Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
The third Monday of each January, we commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. by a national holiday. Mindful of his concrete actions and accomplishments and, still more, of his sublime words, his high hopes, and his ultimate martyrdom, we have come not only to admire, but even to revere King. In the pantheon of American heroes, King, the…
Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has become the fourth popularly elected president of the Republic of China since the return of presidential elections in 1996—joining Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian, and Ma Ying-jeou. Early reports indicate that she has taken a solid majority of the popular vote, outpolling Eric Chu of the Kuomintang…
Last March, Indiana became a hot zone in the culture wars when big business and the cultural left teamed up to water down Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). They alleged that RFRAs lead to rampant discrimination against gays and lesbians and, in a striking example of cultural cronyism, bullied the Indiana legislature into rolling…
The great Jack Kemp used to say about politicians that “voters don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” Congressional conservatives say they care about the poor and minorities, but do they really? We have a test case in front of us right now over whether congressional leadership will reauthorize and then…
This week, Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the U.S. would “expand” its “refugee admission program in order to help vulnerable families and individuals from the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.” But what exactly does this mean? Here are three important facts on the issue: 1) Who qualifies as a…
During his final State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama attempted to downplay the threat to U.S. national security posed by the rise of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL). But a special report recently published by the Heritage Foundation on combatting the ISIS foreign fighter problem explains…
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., has made the case that the Senate filibuster should be preserved. The freshman senator told The Daily Signal: Senators from both parties should be deeply skeptical of any changes that centralize power. The Senate’s filibuster is designed not for obstruction, but genuine debate. Ending the filibuster for small wins today will…
Genevieve Wood wrote earlier this week on President Obama's executive actions: Many of President Obama’s executive actions—whether the most recent ones calling for more gun control or past ones extending amnesty to millions here illegally—are already being or will one day be challenged in the courts. This is why it’s encouraging to see reports this…
Given the news that Iran held U.S. naval personnel and their two vessels for a day or so, and broadcast the images and videos of the sailors, we thought it prudent to explore the legal, security, and policy ramifications of Iran’s latest provocative actions. 1) Why did Iran hold American sailors? There are myriad issues…
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack in Jakarta, Indonesia, this week that claimed two innocent lives and left 20 injured. This is the most significant attack in Indonesia since 2009. With all condolences to the victims, one thing is for sure: The terrorists will lose this round, too. The Indonesian people are nothing if…
The Islamic State (ISIS) has previously taken manpower, territory, and funds from al-Qaeda. Now it is taking its instruction books. A story in London’s Daily Telegraph highlights that ISIS has commandeered and then updated a publication released by al-Fajr Media Center (al-Qaeda’s online distributor) called “Safety and security guidelines for lone wolf mujahideen and small…
We spend a lot of time debating immigration as a society. This is natural, as it is an important policy that always, one way or another, inflames passions. Curiously, though, we spend a lot less time discussing what happens after immigrants come to the United States. This is peculiar, because it is by how immigrants…
Director Michael Bay’s “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” is a dramatic recounting of the half-dozen CIA security contractors (former SEALs, Marines, and an Army Ranger) who responded to the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks on the U.S. diplomatic mission compound in Benghazi, Libya, and a nearby covert CIA intelligence collection facility. Bay does a credible…
The use of photo identification to confirm the identity of voters serves an essential election security function in America’s polling places and boosts citizens’ confidence in the voting process. In perhaps their most prevalent means of attack, opponents of laws requiring photo ID greatly exaggerate the number of voters without a valid ID. In legislative,…
President Barack Obama highlighted several “success” stories in his State of the Union address: half-measures in Syria, kowtowing to Iran, and the U.S. response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Since others have described the administration’s failed efforts in Syria and Iran, I’ll focus on Ebola. The president rightly acknowledged the essential roles played by…
The House Select Committee on Benghazi, far from intimidated by its critics, is plowing ahead with a heavy schedule. Last week, former CIA Director Gen. David Petraeus was deposed by the committee in a closed-door hearing, in which he reportedly offered the committee important clarifications on the CIA’s role in Benghazi—before, during, and after the…
There were 13 Islamist-inspired terror attacks and plots within the United States in 2015—the greatest number in any year since Sept. 11, 2001. And more than the years 2012, 2013, and 2014 combined. This increase reminds us that Congress and the Obama administration’s leadership on the matter remains lackluster as we near the end of…
You’ve heard about the Obamacare Individual Mandate. That’s the one that requires every person in America to get government-approved health insurance or face significant IRS penalties. You’ve heard about the Health and Human Services (HHS) contraception mandate. That’s the one that requires private employers, including religious institutions like the Little Sisters of the Poor, to…
As many as 80,000 residents in western Ukraine lost power for six hours on Dec. 23. Cybersecurity firm iSight Partners has attributed the blackout to Russian hacking group Sandworm and its malicious software, BlackEnergy 3. Cyberattacks on power grids and other critical infrastructure are not new, but this most recent attack seems to be the first use…
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, responded to President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address in a one-minute video Tuesday night.