Outside the Beltway

Illinois became the 16th state to abolish capital punishment today. That’s far too few.

Mob Boss Tommy Shots Gioeli Blogs From Jail

No, the legislation does not in any way “suggest that some kind of rape that would be okay.”

We really need a better understanding of mental health disorders in this county, and events like those over the weekend underscore this fact.

Thankfully, attacks on members of Congress are a rarity.

Graphic by Sarah Palin’s PAC had Gabriel Giffords’ district in the crosshairs

More breaking news on the shooting-in this case, about the shooter.

Note: while this post is brief, the news is of such significance that I felt it should be a headline story rather than relegated to a “quick pick”.

Columbia political science professor David Epstein has been charged with a 3-year incestuous relationship with his adult daughter.

WikiLeaks’ reveals that DynCorp, a government contractor, provided drugs and child sex slaves to Afghan police–and the State Department helped cover it up.

Would troops to Mexico help in the drug war?

We’re probably just one big scare away from mandatory full-body scans.

Both Congress and the Obama Administration have stepped up enforcement of immigration laws–at immense cost to both the budget and the courts.

New reports indicate that New Orleans Police were given orders to shoot looters amid the chaos after Hurricane Katrina hit the city. Fortunately, that never happened.

A quick flip-flop from Swedish authorities on a very serious charge.

According to a new poll, 87% of border residents feel safe.