Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
A major economics story for conservatives slipped under the radar screen as Americans celebrated the New Year: Two more Kentucky counties passed local right-to-work laws. On December 30, Fulton and Simpson counties approved right-to-work ordinances; several more counties appear set to follow suit in the coming days. Right-to-work laws make union dues voluntary. Absent such laws,…
In a stunning political upset, two-term Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse lost Thursday’s election to a defector from his own party, Maithripala Sirisena. With Sirisena’s rise to power comes hope that he will revive the country’s parliamentary democracy and work more closely with ethnic minorities to encourage political reconciliation nearly six years after the civil…
The brazen attack on the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in Paris that killed a dozen was no way to start the New Year — a highly-symbolic point in the book of time when we look to turn the page on the previous 365 days. But for all our attempts to put last year in life’s…
When I heard that my friend Martin Anderson had died over the weekend, I gave thanks for his extraordinarily inquisitive mind and the critical role that an institution can play in advancing the cause of a free society. Martin was an economist and political scientist. Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, where he was a senior fellow…
Americans of all income levels would benefit from faster economic growth that raises wages. Unfortunately, wages are being held back by the very policies supported by those criticizing slow wage growth. Liberals across the country supported the misnamed Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). The law’s mandates have made health coverage more expensive for both individuals…
The recent cyberattack on Sony was a direct assault on free speech in America. Dictators or terrorist groups must be made to realize that attempts to squelch free speech, or any other fundamental right, via extortion or threat of violence will generate a strong and painful response. Once the FBI determined that North Korea was…
LAS VEGAS —Two years ago, the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology fined and shut down two makeup instruction businesses owned by Lissette Waugh and Wendy Robin. The reason: Although “the state of Nevada doesn’t require a license to practice as a makeup artist, the teaching of any cosmetic application requires a licensed cosmetology school,” said…
President Obama’s change of policy on Cuba looks worse with every passing day. Remember the 53 political prisoners that Obama promised would be released? Three weeks later, the State Department could not confirm even one had been let out of prison. That became abundantly clear during an awkward, five-minute standoff between State Department spokeswoman Jen…
The front-line officers of the New York Police Department appear to be engaged in a work slowdown following the recent executions of officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu. In part, the slowdown appears to be a response to an accumulation of anti-police statements and activities by Mayor Bill de Blasio, including controversial comments and an…
Gun control advocates are changing strategy. If you can’t get legislation infringing upon the Second Amendment with President Obama sitting in the White House and Harry Reid, D-Nev., running the Senate, the chances of getting much done under the new Republican-controlled Congress are next to nil. Add to that the fact that the majority of…
The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that a statewide grand jury has recommended criminal charges be filed against Pennsylvania Attorney General (and voter ID opponent) Kathleen Kane for perjury and contempt of court over the leaking of secret grand jury information. Kane, a Democrat, had been in the news recently after a local grand jury convened…
From Genevieve Wood's column, a look at the issues some readers hope President Obama won't use his "gift" on if Congress passes changes: Your responses to my question last week asking what campaign promises you most wanted the new Congress to fulfill were very telling. What many conservatives want they fear they are not going…
The December employment reports’ headline figures show robust labor market growth. But the details of the report give less optimistic news. The economy continues to recover but not at the rapid pace the headline figures imply. Overall the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employers added 252,000 net new jobs in December, and the unemployment rate fell…
The Obama administration announced Thursday that it will propose two years of “free” community college, paid for by taxpayers, for students maintaining a “C” or better average. The federal government would finance three-quarters of the costs, and the administration says it hopes the remainder would be financed by states. Just 20 percent of community college first-years complete…
A new opinion poll released Thursday shows Americans in continued support of the goal to “downgrade and ultimately destroy” the Islamic State (ISIS), as President Obama has articulated it. The poll, “American Public Attitudes Towards ISIS and Syria,” also reveals some reservations about the effectiveness of the Obama administration’s air-only campaign to keep ISIS from…
On Wednesday, three terrorists in France attacked the offices of a satirical magazine, killing 12 and injuring scores more. Sadly, the terror attack in France is one of many recent incidents carried out by Islamists (that is, Islamic extremists). While most Americans are familiar with recent terrorism perpetrated against the citizens of Canada and Australia,…
On Friday morning, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is going to hear an important challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency’s and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s rules on greenhouse gas emissions from new cars and trucks. The Pacific Legal Foundation is bringing this challenge, arguing that the EPA failed…
Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran was fired on Tuesday by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. Why? Because, on his own private time, Cochran wrote a book expressing his biblical understanding of sexual morality. At the center of this controversy is whether governments should push those who hold traditional beliefs out of government jobs. The decision by…
For the third time in our nation’s history, the Constitution will be read out loud on the floor of the House of Representatives Friday. Cynics, or those who simply follow the antics of Congress, will likely roll their eyes and dismiss this as a stunt. But a public reading of the Constitution is not entirely…
There was a time when the “China-lobby” meant supporters of The Republic of China (Taiwan). In the last couple decades, it has come to mean representatives of the American business community most eager to do business on the mainland, the People’s Republic of China, and willing to exercise influence in Washington in support of cordial…