Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
The annual Medicare Trustees report was released today, detailing the dire financial status of the Medicare program. In large part, it reiterates what has been known for decades, the Medicare program faces an unsustainable financial future, which imposes a major burden on taxpayers and jeopardizes access to care for seniors. A few of the report’s…
On July 26, a federal district court in Washington, D.C. struck down as unconstitutional the District of Columbia’s laws totally banning the public carrying of ready-to-use handguns outside the home. The court held that the ban violated the Second Amendment’s protection of the right to bear arms, strongly reaffirming the importance of this individual liberty….
On the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 Commission report, the former commission members released a new analysis of U.S. homeland security that listed Congress as the greatest obstacle to homeland security. Excessive congressional oversight hinders the ability of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to protect the American people. On Sunday, distinguished homeland security experts…
Today, in a 2-1 split decision, the 4th circuit ruled that Virginia’s marriage amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The majority declared that Virginia’s law “impermissibly infringe[s] on its citizens’ fundamental right to marry.” Judge Paul Niemeyer issued a strong dissent…
This week the Senate will debate a House-passed bill to pay for federal highway and transit programs through May 31, 2015. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., wants to force action earlier, though, saying, “We must put politics aside and work together to pass a long-term transportation bill with a sustainable funding solution before the end of…
At the plate, Frank Thomas struck fear into the hearts of pitchers throughout Major League Baseball. At Cooperstown on Sunday, Thomas battled back tears during an emotional Hall of Fame speech crediting his family for his success. A consecutive two-time MVP, and one of the best hitters in baseball history, Thomas chose to celebrate his…
Today’s release of the 2014 Social Security Trustees Report shows its programs’ finances are in dire need of reform if the programs are to provide to seniors and the disabled protection from poverty and do so in an affordable and sustainable manner. Social Security paid out nearly $71 billion more to retirees and other beneficiaries…
For the past 50 years, the government’s annual poverty rate has hardly changed at all. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 15 percent of Americans still live in poverty, roughly the same rate as the mid-1960s when the War on Poverty was just starting. After adjusting for inflation, federal and state welfare spending today is…
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, believes he has the key to reining in the executive branch: suing President Barack Obama for not faithfully executing the law. But while Obama has repeatedly waived requirements of laws or chosen not to enforce them against whole categories of offenders, there’s a legal requirement known as “standing” that may…
Fifteen years ago, when I was 6, my parents and I moved to the United States from Canada, where I was born. Since moving to this great country, I have attended elementary, middle and high school in Coral Springs, Fla., and I’m currently pursuing a bachelor degree in biological sciences and pre-med at Florida Atlantic…
The character of our culture has a lot to do with opportunity in America. I learned early on, from personal experience, that these two notions are intertwined. My two brothers, my sister and I were reared by our single mom with a work ethic that shaped who I am today. We struggled economically but my…
The Israeli missile-defense system known as Iron Dome once again finds itself in the international spotlight, causing many Americans to wonder if the U.S. has anything comparable. Here are a few important points about Iron Dome and missile defense in general for Americans to consider. (1) Iron Dome is a missile-defense system that intercepts short-…
Other crises may dominate the headlines. But none of them—not our crushing national debt, cyberwar, Russian aggression, Chinese belligerence or even the chaos in the Middle East—pose the threat of global nuclear proliferation. Nuclear weapons are a threat like no other. I managed four underground nuclear tests, and I have witnessed the nearly unimaginable destructive power…
What would be a fitting memorial for the founding father of the modern conservative movement? A statue in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall? An airport? A gigantic federal building a block and a half from the National Mall? What’s that you say? Ronald Reagan already has those memorials, plus another 90 roads, bridges, schools and…
All Melanie Armstrong wanted to do was braid women’s hair for a living. African hair-braiding is not easy, but it is not medicine, law or engineering, where mistakes can cost lives. It is a skill that can be learned in a relatively short time and that empowers women to set up their own businesses and…
And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen: two different federal courts of appeal, issuing completely contradictory rulings on the very same day, on the very same issue. That’s what happened Tuesday. If nothing else, the dueling rulings should hasten the day when the next phase of litigation involving the Patient Protection and Affordable Care…
“Frozen” star Kristen Bell is airing her liberal views once again—this time in a “Funny or Die” sketch advocating for a $10.10 minimum wage. Not to be outdone, ReasonTV’s Remy mimics Bell’s Mary Poppins act in a parody that hits her for hypocrisy.
This month marks the 45th anniversary of man landing on the moon, and the fourth anniversary of the signing of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The two events couldn’t be more different. The moon landing was a rousing, tangible achievement that millions watched on TV. Dodd-Frank was an amorphous piece of…
On Thursday, forfeiture-reform advocates gained a new ally when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., announced his “Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act” or “FAIR Act,” which takes direct aim at some of the most abuse-prone provisions of federal civil forfeiture law. Federal civil forfeiture laws allow police to seize money and property if they suspect it is…
Just before the 4th of July, the Pew Research Center released a fascinating study of Americans’ political beliefs, dividing them into seven categories from “steadfast conservatives” to “solid liberals.” But what separates liberals and conservatives isn’t always what they believe. It’s why they believe. By Pew’s standards, I should be a liberal: I use public…