Outside the Beltway

Recent polling finds that Americans aren’t feeling quite so patriotic right now. It’s understandable, but we shouldn’t give up hope.

Jim Jordan, who heads the powerful House Freedom Caucus, is being accused of ignoring reports of sexual abuse by a team doctor while he was a coach at The Ohio State University.

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.

The calls to “Abolish ICE” are spreading to potential candidates for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination.

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a populist from the left, rode a wave of populism and public disdain for the outgoing President to a landslide win in Mexico

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

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

The White House is hoping for a relatively quick turnaround time to pick a replacement for Justice Anthony Kennedy.

The Presidents of the United States and Russia will meet next month and there’s reason to worry about what Trump might give away.

After thirty years on the bench, during which he played a central role in some of the Supreme Court’s most significant rulings, Justice Anthony Kennedy is retiring.

Convicted leaker Chelsea Manning lost a bid for the Democratic nomination for Senate in Maryland, to the surprise of nobody.

Joe Crowley, widely considered in line to replace Nancy Pelosi as party leader in the House, has been defeated.

The Supreme Court has largely rejected a challenge to state and Federal redistricting maps in the State of Texas.

Some activists on the left are calling for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be abolished. While that may be a great sound bite, it doesn’t really accomplish anything.

Turkey’s authoritarian leader is going to be around for a long time.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave a restaurant in Virginia last night, and the incident raises questions of how far we should let politics infiltrate everyday life.

Madison was right about politicians and ambition. He just didn’t see the how it would all play out.

The dean of conservative columnists argues that the Republican Congress must be taught a lesson.

The odds of an immigration bill passing the House were already low. This morning, President Trump pretty much guaranteed failure.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces what could be a scandal that will quickly push him out of office.

The former New York City Mayor is prepared to spend $80 million to help Democrats take back Congress this year.

Pending the mere formality of approval by the Governor-General, Canada will soon become the largest nation in the world where recreational use of marijuana is legal.

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

The Supreme Court avoided ruling on the merits of two partisan gerrymandering cases, but the issue will be back before them sooner rather than later.

A federal trial court has ruled the practice an unconstitutional infringement on suffrage.

A 9-0 ruling side-stepped the broader issue of to what extent purely political considerations may be applied.

The President continues to enjoy enthusiastic support from the over-65 set.

Colombia is currently choosing its next president.

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

House Republicans put forward a plan to protect DACA beneficiaries, but President Trump appears to have doomed it already.

Virginia Republicans took a hard-right turn in yesterday’s primary. This is likely to benefit the Democrats.

GOP primary voters continue to reward staunch supporters of the President and punish those who get on his bad side.

Maine voters head to the polls today to pick nominees for Governor and several other offices, but the most interesting thing is way they’ll be voting.

In Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute, Samuel Alito authored a 5-4 opinion ruling that removing voters from the rolls after four years is perfectly legal.

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

Dan Coates, the Director of National Intelligence, has issued a strong warning that has received little attention.

Democrats on Capitol Hill are objecting to the proposed changes in the role of superdelegates in the party’s nomination process.

As he headed to the G-7 Summit, President Trump threw our ostensible allies another curve.

Most Americans disagree with Trump on the N.F.L. National Anthem protests, but Republicans are behind him.

After a period where Republicans seemed to be closing the gap, Democrats may be widening their lead heading into November.

The actions of the Trump administration are helping Russian-EU relations (to the detriment of the US).

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

Senators hoping for a long summer recess have had their hopes dashed.

More than a decade ago, Donald Trump revealed one of his secrets to success. Exhaust your enemies. It explains much of what has happened since he took office.

The new American Ambassador to Germany is making what clearly seem to be inappropriate statements about domestic politics in Europe.

The Federal Government will borrow more than $1 trillion this year for the first time in more than a half-decade.

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.

Republicans are at least a bit more confident that they’ll hold on to the Senate this year.

A new poll indicates that Texas Senator Ted Cruz isn’t as vulnerable as previously thought, and reminds us that Texas is still a very red state.

With the President’s “Spygate” allegations standing largely discredited, his attorney and at the moment chief spokesperson Rudy Giuliani admits that the entire conspiracy theory was created to discredit the Mueller investigation.