National Security News

The Daily Signal provides reports on national and homeland security issues, including military readiness, intelligence operations, border protection, and global conflicts. Featuring news, analysis, and commentary, this section explores how security policy decisions affect America’s national defense and freedom.
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    • Opinion

    Judge Lynn Adelman Embarrasses the Federal Judiciary

    In a famous “I Love Lucy” episode, Lucy and Ethel get a job at a candy factory and have to wrap chocolates as they come off the assembly line on a conveyor belt. In no time at all, the fast pace overwhelms the hapless duo. Mayhem and hilarity ensue as the two stuff chocolates into…
    GianCarlo Canaparo
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    • Opinion

    Why ‘Real’ Socialism Leads to Tyranny

    “Real socialism hasn’t been tried!” Anyone who’s gone to college in the past few decades has probably heard some form of this phrase to excuse the failures of socialism and distinguish between “nice” socialism and the “mean” socialism of, say, Fidel Castro’s Cuba. Oh, and maybe communist Cuba isn’t all bad, they say. Well, yes…
    Jarrett Stepman
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    • News

    Women’s Economic Empowerment About More Than ‘Seat in the Boardroom,’ State Department Official Says

    Women’s economic empowerment is about so much more than women having powerful positions, says a senior government economics and business official.  “Economic success for women is about more than having a seat in the boardroom or running our own companies,” Manisha Singh, assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, said…
    Rachel del Guidice
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    • News

    In Massachusetts, Resistance to Marijuana Dispensaries

    Although recreational marijuana has been legal in Massachusetts since voters approved it in 2016, the pot industry has experienced some serious pushback against dispensaries at the local level. More than 90 municipalities in the state have opted out or prohibited commercial cannabis establishments. The development is the result of a grassroots effort coordinated by local…
    Virginia Aabram
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    • Opinion

    Sanders Dumpster Dives Through the Ash Heap of Socialism’s History

    It seems that Sen. Bernie Sanders can always find a way to look at the bright side of a communist dictatorship. Right after praising Cuban communist dictator Fidel Castro’s literacy programs on CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Feb. 23, Sanders, I-Vt., decided to share a little praise of communist China as well. In a CNN town…
    Jarrett Stepman
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    • Opinion

    What Young Americans Don’t Know About Socialism

    Pundits have argued that younger voters, especially those under 30, are less inclined to be bothered when they hear the word “socialism,” since they have no firsthand memory of the Cold War. To some extent, this must be true. Those who weren’t alive during socialism’s cruelest catastrophes—or even its many banal failures—will be less put…
    David Harsanyi
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    • News

    Cabinet Secretaries Cite Better Health Care for Veterans, Elderly

    Trump administration officials touted improved health care services for the elderly and military veterans Saturday during a conference of conservative activists near Washington. Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie focused on health care changes implemented by the Department of Veterans Affairs last summer as part of the MISSION Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law….
    Allison Schuster
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    • Opinion

    Sen. Joni Ernst Reveals the Soviet Union Trip That Influenced Her Views on Socialism

    In 1989, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, traveled to the Soviet Union. What she saw and heard during her time there influenced her, as she discusses in today’s podcast. Read the lightly edited interview, posted below, or listen on the podcast: We also cover these stories: The Trump administration releases new details about its coronavirus response…
    Rachel del Guidice
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    • News

    Conservatives Skewer the Socialist Policies of Today’s Liberals

    Today’s liberals offer the security of socialism to young Americans, but there isn’t enough money on the planet to deliver what they promise, the chairman of the American Conservative Union said Thursday before a huge gathering of conservative activists. “Maybe it was fuzzy math, but the intention was that we’ll hold onto these resources to give…
    Allison Schuster
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    • News

    ‘America Needs Our Help to Keep Her Special,’ Heritage President Tells Conservatives

    America is only a republic if Americans can keep it, Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James told an enthusiastic crowd Thursday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, echoing the storied sentiments of Benjamin Franklin. James delivered an invigorating speech designed to motivate conservatives to talk about their values with others and encourage them to…
    Allison Schuster
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    • News

    Bernie Sanders Needs to Face Truth About Socialism, Rep. Liz Cheney Says

    Socialism works in opposition to and destroys free societies. That was the message Thursday as conservatives gathered near Washington for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said America faces a wide array of threats with one commonality: They oppose American freedom. “We know that socialism extinguishes freedom, we know…
    Jarrett Stepman
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    • Opinion

    The Inability to Speak English Shouldn’t Qualify as ‘Disability’ for Social Security

    The Social Security Disability Insurance system was established as a social safety net program for workers who lose the physical or mental ability to work at a sustainable gainful activity level. It has become so much more than that. But a new rule from the Social Security Administration will improve the integrity and purpose of…
    Rachel Greszler
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    • Opinion

    Judges Allow ‘Pensacola Cross’ to Remain Standing

    Their case wasn’t technically over, but eight months ago, when the Supreme Court ruled on the cross-shaped monument in Bladensburg, Maryland, residents and officials of Pensacola, Florida, couldn’t help cheering. If the justices thought removing the large World War I memorial from public property in Maryland would be “hostil[ity] toward religion,” then it certainly boded…
    Tony Perkins
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    • Opinion

    Too Often, Trump Critics Rely on False, Dangerous Ideas About National Security

    No question, President Donald Trump is an unconventional statesman. On the global stage he looks like a fullback at a field hockey match. Different doesn’t always mean wrong—except to the critics who have gone to absurd lengths to weaponize policy differences to undermine the legitimacy of the president’s decisions. One of the most extreme and…
    James Carafano
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    • Opinion

    ‘An Era of Great Uncertainty’: Retired Army Gen. Carter Ham on Today’s Military Challenges

    Gen. Carter Ham, retired from the United States Army, is currently president and chief executive officer of the Association of the United States Army. On today’s podcast, he tells his story of why he decided to join the military, what he learned in some of his deployments in places like Africa and Somalia, as well…
    Rachel del Guidice
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    • Opinion

    New Guidelines Could Help Secure America’s Defense Technology

    Last week, the Pentagon released new guidelines on cybersecurity that it hopes will represent a big step forward for protecting American national security if implemented right.   Designed to improve the cybersecurity of Department of Defense contractors, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification should strengthen cybersecurity practices throughout the supply chain, which would lead to more…
    James Di Pane
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    • News

    DHS Suspends New Yorkers From Trusted Travelers Programs in Wake of Illegal Alien ID Law

    The Department of Homeland Security is suspending New Yorkers from enrolling in Global Entry and other Trusted Traveler Programs in response to a new state law that bans information-sharing with the federal government. Acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli went into detail in a conference call Thursday with reporters on the department’s decision to no…
    Jason Hopkins
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    • News

    At Prayer Breakfast, Trump Slams ‘Dishonest and Corrupt’ Politicians Who Pushed Impeachment

    President Donald Trump didn’t let a prayerful audience stop him Thursday morning from calling political opponents who tried to remove him from office “dishonest and corrupt,” but he also didn’t accuse two major newspapers of running fake news on this particular day. Coming to the stage before speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast—one day after…
    Fred Lucas
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    • Opinion

    After Her Husband Joined ISIS, She Started Fighting Islamic Extremism

    For Tania Joya, who was raised Muslim in London, it was a long journey to life in the United States. “I wanted to be in America, but my husband … thought that was bad for my religion and he thought that I would teach my children the wrong values,” recalls Joya. “So he took us…
    Virginia Allen
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    • Opinion

    The Pentagon Has a New Common-Sense Acquisition Framework

    Last week, the Department of Defense took a big step to streamline its notoriously burdensome procurement processes. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord issued DoD Instruction 5000.02, which made her new Adaptive Acquisition Framework official policy. The Adaptive Acquisition Framework essentially breaks down the old, one-size-fits-all system of Defense Department procurement…
    Maiya Clark
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