Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
For more than 30 years, every president has used Executive Order 12333 to provide both organizational and implementation direction to the intelligence community. This executive order, which was first signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, has directed the intelligence community to collect and provide information to the president using all available legal means under…
Big business has stomped into another state, trying to impose the values of the cultural left. This time, a governor who dared to stand up for responsible policy is being targeted by big business’ bullying over bathrooms. At issue is H.B. 2, a bill North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law last week after it…
Terrorists in Pakistan have targeted Christians in an Easter day attack. A suicide bomber detonated at a park in Lahore, where many Christian families were celebrating the holiday. Media reports indicate that half of the nearly 72 killed in the suicide bombing were children. It was the worst terrorist attack in Pakistan in over 15 months….
When Congress and the Obama administration passed and implemented extremely strict fuel economy regulations, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claimed that it would save consumers a few thousand dollars on gas and add only $948 to the price of a new car. The most modest of the independent estimates works out to $3,800 per vehicle,…
The price tag for the Affordable Care Act includes not only the additional tax dollars spent on expanding Medicaid and providing new subsidies for exchange coverage, but also the costs imposed, in the form of higher health insurance premiums, by the law’s new regulations. While sound health care policy would have focused on finding ways…
Georgia’s Republican Governor Nathan Deal has caved to pressure from big business and special interests and vetoed a very modest religious liberty bill. This shows the lack of courage of many in the political class, and it also highlights the extreme nature of the left and the business community. To these groups, even mild religious…
The president’s decision to visit Cuba was a great mistake from the start. It is now clear that there is nothing that the Cuban regime can do to draw Obama’s criticism. Back in 2015, long before his trip was announced, President Barack Obama stated that he would travel to Cuba only if he saw “some…
American defense officials have announced that a very senior Islamic State (ISIS) leader has been killed in a U.S. military operation. While this is good news, it’s difficult to speculate the exact effect this will have on ISIS’ operations. It’s also pure conjecture to guess at what this success says about the U.S. military’s ability…
Two of the terrorists responsible for the bombings in Brussels have been linked to a possible plot on nuclear facilities uncovered by Belgian security back in February. Police found hours of video footage tracking a senior nuclear scientist, causing heightened security over the past several weeks at two nuclear power plants and evacuation of non-essential…
America’s military is dangerously weak and unprepared today, and it’s not getting better. At least that’s what top military leaders told Congress recently. Unfortunately, the testimony of these top generals and admirals did not get the attention it deserved. For the last 15 years, the United States military has not prepared for conflict with a…
Congress is at it again…the budget train is about to leave the station, and guess what’s on board! Almost $60 billion above what House Republicans proposed in last year’s budget. And this from the party that claims to be for limited government and fiscal discipline. The reality is that the majority of lawmakers in both parties…
President Barack Obama recently contended that fighting ISIS is his “top priority” in a joint press conference with Argentinian President Mauricio Macri—but do the American people and the world believe him? The images we’ve seen and the rhetoric we’ve heard seem to tell a different story. The images we’ve seen and the rhetoric we’ve heard…
More than any other age group, people under the age of thirty (“millennials”) understand the important role international trade plays in the U.S. economy. Strong support from millennials gives an optimistic outlook for the future of international free trade. According to a recent poll, 69 percent of Americans under 30 say that free trade agreements…
On Dec. 18, 2015, the Palestinian Authority deposited its instrument of accession to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In accordance with Article 23(2) of the treaty, the Palestinians officially became the 197th party to the UNFCCC on March 17, 2016—ninety days after depositing their instrument of accession. As was the case when…
On a visit to London last week, I had the opportunity to meet with members of the British Cabinet and several members of Parliament to discuss the issue of “Brexit.” On June 23, the British people will vote in a referendum to decide whether to leave the European Union. For the first time in over…
Congress could soon find itself with a chance to radically improve the lives of thousands of children currently trapped in crumbling and failing schools now that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has proposed the Native American Educational Opportunity Act. The proposal would enable children attending Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools to access education savings accounts to…
When a company would like to sell stock, it must register with the Securities and Exchange Commission unless an exemption applies, per the Securities Act. It’s estimated by the Securities and Exchange Commission that registration costs $2.5 million in legal, accounting, and other expenses. So registration is not an option for small companies. It’s estimated by the…
Do you think a pastor who’s against same-sex marriage should be forced to perform same-sex weddings? Do you believe that a religious college should be allowed to hire only people who agree with the religious beliefs of the college? Do you think no one should be forced to attend a wedding he doesn’t agree with? If…
The plaza of the U.S. Supreme Court and the courtroom itself were full of people you don’t normally see at the court—priests, ministers, and nuns of various religious orders. They were there Wednesday to hear the U.S. government argue that the Little Sisters of the Poor—an order of Catholic nuns who have served the elderly…
The recent legal battles between Apple and the FBI over encrypted phones is just one part of a larger debate over two important sets of priorities—traditional law enforcement and counterterrorism vs. data, device, and cyber security. Moving forward, an “encryption commission” is a wise way for policymakers to understand the difficult challenges this issue presents…