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
15 Photos From This Week’s News Stories You Should See
Ebola is still leading news coverage, but this week, the headlines were joined by a fashion designer and an honorable Canadian soldier. Thanks to talented photo journalists, we have a recap here. In Turkey, families gathered for the funeral of three Kurdish fighters killed by ISIS. Legendary fashion designed Oscar de la Renta died Oct…. -
opinion
The Wrongdoers at the IRS Get Away Scot-Free
Federal district court Judge Reggie Walton has dismissed two lawsuits filed against the IRS, Lois Lerner and other agency employees by True the Vote, Linchpins of Liberty and forty other conservative organizations that were targeted by the IRS. They were subjected to long delays in receiving their tax-exempt status and were inappropriately forced to provide… -
opinion
New Mortgage Rule Exempts Everyone from the Rule
Federal regulators have finalized a new risk-retention rule, a process mandated by the 2010 Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Title IX of Dodd–Frank requires all mortgage securitizers—any firm that packages and sells mortgages into mortgage-backed securities (MBS)—to retain a 5 percent credit risk in the underlying mortgages. The logic behind the rule… -
opinion
Sugar Is Evil and Other Silly Claims in the Obesity Wars
Don’t go blaming willpower for the obesity epidemic–that’d be a “crime” according to the documentary “Fed Up,” by the producer of “An Inconvenient Truth” Laurie David and hosted by Katie Couric. The film, whose tagline is “the film the food industry doesn’t want you to see,” presents sugar as a harmful, addictive drug and dismisses… -
opinion
A Doctor’s Take: How Medical Professionals Can Take the Lead on Ebola
The situation surrounding the recent Ebola outbreak is changing rapidly. Since the spread of the deadly virus in West Africa and emergence of cases in the United States, the public has been on the receiving end of disparate accounts and misinformation, raising public anxiety and fostering insecurity. The Obama administration’s apparent lack of a coherent… -
opinion
Americans Today Should Say: ‘We’re All Canadians’
Yesterday, a Canadian soldier fell in the service of his country. He didn’t die on some far-off battlefield. A cowardly murderer shot him down as he stood guard honoring his nation’s war memorial. Americans should mourn this loss as well. We face a common threat. But, more importantly we lost a brother-in-arms. No nation has… -
opinion
Why Did CNN Think Bristol Palin Recounting Being Called a ‘F***ing C***’ Was Funny?
About three hours after this story was published, an apology statement from Costello was published in Politico. “Over the past few days I have been roundly criticized for joking about a brawl involving the Palin family. In retrospect, I deserve such criticism and would like to apologize,” Costello said. If Bristol Palin were Chelsea Clinton… -
news
In Chicago, Candidate Votes Republican, But His Vote Is Changed to Vote for Democrat
CHICAGO — Early voting in Illinois got off to a controversial start Monday, as votes being cast for Republican candidates were transformed into votes for Democrats. Republican state representative candidate Jim Moynihan went to vote Monday at the Schaumburg Public Library. “I tried to cast a vote for myself and instead it cast the vote… -
news
This Spunky College Intern Is the Face of the New Republican Ground Game
RALEIGH, N.C. — An app on his cracked iPhone has directed the new face of the Republican ground game to Currituck Street. Rhett Johnson parks his SUV stuffed with Chick-fil-A wrappers alongside a curb. His neon-orange running shoes touch ground. “I can’t do phone calls,” says Johnson, a 21-year-old political science student at North Carolina… -
opinion
Government Spends $1 Million to Study ‘Subversive Propaganda’ Online
Should the same federal government that improperly denied conservatives tax-exempt status and sought to investigate newsrooms now be tracking the Twitter hashtag #teaparty? Should it be the arbiter of what constitutes “misinformation” online or attempt to reduce “subversive propaganda”? Well, the bureaucracy thinks the answer to all those questions should be yes–and it has already… -
news
From Africa to the US: Ebola in One Timeline
President Obama calls the Ebola virus a “serious disease.” The World Health Organization classifies the outbreak an “international health emergency.” Below are the facts, tracking the spread of the West African epidemic to the United States. >>> Use the arrows to advance or jump to an event using the scrollbar at the bottom. -
opinion
The Good News About Ebola
As public health officials here and abroad take steps to cope with the Ebola virus disease outbreak, there are a few pieces of good news that merit highlighting. Nigeria declared Ebola-free. The World Health Organization declares an Ebola disease outbreak has ended within a country once 42 days have passed since the last day any… -
news
On This Issue, Matthew McConaughey Is Completely Politically Incorrect
It’s rare when someone in Hollywood takes the “politically incorrect” view on anything. So it’s not surprising that the most shared comments made by actor Matthew McConaughey in a cover story in GQ magazine are his remarks saying he didn’t think the Washington Redskins should have to change their team’s name or logo. From the… -
news
Indiana to Start Requiring Food Stamp Recipients Work, Be in Job Training, or Job Hunting
Next spring, thousands could be cut from Indiana’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Indiana has previously waived the federal requirement that SNAP recipients are either employed, actively seeking employment or in training for future employment. But now the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has announced that, as of 2015, the federal requirement will be enforced… -
news
Court: Illegal for Red Light Camera Operators to Give Citations to Drivers
MIAMI — Big changes could be coming to cities with red-light cameras after a Florida District Court of Appeals judge said it’s illegal for camera operators to issue citations to drivers. “In Florida, only law enforcement officers and traffic enforcement officers have the legal authority to issue citations for traffic infractions, which means only law… -
news
This Woman Had a Religious Item Taken From Her at Her Trial–Despite Having Judge’s Permission to Carry It
A Sikh woman had an article of her faith taken from her as she entered a federal building–despite having a judge’s permission to bring it to her trial. Kawal Tagore has sued the Internal Revenue Service, where she used to work as an accountant, and several other departments because she said they prevented her from… -
opinion
U.S. Must Block Renewed Efforts to Assert U.N. Authority Over the Internet at the International Telecommunication Union Conference
Two years ago, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) convened the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to review the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) that “serve as the binding global treaty designed to facilitate international interconnection and interoperability of information and communication services.” Under consideration were more than 400 proposals, some… -
news
‘Something to Say’: What It’s Like to Be a Third-Party Candidate in a Two-Party System
Life as a third-party candidate is far from easy. Those battling the two-party system often juggle campaigning with a 9-to-5 job and face tough hurdles just to get their names on the ballot. But despite working the campaign trail as best they can, third-party or independent candidates say they're in it to win it. And in… -
news
Twitter Temporarily Blocks Petition Supporting Houston Pastors
In response to subpoenas issued by the city of Houston to pastors who spoke out on same-sex marriage, a faith-based organization launched a petition demanding that the city end its “bullying.” Shortly after the group began spreading the petition using the hashtag #HoustonWeHaveAProblem, social media users discovered Twitter had blocked it. #HoustonWeHaveAProblem is no joke,… -
opinion
Watch This Man Get Arrested for Just Playing His Guitar in New York City
Watch out: dangerous guitar players could threaten you next! That seems to be the mindset of the New York Police Department. The NYPD recently arrested a local musician for loitering while playing the guitar in a New York subway station, despite reading word for word the law which allowed him to perform his music. The…