Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
If you’re a taxpayer, here’s a story that should really make your blood boil. Ivanpah, a solar plant in California, received a $1.6 billion loan guarantee backed by the taxpayers. California has one of the nation’s most ambitious renewable portfolio standards. It mandates 33 percent of the state’s power must come from renewable sources. In essence, the…
As Republicans enjoyed remarkable gains on Election Day, capturing control of the Senate and tightening their grip on the House, a palpable shift in the prevailing power structure overcame Washington. Although the Republican Party won’t actually take control of the Senate until January, a number of important issues will demand more immediate consideration. Among the…
It seems incredible, but a single missing word could turn a water law into a government land grab so horrendous even a U.S. Supreme Court justice warned it would “put the property rights of every American entirely at the mercy of Environmental Protection Agency employees.” The missing word is “navigable.” The Obama administration is proposing…
Former Rep. Phil Crane, R-Ill., died Nov. 7 after a struggle with lung cancer. His passing reminded all of us who knew Phil what a unique contribution to the modern conservative movement he had made. On some days he was giving his famous lecture, “The Blessings of Liberty,” to audiences around the nation. For many months he…
Each year, we ask you to submit photos of the veterans you love and cherish. We are flooded with photos of your sons, daughters, husbands, wives, grandparents and more. From those currently serving overseas to as far back as World War I, your tributes are important reminders that our freedom is hard won. This week,…
“Those who live today remember those who do not. Those who know freedom remember today those who gave up life for freedom.” —Ronald Reagan, Nov. 11, 1988, Veterans Day National Ceremony, Arlington National Cemetery As we pause to honor all Americans who have served in our armed forces, especially those who gave their last full…
Mentioning “1 percenters” conjures up images of protest and class warfare. But there is another 1 percent who are beyond politics: the men and women who serve in America’s armed forces, as well as the veterans who served before them. Despite over a decade of ceaseless war against terrorism, fewer than 1 percent of the…
The midterm elections boiled down to this: The majority of Americans want to checkmate President Obama’s agenda. The voters delivered that message clearly last Tuesday. But now that they’ve done their job, the question is: Will those they elected, the Republicans, do theirs? Most Americans are not happy about the direction of the country and how…
It isn’t often we can see positive, common-sense free-market ideas grab headlines when it comes to health care. But that is what is happening in Michigan. Direct Primary Care in medical practice is the idea on the rise, as Daniel McCorry of The Heritage Foundation pointed out in a comprehensive report on the topic published in…
Police officers are trained to know what property of yours makes the most sense to seize. The Heritage Foundation has written much about a law enforcement tool known as civil asset forfeiture, which allows police departments to generate revenue from the seizure of money, cars, homes or anything else of value which they allege is…
New information obtained by the Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request indicates that a flight ban in Ferguson, Mo., may have been intended to stop press coverage rather than just protect local law enforcement. After reports that rounds were fired at police aircraft over Ferguson in early August, just days after Michael…
Clearly the conservative “wave” election last week favored one party over another. Yet on policy issues, is there a unifying thread among newly elected leaders at the federal and state level? Listening in to the winning candidates and their stories, a strong commitment to one cause stands out: protecting life. Young, vibrant and diverse, these leaders…
When people think of computer hacking, China immediately comes to mind. Recent news reports, however, puts the spotlight on Russia as a sophisticated state player silently infiltrating U.S. cyber systems. ABC News reported that a “Trojan Horse” malware program, reportedly of Russian origin, infiltrated the software of critical infrastructures in the U.S. and has been…
Today the United States celebrates the strength, courage and accomplishment of the U.S. Marine Corps on its 239th birthday. These photos give an in-depth look into Marines as they train and fight for our country.
President Obama made life a bit more difficult today for Tom Wheeler, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. In an unusually deep wade into the decision-making process at the supposedly independent FCC, the president came out in favor of imposing common carrier regulation on America’s Internet service providers, saying in a video released by…
The Supreme Court’s decision to hear the King v. Burwell case exposes another potential weakness in the health care law. In the King case, the Supreme Court will consider whether the Internal Review Service has the authority to expand the application of healthcare subsidies to federal exchanges. The subsidies are a key tool used under…
A recent Rasmussen Report found that 65 percent of U.S. voters approve of time limits on food stamps. Only 24 percent disapprove and 12 percent remain undecided. On a similar note, the majority of Americans also support work requirements for able-bodied adults receiving welfare assistance, such as food stamps. For example, a 2012 Rasmussen report…
Conservatives tend to champion state and local government over big federal government. But that doesn’t always mean state and local governments protect American freedoms. Such is the case with Denton, Texas, and its recent ban on fracking. Last week, residents of Denton passed a ballot measure to ban hydraulic fracturing (fracking), the process used to…
In a newly surfaced video, one of Obamacare’s architects admits a “lack of transparency” helped the Obama administration and congressional Democrats pass the Affordable Care Act. The conservative group American Commitment posted Jonathan Gruber’s remarks, reportedly from an Oct. 17, 2013, event, on YouTube. “Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage,” says the MIT…
Sexual liberty and religious liberty need not be in tension. Indeed, most Americans don’t want them to be in tension. It’s true there are bad stories out there where people have been victimized by intolerance. Some of this has been at the hands of market leaders. Consider Brendan Eich, who six years ago made a…