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
Venezuela’s Chavistas Win Big if Keystone XL Pipeline Loses
In an attempt to save her Senate seat, Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu (D) has launched a “Hail Mary XL legislative strategy” by pushing for congressional approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring 380,000 barrels of oil daily from Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf Coast. Not to be outdone, Representative Bill Cassidy (R–LA), her… -
news
Meet Bill Flores, the Texas Congressman Who Wants to Be ‘Consensus Leader’ for Conservatives
Bill Flores could be one of the friendliest faces in Congress. True to his Aggie roots, his Capitol Hill office parades pride for both his country and home state of Texas. Talk to Flores for five minutes, and you’ll feel a special allegiance to the Lone Star state. Flores touts himself as a congressman who… -
news
President Obama on Jonathan Gruber: He’s ‘Some Adviser Who Never Worked on Our Staff’
In an attempt to distance himself from Jonathan Gruber, President Obama is downplaying the Obamacare architect’s role in the crafting of his signature health care law. During a press conference at the G20 summit in Brisbane, Australia, Obama said Gruber was “some adviser who never worked on our staff.” Over the last week, six videos have… -
opinion
The Only Republican Governor Who Lost in 2014 Was the One Who Raised Gas Taxes
For months on end, Democrats crowed that voters were going to toss Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and his tax-cutting agenda out of office on Tuesday. He was pounded in the media for the evident sin of following the Laffer-Moore model of income-tax rate reductions to stimulate growth and prosperity. This reform was denounced as a… -
opinion
Why Asia’s Economic Miracle May Be Ending
Historically, economics has often driven the narrative surrounding presidential visits to Asia. Consider President Obama’s 2009 trip to China in the midst of the global financial crisis. It gave wings to a narrative about China’s rise and American decline. The economic environment may be changing again. Only this time, the change is less dramatic and… -
news
Energy Group Warns US-China Climate Deal Will Hurt You in Long Run
China’s agreement to reduce coal emissions isn’t worth the paper it was printed on, an energy research group says. Noting that Beijing made no binding promises, the Institute for Energy Research said President Obama “got swindled” during his appearance with Chinese leaders Wednesday. The swindle ultimately hits the American taxpayer, according to the group. “The… -
opinion
Has the State Department Learned the Lessons of Benghazi?
A Veteran’s Day feature from the Associated Press showcased the improved training of diplomatic security agents, with a view to demonstrating that the lessons of Benghazi have been absorbed by the State Department. In a simulation in a location in Virginia dubbed Erehwon (“nowhere” spelled backwards), State Department security staff beat back an attack resembling the attack on the ill-fated U.S. consulate in Benghazi… -
news
The Reason the Navy SEAL Who Killed bin Laden Decided to Speak Out
For the man who shot and killed the most wanted terrorist in the world, opening up to the world about the night Osama bin Laden died was about closure. In a highly anticipated Fox News special focused on him, former Navy SEAL Robert O’Neill spoke of the responsibility he thought he had to tell the… -
opinion
Obama (Probably) Just Made a Military Deal With the Chinese. We Have the Details.
What’s the takeaway from President Obama’s meetings with Chinese president Xi-Jinping? While the Obama administration has been trumpeting an agreement by both sides to limit greenhouse gas emissions, news reports suggest that an agreement also was reached to limit the prospects of military confrontation. This would entail prior notification to each other of military exercises,… -
opinion
The Problem with Japan’s “Womenomics”
On October 20, two female ministers in Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet, Yuko Obuchi and Midori Matsushima, resigned over alleged improper use of campaign funds. Their resignations raise questions about the viability of one of the Prime Minister’s central social and economic policies: “womenomics.” The essence of womenomics is to increase the number of… -
opinion
The Real Story on China Climate Change Deal: We Make Changes Now, They Wait Until 2030
President Obama has announced what he calls “an historic agreement” in a climate change deal with China. In his commitment to reduce carbon emissions 26 percent to 28 percent below 2005 levels, the president is committing Americans to higher energy prices, a weaker economy and a lost competitive advantage. China’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas… -
opinion
Suspected Russian Penetration of U.S. Critical Infrastructure Calls for Firm Response
When people think of computer hacking, China immediately comes to mind. Recent news reports, however, puts the spotlight on Russia as a sophisticated state player silently infiltrating U.S. cyber systems. ABC News reported that a “Trojan Horse” malware program, reportedly of Russian origin, infiltrated the software of critical infrastructures in the U.S. and has been… -
opinion
Why North Korea Released Its Last Two American Captives
North Korea unexpectedly released the final two American citizens it had been holding on trumped-up charges of espionage. Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller were freed Saturday following a secret mission by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to Pyongyang. North Korea’s gesture follows its recent release of Jeffrey Fowle, who had been arrested and held… -
opinion
Russia’s Relentless “Soft Power” Push
A new “Russian Soft Power” report from the Russian ITAR-TASS news agency has concluded that President Vladimir Putin is both the main asset and the main intellectual force in the Russian bid for global public opinion. Though Putin’s personal charisma may not be as overwhelming as ITAR-TASS reports to those of us here in the… -
opinion
Asia’s Essential Contributions to America
America is inextricably linked to Asia; whether through trade, investment, or immigration, the United States and Asia have been and will continue to be vital and lasting partners. The Heritage Foundation’s latest product, the 2014 Asia Update: What’s at Stake for America, visually represents the myriad of factors that make Asia so important for America…. -
opinion
The Dark Side of Russian State Media
On October 29, Serbian news sources reported that the Kremlin planned to open 29 bureaus of Rossiya Segodnya, a Russian state media outlet, in capital cities worldwide. The plan to open the bureaus will augment the Kremlin’s global presence. The increase in media outlets allows Russia to continue to export propaganda intended to influence foreign… -
news
School Issues ‘No Trespass Order’ on Iraq Veteran Who Questioned Daughter’s Homework Assignment on Islam
An Iraq veteran was banned from his daughter’s high school after objecting to a required homework assignment about Islam. Kevin Wood, father of an 11th-grader at La Plata High School in Charles County, Md., was upset to discover a teacher had asked his daughter to write a three-page essay about Islam’s Five Pillars, Mecca and… -
news
‘Chickens***’ Slur Doesn’t Faze Israel’s Netanyahu
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fought back at the Obama administration Wednesday, a day after a senior U.S. official was quoted as calling Netanyahu a “chickens— prime minister.” “Netanyahu will continue to uphold the security interests of Israel and the historical rights of the Jewish people in Jerusalem, and no amount of pressure will change… -
opinion
Behold the Russian Sandworm
Earlier this month, it was discovered that a sophisticated cyber espionage campaign had been targeting Western government leaders and institutions—including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, energy and telecommunication companies, the Ukrainian and European Union governments, and one academic inside the United States—for almost 5 years. Dubbed “Sandworm,” a reference to the science fiction series Dune,… -
opinion
US General: North Korea Now Has Nuclear Warheads for Missiles
North Korea now has the ability to produce a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can be mounted atop a ballistic missile. That is the assessment of Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, the senior U.S. commander on the Korean Peninsula, as he talked to reporters Friday. Scaparrotti also concluded that Pyongyang has a functioning long-range mobile missile launcher….