The Daily Signal

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

President Joe Biden is moving ahead with plans to evacuate all U.S. citizens and troops from Afghanistan by Aug. 31, providing the Taliban do not interfere with the evacuation. But Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a combat veteran, says she does not see how it’s possible to meet that deadline. The notion that Americans and our Afghan partners can be evacuated by the end of the month “is a fantasyland that has been developed by President Biden, by the administration,” Ernst says. “I don't see how we have everyone out by Aug. 31 and honor those commitments we've made to our own citizens and our Afghan partners.” Ernst served in the military for more than 23 years. In 2003, she was a company commander in Kuwait and Iraq, and led 150 Iowa Army National Guardsmen during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ernst was the first female combat veteran to be elected to the Senate. The current situation in Afghanistan is an “international embarrassment” that puts both “Americans and our allies in harm's way,” the Iowa senator says. Ernst joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain what the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan could mean for America, and what the Biden administration needs to do to prevent further disaster. We also cover these stories: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., calls on the Biden administration to rethink its original Aug. 31 deadline for U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Vice President Kamala Harris rebukes China for its "coercion" and "intimidation" in the South China Sea. The University of Notre Dame leprechaun mascot comes under fire for supposedly being "offensive.” Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House Rules Committee voted Monday on rules governing debate on election legislation known as HR 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The controversial bill now goes to the House for a vote. After Democrats failed to pass HR 1, a partisan piece of election law, they crafted HR 4, which Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky says is a danger to states' election rights. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.) HR 4 “gives federal bureaucrats control over all these state [election] rules all over the country,” says von Spakovsky, a former member of the Federal Election Commission. “It is an unbelievable invasion of state sovereignty.” The bill is likely to pass along party lines in the House, but faces a battle in the evenly divided Senate, he says. Von Spakovsky joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain why the left is advocating for federal control of elections, and how HR 4 would affect the nation if it were to become law. We also cover these stories: The Food and Drug Administration formally approves the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. The Pentagon plans to mandate that all U.S. military personnel be vaccinated. Monday was Andrew Cuomo's last day serving as governor of New York. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

School is back in session—or will be soon—for students across America. As they head back to the classroom, many students will encounter a different environment this year. With debates about mask mandates and critical race theory garnering headlines, there’s another underreported story reshaping American education. Corey DeAngelis, national research director for the American Federation for Children, joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share the good news for parents and students alike. DeAngelis calls 2021 the “year of school choice” with upwards of 17 states giving parents more options to make decisions that benefit their kids. These new school choice programs fund students, giving them the educational freedom to learn in an environment best for them. In addition to being a prolific school choice advocate at the American Federation for Children, DeAngelis is also executive director at Educational Freedom Institute, an adjunct scholar at Cato Institute, and a senior fellow at Reason Foundation. Following his work on Twitter: @DeAngelisCorey. Listen to our interview or read a lightly edited transcript at DailySignal.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mixed messages about COVID-19 from the media, politicians, and public heath officials have left many Americans questioning what information they can trust. Across the nation, some political leaders and health experts continue to push for individuals to be vaccinated. We now know, however, that those who are vaccinated still may be infected by the coronavirus and contract COVID-19, although they remain far less likely to be hospitalized or die than those who are unvaccinated and contract COVID-19. Vaccination data tells a positive story and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should relay all the facts to Americans, says Kevin Dayaratna, who is principal statistician, data scientist, and research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, parent organization of The Daily Signal. “The safety and the efficacy of the vaccines was tested last year. And we are continuing to see data and there are overall overwhelmingly no serious effects,” he says. Dayaratna and Norbert Michel, director of Heritage’s Center for Data Analysis, just released a new report examining the effectiveness of the vaccines against the delta variant. The report, “A Statistical Analysis of COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections and Deaths,” dives deep into the data and facts about the spread of the virus and the efficacy of the vaccines. Dayaratna joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain what you need to know. We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden defended his handling of Afghanistan in a new interview. Dozens of senators are calling on the Biden administration to move faster to evacuate Special Immigrant Visa holders from Afghanistan. The Department of Education announced it was cancelling student loans for over 300,000 disabled Americans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Afghanistan continues to dominate the news cycle, we learn more about what led to the end of America’s longest war. But sometimes lost in the discussions about strategy and tactics is the human element of the story. Retired U.S. Army Gen. Don Bolduc served 10 tours in Afghanistan and knows what daily life was like for our troops. "This was lost at the higher levels ... unfortunately the Afghan government and military and national police have responsibility here, but not the men and women that served in our military for 20 years and went over there repeatedly," says Bolduc. "They did their job, they did it well, they did it with honor and the sacrifice out there. Their friends and family members did not go in vain despite what you're seeing today." Bolduc joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss his experiences on the ground, and what we can do for our troops coming home. We also cover these news stories: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says there will be many congressional inquiries into what happened in Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s deposed president Ashraf Ghani is currently sheltering in the United Arab Emirates on humanitarian grounds. The Texas Democrats who fled the state capital to block the vote on an election bill could now be arrested for doing so. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bible and the Torah have served as sources of inspiration and guidance throughout the ages. Accounts in the Book of Genesis of the Tower of Babel and the Garden of Eden are among those that have helped people from ancient times to understand God and to navigate personal issues. Michael Eisenberg, an Israeli venture capitalist and author of the upcoming book “The Tree of Life and Prosperity: 21st Century Business Principles from the Book of Genesis,” says he believes these stories contain nuggets of wisdom just as applicable today as they were back then. "Wow, this is super-relevant for modern times and modern challenges, this kind of timeless wisdom," Eisenberg says about the Torah, which encompasses the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. "It has a modern feel to it, despite its nature as an ancient text." Eisenberg joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about his book and some of the lessons we can take from the Book of Genesis. We also cover these news stories: At a Pentagon briefing, Army Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor says the U.S. military expects that one flight per hour will leave Afghanistan's Kabul airport as the evacuation continues. The Biden administration will recommend Americans get a COVID-19 booster shot eight months after they were fully vaccinated, government sources tell CBS News. A California city councilman and five others are charged with election fraud. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Afghanistan War appears to be over. After nearly 20 years of fighting, America's longest conflict has come to a bitter conclusion. Afghanistan's capital city, Kabul, fell to the Taliban in fewer than 72 hours. This came on the heels of a weeklong blitz that saw city after city capitulate to the Taliban. How did this happen? "This was an insurgency that for the past two decades was unable to capture even one of the 34 provincial capital cities in Afghanistan, but then out of nowhere, they sweep across the whole country and they're setting in the presidential palace in Kabul," says Luke Coffey, a veteran of the Afghanistan War who directs The Heritage Foundation's Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy. "It's an utter disgrace and an extreme loss of prestige [for] the United States that President Biden allowed this to happen." Coffey joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to help explain how the situation in Afghanistan deteriorated so quickly and what the implications are. We also cover these news stories: President Biden briefly returns to the White House from his vacation at Camp David to address the nation on Afghanistan. Taliban leaders declare “the war is over,” just short of 20 years since the U.S. invaded Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. At least seven are dead amid chaos at the international airport in Kabul when thousands of Afghan citizens desperately attempt to escape the invading Taliban forces. About 1,000 American paratroopers will be deployed to the airport to assist in evacuation efforts. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she is going to try to advance the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and the separate $3.5 trillion spending bill together. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vivek Ramaswamy calls himself a proud father, a loyal husband, and a grateful son. His parents emigrated to America from India. A Hindu, he made his mark as a successful biotech entrepreneur. Ramaswamy has joined forces with the Philanthropy Roundtable to narrate a compelling video as part of the organization’s True Diversity campaign—pushing back against the left’s narrow and divisive view of diversity and inclusion. Debi Ghate, vice president of strategy and programs at the Philanthropy Roundtable and host of the "Can We Talk About It?" podcast, joins me on “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the real meaning of diversity. "At the Roundtable, we believe an individualized approach is better for achieving true diversity," Ghate says. "What we mean by that is looking for the strengths that each person brings to the table, their values, their passions, their experiences, their background, their skills, and even more." Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans have felt the effects of ballooning inflation as a direct result of government-mandated shutdowns of the economy. Prices on essential goods, including food and gas, have risen steadily over the past few months, leaving many wondering about the economic health of the nation. "This past year and a half, we also saw a very sharp economic decline, larger in a single quarter than we have seen in any of our lifetimes, unless you were around back in the 1930s," says Joel Griffith, research fellow in financial regulations at The Heritage Foundation. Griffith joins us today on "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about the latest inflation numbers and how good fiscal policy can help us right the ship. We also cover these news stories: The Taliban capture the strategically significant cities of Ghazni and Herat, marking the fall of 11 out of 34 provincial capitals after a weeklong blitz of fighting. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and state Attorney General Ken Paxton push back on Dallas County's new mask mandate. A recent report details how Oregon Gov. Kate Brown quietly signed into law a measure ending graduation requirements for students to prove they can read, write, and do math at a high school level. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is going to step down, but Republicans and Democrats alike call for him to be held accountable for his handling of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In response to The New York Times' controversial “1619 Project,” Bob Woodson, founder of the Woodson Center, launched an alternative, 1776 Unites. Woodson's initiative includes a series of essays and a school curriculum that recount the facts and stories of America’s founding and black history. It is from these essays that inspiration came for Woodson’s new book, “Red, White, and Black: Rescuing American History from Revisionists and Race Hustlers.” The stories and facts in the book, which was released in May, are important “for all people to know, to get an accurate understanding of America's past—the good, the bad, and the ugly,” Woodson says. He adds that the “message of the book to America is, if blacks could achieve these great things of creating their own railroad, if we were able to build our own Wall Streets, if we were able to achieve in schools, and reduce the income gap … then we need to apply these old values to a new vision.” Woodson joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share some of his favorite true stories of American blacks' success detailed in the book and to share a bit of his own personal story. We also cover these stories: The Senate takes a big step toward passing Democrats' $3.5 trillion spending package. YouTube suspends Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., from its platform for a week. Conflicts over mask policies in Florida continue to mount. Listen to the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A high quality children's TV series that teaches children concepts such as economic freedom and personal responsibility didn't exist a year ago. But now, "Tuttle Twins" is redefining pro-American entertainment for children. The TV version of "Tuttle Twins" is inspired by the beloved book series of the same name by Connor Boyack. The TV series takes viewers on exciting adventures with siblings Ethan and Emily Tuttle and their freedom-loving grandma, who just happens to have a time-traveling wheelchair. The vision for the crowdfunded series is "to mix the humor of shows like 'The Simpsons' and 'Phineas and Ferb' with the family friendliness and educational value of something like 'The Magic School Bus,'" says Daniel Harmon, the show's creator. In the first episode, Ethan and Emily travel back in time to learn from famous French economist Frederic Bastiat as well as "the French Revolution that was going on around that time, and how rights are so needed to be protected by the government," Harmon says. "Tuttle Twins" is also meant to be entertaining for parents. In the same way as "Pixar makes movies for kids, but that adults really enjoy as well," he says, "that's what we're trying to do with this." Harmon joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about the mission of his new children's series and how families can begin enjoying "Tuttle Twins.” We also cover these stories: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces his resignation a week after an investigation concluded that he sexually harassed 11 female state employees. The U.S. Senate passes a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill by a vote of 60-39. A viral Instagram videos shows Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., dancing and taking photos maskless at an indoor wedding. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congress is forging ahead with a $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill. The measure has received bipartisan support, but many conservatives warn that now is not the time to put America in even more debt. The government has increased America’s national debt by $5.2 trillion just since the start of 2020, but “adding to that with two more multitrillion-dollar spending packages over and above what they've already spent, that threatens to return us to the kind of inflation that we haven't seen in decades,” says David Ditch, a policy analyst in The Heritage Foundation’s Center for the Federal Budget. In addition to the $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill, Democrats are also striving to pass a $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, which includes funding for universal day care, tuition-free community college, and climate change initiatives, among many other things. “It's important to understand the $3.5 trillion package … would be the largest piece of legislation in the history of the world,” Ditch says. Ditch joins "The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain what’s in each bill and the effect such aggressive spending will have on the American people. We also cover these stories: Senate Democrats announce a $3.5 trillion budget they hope to pass through reconciliation, an obscure maneuver that would allow them to get it through the Senate with just 51 votes, sidestepping Republican opposition. One of the women who say New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually assaulted them comes forward to tell her story to the public in detail. The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change releases a new report full of dire predictions. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Schools across America—both public and private—are embracing the left's radical ideas at an alarming rate. These ideas have found their way into curriculum, sometimes subtly and other times overtly. Many parents have had enough. They're taking action and speaking out—winning seats on school boards, demanding transparency from teachers, and insisting that their kids learn the foundational values that made America the greatest country on earth. Now, thanks to Hillsdale College, there’s a curriculum that parents can use to ensure their children are getting the education they deserve. Matthew Spalding, Hilldale's vice president of Washington operations and dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government, joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about the curriculum and why it’s needed now more than ever. "It's important for us to realize that while we might think this is merely a debate about different opinions about history," Spalding says, "this is about debate between history on the one hand—good, accurate history and we can have some disagreements here and there, but generally speaking, there's a broad consensus about that—and an ideological approach, which is using history merely as a foil to fight current battles." Listen to my interview with Spalding on the podcast or read a lightly edited transcript below. You may learn more about the Hillsdale 1776 Curriculum on the school's website and access other K-12 resources there as well. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Giving to good causes is key to maintaining America’s free market system, the head of Philanthropy Roundtable says. It's not the job of government to meet the needs of all Americans, Elise Westhoff, the organization's president and CEO, says. So “if we have a strong philanthropic sector," Westhoff says, "I think that allows us to really make the argument for why the free market works, and also be able to help people in need.” Philanthropy Roundtable helps Americans to determine how to give back to their communities and country in a way that will further freedom and promote their values. In an age when many on the political left are using philanthropy to promote a woke agenda, it is critical for conservative to invest in organizations and causes that will leave a lasting legacy, Westhoff says. Westhoff joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain why philanthropy is so important to America’s future. We also cover these stories: The New York State Assembly is close to concluding its impeachment investigation into Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is accused of sexually harassing multiple women. President Joe Biden announces deferment of departures for Hong Kong citizens in America amid China’s suppression of liberties in Hong Kong. Richard Trumka, an influential labor leader as president of the AFL-CIO, dies at 72. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing up in the now-defunct Soviet Union was not easy for Zilvinas Silenas or his family. “Government basically brainwashes you from a very early age, and government thinks you are disposable,” Silenas says of living under communism. After leaving Russia and spending four years attending a “very left college” in America, Silenas says he became even more committed to the principles of economic freedom. Today, Silenas is the president of the Foundation for Economic Education, an organization that educates young people about economic freedom. He joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss his experience growing up under communism and why he is so passionate about teaching the next generation the realities of socialism. We also cover these stories: The Biden administration works to find a way to extend the expired federal eviction ban. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, says he wishes he hadn’t signed a ban on mask mandates. Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking a stand for Israel and against Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holding to the biblical definition of male and female has cost the Rev. Bernard Randall his job. Randall served as chaplain of Trent College, a day and boarding school in Derbyshire, England, for four years. He delivered a sermon to students on the topic of gender identity in 2019. “So, all in all, if you are at ease with 'all this LGBT stuff,' you’re entitled to keep to those ideas,” Randall said in his sermon, adding, “if you are not comfortable with it, for the various—especially religious—reasons, you should not feel required to change.” Despite Randall's clear statement that “no one should be discriminated against simply for who he or she is,” Trent College suspended the chaplain for the sermon, reported him to England’s counterterrorism watchdog organization, and subsequently dismissed him. Randall joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share his story and why he chose to take legal action against his former employer. We also cover these stories: New York Attorney General Letitia James releases an investigators' report finding that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announces that indoor activities at restaurants, gyms, and performance centers will require proof of vaccination status, making New York the first major U.S. city to institute what amounts to a vaccine mandate. The man accused of killing eight at Atlanta area massage parlors pleads guilty to four murders and is sentenced to life in prison without parole. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brandon Tatum, a black former police officer in Tucson, Arizona, says he started out as a liberal, but through a personal evolution over time, he became a conservative. "I started out like most young, black men in the country, where default is being liberal. Default is being a Democrat," he explains. "All of the Democrat positions that you see most African-American men believing today is what I believed before, even though I wasn't politically involved as much as I am today. But over time, I began to wake up and be more involved, and I woke up to what the reality was," Tatum said. "A lot of that happened when I was in college. I started to see that the country isn't as racist as I thought it was." We also cover these stories: The Senate is moving forward with a 2,700-page, $1 trillion infrastructure bill. A report from Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee asserts that COVID-19 was accidentally released from a lab at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology. Former President Barack Obama turns 60 on Wednesday and plans to celebrate with a huge birthday bash at his mansion on Martha’s Vineyard, a Massachusetts island, this coming weekend. But concerns about COVID-19 and the delta variant are prompting some to question whether the party plans, with 475 invited guests, including A-list celebrities, should proceed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Authoritarianism is all around us. We see it in government, at work, and even in our local communities and schools. What can we do about it? Ben Shapiro, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show” and editor emeritus of The Daily Wire, is the leading the charge against authoritarianism. His new book, “The Authoritarian Moment: How the Left Weaponized America's Institutions Against Dissent,” is already a No. 1 bestseller after debuting last week. "I think that there's two types of authoritarianism when we think about it," Shapiro says, explaining: One is a sort of political authoritarianism in which the government continues to exert more and more power in the name of 'doing good.' And then the other sort of authoritarianism, which is unique to our moment a little bit, is the authoritarianism of the culture. The militarization of private institutions on behalf of one particular point of view, and then universally over time. And that one, I will say, is something kind of new.Shapiro joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to talk about this authoritarian threat and why we should resist conformity. Listen to the podcast interview or read a lightly edited transcript. Also on today's show, we read your letters to the editor and share a good news story. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It can be very difficult to find common ground in America today. Bitter partisanship feels like the new normal as liberals and conservatives struggle to find even a single topic they agree on. Josh Hammer, opinion editor and host of "The Debate" podcast for Newsweek, decided to do something about it. "Newsweek's idea here is that we are going to be the home for [tough] discussions, and we're not going to shy away from the dicey issues. We're going to talk about reparations for slavery, critical race theory, qualified immunity, to defund the police, whatever. We will not avoid the hard-charging stuff here," says Hammer. Hammer joins this bonus episode of the Daily Signal podcast to discuss how Americans can find the middle ground in an increasingly divided society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The left is weak. It may not feel like that when you're being censored on Facebook... but those actions actually evince weakness. When you have to censor people, it means they're afraid," says Seb Gorka, host of "America First" on the Salem Radio Network and the author of "The War for America's Soul." "We have a republic to save. And guess what? With you, we can do it." Gorka joins the Daily Signal podcast to discuss how the radical left is trying to destroy the country, and how conservatives can effectively fight back. We are also joined by Morgan Zegers, founder and CEO of Young Americans Against Socialism. She discuss why socialism is so popular amongst young people, and what can be done to push back against its rising popularity. We also discuss these stories: The US Capitol Police have been ordered to arrest visitors and Congressional staff who refuse to wear a mask on Capitol grounds. The Biden Administration will not renew a federal moratorium on evicting people who have fallen behind on their rent payments due to COVID-19, but is asking Congress to extend the moratorium. The Senate votes Wednesday evening to move forward with a trillion dollar infrastructure deal. Over two hundred Republican lawmakers are asking the Supreme Court to overrule Roe v. Wade Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On October 1, 2017, a lone gunman opened fire into the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas. The incident remains the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. But out of this tragedy comes a story of true heroism. When Iraq War veteran Taylor Winston heard the first shots, he sprang into action. He grabbed a truck and began to shuttle wounded concert attendees back and forth from the scene to a nearby hospital. Winston's quick thinking saved countless lives. Many mass shooting survivors advocate for stronger gun control, but Winston's experience solidified his belief in the 2nd Amendment. "I never ever want to have anyone experience [a mass shooting], but I would go through it again and again, and again, to protect our gun rights because it protects us from something far worse and bigger, and that's a potential tyrannical government committing genocide," says Winston. Winston joins this bonus episode of the Daily Signal Podcast to discuss his act of heroism, as well as why it's so important to protect our 2nd Amendment rights. We are also joined by Jordan Sarmo, a faith-based musician and host of the Speak the Truth Without Fear podcast. We talk about cancel culture and how we can best fight back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is political correctness? When did it start of seep its way into mainstream culture? How is political correctness destroying American society? Michael Knowles, host of "The Michael Knowles Show" at The Daily Wire, joins me on The Daily Signal Podcast to discuss. We also chat about his new book, “Speechless.” "This whole culture has been upended," Knowles says. "Actually, notably, by the 70s feminists, who said the personal is the political. They made every single private interaction open to public scrutiny. Now you're seeing everything settle down again on the left's terms. So you're seeing a new set of standards. You're seeing a new kind of censorship. You're seeing a new kind of speech code. It just happens to be the inverse in many ways of the old standards that we had." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democrats are trying to push both a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill and a $3.5 trillion reconciliation package through Congress. While the former provides funding for traditional infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, the larger latter package provides trillions of dollars for a laundry list of left-wing priorities, Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., says. “They have fudged on other numbers within it, so it's probably more like [a] $5.5 trillion [bill],” Lummis says of the larger spending package. “It is the Green New Deal. It is new entitlement programs, and it really is a terrifying, inflation-causing, big government-motivated spending bill.” If the American government does not stop spending at such a rampant pace, the “best-case scenario is that our dollars will go less far,” Lummis says, adding that the “worst-case scenario is that we put the dollar at risk as the world reserve currency.” Lummis joins the show to explain what you need to know about the two spending bills. She also share a bit about her journey to public office and what it’s like to be the first female senator from Wyoming. Also on today's show, Doug Blair talks with Tom Jones, co-founder of American Accountability Foundation. They discuss President Biden's radical cabinet nominees and wasteful government spending. We also cover these stories: About 50,000 illegal immigrants have been released into America without a court date, according to an exclusive report from Axios. Republican and Democratic senators have reached tentative agreement on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. The House of Representatives is reinstating a mask mandate for House members. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pushing to extend a subway from San Francisco, not far from Speaker Pelosi’s congressional district, to Silicon Valley, with funding in the Senate’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. Adam Andrzejewski, founder and CEO of OpenTheBooks.com, and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is calling this Pelosi's Bay Area Boondoggle. Why? Andrzejewski joins a bonus episode of The Daily Signal Podcast to discuss! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would it be like to go from being an intern at the White House to being White House press secretary? Kayleigh McEnany, the fourth and final press secretary to President Donald Trump, experienced that unlikely journey. She joins me today on "The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss that passage as well as her forthcoming book "For Such a Time as This: My Faith Journey Through the White House and Beyond.” "It was surreal," McEnany says of working for the president. "My first time in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room was as an intern for [President George W.] Bush, as you noted," she says. "Dana Perino was the press secretary, so I watched her go back and forth with the Fox correspondent, ended up interning at Fox, and [then] doing several internships." "But then, about 10 years later, I was standing at the podium myself, which was surreal, amazing. And I know it was only made possible because Christ had that path for my life even when I couldn't see it." We also cover these stories on the podcast: A House select committee holds its first hearing looking into the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. The panel includes seven Democrats but only two Republicans—Reps. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Liz Cheney of Wyoming. President Joe Biden releases a 21-point immigration-reform plan as the crisis at the southern border intensifies. Biden meets with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., to discuss how to move forward the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices