Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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- News
Heritage Foundation Announces 2024 Innovation Prize Award Winners
The Heritage Foundation unveiled the 2024 recipients of its coveted Innovation Prize, recognizing nine organizations for their contributions to conservative policy priorities. The winners, honored on Monday at the grand opening of Heritage’s new Barb Van Andel-Gaby Center in Washington, D.C., each received a $100,000 award. They join the ranks of more than a dozen…Robert B. Bluey -
- Opinion
A Signal That Oakland Is Slipping Further Into a Doom Loop
This is such an Oakland story. The city of Oakland, California, known for its extreme leftism, is replacing some traffic lights in the city with a four-way stop sign, according to CBS News The city isn’t taking this step to improve the flow of traffic or anything like that. Instead, city officials decided to remove…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
Her Daughter Was Harassed By a Boy on the Girls’ Team. Now, She’s Speaking Out to Save Title IX
Abby Cross and her husband went to the leadership of their daughter’s Bridgeport, West Virginia, middle school with concerns over a biological male competing alongside their daughter in athletics. “Nothing changed” for their daughter following the conversation, Cross says. Adaleia Cross, her mom says, has always loved sports and was excited to be a part…Virginia Allen -
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Homelessness Surging in Blue City Despite Doling Out Hundreds of Millions
The number of homeless people in San Francisco jumped compared to two years ago, despite the city spending hundreds of millions of dollars to address the issue, city data shows. The total number of homeless people in San Francisco rose 7% to 8,328 in a one-night measurement in January 2024 compared to the same in…Will Kessler -
- Opinion
Who Benefits From Destabilization of America?
“Cui bono?” asked the ancients, whose wisdom we’d be foolish to toss aside. For by answering the question “Who benefits?” we may ascertain who is committing the crime that ails us. The crime in question is the mayhem being visited on the college campuses and streets of America. Today the cause is Gaza, but our…Mike Gonzalez -
- Opinion
Hard to Argue With Logic of 13 Judges Who Say They Won’t Hire Columbia Grads
Is it proper for federal judges to boycott hiring students who attend a particular university? Thirteen federal judges, all of whom were appointed by former President Donald Trump, have announced that they are going to do just that. In a May 6 letter to Minouche Shafik, president of protest-rocked Columbia University, the 13 judges referred to…John G. Malcolm -
- Opinion
Americans Should Thank a Cop During National Police Week—and the Rest of the Year, Too
This week, Atlanta cops embodied the city’s motto, “Resurgens,” which means “rising again.” Responding to a distress call about an armed man in the Capitol View neighborhood, three cops were shot in the line of duty on May 11. This National Police Week (May 12-18), we should be grateful that it appears that they will…Cully Stimson -
- Opinion
These 2 Bipartisan Proposals Would Hold Presidents Accountable for ‘Improper’ Payments
Suppose that a typical American family that spends about $73,000 per year was budgeting for next year and realized it spent an increasing amount—$4,600 last year—by sending payments to the wrong people and in the wrong amount. Sound budgeting would say that family should include “improper payments” in its budget. And assuming it doesn’t like…Rachel Greszler -
- Opinion
SOCIETAL ROT, Part 5: Allowing Open-Air Drug Markets Is Neither Commonsensical Nor Compassionate
Fifth in a five-part series. Read part 1 here, part 2 here, part 3 here, and part 4 here. Societal rot is a choice. Is it compassionate to let users of marijuana, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, xylazine (aka “tranq”), or fentanyl waste away on the streets of America’s cities? No. Does it make sense to reverse commonsense laws that made…Cully Stimson -
- News
Trump’s Attorney Makes Swiss Cheese Out of Michael Cohen’s Testimony, Raising Questions of Perjury
Former President Donald Trump’s defense attorney rebutted Michael Cohen’s testimony during a brutal cross-examination Thursday, which has legal commentators raising the possibility Cohen again committed perjury. Defense attorney Todd Blanche confronted Cohen on his past lies under oath, including to Congress and a federal judge, asking him whether he took the same oath before testifying…Katelynn Richardson -
- News
DOJ’s Kristen Clarke Celebrates Prison Time for Pro-Life Activists
The Justice Department’s Kristen Clarke issued a statement this week celebrating news that seven pro-life activists would spend time in prison for attempting to stop abortions from taking place. Clarke, who heads the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and is responsible for enforcing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, painted the pro-life activists…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
Educational Freedom: The Overlooked Answer to Chronic Absenteeism
Schools across the country are struggling to get students to show up reliably. The best estimates suggest more than 1 in 4 American students are chronically absent. That’s double the rate in 2019, when absenteeism was already a serious problem. School superintendents have resorted to pleading with families on Facebook Live, bribing students with field…Erika Donalds -
- Opinion
SOCIETAL ROT, Part 4: Nonprosecution of Retail Theft Gutting Urban Centers
Fourth in a five-part series. Read part 1 here, part 2 here, and part 3 here. Societal rot is a choice. Do you think people have a right to their property? Of course. Do you believe that businesses have a right to charge people for their merchandise? Of course. Do city residents without cars rely on stores in…Zack Smith -
- Opinion
What Stands Between US Citizens and the American Dream Today
Is the American dream a feasible aspiration anymore? Housing prices and interest rates are up, making it almost impossible for young people to afford to buy a home. Fertility rates continue to reach historic lows. These signs point to the decay of the American dream. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is failing to address the challenges…Kristen Eichamer -
- Opinion
THE WPATH TAPES: Behind-Scenes Recordings Reveal What Top Gender Doctors Really Think About Sex-Change Procedures
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health, or WPATH, is the leading authority in the field of gender medicine. Its guidance is routinely used by top medical associations in the U.S. and abroad, while its standards of care inform insurance companies’ approach to coverage policies. But behind closed doors, top WPATH doctors discussed, and at times…Megan Brock -
- Opinion
How I Rediscovered My Love of Acting on the Set of ‘Reagan’
When I was offered the role of Ronald Reagan’s longtime confidant Edwin Meese in the upcoming film “Reagan,” playing opposite Dennis Quaid as the 40th president, I was excited. I asked our producer, Mark Joseph, if it would be all right if I reached out to Meese and he replied, “We can set that up.” I was pleasantly surprised and…Will Wallace -
- Opinion
Fix Social Security With Ownership, Not More Government
The trustees for Social Security have just issued their annual report. And, as we have learned annually over recent years, the system cannot meet its obligations. According to this latest report, the Social Security system will not be able to meet its obligations to retirees by 2035. In 2035, the system will be adequate to…Star Parker -
- Opinion
Censorship: A Global Pandemic
“Palestine will be free!” chant the protesters. “From the river to the sea!” Some say that’s a call for genocide—another Holocaust—and elimination of Israel and all Jews. So, should the chant be illegal? The House of Representatives just voted to make it illegal at universities. Both Republicans and Democrats voted for the bill. In Canada,…John Stossel -
- News
Struggling to Keep Job, FDIC Chair Known for Berating Staff Humbled at Capitol
The nation’s embattled chief regulator of federal banks, identified in an independent audit as easily angered and quick to berate employees, deliberately spoke softly and measuredly Wednesday on Capitol Hill as he fended off calls for his resignation. Martin Gruenberg, chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., explained, apologized, and took responsibility after the audit…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Crime Is Rising. Expert John Lott Explains Why.
While many in the media have attempted to downplay rising crime in America, noted author and economist John Lott Jr. says a majority of the public is alarmed about it and rightly so. Lott wrote recently in The Wall Street Journal about America’s crime rate, contending that “[t]he decline in reported crimes is a function…Fred Lucas