Outside the Beltway

Stories from sites like The Onion are routinely shared on social media and perceived as real news.

Protests in Hong Kong have been going on for nine weeks now, but they are reaching a point where the patience of the leaders in Beijing is being tested.

July’s Jobs Report was in line with expectations, but hardly indicative of a booming economy.

The World Health Organization has declared the year-long Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a “world health emergency.”

Last night New York City experienced what turned out to be a short-lived blackout mostly limited to Manhattan’s West Side, but it brought back memories of much bigger events.

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

June’s jobs report brought in stronger than expected numbers but the fact that these numbers have not been consistent all year makes one wonder what the state of the economy really is.

One of America’s fist celebrity CEO’s has passed away at the age of 94.

The Supreme Court issued a significant ruling on Monday that could make it easier to buy and sell alcoholic beverages across state lines.

Not only are we deploying it more slowly than China and others but we’re doing it in a way that will live behind rural Americans.

Texas has become the latest state to eliminate red-light cameras amid increasing evidence that they are largely counterproductive.

How much sacrifice in our consumer culture is it worth to save the planet?

While the scope of Federal power has expanded beyond the ken of the Framers, this is not an example.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao is being accused of giving preferential access to businesses and businessmen tied to her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

While the American media was paying attention to President travels and travails in Europe, there was another meeting taking place.

May’s Jobs Report came back with disappointing jobs growth, suggesting that the economy may be slowing down.

At some point, what we call conservatism turned into a racket. It’s not surprising that this led directly to Trump.

Northern Virginia is slowly undoing an anachronism.

Republicans have aborted President Trump’s lofty plan for a $2 trillion infrastructure deal just days after it was conceived.

Jobs Growth in April was much higher than expected, seemingly putting to rest for now fears that the economy might be slowing.

President Trump and the top Democrats in Congress announced a purported $2 trillion infrastructure deal but there’s no reason to believe it will ever become law.

A Federal Appeals Court recently found that chalking the tires of a car parked in a public place is a violation of the Fourth Amendment. It’s not at all clear that this decision is correct.

The HUD Secretary’s practice of treating Friday as a light-duty day is just fine by me.

It’s that time of year again, and once again people are asking if it isn’t time to drop the whole ritual of changing time every six months altogether.

Job growth in February was far below estimates, but we did see some solid wage growth and other signs that we’re approaching what economists refer to as “full employment.”

Early tomorrow morning, NASA and SpaceX will be testing a crucial part of America’s return to manned space flight.

There is a bit of a disjuncture between the terminology and the reality (but that does not excuse Trump’s current actions).

William Barr was easily confirmed as Attorney General in a 54-45 votes that included three Democrats crossing over to support him.

The longest-serving member of Congress in American history has passed away at the age of 92.

Despite the government shutdown, employment growth in January was far above expectations.

Pensions and health care costs for the elderly are crowding out other vital spending.

The Speaker was dealt a winning hand and played it with the skill of a seasoned pro. But the outcome was all but inevitable.

The Senate has the ball this week in terms of action on the government shutdown, but its work is going to end up being utterly pointless.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in a case that could make it easier for consumers to buy and ship wine and other adult beverages across state lines.

President Trump responded to the suggestion that the State of the Union be rescheduled by revoking military transportation for a Congressional trip to visit troops in Afghanistan.

Tomorrow the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in a case that could make it easier to order and ship wine from out-of-state retailers.

Washington State has a problem with people stealing “Mile 420” signs, so they’ve come up with a solution.

If you’re looking for the biggest obstacle to a resolution to the government shutdown, look no further than President Donald J. Trump.

The government shutdown has now entered historic territory, and the Trump Administration is moving closer to a “national emergency” or other extra-legal means to get money for his wall.

December’s Jobs Report blew past expectations to show more than 300,000 jobs created.

The longer the shutdown goes on, the wider its impact is likely to become.

Democrats have unveiled what appears as if it will be their first effort to end the shutdown, but there are already signs Republicans will reject it.

I’m not saying it was aliens, but……..

A new law set to take effect in Utah before the New Year will lower the BAC limit for drunk driving by 40% to .05. Will the rest of the nation follow?

One of the strongest climate regulations in the country is almost certainly unconstitutional.

The government entered its third shutdown of the year with little sign of an immediate resolution.

Hours before the House was set to vote on a temporary funding bill for the government, President Trump has apparently changed his mind.

New York State seems likely to join the list of states where marijuana has been legalized sometime next year.

Jobs Growth in November was healthy but fell short of expectations.

The next head to roll in the Trump Administration appears to be frequent Trump target DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.