Outside the Beltway

The decision to hand Democrats a victory and step on the good news from the Mueller report apparently came from the very top.

The Justice Department has reversed course and will not fight a December ruling overturning the Affordable Care Act.

The Lawfare gang and Popehat weigh in.

The Speaker says she will reject any attempt to deliver it in a “highly classified” manner.

Predictably, news that the investigation has ended has people on both sides cheering. It’s unwarranted.

The Friday news dump to beat all Friday news dumps.

Graham is blocking a vote on a non-binding resolution on the Mueller report.

The Southern Law Poverty Center has fired its co-founder for vaguely-specified reasons.

Sometimes symbolism is important. This is one of those times.

Actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman are the most famous of dozens of rich folks trying to get their kids into elite schools.

The relatively light sentence that Paul Manafort received is raising eyebrows. Hopefully it will lead to a long-overdue debate on sentencing reform.

A second Federal Judge has found that the Commerce Department violated the law when it moved to put a question about citizenship on the 2020 Census form.

Democratic candidates for President are quickly voicing support for marijuana legalization.

Michael Cohen pulled back the curtain and revealed much about the true nature of Donald Trump yesterday. It’s not a pretty picture.

A Federal Judge in Washington, D.C. has upheld the Administration’s ban on bump stocks.

Gun laws requiring guns to be taken away from convicted felons are either being ignored or have too many loopholes. We need to fix that.

A North Carolina Congressional Election that was tainted by Absentee Ballot Fraud will be redone.

Robert Mueller appears to be winding down his investigation and getting ready to submit a report to the Attorney General.

The lawsuits against President Trump’s “national emergency” have begun. Except more.

The Supreme Court will hear a case dealing with a challenge to the Commerce Department’s decision to put a question about citizenship on the 2020 Census.

Two new reports identify hundreds of Catholic Priests who have been credibly accused of abusing children over the past decades.

President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border while at the same time undercutting his own case for doing so.

President Trump’s impending decision to declare a national emergency to get funding for his border wall will quickly face serious legal challenges. It may be more vulnerable than the White House suspects.

William Barr was easily confirmed as Attorney General in a 54-45 votes that included three Democrats crossing over to support him.

A Federal Judge found that former Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort lied repeatedly after entering into a plea agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. This either makes him incredibly stupid or willing to sacrifice himself to hide the truth from Federal investigators.

The former #2 official at the FBI is trying to sell a book.

The former Attorney General is seriously pondering a presidential bid. Seriously.

The longest-serving member of Congress in American history has passed away at the age of 92.

Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld has rejoined the Republican Party, leading many to wonder if he’s considering a challenge to President Trump in 2020.

As threatened late last year, the Trump Administration has withdrawn from the Intermediate=Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. This is a mistake.

After an essentially pointless 35 day shutdown, some members of the House and Senate are proposing bills that would make government shutdowns impossible.

Many people are wondering how CNN knew to be at Roger Stone’s house in Florida this morning. It turns out that it was good old-fashioned reporting.

As the shutdown enters day thirty-five, there are some signs of movement in Washington but no real progress.

There’s a way that Congress and the President could make future government shutdowns impossible, but they probably won’t do it.

In what amounts to a setback, the Supreme Court has lifted an injunction barring the Trump Administration’s ban on transgender service in the military to go forward pending further legal proceedings.

Two years into his Presidency, Donald Trump continues to set the wrong kind of records.

In a rare public statement, the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller is disputing reports that the President directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress.

A Federal Judge has blocked the Trump Administration from going forward with a plan to put a question about citizenship on the 2020 Census.

The confirmation hearing for President Trump’s nominee for Attorney General appeared to go very well, making confirmation essentially a certainty.

Federal employees deemed “essential” missed a paycheck yesterday in violation of US labor law.

Terrorists aren’t walking across the desert to get here. Flying is so much easier.

The longer the shutdown goes on, the wider its impact is likely to become.

The Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by the Trump Administration to have an injunction against its new asylum policy lifted.

A preliminary report from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan found at least 500 Catholic Priests whose abuse of children had been covered up by Church officials.

The mystery surrounding a secret proceeding in Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation has at least partly been solved.

As expected, the Justice Department has issued a new rule banning bump stocks. However, it is likely to face legal challenges.

Mystery continues to surround a proceeding that has been making its way through the Federal Courts in Washington, D.C.

The scandal-plagued Secretary of the Interior is leaving office at the end of the year.

Eight years after it was signed into law, a Federal Judge has ruled the Affordable Care Act to be unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor contends that a recent change in tax law unravels the basis for the Supreme Court’s upholding of Obamacare.