Daily news coverage of politics, policy, and issues shaping the nation.
A government watchdog overseeing the Department of Health and Human Services delivered the grim financial state of nearly all of the co-ops—that collectively received $2.4 billion—created under Obamacare several months ago. Now, following the collapse of six of the 23 that launched in 2013, the co-ops, or consumer oriented and operated plans, face an uphill…
Under pressure from a federal lawsuit, Savannah, Ga., may bow out of an ongoing legal battle Thursday that would dismantle the city’s tour guide regulations and allow anyone to speak to willing customers about the city’s rich history. The Savannah City Council is voting this afternoon to repeal its decades-old ordinance that bars tour guides…
SEOUL, South Korea—North Korea will be at the top of the agenda when President Barack Obama meets with his South Korean counterpart Park Geun-hye at the White House Friday. Shining light on North Korea’s human rights abuses has been a priority of activist Shin Dong-hyuk for a decade. He wants the international community to know…
A new surge in Palestinian-Israeli attacks is drawing international attention because of its uniqueness. Since the Jewish high holidays, young Palestinians unaffiliated with any formal political movement—many using knives and inspired by social media—have carried out attacks at a near daily rate. But while the violence, which has also included retaliatory attacks by Israeli authorities,…
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., describes Rep. Paul Ryan as “the one person” who can unify the Republican Party. And Congressman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, calls him “a great messenger.” But some conservatives say Ryan is an unacceptable choice for the next speaker of the House. A hesitant job candidate, Ryan has generated both praise and criticism…
Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit legal organization that works to defend religious liberty, has filed a complaint in federal court against a California law that forces pro-life crisis pregnancy centers to promote abortion providers. The Reproductive FACT Act, recently approved by the California Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, D-Calif., requires pregnancy centers to…
The number of sanctuary cities in the United States has risen to 340, resulting in the release of roughly 1,000 detained illegal immigrants each month despite objections from the federal government, according to a new study. The Center for Immigration Studies, a nonprofit organization that advocates for decreased immigration, reported that local authorities acting in these…
The city of Atlanta made “dangerous” admissions in a court hearing today, argued the lawyer for the former Atlanta fire chief who was terminated from his job after controversy related to a religious book he authored that included his views on homosexuality. “[The city] actually argued that you’re entitled to have beliefs and opinions, but…
In a new blow to Obamacare, the Kentucky Health Cooperative has decided not to offer health insurance plans for 2016. The Kentucky co-op (Consumer Oriented and Operated Plan), a nonprofit health insurer created with federal taxpayer funds under Obamacare, announced its fold on Friday. “It is with sadness that we announce this decision,” said Kentucky Health Cooperative…
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a nonprofit law firm dedicated to preserving religious liberty for people of all faiths, filed a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, asking it to hear the case of the Little Sisters of the Poor. The Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of Catholic nuns who…
Lawmakers have requested that a bust of Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, be removed from the National Portrait Gallery. Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Louie Gohmert, both Texas Republicans, sent a letter to Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery, demanding the bust’s removal. Twenty-four House Republicans also signed the letter. In a…
A Democratic congresswoman is pushing legislation that would give states that have legalized marijuana the authority to bypass the federal government’s ban on the drug. Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington said last week her bill would bridge the differences between state and federal law by allowing states that are “effectively” regulating marijuana to waive the…
Brit Hume, the senior political analyst at Fox News, and David Limbaugh, an author and political commentator, had a lively Twitter discussion on Tuesday regarding a battle within the Republican Party between its conservative and moderate members. Many conservatives have found themselves frustrated by what they see as a lack of action by the Republican…
Gianna Jessen wasn’t supposed to live. But she did. Born alive after her biological mother’s botched late-term abortion at a California Planned Parenthood clinic, Jessen was rushed to a hospital after a nurse called 911. In an interview with The Daily Signal, Jessen, now a pro-life speaker and activist, said that abortion supporters must deny her…
Insurers lost at least 12 percent on Affordable Care Act plans in 2014, according to a new report. The author of the report, Brian Blase, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, told The Daily Signal in an interview that the losses will mean higher premiums for consumers. He said that…
Proposals to stop state and local governments from deducting union dues from their employees’ paychecks are likely to gain traction in coming months, those on both sides of the issue say. Such “payroll protection” measures arise as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to decide next year on a free speech challenge to rules compelling…
Terry Shea opened a small gift boutique in Hoover, Ala., 11 years ago. Four years later, at the height of the recession in 2009, Shea and her business partner, Sarah Brown, opened another store in the lively college town of Auburn, where their boutique, Wrapsody, has since become a community staple. Now Shea worries that…
Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian was convicted in Iran on espionage charges after being detained in Tehran for more than a year, Iranian media reported Sunday. The verdict sparked immediate backlash from U.S. lawmakers, reviving GOP-led charges against President Barack Obama’s signature Iran nuclear agreement. Republican Reps. Lee Zeldin of New York, Peter Roskam of Illinois,…
Planned Parenthood Federation of America announced today it would no longer accept reimbursements for tissue donated to researchers from aborted babies. The policy change comes in wake of ongoing attacks against the organization that were triggered by a string of undercover videos produced by the Center for Medical Progress. Those videos have raised questions about…
PANGONG LAKE, India—At dawn, the old man stood outside his home on the Indian side of Pangong Lake, thumbing his prayer beads and chanting, “Om mani padme hum.” The sun was rising from behind a wall of Himalayan peaks on the opposite shore, which was Tibet. The old man’s face, which had been darkly tanned…