Outside the Beltway

The Obama Administration is asking the U.N. Security Council to authorize direct military intervention in Libya. The question is, why now?

In less than two weeks, much of the content of The New York Times will go behind a paywall.

Will one of the worst natural disasters to hit Japan in centuries change the relationship between the Japanese government and the people?

New York Times journalists Anthony Shadid, Stephen Farrell, Tyler Hicks, and Lynsey Addario have not been heard from in more than 24 hours.

Alain Juppé’s concession that “the moment has passed” for NATO to successfully intervene in Libya is correct.

Facebook limits accounts to those who say that they are at least 13 years old. Shockingly, some kids lie to get on the popular social network.

It’s institutions of government – not its size – that matter when it comes to how good a job the government does.

As gas and oil prices rise, the pressure is increasing to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It’s a dumb idea.

Pfc. Bradley Manning is being treated worse than a Prisoner Of War, and he hasn’t been convicted of a crime yet.

James Franco is a film director, screenwriter, painter, author, performance artist and actor. And working on a PhD at Yale.

Mike Huckabee apologized for saying Barack Obama grew up in Kenya, explaining only that he meant that the president isn’t a Real American.

As the standoff in Wisconsin drags on, there is no sign that the public accepts the argument being made about public sector unions by Governor Scott Walker and other Republicans.

The last American veteran of a conflict which ended nearly a century ago has died.

The uprisings in the Arab world have led some to suggest that the Middle East isn’t “ready” to be free. They’re wrong.

A New York judge has sided with comedian Jerry Seinfeld in a bizarre lawsuit by a crazy woman who writes cookbooks.

Scott Walker’s attempt to crush the Wisconsin public employee unions may be the first wave in a fight to elect Republican governors in 2012.

Several “correct” answers on the American citizenship test are technically incorrect.

Christopher Lee abruptly resigned from Congress mere hours after news broke that he was advertising for sex on Craigslist. Apparently, he was looking for trannies.

Players have taken control of the NBA from the owners. That’s bad for fans. But probably a good thing.

Nine years into a war that seems to be without end, it’s time to declare victory and go home.

Opposition to marriage equality is no longer the wedge issue it used to be.

A new set of polls from Gallup show that President Obama is still looking good for re-election.

The continuing chaos in Libya could have a serious impact on the U.S. economy, especially if it spreads to other oil producing nations.

The Affordable Care Act has been ruled Constitutional in Holder v. Mead.

The Wall Street Journal is joining the modern era and dropping the practice of referring to people as “Mr.” and “Ms.” But only on the sports pages.

It’s time to end the ability of public sector labor unions to hold taxpayers hostage.

The crackdown in Libya is turning into a massacre.

In the Middle East, protesters are marching for democracy. In the Midwest, they’re protesting against it.

The ongoing saga of piracy off the coast of Somali is about to get Americans’ attention again, as a yacht containing four U.S. citizens has been hijacked.

Tweeting feels like IM’ing but it’s more like blogging.

JCPenney used black hat SEO to game Google. But Google’s penalties are arguably just as bad. And what about HuffPo?

Later this week, Clarence Thomas will have gone five years without asking a question during oral argument at the Supreme Court. Is that really a big deal?

Knowing his downfall was imminent, the former Egyptian dictator moved vast wealth out of rich of Western governments.

Hosni Mubarak has stepped down — for reals this time.

Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak is expected to step down after 17 days of pro-democracy protests.