Washington Politics & News
The Daily Signal covers Washington state politics with reporting on progressive Seattle policies, rural-urban divides, tax debates, and political divisions between Western and Eastern Washington.
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news
Why These Americans From 14 States Came to Washington for Trump’s Inauguration
They came by the thousands from all over America to support the man they said can turn around economic, social, and other ills as the nation’s 45th president. The Daily Signal visited the National Mall, where an inaugural concert was held Thursday night, and the Capitol grounds, where Donald Trump was sworn in at noon… -
news
Trump’s Entrepreneurial Approach Threatens the Washington Establishment, Says Newt Gingrich
President-elect Donald Trump is on a collision course with the Washington establishment, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Thursday. A city that is accustomed to doing things a certain way contrasts sharply with Trump’s entrepreneurial approach, he observed. Gingrich spoke at The Heritage Foundation for the second of a six-part series on understanding Trump and… -
opinion
Live From Washington, It’s The Daily Signal
You may have noticed that when we describe The Daily Signal, we refer to it as a “multimedia” news organization. That’s because there’s not just one way to tell a story or cover an issue. Sometimes, the best way is via the written word and photos. Other times, it is through a series of information… -
opinion
Artists’ Free Speech Rights at Stake in Washington Florist Case
An African-American marketer should not be forced to create an advertising campaign for a white supremacist group. Nor should a Muslim graphic designer be required to develop a webpage promoting Jewish teachings, or a Democrat freelance writer be ordered to draft political speeches for Republicans. Most agree with this, but Washington state Attorney General Bob… -
news
Trump Outlines 6 Steps He’ll Take to ‘Drain the Swamp’ in Washington
In a video message released Monday, President-elect Donald Trump told Americans the first executive actions he’ll take on Jan. 20 to “drain the swamp” in Washington. They include, in Trump’s words: “On trade, I am going to issue our notification of intent to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a potential disaster for our country. Instead,… -
news
Washington Florist Case Goes Before the State Supreme Court
The Washington Supreme Court on Tuesday heard the case of a 72-year-old florist who is facing fines after declining to make flower arrangements for a gay couple’s wedding. During the hearing, lawyers for the florist, Barronelle Stutzman, were asked to explain how declining to make flower arrangements for a same-sex wedding is different from discrimination… -
opinion
Washington Should Be More Concerned About the Next Generation Than the Next Election
It’s no secret that Americans are fed up with Washington’s lack of results. Less than 20 percent of respondents in a recent Gallup survey said they trust the federal government to do its job. You know what, they’re right. Somebody has to be responsible for the mess in Washington. For too long, career politicians have… -
news
Washington Couple Fights Government After Police Seize Car Son Was Borrowing
Terry and Maria Platt haven’t been to Arizona in more than 30 years, and they weren’t driving the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta that belongs to them when police in the Grand Canyon State seized it in May. In fact, Terry Platt, 77, and Maria Platt, 74, who goes by Ria, were five states away in Prosser,… -
opinion
Washington at Its Worst: Senate Passes Nonexistent Bill
On Tuesday night, the Senate voted to proceed to the continuing resolution, a bill that will allegedly fund the government until Dec. 9. The only problem is that there isn’t actually a bill yet. There is no text. There is no agreement between Democrats and Republicans on what the bill will fund—Planned Parenthood, the Export-Import… -
opinion
The Great George Washington Bridge Scandal, Part II
The federal traffic-jam prosecution of two former officials in New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s administration begins this week. The officials reduced access for one week to the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, New Jersey, to New York as political payback against the mayor of Fort Lee for not supporting their boss in his re-election… -
opinion
How Washington Has Hurt Native Americans
If the idea behind U.S. policy in the early 20th century was either to help Indians or to help white settlers, the easiest way of accomplishing this would’ve been to grant a simple title to the land to either group and let each do what they wanted. But, “had the land been given directly to… -
opinion
The Most Dangerous Period in Washington Could Be About to Happen
The lame-duck session is the most dangerous period in the nation’s capital that you’ve never heard of. There are nearly two months in between Election Day in November and the swearing-in of the newly elected Congress in January. This period is known as the lame-duck session, because many of the voting members won’t be returning… -
opinion
‘Blueprint for Reform’ Gives Desperately Needed Guidance to Washington
The barbaric attack in Nice, the slaughter of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, and Hillary Clinton’s umpteenth legal cakewalk leave many Americans feeling angry and powerless—and understandably so. The social contract seems to have been shredded by the mayhem that envelops us. But the upcoming election and change of administration offer Americans an… -
opinion
Booker T. Washington and the Promise of Racial Reconciliation
We are all trying to recalibrate our praise and blame of Americans once revered as “great.” Yale University is rightly conflicted over John C. Calhoun, and the state of Maryland is rightly conflicted over Roger B. Taney. Given the major role these two men played in hardening pro-slavery sentiment and hastening the Civil War, I… -
news
K-12 Gender Identity Standards Surprise Some Washington Parents
Kaeley Triller Haver is no stranger to the transgender bathroom debate. After being sexually assaulted as a child and going public with her story, the single mom from Washington state now opposes shower, locker room, and bathroom policies that she believes leave her and her daughter vulnerable and unsafe. So earlier this month, when she found… -
opinion
Washington Insiders Gut Military JAG Litigation Track
No wonder so many Americans on the left and right are disgusted and fed up with career Washington bureaucrats and insiders. Common sense ideas which folks outside the beltway understand and take for granted are hard to come by inside the beltway. Exhibit A is the novel idea—to the Army, Air Force, and some key… -
opinion
How Washington Politicians Wasted Billions Trying to ‘Invest in Our Future’
The federal government has wasted billions on energy projects promising to usher in a new energy future. All Washington can do is play favorites when picking energy options (think Solyndra). Why? Because revolutions don’t come from the government—they come from the people, and the same holds true for energy. Despite many attempts to force it,… -
opinion
Washington’s Bureaucracy Strikes Again
If you want to understand the corruption, deceit, and might-makes-right culture at the core of the federal government’s dysfunction and disgrace today, look no farther than the two big stories out of Washington last week. On Monday, President Barack Obama’s Treasury Department released sweeping new regulations effectively rewriting the tax code to make it even more… -
opinion
Green Subsidies Bill Perfectly Illustrates Washington’s Spending Addiction
Christmas came early last year for green companies looking for Washington handouts after Congress passed legislation extending massive subsides for wind, solar, and other renewable energy companies. Now the Senate is attempting to ensure that Christmas comes again for these same companies by expanding the qualifying sources for green goodies. Free enterprise, not the federal… -
news
Kyiv, Washington Agree: Russian Threat Isn’t Going Away
KYIV, Ukraine—The Ukraine war is going into its third year, and leaders in Washington and Kyiv are bracing for the possibility that Russian military brinkmanship may be the new status quo in Eastern Europe. In Ukraine, some worry the time soon may be ripe for an uptick in the Russian-backed war in the eastern part…