Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
Jeh Johnson, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary, has asked his department to consider revising the National Terrorism Alert System (NTAS), since the last time they actually used the system was…well…never. One of the good things that the NTAS has going for it, though, is that it isn’t the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS). The…
The Russian government has launched an all-out media campaign to sell its involvement in Syria to the Russian people. On all official television channels (which are pretty much the only ones in Russia that count), viewers have been subjected to a nonstop barrage of the Russian bombing campaign over the past two weeks. Bombers are…
On June 26, 2015, four of the Supreme Court’s liberals joined Justice Anthony Kennedy in discovering a new right to same-sex marriage in the U.S. Constitution, one thereby imposed upon all 50 states. In response, of course, liberals were jubilant. Their leader, the one who promised to fundamentally transform America, responded by literally illuminating the…
Bank of America has announced that it will reduce 200 trading- and investment-related jobs. Even with the cuts, their bank compliance managers (those who make sure the bank is following government regulations) should feel pretty safe. Bank regulations don’t look as though they’ll be reduced anytime soon. For banks, efforts to comply with specific regulations often…
The Federal Aviation Administration missed its Sept. 30 deadline to file national regulations for drone use. Interest groups sent a letter to Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta to mark the occasion, and to announce that people are “already confused about where they should and should not fly.” This missed deadline will halt commercial use….
President Obama is determined to make a legacy for himself—so much so that he’s willing to go around America’s elected officials on climate change. Not once, but twice. First, Obama bypassed Congress with unelected bureaucrats at the Environmental Protection Agency to put domestic carbon dioxide cuts in place that will drive up energy costs with…
HBO and Vice released a documentary about criminal justice problems that largely ignores existing reform initiatives. It features commentary by former Attorney General Eric Holder and has scenes of President Obama discussing criminal justice issues with a group of inmates in a federal prison. It is regrettable that they do not meaningfully discuss existing criminal…
Remember the much maligned Tea Party movement? These were the patriotic Americans—millions of them—who took to the streets and the town halls across America and revolted against President Bush’s corporate bailouts, President Obama’s stimulus spending blowout and Obamacare, and the Federal Reserve’s policy of tossing trillions of dollars out of helicopter windows (figuratively). Good news:…
The comprehensive nature of issues discussed during Xi Jinping’s visit once again illuminated the extent of China’s political and social influence in the United States. On October 6, The Heritage Foundation, in cooperation with The Project 2049 Institute, cosponsored the public program event “Influence Operations: Chinese Political Warfare in East Asia and Beyond.” The event…
Immigration is always a hot-button political issue, and no more so than in the months leading up to a presidential election. From sanctuary cities to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to birthright citizenship, what can and should be done to fix our current system is on the forefront of the minds of many politicians…
Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department released the latest numbers on U.S. and Russian strategic forces as part of the data exchange required by the New Strategic Arms Reduction Talks Treaty (New START). The New START Treaty, signed by the U.S. and Russia in April 2010, has utterly failed to accomplish anything in the…
Can the U.S. House of Representatives elect a non-member to the speakership? Disgusted by the dysfunction in Congress, some are suggesting that this is constitutionally possible. Connor Ewing has asserted the only thing standing in the way is “over two centuries of legislative practice to the contrary.” (Editor’s note: Ewing’s latest, written in reply to Schaub and…
I spend an enormous amount of time thinking (and worrying) about the children of Washington, D.C. Advocating for quality educational opportunities for them has been a priority in my life since the late 1990s. With Speaker John Boehner’s announcement of his decision to step down, I automatically began to reflect on the 10-plus years we…
On this day in 1775, the U.S. Navy was created by a resolution of the Continental Congress. Throughout its illustrious history, the U.S. Navy has helped protect American citizens and interests around the world by protecting freedom of navigation, maintaining air superiority, and projecting American power abroad. Navy personnel have admirably served in conflicts since…
After the grim announcement last month that only four or five Syrian rebels trained by U.S. military personnel remained inside Syria, the Obama administration has decided to call it quits on the program altogether. There were supposed to be roughly 5,400 trained fighters this year and 15,000 within 3 years in order to effectively combat…
PHILADELPHIA—A faction within the city’s largest teachers union is planning to challenge incumbent officers in next year’s elections because the faction’s members feel that their interests are not being adequately represented. The Caucus of Working Educators, a group of about 300 school nurses, counselors, and support staff within the 11,000-member Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, is…
The trust fund that helps pay for disability insurance under Social Security is on track to run out of money next year, a shortfall that would trigger a 19-percent cut in benefits. To avert these painful cuts, policymakers should overhaul the program by dropping the progressive benefit structure and replacing it with a flat benefit…
The king of Thailand is dying. The bluntness of this statement will win no friends in Thailand—as the New York Times was reminded last week when its printer there refused to publish an edition speculating on the king’s health. Yet, today, the king’s mortality is the central factor in Thai politics. It must be acknowledged directly and more…
When heads of state gather, as they did for the United Nations General Assembly last week, you have a choice: Tune out, or prepare to be bathed in blather, boilerplate, and blatant lies. That said, the remarks of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner deserve at least a few minutes of our undivided attention. Her biggest whooper:…
In another win for property owners, the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked nationwide implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s and Army Corps of Engineers’ controversial “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule until the litigation over the rule’s legality can play out. Today’s decision expands on a federal court decision in North…