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
9 Photos of Past Popes’ Visits to the US
Pope Francis t-shirts, bobbleheads, happy hour specials … the head of the Catholic Church is visiting the United States this week, and Washington, New York, and Philadelphia have geared up in anticipation. T-shirts as proof the pope is coming to DC. pic.twitter.com/7dl0DhvaaR — Todd C. Frankel (@tcfrankel) September 17, 2015 The Pope has come early… -
opinion
Senator Hatch Pushes For Criminal Justice Reform That Includes ‘Mens Rea’
This afternoon, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, delivered an important speech on the Senate floor arguing that any criminal justice reform effort that is truly worthy of the name ought to include mens rea reform (also referred to as criminal intent). I recently argued, as have other Heritage scholars, that there is a pressing need for… -
opinion
The Ahmed Clock Controversy Shows One Thing, Overcriminalization
“It made me feel like I wasn’t human. It made me feel like a criminal.” That’s what Fourteen-year-old Ahmed Mohamed, said after police handcuffed him and brought him to a juvenile detention center for mug shots, fingerprints, and interrogation; all because he brought his home-made digital clock to school to impress his teacher. This is… -
opinion
Hollywood’s Idea of Tolerance: Mocking Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis at the Emmys
There’s nothing funnier than laughing at a woman trying to stay true to her beliefs. That appears to be the understanding of Emmy host Andy Samberg, who, during his opening monologue, decided to single out Kim Davis, the Democrat Kentucky clerk who was jailed for her refusal to issue same-sex marriage licenses. (Warning: The quote… -
news
John Boehner: It’s ‘Laughable’ That ‘I’m Some RINO’
John Boehner is barreling through conservative charges that the speaker is not doing enough to defund Planned Parenthood, keeping his eyes toward a busy fundraising schedule while a potential government shutdown looms over a fractured House. In an interview with Politico Sunday, Boehner sidestepped repeated criticisms from members of the House Freedom Caucus that his leadership… -
news
Memorial Fund for Jake Brewer’s Children Tops $200K Goal; Husband of Mary Katharine Ham Died in Bike Accident
Story updated to include the latest fundraising total. A memorial fund created to support the children of Jake Brewer, a White House staffer who died during a charity bike ride Saturday, reached its $200,000 goal in donations a day after it was launched. Brewer, 34, was married to Mary Katharine Ham, a former Heritage Foundation employee… -
news
What Life Looks Like at 18 Weeks
A debate over life is commencing this week, with the Senate set to vote on a historic measure that would ban abortions nationwide after 20 weeks. To document what life looks like getting close to this stage in development, The Daily Signal followed Shannon Schreiber and her husband Mark, who works at The Heritage Foundation,… -
opinion
The 4 Types of Poverty, and How to Cure Them
Over the past 10 years, in spite of massive and growing funding of America’s anti-poverty agenda, the percentage of individuals able to support themselves free of government welfare has declined. The fundamental reason the nation has failed to effectively reduce dependency and promote self-sufficiency is that we’ve been misdiagnosing poverty. People experience poverty for varied… -
opinion
Here’s Congress’s Latest Unbelievable Gimmick
Frustrated voters sometimes denounce their representatives as “good for nothing,” but are they being fair? Consider the budget gimmicks some politicians come up with. When it comes to fiscal gymnastics, who can deny their creativity? Case in point: a plan to fund the mismanaged Highway Trust Fund by tapping the dividends that the Federal Reserve pays member… -
news
California Governor Vows to Override Democrat-Led Legislature on Climate Change Regulations
Jerry Brown isn’t used to losing in the California Legislature. And even though defections from a raft of fellow Democrats in Sacramento forced the second-term governor to abandon two sweeping anti-carbon measures, Brown vows to implement them anyway—through executive order. “I’d say oil has won a skirmish, but they’ve lost the bigger battle, because I am… -
opinion
Time for the White House to Develop a Serious Arctic Agenda
Washington is waking up to the fact that America is an Arctic nation. But, as in a doomed polar expedition, the administration seems to be aimlessly wandering in the policy tundra. President Obama’s recent trip to Alaska only raises more questions over whether the White House really has a serious Arctic agenda. Shifts in the… -
opinion
Can Uber End Traffic Jams? CEO Has Bold Plan to Overhaul Transportation Industry
Travis Kalanick gave a rare interview in San Francisco this week at the mega Dreamforce conference. Since Uber began getting regularly hammered in the press for its aggressive political tactics and potential legal violations, the once outspoken CEO hasn’t given the public much direction about the future of the multi-billion-dollar transportation company. This week, he gave… -
opinion
Happy Birthday to the U.S. Air Force
On this day in 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed into law the National Security Act of 1947, which officially established the U.S. Air Force as a distinct branch of the military. Over the course of its young life, the U.S. Air Force has played a critical role in extending global reach and mobility, maintaining… -
news
San Francisco Jails Adopt New Policy for Transgender Inmates
The San Francisco County Jail will allow transgender inmates to be housed by their gender preference. Announced on Thursday by Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, the first part of a two-phase policy will allow transgender women being housed in a men’s facility to participate in programming at a women’s facility. “The high majority of municipal jails and… -
news
Fallen Cop’s Colleagues Step In to Take His Daughter to Father-Daughter Dance
On September 4, a group of six police officers in Memphis, Tennessee, responded to a different kind of call for help. Jewel Warren, an eight-year-old native of Memphis, was invited to a "Father-Daughter" dance at school. Unfortunately, her father, Tim Warren, a former Memphis police officer, was killed in the line of duty in July… -
opinion
Chicago Adds Ridiculous 9% “Cloud Tax” on Netflix and Other Streaming Services
Streaming companies like Netflix, Spotify, and Amazon Prime are revolutionizing how Americans consume media content. These wildly popular services enable ubiquitous and virtually instantaneous access to expansive catalogues of music, movies, and TV shows. Streaming is big business, and Chicago wants a piece of the action. On Sept. 1, the city’s controversial new “cloud tax”… -
news
Report: Planned Parenthood’s Annual Excess Revenue in Millions
A report released on Sept. 15 by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of the Susan B. Anthony list, indicates that Planned Parenthood has reported excess revenues by the millions over the past 10 years. In an investigative report by PolitiFact, the question of whether “excess revenue over expenses” is actually considered “profit” was… -
news
Census Bureau Employees Charged Taxpayers Over $1 Million in Time Never Worked
A report from the inspector general released Thursday found “pervasive misconduct” in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Hiring and Employment Check Office. The report found falsified timesheets charging taxpayers $1.1 million for time never worked, multiple cases of employees misusing their position to hire friends, and repeated employee attempts to intimidate whistleblowers from coming forward during… -
news
Margaret Thatcher’s Hidden Faith
Does religion play a role in British politics? Dr. Eliza Filby, academic, writer, and businesswoman, spoke at The Heritage Foundation Wednesday about her book “God and Mrs. Thatcher: The Battle for Britain’s Soul.” In her book, Filby delves into a topic of how she believes that former Britain Prime Minister Thatcher’s faith is at the… -
news
27 Facts About Pope Francis
Pope Francis is about to make his first visit to the United States. According to his schedule, Francis will arrive in the United States on Sept. 22, and he will visit Washington, New York City, and Philadelphia. Here are 27 facts about Pope Francis: 1. According to his biography on the Vatican’s website, Francis was…