Vaccine & COVID News
The Daily Signal provides explore reporting and analysis on vaccines, from COVID mandates to public health controversies, with a focus on personal liberty and informed choice.
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opinion
Congress Should Streamline Existing COVID-19 Relief, Not Add New Programs
Congress likes to spend money and create new programs, but when it comes to coronavirus recovery, lawmakers need to keep it simple. Congress already has authorized more than $3.6 trillion of relief, of which to date only about half has been spent. Simple relief is effective relief. The congressional response should remain targeted at containing… -
opinion
How Extended COVID-19 Lockdowns Pose a Serious Threat to Mental Health
Americans’ mental and emotional health can’t be ignored in the fight against COVID-19. Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services for mental health and substance use, joins the show to explain the physiological effects of extended isolation. McCance-Katz is both an epidemiologist and a psychiatrist. That enables her to… -
opinion
Putting the COVID-19 Surge in Florida in Context
Florida is melting down. Or is it? While the state has shown a big increase in the number of daily new COVID-19 cases, there also are signs that those increases might not lead to a spike in hospitalizations and deaths. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only Democrat elected statewide, painted a grim picture. >>> What's… -
opinion
Court to Lawmakers: It’s Not OK to Treat Churches and Businesses Differently During COVID-19
You can treat churches differently—but you can’t get away with it. That was one federal court’s message to New York leaders last week, when it called out the state’s double standards on coronavirus orders. Hypocrisy, which has been spreading faster than COVID, won’t stand up to the legal challenge, Judge Gary Sharpe warned. Liberals may… -
news
4 Points to Understand the COVID-19 Surge in Texas
Texas has seen a significant surge in coronavirus cases in the past two weeks, joining other Sun Belt states. Here are four things to know about the increase in positive tests for COVID-19 in the Lone Star State. 1. What’s the Caseload in Texas? Texas has almost 168,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday,… -
opinion
Paused COVID-19 Reopenings Reflect Setbacks, Not a Failure of Protocols
The recent surges in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Texas, Florida, and California have forced their governors to pause their states’ reopening plans to restrict further spread and to prevent area medical systems from being overwhelmed. Some are claiming that means reopening plans are not working and represent reckless behavior. In reality, however, the… -
opinion
Congress and the Administration Should Advance Free Trade to Aid in COVID-19 Economic Recovery
Relations between the U.S. and China are increasingly icy, and justifiably so given China’s mishandling of COVID-19 and its undermining of Hong Kong’s autonomy. However, even as overall tensions rise, it is important to remember that the trade dispute between the U.S. and China continues to take a toll on the U.S. economy and the… -
opinion
Despite COVID-19, US Can’t Afford to Cut Defense Spending
This is part of a series on the importance of U.S. national security and achieving peace through strength. Both long have been Heritage Foundation principles and a great foundation for America’s national power. Some voices call for a reduction in defense spending to focus on COVID-19, but the need to fully fund our military never… -
news
Fauci, Birx Cite ‘Crowds’ and ‘Protests’ in Surge of COVID-19 Cases
The recent surge in COVID-19 cases primarily is occurring among younger Americans, members of the White House coronavirus task force said Friday. The five states that have been hit the hardest with a major uptick in positive tests for the new coronavirus are California, Texas, Florida, Arizona, and New Mexico. “One of the things we… -
news
USDA Ships 1.6 Million Food Boxes in COVID-19 Relief Program
After delivering 1.6 million boxes of food to food banks across the country, the Department of Agriculture is in the final stages of deciding which cities and states have been hurt the most economically by the COVID-19 pandemic to ascertain where to send additional food for needy families. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to… -
opinion
Let’s Not Overlook Education of Military Kids in Responding to COVID-19
America’s service members long have been concerned about the lack of access to effective schools for their children. In fact, more than a third of active-duty service members have considered leaving the military altogether because of the school their child would have to attend at their next duty station. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated these… -
opinion
Focusing Public Policy on Nursing Homes Could Cut COVID-19 Deaths by Half
Here’s a question for public policy: If you could cut the COVID-19 death rate in half, would you do it? Policymakers could do that, if they act accordingly by greatly increasing testing of both residents and staff at nursing homes and other extended care facilities, the hottest of hot spots for coronavirus deaths. By now,… -
opinion
Media Itching for Second Wave of COVID-19
The news media is churning out countless alarmist stories each day about the threat of COVID-19 and the dangers of societal reopening. “Risk of new lockdown rises with fear of second COVID-19 wave,” writes Reuters, as one example of the genre. These stories generally incite, rather than inform. They cherry-pick facts and lack context. Only when the… -
opinion
China Must Be Held Accountable for COVID-19 Pandemic, Arkansas Attorney General Says
Eighteen state attorneys general have signed onto a letter requesting that Congress investigate China’s role in the coronavirus pandemic. One of the signatories of the letter, Leslie Rutledge, the attorney general of Arkansas, joins The Daily Signal Podcast to discuss why and how China should be held accountable. She also discusses the Supreme Court’s decision last… -
opinion
During Ebola Pandemic, Liberia Held Political Rallies
While President Donald Trump has endured criticism from some for planning to hold one of his first political campaign rallies Saturday evening in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when many parts of the country are reopening after being shut down due to the COVID-19 threat, political observers should remember that Liberia managed to hold political rallies in 2014… -
news
Why COVID-19 and Our Racial Divide Make This Father’s Day Significant
The COVID-19 crisis and racial tensions make Father’s Day more important this year than most, says a social scientist and author who argues for the importance of fathers, especially in the development of boys to men. “We talk about no child left behind, but we also need to make sure no parent is left behind,”… -
opinion
Why Democracy and Free Markets Are the Best Antidotes to Pandemics
In a recent article, The Economist provided compelling evidence that “democracies contain epidemics most effectively.” According to the article’s analysis, … most data suggest that political freedom can be a tonic against disease. The Economist has [analyzed] epidemics from 1960 to 2019. Though these outbreaks varied in contagiousness and lethality, a clear correlation emerged. Among… -
news
Prioritizing Federal Activity More Important in Wake of COVID-19
As America works toward bringing the COVID-19 pandemic under control, it is vital that the public and leaders make smart and informed decisions. To that end, The Heritage Foundation’s National Coronavirus Recovery Commission has released its final report, which features recommendations for policymakers, civil society, families, and businesses. Although most of the commission’s recommendations focus… -
opinion
Responding to the Coronavirus Crisis and Building a Stronger Health Sector for the Future
Editor’s note: This is an open letter to the American people from 83 participants in the Health Policy Consensus Group and other health care leaders. Please see the full list of signatories at the end of this letter. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the need for flexibility in our health sector and for public officials… -
opinion
After COVID-19, Only US Can Lead Way on Economic Recovery
The world never stops turning. Troubled times at home or not, the need for American leadership never lessens. Although the meeting of the Group of Seven leaders has been postponed, Washington should get the get-together back on track. The administration must build consensus for a free world post-COVID-19 economic recovery partnership and cement the deal…