County News Online Blogs

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Townhall… This Way Comes, Erick Erickson
May 29, 2015 - "The difference between Bush's mistakes and his disappointments may just be that he hasn't yet taken ownership of the latter," Massimo Calabresi wrote in Time as he covered President George W. Bush's final press conference in January of 2009. Four years earlier, left-wing journalist John Dickerson had begun a trend among the... read more

MSN Money… Obamacare's dark secret: 31 million still can't afford treatment, by Brianna Ehley, Fiscal Times - The president’s health care law sliced America’s uninsured rate down to historic lows by expanding coverage for tens of millions of Americans. At the same time, however, the number of insured people who still lack access to robust coverage is rising sharply as more people buy high-deductible policies. A new study from the Commonwealth Fund reveals that about 23 percent of Americans with coverage are considered underinsure... read more

Federal News Radio… Federal employees have property rights to their jobs, even the ones you want to fire - Monday - 5/18/2015 - Commentary By Tom Temin - In my line of work, I learn something new every day. I've been at this a long time, so it's particularly gratifying to get some insight into something I thought I thoroughly understood. The most recent example came in my latest, more-or-less monthly interview of Merit Systems Protection Board Chairman Susan Tsui Grundmann. Susan is one of those rare... read more

Federal News Radio… The few, the proud, the mailman? By Mike Causey
Monday - 5/18/2015 - Working for the federal government can be downright dangerous. Too often, fatal. All IRS personnel, and government (OSHA, meat, mine, wage and hour, health) inspectors never know what to expect when meeting their public. Park rangers sometimes risk life and limb getting customers out of a jam. Federal law enforcement personnel are often a risk. Some Social Security... read more

The Daily Signal… After Blocking Out Some Conservatives, House Passes Iran Review Bill, Josh Siegel - May 14, 2015 - The House easily passed a bill today imposing congressional review over a proposed nuclear deal with Iran after party leadership blocked changes proposed by conservatives. Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus had proposed a series of amendments in an attempt to “strengthen” the bill, which the Senate previously passed, but House Speaker John Boehner and his leadership... read more

All about Kids... Kids on Love and Marriage
From http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl/kids.html -- WHAT EXACTLY IS MARRIAGE? "Marriage is when you get to keep your girl and don't have to give her back to her parents!" -Eric, 6; HOW DOES A PERSON DECIDE WHOM TO MARRY?? "You flip a nickel, and heads means you stay with him and tails means you try the next one." -Kally, 9; "My mother says to look for a man who is kind... read more

Townhall… Oops: Obamacare Enrollees Forced To Unexpectedly Pay IRS For Billions in Subsidies Agency Improperly Gave Away, by Katie Pavlich -- Put this under the "never ending Obamcare glitches" category. The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations is looking into why the vast majority of H&R Block customers enrolled in Obamacare are being forced to pay the IRS hundreds of dollars after filing their tax returns. More from Fox News: Committee investigators... read more

The Daily Signal… New Report Strikes Serious Blow Against Obama Administration’s Defense in Executive Amnesty Lawsuit, Hans von Spakovsky - May 15, 2015 - The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general, John Roth, has dealt a serious blow against the Obama administration’s defense in the lawsuit filed by 26 states against the immigration amnesty plan announced by President Barack Obama on Nov. 20, 2014. That plan is currently on hold due to a preliminary injunction order issued by Federal District... read more

Townhall… Jeb Bush and Others Learned Nothing from Iraq, Steve Chapman
May 17, 2015 - Jeb Bush began a talk the other day by addressing the issue of his brother George, noted architect of the Iraq war, and he did not shrink from the challenge. "I can't deny the fact that I love my family," announced Jeb. So if you suspected that the Bush Thanksgivings in Kennebunkport resemble "August: Osage County" -- with lots of screaming... read more

Human Events… Obamacare Exchanges on Life Support, by Michelle Malkin
Friday May 15, 2015 -- At a recent White House science fair celebrating inventors, a Girl Scout who helped design a Lego-powered page-turning device asked President Obama what he had ever thought up or prototyped. Stumbling for an answer, he replied: “I came up with things like, you know, health care.” Ah, yes. “Health care.” Remember when the president’s signature Obamacare health insurance... read more

Federal News Radio… Pay raise: Bad news, good news, back to bad...
By Mike Causey -- Tuesday - 5/12/2015 -- The interesting thing about political Washington is that whatever the issue, climate change, tsetse flies, the mating habits of wild goats or federal pay raises, there is somebody here for it, and somebody here against it. In fact, proposing and opposing things is what we do best, even though that often isn't very good. (D.C. is also full of real people, folks who... read more

Townhall… Surprise: ER Visits Still Going Up Despite Promises Obamacare Would Bring Them Down, Katie Pavlich - May 06, 2015 - When Obamacare was being debated years ago, proponents of the legislation argued that if passed, the bill would decrease emergency room visits due to more people having health insurance and going to regular doctors instead. Since Obamacare was passed in 2010, we've seen an increase, not a decrease in ER... read more

Redstate… Leading With the Budget, By: Newt Gingrich
May 5th, 2015 -- This week the Senate will follow the House in passing a federal budget that presents a remarkable contrast in governing ability and philosophy between Republicans and Democrats. When Democrats ran one or both houses of Congress, they failed for six straight years to do the most basic function of the Legislative Branch: pass a concurrent budget resolution to determine how the federal government will spend its money each year... read more

The Daily Signal… The Nation Is About to Debate Late-Term Abortions. Where Does Your State Stand? Kelsey Harkness - May 08, 2015 - As Congress prepares to resume a debate over whether late-term abortions should be allowed in the U.S., a groundbreaking new study finds that infants are able to survive outside the womb earlier on in a pregnancy than the medical community once thought. The study, which examined thousands... read more

The Daily Signal… Oil Production Up 53% Since 2010, But Declining on Federal Lands, by Patrick Tyrrell
May 05, 2015 -- U.S. oil production is up 53 percent since 2010, but the increase has occurred almost entirely on non-federal lands. Production on federal lands has not seen a similar liftoff, and is actually down overall. The reasons federal area drilling has lagged is not because of lack of oil. Proved oil reserves under federal areas account for about 26 percent of all proved crude oil reserves. (Proved oil reserves are amounts accessible under current... read more

Townhall… Hillary's Armor, by John Stossel
May 06, 2015 -- "This vast right-wing conspiracy," Hillary Clinton said, "has been conspiring against my husband since the day he announced." That was the "feminist" first lady's response when her husband was accused of having sex with a 21-year-old. Bill was more lawyerly. He said things like, "It depends upon what the meaning of the word 'is' is." The Wall Street Journal's Kim Strassel suggests that the... read more

The Daily Signal… How Obama’s Recovery Compares to Reagan’s Recovery, Stephen Moore - May 03, 2015 - Here’s some advice to the White House: it might be time for President Obama to cancel the rest of his economic “mission accomplished” tour and help figure out how to get the U.S. growing again. The Department of Commerce delivered the miserable news Wednesday morning that economic growth nearly ground to a halt during the first quarter, up a microscopic 0.2 percent. Even more disturbing, because the population... read more

MSN.com… Brace for a flood of foreclosures when boom-era HELOCs turn 10, Jerry Kronenberg
Millions of Americans will soon see monthly bills shoot up on home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) taken out during the housing boom, because HELOCs are going to start making homeowners pay both interest and principal, not just interest. That's bad news because many consumers are already underwater, meaning they owe more than their places are worth, a RealtyTrac study shows... read more

Townhall… Jeb Bush Tells Congress to Approve Obama AG Nomination, by Katie Pavlich
Apr 17, 2015 -- Potential GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush is calling on Congress to confirm attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch, whose confirmation hearings took place in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee in January. In February, Lynch was voted out of the committee and approved 12-8. Due to the legislative schedule and fighting over bills already in motion, a full Senate vote on her... read more

MSN.com… How the stock market destroyed the middle class, By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — There’s something seriously wrong with an economy that nurtures a few billionaires but can’t sustain the middle class. Many factors have been blamed for the plummeting fortunes of the American middle class: globalization, technology, deregulation, easy credit, the winner-take-all economy, and even the inevitable tide of history. But one under-appreciated factor is a pervasive... read more

The Daily Signal… NPR Cut Dana Perino’s Heartwarming Story About George W. Bush, by Rob Bluey
April 23, 2015 -- Dana Perino’s new book features a touching encounter between President George W. Bush and an injured—and intubated—Marine receiving the Purple Heart. She follows it with another story involving a dying soldier’s mother yelling at the president about the war. Both stories were recounted by Perino in an excerpt from “And the Good News Is…” that was published by The Daily Signal this week. But if you listened to NPR’s... read more

The Daily Signal… State Says Bakers Should Pay $135,000 for Refusing to Bake Cake for Same-Sex Wedding, by Kelsey Harkness -- April 24, 2015 -- An Oregon administrative law judge recommended today that the bakers who refused to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding should be fined $135,000. “[T]he forum concludes that $75,000 and $60,000, are appropriate awards to compensate [the same-sex couple] for the emotional suffering they experienced,” wrote Alan McCullough, administrative law judge for Oregon’s Bureau of Labor... read more

Federal News Radio… New Congress 'worst places to work' hotline: right Idea, wrong question, Commentary by Francis Rose - Tuesday - 4/21/2015 - The new congressional tip line Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations, launched last week offers federal employees a chance to tell his office directly about problems that contribute to dissatisfaction and low morale in their workplaces. Federal News Radio's Emily Kopp reported emails to the tip line... read more

Townhall… Overreaching on Iran, By Steve Chapman
Apr 19, 2015 -- The case against the U.S. nuclear deal with Iran is easy to make. It doesn't ensure that Iran will never get the bomb; it doesn't require Iran to renounce terrorism; it doesn't end Iran's hostility toward Israel. Each of these things is highly desirable, and the agreement provides none of them. What it will do, if all the right details are nailed down and the terms are firmly enforced, is make it harder for Iran... read more

The Daily Signal… The Greatest Setback for Cancer Research Is Obamacare, Stephen Moore
April 11, 2015 - Nearly everyone is thinking about cancer these days thanks to the Ken Burns film on PBS, “Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies.” All of us, including Burns himself, who as a child lost his mother to cancer, know a family member or a close friend who has died of the Killer C. The film tells us the magnitude of the murderous disease we are up against: “Cancer is a worldwide scourge. The fastest growing disease on... read more

Townhall… Hillary’s Struggle to be Normal, by Ashley Pratte
Apr 17, 2015 -- Hillary Clinton gets in a van a drives from New York to Iowa and somehow it’s all the media can talk about—but it’s what most Americans do. They load up their cars for a family road trip and yet, it’s not covered by the media. Her attempt to be normal is humorous; she even made a pit stop for lunch at Chipotle—WOW! However, while at Chipotle she chose to be incognito and donned a pair of sunglasses. Let me get this straight... read more

Redstate… A Corrupted Two Kingdoms For Coward Pastors, By: Erick Erickson
April 20th, 2015 -- When the Protestant Reformation occurred, (I’m simplifying here) Luther needed an explanation for why the Pope need not wield the power of the sword. He focused on the idea of the two kingdoms — there is God’s kingdom in Heaven over which here on the earth the church presides and there is God’s kingdom on earth over which civil authorities preside. Calvin picked up the two... read more

Townhall… Religious Freedom Is Still Worth Protecting, by Steve Chapman
Apr 12, 2015 -- Gay rights groups and their allies were outraged when Indiana enacted a "religious freedom" measure that let businesses refuse to take part in same-sex weddings and other events they find objectionable. Opponents of the new law had an unassailable goal: protecting a small group of people from having their freedom trampled by an unsympathetic majority. Funny thing: That's exactly what religious... read more

The Daily Signal… How Much Do the Top 1 Percent Pay of All Taxes? Curtis Dubay
April 15, 2015 - Ever since President Obama started running for president in 2007, there has been a debate about how much tax rich Americans pay and whether they should pay more. In that ongoing debate, Paul Krugman and Matt Yglesias criticized a Daily Signal chart because, according to them, it does not give a complete picture of the tax burden borne by Americans because it only includes the federal income tax. Since... read more

The Daily Signal… Abortion Procedure Extracting Unborn Child ‘One Piece at a Time’ Triggers Controversy in Kansas, by Kelsey Harkness -- April 08, 2015 -- Mary Spaulding Balch has been fighting against what she calls “dismemberment abortion” since she was 17 years old. Now, at 60, she’s breathing a sigh of relief. “It’s been a long time. Too long,” Balch told The Daily Signal in a phone interview. “I was naïve enough to think back in the 70s, we would be able to get this under control rather quickly.” Balch was referring to an abortion... read more

The Daily Signal… Congress Can Raise Your Income 10 Percent By Updating the Tax Code, Curtis Dubay - April 10, 2015 - Congress could raise your family’s income by 10 percent, or maybe even more. And it could do it with a policy reform that has the support of 71 percent of the American people. Even better news is this is not some big-government spending program that would deliver a 10 percent raise. Instead, it’s tax reform. The Tax Foundation, in a recent study, found that if Congress implemented a consumption... read more

Townhall… Despite Promises From Congress and White House, Veteran's Affairs Hasn't Been Fixed, by Katie Pavlich -- Apr 10, 2015 -- Despite numerous hearings and promises from Congress and feigned outrage from the White House, the Veteran's Affairs system, whose WAIT times have left more than 1000 veterans dead, hasn't been fixed. More from the AP: A year after Americans recoiled at revelations that sick veterans were getting sicker while languishing on waiting lists, VA statistics show that the... read more

The Daily Signal… Start From Scratch on Taxes? Why There’s a Bipartisan Push to Sunset the Tax Code, by Kevin Mooney -- April 09, 2015 -- Few people in either party in Washington are happy with the current tax code, so what if we simply started over? That is at the root of a proposal to sunset the current tax code on Dec. 31, 2019. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., has introduced the Tax Code Termination Act (HR 27), which would do exactly that. “Even though tax reform has been discussed for many years, we have yet to see any major actions to... read more

Townhall… Obama Deal With Iran in Trouble, by Michael Barone
Apr 10, 2015 -- Is the tide turning against President Obama's purported nuclear weapons deal with Iran? One sign that the answer is yes is the devastating opinion article in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal by former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Shultz. The architect of Richard Nixon's opening to China and the partner of Ronald Reagan in his negotiations with the Soviet Union are diplomatic in their... read more

The Daily Signal… Why Are So Many Employers Unable to Fill Jobs? By Stephen Moore
April 06, 2015 -- The great conundrum of the U.S. economy today is that we have record numbers of working age people out of the labor force at the same time we have businesses desperately trying to find workers. As an example, the American Transportation Research Institute estimates there are 30,000-35,000 trucker jobs that could be filled tomorrow if workers would take these jobs- a shortage that could rise to 240,000 by 2022. While the jobs... read more

The Daily Signal… A Flawed Legal Analysis Is Helping Lois Lerner, Hans von Spakovsky
April 04, 2015 - On March 31, Ronald Machen, the outgoing U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, wrote House Speaker John Boehner to inform him that the Justice Department would not present Lois Lerner’s contempt citation to a federal grand jury. The letter explaining his decision is an exercise in misdirection—the kind... read more

Federal News Radio… 5 steps for the government to regain trust -- Tuesday - 3/31/2015 -- Commentary By Tom Temin; Last month the Obama administration rolled out something called the federal feedback button. Officials describe it as a Yelp-like way for people to give feedback on the service they get, including online. That is all well and good. People visiting federal websites should have a good experience, easy to navigate and returning the results they seek. I think for the most part they do. Still, you can never have too much feedback. Sites vary. Some are... read more

The Daily Signal… Hold the Applause: No Iran Deal Yet, by James Phillips
April 02, 2015 -- After missing its self-imposed negotiating deadline for the third time, the Obama administration announced Thursday an agreement in principle with an Iranian regime that has no principles, except to expand its power and export its revolution. “I am convinced if this framework leads to a final, comprehensive deal, it will make our country, our allies, our world safer,” President... read more

The Daily Signal… The Palestinians Have Officially Joined the International Criminal Court, Brett Schaefer, James Phillips & Steven Groves - April 01, 2015 - The International Criminal Court, the first permanent international court established to try and punish individuals committing genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression, now counts the Palestinians among its members. Earlier this year, the Palestinian Authority announced their intent to accede to the Statute of the... read more

Human Events… POTUS 2016: Hillary’s Mob, a Cruz Missile and Rand’s Libertarian Meltdown, by Brian Darling -- Friday Mar 27, 2015 -- Let me say how I feel about Hillary CLINTON before we get going. I think Hillary Clinton is a polarizing, CALCULATING, disingenuous, insincere, ambitious, inevitable, entitled, overconfident and secretive candidate. She will do anything to win – She represents the past – She is way out of touch. Hillary’s THUGS: Evidently, the thought police in the Hillary Clinton campaign have banned the above paragraph, because... read more

Townhall… When Smoking Is Involved, Liberals Suddenly Care About Unborn Babies, by Cortney O'Brien
Mar 28, 2015 -- It has taken a pack of cigarettes to convince pro-abortion liberals that unborn babies are not just FETUSES without feelings. A study produced by England's Durham and Lancaster Universities has put a face to the negative effects of smoking during pregnancy. The researchers produced ultrasound scans of unborn babies shielding their eyes and moving their FACES uncomfortably as their mothers smoked. It is this batch of telling... read more

Townhall… Afghan Gratitude, American Folly, by Steve Chapman
Mar 29, 2015 -- If you're looking for gratitude from the Afghans, President Ashraf Ghani is your man. When he appeared before Congress Wednesday, he expressed thanks to American troops, their families, Congress, Barack Obama and "ordinary Americans whose hard-earned TAXES have over the years built the partnership" between the United States and Afghanistan. He couldn't have laid it on any thicker... read more

The Daily Signal… If You’re a Middle Class Taxpayer Who Gets a Raise, Government Will Take This Much, Patrick Tyrrell - March 24, 2015 - How high is the marginal tax rate on each additional dollar the average American earns? In other words, if you got a raise of one dollar, how much of that dollar would be taxed away? A middle-class taxpayer’s additional income (when a single person earns more than $37,450 a year) is subject to a 25 percent federal income tax. Then there are the federal Social Security and Medicare payroll... read more

The Daily Signal… With Appeal to Liberty, Ted Cruz Jumps Into 2016 Race for President
By Ken McIntyre, March 23, 2015 -- Ted Cruz asked his audience of thousands to let their imaginations run wild. And then the junior senator from Texas explicitly asked them to imagine him as the nation’s next president. “I believe in you,” Cruz said. “I believe in the power of millions of courageous conservatives rising up to reignite the promise of America, and that is why today I am announcing that I’m running... read more

The Daily Signal… Obama Administration Courts Iran While Slapping Israel, James Phillips
March 20, 2015 - As the Obama administration mounts a final diplomatic push to secure a nuclear agreement with Iran, bilateral Israeli-American relations continue to deteriorate. This week Secretary of State John Kerry joined Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Lausanne, Switzerland for an intensive round of negotiations ahead of the March 31 deadline for a framework agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue. The administration... read more

The Daily Signal… Should Teachers Be Paid Based on Student Performance? What This New Study Shows. Alex Belica - March 18, 2015 - There are long term benefits to paying teachers by how well students perform in the classroom, according to a new study released by Israeli economist Victor Lavy. The author analyzed current income and demographic data for a set of students who graduated from high schools that were part of a trial program that paid teachers according to their students’ performance on... read more

MSN.com… Why Joe Biden can't get no respect, by Ezra Klein
On Monday, I made the case that Al Gore should run for president. But there's another obvious contender out there, too: Joe Biden. Over at Yahoo, Matt Bai makes the case for Biden. "Biden," he writes, "is a better candidate than most pundits have ever given him credit for. Yeah, he's sloppy and meandering and says some nutty stuff. But that's all part of being genuine and three-dimensional, which may be the most valuable trait in modern politics and not a bad... read more

Townhall… Obama's Policies Leave Democrats Weak Candidates in 2016, Michael Barone
Mar 13, 2015 - The controversy over Hillary Clinton's emails and her unconvincing press conference at the United Nations have gotten many Democrats and others thinking the unthinkable: Clinton may not be the Democrats' 2016 nominee for president. And it has many asking the question -- scary for Democrats -- of who else could be. It's not a strong field... read more

Federal News Radio… Congress' March Madness: These bills might not be the Final Four, Commentary by Francis Rose -- Monday 3/16/2015 -- This is the time of the year that I become That Guy. Every office has one: The guy who doesn't pay attention to the NCAA college basketball tournament. I just have never been a basketball guy. So when March Madness rolls around, for me it's more like March Malaise. The madness has already started on Capitol Hill, though, for federal employees. Federal News Radio reported on four bills that could affect your job and salary... read more

The Daily Signal… Concerns Grow About Common Core Standards, by Brittany Corona
March 12, 2015 -- For the majority of states that adopted the Common Core national standards in 2010, this is the school year in which testing begins. And the haste with which Common Core was adopted and implemented has caused problems, adding to a host of concerns already surrounding Common Core. In an article last month in Education Week magazine, reporter Liana Heitin reported... read more

Federal News Radio… S&M on Capitol Hill, By Mike Causey
Tuesday - 3/3/2015 -- Joke: What did the sadist do to the masochist? Punch Line: Nothing! Get it? See, the sadist likes inflicting pain will the masochist likes receiving it, so if nothing happens everybody loses. Like right now. In Congress. Currently, and not for the first time, Republicans and Democrats in Congress — between vacations and breaks — are doing what they do best. Spending a lot of time getting... read more

Federal News Radio… Let's play What's My Disease? By Mike Causey
Wednesday - 3/4/2015 - Years ago, a (then) young friend had a minor production job with a major TV network. His group was tasked with coming up with a low-budget show that would attract eyes and sponsors. Tougher than it sounds. Quiz shows were, and still are, a dime a dozen. So ... After a particularly long, bitter meeting, he cracked. He suggested they setup a... read more

MSN News… It's Time to Kill Daylight Savings, by Matt Schiavenza
As most people no doubt noticed given that they were robbed of an hour of sleep, Sunday marked the beginning of Daylight Savings Time in the United States, Canada, and several other countries and territories in North America. For morning people, Daylight Savings is a drag, depriving them of an hour of tranquil morning light. But for others, "spring forward" brings with it the promise of long, languid afternoons and warmer weather. Like millions... read more

The Daily Signal… If Not Now … When? Will the GOP Majority Ever Stand for Anything? By Jim DeMint
March 03, 2015 -- It is never the right time to do the right thing in Washington, D.C. The phrase I heard most often from Republican leadership while serving in the House and Senate was, “This is not the right time to have this fight.” Whether the issue was balancing the budget, school choice, patient-driven healthcare, eliminating earmarks, raising the debt limit, ending big, crony handouts like the Export-Import Bank or any stand against the continued growth... read more

Townhall… The 2016 Political Environment Has Shifted, By Michael Barone
Feb 24, 2015 -- Like it or not, the 2016 presidential race is now well under way. Republican candidates are flocking to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, while Hillary Clinton, in-between $200,000 speeches at universities, is reported to be in seclusion developing her economic policies. It's easy to get overwhelmed by minutiae, but sometimes a twist of events turns out to be important, even 12 months away... read more

The Daily Signal… Congress Should Listen to Netanyahu’s Warnings on the Obama Iran Deal, James Carafano - March 03, 2015 - Jimmy Carter had one of the worst foreign and defense policy records of any modern president. But, at least he cut one good deal. The speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu before a joint session of Congress makes clear President Obama can’t even match Carter’s level of competency. The high point of Carter’s presidency took place a little over a year after he took office, brokering the Camp... read more

The Daily Signal… What This Mom Thinks About How Government Regulates Homeschooling, by Genevieve Wood -- March 02, 2015 -- If millions of Americans are doing it, the conventional wisdom among government bureaucrats is that somebody ought to regulate it. Look no further than the growing movement known as homeschooling. It’s estimated that upwards of 3 million school age children in America are now foregoing the traditional schoolhouse... read more

MSN Money… Obamacare Just Killed the Joy of Eating a Vending Machine Snack, by Diana Furchtgott-Roth - It’s bad enough that the Affordable Care Act is raising premiums and deductibles—and perhaps lowering your tax refund. In addition, the ACA has given the Food and Drug Administration the power to go after your favorite vending machine. By the end of next year, according to a new FDA rule, most snack machines must have calorie counts prominently displayed, or risk removal. Any sort of vending machines, from mixed nut machines to gumball machines... read more

The Daily Signal... The Conservative Problem With the Latest Version of No Child Left Behind, by Kelsey Harkness -- February 25, 2015 -- This week, the House of Representatives will vote on an ambitious rewrite of the No Child Left Behind Act, which is the most far-reaching K-12 federal education law ever created. Under consideration is a 620-page proposal called the Student Success Act (H.R. 5), which Republican leadership says will scale back Washington’s involvement in local education... read more

Charter school debacle getting more newspaper editorial attention, By William Phillis
Something is happening that should have happened fifteen years ago. Editorial boards have finally awakened to the charter school experiment that has removed over $7 billion from Ohio school districts. The $10.9 million pilot program has morphed into a billion dollar annual boondoggle. The Cleveland Plain Dealer weighed in on the matter on February 20, 2015. Ohio must stop increasing taxpayer subsidies... read more

MSN Money… Huge Obamacare price hikes could be coming soon, Dan Mangan
Nearly 7.5 million people who get financial help to buy HealthCare.gov insurance would face average premium price hikes of a whopping 255 percent if that aid is ruled illegal in a pending Supreme Court case, a new analysis finds. And that's just the average price increase across 34 states served by the federal Obamacare health insurance exchange. On the low end, the Avalere Health consultancy found, HealthCare.gov customers... read more

Townhall… Giuliani Versus Obama, Thomas Sowell
Feb 24, 2015 - The firestorm of denunciation of former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, for having said that he did not think Barack Obama loved America, is in one sense out of all proportion to that remark -- especially at a time when there are much bigger issues, including wars raging, terrorist atrocities and a nuclear Iran on the horizon... read more

Townhall… The President and 'Violent Extremism' by Dennis Prager
Feb 24, 2015 -- Regarding Islamic violence -- the greatest world evil since Nazism and Communism -- the president of the United States, his administration, and the left generally live in a make-believe world, a world of denial. In their world, Islam is today, and has always been, a religion of peace; Muslims are threatened by Islamophobia; Christians are wiped out by "violent extremists;" European cartoonists incite radical Muslims to murder them... read more

The Daily Signal… Homeland Security Funding Expires Friday. Is Congress Any Closer to a Solution? Kate Scanlon - February 22, 2015 - As the Feb. 27 deadline for funding the Department of Homeland Security looms, Congress appears no closer to a resolution to the ongoing funding dispute. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told George Stephanopoulos today on ABC’s “This Week” that it’s “imperative that we get it resolved.” “Because if we don’t, by Friday at midnight, the homeland security budget for this... read more

The Daily Signal… What Patricia Arquette Got Wrong About the Founders and Women, David Azerrad - February 23, 2015 - In a harried Oscar acceptance speech which culminated in a hackneyed call for wage equality, actress Patricia Arquette blamed the Founders for the so-called gender pay gap. “It’s inexcusable that we go around the world and we talk about equal rights for women in other countries when we don’t have equal rights for women in... read more

Heritage Foundation… More States Push Back Against Common Core, By Brittany Corona
Common Core continues to be a top concern in the states, with Mississippi and Wisconsin being the latest states taking steps to distance themselves from the controversial standards. Mississippi is considering full repeal of the Common Core standards. State senators Michael Watson and Angela Burks introduced legislation to repeal the standards last month, with Watson telling GulfLive.com Mississippi “will end up with our own standards... read more

The Daily Signal… State Says 70-Year-Old Flower Shop Owner Discriminated Against Gay Couple, By Kelsey Harkness -- February 20, 2015 -- A judge in Washington state ruled this week that a 70-year-old florist who declined to make flower arrangements for a gay couple’s wedding violated the state’s anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws. In a phone interview with The Daily Signal, Barronelle Stutzman said the decision—and its accompanying fines—will put her... read more

The Daily Signal… Federal Dietary Panel Pushes Junk Food Taxes, Being Green, Daren Bakst
February 20, 2015 - Federal dietary guidance may soon be based on the needs of the environment, not just nutrition. The federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee just released its report, with recommendations, to help inform the 2015 Dietary Guidelines. The United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services will consider these recommendations in formulating the guidelines... read more

The Heritage Foundation… NCLB Reauthorization Proposals: Missed Opportunities for Conservatives, By Lindsey M. Burke -- The House Education and the Workforce Committee, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee have each proposed reauthorizations of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R–MN) has introduced the Student Success Act, and Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar... read more

Townhall… In Praise of Mediocrity, Steve Chapman
Feb 15, 2015 - I rise today to speak in praise of an underappreciated attribute: mediocrity. Oh, I can hear the comments already: "Who better to do it?" "Finally, something you're an expert on." "You should only hope to achieve mediocrity!" But I will not be deterred. As kids, we are always told to admire those who are the best at anything and to strive to... read more

Federal News Radio… Getting in touch with your inner voter, By Mike Causey
When it comes to politics, do federal workers favor one party over another? Are U.S. Postal Service workers more likely to vote Democratic than workers at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission? If so, how come? Does working for the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland Security or the Justice Department make it more likely that you will be a Republican? If so, do you know something folks... read more

The Daily Signal… Obamacare Makes Tax Time More Taxing, by Alyene Senger
February 06, 2015 -- As Americans begin to file their 2014 taxes, they will encounter some new forms and paper work, thanks to burdens imposed by Obamacare’s flawed policies. First, taxpayers now must report their health insurance coverage status and that of their dependents. Those who were uninsured in 2014 either must file for one of the individual mandate’s exemptions if they are eligible or pay the mandate penalty of $95 or 1 percent of income... read more

Townhall… Presidents' Day Musings, By Larry Kudlow
Feb 15, 2015 -- Let me begin with Presidents' Day. It's a nice long weekend. But it says nothing about the greatness of certain American presidents. Whatever happened to Washington's Birthday? Or Lincoln's Birthday? Of course, I could go for Reagan's Birthday. And I'll bet my pal Amity Shlaes would pull for Coolidge's Birthday. Whatever your favorite president's birthday might be, you must admit that... read more

The Daily Signal… Jindal Emphasizes Teacher Tenure Reform, School Choice in Sweeping Education Plan, by Ken McIntyre -- February 09, 2015 -- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, hoping that a push for education reform can set him apart among prospective Republican candidates for president, today begins to tout a national plan he says would create “an ecosystem of freedom and choice” for parents, students and teachers. His proposals, Jindal says in the plan to be released this morning, would push the public education system out of... read more

Townhall… Government Debt on the Road to Ruin, Steve Chapman
Feb 08, 2015 - Americans are addicted to living beyond their means, at least when it comes to the functions of government. That's why the federal debt tripled over the past decade and under President Barack Obama's budget plan would keep growing indefinitely. Why not? If you don't have to pay for all you get, you're likely to take more than you need... read more

The Daily Signal… Obama’s National Security Strategy Is Weak and Underwhelming, by Nile Gardiner
February 06, 2015 -- President Obama’s new national security strategy will do little to reassure America’s allies or intimidate America’s enemies. Today, the White House unveiled a document poorly suited to the challenges faced by the world’s superpower, which are mounting in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa. At a time when American global leadership is increasingly being challenged by an array of adversaries, the new national security... read more

Economic Collapse… Only 44 Percent Of U.S. Adults Are Employed For 30 Or More Hours Per Week, By Michael Snyder - February 5th, 2015 - Jobs - Public Domain, Jim Clifton, the Chairman and CEO of Gallup, says that the percentage of Americans that are employed full-time has been hovering near record lows since the end of the last recession. But most Americans don’t realize this because the official unemployment numbers are extremely misleading. In fact, Clifton says that the official 5.6 percent unemployment rate is a “big... read more

Townhall… Gallup: Yeah, That 5.6% Unemployment Figure Is A Lie, by Matt Vespa
Feb 04, 2015 -- A nauseating State of the Union address from Barack Obama has come and gone, and a triumphant Obama (yeah, I don’t why he feels that why either) said that the country has turned the page: Tonight, after a breakthrough year for America, our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999. Our unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the financial crisis. More of our kids are graduating than ever before... read more

Daily Signal… Scott Walker: ‘I Wouldn’t Bet Against Me on Anything’, Kate Scanlon
February 01, 2015 - Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wis., is leading a new poll of likely Republicans voters in Iowa. So will he run for president? Walker told Martha Raddatz on ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday that he is still in an “exploratory process.” Walker said the American people are looking for a candidate with “new, fresh leadership with bold ideas and the courage to act on it.” “You can give speeches all you want,” said Walker... read more

Education Next… On Designing K-12 Education Savings Accounts. By Jason Bedrick and Lindsey M. Burke - 01/26/2015 - As we celebrate National School Choice Week, education-reform advocates would be wise to reflect on purpose of school choice as articulated by Milton Friedman, the father of the modern school choice movement. Friedman first proposed the concept of school vouchers in 1955, arguing that by introducing consumer choice into education... read more

The Daily Signal… Federal Agency Settles After Impersonating a Woman on Facebook, Jordan Richardson -- January 29, 2015 -- The Drug Enforcement Agency created a fake Facebook profile of a woman and used the account to message drug dealers—all without her knowledge or consent. Now, after facing a media firestorm and a lawsuit, the federal government will settle with the woman for $134,000. It all began in 2010 when the DEA arrested Sondra Arquiett for the possession... read more

The Daily Signal… Your 529 Plan Is Safe. Here’s Why the White House Changed Course. By Kate Scanlon, January 27, 2015 -- President Obama is abandoning his controversial plan to tax the interest on 529 savings accounts, the White House announced Tuesday. The 529 plans are savings accounts in which parents and families can invest after-tax dollars. If the money is used for specified college costs, they don’t have to pay federal tax on the interest accumulated... read more

State Auditor: Charter school head count much less than students reported for payment, by William Phillis - Why are charter school operators and charter school sponsors not being prosecuted for collecting money on phantom students? A recent State Auditor's report-Report on Community School Students Attendance Counts-documents that many charter schools are collecting funds for students they are not serving. These charter operators and their... read more

The Daily Signal… Federal Agencies Stonewall House Committee’s Benghazi Investigation, by Sharyl Attkisson, January 22, 2015 - Some federal agencies continue to stonewall when it comes to the ongoing investigation into the Benghazi terrorist attacks, according to insiders familiar with the process. They say the House Benghazi Select Committee isn’t getting access to all relevant documents and witnesses. That will be the topic of the committee’s first public hearing of 2015 called for Tuesday next week. Most of the committee’s... read more

MSN Money… IRS Hires Same Contractor that Bungled Obamacare Rollout, Rob Garver, Fiscal Times - Officials at the Internal Revenue Service spent a large amount of time trudging up to Capitol Hill in 2014 so that various Republican committee chairmen in the House of Representatives could berate them over the targeting of some conservative not for profits in the run-up to the 2012 election. It seems likely they’d have preferred to fly under lawmakers’ radar in the 114th Congress. If that’s what they wanted, spending more than... read more

Redstate… Forever Determined To Let Us Know He Won, By Erick Erickson
January 21st, 2015 - One of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned in life came from one of the Deans of Students when I was in college. He would never sit at the head of the table in a meeting. Often he would sit off to the side. He said he was the Dean where ever he sat. Barack Obama, commentators on both sides of the aisle have noted, often seems... read more

The Daily Signal… Smoking Gun? Tape Recordings Reveal the Real Reason Bank Closed Gun Seller’s Account, by Kelsey Harkness -- January 14, 2015 -- Another gun seller says his firearms business was forced to shut down its bank account as a result of the government’s secretive initiative known as Operation Choke Point. This time, he’s offering audio recordings to prove it. Mike Schuetz is a former state employee who worked as a probation and parole officer for eight years in Hawkins, Wis. After working for the state, he told Breitbart... read more

Townhall… 'Diversity' in Action, Thomas Sowell
Jan 20, 2015 - Islamic terrorist attacks in Europe, and European governments' counter-attacks are more than just a passing news story. Europe is currently in the process of paying the price for years of importing millions of people from a culture hostile to the fundamental values of Western culture. And this is by no means the last of the installments of that price, to be paid... read more

Townhall… Self Defense Still Reigns as Number One Reason Women Purchase Their First Firearm, by Katie Pavlich -- Jan 21, 2015 -- Las Vegas - According to a new report released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation at the 2015 SHOT Show, self-defense still remains the number one reason why women purchase their first firearm. Home-defense comes in second. The report, which comes from a study conducted in 2014, focused "on women ages 18 to 65 who owned at least one... read more

Redstate… The Closing of the Republican Mind, By: Erick Erickson
January 20th, 2015 -- The Republicans just beat the Democrats pretty badly. But the Republicans perceive that they also beat conservatives. The perception has helped closed the Republican mind. The conservative stalwarts of the past have given way to the return of the patrician Republicans who will use government to care for the people, just in different ways from the Democrats. The Party of... read more

The Daily Signal… The State of the Union: What It Is and Why It Matters, Philip Wegmann
January 19, 2015 - This Tuesday, President Obama will face the toughest crowd of his presidency when he delivers his State of the Union address to the newly controlled Republican Congress. Each president’s State of the Union offers a distinct historical snapshot while continuing an enduring constitutional tradition. The president is expected to underscore past policy... read more

The Daily Signal… Firearms Sellers Say They’re Being Choked Off From Payment Processors, by Kelsey Harkness -- January 12, 2015 -- Go to a gun show, and you won’t find many merchants using PayPal. You’ll also find few vendors using popular payment processors such as Square, Stripe and Spark Pay. That’s because some payment processors explicitly prohibit the use of their systems for online — and some in-store — sales of firearms, ammunition and certain accessories. Retailers in the gun industry say they’re being discriminated against... read more

The Daily Signal… What the Media Missed About Obama’s New Proposal: It’s a Wage Cut for Workers, by James Sherk, Alex Belica -- January 15, 2015 -- President Obama just urged Congress to cut workers’ wages. Of course, the news headlines did not report it as such. However, make no mistake: The president’s call for mandatory paid sick leave would simultaneously cut workers’ pay. The president proposes requiring businesses to offer seven days paid sick leave to their workers. That sounds great. But the president never explained... read more

National Review… Santorum, the Blue-Collar Brawler; His message for Romney: Bring on the re-match. By Eliana Johnson; January 12, 2015 -- I’m sitting across from Rick Santorum at a Corner Bakery Cafe on North Capitol Street, near the U.S. Capitol, when a news alert flashes across my phone. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Mitt Romney has told a group of his top donors that he is seriously considering a third White House bid. Santorum smiles broadly. “Bring it on,” he says. The surprise runner-up in the 2012 Republican primary... read more

Research the Gulen Crusade… By William Phillis
The 19 Horizon Science Academies/Noble Academies charter schools in Ohio and the other 130 or so sister charters in other states are a part of the worldwide social/economic/religious/political movement headed by Fethullah Gulen, the Turkish Islamic cleric living in exile in the Poconos of Pennsylvania. The mission of the Gulen movement should spike the interest of all U.S. citizens inasmuch... read more

The Daily Signal… White House Faces Backlash for Absence at Anti-Terrorism Rally, Kelsey Harkness
January 12, 2015 - The Obama administration admitted this afternoon that it erred in not sending a more prominent official to the anti-terrorism march yesterday in Paris. During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said: I think it’s fair to say that we should have sent someone with a higher profile to be there. … We agree that we should have sent someone with a higher profile in addition to the ambassador to France... read more

Heritage Foundation… Obama Administration Proposes Expanding Government-Funded Preschool, Lindsey Burke - Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged a revamp of the “tired” and “prescriptive” law currently known as No Child Left Behind today, calling for a law that replaces NCLB with one that includes “more money” than is currently authorized. Duncan urged Congress to increase spending, ensure educational “equity” and to include preschool as... read more

The Daily Signal… Why Free Community College Is Anything But Free, by Lindsey Burke
January 09, 2015 -- The Obama administration announced Thursday that it will propose two years of “free” community college, paid for by taxpayers, for students maintaining a “C” or better average. The federal government would finance three-quarters of the costs, and the administration says it hopes the remainder would be financed by states. The White House claims the proposal will save students $3,800 per year in tuition costs. When asked about... read more

Thorough and Efficient Clause removal , By William Phillis
Public Education Privatizers would support removal of the thorough and efficient clause from the Ohio Constitution. Nick Pittner, having served as the lead attorney in the DeRolph school funding case, provides his opinion on the proposal to remove the thorough and efficient language from the Ohio Constitution (below). If this matter is forced through all the hoops required to be placed on the ballot... read more

The Daily Signal… The House Made It Harder to Steal From Social Security Retirement Fund, by Romina Boccia, January 07, 2015 -- This Tuesday, House Republicans nearly unanimously adopted new rules for the 114th Congress (H. Res. 5) which set the stage for long-overdue Social Security reforms to protect disabled Americans and seniors from indiscriminate benefit cuts. The new rule strengthens the integrity of Social Security’s separate trust funds... read more

State illegally transfers local funds to charter schools, By William Phillis
State data show that most school districts lose local funds to the charter industry. All but a handful of districts receive less state foundation funding per pupil than is deducted for charter school pupils. The difference comes from local tax revenue approved by the school district patrons for the purpose of educational programs and services within the district. In... read more

Heritage Foundation… Union Lawsuit Against Florida School Choice Programs Dismissed, By Brittany Corona - Hundreds of Florida parents are able to celebrate the New Year with access to school choice thanks to a decision last Tuesday to dismiss the union lawsuit against the Sunshine State’s Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts and expansion of the tax credit scholarship program. For the second time, Leon County Circuit Court Judge Charles Francis found that the Florida Education Association, Florida school boards, the NAACP... read more

Human Events… Voter turnout boomed under Bush, not under Obama, By: Michael Barone
There is a widespread assumption that President Obama has expanded the electorate and inspired booming voter turnout. One could make a case for that based on the 2008 election. But since then, not so much. Looking back over the past 15 years, the biggest surge in voter turnout came during George W. Bush’s presidency. In the Obama years, turnout actually declined in both the 2012 presidential... read more

Natural News… Obamacare causing massive wave of hospital closures across USA, by: J. D. Heyes - Monday, December 29, 2014 - (NaturalNews) A number of acute-care hospitals closed across the United States last year -- 18 to be exact -- and experts who see a raft of new regulatory processes being heaped upon the healthcare industry in the coming years, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, believe that a wave of additional closures are ahead. As noted by WorldNetDaily, a dozen more hospitals have closed in the U.S... read more

Human Events… Jeb Bush's hurdles, By: George Will
1/2/2015 -- WASHINGTON — In 1968, a singularly traumatic year — assassinations, urban riots, 16,899 Americans killed in Vietnam — Vice President Hubert Humphrey, the ebullient Minnesotan, said his presidential campaign was about “the politics of joy.” This was considered infelicitous. He was, however, right to insist that, whatever America’s vicissitudes, the nation’s premises explain its trajectory and validate cheerfulness. Similarly... read more

The Economic Collapse… The 2.6 Billion Dollar Welfare Payment That The U.S. Government Gives To Wal-Mart -- By Michael Snyder -- December 28th, 2014 -- Wal-Mart Should the federal government be spending billions of dollars to pump up Wal-Mart’s profits? I know that question sounds really bizarre, but unfortunately this is essentially what is happening. Because Wal-Mart does not pay them enough money, hundreds of thousands of Wal-Mart employees enroll in Medicaid, food stamps and other social welfare programs... read more

Townhall… Ignorance, by John Stossel
Dec 31, 2014 -- No wonder Cuba wallows in poverty. Last week, the New York Times reported that the Castro brothers opened a special business zone where foreign companies "would be given greater control over setting wages at factories. ... (P)roposals would be approved or rejected within 60 days." What? If I want to give someone a raise, I have to wait up to two months for government approval! That's absurd... read more

Natural News… Teachers forced to wear flu masks, gloves that don't work, by: Ethan A. Huff
Monday, December 29, 2014 - (NaturalNews) The vaccine mafia is upping the stakes in its endless war against free thinking and personal choice. A shocking new report indicates that some daycare workers in Texas are now being forced to wear face masks and gloves throughout the duration of "flu season" if they refuse to be injected with live viruses and mercury. Citing a letter received from a concerned daycare worker in the College Station area... read more

Townhall… A Year of Anniversaries, Thomas Sowell
Dec 31, 2014 - 2014 has been a year of anniversaries. It was the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War -- a war which many at the time saw as madness, and predicted that it would be the harbinger of a Second World War a generation later. 2014 was also the 70th anniversary of the fateful landing at Normandy that marked the beginning of the end of World War... read more

Health News from NPR… When Home And Health Are Just Out Of Reach, by Sarah Jane Tribble
December 24, 2014 -- Donna Giron wheels through the halls of the nursing home she's lived in since May. Finding an affordable home of her own has been difficult. Donna Giron is frail. She has Crohn's disease and uses a wheelchair to get around because walking exhausts her. But she doesn't want to be in the nursing home where she has lived since May. Giron, 65, is looking to rent a small house in the industrial town in the Cleveland... read more

Zero Hedge… Obama's Golf Game Disrupts Soldiers' Wedding, Submitted by Tyler Durden
12/29/2014 -- Natalie Heimel and her fiancé, Edward Mallue Jr., a pair of captains in the Army, received two letters from President Obama in less than 24 hours as they prepared for their wedding ceremony at Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course in Hawaii. The first, a nicely worded regretful but congratulatory RSVP to their wedding invite... and the second, as Bloomberg reports, informing them that their wedding would have to be moved since... read more

Townhall… Aside From That, Gen. Custer, by Rich Galen
Dec 29, 2014 -- CNN was agog (not a word I get to use in a sentence every day) with the results of a new poll released right before Christmas that showed President Barack Obama's job approval ratings shooting up in the polls. The apogee of the shot? 48 percent. No, the ratings didn't rise by 48 percentage points, they rose to 48 percentage points meaning, a majority of Americans still do not approve... read more

Dayton Business Journal… Flick picks: ‘Unbroken,’ ‘Into the Woods’ offer inspiring, entertaining holiday diversions, by Annlee Ellingson -- Dec 24, 2014 -- Amid a deluge of prestige pictures this holiday weekend, two titles are especially suited for a family film outing. "Unbroken" is an inspiring, though oddly unmoving, true story of American prowess, endurance and resilience, while "Into the Woods" is an entertaining, if awkward, adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's hit Broadway musical. Either would be a fine Christmas diversion... read more

Townhall… Bush, Romney, Cruz, Paul, Perry or ? by Rachel Alexander
Dec 29, 2014 -- Since forming a presidential exploratory committee earlier this month, Jeb Bush is being considered a serious Republican candidate for president. But as George Will astutely pointed out last week, Bush has two significant hurdles; his support for Common Core and immigration reform. Will correctly points out that his support for the latter is far more nuanced than people understand. Bush does... read more

The Daily Signal… The Economy Just Had the Strongest Growth in a Quarter Since 2009, Curtis Dubay - December 23, 2014 - There is no doubt that the economy has languished in its recovery from the Great Recession, which ended more than five years ago. But signs are emerging that it is finally shaking free the weight of President Obama’s anti-growth policies. The latest bit of good news is that the economy grew at 5 percent in the third quarter (July 1 to Sept. 30... read more

The Daily Signal… ‘Public Education’ Should Fund Any Education, Not Just Government-Run Schools, by Brittany Corona -- December 22, 2014 -- “Are you saying public education is just a funding mechanism? … Is all education now public [and parents] can just choose?” asked Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Nancy Rice during oral arguments over the constitutionality of Douglas County’s Choice Scholarship Pilot Program. The case has brought forth a question that has been at the forefront of state and national debates... read more

NBC Washington… Bao Bao Back With Mom After Scary 24 Hours in a Tree
Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 -- Good news from the National Zoo: After more than 24 hours in a tree following a fright, giant panda cub Bao Bao has rejoined her mom. The National Zoo's panda cub came down from a tree late Christmas Eve after spending Tuesday night and much of Wednesday there. Bao Bao was spooked after apparently touching a "hot wire" in her enclosure... read more

The Daily Signal… How Much Your Taxes Are Really Costing You, by David Allen
December 18, 2014 -- Your taxes are costing you a lot more than you think. In addition to the direct burden imposed by the taxes themselves, Americans face compliance costs, as well as costs in the form of revenue loss during the IRS’ tax collection process. Pete Sepp, president of the National Taxpayers Union; Jason Fichtner, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus... read more

Santorum on President Obama's Policy Change Towards Cuba
Verona, PA - Former U.S. Senator, former Presidential candidate and Chairman of Patriot Voices Rick Santorum issued the following statement regarding the United States policy change towards Cuba: Senator Santorum said, "I am pleased that Alan Gross has been released and able to return safely home, but I am extremely concerned with how his release was negotiated. Over and over again, President Obama's foreign policy actions have... read more

The Daily Signal… The Preschool Mirage, By Lindsey Burke & Rachel Sheffield
Grow the economy, not government intervention in child care.
December 10, 2014 - The Obama administration has just announced a new $1 billion initiative ($750 million in federal grants and the remainder from private funding) to enroll more children in government preschool programs. The new measure is being... read more

Bush family voucher legacy, By William Phillis
Jeb Bush is enmeshed in the crusade to privatize public education. While serving as Governor of Florida, he zealously pushed the voucher/privatization agenda. He essentially declared war on public education in Florida. As a private citizen, he is continuing his battle against public education. It may be in his DNA. His father, as President, made a speech in Columbus on November 25, 1991 in which... read more

Market does not work in education: Shocking admission from the Hoover Institution's Margaret Raymond, by William Phillis -- Dr. Margaret Raymond, a staff member of the Hoover Institution at Stanford (bulwark of a free market) discussed the recent Stanford CREDO charter school study during a presentation at the Cleveland City Club on December 10. She reviewed the report that seriously damages the credibility of the charter school industry in Ohio. During the question/answer segment, she stated, "This is one of the big insights for me... read more

CREDO study: Charter industry students lag behind, By William Phillis
The pro-charter school Fordham Institute commissioned the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University to study charter school performance. Please note that CREDO is funded by one or more pro-charter school foundations. The analysis presents findings regarding the effects of charter schools on student academic performance... read more

The Daily Signal… Elijah’s Story: A Life Saved Before Birth, by Josh Siegel
December 09, 2014 -- DE PERE, Wis.—Eight weeks before he was born, Elijah Leffingwell met the outside world. On Sept. 21, 2012, at 25 weeks, Elijah was partially removed from his mother’s womb so surgeons could surgically remove a tumor the size of an orange from his left lung. Midway through the surgery, his heart stopped. The doctors massaged it back to life... read more

The Daily Signal… Legislation Lets States Cut Ties Between Common Core and Federal Grants, by Kelsey Harkness -- December 08, 2014 -- Sen. David Vitter, R-La., has drafted legislation to prohibit the federal government from “mandating, incentivizing or coercing” states to adopt the national education standards known as Common Core, The Daily Signal has learned. The intent of Vitter’s bill is to enable states to more easily exit the national standards, which more and more parents and... read more

Natural News… CDC issues flu vaccine apology: this year's vaccine doesn't work! by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger -- Friday, December 05, 2014 -- For the first time we can remember, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are going on the record, saying the flu vaccine won't work this year. The warning comes just before the busiest part of flu season, in January and February. Unfortunately, there won't be any refund for any of the patients or insurance companies who spent money on flu shots earlier this fall. But don't worry... read more

The Daily Signal… Since Obama Took Office, the Federal Debt Has Increased by Almost 70 Percent, by Michael Sargent -- December 03, 2014 -- The federal government hit a new milestone Friday: The total federal debt now tallies more than $18 trillion. Just six years ago when President Obama took office, total debt stood at $10.6 trillion, which means it now has increased by almost $8 trillion—roughly 70 percent—during his tenure as president. The surge in total debt, which has hit 103 percent of gross domestic product, comes at a time... read more

The Daily Signal… Federal Agency Faces Fallout From Controversial Study That Put Babies at Risk, by Sharyl Attkisson -- December 04, 2014 -- A federal agency has taken controversial new steps to marginalize its own ethics body, according to new information revealed by the watchdog group Public Citizen. That after the federal ethics body criticized a government study that resulted in the deaths of some premature babies. The government-backed study in question... read more

Economic Collapse Blog… Plummeting Oil Prices Could Destroy Banks, By Michael Snyder
December 3rd, 2014 - Panic Button - Public DomainCould rapidly falling oil prices trigger a nightmare scenario for the commodity derivatives market? The big Wall Street banks did not expect plunging home prices to cause a mortgage-backed securities implosion back in 2008, and their models did not anticipate a decline in the price of oil by more than 40 dollars in less than six months this time either. If the price of oil stays at this level or goes... read more

The Daily Signal… Conservatives Push Short-Term Funding to Block Obama on Illegal Immigrants, by Melissa Quinn -- December 03, 2014 -- Breaking with House Republican leaders, conservatives are pressing for a short-term plan to fund the government while blocking President Obama’s move to grant legal status to millions of illegal immigrants. The measure would allow the new Congress to weigh in on the president’s unilateral action and shape the spending debate. Speaking yesterday during Conversations with Conservatives, a monthly... read more

The Washington Times: Protecting American workers during the immigration debate, By Rick Santorum -- For the past decade, perhaps the one issue that has crossed partisan lines yet created a national divide is our nation's immigration policy. And now that President Obama has issued an executive order granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, we have to discuss how this impacts American workers. Those on the left stand for open borders and amnesty because they believe... read more

Townhall… Report: 'Dark Days Ahead' for Obamacare, Guy Benson
Dec 02, 2014 - The Hill's Elise Viebeck chronicles Obamacare's continued losing streak, major elements of which were predicted months ago. Viebeck's story begins with a mention of the destruction Jonathan Gruber hath wrought, then outlines four categories of forthcoming Obamacare headaches. They include pending legal challenges, the still-simmering threat of Ebola, as well as open Enrollment 2.0 challenges ("the back-end of HealthCare... read more

Townhall… Opinions Versus Facts, Thomas Sowell
Dec 02, 2014 - Everyone seems to have an opinion about the tragic events in Ferguson, Missouri. But, as Daniel Patrick Moynihan used to say, "You're entitled to your own opinion but you're not entitled to your own facts." Soon after the shooting death of Michael Brown, this 285-pound young man was depicted as a "gentle giant." But, after a video was leaked, showing him... read more

The Hill… 13 Republicans most likely to win WH, By Jonathan Easley
Republicans say their long list of 2016 hopefuls is among the deepest, most diverse group in recent history without a clear frontrunner. “This is the most open field we’ve ever seen,” one GOP strategist told The Hill. That means there will be a narrow path to victory for many of the candidates, as they fight for the money, media, and voters they’ll need in the win-early-or-go-home battle royale. The Hill spoke... read more

Townhall… Don't Shoot (Your Mouth Off) Before All the Facts Are Known, Debra J. Saunders
Nov 30, 2014 -- We hand a man a gun and ask him to protect us. If something goes horribly wrong, perhaps in a flurry of panic, we don't rush to punish him. We make sure a criminal justice system meant to protect all citizens also protects him. We blanket him in the presumption of innocence. It's the reason juries are loath to convict and, as happened in Missouri, grand juries are loath to indict officers involved in shootings. So do I believe that Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson... read more

Redstate… The Truth, By: Erick Erickson
November 28th, 2014 -- I will keep nothing from you. Today, let me share with you the truth. Republicans will not stop Barack Obama’s executive overreach. In fact, while you were enjoying your Thanksgiving there were a number of stories out that the Republican leadership wants to give its members an opportunity to express their outrage and opposition. Expression is not action. They will take no action... read more

Townhall… Ferguson Obscures Much Bigger Problems in the 'Black Community' Larry Elder
Nov 27, 2014 - From the very beginning, this was much ado about an aberration, a tragic aberration to be sure, but an aberration nonetheless. Michael Brown was shot and killed by Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014. Immediately, according to St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch, witnesses began to give different versions of what happened. The apparent would-be star witness, Dorian Johnson, was with Brown... read more

Townhall… An Inconvenient Law, Victor Davis Hanson
Nov 27, 2014 - There is a humane, transparent, truthful -- and constitutional -- way to address illegal immigration. Unfortunately, President Obama's unilateral plan to exempt millions of residents from federal immigration law is none of those things. Obama said he had to move now because of a dawdling Congress. He forgot to mention that there were Democratic majorities... read more

Federal News Radio… Thank you, federal employees, Commentary by Jeff Neal
Tuesday - 11/25/2014 -- It is Thanksgiving week and before everyone heads out of the office to take a well-deserved holiday, I want to give thanks for our federal workforce. Fed- bashing may be a popular sport in some places, but not in my home. I believe that majority of federal employees do a great job, care about their work, do more than is necessary, support their co-workers in times or need and provide tremendous benefit to the American people... read more

Natural News… It is now illegal to share food with the homeless in Florida, by: J. D. Heyes
Wednesday, November 26, 2014 -- If you're someone who believes in personal (not government-provided) charity and who likes to make sure that as many homeless people as possible get a decent meal each day, good for you. But you might want to avoid Fort Lauderdale, Florida, because you could wind up with a hefty fine and some jail time. Seriously. According to reports, police in the city issued citations and further threatened to arrest two priests... read more

Natural News… New pictures of school lunches illustrate America's decline toward third world status, by Daniel Barker -- Wednesday, November 26, 2014 -- It can be assumed that First Lady Michelle Obama had good intentions when she used her influence to foist her Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act on an unsuspecting population of school-aged American children. After all, obesity, nutrition and hunger are real issues, but the dismal failure of the initiative -- which resulted... read more

The Daily Signal… Amid Crises, Obama Pushes Out Hagel as Defense Secretary, Josh Siegel - November 24, 2014 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel resigned today after less than two years in the post amid the struggles of President Obama’s national security team to respond to a slew of global crises. Hagel, the only Republican in Obama’s Cabinet, is widely believed to have been pushed out by the president as he seeks a different approach to enduring challenges such... read more

Natural News… Prescription drug vending machines on college campuses, by Mike Adams
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 -- The total insanity of over-medication in America has reached a new low as Arizona State University has installed a prescription drug vending machine called InstyMeds. American college students -- who are already the most over-medicated population on the planet -- now have an even easier way to pollute their brains with SSRI drugs, antidepressants, antipsychotics and prescription "speed" amphetamines which... read more

Patriot Voices… "Made in the USA" Christmas Challenge, Rick Santorum
VERONA, PA - Former presidential candidate, former U.S. Senator, and Chairman of Patriot Voices Rick Santorum today launched Patriot Voices' 2nd annual "Made in the USA" Christmas Challenge urging shoppers to buy goods and gifts made in the United States this holiday season and to shop at local small businesses across the country. Rick Santorum said, "This Christmas season, millions... read more

Patriot Voices… Santorum Responds to President Obama's Immigration Edict
VERONA, PA - Former presidential candidate, former U.S. Senator, and Chairman of Patriot Voices issued the following statement in response to President Obama's executive action to provide amnesty to 5 million illegal immigrants. Rick Santorum said: "Tonight's announcement by the President is just another in a long line of power-grabs by this Administration. Despite saying as recently as one... read more

Heritage Foundation… Why should we trust Barack Obama on immigration reform? By Jim DeMint - President Obama has been quite up-front about it: he refuses to enforce laws he dislikes and unilaterally changes others without the consent of Congress. The Supreme Court may soon have to decide the constitutionality of all this but, in the meantime, many are wondering why Congress would believe they can trust the president to work with them in good faith on any issue. Still more are scratching their heads over the notion that now, when Obamacare is hurting millions and the... read more

Human Events… Obama denies Gruber, but facts deny Obama, By David Limbaugh
11/18/2014 -- Do President Obama’s adamant denials that he misled the American public on various important aspects of Obamacare stand up to scrutiny? No, and it’s not even a close call. In the past several weeks, there’s been a major uproar in the alternative media — the liberal media doing their usual best to cover up stories damaging to this administration and the cause of progressivism... read more

Townhall… Racial Quota Punishment, Thomas Sowell
Nov 18, 2014 - If anyone still has any doubt about the utter cynicism of the Obama administration, a recent agreement between the federal government and the Minneapolis Public Schools should open their eyes. Under the Obama administration, both the Department of Education and the Department of Justice have been leaning on public schools around the country to... read more

The Daily Signal… What Do the 2016 GOP Hopefuls Really Think About Same-Sex Marriage? Genevieve Wood -- November 14, 2014 -- The marriage issue didn’t play a major role in the 2014 midterms, but activist courts overturning state laws and lawsuits threatening the rights of those who disagree with redefining marriage may very well make the issue a top one in 2016. Since 1998 and across the early 2000s, millions of Americans voted at the state level to define marriage as the union of a man... read more

The White House… We all have a stake in the fight against Ebola, Dr. Kent Brantly
I've come to be known as the first Ebola patient to be treated in the United States -- but I'd prefer to think of myself simply as a family physician. I was born and raised in Indiana, and trained in family medicine in Texas. I spent the last year living and working as a missionary doctor in a small hospital outside Monrovia, Liberia. So when the Ebola virus came to that country, I was among the first to treat infected patients. And in late July, I contracted the disease... read more

Top down education "reforms": mere alterations with no evidence than improvements will accrue, By William Phillis -- During the past couple decades, politicians and other non-educators have hurled education reform packages at public school boards, administrators and teachers with the warning that if they oppose any of the packages, they will be labeled as obstructionists in support of the status quo. Generally speaking, the public education community has attempted to implement the... read more

Patriot Voices… Santorum Outlines Foreign Policy Against Radical Islamic Threats
VERONA, PA - Former presidential candidate, former U.S. Senator, and Chairman of Patriot Voices Rick Santorum addressed several thousand Liberty University students yesterday focusing on the mounting clash between the Western Civilized World and the growing threat of radical Islamists. In his speech, Santorum specifically described his work in 2005 and 2006 to draw attention to the threat posed by an Iranian... read more

The Daily Signal… Veterans Are the Real 1 Percenters, by Bruce Klingner
November 11, 2014 -- Mentioning “1 percenters” conjures up images of protest and class warfare. But there is another 1 percent who are beyond politics: the men and women who serve in America’s armed forces, as well as the veterans who served before them. Despite over a decade of ceaseless war against terrorism, fewer than 1 percent of the U.S. population has been on active duty. A smaller share of Americans now serve in the military than at any point... read more

The Daily Signal… School Choice Wins, Common Core Loses in Election 2014, Lindsey Burke - November 05, 2014 - Last night’s election results have seismic implications for education policy at both the state and federal levels. Voters sent a message that school choice and local control are important to them. School Choice Wins Big - Charlie Crist, running as a Democrat, lost his election bid for Florida governor to incumbent Republican Rick Scott. Crist supported the state’s teachers... read more

The Daily Signal… The War on Women Didn’t Work and 3 Other Lessons From the Midterm Elections, by Hans von Spakovsky -- November 07, 2014 -- Many pundits and campaign consultants are no doubt analyzing the election results across the country to try to decipher what lessons the Republican wave holds for candidates planning to run in 2016. But there are four easily seen lessons that both of the major political parties should take to heart: First, the manipulation of election rules and political trickery didn’t work. In Kansas, for example, the Democratic... read more

Townhall… Is There a Viagra for Bored Voters? By Debra J. Saunders
Nov 09, 2014 -- Democrats won every statewide office (California) and a comfortable majority of the congressional delegation and legislative seats. Yet at Capitol Weekly's election postmortem confab Thursday, Republicans were giddy, and many Democrats were, well, agitated. Even for California Republicans, Tuesday was heavenly. To start, they spent Tuesday night watching the GOP make big gains nationally... read more

The Daily Signal… Here’s How Conservatives Aim to Stop Obama’s Action on Illegal Immigrants, by Josh Siegel -- November 07, 2014 -- Aides to conservative members of the U.S. Senate say their bosses are rallying around a strategy to prevent President Obama from taking executive action to move illegal immigrants toward citizenship: Use government funding bills to withhold the money the president needs to implement his plan. At the same time, some of the Senate’s most conservative members are worried that party leadership could try to strike a deal with Democrats... read more

The Economist – Lexington… A big win for John Kasich
Ohio’s Republican governor puts results ahead of ideological purity - November 8, 2014 - WHAT is conservatism for? In the election campaign just past, too many Republicans ignored that question. Instead they went negative, harnessing the anger of voters who feel that America is going to ruin and have no faith in President Barack Obama. Senator... read more

You really want to know about this, By Tom Dunn
In a previous article, I criticized state superintendent Dr. Richard Ross for his claim that the state's quest for transparency is the driving force behind the Ohio Department of Education's (ODE) School District Report Card. I suggested that his, the ODE's, and the legislature's quest for transparency seems to end where their pet project, the charter school movement, begins. I challenged readers to visit the independently created web site known as... read more

Santorum Comments on Republican Election Victories
VERONA, PA - Former presidential candidate, former United States Senator, and Chairman of Patriot Voices Rick Santorum issued the following statement in response to the results of the midterm election: "Tonight's results are not just a victory for the Republican Party, but a victory for America. And while the results are a clear repudiation of President Obama and his policies, we cannot take tonight's results... read more

Natural News… Meat industry uses chemical 'meat glue' to trick consumers into eating food scraps, by: S. D. Wells - Thursday, October 30, 2014 - A white powder that glues together small scrap pieces of beef, lamb, chicken and fish is sold by the kilo and is considered to be the meat industry's "dirty little secret." This is not breaking news, as the industry has been at it for quite some time, but just how many people need to know if they're greatly increasing their chances of consuming some E. coli with those "choice" filets... read more

Townhall… Survey: 51 Percent of People Who Used Obamacare Exchanges Last Year Won't Use Them Again, Katie Pavlich - Nov 03, 2014 - According to a new study conducted by Bankrate.com, a majority of Americans who used the Obamacare healthcare exchanges last year through Healthcare.gov don't plan on doing so again this year when open enrollment begins on November 15. "Those who experienced the rocky rollout of the Obamacare health... read more

The Daily Signal… The People You Vote Out of Office Tuesday Will Still Have Two Months in Power. What Will They Do? by Genevieve Wood -- November 03, 2014 -- In most of America, when someone gets fired for poor performance, they are not allowed to stay on the job another two months. But Washington isn’t like the rest of America, and being a member of Congress isn’t like most other jobs. On Tuesday, Americans will elect people to represent them in Washington. In the process, they will also un-elect some current members of Congress in whom, for whatever reason... read more

Heart of the matter: Public Education, By William Phillis
Heart of the matter: Charters, vouchers and other strategies to privatize public education are backdoor approaches to the annulment of state constitutional provisions for public education. Each state has one or more constitutional provisions for a system of public education. Words such as thorough, efficient, uniform, fundamental value and high quality set the standards for the state systems. The importance... read more

The Daily Signal… These Studies Found Exposure to the Arts Boosted Educational Success, by Brittany Corona -- October 27, 2014 -- New research into humanities education suggests student learning outcomes increase with exposure to the arts. Few empirical studies have been conducted on the benefits of arts education for students. Jay Greene, endowed chair of the Department of Education at the University of Arkansas, and his team have released two studies on the educational benefits of engagement with the arts. Last year, Greene, along with researchers... read more

Townhall… Citing Terrorism Concerns, DHS Beefs Up Security At Federal Government Buildings, by Katie Pavlich -- Oct 28, 2014 -- Late Tuesday afternoon the Department of Homeland Security announced security will be beefed up at federal government buildings across the country, citing terror concerns and recent attacks in Canada for the increase. The following statement was released by DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson: Today I am announcing that I have directed the Federal Protective... read more

SHTF Plan… Mining CEO Proposes: Crush Market Manipulation By Halting Silver Sales, Mac Slavo - October 24th, 2014 - In 2011 the price of silver topped $48 per ounce, but just a few years later we’ve seen it collapse to such levels that it is now becoming nearly impossible to for mining companies to get it out of the ground and make any sort of profit. Many believe the price of silver, and it’s precious metal counterpart gold, is being manipulated by top-tier financial organizations that include large investment firms as well as Western central banks. Through the... read more

U.S. News & World Report… Ryan Gets It Right, By Pete Sepp
Dynamic scoring would show which tax changes are actually the most beneficial. Oct. 28, 2014 - It’s a week before the election, and Washington can’t seem to get enough of “what if” scenarios. One has to do with the long-overdue task of reforming our nation’s hopelessly burdensome, complex tax code. In a speech before the Financial Services Roundtable, House Budget... read more

U.S. News & World Report… Trouble to the North: Recent attacks in Canada highlight the problem of homegrown extremism, By Michael P. Noonan -- Oct. 25, 2014 -- This week’s events in Quebec and Ottawa point to a potentially troubling trend in the radicalization of violent extremists. The perpetrators of the deadly attacks – Martin “Ahmad” Couture Rouleau in Quebec and Michael Zehaf-Bibeau in Ottawa – were both converts to Islam with troubled, criminal pasts. (As Humera Khan of Muflehun told Gwen Ifill on the Aug. 27 broadcast of... read more

Redstate… When I Survey, By: Erick Erickson
October 28th, 2014 -- We stand a week from the final midterm election of Barack Obama’s Presidential career. When I survey the field I do not see a wave election for the GOP. I never have seen a wave in the polling, at least not at the national level. At the local level, I think we will see a lot of what we saw in 2010. It will be wavy. But while I think the GOP will take the Senate, I do not think it will be by much. Much of the success the... read more

Townhall… Incumbents Always Win, By John Stossel
Oct 29, 2014 -- I'm told that the public is "angry" at today's politicians. Eighty-two percent disapprove of the job Congress is doing. So will Tuesday's election bring a big shakeup? No. Congressional reelection rates never drop below 85 percent. The last big "wave" election was 1994, when Democrats lost control of both houses. The media called it a "revolution," and the late Peter Jennings from ABC likened Americans to... read more

The Daily Signal… Journalist: Obama Administration More ‘Restrictive’ and ‘Dangerous’ Than Any In History, Kate Scanlon - October 28, 2014 - USA Today Washington Bureau chief Susan Page is the latest in a series of journalists to criticize the White House on transparency. At a White House Correspondents’ Association seminar on Saturday, Page described the Obama administration as “more restrictive” and “more dangerous” to the press than... read more

The Daily Signal… The True Reason Gas Prices are Falling (Hint: It’s Not Because of Green Energy), by Stephen Moore -- October 26, 2014 -- American workers and motorists got some badly-needed relief this week when the price of oil plunged to its lowest level in years. The oil price has fallen by about 25 percent since its peak back in June of $105 a barrel. This is translating to lower prices at the pump with many states now below $3 a gallon. At present levels, these lower oil and gas prices are the equivalent of a $200 billion cost saving to American consumers and businesses... read more

Patriot Voices… George W. Bush’s Puzzling WMD Coverup, By Rick Santorum
How to prevent the president from deceiving Congress the American people, regardless of who controls the White House. The most shocking revelation by The Daily Beast, The New York Times and other news sources in reporting on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq is that the Bush Administration so aggressively fought to suppress the truth about them. The entire world was understandably focused on finding chemical... read more

The Daily Signal… This Little Girl With Down Syndrome Was Stuck in a Horrible School Situation. How a New Policy Changed Her Life Completely. By Lindsey Burke -- October 19, 2014 -- “When I would pick her up almost every evening, she would wait until she got into the car and she would just start weeping.” That’s what Veronica, mother of Salima, who has Down syndrome, says in a powerful video about her daughter’s experience at her assigned public school. But thanks to a fairly new school choice policy, Salima’s life is now totally different. And starting this year... read more

The Daily Signal… Make Conservatism Cooler, College Students Advise GOP Candidates, by Josh Siegel -- October 21, 2014 -- RALEIGH, N.C.—Consider a few truths about the politics of students at North Carolina State University, a school known for its engineering and agriculture programs and said to be more conservative than the higher-profile University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Political ads turn the students off. They don’t pay attention to the ads, and are unlikely to be swayed by their... read more

The Daily Signal… Top 7 Wackiest Examples of Wasteful Government Spending from Wastebook 2014 - Spencer Woody - October 22, 2014 - Rabbit massages, laughing classes, and watching the grass grow–these are just a few examples of where your tax dollars went this year. During a time when many families have made financial sacrifices to make ends meet, the federal government continues to spend. Washington politicians continue to claim their levels of... read more

The Daily Signal… The New Civil Rights Division Head Wants to Decriminalize Possession of All Drugs, by Cully Stimson -- October 20, 2014 -- So who supports decriminalizing cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamine, ecstasy and all dangerous drugs, including marijuana? No, it’s not your teenage nephew. It’s President Obama’s new acting head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Vanita Gupta. In 2012, Gupta wrote that “states should decriminalize simple... read more

The Daily Signal… Government to Ordained Ministers: Celebrate Same-Sex Wedding or Go to Jail, Ryan T. Anderson - October 18, 2014 - For years, those in favor of same-sex marriage have argued that all Americans should be free to live as they choose. And yet in countless cases, the government has coerced those who simply wish to be free to live in accordance with their belief that marriage is the union of a man and a woman. Ministers... read more

Townhall… Over It: 'Steady Stream' of Democrats Leave Campaign Rally During Obama Speech, by Guy Benson -- Oct 20, 2014 -- In 2008, they were passing out. In 2014, they're walking out. These tweets come from mainstream media correspondents who watched in puzzlement as "lots" of Maryland voters departed a campaign rally over the weekend while President Obama was still talking. Change: Here's how Reuters' Jeff Mason summarized the event: President Barack Obama made a rare appearance on the campaign trail on Sunday with a rally to support the Democratic... read more

Patriot Voices… Santorum Condemns Houston for Violating First Amendment Rights
Verona, PA - Former Presidential candidate, U.S. Senator and Chairman of Patriot Voices Rick Santorum issued the following statement today regarding the actions by the City of Houston to violate our First Amendment: Rick Santorum said, "Many say fighting to protect our First Amendment is a conservative issue. It is not. It is an American issue. Regardless of one's religious or political views, we should be extremely alarmed... read more

The Daily Signal… Here’s Why Budget Cuts Have Nothing to Do With Developing an Ebola Vaccine, Melissa Quinn - October 17, 2014 - Some government health officials have joined Democrats in blaming the lack of an Ebola vaccine on budget cuts orchestrated by Republicans. However, more federal funding likely would not have led to creation of a vaccine to combat the deadly disease, since pharmaceutical companies had little incentive to do so. In addition, a review of federal budget figures by The Daily Signal shows that in... read more

Townhall… Ft. Hood Murderer's Attorney: "I Don't Know Where They Come Up With Workplace Violence" by Katie Pavlich -- Oct 14, 2014 -- Ft. Hood murderer Nidal Hasan recently sent a six page letter to Pope Francis about waging Jihad, further clarifying Hasan's murder of 13 people and the shooting of 30 others in 2009 was Islamic terrorism, not work place violence as the politically correct Obama administration has said and argued. Last night on The Kelly File Hassan's current attorney, John Galligan, said he doesn't understand... read more

The Daily Signal… Thanks to Obamacare, Health Costs Soared This Year, Robert Moffit
October 13, 2014 - On November 15, open enrollment in the Obamacare exchanges begins again. Before the second act of our national healthcare drama commences, let’s review what we’ve learned in Act I. For starters, everyone now knows that federal officials are challenged when it comes to setting up a website. But they’ve demonstrated the ability to dole out... read more

Townhall… The Obamacare Trifecta, by Hank Adler
Oct 13, 2014 -- Over the past several years, I have written at least a dozen columns on Townhall.com regarding individual and specific issues with Obamacare. This week, I attended a meeting to learn about my employer's plan to deal with our Preferred Provider Organization (our PPO health insurance plan). Touch 'em all: Over the next couple of years, I will lose my doctor, I will lose my plan and my healthcare costs will increase. The next two phases of Obamacare are now kicking... read more

Redstate… I Have a Question, By Erick Erickson
October 13th, 2014 -- I think the President of the United States owes the American public an answer now. I had been willing to give him the benefit of the doubt in his role as Command-in-Chief, but not now. In Dallas, TX, a health care worker who came into contact with the Ebola patient has contracted Ebola. The health care worker was a trained professional wearing protective clothing. But that trained professional in protective... read more

The Daily Signal… The 2014 Deficit Is the Smallest In Six Years. But Here’s the Bad News. By Romina Boccia
October 09, 2014 - The Congressional Budget Office released Wednesday the figures for spending, revenues and the deficit in 2014. At $486 billion, the 2014 deficit is the smallest since the pre-stimulus and pre-bailout level of $498 (adjusted for inflation to 2013) in 2008. This means the household national debt burden rises by about $4,000. The total household debt burden exceeds $150,000. While some, like President Obama and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, see today’s announcement... read more

The Daily Signal… Obama Administration’s New Teacher Equity Plan Will Not Improve Access to Good Teachers, Brittany Corona - October 07, 2014 - We can all agree that all students should have access to top-notch teachers. But the approach the Obama administration is taking is unlikely to lead to this. Last Wednesday, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights sent 14,000 school districts a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter outlining administration guidance on resource equity—ensuring resources and good teachers are as available to underprivileged children as to... read more

The Daily Signal… Supreme Court Decision Will Lead to Gay Marriage in Five States. Why That’s Wrong. By Ryan T. Anderson -- October 06, 2014 -- Today the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review appeals from Utah, Oklahoma, Virginia, Indiana and Wisconsin on the definition of marriage. This means that lower court rulings that struck down state marriage laws now will go into effect, forcing the redefinition of marriage in these states and potentially in other states in the 4th, 7th, and 10th circuits. This is an unfortunate setback for sound constitutional self-government and a setback... read more

The Daily Signal… All About the Money: Why Government Spending and Debt Matter for Millennials, by Michael Sargent -- October 06, 2014 -- If you’re a millennial who recently returned to your college campus or started your first job, you probably haven’t paid much attention to the trillion-dollar spending measure Congress passed without much fanfare. And why should you have? How does it affect your life? Spending decisions made in Washington can seem abstract and irrelevant for what matters to you. But Congress’s spending decisions DO matter for today’s young people... read more

National Review… ESAs Are Changing the Game, By Lindsey M. Burke
October 6, 2014 - ‘A blind student in Arizona gets about $21,000 a year,” says Marc Ashton, whose son, Max, is legally blind. That $21,000 represents what Arizona spends to educate a student such as Max in the public-school system. “We took our 90 percent of that, paid for Max to get the best education in Arizona, plus all of his Braille, all of his technology, and then there was still money left over to put toward... read more

The Daily Signal… 6 Steps to Subtract 2 Numbers: Common Core Homework in 1 Photo, Kelsey Harris - October 02, 2014 - For third-graders learning Common Core math in Georgia, there are four ways to subtract—and only four ways allowed. The picture above is just one of the methods for subtraction under Common Core straight from RedState editor in chief Erick Erickson’s third-grade... read more

Townhall… Ebola In America: Is The Government Doing Enough? By Derek Hunter
Oct 05, 2014 -- I’m writing this with Ebola-type symptoms. I don’t have Ebola;, I have food poisoning. But still. The world is not yet in panic mode over the latest outbreak, but it’s close. Is it justified? Ebola isn’t an easy virus to contract, or at least it didn’t used to be. The only sure way to catch it is from the bodily fluids of people with it – and then only once they start to exhibit symptoms themselves. That’s why it’s been the near-exclusive domain of countries without proper sewage... read more

Townhall… CDC Director Doubles Down on Lack of Flight Restrictions From Ebola Stricken Countries, by Katie Pavlich -- Oct 03, 2014 -- In light of the first case of Ebola in the United States emerging earlier this week after Thomas Duncan traveled to and from the country of Liberia to attend a funeral (and then knowing he was infected, lied on a medical form before hopping on a flight back), many people are asking why flight bans or restrictions to Ebola stricken countries have not been put in place. On Wednesday, White House... read more

The Daily Signal… School Board Tells Homeschool Family Their Curriculum Must Be ‘Guided’ by Common Core Standards; Chris McNutt -- September 30, 2014 -- For many public school students, Common Core national standards and tests are being implemented in their classrooms this school year. Yet parent opposition has been vocal over the past few years, 60 percent of the public opposes Common Core, and teacher support for the standards has dropped precipitously over the past year from 76 percent in 2013 to just 46 percent in 2014, according to a Harvard poll. But it ... read more

Townhall Finance... Obama Claims Obamacare is Working – You Just Haven’t Noticed, Michael Schaus - Oct 04, 2014 - I’m beginning to think that Obama doesn’t actually have any speech writers or talking-point authors… He’s just recycling the set of talking points he was handed in the first four years of his tenure. During a recent Q&A session at a campaign event in Princeton Indiana, the President trotted out the tried-and-failed talking points of 2012 to defend his signature healthcare law. According to the Free Beacon: “We are seeing almost a... read more

Natural News… Kansas governor declares October Zombie Preparedness Month, by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger; Tuesday, September 30, 2014 - (NaturalNews) Although Kansas Governor Sam Brownback is sure to be teased about this by persnickety whiners, it's actually a smart initiative: Kansas has declared October to be "Zombie Preparedness Month" in an effort to raise awareness about disaster preparedness among its citizens. Obviously, the Kansas government isn't literally concerned about... read more

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