing the point.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court let stand a ruling striking down North Carolina’s mandatory ultrasound law.

A new Michigan law allows religious-affiliated adoption agencies to turn away parents for religious reasons, and it seems fairly obvious what the target is in this case.

The FCC appears set to “encourage” telephone companies to install robocall blocking technology. Pollsters are panicking.

Disturbing developments on the part of the Ukrainian government.

A Second Amendment victory in the District of Columbia,

What if this is the new normal?

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry is going to be looking for that elusive second act in American politics.

The Clinton Foundation’s foreign donations continue to be a problem for the Clinton campaign, and the story isn’t likely to go away any time soon.

In a marked departure from recent cases, the Supreme Court rules that states can impose significant restriction on solicitation of campaign contributions in judicial elections.

Far from being a positive, Hillary Clinton’s time as Secretary of State provides ample material for those who would attack her over the next eighteen months.

Ted Cruz and Steve King think the Court should be prevented from hearing any case involving same-sex marriage. Because they know they’re losing.

The Transporters Broken, Cap’n Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

Hillary Clinton’s use of email while Secretary of State pretty much violated every Federal law and regulation on the issue.

A fishy tale from the Supreme Court that may give us a clue about bigger cases to come.

A Federal Judge has issued a temporary halt to the Obama Administration’s deferred deportation program, but appeals can be expected.

A new Patriots cheating scandal, or much ado about nothing?

Nebraska and Oklahoma are suing Colorado over the Centennial State’s decision to legalize marijuana, but they don’t seem to have much of a case.

As the second anniversary of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School approaches, a new poll finds that more Americans support gun rights than gun control.

Despite opposition from both Republicans and Democrats, the compromise budget resolution passed narrowly last night, but not without some last minute drama

The budget bill Congress set to pass Congress would effectively reverse the will of the voters of Washington, D.C., who just voted to legalize marijuana.

Thinking about that the state, law, violence, and the Garner incident (and contributing to the tl;dr phenomenon).

The Food & Drug Administration’s new regulations requiring calorie and other information on menus in restaurants and elsewhere won’t work, could limit consumer choice, and may not be Constitutional.

In the end, there appears to be very little, if anything, the GOP can do to stop or roll back the executive actions the President will announce Thursday evening.

President Obama’s threat to take action on immigration if Congress doesn’t act by the end of the year ignores political reality,

States may not add to Federal requirements for voter registration, the Court rules. Which makes perfect sense.

Somewhat surprisingly, the Supreme Court has accepted the appeal of a case that could completely gut the financial structure of the Affordable Care Act.

The Supreme Court heard argument this week in a case involving a somewhat strange application of Federal law.

Should the Legislature take back legislating from the Executive?

Another setback for the radical fringe of the “pro-life” movement,

Big victories for advocates of marijuana legalization.

The first person to be quarantined under the new policy announced by New York and New Jersey is raising concerns about the way she was treated, and whether the policy is even the right idea.

All of the major sports leagues are trying to stop New Jersey’s efforts to legalize sports gambling. They should not be allowed to succeed.

Law enforcement remains unhappy about the recent changes that will make it harder to break into a locked smartphone.

The idea that the N.F.L. “doesn’t pay taxes” is largely false.

A legal setback for the Affordable Care Act, but the important arguments on this issue lie in higher courts.

It would appear that someone needs to introduce the Air Force to Article VI of the Constitution.

Tea Party backed candidates may have lost most of the GOP primary battles, but they’ve won the war for control of the Republican agenda.

Once again, Republicans demonstrate why they have problems with Latino voters.

Another Obamacare case is heading to the Supreme Court, but it’s unclear if they’ll agree to hear it, or when they’d hear it if they did.

Your tax dollars, not at work.

In a logical extension of the Supreme Court’s decision in D.C. v. Heller, a Federal Judge has struck down D.C.’s law barring people from carrying handguns in public.

Relying on the policies of a man who was President in a very different time is not a substitute for a rational foreign policy.

Later today, President Obama will sign an Executive Order barring Federal Contractors from discrimination based on sexual orientation. But that’s not even the most controversial part for some conservatives.