Outside the Beltway

Some thoughts on the biggest Marvel blockbuster yet. [Modest spoilers]

An emerging technology will take “fake news” to a whole new level.

I’ve noticed in the last day or two that, suddenly, all of Google’s search services have gotten ridiculously worse.

Pork barrel politics is complicating Germany’s replacement of its 1970s fighter jet.

Nick Statt argues that the iPhone X is just too nice to ruin with a plastic case.

Why does the U.S. continue to pursue the seemingly impossible goal of denuclearization with regard to North Korea? In part, it’s because we’re still locked into thirty-year-old rhetoric.

The Judge presiding over a case dealing with Trump’s proposed border wall expressed doubts about the project. The President will no doubt be irked by the identity of that Judge.

Yesterday’s Falcon Heavy Launch was a near-complete success and another amazing advance in the race to the stars.

The rise of ‘car sharing’ services has greatly benefitted consumers but had a devastating effect on taxi drivers.

Congress seems no closer to a DACA deal than they were in January.

Have we reached the point where the processing speed, connectivity, and cameras on our smart phones are simply good enough?

Senator Mark Warner, Vice-Chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, says, “We Need Revolution, Not Just Evolution” in Security Clearances.”

A quarter century ago, soldiers were first using GPS to help them navigate the battlefield. Now, GPS is giving away their location.

And a little Electoral College for good measure.

A group of 21 states has filed a petition to review the F.C.C.’s recent net neutrality rule changes, but it faces an uncertain future.

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.

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

President Trump announced a goal of returning American astronauts to the Moon, but that’s easier said than done.

The Supreme Court heard oral argument yesterday in what could end up being a landmark case on the issue of the scope of Fourth Amendment rights in the 21st Century.

A Fox News host has debunked the Uranium One conspiracy theory being pushed by his own network.

A preemptive attack on North Korea would be illegal, immoral and, most importantly, insane.

What could possibly go wrong?

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.

The First Amendment protects the rights even of the people who gathered in Charlottesville to promote hatred and violence, However, it does not shield them from the consequences of that speech.

It couldn’t happen to a nicer domain. But it’s a slippery slope.

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

A Federal Judge has ruled against an elected official who blocked a constituent from accessing her Facebook page.

Another escalation on the Korean peninsula.

Twitter users who have been blocked on the service by President Trump are suing him, claiming that their First Amendment rights have been violated.

More provocation from Pyongyang.

The Supreme Court rules that states cannot bar convicted felons from using social media sites.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear its first case on partisan gerrymandering in more than ten years, but opponents of the practice shouldn’t start celebrating just yet.

Donald Trump thinks the media doesn’t like his Twitter habit. In reality, they love it.

If Donald Trump blocks you on Twitter does that constitute a First Amendment violation? Two Twitter users say yes, but their argument is very weak.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court accepted a case that will determine whether the Fourth Amendment allows law enforcement to obtain location data without a search warrant.

Only 28% of Americans support President Trump’s decision to back out of the Paris Accord, but it’s not clear that this will harm him politically.

President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords was neither the big win his supporters claim nor the disaster his critics fear.

Reports indicate that President Trump is preparing to fulfill a campaign promise and withdraw the U.S. from the accord on climate change reached in Paris in 2015.

The Republican candidate in today’s Special Election in Montana has been charged with assaulting a reporter.

There’s a Special Election in Montana tomorrow, and the Democratic candidate is performing far above expectations.

Another provocative move by North Korea.

The North Koreans failed to successfully test a longer-range missile again yesterday, but tensions on the Korean Peninsula seem destined to increase in any case.

North Korea is threatening another nuclear test, the United States is threatening retaliation, and China is warning of a ‘gathering storm’ on the Korean Peninsula.

An apparent terrorist attack in Russia’s second largest city.

Another SpaceX success.

He is supposed to help make the government run more like a business.

Trump appears to undervaluing existing bureaucracies listening more to hacks and ideologues.