Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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opinion
What We Know About Judge Jackson’s Record in Child Porn Sentences
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s sentencing pattern in child pornography cases was one of the big issues raised in last week’s multiday confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Clarity on this issue is needed before the committee, and then the full Senate, make their decision regarding Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Federal law distinguishes among three… -
opinion
Is Your State Ready for Roe to Go?
Every spring, as the end of the Supreme Court’s term approaches, judicial watchers around the country wait on pins and needles, usually for one or two opinions in particular. This year, that feeling is amplified as we anticipate the decision for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the first direct challenge to Roe v. Wade… -
opinion
Remembering Kip Hawley
Last week, we lost a respected leader in the homeland security community and friend of The Heritage Foundation. Edmund “Kip” Hawley, former administrator of the Transportation Security Administration under President George W. Bush, died at his home in Pacific Grove, California, on March 21. He was 68. Hawley helped to establish the TSA—and later served… -
opinion
March for Life Marches On in Hopes of a Post-Roe World
The Supreme Court is considering the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which has the potential to severely limit or eliminate access to abortion. Each year since 1974, the March for Life has made its way peacefully through the nation’s capital, its hosts of participants calling for an end to abortion on demand,… -
opinion
20 More Questions Ketanji ‘I’m Not a Biologist’ Brown Jackson Probably Can’t Answer
The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on the nomination of federal appeals court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on April 4. The nomination likely will be forwarded to the full Senate with no recommendation on an 11-11 committee vote, with all the Republicans on the panel against it and all the Democrats in favor. As much as… -
opinion
Hollywood Face-Slaps Conservatives
Goodness! What a night. During the live broadcast of the Academy Awards, actor Will Smith walked up to the stage and face-slapped comedian Chris Rock. When Smith returned to his seat, he unleashed a profanity-laced tirade—muted by the show’s producer—at Rock. What did Rock do to warrant the attack? He told a joke about Smith’s… -
opinion
Sold! Tennessee Auctioneers Score Win in Occupational Licensing Case
Opponents of occupational licensing secured a victory this week in their battle against excessive state regulations that erect barriers to competition in various fields. One of those opponents, who knows full well the burdensome effects of occupational licensing, is Will McLemore. In 2006, he started McLemore Auction Co. as one of the first online auction… -
opinion
Young Women Are Closing So-Called Gender Pay Gap. Here’s What That Means.
On this week’s edition of the “Problematic Women” podcast, we break down the data behind women winning the biggest wage gains from the U.S. labor boom. We also discuss how, in some cities, women are not only closing the so-called gender pay gap, but now exceeding their male counterparts. Is that a good thing for… -
news
Leaked Videos Expose Disney’s ‘Not-At-All-Secret Gay Agenda’
A series of videos reveals the Walt Disney Co.’s “not-at-all-secret gay agenda,” as Disney finds itself at the center of national debate over gay rights, transgenderism, and parental rights. The videos—obtained by investigative journalist Christopher Rufo and posted Tuesday on Twitter—expose Disney executives inside an all-hands meeting in response to Florida’s HB 1557, the Parental… -
opinion
The Unanimously Liberal Tilt of ‘Fact-Checkers’
Now that the Ketanji Brown Jackson hearings are complete, we have collected another fascinating exhibit of the leftist tilt of “independent fact-checkers.” Just try to find a single fact check on anything Jackson said. Try to find a single evaluation of any statement by a Democratic politician touting Jackson—from President Joe Biden to Sen. Dick… -
news
White Males Need Not Apply? ‘Colorblind’ Group Accuses American Express of Racist Policies
Look for a “Colleague Network” at American Express that supports whites, particularly white males, and that search will be in vain because the multinational credit card corporation has embraced discriminatory policies, according to a nonprofit group that advocates “a unified America.” American Express lists 14 Colleague Networks in its 2021 Inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion… -
opinion
Will Smith’s Slap Heard Around World
This week, Will Smith—perhaps the most bankable star of his generation—won an Oscar for Best Actor for “King Richard.” But that wasn’t why he made headlines. He made headlines because during the Academy Awards ceremony, comedian Chris Rock told a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Jada, it seems, suffers from alopecia; Rock, presumably… -
opinion
Border Crisis Is About to Get a Lot Worse
In 2021, the migrant surge at the southern border hit its highest point in two decades. But as bad as things are currently, the situation at the border may get even worse. President Donald Trump’s administration created the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order Title 42 to allow immediate deportation of illegal immigrants coming from… -
opinion
Democrats Spend Low-Income Americans Into Poverty
I have been writing for years about how progressive policies championed by the Democratic Party and served up under the guise of caring about low-income Americans wind up hurting these very communities. The latest chapter in this saga is the newly unleashed round of inflation, the worst our country has seen in 40 years. Two… -
opinion
Another Unconstitutional Wealth Tax
Democrats love to propose wealth taxes. California Democrats have done it, congressional Democrats have done it many times, and now it looks as though President Joe Biden wants to get in on the game. If only they’d pause for a moment to consider—or care—whether wealth taxes are constitutional. Biden’s proposed wealth tax, styled as a… -
news
3 More States Consider Bills Banning Males From Girls Sports
Arizona, Kentucky, and Oklahoma are the latest states considering bans on biological males participating in girls and women’s sports, with all three states passing legislation Thursday addressing the issue. The Arizona Legislature passed two bills addressing transgender issues that currently await Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s signature. If enacted, one bill will ban biological males from girls sports teams while… -
opinion
Why America’s Labor Force Decline Matters Beyond Current Supply Shortages, Rising Prices
Work is fundamental to human flourishing. Work determines individuals’ incomes and total economic output, and it’s also a core component of meaning and contentment in people’s lives. A strong work ethic was fundamental to America’s founding, and it enabled America to become one of the most prosperous nations in the world. That’s why the recent… -
news
6 Things You Need to Know About Left’s Arabella Network
Over the past week, several Republican senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee may have stumped viewers by mentioning something called Arabella Advisors during a televised Supreme Court confirmation hearing. Take the line of questioning used by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on the second day of the hearing for the nominee, D.C. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown… -
opinion
A Broken Country Buries a Broken Laptop
There has been a lot of ink spilled over Hunter Biden’s broken laptop and the way it was treated in the weeks leading up to the 2020 election, but not nearly enough. Now The New York Times has admitted, almost two years too late, that materials in the laptop were in fact authentic. There is… -
opinion
Dangerous Ramifications of Reshuffled Iran Nuclear Deal
After being derailed in early March by Russia’s demand for protection against U.S. sanctions, the negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program are set to resume soon in Vienna, after Iran’s Nowruz holiday, a celebration of the Persian new year, which started Monday. Although the negotiations are approaching the finish line, specific details about what already has…