Daily news coverage of politics, policy, and issues shaping the nation.
It was a GOP wave. In a near-sweep of yesterday’s midterm elections, Republicans shifted the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, gaining at least seven seats, widened their majority in the House by at least 11 seats and defeated Democrats in 24 governor's races. "We are headed to Washington and we are going to make ’em squeal,"…
An anonymous Virginia voter has posted a YouTube video of a voting machine selecting the wrong candidate. In the video, the voter attempts to select Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Va., but the box next to his opponent, Democrat Suzanne Patrick, is selected instead. The YouTube user, VaBeach23451, wrote in the video’s description: “The voting machine cast…
With billions of dollars spent on political ads this election season, there were bound to be some flops. Republican pollster Frank Luntz joined Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” this morning to discuss which candidates’ political ads were the worst and could ultimately impact their success at the polls.
Some of them went from town to town, campaigning as the clear underdog. Others, not up for re-election, used their political clout to elevate U.S. Senate hopefuls from state to state. A few laid low, allowing tensions on the Left to steer the momentum of the midterm elections. And some went big, spending millions of…
What makes a midterm election different from a presidential election? Midterm elections obviously differ from presidential elections as the president is not on the ballot, and has two years left in his term, but that’s not the only difference between them. Here are five things to know about midterm elections. 1. Less Than Half The…
Several celebrities who promised to “Rock the Vote” aren’t voting. Rock the Vote, an organization that seeks to bring Millennials to the polls, recently released a star-studded public service announcement. The video, a parody of Lil Jon’s “Turn Down for What” is called “Turn Out for What.” In the video, celebrities promise to vote and…
HONOLULU — Hawaii is the only state that prohibits government funding of private preschools, but that may change tomorrow. Hawaii’s voters will be asked whether the state constitution should be amended so taxpayers can subsidize private preschool education. Amendment 4, “The Hawaii State Funding for Private Early Childhood Education Programs,” asks: “Shall the appropriation of…
MADISON, Wis. — If Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke defeats Republican Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday, she’ll owe tremendous thanks to a union group fighting for an increase in the state minimum wage. But some political and legal experts say there’s no guarantee Wisconsin will see a higher minimum wage if Burke is elected. Although…
For candidates, campaign staff and volunteers, and now voters, Election Day finally has arrived. The 2014 midterm elections set some records, with more than $3 billion spent by candidates, party committees and political action committees. Candidates for the U.S. House and Senate — more than 1,600 in all — raised more than $1.5 billion. Here’s…
Kerry August can debunk any excuse an election judge may have for why her votes switched from Republican to Democrat right before her eyes: Her hands are tiny, her nails aren’t long and she definitely didn’t vote with an elbow. Still, while voting early last week in Montgomery County, Md., August watched as three…
Former CBS News investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson, a senior independent contributor to The Daily Signal, spoke to Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly tonight about her new book, “Stonewalled.” Attkisson revealed details about how her computer was hacked and why she decided to leave CBS News after 20 years at the network. >>> Buy the Book: “Stonewalled:…
You may know who you're voting for this Election Day, but do you know where? Maybe you're voting in a library or your City Hall. Maybe you're heading to your kids' school. But if you're lucky, you might be able to multi-task a hair appointment or grocery shopping trip with your civic duty. Yes, thanks…
Still not motivated to go to the polls to vote for or against various lawmakers, governors and other officeholders? Perhaps one of 147 state ballot questions may entice you. During Tuesday’s midterm elections, besides picking candidates, voters will weigh in on issues ranging from raising the minimum wage and legalizing marijuana to labeling genetically modified food and…
With only hours to go before the polls open on Election Day, six races that could determine whether Republicans take back the U.S. Senate look to be tight as a tick. Of the nine Senate races identified by The Daily Signal as instrumental to the balance of power, just one — Iowa — is a…
Joni Ernst, the Republican candidate in the Iowa race for U.S. Senate, didn’t take well to comments from retiring Sen. Tom Harkin comparing her looks to those of pop singer Taylor Swift. “I was very offended that Senator Harkin would say that,” Ernst said this morning on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends.” Harkin, at 74…
What job is most heavily concentrated in your state? A new map from Business Insider uses the newly released May 2013 Occupational Employment Statistics to illustrate “the most over-represented job in each state.” Each of the jobs depicted has a higher per-capita rate in the individual state than in the rest of the nation. For…
Seeking a more robust defense in the event of a bioterrorist attack on the United States, the Bush administration created a $6 billion fund to prepare the nation for such threats, including the deadly Ebola virus. The Obama administration, however, has not used the range of tools and budget provided by the post-9/11 project, focusing instead…
Mitt Romney speculated today that a Republican-controlled Senate would mean passage of a conservative immigration reform bill focused on border security that President Obama would sign. Appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” Romney predicted that although Obama would move ahead with his own executive action on citizenship for illegal immigrants, Republicans would pass a bill in…
Sen. Rand Paul today said it would be a “dumb idea” for Republicans to focus on voter ID laws because doing so would turn off black voters, whom the GOP has a “huge opportunity” to attract. Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the Kentucky Republican and likely presidential candidate stressed that he supports requiring identification to vote…
Two years ago, billionaire hedge-fund manager William Ackman announced boldly — from a stage in a Manhattan conference center — that his Pershing Square Capital Management had taken a $1 billion short position on publicly traded Herbalife, the Los Angeles-based maker of nutrition products. He was, in other words, betting that Herbalife would fail. Hoping…