Daily news coverage of politics, policy, and issues shaping the nation.
A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation today that would end the travel ban between the U.S. and Cuba. The bill has an equal number of Democratic and Republican co-sponsors, showing how the Cuba issue defies normal party lines. “We’ve tried this current policy that we have prohibiting travel for about 50 years, and it…
Former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran has filed a federal complaint that he is a victim of religious discrimination after losing his job after his writing about his views on homosexuality attracted attention. Cochran, who is also a deacon at Elizabeth Baptist Church, was terminated after controversial passages about homosexuality were discovered in his book,…
While Winter Storm Juno might not have brought as much snow as some forecasters were predicting, parts of New England weren’t spared, with some locations suffering power outages and blizzard conditions. Elderly and disabled residents are struggling with snow removal, and one volunteer group wants to help them. Serve Rhode Island, a community service organization,…
LAS VEGAS — What does the gun industry think of Operation Choke Point? Last week at the 2015 Shot Show, which is the industry’s largest trade exhibition, The Daily Signal asked attendees what they think of the controversial government initiative. The program, which was designed by the Justice Department in 2012, has been criticized for…
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced Thursday that he is actively exploring the possibility of a presidential run in 2016. >>> Update: Graham declared his candidacy for president June 1 in his hometown of Central, S.C., saying: “I want to be president to defeat the enemies trying to kill us, not just penalize them or criticize them…
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson urged Congress today to stop using his agency’s budget as “political football,” warning that without more funding soon, it would make the job of securing the border more difficult. "The clock to Feb. 27 is ticking," he said in a speech at the Wilson Center in Washington, referring…
Megyn Kelly poked fun at herself and longtime Fox News colleague Mike Huckabee last night while giving the former Arkansas governor a chance to rebut reports that he criticized women at the cable network as routinely dropping the “f-bomb.” Huckabee recently left his own Fox show to promote his new book, “God, Guns, Grits and…
President Obama’s nominee for attorney general, Loretta Lynch, faced questions about the government’s controversial Operation Choke Point in her Senate testimony yesterday. “I’m generally familiar with the name Operation Choke Point,” she told Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, about the Justice Department initiative. “My general understanding of it is that it looks to target financial institutions…
In a segment on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” today, NBC foreign correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin described Chris Kyle, whose life is depicted in “American Sniper,” as going on “killing sprees.” Discussing Kyle, Mohyeldin talked about “how he viewed Iraqis, some of what people have described as his racist tendencies towards Iraqis and Muslims as he was going…
Sen. Rand Paul is reviving his push to audit the Federal Reserve. The Kentucky Republican and presumptive 2016 presidential candidate said he wants to bring several of the Fed’s monetary activities under congressional oversight. In a statement released Monday, Paul said it was time to end the secrecy behind the Fed. He believes an audit…
Sen. Ted Cruz wants to protect taxpayers from political targeting by the Internal Revenue Service. The Texas Republican introduced legislation yesterday making it crime to engage in such behavior as questions still linger about the full extent of the IRS scandal. This is not the first time Cruz has offered this type of legislation. In February 2014,…
In his State of the Union address, President Obama had a strong message for a Congress angling to impose new sanctions on Iran: stay out of my way. Obama argued that additional punishments would undermine ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to prevent Tehran from having the capability to make a nuclear weapon. At…
President Obama’s nominee for attorney general, U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch, made her first appearance before lawmakers today, with Republican senators working to make sure Lynch could differentiate herself from her predecessor, Eric Holder. Lynch testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning for the first part of her confirmation hearing. Democratic senators were adamant in…
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has acknowledged its role in Operation Choke Point and is taking dramatic steps to reverse its policies in targeting legal and legitimate industries that are disfavored by the Obama administration. “We’re very pleased they’ve acknowledged their wrongdoing and they’ve accepted our suggestions to put in place measures to stop this…
After all the buildup, will Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker opt out of the Republican race for president? Don’t bet on it. That was Walker’s message last night in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, fresh off the launch yesterday of a new website and well-received appearances over the weekend at two key gatherings…
Speaking at a school choice rally this morning, House Speaker John Boehner broke down in tears about his own educational upbringing at a Catholic school in Ohio. “I’ve got 11 brothers and sisters, grew up working at my dad’s bar,” Boehner said before a group of students. “And my parents sent all 12 of us to…
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence became the latest Republican governor to expand Medicaid in his state through what he billed as a series of “consumer-driven” reforms. But conservative groups are pushing back against the potential 2016 contender for growing an “already troubled entitlement program.” Pence announced his decision to expand Medicaid in Indiana yesterday. The Indiana…
Several celebrities spoke out in a video released last year about their support for school choice.. Actress Vivica A. Fox, “Today” show co-host Kathie Lee Gifford and former football and baseball player Deion Sanders all agree that “it’s time for educational choice.” The ad, which was made by American Federation for Children, states that “too…
There was little coverage of last week’s March for Life by the major news networks, according to Media Research Center. NBC and ABC didn’t cover the March for Life at all, and CBS gave it 15 seconds—and only in the context of the failure to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act after a protest…
Your fuel efficient car might be great for the environment, but if you live in California, it might not help you save money much longer. California lawmakers have introduced a plan to replace a sales tax on gasoline with a tax on motorists based on mileage. Under the new plan, drivers would have to log…