Outside the Beltway

The Supreme Court has accepted the appeal of a Colorado baker in a case that will determine if claims of religious liberty and free expression outweigh the application of generally applicable laws against discrimination.

The Supreme Court ruled today that states may not exclude church-run schools from an aid program with a wholly secular purpose.

A van struck a crowd outside a London mosque late last night in an attack by a man who said he wanted to kill Muslims.

The Trump Administration’s Muslim Travel Ban suffers another defeat at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

R.I.P., Caped Crusader

President Trump took to Twitter again this morning and promptly shot himself in the foot.

President Trump’s speech on Islam was a change of tone. However, as critics noted, it was short on substance and is unlikely to accomplish anything.

Another day in Court for President Trump’s Muslim ban.

Extolling an “eye for an eye” kind of justice is not in keeping with the ethics of Jesus.

The Supreme Court heard oral argument yesterday in a case dealing with whether Missouri can deny a religious school from participating in a program to make school playgrounds safer.

Judge Gorsuch is now Justice Gorsuch and it’s time to hit the ground running.

With the exception of the mandatory Federal death penalty appeals, the legal process is basically over in the Charleston Church shootings.

The announcement of a new Muslim travel ban Executive Order has been delayed once again.

The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled against a florist who refused to provide services for a same-sex wedding.

By the end of last night’s oral argument, at least two of the three judges hearing the appeal of the stay on the President’s Muslim travel ban appeared to be skeptical of the Federal Government’s arguments.

Two new polls show that most Americans oppose President Trump’s ban on travel from seven majority Muslim countries, but that most Republicans support it.

The Federal Judge presiding over Dylann Roof’s murder trial suggested late last week that Roof may not presently be competent to stand trial. This does not mean that he’ll be set free, though.

Good riddance.

Wherein an initial attempt to understand something seen on Facebook leads to ruminations on religious liberty.

The Supreme Court begins another term faced with the prospect of having to spend much of their time dealing with the fact that they’re short a member.

A high-level French Court has struck down the ban on the so-called ‘burkini’ adopted by many towns along the French Riviera.

For largely irrational reasons, French police are arresting women on the beach for wearing swimsuits that are compatible with their faith.

Of course Donald Trump responded to a Gold Star Father in the worst possible way.

More than any politician that spoke last night, it was the father of a fallen solider who stole the night.

Once again, the GOP platform is turning into a surrender to social conservatives on issues such as same-sex marriage and transgender rights.

Mississippi tried to provide special protection to opponents of same-sex marriage and transgender rights. A Federal District Court Judge, properly, finds the law to be unconstitutional.

A third major ISIS-inspired or planned attack in three weeks.

The Supreme Court won’t hear the appeal of a pharmacist who objects to providing the ‘morning after’ pill.

Americans have increasingly come to view their political opponents as not just wrong, but evil, stupid, and immoral. That’s not something that makes for a healthy representative democratic republic.

Donald Trump has insinuated that President Obama is not fighting the War On Terror aggressively because he somehow identifies with terrorists.

Donald Trump responded to the attack on the Pulse nightclub by renewing his call to ban members of an entire religion from coming to the United States.

Following in the footsteps of state prosecutors, Federal prosecutors have announced they will seek the death penalty for Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof.

Faced with the prospect of a 4-4 tie, the Supreme Court instead came up with a decision on the PPACA’s birth control mandate that didn’t decide anything.

The walk backs begin.

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore has been removed from office again.

Justice Sotomayor argued last week that we ought to look somewhere other than just the Courts of Appeal, the Ivy League, and the Northeast for Supreme Court Justices. She’s right.

The Supreme Court appears to be looking for a way to resolve an issue that has been mired in controversy for six years now.

The Supreme Court appeared deadlocked during oral argument in the latest case dealing with the PPACA’s contraceptive coverage mandates.