Outside the Beltway

A Silicon Valley businessman says he has enough signatures to get it on the ballot, but the plan to break California up into six states is most assuredly going nowhere.

It seems improbable, but the national landscape on same-sex marriage is changing so quickly that even the Republican Party may find itself changing faster than some might think.

Just some things to consider about Common Core standards.

Jose Antonio Vargas was brought to the U.S. at the age of 12 and never left. Now, some are suggesting he should be deported as soon as possible.

Trying to make sense of a very complicated issue.

Some people on the left are still trying to convince Ruth Bader Ginsburg that she needs to just step out on the ice floe already.

Hobby Lobby Is an important decision, but it’s one that the Supreme Court handed down a week earlier that will have the widest impact.

Some surveys suggest that younger Americans are less patriotic than older generations.

The Supreme Court’s next term doesn’t start for three months, but it’s becoming clear that the Justices will have to deal with marriage equality when it does.

The votes have been counted, the result is clear, but the battle between Senator Thad Cochran and Chris McDaniel continues to get stranger by the day.

The sad truth is that the bipartisanship that led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 no longer exists today.

The Supreme Court has limited the ability of public employee unions to force people to join their ranks.

We’ve seen a notable number of 9-0 Supreme Court decisions this term, but that doesn’t mean that the side that lost was making an extreme or meritless argument.

A new poll suggests that Republicans could be losing a constituency that is very key for them in the nation’s third most populous state.

A unanimous Supreme Court rules that the Fourth Amendment bars police from searching your electronic device without a warrant.

Retired General Keith Alexander is hawking his services to banks at princely sums.

The House leadership elections turned out about as expected, but we may be doing this all over again in five months.

GOP Whip Kevin McCarthy of California won the vote to replace Eric Cantor as the new GOP House Majority Leader. The question is who replaces McCarthy.

There aren’t nearly as many “meta” lessons in Eric Cantor’s loss as pundits have been claiming.

Get ready for a big GOP Leadership fight in the House.

An unknown Tea Party candidate unexpectedly beat the House Leader in today’s GOP primary.

A landmark ruling out of California that could help propel a real debate on education reform.

Some old fashioned political arm twisting has up-ended the apple cart in Richmond.

The Texas GOP wants to “pray away the gay.”

Leaving aside his emotionalism and frustration, his core argument has merit.

Another victory for the GOP establishment in its battle against the Tea Party.

It’s that time of year again.

Pseudoscience and hysteria have damaged public health.

A victory for Federalism and sanity in the War On Drugs.

A great American writer has passed away.

The tragedy in Santa Barbara will. inevitably, revive the same old gun debate. But can it ever evolve beyond shouting?

And Pennsylvania makes it 19.

A 13 month string of legal victories for marriage equality reaches Oregon.

The unequal distribution of social capital may be more important than the unequal distribution of income.

Some polls aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.

Not every tragedy can be resolved with a military response.

A pretty clear violation of the First Amendment.

Congressman Walter Jones beat back a primary challenge from a former Bush aide who attacked him over his foreign policy views.

A legal setback for Voter ID laws in Wisconsin.