Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
Each year, the trustees of Social Security and Medicare issue their report delivering the news, invariably dismal, about the financial condition of the nation’s two largest entitlement programs. This year, in the report just issued, it’s worse than usual. Last year, the trustees forecast that Social Security and Medicare’s hospital insurance would have to start…
In April, the Congressional Budget Office released its updated budget projections, and the outlook is grim. The annual federal deficit is projected to rise to over $1 trillion by 2020 and to top $1.5 trillion by 2028. In the next decade, debt is projected to skyrocket to over 96 percent of the economy. This is…
“I also have a dream.” This rallying cry, handwritten on a simple white placard held up by an Asian-American mom at a protest this week against liberal New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to radically transform New York City’s public schools, says it all. A new civil rights struggle in education has exploded—yet…
At a hearing on June 6 to address legal authority to stop dangerous drones, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., asked, “Is this really all we’re doing?” The Prevent Emerging Threats Act of 2018, which Johnson introduced, was being debated by the panel he heads—the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He was asking if the…
Americans are returning to a debate over recidivism and criminal justice reform we’ve maintained since the founding of our nation. The early 1800s saw a rise of populist political sentiments in the presidency of Andrew Jackson and a corresponding national discussion over reforming prisons to reduce recidivism. Concerns were voiced not just for protecting the…
Mark Penn, a former Clinton adviser and the author of “Microtrends Squared,” joins us to discuss how trends among small cohorts can lead to broader change. Plus: Is it fair that two transgender athletes dominated in a high school girls sport competition?
Thursday marks the Army’s 243rd birthday. On this day, soldiers past and present will be encouraged to pause and reflect on the years of service the Army has given the nation. The Army takes enormous pride in its history and heritage. The Second Continental Congress created the Army on June 14, 1775, when it authorized…
“What are you doing to celebrate Flag Day?” It’s a question you probably won’t hear in the checkout line at the grocery store or around the dinner table with friends this week. That’s because, unlike other hallmark holidays of summertime—Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day—Flag Day isn’t always celebrated with grand gestures, gatherings, or…
In conversations with most college officials, many CEOs, many politicians, and race hustlers, it’s not long before the magical words “diversity” and “inclusiveness” drop from their lips. Racial minorities are the intended targets of this sociological largesse, but women are included, as well. This obsession with diversity and inclusion is in the process of leading…
A recent study by the Center for American Progress predicts average annual Obamacare premiums will rise by more than $1,013 next year as a result of recent actions by Congress and the Trump administration. CAP blames two public policies for the increase: repeal of the tax penalty on the uninsured, and a Trump administration regulation…
When President Donald Trump recently issued three executive orders that made it easier to fire poorly performing government employees, the backlash from public-sector unions was fierce. Union leaders did not like it—one called it an “assault on federal employees.” But a recent poll shows a slight majority of government workers—51 percent—supports the administration’s efforts. Moreover,…
This is a lightly edited transcript of a conversation on the June 12 edition of The Daily Signal podcast. Daniel Davis: Well, it’s been all over the news this week. President Donald Trump’s first meeting with Kim Jong Un finally went down. Here to give analysis is Bruce Klingner, someone who’s also been all over the…
President Donald Trump took to Twitter last week to announce he had rescinded the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles’ invitation to the White House over the anthem kneeling controversy. Several members of the NFL team had already announced they wouldn’t be attending the traditional ceremony. According to ESPN, championship-winning teams have been honored at the…
As I have documented repeatedly, the left ruins just about everything it touches: the universities, the arts, the elementary schools and high schools, religion, sports, and ordinary, everyday interactions between human beings—especially human beings of different races. The latest examples—in just the last few weeks—are the Boy Scouts, sculpture, and the Miss America pageant. The…
The Heritage Foundation’s Bruce Klingner joins us to discuss whether the U.S. got enough in the summit with North Korea, as well as what could (and should) happen next. Plus: A college professor is calling for the hating of all men.
It’s always tempting to minimize the hurt of a loss by trying to downplay its scope. That’s what the left has been doing since last week’s Supreme Court decision in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, which was decided 7-2 in favor of Jack Phillips, the Christian owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop. Mainstream media outlets like The New…
Only a few tangible outcomes emerged from the Singapore summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. One of those was Trump’s announcement that “we will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money.” Trump went on to add that the games will be halted…
Following the president’s rescissions proposal, it’s not surprising there has been some confusion surrounding what it would and would not do. The term “rescission” itself is budgetary jargon rarely heard outside the Beltway, and it is apparently rarely understood even within it. That’s why it’s worth clarifying the most controversial—and most mischaracterized—component of the president’s…
June is Pride Month for many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, and popular fashion retailer J. Crew has collaborated with the Human Rights Campaign to create a clothing collection to support the “fight for equality.” The clothing includes adult and children’s socks, T-shirts, and a tote bag, and depicts rainbow-printed slogans such as “Love…
Can a state take reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of its voter rolls by removing people who have left the jurisdiction? On Monday, by a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court answered “yes,” affirming an Ohio law allowing for the removal of voters who have left the state. The opinion in Husted v. A. Philip…