Outside the Beltway

A Federal Appeals Court has found that a Trump Administration policy purporting to punish so-called sanctuary cities is unconstitutional.

A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down part of a Hawaii law barring open carry of weapons, but this win for gun rights advocates may turn out to be short-lived.

The Garden State has put a hold on marijuana prosecutions in anticipation of full legalization by the end of the year.

An initiative that would have purported to split California into three separate states has been barred by the California Supreme Court from appearing on the November ballot.

Rick Scott is pulling in impressive fundraising numbers, giving Democrats reason to worry that they’ll have another Senate seat to worry about in November.

The midterm elections are still four months away, but Democrats are already making moves to prepare for the race for their party’s Presidential nomination in 2020.

Forget the “republic v. a democracy” abstraction. The numbers show some serious flaws in translating popular will into government.

California’s Democratic Party endorsed “progressive” upstart Kevin de León over Senator Dianne Feinstein, but this is unlikely to stop Feinstein from winning election to a sixth term in office.

The Democratic National Committee is one step closer to adopting a rule change that would make superdelegates largely irrelevant to the party’s nomination process.

A man who had been identified as an assailant at last year’s Charlottesville rally and apparent member of a white supremacist organization has been dismissed by defense contractor Northrop Grumman.

A Federal Judge in California has largely rejected a Trump Administration challenge to a series of new laws in California designed to protect so-called “sanctuary cities.”

Federal law protects internet companies from liability for statements written by others.

It’s more complicated than one might think.

In November, Michigan voters will be able to make their state the tenth state to legalize marijuana. This is just the latest step in what seems to be an irreversible trend.

What was once a rare symbol of national mourning has become so commonplace as to be meaningless.

California’s legislature has moved to block localities from imposing taxes on soda and other sugary drinks.

There is a frustration and a growing sense that the American political system is illegitimate.

Harlan Ellison, who had a reputation for being as cantankerous as he was a great writer, has died at the age of 84.

The House of Representatives has left town after once again failing to pass an immigration reform bill,, thus likely ensuring that nothing will be passed before the midterms.

President Trump’s short list of potential Supreme Court nominees consists mostly of conventionally conservative, well-qualified, jurists.

A really weird detail buried in a New York Times story about President Trump’s efforts to get the Justice to retire.

Contrary to what many people have claimed, the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Hawaii did not overturn one of the most controversial decisions in its history.

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that public sector unions cannot force employees to pay membership fees.

It’s been eight years since we’ve seen a Supreme Court retirement, and despite speculation there were none announced today.

Rebutting the President’s routine prevarications merely spreads them. Is there an alternative?

In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court struck down a California law requiring Crisis Pregnancy Centers to provide information about abortion.

Donald Trump continues to demonstrate that he has nothing but utter contempt for the Rule of Law. At some point, he will either be called to account for this or our nation’s institutions will suffer as a result.

The president has a skewed view of who is trying to enter the US.

A controversial name is disappearing from one small stretch of road.

In a case that pit the new rules of cyberspace against the old rules about when the Fourth Amendment protects privacy, the Supreme Court ruled today in a way that breathes new life into both privacy and the Fourth Amendment.

Notwithstanding the rhetoric of the President and his supporters, most Americans believe that immigration is a good thing for the United States.

We may finally get a ruling applying the Excessive Fine Clause to the states and limiting the ability of police to confiscate property.

Donald Trump wants Republicans to make his immigration policies the centerpiece of the midterm campaign. What could possibly go wrong?

Children are not political bargaining chips, but that’s exactly what this President plans to turn them into.

The Trump administration’s approach to immigrant children is a serious test of our national morality.

With two more weeks to go, there are plenty of “big” cases still awaiting the release of a decision.

Two months ago, the President called on states to send National Guard troops to the border. As expected, they’re not guarding the border.

In a significant First Amendment ruling, the Supreme Court has held that a Minnesota law barring “political apparel” at polling places is unconstitutional.

The GOP and Donald Trump are indistinguishable now. But it’s not clear what that means.

One outcome of the SIngapore Summit includes a purported agreement to work on repatriating American remains from the Korean War. This is a good thing, but the President couldn’t resist adding obvious embellishment.

The Trump Administration’s new legal position on coverage for people with pre-existing conditions could pose political problems in the fall.

Tim Draper’s fantasy will finally get a vote this November.

The Federal Government is signing on to an effort by Texas and several other states to have the DACA program declared unlawful.

The Trump Administration is declining to defend the Affordable Care Act in Court, arguing that the individual mandate is now unconstitutional because the tax penalty has been eliminated.

Has the party paid too big a price to attract suburban voters?

Another Federal Judge has held that the Trump Administration’s efforts to punish so-called ‘sanctuary cities’ violates both Federal law and the Constitution.

It isn’t a primary and it is an illustration of how electoral rules affect behavior.

President Trump waded back into the National Anthem debate when he revoked the invitation of the Philadelphia Eagles to come to the White House today.

In an exceedingly narrow ruling, the Supreme Court sided with a Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding reception. However, the ruling did not address the broader issues raised by the case.

President Trump’s attorneys have put forward a shockingly expansive view of the powers of the President.