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
Chart: How Much Fast-Food Prices Would Rise If Employers Paid $15 an Hour
As thousands of fast-food workers participate in strikes today pushing for their wages to be raised to $15 an hour, it’s important to remember the consequences that such a steep raise could have. According to a new report released today by James Sherk, a labor policy expert at The Heritage Foundation, such an increase could result in… -
news
City Surprises Taxpayers With Monthly Fee to Fix Potholes
DULUTH, Minn.—All one needs to do to get a clue about the scope of this city’s street repair problem is log on to the local government website. In recent days, people who clicked on the “Duluth Progress” tab to view a list of street-improvement projects ran into a “404” error message on the face of a… -
opinion
14 Percent of Americans Are Food Insecure: What that Really Means
More than 14 percent of American households are “food insecure,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual “Household Food Security” report. But does this mean, as media reports have suggested in the past, these households are experiencing “pangs of chronic hunger?” Actually, no. Food insecurity and hunger are not synonymous. USDA defines food insecurity… -
news
This State Just Made Backyard Bird Feeders Illegal … by Accident
Residents of Mississippi with backyard bird feeders could run afoul of new state regulations that prohibit the “supplementary feeding” of wild animals. The new rules appear to have been intended to limit the use of outdoor salt licks and other types of feeders designed for deer, but would apply to all animals, including birds. “Feeding… -
opinion
Local News Airs ‘Homework Helper’ Videos for Parents Struggling With Common Core Requirements
“When you and I were in school, we used to just memorize 9 plus 6 equals 15. Not anymore. With the Common Core, students need to understand why that’s the case.” It took a teacher 56 seconds to explain how to add 9 plus 6. This is the introduction to the first of six “Homework… -
opinion
Be Careful What You Wish For
Jared Bernstein, former chief economist for Vice President Joe Biden, argues that it is time to “dethrone” the U.S. dollar. Bernstein bases his argument on new research by Treasury Department economist Kenneth Austin. According to Bernstein: [T]he new research reveals that what was once a privilege is now a burden, undermining job growth, pumping up… -
news
Phil Robertson Delivered Quite a Zinger During a TV Interview Yesterday. And No, It’s Not About ISIS.
“Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson’s appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” last night earned him headlines across a host of media outlets from The Washington Post to Time for a comment he made about the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. But it’s the zinger he delivered at the end of the interview that is worth watching. -
news
Mother of Jailed Marine Asks White House to Expedite Release From Mexico Prison
Nearly 135,000 people have signed a petition demanding the release of Marine Corps Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi from a Mexico prison, prompting an official response from the White House and a rebuke from the reservist’s mother. “The U.S. State Department continues to provide extensive consular assistance to Mr. Tahmooressi,” stated the official White House response. “We… -
news
Islamic State Beheads a Second American Journalist, Warns of More Executions
The Islamic State terrorist group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, claims to have beheaded a second American journalist, Steven Joel Sotloff. A video of the execution was made public by jihadist monitoring organization SITE Intel Group. ISIS also threatened the execution of British hostage David Cawthorne Haines, sending a tweet today that read: #IS… -
news
Muslim Cleric Makes 9/11 Joke, Then Says CNN Host Lacks ‘Sense of Humor’
Muslim cleric Anjam Choudary was doing a normal sound check before appearing on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” yesterday when he suddenly stopped counting and said the numbers 9/11, 7/7, 3/11 — dates of deadly terror attacks. Host Brian Stelter asked his guest, “Is this all some sort of joke to you?” Choudary’s response left Stelter speechless. -
news
U.S. Government Lost Track of 6,000 Foreign Nationals of ‘Heightened Concern’
More than 6,000 foreign nationals in the United States on student visas have vanished after overstaying their time here, raising alarm at the Department of Homeland Security. The federal agency is now working to find them after losing track of their whereabouts. Officials at the federal agency told ABC News there are more than 58,000… -
news
Q&A: Can the World Count on the U.N. to Fight ISIS Terrorists?
Top officials for the United Nations last week announced the terrorist group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, committed crimes against humanity “on an unimaginable scale.” On Monday, the international organization followed up by sending a fact-finding team to Iraq to investigate these claims. Whether the U.N. will act on its findings is yet to be… -
opinion
War on Kids: Neighbor Begs Government to Shut Child’s Lemonade Stand
On the corner of Patricia Avenue and San Salvador Drive in a Dunedin, Fla., neighborhood, 12-year-old T.J. Guerrero operates a lemonade stand to raise money for summer activities with his friends and family. His stand is usually open in the afternoon, and customers line up to sample his lemonade and baked goods. “I tried the… -
opinion
Why the Left Sees Hispanics as Agents of Change
Heritage Foundation senior fellow Mike Gonzalez talks about his new book, “A Race for the Future,” released today. >>> First Look: Mike Gonzalez’s ‘A Race for the Future: How Conservatives Can Break the Liberal Monopoly on Hispanic Americans’ -
news
4 Everyday Americans Hurt by Operation Choke Point
Countless business owners across America have lost bank accounts because of a Justice Department initiative called “Operation Choke Point.” According to a House report, the secretive effort pressures financial institutions to deny a variety of legal businesses access to the very banking system they need to survive, simply because the Obama administration finds the businesses objectionable…. -
opinion
How Cities and Counties Can Free Workers from Bullying Unions
Under the National Labor Relations Act, states may pass right-to-work (RTW) laws. In jurisdictions without these laws, unions can force workers to pay dues (although they cannot force them to actually join the union). Almost half of all states have passed worker-friendly RTW laws to protect workers from union coercion. What about the employees in… -
opinion
Taxpayers Shouldn’t Have to Support Leftist Foreign Policy Centers at Universities
The foreign crises that have challenged the Obama Administration this summer are not the result of a happenstance outbreak of global chaos, but of bad policy choices. From the Middle East to our own border to the Eurasian steppe, President Obama’s “lead from behind” chickens—his wanton abandonment of America’s leadership role—have come home to roost…. -
news
Rep. Pete King: Islamic State Does Plan on Attacking U.S.
During an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y., reminded viewers al-Qaeda didn’t need an “excuse” to attack the United States on Sept. 11, 2001 and said the Islamic State wouldn’t need one either. “They will attack us whenever they can,” he said. King criticized President Obama for waiting to act against… -
news
Rep. Mike Rogers: ‘Hundreds’ of Americans Connected to Islamic State
One of the concerns other countries have regarding the Islamic State is citizens who have trained with the terrorist group using their passports to return home and carry out an attack. On “Fox News Sunday”, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., told host Chris Wallace there are “hundreds” of Americans connected to the Islamic State. “The problem… -
news
Report: These Five States Have Highest Liability Per Taxpayer
Taxpayers in Alaska who enjoy keeping their money will be happy to see a new report that claims the country’s 49th state is best able to fund its obligations. Residents of Connecticut may not feel as good. The Truth in Accounting report ranks the states by “taxpayer burden,” a measure that represents the amount each…