Outside the Beltway

For the first time in her twenty-five years on the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is missing oral argument this morning.

Washington has become the latest state to ban the sale of semiautomatic assault rifles to persons under 21.

Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of The House again after eight years out of power, but there’s little time for her to celebrate.

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?

Good news for Notorious RBG.

The Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by the Trump Administration to have an injunction against its new asylum policy lifted.

The damage done for Mickey Mouse in the name of Sony Bono is finally coming to an end.

A preliminary report from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan found at least 500 Catholic Priests whose abuse of children had been covered up by Church officials.

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

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery to remove cancerous nodes from a lung, but reports seem to point to a quick recovery.

A Federal Judge has ruled that neither the Sheriff’s Office nor the School Board had a specific duty to protect individual students during the shooting last February in Parkland, Florida.

The Senate overwhelmingly passed major reforms in Federal sentencing and related laws. As the name of the bill implies, it’s a first step, but a good first step.

The mystery surrounding a secret proceeding in Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation has at least partly been solved.

Under fire from the New York Attorney General, Donald Trump’s questionable charitable foundation is shutting down.

As expected, the Justice Department has issued a new rule banning bump stocks. However, it is likely to face legal challenges.

Republicans scored a win in Court last week, but it seems likely to lead to a political loss in the long-term.

Mystery continues to surround a proceeding that has been making its way through the Federal Courts in Washington, D.C.

Eight years after it was signed into law, a Federal Judge has ruled the Affordable Care Act to be unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor contends that a recent change in tax law unravels the basis for the Supreme Court’s upholding of Obamacare.

A particularly appalling case of press censorship from Australia.

The publisher of the National Enquirer admits that it made payments to a Playboy model for the purpose of protecting Donald Trump’s campaign for President.

The President’s former lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen has been sentenced to three years in prison for his role in assisting the President in various scandals and cover-ups.

The Supreme Court declined to hear a case involving state laws banning Medicaid reimbursement for non-abortion services provided by Planned Parenthood.

Senator Mitch McConnell and others are blocking a criminal justice reform bill currently pending in the Senate.

A fifty-year-old song is getting new scrutiny in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

The white supremacist charged with killing a counter-protester during last year’s events in Charlottesville has been convicted of first-degree murder.

The Supreme Court appears reluctant to overturn a century of case law that established a significant exception to the Double Jeopardy Clause.

Lies and possible evidence of obstruction of justice make up the bulk of Robert Mueller’s new case against former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort.

Protests that have killed four and injured hundreds have been rewarded and show no sign of ending.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the U.S, Attorney for the Southern District of New York have filed sentencing memos that directly implicate the President in a series of felonies.

William Barr, who served as Attorney General under President George H.W. Bush, has been selected to replace Jeff Sessions as Attorney General.

The Trump Administration is preparing to ban bump stocks in the coming weeks.

Citing substantial cooperation, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is recommending no jail time for former Trump associate Michael Flynn.

American troops have been in Afghanistan for seventeen years now, it’s time to bring them all home.

Later this week, the Supreme Court will hear a case that could rewrite decades of law interpreting the Fifth Amendment’s Double Jeopardy rule.

An effort by the Federal Government to prosecute Wikileaks founder Julian Assange raises serious First Amendment issues.

Former Dallas police office Amber Guyger has been charged with murder in connection with the September shooting of Botham Jean in his own apartment.

The Supreme Court appears ready to impose at least some limits on civil asset forfeiture at the state level.

Donald Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen plead guilty to lying to Congress about Trump’s business dealings with Russia, and has agreed to cooperate with Robert Mueller’s investigation.

Yesterday. the Supreme Court heard argument in a case that makes the argument that nearly half of Oklahoma is actually Native American territory.

The Trump Administration is attempting to bypass the Circuit Courts of Appeal and get immediate Supreme Court review of the President’s ban on transgender Americans serving in the military.

A state trial court Judge in New York rejected efforts by the Donald Trump to halt a lawsuit alleging charity fraud in connection with the operation of The Trump Foundation.

Paul Manafort finds himself in new legal trouble after Special Counsel Robert Mueller accused him of lying after entering a plea agreement.

A bad look for all concerned.

Once again, people on the left are complaining that Ruth Bader Ginsburg didn’t retire when they wanted her to.

A Mississippi law that seeks to ban most abortions after 15 weeks was struck down by a Federal District Court Judge.

President Trump’s latest attack on the Federal Judiciary prompted a rare rebuke from the Chief Justice of the United States.

Three Democratic Senators are suing the Acting Attorney General, asserting that his appointment was unconstitutional.

A new report indicates that President Trump wanted to use the Justice Department to target political enemies. The last time that happened, it led to Articles of Impeachment.

A federal judge has found the practice outside the scope of Congress’ authority.