Outside the Beltway

The Democrats are in a good place heading into their convention.

“Dr. Ruth” is gone at 96.

The psychologist who won a Nobel in economics is gone at 90.

The food is too damn high!

If we’re even bowling at all.

Group dynamics and limited choices.

The DeSantis crackdown on academic freedom is having its desired effect.

Continued disjunctures between perceptions and the indicators.

It’s . . . complicated.

His lawyers and Democratic lawmakers are urging an exception.

Sanity has prevailed.

The state has banned the teaching of science in science classes.

Back when people were kinder and man’s word was his bond.

Another call for letting kids be kids.

Thoughts on Pence and Christie.

Our surroundings quite literally change how we see the world.

A symbolic gesture is now highly impractical, if not harmful.

UPenn law professor Amy Wax as a test case.

Tips for how to check yourself before you wreck yourself.

There’s training on uncomfortable subjects. Oh noes!

A deep dive into why our politics are so broken.

The iconic basketball player, coach, and civil rights leader is gone at 88.

The man most famous for his turn on “Leave it to Beaver” has passed from liver cancer aged 77.

We know a lot less about the motives of spree killers than the public discourse suggests.

The SAT is a poor measure of college aptitude but it’s better than most others.

If this is the best they have, they don’t have a lot

Yet another case where good politics yields bad policy.

There’s something happening here. But what it is ain’t exactly clear.

It turns out “the economy” isn’t just one thing.

A piece in The Atlantic inspires thoughts.

Our brains are wired to seek approval but may not be equipped to handle our modern existence.

A veteran health reporter says the end is near. But there’s a huge caveat.

We tend to focus on the wrong qualities in our early assessments.

The fear of missing out is strong.

The President of the United States is an existential threat to the Republic.

The conversation continues. (Warning: it is over 3000 words).

Things are going to get better. And far worse.

He revolutionized how we think of male homosexuality.

It’s not greedy hoarders after all.

The norms of social discourse are rapidly changing in the #MeToo era.

Republicans have come up with a new target to blame mass shootings on, “violent video games.”

Not a new observation, but one that should not be forgotten.

Thad Cochran, who represented Mississippi in Congress for 45 years, has died at the age of 81.

The esteemed biographer on his process.

Deny them the pleasure of an angry reaction, and they’ll probably leave you alone.

A further attempt at explanation.

The Supreme Court is set to consider whether to take a case involving employment discrimination based on gender identity.

President Trump’s private phone calls are apparently a major source of intelligence for foreign nations.

After roughly a week of staying silent, President Trump decided last night to openly mock Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.