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
EPA’s Shocking Actions to Gain Support for Its Water Rule
There’s now another issue with the controversial water rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers. The Environmental Protection Agency wants you to think there’s a lot of support for the proposed water rule that seeks to give the agency and the Army Corps jurisdiction over almost every water. Reportedly,… -
opinion
Clinton Confidant Revealed as Source of Benghazi Misinformation
One of the mysteries surrounding the Benghazi scandal appears to have been solved with the release of the private emails of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The question was who came up with the false narrative of the cause of the attack on the U.S. Benghazi consulate on Sept. 11, 2012. The answer, according… -
news
After Secret Service Seized $115,000, North Carolina Man Continues Fight for ‘Justice’
On the morning of Sept. 25, 2014, Tom Bednar was sitting in the bedroom of the Raleigh, N.C., home he shared with his wife, Marla, and two sons when Marla entered the room crying. She had just looked at the bank account for their three-decade old business, Marla Enterprises, to find it empty. Now, Capital… -
news
How High Are Beer Taxes in Your State?
The cost of enjoying a cold beer can vary widely depending on where you live, according to a new study. In fact, some states have a much higher tax rate on beer than others. The Tax Foundation has ranked the tax rate on beer by the gallon in all 50 states and the District of… -
opinion
In ‘Tomorrowland,’ We Get a Glimpse of the Left’s Vision for the Future
A good science-fiction flick has to include futuristic technology—jet packs, soaring towers, robots who can fix anything, and, for George Clooney, windmills. That’s right—in Disney’s “Tomorrowland,” one of the harbingers of hope, innovation and the future is a medieval contraption that kills endangered birds and generates just enough energy to brew a cup of tea…. -
news
The People vs. Santa Monica: Inside the Government’s Push to Regulate Short-Term Rental Industry
SANTA MONICA, Calif.—Every day, the sun sets on the shoreline here, creating beautiful views that tourists from around the world flock to see. To enjoy this experience, typically vacationers would have to pay for a hotel costing upwards of $400 a night—or they can try a new option in the so-called “sharing” economy. Home-sharing websites… -
opinion
Why US Must Defend Human Rights Across the World
Two little-known bills in Congress—one on world press freedom, the other on Hong Kong—seek to reassert the idea that a moral defense of human rights overseas is in U.S. national interests. It’s a concept worthy of a full airing over the next 18 months as candidates of both parties seek the presidency. One of the… -
news
How One Former Barbie Executive Turned a $30,000 Investment Into a Booming Candy Business
Talking with Rosie O’Neill about the past five years of her life feels slightly like a trip down Alice’s rabbit-hole: There’s champagne gummy bears and stark white ribbons and plenty of California sunshine—plus 100-hour work weeks, leaps of faith, and all sorts of blurred lines. In that time, the 35-year-old marketing whiz founded booming luxury… -
opinion
This World War II Soldier’s Story Reminds Us of Why Memorial Day Matters
If any day is more than just a day, then Memorial Day is it. Sometimes remembering just one soldier reminds us why. His name was Lawrence Gordon. He grew-up on a hard-scrabble farm in Canada. After Pearl Harbor, he decided to join the American Army. The Americans had better “kit.” The Army sent Gordon into… -
opinion
To Defeat Islamic State, America Must Re-Engage in the War of Ideas
It’s easy to adopt a ho-hum attitude about the Middle East at times. To see it as the place where, as comedian Louis C.K. recently said on “Saturday Night Live,” they’ve been having the same fights for hundreds of years, so “it’s boring now.” The name “Middle East” is fitting for more than just geographic… -
opinion
What Will Drive Illinois to Ask Washington for a Bailout
Earlier this month the Illinois Supreme Court overturned a state law that would help fix the state’s notorious pension crisis. What a tragedy for the state’s taxpayers. The justices basically ruled that the pension arrangements are iron-clad, although these pensions are on a course to bankrupt the state and imperil public services that Illinois families depend… -
opinion
Vending Machines Must Post Calorie Counts and Other 2014 New Regulations
If we were to design a regulatory framework from scratch, for any sector of a modern economy, it would make no sense to ignore regulatory costs and benefits. It would make even less sense to implement new rules and regulations and then worry about their impact. But that’s pretty much what we do in the U.S., where… -
news
Fewer Christians in America? Famed Pastor John MacArthur on What It Means
The percentage of Americans who identify themselves as Christians is falling. According to a recent survey, the Pew Research Center reported a decline from 78.4 percent in 2007 to 70.6 percent in 2014. The news followed a report from The Heritage Foundation, which revealed weekly church attendance dropped about 10 percentage points from 1972 to 2012…. -
opinion
A Big Win: Army’s Delta Force Killed Islamic State’s Top Money Man
As we roll into Memorial Day weekend, commemorating America’s fallen service members—but really all our troops—you can’t help but feel a sense of pride about the U.S. Special Ops raid last weekend that took down a senior Islamic State leader. In case you missed it: In a daring airborne assault, the U.S. Army’s Delta Force… -
opinion
Should Cars Be Recalled Over Peeling Labels? Looking at How Regulations Affect Our Lives.
Say you got a recall notice for your car. You’d naturally be alarmed, especially after reading that the problem involved Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208—“Occupant Crash Protection.” Is something wrong with the brakes? The air bags? The seat belts? Nope. You know the airbag warning label on the sun visor? It might peel…. -
opinion
5 Steps the Next President Could Take to Boost Our Relationship With Latin America
For much of the last century, Latin America has seldom been a major focus for U.S. foreign policy. Yet President Obama’s controversial Cuba policy appears to have brought the region back into play. But Obama’s days in the Oval Office are numbered. How will the next occupant of the White House treat our neighbors to… -
opinion
U.S. Should Support Media Freedom in Africa
The state of media freedom in Africa is “grim,” according to the media freedom group Reporters Without Borders, which took stock of the situation recently on World Press Freedom Day. Outside the traditional bastions of democracy—North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan— the media in much of the world are increasingly troubled. In the Middle East… -
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opinion
House Committee Affirms Bipartisan Support for Broadcast Reform
Yesterday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) voted unanimously in favor of reforming U.S. International Broadcasting (USIB). It is the second time the Committee has marked up the United States International Communications Act, H.R. 2323 in its new incarnation, which was first introduced by Chairman Ed Royce (R–CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D–NY) last… -
news
Gay Marriage Study Retracted After Allegations One of Its Authors Falsified Data
A widely circulated study about how having conversations with people who are gay can change an individual’s views on same-sex marriage has been retracted by one of its authors. Retraction Watch, an academic blog, reports that Donald Green, a professor of political science at Columbia University, has retracted the study after his co-author “confessed to…