Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
Many people have been impacted by the harm that can be caused by cigarette smoking, including the loss of family members. The market has found a solution to this major public health problem. The federal government is about to crush that solution. Recent technological innovations, such as vaping products (e.g. e-cigarettes), have provided an alternative…
Four of America’s top military officers recently testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on long-term budget challenges facing the military. While the hearing didn’t grab many headlines, some of the statements from these leaders should make all Americans concerned about the status of our military. Ultimately, these four officers (the chiefs of staff of…
Taxpayers expect their government to spend tax dollars wisely, on activities that benefit the public. But across the country, governments at all levels give away tax dollars to the exclusive benefit of public unions without getting anything in return. This subsidy, known as union release time, has flown under the radar for decades, but now…
Thanks to a lawsuit, over 92,000 kids, many of them children of color, from low-income families are at risk to lose their privately funded scholarships to attend the private schools of their choice. And to add insult to injury, the NAACP is one of the plaintiffs in this lawsuit. Last week, the Florida Education Association—the…
Tax reform remains a central issue in Washington because of its overwhelming necessity. Tax reform is badly needed to revive the slow-growing economy and increase job creation and wages for American families. The current tax system is a large weight holding the economy back from growing as strongly as it could, thereby suppressing opportunity for…
The Heritage Foundation has taken its message of economic freedom to Africa. Today’s stop is Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia—source of the Blue Nile river and one of the oldest countries in the world that traces its history back to Biblical times 1,000 years before Christ. Remember the Queen of Sheba, in the time…
Of the 3,498 Medal of Honor recipients in American history, only one was from the U.S. Coast Guard: Signalman 1st Class Douglas Albert Munro. On this day 74 years ago, Munro sacrificed himself at the Matanikau River at Point Cruz in Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, while saving hundreds of his fellow service members. In recognition, Munro…
Sweden’s decision to reintroduce permanent troops to the island province of Gotland is wise in light of recent Russian aggression. Swedish soldiers exercising on Gotland received an order Sept. 14 not to leave. The 150 troops will remain on the island until mid-2017, when a planned permanent unit should be fully established there. Sweden, which…
A freelance reporter recently publicized her shocking evening in a New York City jail cell following her arrest while riding the subway. One might think conduct would have to be quite outrageous to justify arrest on the nation’s busiest subway system. What was she doing to bother fellow passengers to the point that she needed…
When Americans cast their ballots for the next president this November, they will not only select the next commander in chief and primary enforcer of the law, they will help select a new Supreme Court justice and countless other lower court judges. Selecting judges is not an ancillary responsibility—it is a central and critical duty,…
Steel producers in the United States are facing stiff competition from China and other countries, whose high steel production rates are driving down the prices of the product globally. In response, domestic steel producers are lobbying the government to impose restraints on imports. This poses a serious threat to U.S. companies that rely on steel—and…
Key government officials are ready to reform congressional oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, something that is long overdue. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has suggested in recent days that he would like to streamline that oversight. While it may sound strange, the homeland security committees in the…
Time to change those outdated signs, ladies. It’s no longer the case that “women only make 77 cents on the dollar compared to men.” According to this year’s annual Census Bureau report, the incomplete “wage gap” figure shows women’s earnings relative to men’s rose for the third straight year in a row, from 77 percent…
This past Monday marked the 20th anniversary of President Bill Clinton using the Antiquities Act to create the 1.5 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. For most Utahns, this date is not a cause for celebration. It’s a source of anger toward what many see as an out-of-touch and overbearing federal government Infamously,…
For eight years, Michiganders Gerald and Royetta Ostipow have been fighting the seizure and forfeiture of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of their property. Last month they prevailed when a judge ordered the return of virtually everything that had been taken from them. But the Ostipows’ victory was short-lived, for they soon discovered that…
We have, unfortunately, come to expect our elected representatives to shirk hard decisions. So it came as little surprise when the Senate released the text of a continuing resolution late last week to fund the U.S. government that did not include key objectives sought by conservatives, such as stopping taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. Although…
With an estimated 100 million people tuning in to watch Monday night’s presidential debate, the topic of conversation for the week will be the showdown between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, therefore giving you ample opportunity to talk conservative policy. But you’ll have to be diligent in this endeavor as the memorable moments in presidential…
Thirty-one countries joined the Paris global warming agreement this week, officially committing to the pact along with the United States and China. The agreement is a top-down, concentrated effort to drive the price of conventional energy sources like coal, oil, and natural gas higher. It will prevent millions of citizens from enjoying basic energy needs,…
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are in a hurry to get out of town so they can hit the campaign trail and convince voters to send them back to Washington. But, considering they’ve pushed off most of the big decisions until after the election, their list of accomplishments this year is a very short one. Maybe…
Planned Parenthood has once again proven it does two things exceedingly well—ending innocent human lives in the womb for a fee, and getting American taxpayers to subsidize its operations. How else to explain Congress making America’s No. 1 abortion provider eligible for new funding when it already gets over a half-billion dollars (yes, billion) in taxpayer…