Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
Appointing a new CEO to head U.S. international broadcasting is one of the many tasks on the list for the Trump White House. In part thanks to the snail-paced confirmation process orchestrated by Senate Democrats, the administration’s to-do list is still lengthy and the presidential appointment of a broadcasting CEO appears to be languishing. Yet,…
When the majority of Americans look at Washington, they see a broken, bureaucratic system that far too often fails to defend their interests. We all learned again recently that the consequences of that failure can be deadly. The inspector general for the Department of Veterans Affairs announced April 12 that the VA Medical Center in Washington,…
As a group, black Americans have made the greatest gains—over some of the highest hurdles and in a very short span of time—of any racial group in mankind’s history. What’s the evidence? If one totaled up the earnings of black Americans and considered us as a separate nation with our own gross domestic product, we…
With federal Tax Day now here, taxes have been on many people’s minds and have featured in a few recent public opinion studies. A study released by Gallup this week found that Americans are more likely to say the income taxes they pay are fair, after a long downward trend since 2003. Pew Research Center…
On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May shocked Britain by calling for an early general election, which will be held on June 8. This election will decide the fate of her government and Brexit. In many ways, May’s decision to “go to the country”—British slang for calling an election—is the way it should be. In…
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly gave a speech at George Washington University Tuesday outlining where he will be taking the department. This was the first address from a Cabinet secretary detailing how they plan to roll up their sleeves and make their piece of government work better. It’s not surprising that taking the initiative to…
When Americans file their taxes, it's natural to wonder, "Where do my tax dollars go? What do they fund? And what don't they fund?" According to the latest Congressional Budget Office report on the distribution of federal taxes, Washington collects about $20,000 from the average household. Yet the 2016 deficit was a whopping $587 billion….
Should a landlord be required to rent an apartment to the first “qualified” person to appear on his or her doorstep? The city of Seattle seems to think so. Its imposition of this obligation, however, is being challenged by the free market-oriented Pacific Legal Foundation, a watchdog organization that litigates nationwide for limited government, property…
Editor's note: Kevin Mooney's reports on evidence of fraud in the unionization of home caregivers in Minnesota struck a nerve. Neither the union affiliate in question, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, nor the national SEIU organization has responded to The Daily Signal's requests for comment over the past six weeks. Here's some of what you had to…
Could the U.S. economy be growing more than the official growth figures let on? In a recent National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, “Why is Growth Better in the United States Than in Other Industrial Countries,” Martin S. Feldstein, former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, suggests that government statisticians have been underestimating…
In light of Holy Week and Easter, let’s talk about Jesus. It’s been more than a decade since the popular “What Would Jesus Do” (WWJD) bracelets made their way onto the wrists of every youth group kid across America, but in an age of political division, the advancement of a secular society, and attacks on…
According to the United Nations Population Fund, its mission is to provide access to safe, voluntary family planning to women around the world. But a recent decision by the State Department suggests that the U.N. Population Fund’s mission statement is more benign than its actual activities. On April 3, the State Department announced that it…
Not only is the current showdown with North Korea unlikely to lead to a military conflict, it is likely that all the countries involved will walk away believing they have achieved something for their side. In fact, it could be the perfect storm of crisis diplomacy that’s a win-win for everybody—for now. Pyongyang gets the…
Just hours after Justice Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation as the newest member of the Supreme Court, the White House announced the appointment of George Mason law professor Neomi Rao to be the administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The appointment won’t be accompanied by the intense media coverage that Gorsuch received. Nevertheless, it could…
When Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson traveled to Asia earlier this year, the principle objective was to reassure allies that the Trump administration would maintain the U.S. commitment to defend them. Vice President Mike Pence will now reaffirm that message during his own trip, which comes amid increased fears…
The American Civil Liberties Union recently noted in a blog post that “the burden of confronting and remedying injustice falls on the shoulders of the oppressed.” There is some truth to this: The oppressed are powerful voices in any battle for justice. But when it comes to defending the most vulnerable among us—our children—it is…
Given the turmoil of the last few days, it’s fortunate that the presidents of Egypt and the U.S. have begun to reforge the strategic partnership that unraveled under President Barack Obama. The horrific attacks on Christian churches in Egypt, a declaration of emergency rule, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s gas attack on innocent civilians have…
Congressional reform begins with stopping Congress from spending us into oblivion—and that begins with a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. To make that happen, I propose using a tool our Founders gave us—the Article V amendment process. Some of the Founders themselves recognized the need for such an amendment. For example, Thomas Jefferson first…
Part of what makes football great is fans’ reactions after a big play and seeing the players involved celebrate the action. But the National Football League didn’t seem to appreciate this in 2016. Rather than promoting clear, commonsense guidelines on what constitutes an “illegal” on-field celebration, the NFL started overregulating the game through broad, unclear…