International News
Coverage of international events and global policy shifts. The Daily Signal offers news reporting with opinion and commentary on world affairs.
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opinion
Mind the Gap! China Increasing Its Defense Spending, While U.S. Holds Defense Dollars Constant
Despite the much-vaunted “Asia pivot,” American defense spending and force allocations haven’t shifted that much to Asia. As China’s economy exhibits signs of slowing down, there have been questions about whether this would affect Chinese defense spending. China’s officials made clear that it would not when they announced this week that defense spending would again… -
news
What Members of Congress Tweeted About Netanyahu’s Speech
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed members of Congress today. The speech focused on the deal that President Barack Obama and his administration is trying to reach with Iran over nuclear capabilities. During and after Netanyahu’s speech, members of the House and Senate took to Twitter to react. I welcome opportunity to hear Israel PM… -
opinion
Congress Should Listen to Netanyahu’s Warnings on the Obama Iran Deal
Jimmy Carter had one of the worst foreign and defense policy records of any modern president. But, at least he cut one good deal. The speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu before a joint session of Congress makes clear President Obama can’t even match Carter’s level of competency. The high point of Carter’s… -
news
Lone Jewish Republican in Congress on What You Should Expect From Benjamin Netanyahu’s Speech Today
The lone Jewish Republican in Congress says American leaders should present a united front in support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before lawmakers this morning. In an interview with The Daily Signal, Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., called on his Jewish colleagues to uniformly embrace Netanyahu's appearance before Congress and to empathize with Israel’s concern… -
opinion
Who Has the Last Word When It Comes to Redistricting?
The Supreme Court heard a vigorous debate today over who ultimately has the constitutional authority to determine where the boundary lines are drawn for congressional districts. Paul Clement, former solicitor general under the George W. Bush administration, argued on behalf of Arizona state legislators in Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. He was up… -
opinion
Why Netanyahu’s Speech to Congress Is Churchillian
Tomorrow, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress, warning against the military potential of Iran’s nuclear program. The Israeli leader will do so at the invitation of House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and much to the dismay of the White House, which is close to signing an agreement with Tehran… -
opinion
What Netanyahu Should Say to Congress
What do you get when a foreign prime minister slights the president of the United States by accepting a secret invitation from the speaker of the House to address Congress in an attempt to thwart U.S. policy two weeks prior to an election? Well, you get a plot worthy of “House of Cards.” But those… -
news
For the First Time on Camera, Meet the Man Who Exposed the Gruber Videos
Rich Weinstein is the single person considered most responsible for exposing one of the biggest blows to the Affordable Care Act’s image: a series of videos in which a key Obamacare architect discusses the “stupidity of the American people” and how that helped get the bill passed. Now, Weinstein is speaking on camera for the… -
opinion
Russia and China Aren’t Less Committed to Nuclear Force. So Why Are We?
As Russia and other nations around the world flex their “nuclear muscles,” when it comes to the United States, maintaining a credible nuclear force is certainly a tough task. Challenges include: declining research, development and acquisition budgets; uncertain prospects for modernization, and an American public that lacks a clear understanding of how nuclear weapons contribute… -
news
Emails Show State Department Aides Knew Early On Benghazi Attack Had Terror Ties
On Sept.11, 2012, State Department aides knew that the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya was under attack by armed assailants and soon after, that a terrorist group was claiming credit for the attack, according to documents from the U.S. Department of State obtained by Judicial Watch and released Thursday. “These emails leave no doubt that… -
opinion
Labor Force Participation: Who Is Working Less?
Robert Hall caused a stir among labor economists when he presented evidence before the Senate Finance Committee last month that the decline in labor force participation since the 1990s is concentrated among affluent families, not poor ones. From the late 1990s to recent years, Hall and co-author Nicolas Petrosky-Nadeau found that men ages 35 to 59 in families making less… -
opinion
In Australia, the Green Energy Fantasy Has Collapsed
If you are sailing miles from shore and come upon the rusted prows of sunken ships, you can be sure that water is not that deep and it would be a good idea to change course. Australia is just the latest ship’s prow to warn us away from the treacherous path of green energy mandates, taxes, and subsidies…. -
opinion
Germany, Rest of Europe Proves Lack of Backbone
German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently negotiated a cease-fire in Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Within days, Ukrainian troops lost the city of Debaltseve to a new Russian-backed rebel offensive. At the same time, European negotiations on the Greek financial crisis broke down in acrimony. This is the hour of Europe, and it’s a disaster…. -
opinion
Putin Adversary Boris Nemtsov Fought for Freedom in Russia
The barbaric assassination today of Boris Nemtsov, a brave adversary of the Putin administration, is a stark reminder of the grave dangers faced by political dissidents in Russia. Nemtsov’s brutal murder took place in the shadow of the Kremlin against a backdrop of mounting repression in Moscow, implemented by an increasingly authoritarian regime that suppresses… -
news
The Daily Signal Adds First Foreign Correspondent to Cover Ukraine Conflict
Nolan Peterson, a former special operations pilot and a combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, is joining The Daily Signal as the news organization’s first foreign correspondent. Peterson will be based in Ukraine to cover the conflict with Russia. Peterson joins a team committed to investigative and feature reporting and dedicated to covering the most… -
news
Conservatives Want a Candidate for President Who Can Connect, CPAC Chief Says
>>> Update: The Daily Signal has learned that Fox News host Sean Hannity will ask questions of presidential hopeful Jeb Bush for the former Florida governor’s entire 20-minute appearance at CPAC, set for 1:40 p.m. Friday. By the time conservative activists leave the nation’s capital this weekend after their largest annual get-together, they should be better… -
opinion
We Must Arm Ukraine. Here’s Why.
Yet another cease-fire agreement on Ukraine has been signed in Minsk. It went into effect Sunday amid low expectations of success. This is the second such agreement to come out of Minsk. The previous deal was signed in September, it collapsed almost immediately. There is precious little confidence that Minsk II will pan out any… -
news
Putin: ‘No One Should Have the Illusion’ They Can Defeat Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stern warning to the world about Russia’s military capabilities during an address on Thursday. “No one should have the illusion that they can gain military superiority over Russia, put any kind of pressure on it,” Putin said. “We will always have an adequate answer for any such adventures.” The… -
opinion
India Unseats China as the World’s Fastest Growing Economy—for Now
It was not supposed to happen this fast. Earlier this week India’s Central Statistics Office (CSO) released figures showing economic growth of 7.5 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter for 2014. This rate was a little faster than China’s year-end rate and is noteworthy since China has outgrown India in every year but one over… -
opinion
The Ukraine Ceasefire Has Failed. What the US Must Do Now to Check Putin.
The second Minsk agreement, which was supposed to establish a ceasefire in Ukraine and was announced last week, was met with a mixture of cautious hope and healthy skepticism. After all, the belligerents – Ukrainian security forces and pro-Russian separatists – had demonstrated a proclivity for breaking previous ceasefire agreements, leaving little reason to believe…