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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opinion
Report: Nearly Half of Social Security Disability Beneficiaries Were Overpaid By Government
Waste is a real and pressing issue in Social Security’s disability programs. According to a recent report by the Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, 44.5 percent of beneficiaries received more money than they were supposed to at some point between 2004 and 2014. Recipients enrolled before October 2003 were overpaid… -
opinion
How This Financial Habit of Millennials Could Increase Inequality
Recent polling shows a big majority of Americans think it will be more difficult for this generation of millennials to achieve the American dream of climbing the economic ladder. That’s probably way too much pessimism, but what is troubling is the early indicators of how young people are faring in the economy and what they… -
opinion
Assessing the Future of the US-UK Special Relationship
The special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is a political creation that reflects underlying realities. To assess the future of that relationship, and how the EU will affect it, we need to know how it began. For the relationship to come into being, the U.K. and the U.S. had to meet… -
news
Senate Votes to Overhaul NSA ‘Spy’ Program
The Senate approved legislation Tuesday to scale back the federal government’s collection of personal data in the post-9/11 era. Under the USA Freedom Act, the National Security Agency’s bulk data collection program would be terminated, and phone companies would be responsible for retaining customer data. The legislation amends the USA Patriot Act, which provides legal… -
news
Senate Can’t Strike a Deal on Patriot Act, Forcing NSA Program to Expire
Portions of the USA Patriot Act expired at midnight after the Senate failed to reach a deal. Supporters of the USA Freedom Act, legislation to amend the Patriot Act, had hoped it would serve as a compromise by striking an appropriate balance between security and civil liberties. Opponents argued it was still too intrusive. The… -
opinion
David Axelrod Evaluates Obama’s Handling of Racial Issues, Inner City Problems
In my first two interviews with former Obama senior advisor David Axelrod, we talked about the growing divide among “Red” and “Blue” America and his predictions for the types of candidates and policy issues most likely to shape the 2016 presidential election. Now, in our final segment, we discuss the impact of racial tensions in places… -
news
Debate Over NSA ‘Spying’ Program, Explained in Under 2 Minutes
Congress has less than a week to decide the fate of a government surveillance program that was created after 9/11 to prevent terrorist attacks. The program, enabled by a provision under the Patriot Act, gives the National Security Agency a number of tools to fight terror, such as the ability to collect phone records in… -
opinion
At Forum Hosted by Federal Agency, Academic Calls for Mandating Number of Women Politicians
Earlier this month, I predicted that a scheduled hearing at the Federal Election Commission was shaping up to be nothing more than a presentation of “the goofy gender ideology and politics of the progressive left and academia.” And, oh, how right I was. The May 12 forum on “Women in Politics” was organized by FEC… -
opinion
Why Do Politicians Want to End a Program That Actually Works?
It’s hard to say which is more galling: when politicians want to extend the life of a program that doesn’t work, or when they want to pull the plug on one that does. A prime example of the latter: the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. It allows children from low-income families to attend the school of… -
opinion
Senate Financial Reform Bill Anything But a Partisan Effort
The U.S. House has introduced—and even passed—several bills during the past few years aimed at reforming financial regulations, but the Senate has lagged far behind. So it is a positive sign that Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R–AL) introduced the Financial Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015. The Committee approved the bill today, 12-10, along… -
news
Should the NSA ‘Spying’ Program Be Illegal? What 2016 Contenders Say.
Should the U.S. government continue to capture and hold massive amounts of telephone and Internet data as a way to thwart possible terrorists? Or should it be harder for government officials to detect patterns in who suspects communicate with? That decision may be a worthy of a president, but only five of nearly 20 candidates… -
news
Jeb Hensarling: Boeing’s Threat to Move American Jobs Overseas If Ex-Im Bank Ends Is ‘A Bit of Bluster’
Following reports that one of the Export-Import Bank’s biggest beneficiaries would move overseas if the agency’s charter expired, the leader of the House Financial Services Committee today spoke out against the claims, calling them a “bit of bluster.” Speaking to reporters at a press conference on the Export-Import Bank today, House Financial Services Chairman Jeb… -
opinion
Ignore Politicians Saying Amtrak Crash Is Proof More Funding Is Needed. We First Need to Know More.
On Tuesday night, an Amtrak train travelling on the Northeast Corridor crashed near Philadelphia, killing at least seven and injuring over 200 others. The tragic derailment occurred on Amtrak’s most-travelled line. Our prayers are with the passengers and their families, as well as the rescue team that was dispatched to the scene. It is still unknown… -
opinion
How Faulty Government Forecasts Make Social Security Look More Secure Than It Is
Lawmakers rely on projections from federal agencies, such as the Social Security Administration, the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation to assess the current path of the federal budget and how alternative policies could affect that path. That is why a recent study showing the Social Security actuaries have consistently overstated Social… -
news
‘Wasted Seat’: Chamber of Commerce Official Takes to Twitter to Rip GOP Congressman on Ex-Im Bank Stance
The intensifying debate over the Export-Import Bank’s future spilled over to Twitter yesterday after a top official with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce took to the social media site to criticize Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., for his opposition to the contested agency. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is one of the bank’s most vocal supporters,… -
opinion
Hourly Compensation Has Grown By 69% Since 1972
Have average wages for American workers grown since 1972? Absolutely—and only a reliance on measures with well-documented flaws can show otherwise. First, look around you: Americans at all income levels own more cars, have more air-conditioned homes, travel more, are more likely to attend college, and live longer than they did in the 1970s. Reliable… -
opinion
UK Election Results: A Conservative Surge and a Defeat for Socialism
Greatly exceeding expectations, the Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister David Cameron, surged in yesterday’s United Kingdom General Election, winning 330 parliamentary seats, enough to form a majority in the House of Commons. The socialist Labour Party won just 232 seats, and the Liberal Democrat vote collapsed, securing just 8 seats. The Scottish National Party… -
news
Your Federal Gas Taxes Pay for This Program. Congress Will Decide Its Financial Future.
Every time you fill your car with gas, a portion of what you pay at the pump goes to a federal program called the Highway Trust Fund. Soon Congress will consider the fund’s financial future — and there are big implications for transportation spending hanging in the balance. Since 2008, the Highway Trust Fund has… -
opinion
Is It the Role of a Federal Agency to Try to Hike Number of Women Politicians?
One of the biggest problems in Washington is the overreach of federal agencies, many of which go far beyond their limited mandates. Instead of simply carrying out the duties assigned to them under federal laws, they invade the province of Congress, which is supposed to hold hearings, formulate public policy, and create the federal laws… -
opinion
How the Next President Can Improve Politician-Military Relations
Relations among political leaders, civilian agencies and the military blow hot and cold. At this point, things are rather chilly. For more effective coordination between civilians and soldiers, the next occupant of the Oval Office will need to instill a better leadership style, review the command at the Pentagon, and renew the ethical foundation of…