Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
Children are filtering back to school in the nation’s capital, but one school is getting students off on the wrong foot by promoting careers propped up on the backs of the taxpayer: renewable energy. H.D. Woodson High School has three career and technical education program tracks. Two of them line up with traditional educational training…
Can America thrive as a post-patriotic society? A Florida elementary school recently caused a stir on social media when a man posted an image of his niece’s waiver from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The waiver form asked parents if they would like to opt their child out from “standing and placing his/her right hand…
As the fall semester begins, parents, students, taxpayers, and donors should be made aware of official college practices that should disgust us all. Hampshire College will offer some of its students what the school euphemistically calls “identity-based housing.” That’s segregated housing for students who—because of their race, culture, gender, or sexual orientation—have “historically experienced oppression.”…
Congress left town this August for an extended recess without passing a budget or any required spending bills, and spending has largely been ignored as a major issue in the presidential election. But just because the politicians and media are distracted doesn’t mean the nation’s most critical problems are going away. Case in point: The…
Ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft again made headlines this week. In Pittsburgh, Uber announced plans to begin the world’s first self-driving vehicle pilot program. Meanwhile, in the incorrigible liberal bastion of Massachusetts, taxi-friendly lawmakers passed a first-of-its-kind rideshare tax that will transfer profits from successful ride-hailing companies to the foundering taxis they are putting…
On Monday, a three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused without comment to stay a Wisconsin district court opinion in One Wisconsin Institute v. Thomsen that threw out changes the state legislature had made in early voting rules as well as other changes such as the residency requirement for new voters….
North Carolina has become ground zero for pushing the transgender envelope. In March, North Carolina’s General Assembly and Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, passed the Bathroom Privacy Act (HB2) to establish uniform policies for intimate facilities in public schools and public spaces and to overrule a radical Charlotte ordinance requiring local businesses to allow men…
Britain’s vote to leave the European Union on June 23 was a milestone in the history of the United Kingdom, and of the defense of British freedom and sovereignty. But it was also just the start of securing Britain’s independence. It is one thing to vote to stand on your own two feet, it is…
The Obama administration’s Department of Energy has churned out a list of energy efficiency regulations before the next administration. Just since June, the DOE has set or initiated standards for dehumidifiers, ceiling fans, battery chargers, and wine coolers. At issue isn’t health or safety, or even unfair business practices. Through the DOE, the federal government is…
“Bring back the special interests!” A version of this plea is heard more and more these days from those worried about the current state of our politics. It is the implicit theme of a recent Atlantic cover story, provocatively titled “How American Politics Went Insane.” The author, Brookings Institution scholar Jonathan Rauch, asserts that the…
Two decades ago, President Bill Clinton signed one of the most successful public policies into law: welfare reform. It was called the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act—and its results were dramatic. Watch to learn more.
When families lose loved ones, they often seek out funeral homes for solace and comfort and, for people of faith, spiritual consolation as well. At such a delicate time, the last thing grieving families expect is a debate over whether male funeral home employees should be allowed to dress like women at their loved one’s…
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. John W. Vessey Jr., passed away on Thursday evening, leaving behind three children and a legacy of service. Vessey enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1939 when he was only 16 years old ,and over the course of a distinguished 46-year military career, progressed to the…
A major new report, published today in the journal The New Atlantis, challenges the leading narratives that the media has pushed regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. Co-authored by two of the nation’s leading scholars on mental health and sexuality, the 143-page report discusses over 200 peer-reviewed studies in the biological, psychological, and social sciences,…
Today is the 20th anniversary of welfare reform. Two decades ago, President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, known as welfare reform, into law. The highly popular reform cut welfare caseloads by over 50 percent, sharply boosted the employment of the least-skilled single mothers, and pushed the poverty rates of…
AKUMAL, Mexico—As luck would have it, my family and I have been watching that feast of American greatness called the Olympics while in vacation here in Mexico. Our routine is pretty simple: we do some combination of hitting the beach, visiting Maya ruins or reading, and then have dinner at our hideaway before huddling in…
The trickle of disturbing leaks about the Obama administration’s flawed and risky Iran policy continues to grow. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that “New details of the $400 million U.S. payment to Iran earlier this year depict a tightly scripted exchange specifically timed to the release of several American prisoners held in Iran.” Although…
Lobbyists generally have a bad reputation, but all they really do is advocate for their client’s best interest. Those particular interests may not be best for the rest of the public, but that’s fine as long as the rest of the public understands what’s going on. Farm subsidies provide the perfect example. A farm lobbying…
The federal government forces certain fruit and vegetable (and nut) growers to limit the sale of their goods. Just ask tart cherry growers. In July, a Michigan tart cherry farmer posted a photo on Facebook showing piles of his wasted cherries that will rot on the ground. He says 14 percent of his cherries are…
I have long been a believer that, in most cases, a private company will do a more effective and efficient job than any government agency charged with the same task. My recent travel experience solidified that belief. It all started out with a half-empty water bottle at Ronald Reagan National Airport just outside the District…