Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
The recent electoral race between Republican Karen Handel and Democrat Jon Ossoff in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District was the most expensive ever for a seat in the House of Representatives. In all, $57 million were spent, approximately $27 million more than the next most expensive race. The sheer cost of the race has brought a…
“Together, let us all fight like the Poles—for family, for freedom, for country, and for God.” Those were the words of President Donald Trump as he delivered a speech at Warsaw’s Krasinski Square in central Poland. Trump highlighted both the longstanding connection between the United States and Poland, as well as the enduring need for…
The House and Senate agriculture committees, as evidenced by their recent farm bill hearings and complaints about wanting more handouts, seem to be focused on funneling money to agricultural special interests—even at the expense of taxpayers and consumers. There needs to be a check on these committees so that the interests of taxpayers and consumers…
On May 16, 1985, President Ronald Reagan met with CIA Director William J. Casey in the Oval Office. What did Reagan and Casey talk about? The official record doesn’t tell us. I dug into all available materials at the Reagan Library and filed Freedom of Information Act requests for the release of records for April and May…
“War Machine,” a newly released film produced by Netflix, is a satirical skewering of the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan. It stars Brad Pitt as a very thinly veiled version of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the senior commander of U.S./allied military operations in Afghanistan for a year, from June 2009 until June 2010. As a “dark…
Die-hard Obamacare defenders are out in force to protest Republican repeal efforts. The protesters are falsely claiming the repeal will gut Medicaid, causing frail, indigent seniors to be evicted from nursing homes. It’s sheer demagoguery. But even these phony claims could have redeeming value if they get the public to take a closer look at…
Congress has rejected President Donald Trump’s defense budget proposal. Both the Senate and the House armed services committees have authorized more resources for the Department of Defense than what the Trump administration asked for. These are great developments that show Congress is taking seriously the problems that plague our armed forces. Both committees got within…
Sarah Greenbank didn’t think she would be able to send her daughter, Ashlee, to anything but an Arizona public school. She didn’t think a private school could help Ashlee’s speech delay and moderate learning needs, or that she could find affordable educational therapy outside of public school services. “I concluded that even if I found…
Welfare reform is becoming an issue again and the left isn’t happy about it. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, recently proposed a bill, backed by the conservative House Freedom Caucus, that would increase work requirements for those on welfare, as well as create billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. This would be the most significant…
One hundred years ago, Argentina was one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Today, its gross domestic product per capita is about the same as Russia’s. There is, however, one unenviable category in which Argentina has excelled: It ranks among the top 10 countries that have most frequently defaulted on their sovereign debt. Unsettling…
Policymakers writing the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act are responsible for crafting new defense policies to deal with an increasingly turbulent and dangerous world. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and a bipartisan coalition of cosponsors are working to mitigate North Korea’s nuclear threat by passing the Advancing American Missile Defense Act. Sullivan’s legislation strengthens the United…
Despite his gaunt frame and sunken eyes, he walks with a distinct swagger down Tuscarawas Street. At the intersection with Cherry Street, he turns and faces the road with a blank stare. The ink on his neck and hands suggest he’s spent time in prison. There are small faint bruises on one arm. His eyes…
The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs held a hearing last week to lay out guiding principles for housing finance reform legislation. While it is a positive development that the Senate is getting to work on housing finance, conservatives should be wary of the way things are starting out. First, here are some basic facts….
According to widely reported survey data, women’s substantial gains in education, labor force participation, and earnings haven’t made them better off during retirement. But that outcome makes little sense, and it is in fact based on incomplete data. According to data from the Current Population Survey’s Annual Social and Economic Supplement, older women are no more likely…
Is there no limit to the level of disgusting behavior on college campuses that parents, taxpayers, donors, and legislators will accept? Colleges have become islands of intolerance, and as with fish, the rot begins at the head. Let’s examine some recent episodes representative of a general trend and ask ourselves why we should tolerate it,…
Europe is readying for yet another visit from President Donald Trump, the second in this young presidency. No doubt a media circus will follow him wherever he goes, and Trump will have quite an agenda. This time, Trump will be making a number of stops: first at the Warsaw summit on July 5, where Poland…
The tragic case of Charlie Gard, the British infant who will soon be taken off life support, has exposed the scale of the malfunction in the British family court system. This is a court system driven by ideological professionals and overseen by compliant judges who have lost their moorings in Judeo-Christian values. Charlie is a…
When our Founding Fathers drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Continental Congress adopted it on July 4th, 1776, they declared themselves a nation built on the principles of human freedom and limited, representative government. For years, they fought the British and gave their lives to confirm this independence. Now, 241 years later, our military…
President Donald Trump recently suggested: “Sugar deal negotiated with Mexico is a very good one for both Mexico and the U.S. Had no deal for many years which hurt U.S. badly.” New Sugar deal negotiated with Mexico is a very good one for both Mexico and the U.S. Had no deal for many years which…
A recent Reuters story reported that the Trump administration is drafting an executive order that would require 100 percent of U.S. food assistance to be shipped on U.S.-flagged vessels. CNBC has since reported that the Trump administration has reconsidered. Hopefully this is the case, as requiring U.S. food assistance to be shipped on U.S.-flagged vessels…