The Daily Signal

Rep. Jim Banks, chair of the Republican Study Committee, shares with The Daily Signal how Twitter censored him for calling Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine, who now identifies as a woman, a man. The Indiana Republican breaks down why Twitter censored him and what conversations he has had with the social media giant since its censorship. He also explains why it is so important for Americans to pay attention to tech censorship—particularly of a sitting U.S. congressman—and what may be next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Election Day in Virginia, and no issue has captured the attention of voters in the Old Dominion more than education. Battles between school boards and frustrated parents have attracted national attention, and led to a close race for governor. Ian Prior, a Loudoun County, Virginia, father and executive director of parents-based grassroots organization Fight for Schools, feels the enthusiasm that parents engaged in their children's education are bringing to the election. "Parents have this burning fire inside of them to protect their children, and it's almost a bit of a hero's journey, like Joseph Campbell, where they have really risen to the occasion and have found skills and strength within them that they may not have known that they've had, and that is really what this movement is about," he says. "It's about parents that have found that inner strength and are willing to put it all on the line." Prior joins the show to discuss how education took center stage in the race, and implications for parents’ rights in their child’s education. We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden warns that unless immediate and definitive collective action is taken by the world, the “existential threat” of climate change could destroy people’s lives and livelihoods. Demonstrators for and against abortion stand outside the Supreme Court as the justices hear arguments on Texas' heartbeat abortion law. Philadelphia becomes the first city to end traffic stops for minor infractions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the former governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker learned firsthand how to confront cancel culture. In 2012, he became the first governor in American history to survive a recall election. His economic recovery plan and budget reforms ultimately proved more popular with voters. Now, as president of the Young America's Foundation, he's educating the next generation of conservatives how to fight back against the left—and win. Walker is also on quest to expand YAF's reach by engaging a larger number of young Americans on the issues that matter most. He's optimistic about the future and believes more young people will reject big-government socialism once they understand the consequences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How would you feel if your business forced you to do something based solely on your race? For some minority lawyers, that's a reality. Racial preferences from clients take minority lawyers away from cases they’d prefer to work on, all to fulfill a quota. GianCarlo Canaparo, a legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation (of which The Daily Signal is the news outlet), says that this can lead to mismatches in what a lawyer wants to do, and what he or she is forced to do. In some cases, that can lead to minority lawyers leaving their firms, exacerbating the problem. "[Law firms] may pull a minority associate off cases that he or she wants to work on and put them on these matters, sometimes against their will, just so that they can fulfill these quotas," Canaparo explains. Canaparo joins the show to talk about racial preferences and how they affect the careers of minority lawyers. We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden unveils a new, pared-down version of Democrats' social welfare spending bill. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., expresses reservations about cuts to the spending bill. The NAACP asks professional athletes to boycott Texas over the state's laws on abortion, voting rights, and COVID-19 mask mandates. We also have a discussion about Halloween and some of the festivities that The Daily Signal team will take part in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chinese Communist Party’s system of mass surveillance is like something out of a dystopian sci-fi novel, destroying any semblance of privacy in the country for both individuals and businesses. In a recent international incident, popular job networking site LinkedIn shut down operations in China after the strain of working with the authoritarian government became too much. According to Riley Walters, LinkedIn was being forced to share data with the Chinese Communist Party. Amid privacy concerns, the company left the country. Walters, deputy director of the Hudson Institute Japan Chair, warns that the surveillance state can have real consequences for both Chinese citizens and the international community. "If you happen to be one of the few people left in the United States who has a Huawei phone, or if you live in Europe and you have some Chinese telecommunications device, is that information being transported back to China? If it's out in China, you're out of luck. It's there," he says. Walters joins the show to discuss the implications of China’s surveillance state on Chinese domestic life, as well as the world at large. We also cover these stories: Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the ongoing fallout surrounding his Justice Department memo asking the FBI to address alleged violence and harassment aimed at local school officials. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., says he does not like the idea of a billionaire tax. Consumers’ Research launches a new ad campaign targeting investment management company BlackRock’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a crisis in San Francisco. Homelessness has skyrocketed and drug use is rampant. Michael Shellenberger moved to San Francisco in 1993 to work on liberal causes, and even spent time working for George Soros' foundation. He advocated the decriminalization of drugs and promoted drug treatment programs. But, Shellenberger says, he began to worry when he saw the number of drug overdose deaths in America rise from 17,000 in 2000 to more than 70,000 by 2017. “Clearly, we are in the midst of a massive drug crisis,” Shellenberger says, “and it felt like nobody was offering a particularly clear explanation of it or offering very good solutions.” Out of frustration over the problems he was seeing in San Francisco and other liberal cities, Shellenberger became determined to diagnose the problems driving the homeless crisis and find solutions. He presents the result of his research and investigation in his new book, “San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities.” Shellenberger joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss how the left’s "victim" ideology has harmed West Coast cities and what can be done to save those communities from complete ruin. We also cover these stories: The Ohio School Boards Association ends its formal relationship with the National School Boards Association over the national group's letter associating irate activist parents with “domestic terrorism.” Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee ask Attorney General Merrick Garland to withdraw his memo directing the FBI and Justice Department to investigate incidents involving aggrieved parents and local school boards. Biological males no longer are allowed to compete on women’s scholastic sports teams in Texas. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since The New York Times released its 1619 Project in 2019, schools have been quick to adopt the curriculum. Tensions over race and racism over the past year and half have only added to the number of schools using the curriculum, says Charles Love, host of the "Cut the Bull" podcast and executive director of the nonprofit Seeking Educational Excellence. While Americans are “arguing ... about [critical race theory], what's the definition, what does it really mean, [the] 1619 [Project] is a behemoth, and it's growing,” Love warns. Many schools are choosing to adopt aspects of the 1619 Project curriculum because “it's easy,” Love says, adding that teachers need to be presented with better education options, such as the 1776 Unites curriculum. Love joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain the ways in which the woke education agenda is a threat to the American experiment and to discuss his forthcoming book, “Race Crazy: BLM, 1619, and the Progressive Racism Movement.” We also cover these stories: Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., says that Twitter suspended his account over a tweet that “misgendered” Rachel Levine, a transgender woman who is an assistant secretary for public health at the Department of Health and Human Services. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says his state will offer a $5,000 bonus to any out-of-state police officer who chooses to relocate to Florida. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp mocks Major League Baseball and Stacy Abrams, whom he defeated in 2018, for “stealing” the 2021 All-Star Game from the state now that the Atlanta Braves are going to the World Series. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean Spicer wants you to take President Joe Biden at his word—his policy agenda really will radically transform America as we know it. Spicer's new book, "Radical Nation: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's Dangerous Plan for America," details the Biden administration's agenda and how it is already proving disastrous. He also provides readers with a roadmap for doing something about it. "[F]or the next three years, we're going to be dealing with Joe Biden," Spicer tells The Daily Signal. "You better know who these policies and people are that he's pursuing. Because as I said, if we don't look right now and engage, we are going to end up with a radical nation." Not long ago, Spicer was sparring with the media as White House press secretary under President Donald Trump. Today, he's host of "Spicer & Co." on Newsmax and a bestselling author. He shares what life it like behind the camera and how he approaches the news each day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans across the nation are feeling the effects of an unprecedented supply chain crisis. Prices for everyday essentials like milk and gas have skyrocketed and public officials are warning people to start buying their Christmas gifts now. But what is causing all of these supply chain issues? And how do we get out of this crisis? Heritage Foundation research fellow Joel Griffith talks about the different factors affecting the supply chain, from organized labor to COVID-19 shutdowns to government policies. Griffith joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss all this and offer some commonsense solutions to get America back on track. We also cover these stories: Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before the House Judiciary Committee on a memo he sent out regarding school board meetings and domestic terrorism. Former President Donald Trump announces he's planning on launching a new social media platform called TRUTH. Following comments by Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter critical of the Chinese Communist Party and supporting Tibetan independence, videos featuring the team are wiped from Chinese social media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With aging equipment, a lack of adequate funding, and limited production capabilities, the U.S. military is ranked "marginal" at best. That’s the conclusion of the 2022 Index of U.S. Military Strength, an annual report from The Heritage Foundation that assesses the status of the military and the global threat level to the United States, which was released Wednesday. "It's right there on the edge. It could handle one major war for, we believe, a limited period of time, but it couldn't do anything other than that," said Dakota Wood, the lead editor of the index and a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation's Center for National Defense. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.) Wood joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the findings of the latest index. We also cover these stories: The White House is preparing a plan to vaccinate children against COVID-19 pending the approval of the Food and Drug Administration. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that the city will extend its COVID-19 vaccine mandate to all public employees, as well as remove the option to opt out of vaccination through regular testing. Democrats announce plans to alter a proposal that would give the IRS the authority to obtain information on Americans’ bank transactions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats' $3.5 trillion dollar spending package gives the IRS permission, and funding, to snoop on nearly every American's bank account, Jessica Anderson, executive director of Heritage Action for America, says. The "Biden administration is asking Congress to go ... weaponize the IRS to spy on Americans," Anderson says. The future of the bill is unclear after Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., said he could not support a spending bill over $1.5 trillion. Anderson joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss how likely it is for the bill to move forward in Congress, and what we know about the provisions in the package. We also cover these stories: Christian schools are experiencing a boom in enrollment. Director of the Berkeley Atmospheric Sciences Center David Romps resigns, saying the organization has become political. City council members in New York City vote unanimously to remove a statue of Thomas Jefferson. Enjoy the Show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelvin Cochran served as a firefighter for over three decades. He was named “Fire Chief of the Year” in 2012, and former President Barack Obama appointed him the U.S. Fire Administrator, the highest fire service post in the nation. But Cochran faced a different kind of fire in 2015 when he was terminated as Atlanta’s fire chief for writing a book in which he expressed his personal views that marriage is between one man and one woman. Cochran reached a settlement with the city of Atlanta in 2018, but says the experience of losing his job because of his faith was “challenging, to say the least.” As Americans, “we have the freedom to live out our faith, religious liberty, and we have freedom to speak our faith in whatever form of speech that we feel convicted to do without consequences,” Cochran says. “You shouldn't have to lose anything for living out your faith or speaking in your faith in our country.” Cochran joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss his new book, “Facing the Fire: The Faith That Brought ‘America’s Fire Chief’ Through the Flames of Persecution.” We also cover these stories: Former Secretary of State and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell dies due to complications from COVID-19. The Supreme Court issues two opinions that are being hailed as big wins for police officers. Ongoing tensions continue between Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and city police officers over vaccine mandates. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Stephen Skoly is a well-known oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Rhode Island. He has been called to testify before lawmakers and serves as chairman of the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity. But recently, Skoly made news for another reason: He opposes his state's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Because of his principled stand, he no longer is allowed to see patients or practice medicine. Skoly joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" along with Mike Stenhouse, president of the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity, to explain why they're fighting heavy-handed government mandates. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Heritage Foundation announced Thursday that Kevin Roberts will serve as the organization’s next president. Roberts says he is eager to advance the conservative movement and address some of the most pressing issues facing our nation today. "The top three [critical issues that we are facing right now] are education, education and education,” Roberts says, adding that conservatives will miss an “opportunity of a lifetime” if we cannot come together and address what is “broken about the education system.” The immigration crisis at America’s southern border and the “administrative state, the power of the executive branch to do the legislating rather than the legislative branch [doing it]” are also critical issues Roberts says he looks forward to working to fix. Roberts is coming to the Washington, D.C. based think tank after serving as president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation in Austin, Texas. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.) He joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss his vision for the future of The Heritage Foundation and the conservative movement. We also cover these stories: YouTube temporarily suspends Steven Crowder, host of the "Louder With Crowder" podcast, for “hate speech.” The Supreme Court changes the way it handles asking questions during oral arguments. Benjamin Franklin Day Elementary in Seattle, Washington, cancels its Halloween Pumpkin Parade because school officials say it “marginalizes students of color who do not celebrate the holiday.” Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cancel culture is endemic on college campuses. Every day come stories of professors, speakers, and students who run afoul of the radical left and suffer the consequences. With the frequency of these incidents, it can be difficult to keep track. The College Fix, the news site dedicated to providing a conservative perspective on news from campuses across the nation, now offers what it calls the Campus Cancel Culture Database to document many examples. "If you want to know the truth, if you want to know how America really used to be ... come to the database and we'll list everything that used to be there," says Jennifer Kabbany, editor-in-chief of The College Fix. Kabbany joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about the database as well as offer solutions for those getting canceled at their universities. We also cover these stories: The number of Americans quitting their jobs has reached record levels, the Labor Department says. To address bottlenecks in the global supply chain, the Biden administration announces that Walmart, FedEx, and UPS will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The drugstore chain Walgreens announces the closing of five more stores in San Francisco because of organized shoplifting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blacks who don’t adopt the doctrines of victimhood or critical social justice erode the narrative promoted by woke activists, Erec Smith, a professor of rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania and co-founder of Free Black Thought, says. “The illogic that is inherent in a lot of anti-racist activism ... is absurd," Smith says. Smith doesn't like how The New York Times' 1619 Project, authored by Nikole Hannah-Jones, only has furthered division within the nation. As a professor of rhetoric, Smith, who is black and the author of “A Critique of Anti-Racism in Rhetoric and Composition: the Semblance of Empowerment,” says he is concerned that anti-racist dogma contains “no sincere attempt to persuade” but is instead “an attempt to intimidate." Smith joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” from the Parents Unite conference in Boston on Oct. 1 to discuss why blacks who oppose critical race theory are being “erased.” Smith also explains what he would talk about discuss Ibram X Kendi, author of “How to Be an Antiracist,” if he were given the opportunity. We also cover these stories: Democrats move to slash their $3.5 trillion social spending bill to $2 trillion. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announces that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, no longer will conduct worksite raids. Eleven state-level school board groups put distance between themselves and a National School Boards Association letter to President Joe Biden asking for federal authorities to investigate parents. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to be an American citizen today? Victor Davis Hanson, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and a professor emeritus at California State University, joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to talk about citizenship and other topics covered in his new book, “The Dying Citizen: How Progressive Elites, Tribalism, and Globalization Are Destroying the Idea of America.” A bestselling author and one of The Daily Signal’s most popular columnists, Hanson’s latest book serves as a wake-up call for citizens to take their responsibility seriously. “I think we have to just take a deep breath and say, ‘We have to reassert citizenship,'” Hanson says. “We’re starting to see it with local school boards, where somebody, somehow, thought that either school bureaucrats or locally elected people are not responsible for the will of the voters who either elected them or they were hired by elected officials through that vote. And yet parents are starting to object and hold them accountable.” Hanson also reflects on historical comparisons to the tumultuous year 2020. And he explains why, despite the challenges we face today, he remains optimistic about America’s future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a decision representing the triumph of anti-Columbus sentiment, President Joe Biden announced Friday he plans on officially commemorating Indigenous Peoples Day, rather than Columbus Day, on Monday. The controversy surround Christopher Columbus has spanned decades. To some, Columbus serves as a symbol of bloodthirsty colonial expansion, a petty tyrant hellbent on pillaging native lands. To others, Columbus is a misunderstood and unjustified target of anti-American scorn who should be praised for his tolerance and kindness towards indigenous people. Jarrett Stepman, a Daily Signal contributor and author of the book "The War on History: The Conspiracy to Rewrite America's Past," falls squarely in the latter camp. Stepman joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss the long-running controversy surrounding the much maligned Columbus and to share the true story of the man who discovered America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rhode Island mom Nicole Solas says she is just one of many parents “with legitimate concerns about our kids’ education.” Solas drew national attention earlier this year when her local school board in South Kingstown, R.I., threatened to sue her over public record requests she made to learn what her local school district was teaching students. The school board ultimately opted against taking legal action against her. But Solas made headlines again in August, when a teachers union, the National Education Association Rhode Island, filed a lawsuit against her over the records requests. Solas made the requests to determine whether her child would be taught about gender identity and critical race theory ideology, two controversial issues that have led to an increase in parental attendance at school board meetings across the country this year. Parents “simply want to know what their kids are learning, and they want to have a say if what their kids are learning is not appropriate,” she says. Solas is actively speaking out against Attorney General Merrick Garland's order to the FBI and federal prosecutors to meet with federal, state, and local leaders to look into a “disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence” allegedly being made against “school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff.” Garland’s directive came less than a week after the National Association of School Boards asked President Joe Biden for assistance looking into whether threats against school board members and other school leaders could be classified as "domestic terrorism.” Solas joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share her personal story of speaking out against her local school board, and to discuss Garland’s order. We also cover these stories: Congress reaches an agreement to raise the debt ceiling. Former President Donald Trump asks a federal judge to order Facebook to reinstate his account. Texas will appeal a federal judge's injunction against the state’s pro-life Heartbeat Act. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Northern Virginia continues to be a battleground between school boards and parents over what should be taught in public schools. The latest incident involves a series of books in Fairfax Public School libraries containing graphic depictions of sex between children and adults. Stacy Langton, a mom from Fairfax County, Virginia, made headlines after she read aloud and showed images from those books, “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “Lawn Boy” by Jonathan Evison, during a School Board meeting. While the books have been temporarily removed from the Fairfax County Public School libraries, Langton is still concerned that a child will be permanently affected by the obscene pictures. "You're going to accidentally have your child stumble across this and open up. And once you see this, you can't unsee these images," she says. Langton joins "The Daily Signal Podcast” to talk about that School Board meeting, and the larger issue of such books being in public school libraries in the first place. We also cover these stories: Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., won't agree to spend more than $1.5 trillion on congressional Democrats’ social welfare spending bill. A Colorado woman was told she would be unable to receive a lifesaving kidney transplant unless she received a COVID-19 vaccine. The national gas price average is currently $3.22 per gallon. The last time the average was that high was October 2014. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Small businesses around the country are attempting to bounce back from the devastating effects of the pandemic. But vaccine mandates imposed by the Biden administration, critics say, threaten to crater the progress made by small companies just as they’re starting to get back on their feet. Alfredo Ortiz is president and CEO of Job Creators Network, an organization representing small businesses that is suing the Biden administration over its vaccine mandates. "[Small businesses] were the ones that really particularly got hit hard," Ortiz says. "[W]hen we all look back now, it looks like big businesses just continue to get bigger, but our small businesses just really suffered." "Whether it was mandate regulations in terms of the masks, whether it was seating arrangements, capacity, I mean you name it. They were just getting hit hard left and right," he says. Ortiz joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about that lawsuit and the impact of government policies on small businesses. We also cover these stories: Attorney General Merrick Garland orders investigations into criminal conduct at school board meetings. Prominent Republicans, including Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, criticize the Department of Justice’s investigation. Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testifies before a Senate subcommittee on how the company is putting its profits before users. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month, yet another 30 days of identity-focused celebration, following on the heels of Black History Month in February or Gay Pride Month in June. But while the ubiquity of the terms "Hispanic” and "Latino” might make it seem that they've always been there, Heritage Foundation senior fellow Mike Gonzalez contends that those terms were invented by Marxist activists attempting to persuade so-called Hispanics that they were oppressed. "I'm very proud of [my heritage], but this amalgamation, this artificial label that is created, the officiality of it is what I'm opposed to, because I know that it is done on purpose and with malice and forethought towards the country of the United States," Gonzalez says. He joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss the Marxist history of terms like "Hispanic” and "Latino,” and to detail the radical left's plans to use identity politics to seize power. We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden announces his frustration with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., over the ongoing fight to raise the debt ceiling. McConnell tells Biden he should ask Democrats, not Republicans, to vote to raise the debt limit. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., issues a statement criticizing left-wing activists who followed her into a restroom at Arizona State University and yelled at her to support Biden’s $3.5 trillion Build Back Better spending bill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Wrightstone, a geologist and expert reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has posted content on LinkedIn for years. It would often spark discussions and debates among his followers—and the occasional trolls. That changed last month. Wrightstone, who serves as executive director of the CO2 Coalition, says he was banned from LinkedIn for posting factual information related to climate change. His appeal was denied, leaving him without a voice on a platform where he had cultivated a significant following. Having been stripped of his ability to communicate on LinkedIn, he’s now speaking out and sharing his story publicly with The Daily Signal. Wrightstone warns others about social media censorship and the consequences of limiting discussion and debate. Also on today's show, a conservative activist calls out Facebook for suppressing his posts. For more than a decade, Texas native Don Kirchoff has used Facebook to share news and information with fellow conservatives. The longtime Heritage Foundation supporter and Heritage Action Sentinel frequently posts Daily Signal stories as well as content from other conservative organizations and media outlets. But is anyone seeing them? Many of his Facebook posts that have zero likes or comments, prompting Kirchoff to take his case directly to Facebook. While that has worked in the past, he’s noticed the problem more often. Kirchoff captured screenshots and shared them with The Daily Signal as well as Facebook. (The Daily Signal is the multimedia news organization of Heritage.) Kirchoff joined the podcast to explain the situation and raise awareness for other conservatives. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America’s national debt has topped $28.4 trillion, but Democrats want to raise the debt limit and keep on spending. For months, Democrats have been pushing a $3.5 trillion tax-and-spend bill, but they may have hit a roadblock Thursday. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said he can’t support the social welfare spending package. “My top line has been $1.5 [trillion],” Manchin told reporters outside the Capitol. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., says congressional Democrats' $3.5 trillion bill would significantly harm the economy if they succeed in passing it. Although Manchin and some other centrist Democrats say they can’t support the bill, McClintock says, he “would hate to see the fate of the republic rest on those narrow shoulders.” Democrats also worked Thursday to promote a more bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. But McClintock says that bill provides funding to “Green New Deal subsidies to green energy companies” and other leftist priorities. The California Republican joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to break down the state of the economy and the likelihood that Democrats will be able to pass the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and the other $3.5 trillion spending bill. We also cover these stories: Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., says he won’t support Democrats' $3.5 trillion spending bill. The Supreme Court will take up a case about Boston’s refusal to fly a flag representing a Christian organization outside Boston City Hall. The gunmaker Smith & Wesson is moving its headquarters from Springfield, Massachusetts, to Maryville, Tennessee. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Melbourne, Australia is in its sixth COVID-19 lockdown and is now the longest locked-down city in the world. Australia has taken an unprecedented approach to fighting the pandemic within its borders, implementing extreme lockdown measures. Leaders across Australia have instantly put their states and cities into lockdown when COVID-19 cases are reported, believing that “zero cases [means] freedom,” Evan Mulholland, director of communications at the Institute of Public Affairs in Australia, says. “But … zero cases actually means zero jobs. It means zero hope. It actually means zero freedom at the end of the day because you're not getting on with life,” Mulholland says. The ongoing lockdowns have led to protests in Melbourne and other parts of the country where citizens are demanding an end to the strict pandemic measures. Mulholland, who lives in Melbourne, joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss what life is like in Australia right now, and what lessons other free nations should heed from Australia’s handling of the pandemic. We also cover these stories: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says it was the State Department’s “call” not to conduct early evacuations of American citizens and special immigrant visa holders out of Afghanistan. United Airlines is firing almost 600 employees for refusing to be vaccinated for COVID-19. YouTube announces it no longer will target only misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, but also content that promotes misinformation about other vaccines. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you be forced to use language you fundamentally disagree with? Many schools across the country are instituting policies to do just that, compelling teachers to use transgender students’ "preferred” pronouns even if it violates their beliefs. Peter Vlaming, a former high school French teacher in West Point, Virginia, who was fired from his job for refusing to refer to a biological girl using male pronouns, is suing his old school board for violating his rights. He filed his suit two years ago this week. Vlaming says he isn't doing that out of spite or some vendetta, but rather to protect everyone's free speech rights. "I'm trying to protect their freedoms as much as my freedoms—the freedom of conscience, the freedom of speech, the freedom to hold your own convictions," he says. Vlaming and his attorney, Caleb Dalton from Alliance Defending Freedom, join "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about the case and the implications of anti-free speech policies. We also cover these stories: Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., head of U.S. Central Command, testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee about the hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan. Milley also addresses phone calls he made to Chinese military officials during the last few weeks of former President Donald Trump’s administration. Vice President Kamala Harris calls for national voting standards. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen issues a warning that congressional leaders have until Oct. 18 to raise or suspend the debt ceiling, or else risk defaulting on the U.S. national debt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The early days of the pandemic were marked by lockdowns, masks, and social distancing. Each imposed restriction further eroded normal socialization, leading many Americans to sink into anxiety and depression. Jon Seidl, author of the new book "Finding Rest: A Survivor's Guide to Navigating the Valleys of Anxiety, Faith, and Life," had his own mental health struggles brought on by the rise of COVID-19. "I'll never forget where I was about that time in March," says Seidl, who has obsessive compulsive disorder and recalls how his "anxiety just raged." Seidl joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss his book and offer Americans some hope in pushing through on their mental health problems. We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden gets his third dose, or “booster,” of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. The Department of Homeland Security presents a new rule to revise the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA. Homicides rose by about 30% last year, the FBI says. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission has been serving the homeless and needy of its community for nearly 90 years. But now, the Washington Supreme Court has given it the Hobson's choice of changing its religious beliefs or closing its doors. “[O]ur beliefs are everything to us,” Scott Chin, president of Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, says, adding that it is “unimaginable that we would change our beliefs just so that we could continue operating.” In 2017, Matthew Woods applied for a lawyer position with the organization. The mission requires all of its employees to hold and live by the ministry’s Christian beliefs, but Woods was open about the fact that he does not profess Christianity. Woods sued the homeless ministry after he was not hired for the job. The Washington Supreme Court ruled against the ministry, but now Chin is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take up his case and defend the religious freedoms the organization has practiced freely for decades. “We're hopeful that the U.S. Supreme Court will reverse the Washington Supreme Court and adopt the rule that is prevalent in many other circuits around the country,” says Jake Warner, an attorney with the Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom. Chin and Warner join “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain why Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission is fighting for its right to the free exercise of religion. Also on today’s show, we read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about a couple who adopted two sets of twins on the same day. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Involvement in the Middle East has been a large part of U.S. foreign policy for generations. President after president has had to take the multifaceted and complex web of alliances and relationships in the Middle East into account as they navigated policy in the region. But after President Joe Biden withdrew U.S. forces from Afghanistan in neighboring south Central Asia, the balance of power in the Middle East underwent a major shift. America’s departure from the region resulted in a number of important geopolitical ramifications and strategic reorientations. Joel C. Rosenberg, an American-Israeli communications strategist and author of the new book "Enemies and Allies: An Unforgettable Journey Inside the Fast-Moving & Immensely Turbulent Modern Middle East," has spent years learning the ins and outs of Middle Eastern politics. His new book includes interviews with Middle Eastern leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and long-time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to get their views on the future of the Middle East with a less-present United States. One point of concern is Iran. The Saudis "see Iran the way Israel sees Iran, which is, the people are great, the leadership is evil, and the leadership is trying to build nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them," Rosenberg says. Rosenberg joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss his new book and the implications of America's withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well to explain the ongoing realignment between Arab states and Israel against Iran. We also cover these stories: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Congress' Democratic leaders have agreed on a framework to pay for their $3.5 trillion spending bill. The Biden administration announces it will prohibit the Border Patrol from using horses in Del Rio, Texas, in response to images of agents on horseback appearing to abuse Haitian refugees—which wasn't the case. The administration begins reimbursing Florida school officials who had their pay docked for refusing to enforce Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on mask mandates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The word "knitting" normally evokes quaint images of grandma sitting in her rocking chair by the fireplace, needles and yarn in hand, as she makes a pair of mittens for her grandchildren to wear while they play in the snow. Less likely are images of self-appointed social justice warriors demanding fealty to a cause as they systematically expunge conservatives from online forums. Even less likely are images of physical confrontations occurring at in-person knitting gatherings. In 2019, a blog post about a knitting enthusiast going to India exploded into a debate about "colonialism" and "white supremacy" in the pastime. A series of commentaries posted on the website Quillette detailed how the online social justice squabble bled out into the real world, resulting in real-life altercations between knitting enthusiasts in England. Jon Kay, a senior editor at Quillette and editor of the new book, "Panics and Persecutions: 20 Quillette Tales of Excommunication in the Digital Age,” has his own thoughts on this epic yarn. "It's tragi-comic," explains Kay, "It's hilarious because these are people who knit, but it's also tragic in the sense that a lot of these people, like, this is their life and their community. Their social community is other people who knit on these Instagram groups and other social media, and they're getting thrown out." Kay joins "The Daily Signal Podcast” to talk about the absurdity of the knitting incident, as well as cancel culture more generally. We also cover these stories: During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas whether he was warned about the flood of Haitian migrants arriving at the southern border. After a phone call between President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, France's ambassador to the United States, Philippe Etienne, who had been recalled, will be returning to Washington next week. Former President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against his niece and The New York Times over tax documents of his that she leaked. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court will hear arguments Dec. 1 in what some are saying is the biggest abortion-related case of the past four decades. Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization could result in the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the returning of power to the states to set their own abortion laws, as they did prior to the high court's 1973 ruling in Roe. “I feel very confident that we're going to win,” Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch says. Fitch, a Republican, has filed briefs with the Supreme Court asking the justices to deliver “strong clarity” on the issue of abortion in their ruling. The high-profile case goes back to a Mississippi law passed in 2018, which restricts abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Days after the bill passed, Jackson Women's Health Organization, the state's only abortion clinic, filed a lawsuit seeking to block the law, which was enjoined by a lower court and is currently in abeyance. Fitch joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain the significance of the case and what will happen to abortion laws across the country if the court upholds Mississippi’s law. We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden addresses the U.N. General Assembly for the first time since taking office. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas again claims the American border is closed. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urges the Biden administration to stop deporting the growing number of Haitian migrants arriving on the southern border. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden recently purged his predecessor's appointees from government boards and commissions, in what critics call an unprecedented break with tradition. Appointees named by Donald Trump while he was president, among them former senior presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, were told bluntly by letter to resign or be terminated within a day. Luke Rosiak, an investigative reporter for The Daily Wire, has extensively covered both the firings and the consequences of Biden's actions. "There are really serious problems that can happen when our long-term institutions, which are kind of designed to keep our country stable over the course of many decades, become beholden to a White House [administration] that may only be in office for four years," Rosiak says. Besides advisory boards for the various military academies, the Trump appointees targeted by Biden include the Equal Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, the Arctic Research Commission, and the National Board for Education Sciences, Rosiak reported. Normally, members of such panels carry over for the remainder of their terms when a new president from either major party takes office. Rosiak joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss his reporting and the implications of Biden's departure from tradition and precedent. We also cover these stories: Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visits the Texas border again. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., calls on Democratic leaders to ignore the Senate parliamentarian's ruling and push on with including immigration policies in the $3.5 trillion spending package. Pfizer announces that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe for children ages 5 to 11 and generated a “robust” immune response in a clinical trial. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of Cubans took to the streets in July to protest the county's communist government. But since then, two months later, we have heard very little about the pro-democracy movement in Cuba. Many of the individuals who led the protests are now in prison, says John Suarez, executive director at the Center for a Free Cuba. Despite that, Suarez says he remains hopeful for Cuba’s future. “[T]here's a profound desire by Cubans for change,” Suarez says, adding that what is needed now “is international solidarity, not just in the United States, but from the democratic world more broadly.” Suarez joins “The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss the strength of the pro-democracy movement in Cuba and how America can play a role in moving the Caribbean island nation toward freedom. Also on today’s show, we read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about a simple way you can say thank you to two U.S. military veterans. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate is unconstitutional, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich says. Brnovich filed a lawsuit against the president and other Biden administration officials on Tuesday, arguing that the vaccine mandate is an assault on state sovereignty. "[W]e know from reading Federalist 45 and Federalist 51 that people like James Madison, who wrote the Constitution, expected the states to push back against the federal government," Brnovich says. The attorney general, a Republican, also says, “Nowhere in the Constitution does it provide or does it allow the president or the federal government to require any sort of vaccines." Last week, Biden signed an executive order mandating the vaccination of all federal employees and contract workers. The president also directed the Department of Labor to write a rule mandating all organizations with 100 employees or more to require all their employees be vaccinated or tested weekly. Brnovich says the president’s actions not only violate American freedoms, but also the equal protection clause of the Constitution. The Arizona attorney general joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain what he hopes to accomplish through the suit. We also cover these stories: Idaho puts in place crisis standards of care throughout the state, citing the number of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization. After an article from The Daily Signal and a press release from The Heritage Foundation, online retailer Amazon rescinds an ad ban for a new book released by Heritage Foundation scholar Mike Gonzalez. According to a report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, migrants, staff, and border communities were exposed to greater risks of COVID-19 infection by the department’s failure to adequately screen incoming migrants for the disease. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As debate rages in Congress over spending packages and election reform bills, Senate confirmations for President Joe Biden's executive branch nominees continue to move forward. Some higher profile nominees—such as Neera Tanden as director of the Office of Management and Budget and David Chipman as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—attracted enough critical attention to sink their nominations. But Biden nominees such as Tracy Stone-Manning, his choice to run the Bureau of Land Management, have flown largely under the radar. "I think she's indicative of this pattern in the Biden administration of where they're just not bothering [to vet nominees] and they're just pushing [them] through," says Tom Jones, co-founder of American Accountability Foundation, a nonpartisan educational organization that highlights the administration's appointments. Jones joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss some of Biden's most problematic nominees and why Americans should keep a close eye on the process. We also cover these stories: Biden says he has "great confidence" in Gen. Mark Milley to continue as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff despite published reports that Milley secretly spoke with a Chinese counterpart near the end of the Trump administration. Former President Donald Trump criticizes Milley's reported actions, as do Sens. Marco Rubio and Rand Paul. Republican governors accuse the Biden administration of playing politics with the COVID-19 pandemic after the White House announces it will restrict distribution of an effective treatment to fight the coronavirus. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After President Joe Biden finished his speech last Thursday evening announcing new COVID-19 vaccine mandates, a reporter called out, “Is this constitutional?” Biden, leaving the room, did not stop to answer. The president’s new vaccine mandate directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, part of the Labor Department, to require all organizations with 100 employees or more either to test their employees weekly for COVID-19 or ensure they are vaccinated. Biden also signed an executive order requiring that all federal employees and contract workers be vaccinated. One of the most important questions to ask is whether OSHA "has the statutory authority ... to issue a rule of this type,” Heritage Foundation legal scholar John Malcolm says. Biden’s requirements likely will affect between 80 and 100 million Americans, some of whom now face the choice of taking a COVID-19 vaccine or losing their job. Malcolm, who is a senior legal fellow at Heritage and directs its Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain the constitutionality of vaccine mandates and the likelihood that litigation over a new OSHA rule will rise to the Supreme Court. (The Heritage Foundation is the parent organization of The Daily Signal.) We also cover these stories: Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announces the filing of a lawsuit against the Biden administration in response to proposed vaccine mandates. Secretary of State Antony Blinken appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to face questions about the hasty U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Senate Democrats unveil legislation to change federal election law in response to new Republican-led election reforms in Texas and Florida. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The left is the dominant force in media today. Leftists control all the levers of cultural power, from the TV writers' room to the film sets in Hollywood. These leftists use their cultural power to dictate what you can and can't see. The latest casualty is an episode of the hit sitcom "The Office," which aired on NBC from 2005 to 2013. Without explanation, Comedy Central removed an episode titled "Diversity Day" from rotation, likely in an attempt to avoid offending some viewers. The episode mocks lead character Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) as he makes a fool of himself by using various racial stereotypes, employing satire to illustrate just how terrible Scott’s racism is. Emily Jashinsky, culture editor at The Federalist, joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about the new censorious left, as well as how conservatives can claim their place in the media landscape. We also cover these stories: The House Foreign Affairs Committee holds its first hearing examining the rushed U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the fallout from it. House Democrats say they intend to raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy to finance their $3.5 trillion spending proposal. An upstate New York hospital system will have to "pause" delivering babies because of a staff shortage caused by some employees' refusal to get a COVID-19 vaccination. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judge Michael Warren felt conviction after his daughter asked him why there wasn't a specific time each year dedicated to remembering American history and celebrating the nation's founding. "We need to start a new celebration for America," Leah, only 10 at the time, told her father. Warren, a judge on the 6th Circuit Court in Oakland County, Michigan, says he determined that he couldn't complain about that lack and then not do anything about it. "So we decided to be audacious and to do a week," he recalls. In 2012, father and daughter formally co-founded Patriot Week. Every Sept. 11-17, they invite all Americans to join them in remembering the patriots who founded our country, the documents that established our government, and the history we must never forget. Warren joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share the history of Patriot Week and the resources offered by their website for families, schools, and communities to take part in the celebration. Also on today’s show, we read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about a police officer who saved nine lives during her first year of service. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twenty years ago today, Islamist terrorists struck America. Across the country and around the world, Americans were left battered and broken in the aftermath of the first significant attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor. Life could never be the same after Sept. 11, 2001. But life didn't stop after that terrible day. Survivors had to go on, amid immense pain and suffering inflicted by those who would destroy our way of life. The question is how? Tim Brown is a retired New York firefighter who survived 9/11. He's also a motivational speaker who uses his grief and trauma from that day as a tool to help others work through their own issues. “For every person who was obese, pregnant, injured, disabled, there were four or five office workers, not cops or firemen, helping that person," Brown says of what he witnessed that day. "And it made me proud of humanity, because we help each other. That's what we do.” Brown, 59, joins this bonus episode of "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss what he experienced on 9/11 and share how others can push past their own awful circumstances. Enjoy the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sept. 11, 2001, is a date that looms large in the American psyche. For many of us, the horrific images on TV of burning and collapsing towers, civilians jumping to their deaths, and endless seas of rubble are forever etched in memory. But for Americans born after 9/11, it can be difficult to fully comprehend the impact of a horrific event they didn't witness. Niels Jorgensen is a retired New York City firefighter who helped dig through the debris at ground zero in search of the injured and missing. He is also the host of the "20 For 20" podcast, a show highlighting 20 heroic stories about 9/11 for the 20th anniversary of that horrible day. Jorgensen joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to share his stories, as well as some ways that we can honor the victims of 9/11 and keep their memories alive. We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden requires all federal employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Some 200 non-Afghans, including Americans, fly out of Afghanistan on a Qatar Airways commercial flight, marking the first large-scale departure since the hasty U.S. withdrawal. Press secretary Jen Psaki defends Biden’s decision to ask former Trump administration officials to resign from advisory boards at military service academies. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announces that the Justice Department will go to court to challenge Texas' new pro-life law. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Voters in 20 states have the option of tossing their governor out of office before the end of his or her term. Still, since 1921, gubernatorial recalls have made it to the ballot in only three states—North Dakota, California, and Wisconsin. However, recalling local officials and state legislators has been more common. The concept of recalling politicians commonly is thought of as part of the progressive movement of the early 20th century. But the debate over recall goes back much further, and states do it differently. "Some have what's called a political recall law, like California, like Wisconsin, like Arizona, where you could do it for whatever reason you want to," Joshua Spivak, an authority on recall elections, says. "Other states have a very severe limit and those states ... rarely have recalls or have many fewer recalls, and then have almost none on the state level." Spivak, senior fellow at the Hugh L. Carey Institute for Government Reform at Wagner College in New York, joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss the history of recall elections just days before California holds another one. Spivak is the author of a new book on the topic, "Recall Elections: From Alexander Hamilton to Gavin Newsom." We also cover these stories: America is on track to default on the national debt if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling by mid-October, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warns. Top Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee express concern over the fate of Americans and Afghan allies stranded in Afghanistan. Workers remove a large statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia, capital of the Confederacy. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At Thomas Aquinas College, students study the original works of the great thinkers of Western civilization, among them Aristotle, St. Augustine, Chaucer, Descartes, Newton, Locke, Lincoln, Einstein, and Dostoevsky. After reading these influential scholars, students engage in small group discussions about the works, their conversations guided by a professor. But it's not just the curriculum and the classroom methodology that make Thomas Aquinas College different. Despite having campuses in liberal California and Massachusetts, this small Catholic college is bucking trends in higher ed. As students across America must obtain higher and higher loans to pay for higher education, Thomas Aquinas College is committed to ensuring that no student needs to take out more than $19,000 in loans. It encourages religious practices by making Mass available daily. And it offers only single-sex dorms. Paul O'Reilly, incoming president of Thomas Aquinas College, joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss the college's approach and results. We also cover these stories: The Taliban announce formation of an interterm government in an attempt to formalize control over Afghanistan. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., says new documents prove that Dr. Anthony Fauci lied to Congress about government funding for coronavirus research at a lab in Wuhan, China. Texas Gov. Greg Abbot signs election reform legislation despite opposition from the left. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America has spent years fighting communism outside its borders, but now a Marxist threat is growing from within the country, Heritage Foundation senior fellow Mike Gonzalez says. Gonzalez, author of “BLM: The Making of a New Marxist Revolution,” says the Black Lives Matter organization has encouraged Americans, especially young people, to embrace communist ideology. In 2020, there “were 633 riots … according to the U.S. Crisis Monitor run out of Princeton [University], and 95% of those riots in which we know the identity of the perpetrator ... Black Lives Matter members were included,” Gonzalez says. Through his book, Gonzalez hopes to “open people's eyes” to the true nature of Black Lives Matter. Gonzalez joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the book and why he’s standing against the communist influences in our culture today. Also on today's show, we read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about a New Jersey community that is going above and beyond to make sure all returning military personnel receive the welcome and thank you they deserve. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a strong connection between critical social justice ideology, including critical race theory, and a rising tide of antisemitism around the globe, according to a new report from the Jewish Institute for Liberal Values. As more businesses and governments adopt initiatives based on critical social justice ideology, antisemitic and other forms of bigotry are flourishing. "When you hold an ideology that there are really only two kinds of people in the world, those that are oppressed and those that are oppressors, you're going to end up empowering ideas of antisemitism," says David Bernstein, a longtime Jewish advocate as well as the founder and CEO of the Gaithersburg, Maryland-based Jewish Institute for Liberal Values. He joins "The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss his organization's new report, as well as the implications for continued global acceptance of critical social justice ideologies. We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden and House Democrats vow responses to counteract Texas' new pro-life law. After the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision not to enjoin the Texas pro-life law, some liberals are calling again for court-packing. A group of 26 Republican senators, led by Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, demand that Biden provide information regarding the precise number of Americans, green-card holders, and special immigrant visa applicants stranded in Afghanistan, in addition to the vetting protocols used on Afghan evacuees entering the U.S. Biden will visit Louisiana to talk with officials and see firsthand the damage caused by Hurricane Ida. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Loudoun County, Virginia has been the focus of national attention for some time now. Stories of woke school board members pushing critical race theory and gender ideology have led to pushback as parents realize their children are being indoctrinated. Shawntel Cooper is one of those parents who decided to take action. Cooper was the focus of a viral video back in May where she lambasted the Loudoun County School Board over critical race theory in the classroom. "I don't understand how you would not want to ban anything that is this divisive and divides each other because of color," Cooper tells the Daily Signal Podcast, "You can't understand evil." Cooper joins the show to talk about her experiences as a Loudoun County mom, and offer advice on how we can push back against woke school boards across the country. We also cover these news stories Texas bans abortions after an unborn child's heartbeat can be detected, generally around six weeks. There are still Americans stranded in Afghanistan, including at least 27 students and a family from California. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy speaks out agaisnt House Democrats for calling on telecommunications companies to preserve records believed to be relevant to the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can a rock be racist? It can be, according to student activists at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. The school in early August moved a giant boulder that had sat prominently on campus for nearly a century to honor geologist and former university President Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin. “This moment is about the students, past and present, that relentlessly advocated for the removal of this racist monument,” said Juliana Bennett, a student and campus representative on the Madison City Council. “Now is a moment for all of us [black, Indigenous, and people of color] students to breathe a sigh of relief, to be proud of our endurance, and to begin healing.” Chamberlin was never accused of racism or anything else inappropriate. Instead, the massive 42-ton boulder was removed because of a single line in a local newspaper nearly 100 years ago in 1925 that referred to the rock using an offensive anachronism. Fred Lucas and Jarrett Stepman join "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss the incident and the broader movement to remove politically incorrect statues and monuments around the country. We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden addresses the nation after all U.S. troops are withdrawn from Afghanistan. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy criticizes the Biden administration for leaving Americans behind in Afghanistan. Several of the parents of the troops killed at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan are speaking out against Biden. Enjoy the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After 20 years in Afghanistan, the American military was set to complete its evacuation from Kabul by Tuesday, leaving behind a nation under Taliban control. “It’s a sad geopolitical irony that the Taliban will control more of Afghanistan on Sept. 11, 2021, than it did on Sept. 11, 2001, Luke Coffey, director of The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Foreign Policy, says. The Biden administration's poor handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan will cause adversaries to push “the envelope a little bit more,” Coffey says, adding that even “America's friends are questioning U.S. resolve” on the international stage. Panjshir is the only one of Afghanistan's 34 provinces under the control of a resistance movement led by Ahmad Shah Massoud Jr. Coffey says Shah Massoud Jr. “is probably, right now, the best hope in terms of slowly turning the tide against the Taliban.” Coffey joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to address concerns over Americans who remain trapped in Afghanistan and to explain the potential ramifications of the withdrawal. We also cover these stories: Hurricane Ida tears through southeastern Louisiana, leaving over 1 million without power. The European Union recommends suspension of all nonessential travel from America. China bans the playing of video games beyond three hours a week. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, biological men who identify as women are celebrated. Young girls taking puberty blockers are hailed as brave. How did we arrive at this place in our culture? Carl Trueman, a professor at Grove City College and author of “The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self," says humanity's search for identity played a large role in the sexual revolution and the embrace of gender identities we see today. “I set the sexual revolution against the background of what I call the revolution in selfhood, which ... is a fundamental transformation in the way that human beings think of their personal identities,” Trueman says. Trueman joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain how he believes society has come to embrace gender identity ideology. Also on today’s show, we read your letters to the editor and share a “good news story” about a special 9/11 remembrance event hosted by Wreaths Across America. Learn more about Wreaths Across America here: https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Pelsue, co-founder and CEO of Arts & Entertainment Ministries, is a champion of quality Christian and conservative movies and TV shows. About 20 years ago, Pelsue says, he became frustrated with the lack of Christian discipleship within the arts community. As a musician, he knew that many artists were seeking Christian community, but didn't feel accepted by the church. Pelsue turned his frustration into motivation, and in 2004, he founded Arts & Entertainment Ministries with his wife, Michelle. “We are based in Los Angeles, and we mentor and disciple Christians who are engaged in [the] video game industry, film, television, writing, fine art, you name it,” he says. “If you're a creative, we're there to disciple you, and mentor you, and encourage you to be salt and light in the mainstream.” Pelsue joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss why conservatives and Christians should engage in the arts. He also explains how the political left uses movies and television to promote their ideology, and challenges conservatives to consider how they can be a positive influence within the entertainment industry. We also cover these stories: At least two suicide bomb attacks outside the Kabul airport in Afghanistan kill 13 U.S. service members and at least 60 Afghans. Republicans criticize the Biden administration in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Kabul. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, announces a new indoor mask mandate, as well as mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for K-12 teachers and staff, college professors and staff, college students, and health care workers. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Cuomo left the New York governor's mansion in disgrace this week after multiple controversies, including his poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as credible allegations that he sexually harassed 11 female state employees. Cuomo, who was in his third term, resigned before facing near-certain impeachment in the New York State Assembly and a likely humiliating removal after a trial held by members of the state Senate and judiciary. However, throughout U.S. history, other governors chose to stay and fight—sometimes with success, such as the legendary Louisiana Gov. Huey Long, and sometimes not, such as Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The first governors of Nebraska and Kansas both were impeached. In the 1920s, Oklahoma saw two governors impeached and removed. In Cuomo's state of New York, one governor has been impeached and ousted from office: William Sulzer in 1913. On today's episode of "The Daily Signal Podcast," Fred Lucas and Jarrett Stepman talk about the nation's 15 impeached governors going back to the very first in 1862, when the country itself was at war. We also cover these stories: Efforts continue to ensure no Americans or local allies are left stranded in Afghanistan. A Supreme Court ruling reinstates tighter controls over immigration at the southern border. Delta Air Lines announces that it will charge unvaccinated employees an extra $200 per month for health insurance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices