Outside the Beltway

Quietly, oil prices have been falling for months now. That’s potentially a very big deal.

In many states, there aren’t really any races at all this year even if both parties have candidates on the ballot.

There’s at least a 50-50 chance we won’t know who controls the Senate until weeks after Election Day.

America’s federal workforce is increasingly disenchanted.

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

We’ve become aware of failures in how we’ve handled the Ebola situation. The response is to figure out what went wrong and do our best to fix it, not to panic.

Democrats are starting to worry that low turnout could turn a good year for the GOP into a very good year.

It’s way too early, folks.

While the battle for the Senate remains up in the air, the Republican majority in the House remains secure.

Two weeks after it seemed to be tightening, there are signs the battle for control of the Senate may be moving in the GOP’s direction.

These segments are usually unfair; they outdid themselves this time.

A number of factors unique to 2014 make it likely that control of the Senate could be up in the air for months after Election Day.

A trial court judge in Tennessee is the first jurist since the Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. v. Windsor to uphold a ban on same-sex marriage

Our non-competitive political system.

Notwithstanding the hype, there’s one very big reason why the idea of Elizabeth Warren as a viable candidate for President doesn’t make much sense.

George Will has come under criticism for pointing out what seems to be an undeniable fact.

If Hillary Clinton is going to have a serious challenge in 2016, the person who will do that has yet to emerge.

Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari took responsibility for the 7-1 loss to Germany.

A hopeful First Amendment decision from the Supreme Court.

It’s that time of year again.

It seems unlikely that Eric Shinseki will have a job for much longer.

Toll plazas coming to an Interstate near you?

On screen body objectification is now equal opportunity.

What if the jobless recovery is but the beginning of a trend?

The bizarre conservative love affair with Vladimir Putin continues.

Demand for mid-range goods and services seems to be on the decline.

Does it matter if companies make a profit?

The American justice system is unique.

The Marine Corps’ plan to make women take the same fitness test as men has hit a wee snag.

Consumers share some of the blame for the late delivery problems that last minute shoppers experienced this Christmas season.

UPS and FedEx underestimated their capacity needs and failed to deliver packages in time for Christmas.

The FCC is looking at re-examination of its sports broadcast rules. The NFL and other sports leagues should do the same thing.

Once again, Chris Christie seems to be directly challenging the right wing of his party.

The North Koreans are back to their old tricks.

David Brooks thinks that the problem with American Government is that the Presidency isn’t strong enough.

Jeff Bezos’s latest idea may never get off the ground, but it sure is interesting.

Chris Christie has had a very good month, and it’s ending with him with a strong lead among potential Republican candidates for 2016.

More bad poll numbers for the President and his party.

Was the Jobs Report released one month before Election Day 2012 rigged? Despite a new report, there’s no evidence to suggest that it was.

The juxtaposition of two stories in the Marine Times strikes me as odd.

Things don’t seem to be going well for the Affordable Care Act.