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
World Cup Star Credits Faith for Bringing Him Peace
American soccer goalie Tim Howard pointed beyond practice and talent to describe his success on the field. The 2014 World Cup star opened up about his faith yesterday on ABC News’ “This Week” to call his “relationship with Jesus Christ” a key to his life. He described his ability to play every day as a… -
news
Why an Indiana Police Officer Created This ‘Breathe Easy’ T-Shirt
One small business is booming as the debate rages over police shootings. With a T-shirt, police officer Jason Barthel ignited a national controversy. Ten days before Christmas, the owner of South Bend Uniform Co. debuted T-shirts emblazoned with this controversial message: “Breathe Easy, Don’t Break the Law.” Barthel twisted the rallying cry of a national… -
opinion
7 Ridiculous Projects the Government Spent Your Tax Dollars on This Year
As you recover from Christmas spending these last couple days of 2014, don't forget to account for the millions of dollars in gifts you bought the federal government all year long. Yes, thanks to your tax dollars, wasteful programs (including ones like the $237,205 study that measures how rainfall affects red crabs) were funded with government money. This… -
news
Why Sharyl Attkisson Thinks Networks Have Wall-to-Wall Coverage of Missing Planes
As news broke that AirAsia Flight QZ8501 had gone missing en route to Singapore, investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson offered her own theory as to why networks provide wall-to-wall coverage of such “general controversies.” Appearing on Fox News’ “MediaBuzz” with host Howard Kurtz today, Attkisson contended that while it’s beneficial to ask questions about events such… -
opinion
In One Chart: What If a Typical Family Spent Money Like the Federal Government
The federal government has a spending problem. The national debt is tipping $18 trillion–and growing. But what if an American family spent the way the United States does? Check out the chart below for a (scary) perspective. -
news
NYC Police Commissioner: Officers Feel ‘Under Attack’ From Federal Government
New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton today relayed the concerns of police officers across the country and said they feel “under attack” by the federal government in the wake of the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. In an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” with host Chuck Todd, Bratton said he hopes national leaders,… -
opinion
Unions Are Waging War on These Small Businesses
The National Labor Relations Board just charged several dozen McDonald’s franchises with unfair labor practices. In an unusual move, the NLRB also charged McDonald’s Corp. as a co-defendant with its franchisees. As I wrote in August, these charges are part of a larger push by unions to curtail the franchise business model. Small-business owners run… -
news
This Charity Gives a New Meaning to ‘Boots on the Ground’
U.S.-based charity Spirit of America was founded more than a decade ago to support American troops and diplomats by providing assistance to local communities in more than 30 countries around the world. In this TV clip, “CBS This Morning” highlights one recent example in Iraqi Kurdistan, where the group is sending tens of thousands of boots to… -
opinion
What ‘Swaps’ Are … and Why They Matter
Thanks to one tiny provision stuffed into the CRomnibus spending bill, millions are now familiar with the financial term swap. This provision essentially undoes a Dodd-Frank rule known as the swaps push out rule. That Dodd-Frank regulation – one of several which still had not been fully implemented – forced banks to choose between getting… -
news
Great-Grandma Florist Could Lose Livelihood for Saying No to This Wedding
A florist in Washington state is being sued for adhering to her Christian beliefs in declining to make flower arrangements for one couple’s wedding. Before the lawsuit, Barronelle Stutzman, owner of Arlene’s Flowers in Richland, Wash., had employed workers who identify as homosexual and sold floral arrangements to gay and lesbian customers. One such customer turned… -
news
Rocky Mountain High: 30% of Homeless in Denver Shelter Came to State for Marijuana
An informal survey of 500 people at a Denver homeless shelter reveals that 30 percent of new inhabitants came to Colorado because of the state’s legally available marijuana. >>> 7 Harmful Side Effects Pot Legalization Has Caused in Colorado “The older ones are coming for medical (marijuana), the younger ones are coming just because it’s legal,”… -
opinion
This Student Lost His Gig at College Newspaper for Writing Something Politically Incorrect
Omar Mahmood, a junior at the University of Michigan, writes for both the mainstream campus newspaper, The Michigan Daily, and university’s alternative conservative publication, the Michigan Review. At least he used to, until he became academia’s latest victim of political correctness. Mahmood recently penned a brief satire of the “check your privilege” fad, claiming (tongue… -
news
Taxpayers Not Likely to Get Refund From Legal-Aid Group in ‘Kill a Cop’ Video
Withdrawing or cutting off taxpayer funding from a New York legal-aid group would be difficult despite its role in a rap video about killing police officers, a civil liberties lawyer says. Bronx Defenders, the legal group depicted in the video “Hands Up” by rappers Uncle Murda and Maino, has been awarded at least $1.5 million in… -
opinion
D.C. Taxicabs Forced to Follow Another Regulation
They don’t get it. Competition, that is. Or what being an entrepreneur means, for that matter. The District of Columbia Taxicab Commission announced it will require all 7,000 taxis in the District to use an app that lets customers order a ride via their smartphones. Called Universal DC TaxiApp, it will be tested in spring… -
news
Police Chief Gets Lucrative Buyout, Despite Scathing Investigation
PITTSBURGH — The Brentwood Borough Council voted to give police chief Robert Butelli a lucrative settlement package, worth more than $200,000, in exchange for his retirement. The deal reportedly will cost the Pittsburgh suburb more than $400,000 over the next three years. Butelli will receive $199,998 in three payments, starting in January. Butelli, 62, was… -
news
Want More Sleep? It May Be Time to Give Your iPad a Rest
Using smart phones, tablets, e-readers and other electronic devices before bedtime could be disrupting our sleep patterns, a new study finds. If that doesn’t come as a surprise, here’s the kicker: Besides making us tired, such gadgets also could affect our long-term health. The study, published Dec. 22 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of… -
opinion
The Most Outrageous Government Scam of 2014
For outrageous government scam of the year, it’s hard to compete with the news of the supersized public-employee pensions in California. If you haven’t already heard: In 2013, an assistant fire chief in Southern California collected a $983,319 pension last year. A police captain in Los Angeles received nearly $753,861. Talk about a golden parachute…. -
news
Attorney: Government Accountability Board’s John Doe Justifications Don’t Hold Up to Law
MADISON, Wis. – We told somebody something, and that’s good enough. That’s effectively the line of defense from the state Government Accountability Board in the wake of stunning documents released Friday that allege the GAB was an out-of-control agency hell-bent on pursuing a partisan John Doe investigation into dozens of conservative groups and the campaign of Gov…. -
news
Why Virginia Has More Traffic Lawyers Than Any Other State
RICHMOND, Va. — In a hurry this holiday? Beware that Virginia ranks as one of the toughest states on speeders, and police are proud of it. Driving 20 mph over the speed limit qualifies as reckless driving in Virginia law. That offense is not a mere traffic citation, but a Class One criminal misdemeanor punishable… -
opinion
6 Myths About Right-to-Work Laws
Many states and local governments are considering right-to-work laws. These laws make union dues voluntary. Without them, union contracts make paying dues a condition of employment. While most Americans support the concept of right-to-work, unions argue strenuously against them. However, most of the arguments against right-to-work have little basis in fact. Myth: Right-to-work laws prohibit…