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
Should Colleges Warn Students That Courses May Include Upsetting Material?
Earlier this year, when the University of California, Santa Barbara, adopted a student-led resolution urging professors to include trigger warnings on class syllabi—statements which provide notice the coursework may include potentially upsetting material—pundits on both sides of the aisle reacted strongly. Months later, the debate has attracted a new caucus: academics. Ann Pellegrini, New York… -
opinion
How a D.C. Airport Reacted When an Honor Flight Landed
Recently I saw one of those spontaneous events that renews your faith in the patriotism and good will of the American people. It also illustrated their appreciation for the servicemen and women who have risked their lives for our nation. It was in the C Terminal of Reagan National, one of three airports serving Washington, D.C. I… -
opinion
Why Have Average Hourly Earnings Increased Only 33 Cents in Recent Years?
By many measures the labor market is improving smartly. The unemployment rate dropped to 5.9 percent in September—not far from the level many economists consider typical during normal economic conditions. The number of job vacancies has jumped almost one-fifth since the start of the year, while employers have created 2.6 million net new jobs over… -
opinion
How a New York Times Story Upset the ‘Bush Lied, People Died’ Narrative
Iraq’s chemical weapons are back in the news. The New York Times reported that American troops found roughly 5,000 chemical warheads, shells and aviation bombs since the Iraq War began. Then last week The Washington Post reported the Islamic State terrorist group had used chlorine gas against Iraqi police officers. What’s going on? We’ve been… -
opinion
‘Integrity’ Panel Has Opportunity to Check Governor’s Use of Fund
RICHMOND — When Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s Commission to Ensure Integrity and Public Confidence compiles its legislative agenda, the panel could start by revoking one of his vetoes and resurrecting an ethics bill related to his office. The Governor’s Opportunity Fund has given $199.4 million to new or expanding companies since 1994. McAuliffe this year… -
news
‘Grass March’ Turned Out to Be Final Ride for Original Sagebrush Rebel
Grant Gerber, a longtime Nevada rancher, attorney and land-rights activist, died last Saturday from injuries sustained during his cross-country ride in the Grass March on Washington, D.C. Earlier this month, Gerber, a 72-year-old county commissioner of Elko County, Nev., who earned a Bronze Star in Vietnam, led a group of ranchers and grassroots activists on… -
news
Candidate for Governor Says She Wasn’t Fired by Her Family, but ‘Downsized’
MADISON, Wis. — Responding to allegations she was fired from her family’s firm in the 1990s, Mary Burke now says she was a victim of downsizing at Trek Bicycle Corp. “We reorganized and eliminated the position that I had, and I left that organization in charge of two other people who reported directly to the… -
news
Virginia Braces for Aftershocks from Wallops Rocket Explosion
The failed launch and fiery explosion at the Wallops Island spaceport could blow up Virginia’s projected financial windfall at the commercial site. The state invested $26 million in 2009 to bring privately operated space flights to the Eastern Shore. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport was estimated to generate $4.25 billion for Virginia’s economy through 2020. After the… -
news
Why Tunisia Might Be America’s First ‘Truly Democratic Partner’ in the Arab World
Tunisia has been billed as the success story of the Arab Spring. As countries such as Syria, Libya and Egypt struggle with conflict, Tunisia — the birthplace of the Arab Spring in December 2010 — is positioning itself as a rare source of freedom and democracy in the region. “[Tunisia] offers the opportunity for the… -
opinion
Will Brazil Take a Hard Left Turn Down ALBA Avenue?
After a dirty and divisive campaign, President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil’s leftist Workers Party (PT) was narrowly re-elected last week to a second term over conservative opponent Aécio Neves (with just 51.6 percent of the vote). Apparently President Rousseff, 66, a former Marxist guerrilla, was able to convince a majority of Brazilian voters to overlook… -
news
Sharyl Attkisson Releases Chilling Video of Mysterious Deletions on Her Computer
Investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson, a senior independent contributor to The Daily Signal, released video showing what she believes to be a hacker deleting data from her computer right before her eyes. Attkisson began experiencing technological problems during her reporting of the 2012 terrorist attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, she writes in her new… -
opinion
10 Reasons Why Common Core Should Spook You This Halloween
Ghosts and goblins aren’t the only things causing unease this Halloween. With their children settled into the 2014-15 school year, parents have growing concerns about the impact of Common Core. Here are 10 reasons why Common Core national standards and tests take American education in the wrong direction: Loss of state and local control. Adopting… -
opinion
States Have Legal Authority to Quarantine Citizens Exposed to Ebola
Lost in the debate about whether New Jersey or Maine should enact quarantine against a nurse who just returned from treating Ebola patients in West Africa is the law as it pertains to quarantines at the state level. Setting aside the politics of a state government enacting quarantine, or the heavy-handed lectures from the White… -
opinion
How Ebola Outbreak Could Affect the Price of Chocolate
You soon could be paying more when you buy a candy bar. Recently, there was a temporary spike in the price of cocoa, the key ingredient in chocolate, likely due to fears connected to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. According to the International Cocoa Organization, an intergovernmental commodity organization, the majority of the world’s… -
opinion
Ebola Preparedness: Yearning for Yesteryear
Earlier this week, The Heritage Foundation hosted the session “Ebola: U.S. Domestic and Foreign Policy Options,” presented by three former colleagues of mine: Dr. Bob Kadlec, Dr. Tevi Troy, and Dr. Tara O’Toole. Together with Heritage researcher Charlotte Florance, they participated in a thoughtful discussion that skipped the hyperbole and instead provided much needed perspective… -
opinion
Lawsuit Against AT&T Over Slowing Customers’ Internet Shows We Have Enough Internet Regulations
On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission sued AT&T—the nation’s second largest wireless broadband provider—for allegedly slowing certain wireless customers’ Internet speeds even though those customers were on “unlimited” plans. AT&T claims it did nothing wrong and had notified customers of the change. The FTC handles these sorts of disputes all the time. Importantly though, the… -
opinion
The 7 Scariest Uses of Your Tax Dollars in 2014
Sen. Tom Coburn’s annual “Wastebook” chronicles the most outrageous government waste—spending that is so frightening that it taxpayers ought to be scared. Halloween is upon us, so what better way to document some of the wackiest examples than with the short horror flick above. “Only someone with too much of someone else’s money and not… -
opinion
13 Photos You Don’t Want to Miss From This Week’s News
Too busy collecting costume materials to keep up with headlines this week? No worries. We've collected some of the best news photography from this week's trending stories to catch you up before trick-or-treaters come knocking. Last Friday, Hillary Clinton declared that businesses and corporations don’t create jobs. On Oct. 28, she clarified things. Lady Liberty celebrated… -
news
US Lawmen Allowed Drug Cartels’ Grenade Trafficker to Move Freely, Report Finds
A long-awaited report from the Department of Justice’s inspector general sharply criticizes U.S. law enforcement officials for allowing a grenade trafficker for vicious Mexican drug cartels to operate unfettered, endangering public safety. The Office of the Inspector General calls the federal operation “poorly conceived and executed” and “particularly irresponsible" because of information agents had about a dangerous suspect. >>> Stonewalled:… -
news
Caught on Tape: Lindsey Graham Riffs on White Men and Baptists in Leaked Recordings
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is considering a run for president, was caught on tape at a private gathering this month saying, “White men who are in male-only clubs are going to do great in my presidency.” In the meeting, Graham, a Republican, also joked about Baptists, saying “they’re the ones who drink and…