Daily news coverage of politics, policy, and issues shaping the nation.
French authorities have released photos of two suspects who are still on the run after Wednesday’s terrorist attack at Charlie Hebdo headquarters in Paris that left 12 people dead. Police say the men, identified as Said Kouachi and Cherif Kouachi, are brothers in their early 30s. Watch the video to learn more about them. As a massive…
Since Election Day, pundits have bombarded the incoming Republican majority with a common refrain, “Republicans must prove they can govern.” Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, hopes to silence these critics with his new office as president pro tempore. Hatch told The Daily Signal that he’s frustrated the “foundations of the Senate’s unique character” have been sacrificed…
A coalition of 23 leaders in the conservative movement today urged Speaker John Boehner not to punish Republicans who voted against him for the House’s top job. Boehner, who removed two of those dissenters from the powerful Rules Committee after the speaker vote, is now rethinking the decision, according to Politico. A total of 25…
Two years ago, Rep. Mick Mulvaney learned a lesson in the often-conniving game of politics. The South Carolina conservative was part of the trickle of Republicans attempting to oust John Boehner as speaker of the House in 2013. Like Tuesday, the coup failed and Mulvaney’s hopes for greater conservative leadership ended in backlash. “Conservatives were…
Low prices at the pump are good for consumers, but are they hurting the American economy? Though oil prices fell below $50 per barrel as of Monday, Jack Gerard, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, the largest U.S. lobbying arm for the oil and natural gas industry, expressed little concern. Speaking at the annual “State…
White House spokesman Josh Earnest was on the defensive Tuesday when Fox News’ Ed Henry pressed him on Harvard professors’ criticism of Obamacare amid rising health care costs. “Here are some of the same professors who were advisers to the president’s first campaign in 2008, advocated the Affordable Care Act,” Henry said, citing the New…
Two police officers and 10 employees were killed by three gunmen this morning at the Charlie Hebdo headquarters in Paris. Witnesses say the gunmen shouted, “We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad." President Francois Hollande called it "an attack on free speech." >>> Here Are the Translated Charlie Hebdo Covers But this isn't the first time the…
On Nov. 18, 2014, the clock started ticking for Rep. Jason Chaffetz. The Utah Republican had just been named head of the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee following two years of dogged government oversight from Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who was forced to step down because of the GOP’s self-imposed term limits on…
Historians have finally opened a post-revolutionary era time capsule that was unearthed in Boston last month. According to the Associated Press, the time capsule was placed in a cornerstone of the Massachusetts Statehouse during its construction in 1795. The contents were transferred to a brass box in 1855. The capsule “was rediscovered last year during…
Even as Washington renews diplomatic ties with Havana, hundreds of Cuban refugees continue to flee the Castro regime for America, braving the 90 miles of perilous open sea in crude homemade vessels. On Monday the U.S. Coast Guard announced a surge of Cuban immigration attempts. In the last week alone, in seven separate incidents, border…
UPDATE: French police say two suspects in Wednesday's terrorist attack remain on the run. In a statement on its website, French national police ask for information on the whereabouts of suspects Cherif Kouachi and Said Kouachi—brothers in their early 30s—warning that both could be armed and dangerous. A third suspect, Hamyd Mourad, 18, surrendered to police. The suspects…
Federal taxpayers are pitching in $2 million for a marketing campaign to make sure Virginians eligible for government-subsidized health care know how to enroll. The commonwealth isn’t expanding Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, at least not yet. Still, a federal exchange grant that runs through December 2015 will help Gov. Terry McAuliffe accomplish…
Gov. John Kasich demanded fiscal responsibility and defended his Obamacare Medicaid expansion during a recent speech before the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. “People, ya know, there’s all this thing about Republicans don’t wanna spend and Democrats do. Conservatives on the Republican side say, ‘We want smaller government.’ Well, go and talk to them about how…
Cuba has freed “some” of 53 political prisoners that it agreed to release in its deal to normalize relations with the United States, the State Department acknowledged today. “They have already released some of the prisoners,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, saying she would not provide a specific number. “We would like to see this…
The White House said today that President Obama would veto the Keystone XL pipeline bill, which is supported by more than 60 U.S. senators. “If this bill passes this Congress, the president wouldn’t sign it,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a press conference. The project, which would transport more than 800,000 barrels of…
House Speaker John Boehner was elected to his third term as the No. 1 Republican in the lower chamber, but not without resistance from more than two-dozen fellow GOP lawmakers. Boehner collected 216 votes. Former speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., his closest rival, received 164. Republicans needed 29 defectors to defeat Boehner. Twenty-five lawmakers did not vote for…
Today, members of the U.S. House of Representatives elected Ohio Republican John Boehner to his third term as speaker of the House. Boehner won 216 votes of the 408 votes cast. The nominations for the top House post from Republicans were Boehner, Ted Yoho and Daniel Webster of Florida and Louie Gohmert of Texas. Democrats nominated Rep….
A late challenger to House Speaker John Boehner has emerged in the 11th hour as lawmakers gather to address their first order of business. Florida Rep. Daniel Webster, who served as speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, has emerged as a viable opponent to current Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, just one hour before lawmakers…
As part of last month’s deal between Washington and Havana, Cuba agreed to release 53 political prisoners that had been detained for their criticism of the Castro regime. The Washington Post reports that both governments “refuse to publicly name the prisoners,” and that their release “was not a precondition for renewing diplomatic ties.” But, the…
In Mississippi, lawmakers already are gearing up to tackle education, tax relief and the state’s contracting system, among other issues. Here is a quick look at the three biggest issues the legislature will tackle in 2015: Education With a ballot initiative and a lawsuit on deck over K-12 education funding, the legislature will have to address…