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
FEMA Doled Out Millions Pushing ‘Equity,’ Prioritizing ‘Underserved Communities’ Leading Up to Hurricane Season
DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—The Federal Emergency Management Agency in May 2023 launched a $12 million grant program designed to increase “equity” in disaster responses by making greater investments in communities with high concentrations of racial and sexual minorities, documents show. FEMA’s 2023 Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program sought to disburse multimillion-dollar grants designed to bolster…Robert Schmad -
- News
Over 50 Jihadist Cases in 29 States Show ‘Persistent Terror Threat,’ House Report Says
THE CENTER SQUARE—A new report published by the House Homeland Security Committee finds that “foreign jihadist networks and homegrown violent extremists” represent a “persistent terror threat to America.” The committee’s report identifies over 50 cases in 29 U.S. states between April 2021 and September 2024, including dozens of attempts to provide material support to designated…Bethany Blankley -
- Opinion
Americans Can Now Own a Piece of a Conservative Credit Card Company
America’s major credit card companies donate millions of dollars to leftist causes every year. Rob Collins says he saw that conservatives were tired of supporting woke corporations, but wanted “something more than outrage and boycotts,” so in 2022, Coign was born. Coign is the first Visa credit card created by and for conservatives. With steady…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Harris Tries to ‘Run Out the Clock’ on a Tie Game
On the latest episode of “The Tony Kinnett Cast,” we observe the unusual strategy of the Harris-Walz campaign trying desperately to pad out the remainder of the election season with less than a month to go. Vice President Kamala Harris may be able to stick this tie game out, but only time and the prophetic…Tony Kinnett -
- Opinion
What’s Next for Israel and Iran in Middle East War?
It has been a year since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on Oct. 7, 2023. In the early morning hours, the terrorist organization Hamas launched surprise attacks in southern Israel. The blitzkrieg proved to be the bloodiest such attack in Israel’s history. Hamas terrorists rampaged through towns and ravaged communities, killing 1,200 civilians, including 40…Bradley Devlin -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: Do House Democrat’s Mass Mailings Run Afoul of Law and House Rules?
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan., appears to have used tax dollars to communicate with constituents too close to the Nov. 5 election. Both federal law and House ethics rules restrict the use of taxpayer-funded resources to communicate with constituents within 90 days of an election. Photos provided to The Daily Signal show…Fred Lucas -
- News
Untapped Relief: FEMA Is Sitting on Billions of Unused Disaster Funds
Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency told Congress last month that it had $4 billion in its Disaster Relief Fund, officials also warned that the fund could have a shortfall of $6 billion by year’s end, a situation FEMA says could deteriorate in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. While FEMA is expected to ask Congress for new…James Varney -
- Opinion
Hurricane Helene’s North Carolina October Surprise
DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the deepest red areas of North Carolina. Hundreds are dead and missing in the region. Destroyed roads and bridges and lack of water and electricity will make voting a challenge in a region that contributed a net of 231,000 votes for Donald Trump’s 2020 margin of 74,000 votes in the state….Chuck DeVore -
- News
FEMA Whistleblowers Say Agency Wildly Mismanaged
Whistleblowers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency have come forward in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene to accuse the agency of misappropriating funds and generally mismanaging its responsibilities. This is according to a letter sent by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose department includes FEMA. FEMA has come under fire for its response…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
‘Rings of Power’: 4 Great Sins of Season 2
Warning: This review contains spoilers for the Amazon series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” Season 2. The second season of Amazon’s “Rings of Power” somehow managed to be worse than the first season of the show, which is a rather high bar. The first season showed a disrespect for J.R.R. Tolkien’s…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Caveat Emptor
A few days ago, Iran launched approximately 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. Some of Iran’s missiles were hypersonic missiles traveling 10,000 miles an hour. Israel, the United States, and other allies were mostly able to stop the missiles. A few days before, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Iran was within weeks of producing…Erick Erickson -
- Opinion
The Cost of a Workforce That Doesn’t Want to Work
Like millions of Americans each year, you order a package, food, or valuables. Delivery day arrives. You open the door. You discover the product was damaged. Or it was stolen. Or it is missing. Why are the mishaps growing by leaps and bounds? Food delivery apps such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, and mail…Armstrong Williams -
- Opinion
How to Blow Up the Middle East War in 5 Easy Steps
When Joe Biden became president, the Middle East was calm. Now it is in the midst of a multifront war. So quiet was the inheritance from the prior Trump administration that nearly three years later, on Sept. 29, 2023—and just eight days before the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre of Israelis—Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan,…Victor Davis Hanson -
- Opinion
Bias by Omission, Commission: Network News’ Partisan Political Slant
It’s late in the campaign, so the network “news” programs often seem indistinguishable from the cascade of negative campaign ads that air around the harrumphing anchormen and anchorwomen. Rich Noyes at NewsBusters reported that the tone of coverage about the Trump-Vance ticket (excluding statements by politicians) from July 21 to Sept. 27 was 96% negative…Tim Graham -
- Opinion
The Flood That Might Sink Kamala Harris
Hurricane Katrina, historian Douglas Brinkley wrote for Vanity Fair on the 10th anniversary of the 2005 storm, was the “Flood That Sank George W. Bush.” Ten years from now, the American people might look back at the current natural disaster and say that Hurricane Helene was the flood that sank Vice President Kamala Harris. Although…Bradley Devlin -
- Opinion
Want to Pay in Cryptocurrency? In Louisiana, Now You Can
In a move toward modern financial practices, Louisiana residents can now pay for state services using cryptocurrency. “Louisiana has always, I think, lagged behind other states when it comes to doing things that are in modern commerce,” Louisiana state Treasurer John Fleming says, adding that he hopes to change that. Cryptocurrency is “going to have…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Building Better Ships, Including Ford-Class Aircraft Carriers, in Virginia
Larger aircraft carriers of the Gerald R. Ford class are one of the Navy’s top acquisition projects because their role is central to America’s naval operations. These 1,092-foot-long, 134-foot-wide, 100,000-ton vessels are designed to reach speeds upward of 30 mph and are critical to mounting the nation’s fight against adversaries—especially in the Indo-Pacific—and maintaining freedom…Matthew Lee -
- Opinion
Fact Check: Is Climate Change Making Hurricanes Worse?
With flood waters still high in parts of the southeast from Hurricane Helene, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance took to the debate stage on Tuesday for the only vice presidential debate of the 2024 campaign season. Early on in the debate, moderator Norah O’Donnell said, “Scientists say climate change makes these…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
People Hate Those Who Fight Evil Far More Than Those Who Are Evil
I realized something very important about the human condition when I was in high school. I realized that people tend to hate those who fight evil far more than they hate those engaged in doing evil. What made me come to this conclusion was the way in which many people reacted to communism and to…Dennis Prager -
- Opinion
Teacher Wins $575K Settlement After Being Fired for Not Using Student’s Preferred Pronouns
Peter Vlaming, a longtime high school French teacher in Virginia, was fired in 2018 for refusing to use a student’s preferred pronouns. On Monday, after years of litigation and a win for Vlaming at the Virginia Supreme Court, the school board finally capitulated and agreed to settle the case for $575,000. But the West Point…Sarah Parshall Perry