Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
The cover of a new survey by Chicago Council of Global Affairs entitled “America Divided: Political Partisanship and US Foreign Policy” creates the impression that Americans are deeply divided over U.S. foreign policy. Yet, according to the research presented inside that is not consistently so. In some regards, opinion on foreign policy is converging, even…
When it comes to Pope Francis, the media are quick to pick up on his more liberal views. In a story headlined, “Republicans’ Comments Put Them on Other Side of Pope’s Visiting Message,” the New York Times reports, “Pope Francis has delivered an encyclical calling for increased action against climate change, denounced the role of…
In a historic move, all five justices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court have voted to temporarily suspend the law license of the state’s attorney general, Kathleen Kane, based on the recommendation of the court’s 13-member disciplinary board. This leaves the office of the state attorney general in limbo, since Pennsylvania’s constitution requires that the attorney…
This afternoon, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, delivered an important speech on the Senate floor arguing that any criminal justice reform effort that is truly worthy of the name ought to include mens rea reform (also referred to as criminal intent). I recently argued, as have other Heritage scholars, that there is a pressing need for…
“It made me feel like I wasn’t human. It made me feel like a criminal.” That’s what Fourteen-year-old Ahmed Mohamed, said after police handcuffed him and brought him to a juvenile detention center for mug shots, fingerprints, and interrogation; all because he brought his home-made digital clock to school to impress his teacher. This is…
There’s nothing funnier than laughing at a woman trying to stay true to her beliefs. That appears to be the understanding of Emmy host Andy Samberg, who, during his opening monologue, decided to single out Kim Davis, the Democrat Kentucky clerk who was jailed for her refusal to issue same-sex marriage licenses. (Warning: The quote…
Last week the Russian government added one more issue to its growing heap of disputes with the United States. By pulling the plug on the U.S. sponsored America Center hosted at M. Rudomino All-Russia State Library of Foreign Literature in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin has subtly moved against the U.S. According to a press…
Civil war has left Syria a country in name only. The UN counts at least 270,000 people killed and a million more injured since fighting began in 2011. In the first eight months of 2015, half a million refugees from Syria and beyond have flooded Europe. It is a serious crisis, and both Russian President…
The Supreme Court’s last term was one for the history books, with high-profile cases involving Obamacare and gay marriage. The next term may not attract the same level of attention from the media and general public, but the justices will consider a number of important issues. Voting rights, public employee unions, and racial preferences in…
Over the past 10 years, in spite of massive and growing funding of America’s anti-poverty agenda, the percentage of individuals able to support themselves free of government welfare has declined. The fundamental reason the nation has failed to effectively reduce dependency and promote self-sufficiency is that we’ve been misdiagnosing poverty. People experience poverty for varied…
The debate about defense spending will likely reignite this month as Congress returns from recess and the end of the fiscal year draws near. Unfortunately, much of that debate will not be very helpful or informative. Instead of arguing the merits of a particular military spending level, much of the debate will revolve around Democratic…
Jeremy Corbyn is hardly a household name in the United States, but his election win has raised eyebrows on this side of the Atlantic and has been prominently featured on the pages of The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. With good reason: there is growing nervousness in Washington in…
Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports will never be mistaken for a Tom Clancy novel. The editorial style is intended to be subdued and analytical—lest the research staff be accused of cheerleading for one side or the other on any contentious issue. That said, the June 2015 report, uploaded on the Federation of American Scientists website (the Congressional…
Frustrated voters sometimes denounce their representatives as “good for nothing,” but are they being fair? Consider the budget gimmicks some politicians come up with. When it comes to fiscal gymnastics, who can deny their creativity? Case in point: a plan to fund the mismanaged Highway Trust Fund by tapping the dividends that the Federal Reserve pays member…
The U.S. Census Bureau has released its annual poverty report. Conventional wisdom holds that the U.S. has a small social welfare system and far more poverty compared with other affluent nations. But noted liberal scholars Irwin Garfinkel, Lee Rainwater, and Timothy Smeeding challenge such simplistic ideas in their book “Wealth and Welfare States: Is America…
Editor’s note: This article was originally published Sept. 10. Kim Davis is out of jail and taking a few days off before going back to work as the Rowan County, Ky., clerk. In the meantime, it’s worth reflecting on what we’ve learned thus far from the controversy. After all, it will not be the last….
Washington is waking up to the fact that America is an Arctic nation. But, as in a doomed polar expedition, the administration seems to be aimlessly wandering in the policy tundra. President Obama’s recent trip to Alaska only raises more questions over whether the White House really has a serious Arctic agenda. Shifts in the…
Travis Kalanick gave a rare interview in San Francisco this week at the mega Dreamforce conference. Since Uber began getting regularly hammered in the press for its aggressive political tactics and potential legal violations, the once outspoken CEO hasn’t given the public much direction about the future of the multi-billion-dollar transportation company. This week, he gave…
On this day in 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed into law the National Security Act of 1947, which officially established the U.S. Air Force as a distinct branch of the military. Over the course of its young life, the U.S. Air Force has played a critical role in extending global reach and mobility, maintaining…
Streaming companies like Netflix, Spotify, and Amazon Prime are revolutionizing how Americans consume media content. These wildly popular services enable ubiquitous and virtually instantaneous access to expansive catalogues of music, movies, and TV shows. Streaming is big business, and Chicago wants a piece of the action. On Sept. 1, the city’s controversial new “cloud tax”…