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
50 Years Ago, a White Seminarian Sacrificed His Life to Save a Black Teen
Earlier this week, hundreds gathered in Hayneville, Ala., to remember the life of civil rights activist Jonathan Myrick Daniels. Daniels, 26 at the time of his death, was shot outside a grocery store in Hayneville on Aug. 20, 1965, by part-time deputy sheriff Tom Coleman. Coleman had aimed his weapon at 17-year-old Ruby Sales, a black civil rights activist and… -
news
Here Are the Names of More Companies That Donated to Planned Parenthood
More than two dozen companies, including some household names, are listed as donors to one of Planned Parenthood’s affiliates, according to information obtained by The Daily Signal. The 2013-14 annual report for Planned Parenthood of Southern New England—an affiliate of the national organization that operates in Connecticut and Rhode Island—lists companies that have contributed to the… -
opinion
Bangkok Needs America’s Support
Thailand’s long-running political turmoil, and its consequent feud with Washington over its return to democracy, was interrupted on August 17. At least 20 people are confirmed dead and more than 140 have been wounded in Thailand’s deadliest bombing in recent years. The bombing took place during rush hour at Erawan shrine—a historical Hindu shrine in… -
opinion
Labor Department Should Withdraw Proposed Conflict of Interest Rule
The Department of Labor recently proposed seven rules imposing new obligations on firms selling securities to retirement plans and individual retirement account (IRA) investors. If implemented, these rules will harm the investing public, small businesses, the securities industry, and the overall economy. Among other things, the rules would substantially broaden the class of persons deemed… -
opinion
Head of EPA Admits Climate Regulations Will Hit Low-Income Minority Families Hardest
The chief environmental regulator in the United States had some blunt words of reality regarding the administration’s climate change regulations. The Clean Power Plan that will require drastic cuts in 47 states’ carbon dioxide emissions – consequently shifting America’s energy economy away from affordable, reliable coal – will adversely impact poor, minority families the most…. -
opinion
Lessons From a True American
Peter W. Schramm dedicated his life to making Americans out of the people who happened to live in a place called America. He was an immigrant, whose family escaped communist Hungary in 1956. In an autobiographical essay, Schramm describes a conversation he had with his father shortly before his family packed up what little they… -
news
How the Value of $100 Varies Across the Different States
The Tax Foundation, a non-partisan research organization, recently unveiled a study indicating the value of $100 in all 50 states. The value of $100 is worth the most in Mississippi ($115.21), Arkansas ($114.29), South Dakota ($114.16), Alabama ($114.03) and West Virginia ($113.12). Areas including the District of Columbia ($84.96), Hawaii ($86.06), New York ($86.73), New… -
opinion
Many Steps Remain With Internet Governance Transition to ICANN
The U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced earlier this week that it would extend the contract between the U.S. and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to administer the technical functions related to the domain name system, known as the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). U.S. oversight of ICANN matters… -
news
Did This State’s Powerful House Speaker Overreach on Firefighter Overtime?
PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Taxpayers won a key battle with government workers unions this summer when one of Rhode Island’s top politicians withdrew two measures that would have financially rewarded career firefighters, reformers say. The union representing some of those firefighters pays him rent, they note. Leaders of firefighters unions had sought to bring out a big gun… -
news
How High Are Property Taxes in Your State? This Map Has the Answer
What is the property tax rate in your state? A new map from the Tax Foundation has the answer. The Tax Foundation, a non-partisan research think-tank based in Washington, D.C., notes that states tax property in a variety of ways and that the rates listed are the “effective rate” paid by the taxpayer. Jared Walczak, a… -
news
Half of Americans Haven’t Seen the Planned Parenthood Videos. Here’s What They Need to Know.
Since mid-July, after a series of undercover videos showed high-ranking Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of tissue from aborted babies, the organization has been under the microscope. To learn more about the allegations surrounding Planned Parenthood’s abortion practices and the fallout that has ensued, watch this video. >>> Watch the Undercover Videos From the Center for… -
opinion
How US Sugar Policies Just Helped America Lose 600 Jobs
The manufacturer of Oreo cookies recently announced plans to move production of Oreos from Chicago to Mexico, resulting in a loss of 600 U.S. jobs. This should be a wake-up call to defenders of the U.S. sugar program and other job-destroying trade barriers. The leading ingredient in Oreos is sugar, and U.S. trade barriers currently… -
opinion
Now Hugo Chávez’s PetroCaribe Program Is Hurting Venezuelans
Remember those funny commercials where the opera stars sing, “I have a structured settlement and I need cash now!”? Nicolás Maduro knows what they mean. Hugo Chávez set up PetroCaribe a decade ago when he was flush with cash and eager to buy friends and influence for his oil-rich country and the “Chavista” brand of… -
news
The 19th Amendment Was Ratified 95 Years Ago Today. How Women Won the Right to Vote.
In 2015, it is hard to imagine a time when women were not allowed to vote. But in early 1920, as the Roaring Twenties jumped into full swing, the only newfound freedom women enjoyed came in the form of bobbed haircuts and rising hemlines. Then, on August 18, the 19th Amendment was ratified. For the… -
news
Kentucky Clerk Allowed to Not Issue Gay Marriage Licenses as Legal Battle Continues
A Kentucky judge has granted a temporary stay to a county clerk so that she doesn’t have to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples while her case is appealed. The Daily Signal’s Ken McIntyre recently reported that Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis has objected to issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples following the Supreme Court’s… -
news
How Much Time ABC, NBC and CBS Have Spent Covering the Planned Parenthood Videos
ABC, NBC, and CBS have “censored” their coverage of undercover videos released by the Center for Medical Progress, according to an analysis conducted by the Media Research Center. The Center for Medical Progress’s undercover videos depict Planned Parenthood executives discussing the sale of fetal organs at the organization’s affiliates. Planned Parenthood has denied profiting off… -
news
Why This Rape Survivor Chose Life for Her Daughter
Crystal Willis-Blount, a birth mother and a rape survivor, says that she and her daughter are not “talking points” for pro-choice politicians. In an interview with The Daily Signal, Willis-Blount said that at 14, she was placed in an advanced math class with older students. One day, a fellow student lured her into an empty… -
news
Are Republicans Happier in Their Marriages Than Democrats?
Republicans are happier and more stable in their marriages than Democrats, according to a study released Monday. W. Bradford Wilcox, a prominent sociologist at the University of Virginia, released the analysis finding that Republicans are more often married, less likely to be divorced, and happier in their marriages than Democrats. Forty percent of Democrats between… -
opinion
What the Left Misunderstands About Cuba’s History
Just before Secretary of State John Kerry raised the Stars and Stripes in Havana last week as he opened the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., accused those who oppose President Obama’s Cuba policy of being nostalgic for former dictator Fulgencio Batista. It’s probably best to clear up some misconceptions he may have… -
news
One Iranian Family’s Fight to Keep a Colorado City From Taking Their Property
When Nasrin Kholghy opened the letter from the city of Glendale, Colo., in April, it transported her back to another country in another time. The letter notified Kholghy of an upcoming city council meeting. There, Glendale’s leaders would be voting to approve the use of a tool that would give them the power to take…