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
EPA Sends ‘More Reasonable’ Version of Obama’s WOTUS Rule to the White House
The process of undoing the Waters of the United States rule came closer to completion following the Environmental Protection Agency's announcement that it was sending the White House a scaled-back version. The Waters of the Untied States, one of former President Barack Obama’s signature environmental achievements, was immediately met with controversy when it was enacted… -
opinion
Juneteenth Is About the Triumph of American Freedom Over Slavery
The elimination of slavery in the United States—an institution as old as human civilization but out of step with the nation’s founding principles—did not happen all at once. During the Civil War, the freeing of slaves came in many stages, starting with President Abraham Lincoln’s famed Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. But a declaration on paper… -
opinion
Harvard’s Oppression of Minorities
In 2015, the nonprofit group Students for Fair Admission filed a lawsuit against Harvard University that alleged Harvard directly discriminates against Asian-American applicants during the university’s top-secret admissions process. On Friday, documents previously reserved for attorneys’ eyes only were made public, providing substantial evidence of Harvard’s discriminatory practices. In addition to pages of statistical evidence… -
news
Virginia School Board Ignores Parents’ Concerns, Changes Sex Ed Program
A Virginia school board thrust through changes to its sex education curriculum Thursday despite around 90 percent of public respondents disapproving of the changes. The Fairfax County School Board passed changes including the replacement of “biological sex” with “sex assigned at birth” and the teaching of an HIV drug with “life-threatening side effects,” reported Fox 5. School… -
news
60,000 ‘Dreamers’ Arrested but Allowed to Stay in US
About 60,000 illegal immigrants protected from deportation have been arrested but allowed to remain in the United States, including 10 accused of murder, the Department of Homeland Security announced Monday. The numbers cover the so-called Dreamers, illegal immigrants who are allowed to work in the U.S. and are shielded from deportation under an Obama administration… -
opinion
Podcast: A Wife Tells Her Husband’s Story of Overcoming Poverty, Trauma
Ericka Andersen, author of “Leaving Cloud 9: The True Story of a Life Resurrected from the Ashes of Poverty, Trauma, and Mental Illness,” shares the story of how her husband, Rick, dealt with a rough upbringing. Plus: A new survey reveals more are opting out of social media. -
news
Peter Strzok Is Willing to Testify Before Congress, His Lawyer Says
FBI official Peter Strzok is willing to testify voluntarily before Congress in an effort “to clear his name,” his attorney says. “Special Agent Strzok, who has been fully cooperative with the [Department of Justice] Office of Inspector General, intends to voluntarily appear and testify before your committee and any other Congressional committee that invites him,”… -
news
Southern Poverty Law Center Pays Millions to Group It Wrongly Labeled Bigoted
The controversial Southern Poverty Law Center has reached a settlement to anti-extremist organization Quilliam resulting in an apology and a $3.375 million payment for wrongly naming the group and its founder as anti-Muslim extremists. The SPLC originally placed the organization and President Maajid Nawaz in a list directed for journalists named the Field Guide for… -
news
Seattle City Council Repeals Tax on Jobs a Month After Unanimously Approving It
The Seattle City Council voted 7-2 to repeal its less-than-a-month-old "head tax" on the city’s businesses Tuesday in a win for employers, The Seattle Times reports. On May 15, the council unanimously approved an annual tax of $275 per employee to fund housing programs for the city’s homeless population. The tax was expected to net the city… -
news
We Asked DC Pride Parade Attendees About Kids Changing Gender Without Parental Permission. Here’s What They Said.
The Daily Signal caught up with some of the thousands of LGBT activists and their supporters who celebrated in the District of Columbia on June 9 by attending the city’s gay pride parade, now called the Capital Pride Parade. We asked younger attendees their thoughts about children transitioning between genders, and whether they thought parental notification… -
opinion
Free Trade Already Puts America First
These days, I’m often accused of being a globalist. The word is a pejorative meant to insinuate that I am more concerned about international corporations than I am about my fellow American citizens. Now, admittedly, I support nearly unlimited trade, no matter what other nations do. It’s mostly because I love America. “Hey, those Chinese… -
opinion
Local Law Enforcement Hamstrung in Tackling Drone Threat
In 2015, a drone crashed into the stands at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York City. Local authorities charged the operator with reckless endangerment. Not long afterward, a similar incident occurred in Kentucky when a drone crashed inside a football stadium with 63,000 fans present. That drone operator received the same charge: reckless… -
opinion
How Jeff Sessions Helped Rescue a Black Community in Jeopardy
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., is cashing in on the media frenzy about his recent declaration that Attorney General Jeff Sessions wants “black people to be in the back of the bus again” and is seizing every opportunity to stand in the spotlight. Sadly, Gutierrez’s assertions are both uninformed and false. As an Alabama senator, Sessions… -
opinion
The Riddle of the Father-Son Relationship
It has been many years since my own father passed, but I always celebrate Father’s Day in his honor. My relationship with my dad was excellent. We enjoyed a very close bond as father and son. He taught me the virtues of discipline, hard work, manly strength, and keeping your word in all dealings professional… -
opinion
Podcast: The Week in Review, Plus Fred Rogers’ Legacy
On today’s edition of The Daily Signal podcast, Rob Bluey and Daniel Davis feature an interview with David Brody and Jenna Browder of the Christian Broadcasting Network about their coverage of the news through a biblical worldview. They also recap the top stories of the past week, including the aftermath of the North Korea summit… -
news
More Stars on the Flag? California Split Vote Has Implications for Entire Country
Californians will vote this fall about dividing the state into three new states. The plan, called Cal 3, has implications for the entire country. It would bump the U.S. Senate up to 104 members as well as throw off the balance of the Electoral College. California currently has 55 electoral votes, but if voters OK the… -
opinion
How Faith Communities Can Push Back the Darkness of Suicide
Some recent celebrity suicides have sparked much discussion about depression and mental illness. There was, however, little talk of spiritual health. That’s unfortunate. Even as the suicide rate rises, a growing body of research testifies to a positive relationship between faith and mental health. The help so many need may be as close as the… -
opinion
Census Bureau Has Been Co-Opted by Leftist Ideologues
“Are you an American or not?” It’s a simple question, one that every U.S. census should include, especially when the survey already contains nonsensical and intrusive inquiries into one’s ethnic DNA composition and whether one co-habits with someone of the opposite sex or one’s own. Whether you are a citizen or not is a valid… -
news
Parents Cry Foul as Transgender Athletes Place First and Second in Girls Track Championships
Two athletes who were born males placed first and second in state track championship events for high school girls, causing anger among other competitors and parents who say they had an unfair advantage over the girls. Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood dominated Connecticut’s races, sweeping gold and silver medals with little competition and stirring outrage… -
news
‘A Cloud’: 4 Top Takeaways of Watchdog Report on FBI’s Clinton Email Probe
A review of the FBI probe of Hillary Clinton’s email scandal found no evidence that political bias affected the probe, but that many actions “cast a cloud” over the outcome that spared her from prosecution. The long-awaited, 568-page report by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General notes political commentary in text messages by five…