Daily news coverage of politics, policy, and issues shaping the nation.
The battle over the Obama administration’s effort to require convenience stores, pizzerias, and other eateries to list calorie counts for food offerings goes next to the Senate, with the House’s passage of legislation to rein in the Obamacare-related regulations. “Accidentally putting too many pickles on a sandwich and increasing its calorie count shouldn’t be a criminal offense,”…
Lawmakers from both parties exchanged salvos Sunday over who should fill the Supreme Court seat vacated Saturday by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. After news of Scalia’s death, Senate Republicans quickly dug in, promising to block President Obama’s nominee to replace him. Led by Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., they pledged to keep…
The fight over who should fill Antonin Scalia’s seat on the Supreme Court broke out quickly after the justice’s death Saturday. Both parties wasted little time marking the battle lines for a clash that could continue until President Barack Obama leaves office. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made his position clear just hours after the…
Justice Antonin Scalia, who died Saturday during his 29th year on the Supreme Court, was known for a sharp wit as well as a brilliant legal mind, and he expressed both with his tongue as well as his pen. Here is just a sample: 1. “What is a moderate interpretation of the text? Halfway between what it really…
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died from natural causes while visiting friends in West Texas on Saturday morning. He was 79. News of the conservative justice’s death was first reported by the San Antonio Express and later confirmed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Shortly after, Chief Justice John Roberts released a statement saying he was…
Conservative lawmakers say Congress should investigate the number of millionaires who qualify for and enroll in government-sponsored health insurance under Obamacare, a trend exposed in a Daily Signal report earlier this week. At the monthly Capitol Hill event Conversations with Conservatives, lawmakers in attendance discussed a recent Daily Signal report involving people with high net…
Lawmakers speaking at the recent Conservative Policy Summit in Washington shared hopeful visions of what could be accomplished if Americans embrace conservative reforms. The public will be won over by real solutions, “not talking points,” Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., said during the afternoon session. The Conservative Policy Summit, an annual event organized by Heritage Action for America,…
KYIV, Ukraine—Ivona Kostyna couldn’t leave the war even if she wanted to. It was December 2014 and, at age 18, the civilian volunteer was delivering supplies to Ukrainian troops stationed in the front-line town of Debaltseve. Her car broke down, and in the six days it took to make repairs she lived among the soldiers….
West Virginia Republicans overrode a veto by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on Friday, successfully passing right-to-work. Tomblin, a Democrat, vetoed the measure Thursday after expressing concern that it would not help stimulate the economy as some claimed. The policy outlaws mandatory union dues or fees as a condition of employment. Republicans argued that it could…
An annual report examining physician-assisted suicide trends in Oregon shows a growing number of individuals seeking to die under the state’s Death with Dignity Act. "In the past two years the number of deaths as a result of physician-assisted suicide in Oregon has nearly doubled,” said Ryan T. Anderson, who researches and writes on physician-assisted…
Ohio Gov. John Kasich is expected to sign a bill defunding Planned Parenthood, making Ohio the ninth state to do so since undercover videos exposed the abortion provider’s apparent role in harvesting the body parts of aborted babies. The bill, H.B. 294, ensures that state and certain federal funds are not used to perform or promote…
There wasn’t any arm-twisting or shouting inside a closed-door Republican huddle on Capitol Hill. Instead, House Speaker Paul Ryan brought charts and graphs to plot how he thinks the GOP can move forward if they stomach a budget that increases government spending. A source inside the room tells The Daily Signal that Ryan laid out…
Running his business, Gregory Bone says he did “everything we could” to avoid a conflict. His industry—payday lending—is overseen by state and federal officials. But despite his clean record, Bone said U.S. Bank informed him on Jan. 22 that his checking account was being abruptly shut down. The only explanation for it, Bone said, was…
Students at 36 schools across the country are campaigning to bring back dating just in time for Valentine’s Day. Students from Princeton University to Stanford University, and many schools in between, partnered with the Love and Fidelity Network this week to host flower and candy giveaways, film screenings, discussions, and lectures—all designed to encourage college students…
An effort to repeal a rule allowing transgender persons to use public bathrooms or locker rooms of their choice was rejected by a one-vote margin in Washington state. The state Senate narrowly defeated the repeal bill, 24-25. “It is unfortunate that the state Senate chose to ignore the right to privacy that everyone in Washington state has long enjoyed…
A bipartisan agreement reached in December to advance five of President Barack Obama’s judicial nominees was fulfilled Thursday when the Senate voted unanimously, 93-0, to confirm Leonard Strand as a federal district judge in Iowa. Seven senators didn’t cast vote, including five Republicans. Strand’s confirmation is the last piece of a package deal brokered by…
House conservatives are closing ranks as the next battle over the federal budget looms. They’re pushing Republican leadership for a budget that lowers the top-line spending number and reflects conservative policy priorities. They want what Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., called “a budget that Republicans support.” First they’ll have to scrap the numbers negotiated by outgoing House…
Conservative members of Congress think Republicans could improve on their outreach to the black community. “I think we need to do a better job of reaching out to the African American community,” Rep. Raúl Labrador, R-Idaho, said at The Heritage Foundation’s monthly Conversations With Conservatives. “We need to do a better job of showing the…
Three senators have challenged the head of a U.S.-funded Internet management organization to show that his leadership role in a Chinese-run conference doesn't conflict with his commitment to an open Internet. Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla.; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; and Mike Lee, R-Utah, last week sent a letter to Fadi Chehadé, chief executive officer of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names…
Republicans in the Senate are divided over how to overhaul the nation’s criminal justice system, posing a potential setback to lawmakers who hoped to enact major bipartisan changes this year. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, remains a key player in reform efforts, actively promoting legislation that would scale back the nation’s high incarceration rates and reduce a ballooned prison population…