Outside the Beltway

The government entered its third shutdown of the year with little sign of an immediate resolution.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery to remove cancerous nodes from a lung, but reports seem to point to a quick recovery.

In what clearly appears to be a rebuke of the President, Defense Secretary James Mattis is retiring as Secretary of Defense.

The Trump Administration is reportedly preparing to withdraw the small contingent of American troops from Syria. If it actually happens, this would be a good move.

Under fire from the New York Attorney General, Donald Trump’s questionable charitable foundation is shutting down.

As Washington heads into the final days of a budget shutdown, Republicans find themselves on the losing end of a public relations battle.

Trump has selected current Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to replace John Kelly as Chief of Staff, but that’s unlikely to change how the West Wing operates.

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.

A particularly appalling case of press censorship from Australia.

While often portrayed as left-leaning, the public broadcaster is ruthlessly capitalistic in its labor practices.

The Supreme Court appears reluctant to overturn a century of case law that established a significant exception to the Double Jeopardy Clause.

Lies and possible evidence of obstruction of justice make up the bulk of Robert Mueller’s new case against former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the U.S, Attorney for the Southern District of New York have filed sentencing memos that directly implicate the President in a series of felonies.

Trump has reportedly told aides that he doesn’t really care about reports of an approaching crisis of the budget deficit and national debt because he’ll be out of office before it becomes a problem.

A nation says farewell to a war hero, public servant, former President, and great American.

Citing substantial cooperation, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is recommending no jail time for former Trump associate Michael Flynn.

American troops have been in Afghanistan for seventeen years now, it’s time to bring them all home.

The evidence against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi continues to mount. Will the Trump Administration care?

An effort by the Federal Government to prosecute Wikileaks founder Julian Assange raises serious First Amendment issues.

Donald Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen plead guilty to lying to Congress about Trump’s business dealings with Russia, and has agreed to cooperate with Robert Mueller’s investigation.

Nancy Pelosi won a key vote yesterday on the road to returning as Speaker of the House again in January.

A state trial court Judge in New York rejected efforts by the Donald Trump to halt a lawsuit alleging charity fraud in connection with the operation of The Trump Foundation.

Paul Manafort finds himself in new legal trouble after Special Counsel Robert Mueller accused him of lying after entering a plea agreement.

Even as its leader continues to deny the reality of Global Climate Change, the Trump Administration has released an utterly devastating report on the impact of such change over the course of the coming decades.

Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith has made several mistakes since Election Day, but she’s likely to win tomorrow’s runoff election.

A bad look for all concerned.

The European Union has approved the final Brexit deal negotiated with Theresa May’s government, but the final chapter has yet to be written.

Once again, people on the left are complaining that Ruth Bader Ginsburg didn’t retire when they wanted her to.

President Trump’s latest attack on the Federal Judiciary prompted a rare rebuke from the Chief Justice of the United States.

Three Democratic Senators are suing the Acting Attorney General, asserting that his appointment was unconstitutional.

In what has to qualify as one of the most horrifying displays of moral depravity on the international stage, the Trump Administration is saying it doesn’t really care if the Saudi Crown Prince is a murderer or not.

A Federal Judge has ruled that the Trump Administration’s efforts to limit the ability of migrants to claim asylum violates Federal law.

The White House and CNN have settled the dispute over Jim Acosta’s press pass, but future conflict between this Administration and the press corps seems inevitable.

Despite a court ruling that says otherwise, the Trump White House appears prepared to once again revoke the press pass of CNN reporter Jim Acosta.

In what seems like another effort at a cover-up, the Vatican vetoed a plan by American Bishops to address the Catholic Church’s abuse scandal.

The C.I.A. has apparently concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. What will the Trump Administration do about this?

A Federal Judge in Washington ruled that the White House acted improperly when it arbitrary revoked CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass.

While the outcome in the Florida Governor’s Race is clear, the Senate race remains up in the air and headed for a hand recount that, in the end, is unlikely to change the outcome of the race.

Theresa May’s government is barely hanging on to power thanks to Brexit negotiations that clearly seem to be headed for disaster.

Donald Trump is engaging in another round of baseless and bizarre conspiracy theories about alleged voter fraud.

The next head to roll in the Trump Administration appears to be frequent Trump target DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

Last week, the Mexican Supreme Court pushed that country further down the road toward legalization of marijuana for all purposes.

Amazon has reportedly decided to split its second headquarters between an already urbanized area of Northern Virginia and the outer boroughs of New York City.

Rest in Peace and Excelsior, Stan Lee!

Late last week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals became the fifth Federal Court to rule against the Trump Administration’s efforts to repeal DACA.

Today in bad columns.

Beto O’Rourke should consider running again in 2020, but not for President.

Michelle Obama can’t forgive Donald Trump for his role in spreading the racist birther conspiracy. I can’t say I blame her.

With the election over, New York’s junior Senator seems to have changed her mind about running for President.