Outside the Beltway

The latest news on the marijuana legalization front has led David Brooks and others to go into a completely pathetic panic.

One of the dumbest rules in sports may mean that people in three cities can’t see their teams play this weekend.

If Amazon gives discounts to people with children, is it acceptable to falsely claim you have a child in order to get a discount?

Under 21 in New York City? No more smokes for you!

Portland, Maine seems to about to make some progress in the fight against dumb laws.

PBS NewsHour quiz “Do You Live in a Bubble?”

The long investigation into rape at the Naval Academy has revealed some ugly truths.

Don’t expect the Federal Government to push for DUI reform.

The military is cracking down on sexual assault. The pendulum may be swinging too far.

Sailors will now be required to wait until 9 am to buy booze.

Some century-old Pacific Beer beer ads are “nothing short of brilliant, absurd, and offensive.”

Until this month, America was not truly a free country.

Yesterday’s coup in Egypt, a day before we celebrate our own independence, reminds us of something else worth celebrating.

NYU’s Geoffrey Miller has done a groundbreaking study connecting obesity, and particularly the consumption of simple carbohydrates, with failure to complete doctoral dissertations.

The artist known as Kid Rock endorsed Mitt Romney but now says he’s “embarrassed to be a Republican.” Because of their stance on paperless tickets, naturally.

Apparently, some significant number of people are starving themselves to “save calories” for getting drunk.

The government of Malaysia paid a lot of money to get some blogs placed at various outlets.

An excellent essay by Adam Sternbergh “On the Enduring Appeal of ‘Die Hard.'”

Does America deserve a day off today because we all stayed up late overindulging?

There’s been a bit of buzz of late about the fact that people in several states have filed petitions to secede from the Union. There shouldn’t be.

A wonderfully descriptive story in the New York Times Style section that’s almost surely mere anecdote being touted as trend.

The Dos Equis guy is fundraising for Obama.

A new book by one of the Navy SEALs involved in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden differs significantly from the official version put forward by the government.

Virginia has been offering ID cards to military veterans to make it easier to prove that they’re military veterans for months now.

The election is about the economy. The economy is awful. Yet the incumbent still holds a slight lead.

A grand jury found that beating a child molester to death is an authorized use of deadly force.

Washington has become the first state in decades to privatize its state-run liquor stores. They’ve coupled this with onerous fees on private distributors.

Mark Zuckerberg left at least two Italian restaurants without tipping. Apparently, he read his guide books.

A new book about the President details his marijuana use in High School and at Occidental College.

Mitt Romney has a big problem. People don’t seem to like him very much.

Charlie Savage documents a major shift in Barack Obama’s philosophy of presidential authority.

Keep that gift card in your wallet too long and the government may come for it.

A new book would classify most of us who consume alcohol as “almost alcoholics.”