Opinion and commentary on news, politics, culture, and policy impact.
On Monday, the House of Representatives, following similar action last week by the Senate, voted to disapprove a Federal Communications Commission rule on internet privacy. The 400-page order had been rushed to completion by Obama-appointed FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler in October on a 3-2 party-line vote. Among other things, it established a set of online…
Russian anti-corruption protestors and activists are feeling the brunt of the Kremlin’s wrath. Unlike in the United States, where the right to protest is constitutionally enshrined and whistleblowers are legislatively protected, in Russia, those who have the courage to stand up to corrupt leaders place their freedom as well as their lives on the line….
A couple weeks ago, President Donald Trump nominated Dr. Scott Gottlieb to be commissioner of the powerful Food and Drug Administration. A prominent physician, Gottlieb is an assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine and a resident fellow specializing in health policy at the American Enterprise Institute. Gottlieb has long been a high-profile…
Living in the state of New York is about to get even more expensive. Following New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s lead, the Legislature is proposing stricter domestic content policies by attaching the New York State “Buy American” Act to the state budget. The argument is that limiting government purchases solely to American-made goods would support…
Much has been made about Judge Neil Gorsuch’s impeccable academic pedigree, judicial record of impartiality, and support of his colleagues from across the ideological spectrum—and for good reason. Gorsuch has authored approximately 800 judicial opinions since joining the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and several of those decisions were crucial to upholding the constitutional…
When then-North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed H.B. 2, the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act (commonly known as the “bathroom bill”), into law on March 23, 2016, critics argued that corporate backlash against the measure would cost North Carolina dearly. Now, more than a year later, the Associated Press has provided an updated estimate…
Today, British Prime Minister Theresa May formally notified the European Union that Britain will leave the union. This is a great day for believers in democratic self-government, here and around the world. The process of Britain’s leaving the EU will not be easy, and today’s step—the triggering of the EU’s Article 50—is a vitally important…
President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued an “energy independence” executive order on energy and climate policy. One provision of this order pertains to the social cost of greenhouse gasses—in particular, the “social costs” of carbon, methane, and nitrous oxide. The previous administration had used these social costs to justify its extensive regulatory agenda across the…
The new debt limit in place since March 16 stands at $19.9 trillion. It’s time for lawmakers to take the fiscal doctor’s diagnosis seriously. Like a patient struggling with unhealthy habits, the government needs to take a long look into the mirror because its fiscal future is in jeopardy. Since the debt limit suspension expired…
Nationally, black junior high and high school students are suspended at a rate more than three times as often as their white peers, twice as often as their Latino peers, and more than 10 times as often as their Asian peers. According to former Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, the “huge disparity is not…
Since 1989, when the Department of Housing and Urban Development started to pilot home equity conversion mortgages to U.S. homeowners over the age of 62, the federal government has effectively nationalized the market for reverse mortgages. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s home equity conversion mortgage program became permanent in 1998, and over the…
Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ announcement on Monday that the Justice Department will bar all sanctuary cities from receiving any grants or other federal funds from the department should be welcome news to Americans—especially those whose families have been victimized by criminal illegal aliens released by sanctuary cities like San Francisco. As Sessions pointed out, Kate…
The influence of George Soros and his Open Society Foundations on U.S. foreign policy is the subject of an alert issued by members of the Senate. Six senators recently sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, asking him to investigate the numerous grants given over many years by the State Department and its…
As promised, President Donald Trump has issued an “energy independence” executive order to undo several of the Obama administration’s climate change regulations. To the benefit of all Americans who desire affordable, dependable energy, the executive order will help energy companies establish some independence from overzealous regulators. Here’s what the order does: Orders the Environmental Protection…
Everyone knows that Supreme Court confirmation hearings can be a dramatic, even emotional, events. The stakes are high. As a senator, there are few responsibilities more important than deciding whether to vote for a nominee to the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, these days, it seems like being nominated to the Supreme Court is a lot like…
Two weeks ago, at least 40 girls died in a fire at an orphanage in San Jose Pinula, Guatemala. The facility was fitted to host 500 children, though there were an estimated 700 girls staying there at the time of the blaze. The fire is confirmed to have been started when several girls set fire…
The attention on The Daily Signal’s Fred Lucas’ role as occasional White House pool reporter has made one thing very clear: For many, the illusion still remains that the mainstream media is unbiased. “It’s concerning that news organizations with a clear and stated bias are serving as the eyes and ears of the White House…
For the past three years, a massive (and still unfolding) public corruption scandal known as “Operation “Car Wash” has rocked Brazil. The scandal includes allegations of widespread kickbacks and money laundering schemes connected to construction contracts with the state-owned Petrobras oil company. Now, the country is confronting another major embarrassment. According to The Wall Street Journal,…
Not too long ago, oil reserves and natural resources made Venezuela the richest country in South America. Now, President Nicolas Maduro’s corrupt socialist policies have left the country in ruins. Unsurprisingly, Maduro has become very unpopular, earning an approval rating hovering around less than 20 percent nationwide. It’s a well-earned failing mark. Maduro has recently…
During the Cold War, the U.S. spent billions trying to keep Western Europe from falling into Russian hands. Some of our best foreign policy minds, from Dean Acheson to George Shultz, concentrated their intellectual firepower on containing, if not rolling back, Kremlin influence. Now along comes Marine Le Pen, and all this effort may have…