U.S. Intelligence Agency News
The Daily Signal provides coverage of intelligence operations, surveillance controversies, and the role of U.S. agencies in national security and civil liberties.
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Judge Warns 9th Circuit’s Use of Trump Campaign Pledge ‘Judicial Psychoanalysis’
A federal judge is raising an alarm about “judicial psychoanalysis” resulting from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on President Donald Trump’s executive order on “extreme vetting.” Last week, the 9th Circuit voted against rehearing the case that a three-judge panel had previously ruled on in affirming the federal district judge’s temporary restraining…Fred Lucas -
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Conservatives Do Believe in Social Justice. Here’s What Our Vision Looks Like.
Last month, America lost a great defender of freedom, Michael Novak. Novak was committed to rightly ordered liberty and cared deeply about the principles and practices that produce it. His enormous body of work emphasized the cultural prerequisites for political and economic freedom, as he stressed that economic conservativism and social conservatism are indivisible. In…Ryan T. Anderson -
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Trump’s Unique Opportunity to Reform Social Security
As President Donald Trump is preparing his first budget submission to the Congress, he should consider making Social Security reform a priority. The future of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and disability programs, and their impact on American families, the federal budget, and the economy, are issues too big to ignore. Social Security reform is…Jonathan Iwaskiw -
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Kansas City Bombing Scheme Becomes First Terror Plot of 2017
The FBI arrested Robert Lorenzo Hester on Feb. 17 and charged him with planning bombings in Kansas City, Missouri. The FBI said Hester, of Columbia, Missouri, plotted with undercover agents to use pipe bombs, some fitted with nails for maximum damage, to attack a train station and nearby buses. This was the 94th confirmed Islamist-inspired terror…Riley Walters -
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Here’s What Conservative College Students Think About Socialism
Hundreds of students from across the country traveled to the Washington, D.C., area last week to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference. The Daily Signal asked some of these students their thoughts on socialism, and why they oppose it. Watch our video to hear their thoughts.Kelsey Bolar -
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One Mom’s Fight for Her Special Needs Son in the Age of Obamacare
For Marjorie Weer and her family, the Affordable Care Act has been both a blessing and a burden. The family of four, who live in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, qualifies for a tax credit, and without the financial assistance, their policy would cost more than $1,200 per month. But beyond the financial help, Weer’s experiences…Melissa Quinn -
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Senate Democrats Hold Up Cabinet Nominee for Special Interest Bailout
What does Robert Lighthizer, President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. trade representative, have to do with pension and health care benefits for one group of retired coal miners? Nothing. But that hasn’t stopped congressional Democrats from holding up a necessary waiver on Lighthizer’s confirmation by insisting on attaching it to a completely unrelated bill that…Rachel Greszler -
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Polls Showing Approval of Dodd-Frank Financial Agency Are Highly Misleading
With President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans taking steps to undo Dodd-Frank financial regulations, one agency at the heart of Dodd-Frank has become the object of increased attention. That agency is known as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It was created by the Dodd-Frank law passed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Those…Elizabeth Fender -
- Opinion
Court Ruling Against Trump’s Executive Order Shows the Worst of Judicial Activism
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has repeated the mistakes made by the district court judge who stayed President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily suspending visas from seven terrorist havens. Both the judge in Washington state and the San Francisco-based circuit court have now refused to recognize the authority of Congress…Hans von Spakovsky -
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Grand Theft Judiciary? The Senate, the President, and the Supreme Court
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., recently accused his Republican colleagues of committing a “crime against our Constitution.” This is a serious accusation, given that all senators are required to swear an oath (or affirmation) that they will “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” So is it reasonable…James Wallner -
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Trump’s Executive Orders on Financial Regulation Are a Great First Step
President Donald Trump has vowed to dismantle the Dodd-Frank Act, and on Friday he signed two executive orders to get that process moving. All Americans should be encouraged by this start, especially since the president is only two weeks into his administration. One of Friday’s executive orders deals with a single Obama administration rule, but…Norbert Michel -
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How Trump Can Advance the Special Relationship With Britain
Just seven days after taking office, President Donald Trump will meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington on Jan. 27. It will be the first visit to the White House by a foreign leader since Trump’s inauguration, and the meeting sends a clear signal that the Anglo-American alliance will be at the heart…Nile Gardiner -
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Trump’s OMB Pick Shares Vision on Social Security, Regulation
Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., appeared before the United States Senate Committee on the Budget Tuesday to share how he will reform entitlement programs and regulations, should he be confirmed by the Senate as the next director of the Office of Management and Budget. In his opening statement, Mulvaney said that the Office of Management and…Rachel del Guidice -
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So Much for the GOP Blockade: Obama Tops Bush on Judicial Confirmations
Recent stories in Politico and The Washington Post paint a picture of unprecedented obstruction by Senate Republicans of President Barack Obama’s judicial nominees. “Trump set to reshape judiciary after GOP blockade,” blared Politico’s Burgess Everett on Dec. 16. Nine days later, it was The Post’s turn. “Trump to inherit more than 100 court vacancies, plans…Rob Bluey -
- Opinion
3 Ways Politicians Play Politics With Public Employee Pensions
Pensions are a huge part of public employees’ compensation, often providing a quarter to a third of their total compensation. A new report from the American Legislative Exchange Council shows how politicians play politics with public pensions, threatening public employees and taxpayers alike. State and local governments across the U.S. hold about $3.8 trillion in…Rachel Greszler -
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Social Security Needs Real Reform, Not Just a New Commission
Social Security was a fact of life in 20th-century America, but it may soon reach a critical fork in the road. In less than two decades from now, Social Security’s combined trust fund will be exhausted. If no action is taken to reform this major program, benefits will suddenly be indiscriminately reduced by 23 percent. To…Romina Boccia -
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3 Steps to Making Christmas Special Without Breaking the Bank
“I love you, man.” It may not be the easiest thing to say, but it’s definitely the cheapest. Yes, sharing why you appreciate someone is much cheaper than buying the hottest gift on Amazon. Maybe more painful for you, but definitely the budget-friendly choice. If you find yourself thinking, “Ugh, feelings,” you’re in good company….Beverly Hallberg -
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New Social Security Reform Bill Moves in the Right Direction
Finally, a reform plan has been introduced to preserve Social Security without troubling younger generations with undue debt and tax burdens. This plan, the Social Security Reform Act of 2016, was introduced last week by Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, the chair of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security. Johnson’s plan applies the right…Romina Boccia -
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Obama Sent Top Official to Castro’s Funeral, but Not Thatcher’s. Why It Sends the Wrong Message.
President Barack Obama sent high-level administration officials to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro’s funeral procession last week, a gesture of respect he did not offer for former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s funeral. After Castro’s death, Obama released a statement saying: “History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and the world around…Jarrett Stepman -
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7 Things to Know About Trump’s Pick to Lead CIA
President-elect Donald Trump has selected a conservative congressman, Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., as his Central Intelligence Agency director. Pompeo, elected to Congress in the tea party wave of 2010, is considered one of the strongest national security voices in the House as a prominent member of the Intelligence Committee. He’s a vocal opponent of the…Josh Siegel