Outside the Beltway

Despite a veto from the state’s Governor, today Nebraska became the latest state to repeal the death penalty. Hopefully, others will follow.

With 14 candidates vying for the Republican nomination, TV execs are scrambling to make the debates watchable.

South Carolina’s Senior Senator is set to be the latest entry into the race for the Republican nomination.

North Korea’s mercurial leader has apparently executed yet another high ranking official.

Congressman Darrell Issa says that America’s poor are generally better off than the poor in the rest of the world. While he’s correct, he’s also incredibly tone deaf.

The just-concluded British General Election was also a clash between two former top advisers to President Obama.

Ben Carson is running for President.

Big news out of Baltimore and, perhaps, the beginning of justice for Freddie Gray.

The N.F.L.’s league office is giving up its tax exempt status, but that means far less than the headline implies.

Saudi Arabia’s new King has shaken up the Royal Family, and that could have interesting results.

There is no excuse for last night’s rioting in Baltimore, but that should not deflect attention from the problems with that city’s police.

The I Can’t GITMO Satisfaction Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

I’m not sure this is a concern that rises to the level of an article at The Atlantic.

A tale of Kafkaesque torture by Comcast Customer Service reveals that the person who really made the mistakes here was the homeowner.

Trevor Noah will be the next host of The Daily Show. Who’s Trevor Noah? Exactly.

Bowe Bergdahl will face charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, and the White House’s narrative about this release lies in tatters.

Yet another probable rift between the U.S. and Israel over Iran.

A headline I did not expect to see, courtesy the Army Times: “Dakota Meyer engaged to Bristol Palin.”

Benjamin Netanyahu is trailing in the final polls leading to Tuesday’s election, but he still may be able to form the coalition needed to stay in power.

Thinking about comparative American struggles against tyranny.

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

Iraqi army and Iranian army in joint offensive to retake Tikrit.

Leonard Nimoy, the actor who became a household name as Mr. Spock with the “Star Trek” television series and movies, has died at 83.

Jon Stewart is stepping down as the host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” after sixteen years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is apparently realizing that speaking to Congress may not be a good idea after all.

Can a country entry reap the benefits of the connected age while successfully tying down the Internet?

Opening crawl of 1977 version

Conservatives finally seem to be waking up to the truth about Sarah Palin.

A big change in an important nation in the most volatile part of the world.

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

There’s really no point in watching tonight’s speech.

The Republican National Committee is trying to bring some sanity to the Presidential debate process, but there’s no guarantee it can succeed.

A former Democratic state legislator in Virginia was re-elected last night despite the fact that he’s in jail.

At least 11 are dead and 10 wounded in an attack on free expression.

Can ESPN cover sports while partnering with the sports leagues?

A man best known, perhaps, for what he didn’t do, has passed away

There are again reports of Chinese frustration with the Kim regime in North Korea, but change is unlikely to happen in the DPRK until Beijing is ready to let it happen.

The ground troops that United States has not sent into Iraq to fight ISIL are reportedly in Iraq fighting ISIL.

Not surprisingly, the F.C.C. has rejected a petition to ban the word “Redskins” from the airwaves.

In the wake of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on C.I.A. torture, some have suggested that eight years of Jack Bauer helped make torture more acceptable to the American public.