Outside the Beltway

You all aren’t getting any serious writing out of me today, obviously.

I mean, his very first decision…

The last Soviet leader is gone at 91.

The bloody conflict could go on for months, if not years.

From a WaPo piece on the FSB and Ukraine.

When you tax sin, you need more of it.

Some quick hits.

The Speaker’s trip was reckless, needlessly escalating an already tense situation.

Instead of a clenched fist of support, it was a big middle finger to Sweden and Finland.

Some light fundraising whilst waiting for mum to die.

Moscow is playing a very strange game.

The competition is slowly ratcheting up.

Normalcy is not a bad thing.

An embarrassing photo demonstrates the perils of leading the free world.

Foreign policy makes strange bedfellows.

Japan’s longest-serving prime minister was killed at a campaign rally. He was 67.

They’re stealing our secrets and working to undermine our elections.

He plans to hang on as PM through the fall but likely won’t be able to.

It’s a global commodity.

The Western alliance is getting stronger in the face of Russian aggression.

What happens if Ukraine can’t achieve complete victory?

Our ostensible ally is seeking to rebrand itself.

The first round produced two very different candidates.

Another potential deal that doesn’t address the central issue.

The President continues his recent penchant for saying the quiet part out loud.

Who gets to claim Latino heritage?

A long-overdue milestone has been reached.

A diplomatic nightmare brewing since last week is now upon us.

Supply chain disruptions are contributing to crisis for 300 million people.

The Biden Administration is constantly bragging about its actions against Russia. Is that wise?

The face of Fox News is not the bow-tied buffoon from his “Crossfire” days.

A splendid idea but why stop there?

How rules shape the game.

Some 60% of us, including 75% of our children, have been infected.

The Pope is indeed Catholic. The rest is up for debate.

The boring moderate beat the neo-Nazi with 58% of the vote.

The incumbent should win easily but turnout is low and the consequences dire.

Brussels has gotten ahead of Washington in regulating mostly American-based Internet companies.

The proxy war is working.

Many and small beats large and heavy. Finding beats flanking. Swarming beats surging.

A fascinating report from the WSJ.

Another morale booster for the good guys.

Whether deliberate or another ‘gaffe,’ he’s likely right.

His 95-year-old mom is still Queen but has handed off many of her duties.

Intellectuals are fleeing as Soviet-style censorship returns.

The first round is currently being held.

The horrific tallies of Putin’s war of choice continue to mount.

The Defense Department shares the worst-kept secret about the war effort.

The West continues to close Moscow off.

The US conducted a preemptive strike against the GRU’s systems.