The Daily Signal

A Venezuelan émigré gang is wreaking havoc in U.S. communities. In El Paso, Texas, the Tren de Aragua gang took over a hotel. And in Aurora, Colorado, members of the same Venezuelan gang have been terrorizing residents in rundown apartment complexes. Tren de Aragua is a “Venezuelan prison gang and ... they've been wreaking havoc throughout South America ... since their inception,” according to Chris Chmielenski, president of the Immigration Accountability Project. That “havoc” has now come to America. The brothers of Venezuelan illegal alien Jose Ibarra, the lead suspect in the slaying of Georgia college student Laken Riley, are thought to be connected to the Tren de Aragua gang, the New York Post reported. Aragua is one of Venezuela's 23 states, and Tren de Aragua translates to “Aragua Train.” Members of Tren de Aragua are “getting through some of these cracks that the Biden-Harris administration has exploited because of certain loopholes within our immigration law,” Chmielenski says. Under Chmielenski’s leadership, the Immigration Accountability Project is working to “hold members of Congress and members of the administration accountable for their actions, votes, and statements that they make on immigration, and to educate the American people on how these immigration issues affect them in their communities,” he says. Chmielenski joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the recent spike in crime carried out at the hands of illegal aliens, and what a new presidential administration could do to address the crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Recent polls indicate Republicans could win back the Senate. White House National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby is in hot water after hitting “reply all” on a press email. Southern Poverty Law Center union members have voted to oust their CEO. New York City Police Department Commissioner Edward Caban has resigned. The United Nations accuses Israel of violating international humanitarian law. Relevant Links: https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/09/11/no-confidence-far-left-smear-factorys-splc-union-votes-90-oust-president-mass-layoffs/ Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Faith and family is what's made our country not only great but good," Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., tells The Daily Signal. Miller, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, is the founder of the Congressional Family Caucus. Miller joins this episode of "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss the importance of marriage, family, and recognizing the biological differences between males and females. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas sat down with "The Daily Signal Podcast" at the State Freedom Caucus Summit to discuss his Dismantle DEI Act, the SAVE Act, and the upcoming vote on the continuing resolution to fund the federal government. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Speaker Mike Johnson pulled the continuing resolution from the House floor hours before the vote. Kamala Harris requests a second debate. The South Carolina Supreme Court strikes down a school choice law that A House subcommittee examines noncitizen voting and the nation’s border. Relevant Links: https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/09/10/fact-checking-claims-made-in-trump-harris-debate/ https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/09/10/4-takeaways-from-house-hearing-on-noncitizen-voting/ Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was 23 years ago Wednesday that terrorists hijacked four U.S. commercial airline flights, turned the planes into weapons, crashed them into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania, and in the process killed nearly 3,000 people. Today, America is at risk of another equally as deadly terrorist attack, a national security expert says. The threat of another 9/11-type terrorist attack on America “is higher now than it was in the months and years preceding 9/11 for a couple of reasons,” says Robert Greenway, director of the Allison Center for National Security at The Heritage Foundation. First, Greenway says the terrorist threat level against the U.S. is high because of “our posture abroad, our approach to our adversaries, … [and] our neglected military capacity and capability and focus.” But America’s greatest vulnerability to another terrorist attack, he says, is “the fact that we've invited terrorist organizations to exploit our open borders, and now they are really hiding within our own population and enjoying the benefits and concealing themselves in their activities inside of our own borders.” Greenway deployed in support of Operation Relentless Pursuit and Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001 in the war on terrorism. He also served as a senior intelligence officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency, and then on the National Security Council. Listen to our interview with Greenway marking the anniversary of 9/11 on today’s edition of “The Daily Signal Podcast." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris face off on the debate stage for the first time. Heritage report exposes Kamala Harris’s pro-crime record. Springfield, Ohio, residents feel unsafe with Haitian migrant influx. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the US will impose sanctions over giving Russia ballistic missiles. A report shows regular church attendance will lengthen your life more than diet and exercise. Relevant Links: https://www.heritage.org/crime-and-justice/report/kamala-harriss-pro-crime-policies Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Description: Representatives Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Chip Roy, R-Texas, said they will only vote for the continuing resolution to fund the federal government if it includes the SAVE Act, which compels proof of citizenship for voters. Norman and Roy spoke to "The Daily Signal Podcast" at the State Freedom Caucus Summit in Dallas, Texas on Saturday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Description: TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Congress is back and top on their to do list is funding the government. The Harris campaign now has policy positions on its website. The House Foreign Affairs Committee released a report detailing the failures of the Biden-Harris administration that led to that batched Afghanistan withdrawal. Apple introduces the iPhone 16. Relevant Links: https://kamalaharris.com/issues/ https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/WILLFULL-BLINDNESS-An-Assessment-of-the-Biden-Harris%20Administrations-Withdrawal-from-Afghanistan-and-the-Chaos-that-Followed.pdf Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A mother in California lost her daughter to the foster care system in 2016 after she wouldn't support the then-14-year-old girl identifying as a boy. Years later, the daughter regrets attempting to transition. This mother sat down with The Daily Signal's Elizabeth Mitchell to warn other parents against allowing minors to make irreversible changes to their bodies. Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Description: TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Employers added 142,000 jobs in August, but economists had anticipated more. The 14-year-old Georgia school shooter and his father have been charged in the shooting that left four people dead. Kamala Harris says she does not support banning plastic straws. If Trump wins the election in November, he says he will consider appointing Elon Musk to lead a “government efficiency commission.” ABC has denied The Daily Signal Press credentials at the presidential debate. Plus, a Friday movie review of “The Searchers.” Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. military is only as strong as its ability to procure needed weapons systems and other defense materials, and right now, America’s defense industrial base is sorely lacking, experts say. “Unfortunately, like the armed services themselves, they have been neglected,” Robert Greenway, director of the Center for National Defense at The Heritage Foundation, says of the U.S. defense industrial base. Instead of producing all of our defense materials at home, the U.S. has outsourced some military production, but “there are some things we don't want in the hands of our adversaries, and there's some things, many things, we don't want under their control or influence,” Greenway says. Foreign production of defense materials is not only a risk from a national security perspective, it also takes economic opportunities away from the U.S., says Richard Stern, director of the Center for the Federal Budget at The Heritage Foundation. “When we're talking about what's good for the defense industrial base, we're also talking about what builds high-quality, high-paying jobs in the US, what allows the U.S. to be the most productive and advanced country on the planet,” Stern says. Greenway and Stern recently traveled to Texas, one of the few states that have managed to build up strong military production capabilities. The Lone Star State, according to the research experts, can and should serve as a model for expanding defense production across America. Greenway and Stern join “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain why the defense industrial base is so critical to U.S. military strength, and how increased production will serve all Americans through economic stimulation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Former President Donand Trump was in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania last night for a town hall event with Fox News’ Sean Hannity. Hunter Biden is back in court on federal charges of failing to pay taxes. Harvard University ranked worst college for free speech. A gunman was killed after opening fire near the ​​Israeli Consulate in Munich. France has a new Prime Minister, and he’s conservative. Relevant Links: https://www.thefire.org/research-learn/2025-college-free-speech-rankings Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Rasmussen shares his insights on the latest polling data and discusses the political landscape as the presidential race enters the critical month of September. With only small margins separating Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in swing states, the presidential race remains highly competitive with no clear leader emerging yet. Several of those swing states—Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, and Georgia—are up for grabs, while the prize of Pennsylvania appears likely to determine the outcome of the election. Rasmussen also examines Harris' rise as the Democrat nominee after Joe Biden's withdrawal, analyzing her policy positions and the public's reaction to her candidacy. Harris’ policy proposals, such as unrealized capital gains tax and price controls, are generally unpopular. Rasmussen notes that voters still have strong opinions about Trump, and despite his policy advantages, some remain hesitant to vote for him. The conversation also touches on broader political themes, such as how voters perceive "progressive Democrats" vs. "MAGA Republicans." While neither term is particularly popular, progressive Democrats fare better unless specific issues like border security or parental involvement in education are emphasized. Rasmussen emphasizes the importance of candidates focusing on issues rather than personalities, using Trump's 2016 campaign as an example where issue-based discourse proved effective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: The Tennessee Star releases the Nashville shooter’s journal. Four people were killed and nine were taken to the hospital after a school shooting in Georgia this morning. Brazil bans social media platform X in the South American country on Saturday. Beer brand Molson Coors is rolling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House of Representatives returns next week to Washington, and a budget fight showdown is expected. The fiscal year ends Sept. 30, and Congress is tasked with having the fiscal 2025 budget ready to go by then, but it’s all but guaranteed it won't be. “What usually happens at this time is, we'll get to the September 30th deadline, and we've seen this happen for years, regardless of who's running the show, but we'll kick the can down the road maybe a few weeks,” Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, explains. The “can,” in this case, is the fiscal 2025 budget blueprint, and the “kick” is a continuing resolution that funds the government, usually for several weeks or months at a time. It has become the habit of Congress a day or two before Christmas to “have this massive Christmas tree of an omnibus bill that gets passed that few people have read [because it’s] thousands of pages long, [includes] gobs amount of money, and doesn't really do the American people the service that they deserve from their Congress,” Cloud says. The Texas congressman says he's doing everything he can to return the nation to fiscally responsible spending, noting that members of his own party are also partly responsible for the out-of-control spending in Washington. “With the Left in charge, they raced toward this fiscal cliff, and Republicans, when we've been in charge, we jog toward that same cliff and call that progress,” Cloud laments. “I'm not willing to settle for something that doesn't put us on the right path going forward.” Cloud joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss how Congress can take significant steps toward balancing the U.S. federal budget, and how the election could affect the financial fight in Congress this fall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: A former aide to Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul is indicted for acting as an agent for the Chinese government Republican nominee Donald Trump says reports about his staffers’ altercation at Arlington National Cemetery are a “made up story.” Illegal immigrants make up around 75% of arrests in Midtown Manhattan, the New York Post reports. Former Democratic New York governor Andrew Cuomo will testify next week about his COVID-19 nursing home policies. Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Demographer, historian, and author Neil Howe hasn't just coined the term “Millennial,” he's also predicted the future to an eerie degree—and he thinks America's in for very rough seas ahead. He says a civil war in the U.S. is far more plausible than most people think, and he dismisses the reasons Americans often discount that possibility. Howe sits down with The Daily Signal's managing editor, Tyler O'Neil, to talk about his generational theory, his books, and why he thinks a civil war in the U.S. is indeed possible, if not likely. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Democratic nominee for president Kamala Harris sat down for an interview with CNN and said her values have not changed. Former President Donald Trump announces a major policy promise supporting IVF. The Biden administration is unpausing an immigration program that was paused due to widespread fraud concerns. Movie review of “Leo.” Relevant Links https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/30/cnns-softball-interview-of-kamala-harris/ Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

China's production of batteries for electric vehicles is “definitely not clean,” says energy expert Diana Furchtgott-Roth. Without its own vast natural energy resources, China is the world’s largest energy importer, but has seized on the economic opportunities of the “green energy” movement. Yet the production of products such as EVs is causing harm to the environment, says Furchtgott-Roth, director of The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment. China produces about 80% of the world’s EV batteries and “mining for the critical minerals in the batteries … causes vast amounts of environmental damage,” she explains. Production of one EV battery involves moving “hundreds of thousands of pounds of earth to get the critical minerals for one battery,” Furchtgott-Roth notes, adding that “China is buying mines in Africa so that it can get the critical minerals, [as well as] mines in Latin America.” Furchtgott-Roth is the co-author of “How the Forced Energy Transition and Reliance on China Will Harm America,” a new Heritage Foundation report exposing the ways in which the “green energy” movement is harming America while benefiting China. She joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to explain it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Democratic nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris will sit down for an interview with CNN. Did Harris ever work at McDonalds? But 150 students in Massachusetts have been told there is no space for them on the county’s buses as the illegal alien population increases. Israel’s Military operation in the West Bank continues. Two Hong Kong journalists have been found guilty of sedition. Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A 2021 Biden administration executive order constitutes unlawful and potentially partisan interference in the election process, according to a new report from Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation. President Joe Biden’s 2021 Executive Order 14019 directs executive branch departments and federal employees to use federal resources to get out the vote, Von Spakovsky says. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Special Counsel Jack Smith Smith files a new indictment against former President Donald Trump. Israeli troops launch a large-scale military operation Wednesday in the West Bank. Hillary Clinton calls former President Donald Trump disrespectful after he went to Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at soldiers’ graves. Two congressmen are demanding answers about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the US Coast Guard. Tim Walz has connections to a nonprofit tied to the Chinese Communist Party. Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cleanup after wildfires is inherently more difficult than recovery from other natural disasters, according to Brian Cavanaugh, a visiting fellow for Cybersecurity, Intelligence, and Homeland Security at The Heritage Foundation. Unlike a hurricane, which mainly creates wind and water damage, Cavanaugh says, fires damage the structural integrity of buildings and often leave dangerous chemicals behind. “Wildfire rolls through a community, and you essentially lose everything all the way down to the foundation,” says Cavanaugh, who has former senior-level experience serving in the Department of Homeland Security, at the White House, and at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “Now, you think once you've lost everything down to the foundation, start the rebuild process, but, everything as it burns leaves chemicals and other items on the ground. You've got to pick up the personal effects that are salvageable. [There are] a lot of environmental regulations involved with wildfire, so that all takes time.” Aug. 8 marked one year since a wildfire raged through Lahaina, Hawaii, on Maui. The fire took 102 lives and “destroyed more than 2,200 structures and caused about $5.5 billion in damages,” according to the U.S. Fire Administration. Cavanaugh, a senior vice president at American Global Strategies, joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain what led to the Lahaina fire and what the status of the rebuilding process is a year after the disaster. Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Mark Zuckerbeg admits Facebook censored content related to COVID-19. The Heritage Foundation held an event yesterday covering the Secret Service’s performance before, during, and after the July 13 Trump assassination attempt. Israel rescues a 52-year-old hostage from an underground tunnel in southern Gaza. Ukraine deploys US-made F-16 fighter jets against Russia. American business faces red tape in reducing America's dependence on Chinese manufacturing. Relevant Links https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/27/biden-admin-pushed-facebook-censorship-says-zuckerberg/ https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/26/dan-bongino-predicts-another-security-incident-says-secret-service-worse-today-trump-assassination-attempt/ https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/27/china-set-to-cut-off-us-military-from-key-mineral-as-americas-own-reserves-remain-buried-under-red-tape/ Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been six weeks since the attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the American public’s questions about the nature of the attack and the security failings that led to Trump’s brush with death largely go unanswered. Jason Chaffetz, a Fox News contributor and former Utah Congressman who once chaired the House Oversight Committee, joined The Daily Signal Podcast to discuss the apparent security failures and ongoing investigations into what transpired in Butler on July 13. “I thought the extraction was very slow. I thought it was fairly pathetic,” Chaffetz told The Daily Signal. “It’s been illuminated more now that even though he was the Republican nominee, even though he was the former president, he wasn’t getting the full protective detail that a sitting president would get. And I have a problem with that.” Chaffetz believes the failures are structural. Poor recruitment and training, as well as heavy workloads create a perfect storm for the kinds of security lapses witnessed on July 13 in Butler, Chaffetz suggested. These problems have long plagued the Secret Service. When Chaffetz chaired the House Oversight Committee, he conducted the largest investigation into the Secret Service’s operations in American history. The investigation resulted in a more than 400 page report titled, “United States Secret Service: An Agency in Crisis.” The former Utah Congressman remains “skeptical” that the current investigations in Congress will yield the policy changes necessary to improve the Secret Service without Congress using the power of the purse to “hold them accountable.” Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Monday marks three years since the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan. Rocket and drone attack between Hezbollah and Israel comes to an end. The Trump and Harris campaigns are in disagreement over whether candidates’ microphones will be muted when it is not their turn to speak during the Sept. 10 debate. California moves ahead with plans to approve loans for illegal aliens who want to buy a home. Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. is racing toward a national debt of $36 trillion and will likely surpass this benchmark before the end of the year, according to public finance economist EJ Antoni. In homes across the country, Americans are indirectly feeling the weight of the national debt through inflation, and Antoni, who serves as a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, uses the analogy of wine to explain how. The Federal Reserve finances a great deal of the national debt, Antoni explains, but "unlike the Treasury, which has to finance everything either through taxes or borrowing money, the Federal Reserve actually can just create money.” When the Federal Reserve creates money, “it's like you're pouring water into wine and you're literally watering it down," Antoni says. "So yes, you now have more wine per se, but you don't have the same concentration of alcohol. So if you were to, as a bartender, pour this out to a bunch of glasses, ... you are now cheating each of your customers on exactly the amount of water you have put into all of their glasses. That's essentially what the Federal Reserve has done by creating literally trillions of dollars in just a few years in order to finance the runaway deficit spending we've seen here in Washington.” The political environment in which the Federal Reserves operates makes it “very easy to see that these massive government deficits are really what's at the heart of inflation, even if they don't cause it in a strictly academic sense,” according to Antoni. Antoni joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to address growing concerns over a recession and what the immediate future may hold for the U.S. economy. Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Republican nominee Donald Trump. The Secret Service placed at least 5 members on administrative leave. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer demanded information from TSA about Tulsi Gabbard allegedly being placed on a suspected terrorist watch list. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris addressed the Democratic National Convention last night. Relevant Links https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/23/rfk-suspends-campaign-endorses-trump/ https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/21/rand-paul-tsa-open-skies-surveillance-program/ Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FBI agent turned whistleblower Steve Friend discussed his experience in the FBI, why he left, and the weaponization of the FBI against those deemed to be "losers," like pro-lifers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz delivers a high energy speech at the DNC. Pro-Palestine protests have continued on the streets of Chicago. Former President Donald Trump visits the southern border in Arizona Demand for Electric cars is slowing down. A longtine religious debate is back in the news. Relevant Links: https://www.heritage.org/china/report/how-the-forced-energy-transition-and-reliance-china-will-harm-america https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/5/2/47 Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been 2 1/2 years since Russia invaded Ukraine. The war has taken an unexpected turn in the past two weeks as Ukrainian troops launched a successful incursion into Russia and have now taken control of over 400 square miles in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine in southwestern Russia. After months of gridlock in the fighting, the successful incursion could be a critical turning point in the war. “There's certainly always a chance,” Victoria Coates said when asked if Ukraine can win the war. Coates, vice president of the Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation says the question now is, “Has the administration and our major NATO partners been supplying Ukraine in a way to set them up for victory?” “That's what's not clear to me,” Coates said, answering her own question. Coates told “The Daily Signal Podcast” she has further concerns over the current silence from the Biden-Harris administration. “I searched,” Coates said, “for any statement from the president, from the vice president, who's now the nominee of the Democrat Party for president, from the secretary of state, from the secretary of defense. Not a peep about the fact that the Ukrainians have done something rather extraordinary and gone into Russian territory.” Coates joins the show to explain why the Biden administration might be silent on Ukraine’s incursion into Russia and the likelihood of a Ukrainian victory. Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Barack and Michelle Obama bash Donald Trump at the DNC. The Trump campaign rolls out a new website to troll Harris. A group of veterans criticizes Gov. Tim Walz over comments he has made regarding his military service. US job growth for much of the past year is much less than was initially reported. Ukraine launches a large drone attack on Russia. Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a new president is elected, especially when that president is from a different party from the previous administration, personnel changes ensue. But just as important as who a new president should hire for his or her administration is the consideration of who to fire, or at least remove from positions significant influence, according to the president of the conservative oversight organization American Accountability Foundation. Through an initiative called Project Sovereignty 2025, Thomas Jones is working to compile a list of “deep state” civil servants currently working on immigration policy who would likely not support a conservative administration’s border policies. “A lot of the people who come into the civil service in this space, their career and their ideology is … they think mass migration into the United States is a good, it’s important that we let these people in, and it’s their life goal to really make that policy happen,” Jones said. He argues that anyone who thinks government employees who have spent the past four years “allowing migrants into the United States” will suddenly support a conservative administration’s plan to deport mass numbers of illegal aliens does not understand “how government works.” Jones joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the agenda and the implementation of Project Sovereignty 2025. Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: • The status of the Fox News debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump • Highlights from the first night of the DNC • An important win against wokeness in companies Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health care can be more affordable when doctors don't take health insurance, two doctors say. Dr. Josh Umbehr and Dr. Jules Madrigal joined "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss health care reform opportunities that give patients control over their experience. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: The Democratic National Convention begins in Chicago. President Joe Biden will speak on the main stage Monday night from the DNC. House Republicans release their initial impeachment report on President Joe Biden. Customs and Border Protection release the July border encounter numbers. Encounters are down between ports of entry, but remain high at ports of entry. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expresses the urgent need for Israel and Hamas to reach a cease-fire agreement. Relevant Links https://oversight.house.gov/release/oversight-judiciary-and-ways-and-means-committees-release-report-on-impeachment-inquiry-finding-joe-biden-has-committed-impeachable-conduct/ Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Democratic National Convention opens in Chicago on Monday, giving Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz an opportunity to present their vision for America. But don’t be fooled by the Democrats’ glitzy gala, says John Tillman, CEO of the American Culture Project and chairman of the Illinois Policy Institute. “We’re going to see one of the greatest propaganda extravaganzas in the history of politics. It will make Hollywood look like amateurs in comparison,” Tillman tells The Daily Signal. Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Democratic Party Nominee Kamala Harris delivers a speech laying out her economic policy agenda. Louisiana Republican Rep. Clay Higgins releases a preliminary investigative Report on the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. ESPN fires a newscaster after spoke out in defense of women’s sports. Following the protests on the campus of Columbia University this spring, the college formed a committee to determine protest rules. But the Washington Free Beacon has found that two of the professors serving on that committee appear to have participated in the protests. Mediators for Hamas and Israel hold talks to try to find a peace agreement. Movie review of “The Wind Rises.” Relevant Links: https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2024/08/15/higgins-releases-preliminary-investigative-report/ https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/15/espn-fires-sam-ponder-who-against-men-womens-sports/ Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cost of housing rose again last month, making it even more difficult for Americans to afford a home of their own. Inflation is just one of many problems creating a housing crisis in America. On today’s episode of “The Daily Signal Podcast,” James Burling, a property rights lawyer with more than 40 years of experience, documents how zoning laws, environmental regulations, and progressive Democrat policies like rent control and affordable housing mandates have put the American dream out of reach for families. Burling is the author of a new book, “Nowhere to Live: The Hidden Story of America’s Housing Crisis.” Through his work at the Pacific Legal Foundation, Burling has examined the misguided government policies that contributed to the problem of too few homes for Americans. His book diagnoses where the government went wrong and suggests steps that policymakers—and individual citizens—can take to get out of this mess. Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: For the first time since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, he and Vice President Kamala Harris hold a joint event. Former President Donald Trump is working to tie Biden’s record on the economy to Harris. Gov. Tim Walz is under scrutiny over a DUI in 1995. The President of Columbia University resigns. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach says he thinks the federal government has a thumb on the scale during this election. Relevant Links: https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/14/biden-harris-admin-has-thumb-on-the-scales-in-electioneering-order-kansas-ag-says/ Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every state should adopt Oklahoma's school choice model, the state's Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters said. "We have the best school choice in the country, and it's a national model that every state should follow," Walters told The Daily Signal at Erick Erickson’s The Gathering conference in Atlanta over the weekend. "But frankly, I think that I've asked for federal legislation along this way as well." Walters said improving education affects the whole state, and passing federal school choice legislation would improve the whole country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: The Department of Energy finalizes its new gas stove rule. The Biden administration seeks to ameliorate increased Medicare premiums. Hunter Biden reportedly asked the US Embassy in Rome to help him with a business deal Squad member Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota wins her primary. The prime minister of Japan steps down in September. Two more states added abortion amendments to their November ballots. Relevant Links https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/12/7-takeaways-from-trumps-conversation-with-elon-musk/ Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Regardless of what federal courts say, Texas needs to remove illegal immigrants allowed into the country by the Biden-Harris administration, Rep. Chip Roy says. “We had six kids who died from fentanyl poisoning in the school district in which my family resides, southwest of Austin, Texas,” the Texas Republican told The Daily Signal at Erick Erickson's The Gathering conference in Atlanta over the weekend. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Donald Trump sits down with Tesla CEO and owner of X Elon Musk for an interview. Microsoft informed the Trump campaign that Iran hacked it. A Chicago judge denies anti-Israel protesters’ request for more space outside the Democratic National Convention next week. The federal prosecutor says a Romanian real estate tycoon hired Hunter Biden to “influence U.S. government agencies.” Republicans and Democrats disagree on Walz’s management of the 2020 riots in Minneapolis. Relevant Links https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/12/7-takeaways-from-trumps-conversation-with-elon-musk/ Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice President Kamala Harris' choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate shows how radical she is, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., tells The Daily Signal. Scott spoke at Erick Erickson's The Gathering conference in Atlanta on Saturday. He joined The Daily Signal Podcast to discuss Walz's military record, expectations for the 2024 election in the state of Florida, and what to expect from a Harris-Walz Democratic ticket. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk is standing up for free speech in the U.K. following last month’s elections that resulted in huge wins for the far-left Labor Party. Since its rise to power in July, Labor Party leaders have begun cracking down on social media, even arresting individuals for posts they claim incite violence. Now, Musk is using his X account to defend users and raise concerns over the crackdown in the U.K. “It’s 2030 in the U.K., & you’re being executed for posting a meme,” Must wrote on X Saturday. “The Brits gave up their guns, and now their government puts them in jail for Facebook posts,” a meme that Musk shared reads. Musk is combating a “tyrannical-style policing of social media in the U.K.,” says Nile Gardiner, a former adviser to Lady Margaret Thatcher and the current director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation. “Thank God for Elon Musk taking on the Labor Government,” Gardiner declared during an interview on The Daily Signal Podcast. Recent violent riots in the U.K. were spurred on after rumors spread online about the identity of a man who killed three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed event in July in the English town of Southport, 50 miles west of Manchester. The suspect was rumored to be an illegal immigrant and Islamic. Both claims were proved false. The man now charged with the murder of the girls was born in Britain to Rwandan immigrant parents. Two men have been arrested and sentenced to a combined nearly five years in prison for reportedly using social media to encourage rioters to target hotels housing migrants in the U.K. During a recent interview with Sky News, London's Metropolitan Police commissioner warned that law enforcement will “throw the full force of the law at people. And whether you’re in this country committing crimes on the streets or committing crimes from further afield online, we will come after you.” Gardiner condemned the violent demonstrations while calling the crackdown on social media “very dangerous.” “We need free speech champions fighting against Orwellian tactics and policies,” Gardiner said, adding that “Elon Musk is doing this, and full credit to him.” Gardiner joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain what we know about the violent riots in the U.K. and the Labor Party's social media speech policies. Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: The U.S. sends resources to the Middle East while officials in Israel anticipate a retaliatory strike from Iran. Ukrainian troops manage to advance 18 miles within Russian territory. Former President Donald Trump will sit down for an interview with Elon Musk Monday night. Biden’s signature industrial and climate initiatives have hit some major roadblocks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal Veterans Affairs resources are being used to serve illegal aliens, says Army veteran Derick Carver. “Essentially, what's happening is, the VA was caught moving processors from the VA to support [Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Services Corps] processing detainee medicals,” he says. “We're talking over 1.1 million people,” said Carver, who currently serves as a graduate fellow in the Allison Center for National Security at The Heritage Foundation. “We're talking hundreds of thousands of initial medical exams, with follow-up exams, hundreds of thousands of prescriptions being filled, dental appointments, vision appointments,” he added. “I mean, the care that the detainees are getting is better than a lot of what the veterans are getting and without … the hoops to jump through, because they just have access to this once they're detained.” After being severely injured in Afghanistan in 2010, losing his left leg, part of his right leg, and a number of fingers, Carver became acutely aware of the issues with VA hospitals. “I've stopped receiving care at VA [hospitals] because of just how negligent they are at times, especially with someone with my injuries and the levels of injuries that I have. It's just not feasible to receive proper care at a VA, or even at a private hospital for that matter,” Carver said. Instead, the veteran said he visits either Walter Reed Army National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, or Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in Texas—neither is a VA hospital—to receive care. Carver joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share his personal story, discuss needed reforms for VA hospitals, and explain what steps should be taken to ensure U.S. veterans are receiving the physical, mental, and emotional care they need and deserve. Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly won’t agree to a Fox News Debate with former President Donald Trump on Sept. 4th. Podcaster Joe Rogan informally endorses Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The Israeli youth Ultimate Frisbee team is banned from competing in a major championship in Belgium. Summer movie review of the original 1996 film “Twister.” Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices