Outside the Beltway

Tensions are increasing in the Persian Gulf thanks to a collection of actions by Iran, the United States, and United Kingdom.

Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail last night with another one of his red meat speeches. The analogies it causes one to draw are chilling to say the least.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is being sued for blocking people on Twitter. She’s likely to lose the lawsuits.

The failure of Republicans and conservatives to denounce the President’s racism reveals everything that has gone wrong with the “right” in the Trump Era.

Bill DeBlasio is facing criticism for the fact that he was off in Iowa on his quixotic Presidential campaign rather than being at home during Saturday’s blackout.

Last night New York City experienced what turned out to be a short-lived blackout mostly limited to Manhattan’s West Side, but it brought back memories of much bigger events.

Joe Biden delivered his first major foreign policy address of the campaign. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than what we have right now.

Citing the so-called “Billy Graham Rule,” a Republican candidate for Governor in Mississippi is refusing to let a female reporter accompany him on a campaign ride-along.

Later today, the President is expected to take some form of ‘Executive Action’ in an effort to get a citizenship question on the 2020 Census.

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a District Court ruling that President Trump cannot block Twitter users from accessing his account.

The victory of the U.S. Women’s team in the World Cup has renewed a long-standing argument over pay equity, but the issue is far more complicated than it seems.

Should the pundit class look more like America?

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

After 67 years, Mad magazine is ceasing publication of new material.

The Republican Party is ruining the country. But so are the Democrats?

Every offseason re-aligns the sport in fascinating ways.

A leading same-sex marriage advocate is pushing back on the trans movement.

A new racist meme questioning Kamala Harris’s background is circulating on the Internet.

The first Democratic debate drew record numbers on both nights.

One photograph that has gone viral is standing as a visualization of the Trump Administration’s inhumane asylum policies.

Evidence appears to clearly established that Russia used many of the same social media efforts it used in the United States in 2016 to interfere in the recent European Parliament elections.

A Florida Woman is being charged with felony burglary after breaking into her estranged husband’s apartment to seize his guns and give them to the police.

As Conservative MP’s continue winnowing down the list of candidates for party leader, Boris Johnson remains the overwhelming leader. However, a surprise challenger may be on his heels.

President Trump’s opening rally of the 2020 campaign sounded an awful lot like a rally from 2016

If Hong Kong’s leaders thought protesters would be satisfied with relatively minor concessions, they have significantly miscalculated the situation.

Today’s edition of “I Am Not Making This Up,”

Texas has become the latest state to eliminate red-light cameras amid increasing evidence that they are largely counterproductive.

Presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway stands credibly accused of multiple violations of Federal law. The President will do nothing about it.

The State Department has barred American Embassies from flying the Pride Flag during Pride Month as has been the custom for several years.

America’s Newspaper of Record has decided the backlash isn’t worth it.

May’s Jobs Report came back with disappointing jobs growth, suggesting that the economy may be slowing down.

While mildly embarrassing, it’s unlikely to have much impact on the race.

According to one new study, President Trump’s tweets aren’t having the same impact they used to.

His colum in WaPo isn’t very good.

A new report indicates that Russian social media trolls are involved in spreading anti-vaccination propaganda in the United States and elsewhere.

Strong public records laws, not an excess of weirdness, has driven a sad meme.

This year’s graduating class at West Point includes a record number of African-American women.

Some 2020 Democratic hopefuls are turning to a surprising source for counsel.

Jon Bel Edwards is a reminder that our divide is cultural, not just partisan.

Not surprisingly, Chelsea Manning is headed back to jail for her refusal to answer questions before a Federal Grand Jury investigating Julian Assange and Wikileaks.

Yet another candidate joins an already crowded field for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination.

Chelsea Manning, who was being held in jail for refusing to comply with a Grand Jury subpoena, was released yesterday but it’s likely to only be a temporary freedom.

Sexual misconduct in the military continues to frustrate observers.

Avengers: Endgame earned $1 billion worldwide in its first weekend, but it will take a lot more to become the biggest grossing movie of all time.

Its explanation for why its paywall is coming down 3 days leads us to an obvious question.

I sense a great disturbance in the Force. As if a billion voices are crying out “No, not Chewie!!!!”

While street protests continue, the efforts to get the Venezuelan military to oust President Nicolas Maduro appear to have failed.

The ongoing apparent attempted coup in Venezuela is already leading to talk of American intervention in the event of a crackdown. That would be unwise and unjustified.

The narrow loser of the Georgia governor’s race has left open the possibility of running for President.

Counter-Intelligence officials are warning that Russia is preparing another election interference campaign for the 2020 election.