Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
Finally, support from Congress for something other than a federal bailout for Puerto Rico or letting the commonwealth break its contracts and constitutional obligations. The Republican Study Committee issued the following position: The RSC opposes granting access to Chapter 9 bankruptcy for Puerto Rico or access to similar forced restructuring of debt. The RSC does…
The Heritage Foundation's Cully Stimson wrote on President Obama's plan to close Guantanamo. As President Barack Obama delivered his speech from the Roosevelt Room in the White House on closing Guantanamo, his plan to close the terrorist detention facility was delivered to lawmakers. The 9-page plan—read together with the administration’s legal analysis of the immigration consequences…
U.S. social media companies are taking steps to curb support for terrorist causes on their websites. According to news reports, both Facebook and Twitter have rooted out thousands of accounts that either advocate or display sympathy for terrorists—and as a result have reduced the groups’ effectiveness on the Internet. In response the Islamic State (also known…
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the first major abortion case in nearly a decade. In the case Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the Supreme Court will consider whether Texas’ H.B. 2 law—a commonsense reform intended to increase women’s health and safety—meets the test laid out in prior cases. Texas passed…
In a recent article, Richard Reeves of the Brookings Institution suggests that we should decouple income from work through a “universal basic income” based on the premise that the labor market no longer equitably distributes the gains from economic growth to those at the bottom of the income distribution. This is the wrong policy route…
Americans in large numbers are turning off TV newscasts, canceling subscriptions to newspapers, and seeking other sources of news. Distrust of the national media has hit an all-time high. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 65 percent of Americans believe that the national news media have a negative effect on our country. According…
Early in February, the Obama administration released its fiscal year (FY) 2017 budget request. In the budget request, the president continues to fund a number of essential nuclear weapon modernization and sustainment programs. The significance of these programs is likely to increase in coming years, as Russia continues to increase reliance on its rapidly expanding…
Good intentions can produce terrible results. Recently the Oregon legislature passed an unprecedented minimum wage hike in effort to help workers within their state, but the legislation will hurt the workers it’s supposed to help. By 2022, the state’s minimum wage will rise to $14.50/hour in the Portland area, $12.50/hour in rural areas, and $13.25/hour…
Congress is considering potential responses to Puerto Rico’s depression and fiscal crisis. Fiscal conservatives are considering whether outside oversight by a “control board” would force feckless local legislators to make difficult choices, such as consolidating rural schools and laying off bureaucrats. However, if Congress gives the board authority only to cut government spending and raise…
Student groups have asserted control of many university campuses across America. Without even resorting to force, they have successfully compelled the resignation of presidents and administrators, the firing and hiring of faculty, and drastic changes to university curricula, among other things. University after university gives in to these demands, or at least pretends to do…
One year ago, the Federal Communications Commission voted to impose massive new “net neutrality” regulations on Internet providers. The decision was made after one of the most contentious debates ever at the 80-year-old regulatory agency. And, twelve months out, we still don’t know the final outcome—as the rules are still under review in federal court….
The United States has incorporated yet another country into its Global Entry Program: Germany. Trusted German citizens will now be able to enjoy a more streamlined travel experience, granted they undergo a background check and pay a $100 fee. This addition will offer even more incoming tourists faster entry at U.S. terminals while also enhancing…
Last Friday, the Georgia Senate passed a good bill that protects religious freedom in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage. And already special interest groups and big businesses are trying to pressure the governor into refusing to sign the bill unless it is significantly watered down in the House. This is yet…
The last time voters had the opportunity to show the direction they’d like to see the country go, they voted against the one President Barack Obama was taking. That’s why it’s hard to see how allowing him to pick Justice Antonin Scalia’s successor and shape the direction of the Supreme Court for the next decade…
Even before President Barack Obama’s trip to Cuba next month, his administration has looked to rewrite the history of the Castros’ worst crimes. An example of this was in 2014, when the Obama administration commuted the double life sentence of Gerardo Hernández. Hernández had been in jail for conspiracy to commit murder through his actions…
Oil-black water flowed through the pipes of Crystal City, Texas, last week. That marks one more American city that cannot provide the most basic necessity of life. And as instances of government negligence like this proliferate, we continue to run to the government for help, instead of accountability. Crystal City resident Nora Flores-Guerrero told reporters,…
The Economic Report of the President reports that low-wage jobs in America have an 83-percent chance of being automated. Before you tell your supervisor to take that cash register and shove it, however, it should be noted that the automation of most jobs is not going to occur any time soon. Before you tell your…
Beware of friendly progressives like E. J. Dionne, Jr., who come bearing beguiling gifts like how conservatism can get back on the right track. In his new book, “Why the Right Went Wrong: Conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond,” Dionne, a featured columnist of the always helpful Washington Post, argues that because…
A recent court order against Apple compels the company to help the FBI gain access to a locked iPhone 5C used by San Bernardino terrorist Syed Farook. While Apple has helped law enforcement access data on other iPhones on at least 70 other occasions, new security protections make it increasingly difficult to do so with…
At dawn on Feb. 10, a camp for displaced people in the northeast Nigerian town of Dikwa began stirring to life. Three unaccompanied young girls asking for shelter had arrived the day before and spent the night with approximately 50,000 others who had fled the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram. That morning, in the midst…