Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
It’s no secret that being speaker of the House comes with its challenges. Recently, however, I had the kind of day that makes it all worth it. You may not have heard about this. It didn’t get splashy headlines, or go viral, or anything like that. To little fanfare, the people’s House passed major legislation…
Today, in addition to headlines, we feature a podcast by our colleague, Michelle Cordero, called “Heritage Explains,” which includes Kelsey Harkness’ reporting on the survivors of the Santa Fe High School shooting, and analysis from The Heritage Foundation’s Amy Swearer. We also cover these stories: Vice President Mike Pence discusses the impact of tax reform. Omarosa…
In February 2017, U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady remarked at a conference on international tax competition, “Our blueprint delivers a tax code built specifically to leapfrog America from dead last among our global competitors back into the lead pack of the most pro-growth tax systems on earth.” Fast forward to August…
If Washington politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists have their way, consumers of common nondairy “milks”—such as almond milk and soy milk—may soon have to buy those products under obscure labeling such as “plant juice” and “tree-nut beverage.” In another unfortunate instance of overcriminalization, after efforts to make it a crime to label nondairy products as “milk”…
Shelby Emmett, director of the Center to Protect Free Speech at the American Legislative Exchange Council, discusses the status of free speech. Plus: We analyze the media’s latest strategy on how to fight President Donald Trump. We also cover these stories: FBI official Peter Strzok is fired. Omarosa Manigault Newman releases recordings she claims are authentic,…
It’s been a year since the White House launched a trade war with China. On Aug. 14, 2017, President Trump instructed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to investigate Chinese policies under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act. One year later, two important questions remain: What has Trump’s trade representative achieved, and how long will…
With President Donald Trump’s signature Monday at Fort Drum, New York, the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2019 will be the earliest a defense authorization bill has become law since 1978. Forty years ago, the bill was 16 pages long and was called the “Department of Defense Appropriation Authorization Act,…
Younger doctors who are flirting with support of government-run health care should consider some hard facts—including the unfortunate results such control would likely have for patients and doctors themselves. They should also look at the recent raw experience of Britain with a government-controlled health care system. But first, let’s look at the most serious plan…
President James Madison once described how government reflects human nature. It also could be said that the confirmation of Supreme Court justices puts a spotlight on the nature of government. The debate over any judicial nomination, especially to the Supreme Court, puts into very sharp relief the two different views of how much power judges…
The Daily Signal’s all-star interns, Katherine Rohloff and Jeremiah Poff, join editor-in-chief Rob Bluey to discuss their summer in Washington. Find out why these two young conservatives are pursuing a career in journalism. We also have: Bluey’s interview with Attorney General Jeff Sessions. As students prepare to head back to campus, Sessions talks about free…
Last week, authorities in New Mexico discovered 11 children living in a dilapidated compound. Most were the sons and daughters of a Georgian resident called Siraj Ibn Wahhaj who, along with his wife and sisters, was charged with child cruelty offenses. Human remains found on the site are feared to be those of his disabled…
Editor’s note: The story of one young woman’s harrowing illegal crossing into America, as told to one of our readers, Caroline Chance Melear, leads today’s grab bag of your letters. Keep ’em coming at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: I spoke with a woman I know who crossed the border illegally 15 years ago, when…
Google plans to launch a pre-censored search engine app in China, tailored to fit China’s strict censorship laws, according to a report in The Intercept. A Google spokesperson declined to confirm the report regarding the tech titan’s plans, but if the app is developed, it would set a dangerous precedent. Access to China’s massive internet…
Of course, Facebook, YouTube, and other media are free to ban conspiracy-mongers such as Alex Jones from their platforms. They have a right to dictate the contours of permissible speech on their sites and to enforce those standards dutifully or hypocritically or ideologically, using any method they see fit. No one seriously disputes this. Twitter…
It is difficult to read the phrase “avocados from Mexico” without singing the catchy tune from a popular Super Bowl commercial. These commercials ring true today for American guacamole lovers because the triple-digit heat and wildfires in California are hurting their avocado crop. Temperatures above 115 degrees have led to major crop losses as many…
This is not the time to back off on free trade. In fact, as British conservative Liam Fox said recently, it is the time to intensify efforts. “Free trade has allowed us to take 1 billion of our fellow human beings out of abject poverty in just one generation–one of the greatest achievements in history,”…
In 1961, I participated in what one newspaper in Richmond, Virginia, called “one of the most ambitious experiments in race-mixing the South had seen.” With the nation in turmoil, 25 other black students and I helped integrate an all-white junior high school. Outside the school, we faced angry crowds determined to prevent us from getting…
It’s been about five weeks since President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Ever since, Trump’s opponents have been throwing a lot of spaghetti at the wall, trying to find some negative argument or way of framing this nomination that will get some traction. We’re past the silly season…
Sen. Bernie Sanders and congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are popularizing the philosophy of democratic socialism, especially among younger age groups. Meanwhile, the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) are gaining influence on college and high school campuses, claiming to have organizing activities planned at more than 250 campuses across the nation. The YDSA website describes…
How did our nation go from having a high-growth economy in the 19th and early 20th centuries, to struggling in recent years to achieve 3 percent annual growth? The American economy today is mixed: It is partly free, vibrant, prosperous, and entrepreneurial and partly unfree, obstructed, and lethargic. The free part is governed by the…