Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
President Barack Obama’s 2016 proclamation for Religious Freedom Day, which was celebrated Jan. 16, rightly stated that religious freedom has long been considered one of America’s “most cherished ideals.” He wrote: The United States stands for the protection of equal rights for all people to practice their faith freely, without fear or coercion, and as…
California Attorney General Kamala Harris has joined New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in trying to prosecute ExxonMobil for supposedly lying to its shareholders and the public about climate change, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Times reported that Harris is investigating what ExxonMobil “knew about global warming and what the company told investors.”…
In an odd coincidence, a federal district court on Tuesday issued a decision against President Barack Obama in the Operation Fast and Furious fiasco, at almost the same time that Fox News broke a story about Mexican authorities finding a Fast and Furious gun in the hideout of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. El Chapo Guzman,…
In one year, a new president will move into the White House and be greeted with the consequences of President Barack Obama’s failed national security policies. To confront the likely chaos, the president must be armed with strategies and flanked by advisers who will enable the president to lead on day one. Though the first vote…
Chinese President Xi Jinping has announced a massive overhaul in the organization of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) headquarters structure. This comes after the announcement that three new services will be created (Ground Force, Rocket Force, and Strategic Support Force). The PLA is different from the U.S. military in several major respects. First, it is…
Several senators want to advance a massive energy bill called the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015. But there’s nothing modern about the legislation. The bill is an extension of the same, tired “politicians know best” mentality that siphons taxpayer dollars and hands them to special interests. The policy provisions of bills like this take…
The activists behind the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) have never been shy about blaming the U.S. and other democracies far more than they blame dictatorships for the evils of the world. Their latest campaign shows they’re at it again. The campaign centers on the conflict in Yemen, a war-torn nation on the Arabian Peninsula. In the…
Flint, Mich., may be another case (similar to the Environmental Protection Agency Gold King Mine spill) of negligent government behavior that would raise criminal prosecution had it come from a private party. Michigan officials are under scrutiny for potentially causing, and covering up, a series of decisions that resulted in Flint’s drinking water being contaminated…
Nearly all schools in Detroit were closed Wednesday due to a massive teacher “sick out,” preventing students from attending class. Teachers have complained about over-crowded classrooms, poor school conditions, and dissatisfaction with the idea of charter school growth in Michigan. The teachers’ sick-out includes a planned march, which will conclude near a venue being visited…
Emergency shelters are the next target for regulations elevating gender identity over health, safety, privacy, and religious liberty concerns. Emergency shelters are the next target for regulations elevating gender identity over health, safety, privacy, and religious liberty concerns. On Nov. 20, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provided notice of a proposed new…
It’s been reported that some Republican senators are looking to eliminate the filibuster on the Motion to Proceed to appropriations bills, citing frustration at the Democrats obstructing their agenda. There are a lot of reasons why conservatives should preserve the filibuster (the practice of allowing a senator to speak, often against a certain bill, as…
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in another free speech and association case, this time involving a police officer who was demoted for purportedly helping the challenger in his town’s mayoral election. The First Amendment is supposed to protect the free speech and associational rights of individuals who work for the government. Yet,…
The horrendous attacks on women in Cologne, Germany, on New Year’s Eve have exposed a deep crack in the façade of radical multiculturalism. On one side are radical feminists who argue that sexism, no matter how innocently expressed, must be vigorously repressed. On the other are the mavens of racial and ethnic identity politics who…
Last year, a number of academics penned a letter to the Obama administration demanding a criminal RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) investigation into those who disagree with man-made global warming, following the lead of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. As we wrote at the time, this would be an abuse of the Racketeer Influenced…
On Tuesday, the Congressional Budget Office released its preliminary budget and economic outlook for 2016-2026. The report shows that despite temporary improvements over the past few years, the country continues to be on an unsustainable budget path. From the report it remains clear that our nation is on the wrong path. Spending, deficits, and debt…
Should individuals be allowed to turn criminal fines into donations for their favorite charities? U.S. District Judge Janet Arterton recently faced this question and correctly said no. But scholars have raised the question before in response to prosecutors’ use of settlement funds reached in criminal prosecutions of major companies—some totaling billions of dollars—as checks to…
The Supreme Court will hear a case brought by Texas and 25 other states challenging President Barack Obama’s attempt to give legal status and work authorizations to more than four million illegal immigrants. In a brief order today, the Supreme Court directed the government and the states to address whether the Obama administration’s program “violates…
Brazil, world-famous for its carnival celebrations in Rio and elsewhere, is canceling the festivities this year. As the Financial Times reports, across the country, towns and cities “are being forced to scrap the annual carnival parade as the country is braced for what is expected to be the worst recession since at least the 1930s.”…
The arrival of Implementation Day triggered celebrations in Tehran. And well it should. Iran is now set to cash in, gaining access to an estimated $50 billion immediately and eventually pocketing up to one hundred billion dollars more in frozen assets as sanctions are lifted. In addition, Tehran recovered seven Iranians charged with sanctions violations in return for four…
It’s been reported that “Implementation Day” is here, and nuclear sanctions against Iran have now been lifted. But what exactly does this mean? Heritage Foundation expert Luke Coffey weighs in to answer Implementation Day questions: 1. What is Implementation Day? Implementation Day is the point at which the deal agreed in Vienna last summer between…