Political Commentary & Opinion

According to New York magazine, Taylor Swift isn’t allowed to be happy having a successful year in 2017—or thank fans for wishing her a happy birthday. “I love you guys so much,” the pop singer shared on Instagram. “I couldn’t have asked for a better year, all thanks to you. Thanks for all the birthday…

Despite a solid year for investment returns, the unfunded liabilities of state and local government pension plans increased by $433 billion, the most recent estimate from the American Legislative Exchange Council shows. According to ALEC’s report—which uses more appropriate assumptions on investment returns than the plans use themselves—state and local governments’ unfunded liabilities now exceed…

Kim Holmes, author of the “The Closing of the Liberal Mind,” joins us today to talk about group identity politics, why the left shuts down debate, and how, over time, the left and the right have gradually switched places on a variety of issues.

Let us first agree on how not to celebrate Christmas: by standing in a Walmart check-out line. Let’s get our priorities straight. The spiritual takes precedence over the material, especially at Christmas. Barry Goldwater knew this as well as anyone. Here’s how the charismatic senator from Arizona, who sparked a conservative revolution, put it in…

With lawmakers poised to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—a sweeping tax reform package—many individuals and families will see very different tax bills come 2018 and beyond. In general, an overwhelming majority of Americans will pay less in federal taxes. So how will you fare under the GOP tax plan? Well, on net, most…

The Republic of Kosovo and New York-based power generator ContourGlobal signed a deal Wednesday for the U.S. company to build a 500-megawatt, coal-fired power plant, the first major energy project in the Balkan country in more than two decades. Under the $1.5 billion contract, the power plant would replace the “Kosovo A” plant, built in…

A charter member of the “Greatest Generation”—that stoic cohort of Americans who faced down the Great Depression and defeated fascism, Japanese imperialism, and communism—left us this week. Edward L. Rowny, known as the “scholar general,” died peacefully Sunday, we learned from his family. He played a part in all of the aforementioned events during his…

Before the question, how about a few statistics? The 20th century was mankind’s most brutal century. Roughly 16 million people lost their lives during World War I; about 60 million died during World War II. Wars during the 20th century cost an estimated 71 million to 116 million lives. The number of war dead pales…

Which skill is more important, knowing how to run your business or knowing how to get the government to stymie your competitors? The case of a paper mill in Washington state shows the sad answer is “not clear.” Thirty years ago, you would have been holding a newspaper in your hands while reading this commentary….

The House’s disaster aid bill, at $81 billion, is nearly double the Trump administration’s request of $44 billion. These costs are not offset by spending cuts elsewhere. So much for fiscal responsibility. Contained within this bill is an expansion of already excessive handouts to the cotton industry. Using the cover of a disaster bill to…

On Tuesday, The Heritage Foundation announced that its next president would be Kay Coles James, who previously served on President Donald Trump’s transition team and who was director of the Office of Personnel Management in the George W. Bush administration. Genevieve Wood interviewed James Tuesday about her background, why she cares about policy, and what…

I love “Star Wars.” It makes sense, then, that this time of year is fraught with competing emotions—hope (thanks, Jyn and Cassian) and worry (thanks, J.J. Abrams). As a fanboy who grew up watching the original six films and reading the Expanded Universe novels—not the airport newsstand fodder that Disney now insists is canon—I walked…

Liberals are saying tax reform will benefit big businesses and rich Americans, not middle-class and lower-income Americans. Heritage Foundation tax policy analyst Adam Michel shares the facts, and we look at what two business owners have to say about tax reform.

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which has proved vital for keeping the U.S. safe from terrorists, is set to expire at the end of this year. Section 702 has been described as the “crown jewel” of U.S. intelligence for its intelligence gathering on foreign actors, most notably terrorists. In a recent Washington…