Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
Another tax day has come and passed only to once again remind us of the increasing financial burden that government places on individuals and families each year. Unfortunately, as taxes and onerous regulation continue to increase, the U.S. personal savings rate has decreased to 5.5 percent. Our savings rate was two to three times higher…
Once a model for emerging African democracies, South Africa is now mired in corruption that undermines its economy, provokes social unrest, and betrays the dreams and trust of millions of South Africans. South African President Jacob Zuma easily survived an April 5 impeachment vote in parliament, thanks to the large majority party he heads, the…
Many innovative products that may help people quit smoking, such as e-cigarettes, may be forced off the market, courtesy of a looming Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule. The FDA’s new rule would require companies—if they can—to show that their e-cigarettes are “substantially equivalent” to a tobacco product that was on the market as of…
Equity crowdfunding, created by the JOBS Act in 2012, will finally become legal on May 16th. The tax code, however, makes it almost impossible for millions of small businesses to use equity crowdfunding to raise growth capital. The tax law needs to be amended to eliminate this impediment to small firm capital formation. There are 4.2…
Carnival Cruises is kind of a pioneer in Cuba, though not in the way it intended. Right now it is Exhibit A of the perils of getting in bed with blood-soaked dictators. Chamber of Commerce, take heed. On Monday, Carnival finally appeared to have noticed that it was in the middle of a PR fiasco…
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in a case brought by Texas and 25 other states challenging the Obama administration’s attempt to give legal status and work authorizations to more than 4 million illegal immigrants. At the argument, the justices wrestled with whether the Obama administration exceeded its authority and whether the states have…
There is no doubt that what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 12, 2012, was a horrible event and a terrible tragedy for the parents of the children murdered by Adam Lanza, a mentally disturbed young man. But the decision on April 14 by Connecticut Superior Court Judge Barbara N. Bellis refusing to…
For many Americans, the days leading up to tax day are some of the most dreaded on the calendar. Over the past several weeks, Americans have spent many frustrating hours poring over W-2’s and Form 1040’s as they prepare their tax returns. According to the Internal Revenue Service, Americans collectively spend roughly 6.6 billion hours…
The Russian government’s reliance on propaganda to advance its aggressive agenda and control its own population should give the West pause before partnering with Vladimir Putin. In an April 14 three-hour marathon call-in show on Russian television, for instance, Putin attacked American “imperial ambitions”—hardly an accusation that fits the Obama administration’s approach to the world. It…
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. has introduced an amendment aimed at curtailing the widespread abuse of welfare benefits by Cuban migrants. The measure, introduced as an amendment to a bill funding the Federal Aviation Administration, is aimed at reforming the core of the current Cuba immigration policy: the outdated notion that all Cuban migrants are political…
The Senate is often referred to as a “club” — a term that certainly fits. The nickname was reinforced last week by a behind the scenes account of GOP senators who view their “club” as a pretty exclusive place. Basically, conservative ideas, opinions, and research need not apply. The main focus of The Hill’s article was about…
It may have taken five years, numerous regulatory updates, hundreds of legal battles, and two trips to the Supreme Court, but the government has finally admitted that, well, maybe it was wrong about the Health and Human Services mandate. In a brief filed at the Supreme Court this week in the Little Sisters case, the Obama…
The magic number needed to capture the Republican presidential nomination in 1976 was 1,130 delegates, and Ronald Reagan was oh so close as the national convention prepared to convene. After losing six straight primaries to President Gerald Ford early in the year, Reagan had come roaring back, attacking Ford for his weak foreign policy and…
Tax Day is almost here. As Americans all across the country finalize their tax filings, let’s take a look at where all those tax dollars go. Here are 9 charts from Heritage’s "Federal Budget in Pictures" covering federal spending, taxes, and debt: 1) Family Spending 2) Entitlement Spending 3) Interest on Debt 4) Public Debt 5)…
Puerto Rico is facing a financial mess. Much of it has been caused by poor governance on the island, but also exacerbated by the heavy hand of the United States government. No one said it better than Pedro Perluisi, the Democratic Delegate from Puerto Rico to the U.S. House of Representatives, when he spoke at…
A rising tide of regulation has covered almost a third of the U.S. labor market. Workers who previously could find a job on the strength of their experience and talent now need their state government’s permission before taking a job. The “permission slip” in this case is an occupational license or required certification. Occupational licenses…
Here’s one set of energy companies: Peabody, Arch Coal, Patriot Coal, Alpha Natural Resources, James River Coal and Walter Energy. Here’s another: Solyndra, Abound Solar, Fisker Automotive, Beacon Power, Vehicle Production Group. Both sets companies have two common elements. They’ve all filed for bankruptcies and the federal government had a role in their demise. The…
On Friday China announced its economy had expanded at a 6.7 percent rate in the first quarter of 2016. While this is the slowest growth since the depths of the great recession, it conveniently remains within the government’s official target of 6.5-7.0 percent. Unlike all developed countries, there will be no revisions to this figure…
Last week’s Daily Signal op-ed on a new regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency provided an informative crash course on the history of private property rights and its relation to the Clean Water Act. Judging by the transcripts and media reports of the oral arguments from the March 30, 2016 Army Corps v. Hawkes Co….
The Financial Times reports that on Sunday, April 17, “the lower house of Brazil’s congress is set to vote on the motion to impeach President Dilma Rousseff in a move that her critics hope will spell the end for the former Marxist guerrilla and the markets’ longtime nemesis.” According to the Wall Street Journal, the…