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
How Minnesota Catholics and Lutherans Teamed Up to Open Their Churches
Last week, Catholic bishops in Minnesota and Lutherans in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod united to go against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s stringent order that only allowed 10 people at church services. Diana Verm, senior counsel with Becket Law, joins The Daily Signal Podcast to discuss the stand they took that brought Walz, a Democrat, back… -
news
Bid to Oust Southern Poverty Law Center as Amazon’s Charity Arbiter Defeated
Amazon shareholders stood by the Southern Poverty Law Center on Wednesday in defeating a resolution that would have curbed the liberal activist group’s power to decide what charities customers can contribute to via purchases made through the nation’s largest retailer. The SPLC has labeled mainstream conservative groups, such as the Alliance Defending Freedom and the… -
opinion
The Unacceptably Unjust Death of George Floyd
The tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer has circulated all over social media in the past two days. It is exceptionally difficult to watch. The facts leading up to what the video captures have been recounted by numerous media outlets. Minneapolis police officers arrived Monday evening to arrest Floyd, 46,… -
opinion
The Lockdown, Evangelicals, and the Afterlife
Harvard professor of psychology Steven Pinker tweeted last week: Belief in an afterlife is a malignant delusion, since it devalues actual lives and discourages action that would make them longer, safer, and happier. Exhibit A: What’s really behind Republicans wanting a swift reopening? Evangelicals. Before responding to Pinker’s remarkably ignorant tweet, I want to praise… -
opinion
Stopping Petty Tyrannies Is How We Beat the Serious Ones
As states across the country begin the process of reopening, Americans continue to battle over the methods governors and local authorities have used to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, many states and localities have set up arbitrary and, in many cases, absurd rules that do little more than aggravate citizens and almost nothing to stop… -
opinion
Market Forces Can Help Winnow Out Bad Charities as Well as Bad Businesses
Business has a bad reputation in some quarters. For many, corporations are synonymous with greedy, soulless institutions that value profits over people. Are there bad actors in business? Yes. Are there corrupt businesspeople and companies that engage in unethical business practices? Again, yes, just as there are corrupt and unethical people in all walks of… -
news
She Wrote Fake News for Cosmopolitan and Now Regrets Misleading Women on Feminism
LANDER, Wyo.—Sue Ellen Browder wrote fake news before “fake news” was ever a thing. Except she prefers not to call it that—not because she’s embarrassed to admit she wrote fake news (although she’s certainly not proud), but because she thinks the term “fake news” is too vague to understand. Browder, a Cosmopolitan magazine writer for 20… -
opinion
Let’s End the CARES Act’s Work Disincentive That’s Hurting Employers
If you’re a small-business owner looking to hire back workers you were forced to lay off due to the COVID-19 economic shutdown, you shouldn’t have to face another government-created burden. But sadly, you’re facing just that. Due to a flawed provision in the CARES Act, which House Democrats insisted be included, Americans are able to… -
opinion
Judges Aren’t Kings. This One Didn’t Get the Memo.
In the United States, we don’t have kings or queens of any variety. Still, some judges apparently think they are philosopher-kings, and an order released last Tuesday by a federal district court judge in Texas shows he may be in that group. Judge Fred Biery’s order that state officials allow mail-in voting for all eligible… -
opinion
Remembering the Benefits of Trade
International trade benefits and enhances the lives of Americans every day. In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever to reiterate the importance of trade to America. In that context, President Donald Trump has proclaimed May 17-23 World Trade Week. The president encourages “Americans to observe this week with events, trade shows, and educational programs… -
news
How 3 Olympians Are Dealing With Postponed Summer Games
The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games have been postponed until next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but for pistol shooter Alexis “Lexi” Lagan, the delay is not unwelcome news, as the year’s postponement provides more opportunity to hone her skills. “I would not have had the best opportunity to compete at the Olympics had the… -
opinion
The Shutdown’s Silver Lining
The government has closed most schools. So, more parents are teaching kids at home. That upsets the government school monopoly. Education “experts” say parents lack the expertise to teach their kids. Without state schooling, “learning losses … could well be catastrophic,” says The New York Times. Homeschooling “will set back a generation of children,” according… -
opinion
Across the Wide, Growing American Divide
Red- and blue-state America was already divided before the coronavirus epidemic hit. Globalization had enriched the East Coast and West Coast corridors but hollowed out much in between. The traditional values of small towns and rural counties were increasingly at odds with postmodern lifestyles in the cities. There were, of course, traditionalists in blue states…. -
opinion
The Dangers of Pursuing Safety Above All Else
In a recent “Fireside Chat,” my weekly talk show on the PragerU platform, I commented on society’s increasing fixation on being “safe.” The following is a condensed version of what I said. We have a meme up at PragerU: “‘Until it’s safe’ means ‘never.’” The pursuit of “safe” over virtually all other considerations is life-suppressing…. -
opinion
Why Are Millennials the Least Entrepreneurial Generation Since WWII?
It used to be that starting a small business was seen as the way up to wealth, or at least middle-class respectability. Nearly half (49.7%) of American World War II veterans started their own small businesses, and it became natural and admirable for the nation’s young men to go from uniform to financial independence. Through… -
opinion
Phased Reopenings in California, Minnesota Discriminate Against Religious Services
Feeling tired? Worn out? Getting cabin fever after being stuck inside for the past two or three months? Good news! As many states move to reopen, in the coming weeks you likely can begin to return to work, go out to eat, or even go to a bar. Unfortunately, do you know what you still… -
news
Meet the Small Business Leader Fighting to Reopen Michigan
After Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued executive orders forcing the closure of many of the state’s businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic, small-businessman Erik Kiilunen said he saw $600,000 in contracts disappear overnight. Kiilunen, of Ahmeek, Michigan, runs Kiilunen Manufacturing Group, which makes construction materials. “My book of business for the next month and a half… -
news
Conservatives Ask Amazon to End SPLC’s Role as ‘Hate Group’ Sheriff
A conservative free-market group hopes to convince Amazon, the world’s largest retailer, not to rely on the Southern Poverty Law Center as a gatekeeper for its philanthropic giving. The scandal-plagued SPLC, a left-wing advocacy organization, routinely labels mainstream center-right organizations as “hate groups” on a list that includes actual hate groups such as the Ku… -
opinion
The Game of Truth
When newly minted White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany took the stage May 1 for the first time—also the first time a Trump press secretary has held a formal conference in over six months—she encountered a ravenously bloodthirsty media gaggle. It was ready to pounce. Would they be able to totally eviscerate her as they… -
opinion
How the Feds Could End the Grave Mistake of ‘Stimulus’ Payments to the Deceased
Dealing with the death of a loved one is already difficult enough. Every year, tens of millions of Americans experience the emotional burden of losing a parent, spouse, sibling, or close friend. The last thing that grieving families should have to worry about is returning a check that the IRS mistakenly sent to the deceased….