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
The Face of Evil: Surveying the ISIS Killing Fields in Northern Iraq
SINJAR, Iraq—Evil doesn’t always reveal itself through goose-stepping armies or skyscrapers collapsing on a clear autumn day. Sometimes, it’s only a sun-bleached bone in a field. This was the place the old peshmerga colonel wanted to show me. It wasn’t anything special by the look of it. Certainly, this plot of brown grass on a… -
opinion
Why Steph Curry’s Faith Matters
Whatever happens in the NBA finals, Steph Curry should be on every box of Wheaties. His example is just the antidote to many of the ills currently holding America back. In an age of vulgarity, he’s humble; in a season of cynicism, he’s a religious family man; in a time of grievance mongering, he peddles… -
opinion
Why Young Americans Are Now More Likely to Live With Their Parents
For the first time in over 130 years, more young adults lived with their parents than any other living situation. According to the analysis by the Pew Research Center, 32.6 percent of adults ages 18 to 34 lived with their parents; 31.6 lived with a spouse or romantic partner; 14 percent lived without other adults… -
opinion
The Problems With CNN Poll Showing Opposition to North Carolina’s Bathroom Law
Between North Carolina’s bathroom law and President Barack Obama’s recent school bathroom mandate, bathroom use has suddenly burst on the scene of public opinion. Now pollsters and politicians alike are scrambling to figure out what Americans really think about bathrooms and privacy. CNN quickly released a poll with the headline proclaiming that “6-in-10 Oppose Bills… -
news
Income Hasn’t Fallen Like Federal Labor Statistics Show, Experts Argue
Data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows American workers’ share of income continually falling. Although some pundits looked at these numbers and concluded the economy has shifted against workers, labor economist James Sherk says a deeper look at the data reveals that in fact many workers take home about what their counterparts did in… -
news
The EPA’s Green Parachutes: $25,000 Buyout Bonuses for Agents Retiring Early
The Environmental Protection Agency has been sending employees off into early retirement with buyout bonuses of up to $25,000. The practice is often used as a cost-saving measure, but because of the way the agency replaced the retirees, the bonuses may actually put a larger financial burden on taxpayers. Pointing to a 2015 report by… -
opinion
Your Money Is Going to Planned Parenthood Whether You Like It or Not
Whether you’re a painter, pastor, lawyer, or laborer (pro-life or pro-abortion), you work for Planned Parenthood. A portion of every paycheck goes to the world’s leading abortion business through the federal and state taxes allocated by your elected representatives and the unelected bureaucrats they empower. For the fiscal year ending in June 2015 (just before… -
opinion
Ticketing Children for Selling Lemonade Highlights Overcriminalization Problem
Some Louisianan children recently opened a lemonade stand and were ticketed for operating a business without an occupational license or paying taxes on their earnings. This not only highlights the absurdity of criminalizing children who were too young to obtain an occupational license or to even pay taxes—but also illustrates how unpredictable enforcement of arcane… -
news
A Visit to Ground Zero of ISIS’ Genocide in Iraq
SINJAR, Iraq—This town in northern Iraq was home to more than 88,000 civilians in 2013. Today, there are none left living here. As The Daily Signal’s foreign correspondent, I visited Sinjar, where more than 5,000 civilians died at the hands of the Islamic State, the terrorist army also known as ISIS. This is my video report…. -
news
Navy Veteran Fights Baltimore Rules Restricting Where He Can Park His Food Truck
When Joey Vanoni returned to the United States from Afghanistan in 2013, he went to work putting his dream of owning a pizza business into action. A Navy veteran and current reservist, Vanoni launched Pizza di Joey, his veteran owned and operated business, in August 2014, serving New York-style brick oven pizza out of a… -
opinion
These 7 Short Videos Clear Up Myths About Air Pollution
The Texas Public Policy Foundation came out with a series of short videos addressing myths about air pollution and the effects of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan. The plan was first proposed by the EPA in 2014 and the final version was unveiled by President Barack Obama in August 2015. In February, the… -
opinion
Ralph Nader Advocacy Group Argues for Government to Regulate Others (but Not It)
On May 18, the Obama administration issued a new rule on overtime pay for employees, which at a stroke effectively turned millions of salaried employees into hourly employees eligible for overtime pay. It was roundly (and rightly) condemned by employers and business groups nationwide, ranging from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the National Council… -
opinion
Memorial Day Tributes Should Include What Soldiers Fought For
Is Memorial Day a vestigial holiday? Today, a plurality of Americans believe it was a mistake to drop the atomic bombs and many have little understanding of World War II, the Korean War, or the Civil War. It is our duty, not just to commemorate our fallen soldiers, but to understand the causes and principles… -
opinion
‘They Stood for Something and We Owe Them Something’: Reagan’s 1986 Memorial Day Speech
America’s beloved 40th president, Ronald Reagan, spoke at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day in 1986. His speech reminds us to be thankful for the valor of others and that Memorial Day is a time to remember the “splendor of America” and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. -
news
Republican Says He Accidentally Voted for LGBT Amendment
Make that 42, not 43, Republicans who voted with Democrats for the controversial LGBT amendment in the House of Representatives. “My position on this issue has not and will not change,” says Rep. John Shimkus. When the amendment passed late Wednesday night, 223-195, Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., voted for the measure but only by accident…. -
news
House Bill Would Strengthen Welfare Work Requirement
Rep. Jim Jordan introduced a bill Thursday that would reform food stamps. “Welfare programs are meant to be a temporary safety net, but they have become a permanent way of life for millions of Americans,” Jordan, R-Ohio, said in a statement. “Instead of giving impoverished families and individuals a helping hand, the current system penalizes positive… -
opinion
How the Liberal Echo Chamber Sold the Lie of ‘Moderate’ Iranian Leaders
The Obama administration’s controversial efforts to sell the flawed Iran nuclear deal continue to reverberate, after Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes gave an ill-advised interview to The New York Times Magazine in which he bragged about the media “echo chamber” he built in collaboration with like-minded journalists and nongovernmental organizations. Even observers who agreed… -
news
First, the IRS Took $68K From Connecticut Bakers. Now, It’s Investigating Them.
For nearly 100 years, Vocatura’s Bakery has been a New England staple. The family business was started in Westerly, Rhode Island, in 1919 and moved to its current home in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1956. There, the family bakes bread using its six-decade-old industrial oven and serves up pizza—square, but not sicilian—and sandwiches—including one “as long… -
news
Battle Over LGBT Amendment Threatens to Stall Entire Appropriations Process
An LGBT measure derailed a $37.5 billion House energy and water spending bill and now threatens to bring the entire appropriations process to a grinding halt in the House. The amendment from Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., would codify a 2014 executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and… -
news
A Look at Life on the Front Lines in the War Against Islamic State
MOSUL FRONT, Iraq—The Daily Signal’s foreign correspondent, Nolan Peterson, recently visited the Kurdish peshmerga’s front line positions surrounding the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul—Iraq’s second-biggest city. The peshmerga, which translates to “one who faces death,” are an ally of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led international coalition combatting Islamic State, the terrorist army also known as…