Outside the Beltway

The economy grew in the final quarter of 2017, but at a slower pace than earlier in the year and far slower than what the President has promised.

Just over one year after President Trump’s foolish and ill-informed decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Canada has stepped in to rescue the deal.

It’s Day Two of the Federal Government shutdown and there are few signs of a quick resolution.

Norway is poised to make some big changes to its drug laws.

Late last week, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case involving the question of whether online and out-of-state businesses can be required to collect sales taxes in states with which they have no connection.

Contrary to expectations, jobs growth in December was relatively modest.

An increasing number of businesses are refusing to accept cash as payment, that raises some interesting social and legal issues.

November’s Jobs Report was stronger than expected, but there are several caveats to keep in mind.

Mueller crosses Trump’s “red line.”

The Supreme Court heard argument today in a case challenging a 1992 law barring sports gambling in all but a handful of states, and the Justices appeared skeptical of the law.

The current temporary spending measure reached by Congress in September expires on Friday, and Republicans haven’t come up with a solution yet.

The Senate passed a tax cut bill last night, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

With time running out in the year, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that the Senate GOP will be able to meet its deadlines on passing a tax reform bill.

Some conservatives appear to believe that this year’s Starbucks coffee cops are “promoting a gay agenda.”

The Jobs Market bounces back in October, but the numbers are far from impressive.

President Trump has selected Jerome Powell, a member of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, to replace Janet Yellen as Chairman.

In other news, this week we learned that AIM still exists.

Hugh Hefner, who became both a cultural icon and a catalyst and reflector of vast social changes, has died at the age of 91.

Republicans finally unveiled the outlines of a tax reform package yesterday, but the devil is in the still to be determined details.

Former N.F.L. player, and convicted murderer, Aaron Hernandez suffered from a severe case of C.T.E. at the time of his death according to a post-mortem brain study.

Commerce Department figures report a measurable drop in international travel to the United States since the start of 2017.

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

President Trump likes to take credit for the state of the economy, but the truth is that things are actually doing slightly worse under his Administration than they were under his predecessor.

The fundamental premise at the heart of the immigration bill that President Trump backed earlier this month has no merit whatsoever.

Plus some comparisons of Trump/Obama and Trump/Bill Clinton.

In a short period of time, SpaceX has become a huge success, as has the commercial space launch industry.

According to initial estimates, the economy grew at faster pace in the second quarter than at the beginning of the year, but it was hardly anything to write home about.

A Duke history professor uncovers “stealth plan” by “fifth columnists” who are seeking to overthrow democracy in the U.S. for their plutocrat masters.

The June Jobs Report was significantly better than what we saw in May but on the whole not different from what we’ve seen for the last three years or so.

For the third time since December,, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates.

Economic growth in the first quarter wasn’t as bad as first estimated, but it still wasn’t very good. And the future is unclear at best.

The Jobs Report for April showed much-improved numbers from the disappointment in March.

The first scorecard for President Trump’s first economic quarter in office isn’t exactly very good.

The Trump Administration is out with a tax plan, but it’s seriously lacking in details.

The Worldwide Leader fired over 100 on-air personalities yesterday.

The organizers are paying for prestige, not influence.

Another big change at Fox News Channel.

Another step toward making it easier to cut the cord.

After starting the year with two good months, the jobs report for March was quite disappointing.

Another SpaceX success.

So far, there’s no sign that Donald Trump is having much of an impact on the economy.

The Oakland Los Angeles Oakland Raiders are headed to Vegas, baby!

For only the third time since the Great Recession ended, the Federal Reserve Board has raised interest rates.

Part Two in a series of observations about health care and health insurance in light of the introduction of the House GOP’s health care plan. This post examines several ideas advanced by conservatives, and the reasons they aren’t complete answers to the problems we face.

Part One in a series of observations about health care and health insurance in light of the introduction of the House GOP’s health care plan.

The first Jobs Report for the first full month of the Trump Presidency is out, but it’s nothing to write home about.

Health care policy analysts seem united in their assessment of the House GOP’s replacement for the Affordable Care Act, and it’s overwhelmingly negative.

I am going to construct a complicated mathematical model of the economy, and then I’m going to calibrate it using some actual data, and in the end I will be able to tell everyone how much better or worse off they are given various changes in the economy. And it will be totally and completely true. Trust me, it’s math and therefore science.

Fewer people are watching live television events such as the Super Bowl and Academy Awards.