Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
This week, a dispute over playground surfaces in Missouri made its way to the Supreme Court. At question was the constitutionality of a provision in Missouri’s state constitution known as a Blaine Amendment. The court heard oral arguments on Wednesday for Trinity Lutheran v. Comer, a case involving a Lutheran preschool and its application to…
As the struggle to repeal and replace Obamacare with a plan that will decrease fast-rising and exorbitant premiums as well as increasing consumer choice rages on, another health care crisis looms. Americans are facing an increasing shortage of primary care physicians, and the problem is only expected to get worse over the next 10 years. Imagine…
While much of the focus for U.S. naval diplomacy remains centered on the Asia-Pacific, Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean region is a growing concern, given the large amount of trade that passes through the area. The U.S. can counter growing challenges in the Indian Ocean by expanding and regularizing cooperation with India, the predominant…
On Monday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case of Michel v. McConnell, where the courts below rejected a citizen’s effort to sue senators for inaction on D.C. Circuit Chief Judge Merrick Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court. The lower courts’ opinions explain why another controversial dispute, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics…
While grumbling about inconveniences at U.S. airports is a national pastime among travelers, the criticism has been especially shrill this year. President Donald Trump has made it clear that he is not pleased with the state of U.S. airports, calling them “obsolete” and even “third world.” Although these claims are hyperbolic (American airports move far…
Venezuela is no stranger to protests, but the recent uprisings have rocked the country and stirred questions about the nation’s future. This past week, the “mother of all protests” has seen upward of 2 million Venezuelans take to the streets demanding an end to the notoriously corrupt Maduro regime. Beginning on what would be the 207th…
Syrian President Bashar Assad’s recent use of chemical weapons against his own people is a grim reminder of the deep challenges that continue to exist in Syria and the surrounding region. Compounding the problem is the brutal and ongoing presence of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, which has taken a toll in recent…
And so it begins. The GOP surrender in the budget battle. Despite all the campaign promises to “rein in government” and “get the country’s fiscal house in order,” the groundwork is already being laid by Republican lawmakers to explain why they just aren’t going to be able to put the brakes on spending after all….
In recent years, states have significantly increased the availability of private school choice options. Since 2011, nearly a dozen states have enacted new tax credit scholarship programs, which provide tax credits to corporations and individuals who contribute to nonprofit organizations that provide scholarships to eligible children to attend a private school of choice. And since…
What is the appropriate punishment for a high school student found on campus in possession of a water gun? The Autauga County Board of Education, which covers communities near Montgomery, Alabama, decided that a 16-year-old girl with a water gun was in violation of the board’s firearms policy. So Sara Allena “Laney” Nichols received a…
European Union and Japanese leaders recently met in Brussels to further negotiations for a free trade agreement. As the EU and Japan work together to boost their economic, political, and security ties, sentiments in the United States seem to be turning away from free trade in favor of protectionism. President Donald Trump has fueled anti-trade…
There are only 10 days left to comment on one of the most important early challenges in the young Trump administration: proposals to further balkanize America through the 2020 census. This poison pill was left behind by the Obama administration in its last few days in office. On Sept. 30, an interagency group proposed to…
With a new White House, many have wondered about the fate of the 2015 nuclear agreement made between the Obama administration and Iran. The Trump administration’s stance on the agreement became a little clearer on Tuesday when the administration notified Congress that Iran is complying with the terms of the agreement, and that the United…
So-called “comp time” is commonplace for government workers, but not so much among low-income workers in the private sector. The reason? The government prohibits it. By law, all salaried employees who make less than $23,660 per year are subject to overtime rules. This means employers must pay them time-and-a-half for any hours beyond 40 hours…
France is only a few days out from the first round of its presidential elections—a contest that could go down to the wire. The election on Sunday features several key issues of concern to French voters, among them being terrorism and the failure to assimilate immigrants into French society. This week’s foiled terror plot, planned…
The evidence in favor of the positive benefits of school choice grew considerably stronger this month with the release of a new methodologically rigorous evaluation of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program is a school voucher program in Washington, D.C., set up by Congress, which provides students with scholarships to attend private schools…
Apparently the lesson University of California, Berkeley learned from the violent protests surrounding writer Milo Yiannopoulos’ speech earlier this year was … you shouldn’t let controversial figures give speeches. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that commentator Ann Coulter’s upcoming speech had been canceled “for security concerns.” “UC Berkeley officials say they were ‘unable to find…
On Wednesday morning, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Trinity Lutheran Church’s case against the state of Missouri—a case involving discrimination by the state in giving out publicly funded grants. Missouri has a grant program to offset the cost of resurfacing playgrounds with rubber surfaces made from recycled tires. This helps the state reduce the…
President Donald Trump has apparently changed his mind about eliminating the crony Export-Import Bank, opting to “reform” the swamp rather than drain it. As bad as this flip-flop is, his excuses for doing so are downright pitiful. As a candidate in August 2015, Trump categorized the bank as “feather bedding,” adding, “I don’t like it….