Outside the Beltway

Big news in the war against a horrible virus.

Godspeed, John Glenn.

Depending on the outcome of the election, the Supreme Court’s just concluded term will most likely be remembered as the point at which the Court’s rightward tilt that began at the end of the Warren Court Era came to an end.

Pfizer has become the latest drug maker from barring its products from being used in executions.

One of the pioneers of the technology revolution of the past four decades has passed away.

A man who helped create a multi-billion dollar a year industry, and some mighty fine wine, has passed away.

In a move it had been telegraphing for the better part of a year, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time since July 2006.

Why hasn’t anyone else thought of this?

Today, many states and municipalities are having elections that will mostly attract Democrats.

If we are gong to assess the significance of Trump, we need to pay attention to the numbers.

The problem goes beyond the War on Drugs.

Lee Siegel takes to the NYT to explain “Why I Defaulted on My Student Loans.”

Los Angeles became the latest major city to increase its minimum wage. It’s a risky bet that is likely to do more harm than good.

Pundits and political scientists agree that, if the 2016 presidential election were today, we’d have a much better idea who would win.

Every member of the Supreme Court graduated from an Ivy League Law School. That kind of homogeneity is not healthy.

Their places are being filled by students who pay higher tuition rates.

Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the 21st Century is making quite a splash.

The Let Us Spray Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

The earth-like planets are out there, but it’s unclear if the life is.

Democrats are approaching an “Electoral College lock.” Republicans are trying to pick it.

Republican problems among Latino voters could have an influence on several close races this year.

Apple has won a huge victory in the smart phone patent wars. If the news reporting is accurate, the outcome doesn’t pass the common sense test.

The private office is quickly becoming a relic, despite the loss of morale and productivity that comes from open floorplans.

A blog post lampooning black studies dissertations got a writer fired, setting off a controversy over the limits of free speech.

If we taught the Federalist Papers more rigorously would that lead to a shared view of the constitution?

Seven of the top ten and fifteen of the top twenty universities on the planet are American.

College football coaching salaries jumped 35 percent last year and 55 percent in the last six.

The Postal Service announced another round of service cutbacks today that are likely to just make the rapidity of its decline increase

Further, there was another example of police violence at UCD earlier this week.

Measuring our progress a decade after the 9/11 attacks

The Maryland Terrapins upset the Miami Hurricanes 32-24 last night in college football’s opening weekend. But all anyone is talking about is the ugly uniforms.

Daniel Indiviglio makes “The Case for Making Wages Public: Better Pay, Better Workers.”

Two economists look at a 30 year investment in a home versus putting the same money in the stock market.

While his best-known solo effort was “anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, [and] anti-capitalistic,” John Lennon became a Reagan Republican a few years later, his assistant claims.

The draft ended in 1973. It’s effects still linger today.

Austan Goolsbee is resigning as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors to return to the University of Chicago.

Is Peter Diamond qualified to be a Fed governor?

Canada is much friendlier than the United States with regard to immigration.