Outside the Beltway

Early on the morning of Sept. 26, 1983, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov helped to prevent the outbreak of nuclear war.

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer poked fun at himself on last night’s Emmy broadcast, and the political pundits are all in pearl-clutching mode because of it.

Sixteen Senators are backing a single-payer system. Another forty-four to go.

Arguments advanced by those advocating a bill that would prevent Americans from participating in a boycott of Israel would not violate the First Amendment appear to be without merit.

Republicans on Capitol Hill and elsewhere were gambling when they lined up behind Donald Trump. So far, they’ve lost.

Perhaps it’s time to consider getting rid of the debt ceiling entirely.

The battle over Confederate statues that was resurrected by the violence in Charlottesville is off the front pages, but that doesn’t mean it’s over quite yet.

A stupid comment about Hurricane Harvey cost a Florida professor his job.

A key step in the Colombian peace process.

John Kelly has only been White House Chief of Staff for a month, but it’s already apparent that he isn’t likely to last very long in that position.

Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin’s trip to Kentucky that ‘just happened’ to coincide with last month’s eclipse is being investigated by the Treasury Department’s Inspector General.

The new GDP growth estimate shows healthy economic growth in the second quarter, but it’s unclear if it can be sustained.

Contrary to reports, Secretary of Defense Mattis is not defying the President on his order to bar transgender Americans from serving in the military.

Sarah Palin’s lawsuit against The New York Times suffers a significant setback.

New reports of Trump’s business ties to Russia are raising eyebrows.

Donald Trump’s Secretary of State is refusing to defend his response to the violence in Charlottesville.

President Trump’s attempts to interfere in the administration of justice go beyond the Russia investigation.

A race for the Virginia House of Delegates straight out of a civics book.

President Trump continues his war on one of the most important guardians of American democracy.

Donald Trump is threatening to shut the government down if Congress doesn’t pay for the wall that Mexico was supposed to pay for.

Donald Trump gave a campaign-style speech in Phoenix last night and reminded us of everything that’s wrong with him.

Solace emboldens and helps to mainstream.

At least thirteen dead in an apparent terrorist attack in Spain.

Facts are stubborn things.

A new report indicates that Trump campaign officials were seeking contact with Russian officials earlier than we thought.

Authorities are being second-guessed over their handling of Saturday’s protests. Virginia gun laws are the more obvious problem.

Donald Trump has had harsher things to say about Rosie O’Donnell than he did about the people responsible for yesterday’s violence. That says something about him.

My apologies to Bob Dreyfuss and Rolling Stone.

Donald Trump’s core supporters in the Republican Party remain intensely loyal, and that seems unlikely to change.

Things are getting far more complicated on the Korean Peninsula. Diplomacy isn’t working, and a military option would most likely lead to disaster.

On the special election for US Senate in Alabama

Big developments in the Russia investigation that could start making President Trump deeply uncomfortable.

The President has endorsed a bill that would cut legal immigration in half.

President Trump was apparently directly involved in drafting a false statement regarding his son’s meeting with a lawyer tied to the Russian government.

It’s not the time away from the White House that matters, it’s the hypocrisy.

President Trump delivered a wholly inappropriate political speech to the Boy Scout Jamboree, but that should surprise nobody.

Donald Trump is unlikely to ever be a popular President, but that may not matter.

More evidence the president does not understand his job.

Robert Mueller seems to be getting closer to the President, and the Administration is responding by seeking to undermine his investigation.

A good choice for an important position.