The Daily Signal

The so-called mainstream media has lost touch with real America, says Seth Dillon, CEO of The Babylon Bee, a Christian website that specializes in satire. "Whatever you want to call it, the mainstream media doesn't, really represent mainstream America, so I do think that's a misnomer," Dillion says, adding: It comes out in a lot of the conflicts that we have. Like when The New York Times is criticizing us, they're actually using misinformation to smear us as being a source of misinformation. It's all projection that everything that they accused us of doing, they're actually doing themselves. So I think they are probably doing more damage than almost anyone else to this country, just by manipulating the truth and acting like they're the arbiters of the truth.Dillon joins me for a bonus episode of "The Daily Signal Podcast" recorded at Turning Point USA's seventh annual Student Action Summit in Rampa, Florida. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Andy Biggs says vaccine mandates are a direct violation of Americans' personal freedoms. "It's what a tyranny would do. It's what an authoritarian government would do," the Arizona Republican told The Daily Signal, adding: And when [White House press secretary Jen Psaki] said that [community outreach] targeted neighborhoods, and President [Joe] Biden implied it was targeted, it made me think, maybe they have a database, right? So, if they've got a database, where are they getting that information? How is that information coming to them?Are they violating [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] laws? What is going on with it?I actually wrote a letter to the president asking him these things, which we've heard nothing back on. But I view it as a tremendous violation of our rights to privacy. We also cover these stories: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appoints Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., to serve on the special committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Nearly 60 organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association, demand that health care workers get the coronavirus vaccine, pointing to the spreading delta variant of COVID-19. The Dixie Fire in Northern California is just over 20% contained and continues to spread after merging with the smaller Fly Fire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mississippi mother Jennifer Booth was surprised when her 9-year-old daughter Lydia Booth came home from school and told her that she was not allowed to wear her “Jesus Loves Me” face mask anymore. Thinking her daughter’s teacher might simply have been having a bad day, Booth sent Lydia back to school with her mask. Again, the third grader was told she was not allowed to wear the mask at school. "The principal calls me and she's like, 'We're going to have to have Lydia swap her mask out,'" Booth recounts, adding that the principal said it was against school policy "to have religious symbols or gestures on her mask." But upon inspecting the school handbook with the principal, Booth says, the only policy the principal could point to referred to "drug culture, profanity, [and] obscenities." Booth continued to contact leaders of the Simpson County School District asking for an explanation and was eventually sent the district’s COVID-19 policy. But after a little investigation, Booth discovered that the policy she received had been modified less than an hour before it was emailed to her to include language barring student’s from wearing masks expressing religious views. Booth has filed a lawsuit against the school district with Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal organization. The mom says she chose to take legal action to protect her "kids, my grandkids, and everybody else's kids, because this year is the mask, next year is the T-shirt, eventually you can't say Jesus's name in school." Booth and Alliance Defending Freedom lawyer Tyson Langhofer join "The Daily Signal Podcast" to tell this story and discuss why they are taking a stand for religious liberty in Mississippi. Also on today’s show, we read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about a father and son who used their knowledge of the sea to find and rescue a man overboard off the coast of North Carolina. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Churches, synagogues, and other places of worship faced extraordinary challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in liberal states such as California. Rob McCoy, senior pastor of Godspeak Calvary Chapel of Thousand Oaks in California, joins a bonus episode of "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about he kept his church open during COVID-19 amid the restraints imposed by the state government led by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat. "When COVID came out, and the governor declared that the church is not essential and wouldn't allow us to do Communion during our Holy Week, [from] Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, I refused to adhere to that," McCoy says, adding: So we followed [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] standards, we did Communion service, and I resigned from my [Thousand Oaks City] Council seat because I knew they'd have to censure me and they weren't going to uphold their oath of office to the Constitution.And we did Communion. And then ... the riots happened in LA, where 75% of the businesses that were burned and looted were Jewish-owned and targeted. And the governor embraced it, shoulder to shoulder, no masks. We realized then, now knowing the data, [and] we opened the church wide on May 31. And then in August, we didn't have a single case of COVID. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Joe Biden's proposed plan to conserve 30% of America’s land by 2030 lacks needed details, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts says. The Biden administration has not provided details on how it intends to accomplish the goal, but enough is known about Biden’s "30 by 30” conservation initiative to know that it won't serve the best interests of the American people, the Republican governor says. "Right now, 97% of Nebraska is privately owned, and if you wanted to set aside 30% of this in conservation you would drive up land prices [and] make it more difficult for young people to get into production agriculture," Ricketts says "You would certainly drive up food prices [and] you'd drive up property taxes." Ricketts joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the implications of Biden’s "30 by 30" initiative. The governor also discusses disturbing sex-education standards proposed by the Nebraska Department of Education and what parents can do to push back on leftist policies being implemented in their children’s schools. We also cover these stories: Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House of Representatives won’t vote on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill until the Senate votes on a $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. Chinese officials reject a plan from the World Health Organization for a second phase of a probe into the origin of COVID-19 that would include the possibility that the coronavirus escaped from a research lab in Wuhan, China. An Illinois teacher files a lawsuit against her former employer for firing her after she criticized rioting and looting in Chicago last summer following the death of George Floyd. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Lauren Boebert just returned from another fact-finding trip to the southern border. The Colorado Republican joins us today on "The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss her trip, migrant children crossing the border that she ran into there, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection's tally of the number of would-be illegal immigrants taken into custody at the border in June. "I've gone three times now to the border, and each time, it's just more and more devastating, and the reality of this crisis is brought more into perspective of what's really taking place. I was down in McAllen, Texas, most recently with [former] President [Donald] Trump, and I saw groups of unaccompanied minors, dozens of groups of unaccompanied minors," Boebert says. "And these children didn't have adults with them because of the Biden policies, because [President Joe] Biden is encouraging families to self-separate. If your child is 6 years of age or under, then you could cross with them, but if they're older than that, then they can't cross with you. So, they have a better chance of crossing the border without their children, putting their children in the hands of the [human smuggling] cartel and risking their lives." We also cover these stories: In a Tuesday interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, Sen. Rand Paul announces he will be asking the Department of Justice for a criminal referral against Dr. Anthony Fauci. The Kentucky Republican claims Fauci lied to Congress about the National Institutes of Health funding illegal gain-of-function research at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology. The Biden administration is distancing itself from a group that is pushing critical race theory in public schools. On Tuesday, the Louisiana state Senate voted to override Gov. John Bel Edwards’ veto of a bill that would ban biological men from competing in women’s scholastic sports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an exclusive interview with "The Daily Signal Podcast," former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticizes the Biden administration for asking the United Nations to send its racism experts to the U.S. "Our administration understood that the U.N. Human Rights Commission was simply ... a bunch of anti-semitic thugs who spend most of their time nagging on Israel for the things they do simply to defend themselves.," says Pompeo. "To invite them in to look at American systemic racism, which frankly doesn't exist ... we know what these reports will end up saying. We know, they'll say, 'Oh, this is racism and the Americans need do X, Y, and Z to go fix it.'" "This is a commission occupied by people like Venezuela, by the Iranians," Pompeo adds. "These are bad actors trying to stick the thumb in the eye of the American people." "To have permitted them to come in and evaluate racism in America is an enormous mistake .... They'll come after America hard, and we shouldn't let them do that," the former secretary of state says. Read the lightly edited transcript, pasted below, or listen to the podcast to learn more about what Pompeo has to say about this, what he describes as the Biden administration's failure to lead on China and Hong Kong policies, and how the administration has put climate change ahead of American security. We also cover these stories: Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has another heated exchange with Dr. Anthony Fauci at a Senate committee hearing. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., names five Republicans to serve on a special committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. White House press secretary Jen Psaki avoids answering questions about which Facebook posts the Biden administration will flag as misinformation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Byron Donalds has signed onto a resolution from fellow Florida Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart condemning the current situation in Cuba. Donalds says it’s critical that the United States stand in strong opposition to the violent suppression of mass public protests happening there. "They said to me, 'Man, it's so bad.' Not only did they shut down the internet, but they were like, 'There was a 12-year-old kid who was in the crowd at the protests. The police, the military police threw him on the ground, hit him with the butt of their gun in the back of his neck, broke his neck. He's now paralyzed from the neck down,'" Donalds said. "They talked about how people are being told, when the [Cuban] military comes to their door, 'You either come with us, or we'll kill you right now.' These are the things that are occurring on Cuba right now today," the freshman Florida lawmaker said. "And so we as a country, as being the beacon for liberty and freedom on the globe, we have, in my view, a moral obligation to stand firm against that regime." We also cover these stories: President Biden is accusing China of hacking Microsoft as the Justice Department indicts four Chinese nationals in connection with a global computer intrusion campaign targeting intellectual property and confidential business information. Biden walks back comments he made Friday that social media giant Facebook was “killing people” in reference to alleged COVID-19 misinformation. Paul Hodgkins, of Tampa, Florida, is handed an eight-month sentence in connection with his role in the Jan. 6 invasion of the Capitol. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are special-interest groups dotting the landscape in Washington, D.C., for just about any cause you could imagine. They’ve been quite successful, too. But as Terry Schilling, a husband and father of five kids, surveyed that landscape, he saw a void. That’s why his organization, the American Principles Project, has embarked on a new initiative called the Big Family. It promises to put the needs of families first. "You've got Big Pharma, Big Tech, Big Oil, Big Business," Schilling says. "There are so many bigs, but there's no big family. And that's why we chose the name, Big Family. We want the family to be the big guy in the room when it comes to public policy." Schilling joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” for a wide-ranging discussion about family values, the threats facing parents and kids, and how the American Principles Project is taking action. You can listen to the full show below—including our letters to the editor and weekly good news story—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

The Free to Learn Coalition is a nonpartisan organization that wants to take politics out of the classroom. Alleigh Marre, the president of the coalition, joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” today to discuss how she hopes to do that. "We started to hear a lot more about how there's been more of an emphasis on activism, rather than academics," Marre says. "And that includes, certainly, critical race theory," which she says is "extremely prevalent and something that we're starting to hear more and more about, but it's not just isolated to that." Marre added: "And the big thing that we are hearing from parents is that, as we start to fall behind in the world, countries like China, Russia, Estonia, Slovenia, Canada, they all outperform us. And that's something that's very concerning to parents. We're all taxpayers, we're all paying into a public education system, and our students just aren't prepared for the future." We also cover these stories: Black Lives Matter is blaming the United States for the turmoil in Cuba. In an interview with CNN on Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, 82, announces that he hasn’t decided when he will retire and says he's pleased with his new role as the court’s most senior liberal. Seventeen state attorneys general, led by Republicans, support Arkansas' outlawing of "experimental" transgender operations on minors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chinese Communist Party, which has ruled China for 100 years, remains highly secretive in its policies and actions. Fortunately, sources outside China's government have provided the world with a great deal of information about what is really happening within the communist regime. Compiling what we do know about the Chinese Communist Party, The Heritage Foundation—parent organization of The Daily Signal—just released its 2021 China Transparency Report. The document assesses China’s level of transparency across eight key areas: the economy, energy and the environment, human rights, influence operations, the military, outbound investments, politics and law, and, technology. The goal of the report "is partly to bust a myth that China is completely closed off and opaque," says Dean Cheng, a Heritage Foundation senior research fellow for Asian studies who contributed to the report. "You cannot have a country of 1.3 billion people, you can't have any economy that's the second largest in the world, and the world's largest trading state, and not have some amount of interaction and data flow, etc.," Cheng says. "But part of the problem is that the available information isn't easily available, partly because, well, it's in Chinese." Cheng and Justin Rhee, co-editor of the China Transparency Report, join “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain its significance in understanding the actions and goals of the Chinese Communist Party. (You may read the full report here.) We also cover these stories: Secretary of State Antony Blinken invites U.N. envoys on racism and minority issues to visit the United States. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduces a bill to repeal federal mask mandates for those using public transportation. In remarks at The Heritage Foundation, former Vice President Mike Pence calls communist China a greater threat to America than the Soviet Union was during the Cold War. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lala Mooney, born in communist Cuba, was imprisoned there at age 19. As protests erupt in the Caribbean nation, Mooney, mother of Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about what life there is like. "At the economic level, we lost everything," Mooney says. "My mother's family owned a sugar mill and they put a gun on my uncle's desk and say, 'Sign it over.' We lost everything." Mooney says her father was dean of engineering at St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic University in Havana, which the communist regime of Fidel Castro confiscated in 1961, expelling American and European Anglicans who administered it. "Once we were in prison, my father said, 'There's no sense for me to stay here if they put me in prison.'" "Engineering was a very important topic in Cuba," Mooney adds, "because Cuba was [one of the biggest] producers of sugar in the whole world, and engineering is how you run the sugar mills." We also cover these stories: In a speech, President Joe Biden criticizes election reforms passed by Republican-controlled state legislatures. Democratic state lawmakers from Texas, fleeing a vote on an election bill there, hold a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in support of congressional Democrats' legislation to impose election requirements on states. So far, no Democrat has signed on to a resolution from Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, R-Fla., to support the protests in Cuba. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tens of thousands of Cubans are protesting in the streets because of dire conditions brought about by the Caribbean nation's communist regime. What is going on there, what will be the repercussions for protesters who have had the courage to gather in the streets, and how should the U.S. respond? "It's a very dark moment right now," says Mike Gonzalez, a Cuban native who is a senior fellow in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation, the parent organization of The Daily Signal. Gonzalez joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss the situation. "The state police is out there. They were called out by the puppet president, Miguel Díaz-Canel," Gonzalez says. "They're rounding up people, beating people up. I know of at least one pro-democracy priest—Castor Álvarez in the city of Camaguey in the east ... of the island of Cuba—who was severely beaten up and I think stripped naked. And his whereabouts are unknown. This is from dissident sources. For all we know, Father Castor could be dead." We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden issues a statement of support for Cubans who protested Sunday across the country. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., asks the National Security Agency's director to investigate allegations by Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson that the NSA is spying on him. Ben Carson, former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, calls out critical race theory in an interview with Fox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Faith, family, and freedom. The late Sen. William L. Armstrong cherished these values throughout his life as a successful businessman, political leader, and university president. Today, Armstrong's son Wil is honoring his father's legacy with the William L. Armstrong Award, which recognizes an individual who has made a difference in America’s culture through business, politics, or education. This year's recipient, Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James, received the honor from the Centennial Institute, Colorado Christian University’s (CCU) public policy think tank, in partnership with The Armstrong Project. Wil Armstrong joined me for an interview to discuss his father's love for America and how he and his wife Kristy are making sure they recognize people who embody the values he held dear. Also on today show, we read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about two little girls who raised nearly $2,000 at their lemonade stand to help the family of a fallen police officer. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid the debates over Big Tech companies and censorship, a new social media platform has emerged to champion free speech. The platform GETTR officially launched on July 4 with a mission of “fighting cancel culture, promoting commonsense, defending free speech, challenging social media monopolies, and creating a true marketplace of ideas,” according to the platform's website. GETTR’s promise to users is “you're never going to be censored or deplatformed or cancel-cultured because of your political beliefs,” Jason Miller, a former aide to President Donald Trump and now the company's CEO, said on "The Daily Signal Podcast." Miller joins the show to explain why GETTR is a unique social media platform and to discuss Trump’s recently announced class-action lawsuit against Facebook, Twitter, and Google over censorship. We also cover these stories: Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra says it’s “absolutely our business” to know who has and has not been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government announce that fans will not be allowed to physically attend the Tokyo Olympics, which begin in two weeks, because of COVID-19. The former ethics chief under President Barack Obama speaks out against the current White House ethics plan for the sale of Hunter Biden’s art. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to fighting back against woke indoctrination and critical race theory in schools, Ian Prior is perhaps the happiest of warriors. Prior is executive director of Fight for Schools, an organization dedicated to exposing bad actors in the public school system in Loudoun County, Virginia and mobilizing parents to improve education for their children. “We want to have a school system where our teachers are shaping future leaders, mentally tough leaders, hardworking leaders, people that will do the best that they can to get where they need to be. And we don’t need to be dividing along these identity group lines,” Prior says. Prior joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss his fight against a woke school board and offer advice to others addressing these and similar issues in their school districts. We also cover these stories: Former President Donald Trump announces a class action lawsuit against tech giants Twitter, Facebook, and Google. President Joe Biden condemns the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and the wounding of his wife as a “heinous act.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets virtually with Uyghur Muslims detained in Chinese reeducation camps. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court last week ruled in favor of clean elections by upholding two Arizona voting laws designed to prevent fraud, the state's attorney general says. In a 6-3 decision, the high court upheld Arizona laws banning ballot harvesting and out-of-precinct voting. “[W]e need to recognize that the Constitution allows states to enact election integrity measures,” Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich says. “The framers of our Constitution understood that.” After the Supreme Court issued the ruling, President Joe Biden said he was “deeply disappointed” and promised to continue promoting Democrat-backed election legislation. But Brnovich says that his state's laws are designed to protect all votes and won’t negatively affect minority communities. “I think it's clear,” Brnovich says, “… that the left, the hard left, the DNC [Democratic National Committee], and other left-wing groups are trying to do everything they can to control the state election process because they think that will benefit them.” Brnovich joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain why this Supreme Court ruling is a victory for election integrity not only in Arizona but across the country. We also cover these stories: Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of The New York Times' much-disputed 1619 Project, declines a tenured position at the University of North Carolina. A D.C. man appeals to the Supreme Court to block a federal mask mandate for travelers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, contending it is unconstitutional. Ibram X. Kendi, author of the book “How to Be an Antiracist,” is scheduled to speak Wednesday at the national convention of the American Federation of Teachers. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Beardsley served his country in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army Special Forces before taking the helm as executive director of the Association of the United States Navy. Today, he’s speaking out to urge military leaders to focus on their primary mission of defending America—not advancing the left’s woke agenda. Beardsley recently wrote a commentary for The Daily Signal about the challenges of readiness and morale in the U.S. Navy. “Wokeness is well on its way to poisoning our military, even as it claims the military is moving toward utopia,” Beardsley says. He tells The Daily Signal that his own military experience taught him radical ideas like critical race theory have no place in our armed forces. “In a firefight,” Beardsley says, “the one question that never occurred to me was, ‘Do I have enough black guys on the guns down behind me?’ Or, ‘Do I have enough Puerto Ricans on this side?’ Nobody cares. We want talented service members who honor the flag and respect the heritage of this country.” Following his military service, Beardsley co-founded and was CEO of a patriotic clothing company called The Underground Movement. He tells The Daily Signal about his love of America and the work he’s doing at the Association of the United States Navy. Listen to the interview or read a lightly edited transcript below. Also on today's show, we read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about a brand new patriotic song written and produced by a high school teacher. Listen to the song here. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob O’Donnell is a former New York City Police Department detective who was involved with the response to, and rescue efforts in, the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, as well as the response to 9/11. He joins "The Daily Signal Podcast” to talk about the 4th of July, patriotism, the contempt some show for the American flag, and how he would encourage Americans to embrace patriotism. "We promised on the 4th of July to become a more perfect union, and each American owes it to this nation to do their part to make this country a better union, to make us a better nation, to make us a better people, to make us the shining light of the world, which we are," O'Donnell says. "There's no doubt we are. It falls on dark times lately with all the rhetoric that goes on, but it's up to the individual citizen of America, the person who lives here, the people who came here to make this their country, to pay into that philosophy that we are a more perfect union and we strive to be more perfect union." We also cover these stories: The Supreme Court upholds two of Arizona’s election-integrity laws. The high court also rules in favor of charities against California's attempt to compel them to disclose their donors to the state's attorney general. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visit the site of the Miami condo collapse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Loudoun County, Virginia, has become the nucleus of a growing movement of parents and educators united against teaching Critical Race Theory, a philosophy that categorizes individuals into groups of oppressors and victims based on their race, in school. Michael Rivera, a father of two from Loudoun County, is an outspoken advocate against Critical Race Theory and other proposed leftist policies coming from the Loudoun County school board. "As I delve more into the actual academic writings of critical race theory, it gets more and more concerning and scarier because it doesn't seem like there is any point at which there is atonement for being an oppressor," Rivera says "or if there is any way to resolve the issues that are supposed to be systematic without essentially tearing down all of the social constructs and all of the norms and government and education." Rivera joins The Daily Signal Podcast to discuss how leftist policies have affected him and his children, as well as what he and other parents are doing to fight back. We also cover these stories: The Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rochelle Walensky says that fully vaccinated people are protected against the COVID-19 variants and do not need to wear a mask. President Joe Biden issues directives on addressing wildfires in the West announcing that the administration will have annual briefings as wildfire season starts. Four more bodies are found in the rubble of the Miami condo collapse. The Miss Nevada crown is given to a person who identifies as transgender for the first time. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the media goes, so goes the nation, to borrow from the old adage. The cultural influence of media—including movies, TV shows, and YouTube videos—is being felt with greater significance today than arguably any other time in history. James Fitzgerald founded ColdWater Media to promote the values so many Americans hold dear. The political “left has done a really good job of building business models around indoctrinating our kids,” Fitzgerald says. Fitzgerald uses film to explore some of the biggest issues and questions facing culture today, covering topics ranging from history and philosophy to education and economics. He joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss the mission of ColdWater Media and some of the company's latest projects, including a series sharing the history of all the American holidays. Today's show also features an interview with John Papola, the CEO, creative director, and cofounder of the media company Emergent Order. Papola explains how he uses rap, humor, and storytelling to communicate American values through film. We also cover these stories: California Attorney General Rob Bonta says the state will no longer fund travel to Arkansas, Florida, Montana, North Dakota, or West Virginia, arguing that these states have taken harmful actions against the LGBT community. Los Angeles County asks that people wear masks indoors and in public places due to the spreading of the delta variant of the coronavirus. Lawmakers criticize U.S. athlete Gwen Berry for turning her back to the American flag during the singing of the National Anthem at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a teenager, Ken Williams walked into a Christian bookstore looking for resources to help him overcome his same-sex attraction. He found none. Now, years later, Williams has authored “The Journey Out: How I Followed Jesus Away From Gay” to help other individuals seeking to leave homosexuality or struggling with same-sex attraction. The “book is for those that want a way out … ,” Williams says. “I'm not speaking to the people that are content with an LGBTQ life. But there are so many that are not fulfilled with that. It doesn't scratch the itch. And so for those that it's like, ‘This feels impossible. I feel disconnected from God over it,’ I'm telling you, it does not have to be that way.” Today, Williams is married with four children and is passionate about helping others find the freedom they desire. Williams is also a pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, California, and leads the Changed Movement with Elizabeth Woning, a Christian organization that works with people who are seeking to leave a homosexual lifestyle. Williams joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share his personal story and to explain how Christians can support those struggling with same-sex attraction. We also cover these stories: Former President Donald Trump has harsh words for his former attorney general, William Barr. The Supreme Court says it won't hear a case appealing a lower court’s decision involving bathroom access for a since-graduated transgender student. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., says he has a plan to crack down on Big Tech companies. 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 Silicon Valley, Martin Avila taught himself how to be a computer programmer and started a website development company when he was in high school. Even then, his politics didn't mesh with the dominant far-left ideas of California's tech hub. Today, he's offering customers an an alternative in the marketplace of internet services—from application development to web hosting. His company is called RightForge, and it's a much-needed alternative at a time when Americans increasingly find themselves deplatformed and censored by Big Tech. "I've got friends who are like, 'We need to rebuild Salesforce. We need to rebuild MailChimp.' And I said, 'That's exactly right. We do.' But in order to stand up those things, we needed the hard infrastructure," Avila says. "And that's what RightForge is. It's the ability for those companies to be created on the hard assets distributed across the globe." Avila spoke to The Daily Signal about his plans for RightForge and why he's optimistic about marketplace solutions to Big Tech behemoths. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can the culture of the current news cycle—never ending and never positive—be tempered? Jonathan Grella, the founder of JAG Public Affairs and Daily Malarkey, has some ideas. "We really think that there is a place in the market for 'snark brevity,' as we call it. Like Axios coined the phrase, 'smart brevity,' and we do 'snark brevity,'" Grella said. "There's a lot of competition for people's attention nowadays. So, you've got to be quick and to the point and in order to get and keep people's attention, you have to be creative and clever. So, we bring those couple of things together." "It's not terribly difficult to come up with inspirations for our daily email blast because there's just a deluge of malarkey out there that we can opine on and poke fun at," Grella adds. We also cover these stories: The New York Supreme Court has suspended the law license of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, saying that the former mayor made “demonstrably false and misleading statements” when he was representing former President Donald Trump in his efforts to contest the 2020 presidential election. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that House Democrats will soon create a special congressional committee to investigate the Jan. 6th capitol riot. A judge in Florida is halting a $4 billion relief program from the Biden administration for farmers that leaves out farmers who are white. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is no secret that the far left has infiltrated higher education. But Peter Wood, president of the National Association of Scholars, says his organization is doing all it can to expose the spread of woke ideology on America's college campuses. The National Association of Scholars operates a cancel culture tracker to document each time a faculty member at a college or university is canceled by his or her employer. The group now has tracked hundreds of cases, Wood says. "We decided once the numbers started to pile up that it would be a good thing to have one place where we can go to see how often this is happening," Wood says. "Virtually every week we get approached by another faculty member at some college or university saying, 'What can I do?'" Wood joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to explain the biggest issues he sees in higher education and what can be done to resolve them. He also discusses why the University of North Carolina denied tenure to Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of The New York Times' controversial 1619 Project. We also cover these stories: Vice President Kamala Harris will make her first trip to the U.S.-Mexico border as vice president on Friday. The Supreme Court sides with a high school cheerleader in an important free speech case. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says the state's schools will teach children about the evils of communism. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is “wokeness” in America today? How did we get here? Are "woke" corporations a threat to this country? What risk do we run if we don’t push back? Vivek Ramaswamy, the author of the forthcoming book "Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America's Social Justice Scam," joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss wokeness and the dangers it poses to American society and beyond. "If wokeism is a religion, then an employer can no longer force that religion down the throat of their employees any more than they could force down Christianity or Islam or any other religion. So, then, that raises the question of, well, 'Is wokeism a religion or not?'" Ramaswamy said. "And I think on the facts, the answer is abundantly clear ... . There are certain words you can't say, certain clothes you can't wear, certain apologies you must recite, and an excommunication that follows, whether or not you recite it," he added. We also cover these stories: The White House says it won't meet President Joe Biden’s coronavirus vaccine goal of vaccinating 70% of American adults by Independence Day on July 4. In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., reaffirms her stance on retaining the Senate filibuster. Black Lives Matter is criticizing Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., for his membership in a reportedly all-white beach club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy Lannom Wilhite is executive director at 2ndVote, which keeps track of major companies' positions on social issues such as the transgender agenda. "You wouldn't support [certain positions] at the ballot box with a candidate that you vote for, so why would you spend your dollars there?" asks Wilhite, who joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about how her organization helps Americans make consumer decisions based on their convictions. "We say your first vote is at the ballot box and your second vote is with your wallet," Wilhite says. "It's the power of what you have in your pocket and with the money that you spend. And we want to educate consumers so that they can shop their values [and] so that we can make change with all the corporate activism that's going on." We also cover these stories: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy calls for China to be held accountable for the COVID-19 pandemic. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court rules against the NCAA on the question of paying student athletes. New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard is set to be the first transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last August, as Americans watched the fallout from a police shooting in Kenosha, Wis., pastor James E. Ward Jr. found himself in a position to help. The victim, Jacob Blake, had been shot seven times in the back. Violence erupted in Kenosha. Ward, pastor and founder of INSIGHT Church in the north Chicago suburb of Skokie, Ill., turned to prayer. “I get this phone call on my cellphone from Julia Jackson,” Ward tells The Daily Signal. “Julia Jackson is one of our faithful intercessory-prayer team members in our church. Julia happens to be the mother of Jacob Blake Jr. … And we prayed that Jacob would live and not die. And we’re thankful that he’s alive today, and he’s doing well.” The shooting left Blake paralyzed below the waist. Yet both Jackson, Blake’s mother, and Ward, her pastor, decided “to speak a different narrative. We weren’t calling for a hatred. We weren’t calling for destruction. We’re calling for peace and speaking the love of God over the city. And it really went viral.” Ward rejects “victim mentality” and ideologies like critical race theory. He purposefully took a different approach from Black Lives Matter and found himself working with President Donald Trump last year. Now, he’s preaching this “new attitude” in a book called “Zero Victim.” Ward visited The Daily Signal to discuss “Zero Victim: Overcoming Injustice With a New Attitude” and his experience in Kenosha last year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When law enforcement cleared protesters from Lafayette Square last year, left-leaning media outlets immediately ran with the narrative that President Donald Trump had ordered the move so he could get a photo-op in front of nearby St. John’s Church. But a new inspector general’s report reveals the truth: Trump had nothing to do with the police action. Tim Murtaugh, who was communications director for Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, views this episode—as well as numerous other Trump-related stories that the media has had to retract—as one of the dangers of what he calls “pack journalism.” “No single reporter wants to be the only one going out and saying, ‘Hey, maybe this isn’t what everybody thinks it is,'” Murtaugh says. “So everybody stays in the same pack, they all report it the same way. And what do you know, almost every single time you’ve got all the media on one side, Donald Trump on the other side, and very often, those things fall apart.” Murtaugh joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss media malfeasance in reporting on Trump, why so-called mainstream outlets run cover for the radical left, and what conservatives can do to make sure they can find honest and high-quality news. We also cover these stories: The Supreme Court rules 9-9 that Catholic Social Services may keep putting children into foster homes in accord with its religious belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. In another decision, the high court votes 7-2 to uphold the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. The federal government will observe Juneteenth on Friday, as the observance becomes a national holiday celebrating the end of slavery in America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Public education in New York City is far from what it once was, Ian Rowe, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, says. “I had a great public school education in New York City kindergarten through 12th grade,” Rowe says. But today, he says, New York City's public schools aren't meeting the needs of students. He notes that in the South Bronx, for example, “only 2%" of students who started ninth grade in 2015 graduated from high school "ready for college." Different factors contributed to this decline, but with students struggling to read and do basic math, Rowe says, ideologies such as critical race theory serve only as a “distraction.” In 2022, Rowe says, he plans to launch Vertex Partnership Academies in the Bronx, a network of charter-based international baccalaureate high schools. Rowe joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss why he promotes school choice options in New York and to explain why critical race theory doesn't benefit students. We also cover these stories: President Biden meets the press in Geneva after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin dodges reporters' questions about his human rights record and Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says she is concerned by the leak of private taxpayer information to the media outlet ProPublica. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin McGary is the president of Every Black Life Matters, with emphasis on the "Every." McGary joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss the contrasts between the Black Lives Matters organization and his own group, how fatherlessness has adversely affected the black community, critical race theory, the racist origins of Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood, and more. "When we encounter people who are diehard BLMers, they usually say, 'Hey, ... black lives matter,'" McGary said. "And I go up to them, and I get in their face, and I say, 'You know what, to me, bro, every single black life matters.' And then I asked them, 'Now, does every single black life matter to you?' And then they're stuck. They're like, 'Ooh, this brother, he's coming with something.'" We also cover these stories: The House Oversight and Reform Committee releases emails revealing that the Trump White House put pressure on then-Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen to investigate voter fraud claims. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., defends the Trump administration's Justice Department for subpoenaing the phone and email records of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell, both California Democrats. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., apologizes for comparing the House speaker's requirement that members of Congress continue to wear a face mask against COVID-19 on the House floor with Jews being made to wear gold stars by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brenda Tillett is the founder and president of Stand Up Virginia. She joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about the new organization and how it’s working to hold rogue prosecutors accountable. "In Fairfax County, Steve Descano was funded by George Soros," Tillett says. Descano is the elected Fairfax County, Va., commonwealth's attorney. Soros is a leftist billionaire who funds a wide variety of left-wing candidates and causes. And there are four other rogue commonwealth's attorneys in Virginia who were also funded by George Soros. What they do is, they go in, and they completely dismantle law enforcement.And what do I mean by that? Well, for instance, Steve Descano has a policy that if you're a juvenile, meaning 17 years old, you will not have a public record. You won't have a criminal record.So if you want to get together with your friends who are gang members and beat up a 30-year-old man who's leaving a convenience store, bash his teeth in, leave him bleeding to die, Steve Descano will either bring that down to a misdemeanor or not prosecute you.Tillett joins the podcast to discuss all of that and more. Jeff Hunt, the director of the Lakewood, Colorado-based Centennial Institute, also joins "The Daily Signal Podcast." Hunt's organization this week is hosting the Western Conservative Summit, which includes "live speakers as well as mini-documentaries showcasing Western leaders, Western issues, and the beauty and majesty of the Western United States." We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden arrives at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Monday and reaffirms America's commitment to the North Atlantic alliance. Before his meeting with Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin tells NBC that he isn’t able to give his word as to whether or not Alexei Navalny, an opposition leader and critic of Putin, will leave prison alive. Republicans introduce a resolution to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and the other three members of "the Squad" for comments made last week likening the U.S. and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, and Andrew Mellon flourished because of America's free-enterprise system. Yet, the foundations that bear their names are today pursuing a much different agenda, warns Rick Graber, president and CEO of the Bradley Foundation and chairman of the Philanthropy Roundtable. "These foundations exist with their massive endowments because of these gentlemen that believed in free markets, took risks, and created just some incredible, incredible companies," Graber says. "It's hard to make the case that any of these foundations—Ford, Rockefeller, Mellon—are honoring donor intent. The founders would not be pleased." Graber recently wrote about the topic for The Daily Signal, "Woke Foundations Use Dollars Acquired Through Capitalism to Undermine Free Market Principles," warning about the implications for America's future. He joined me on "The Daily Signal Podcast." Also on today's show, we also read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about a Waffle House manager who went out of his way to make sure one of his youngest employees could attend his high school graduation. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Rubin, the host of "The Rubin Report" on YouTube and BlazeTV, was a liberal for many years before he realized the political left no longer represented him or his political views. “For me to tell you that I'm not a conservative at this point doesn't really make sense,” Rubin said. “It was a long ... journey to get there, but I don't mind saying it now.” Rubin began to question the political left when he saw that the same people who preached tolerance were not willing to accept those who did not embrace the radical ideologies the left was promoting. Rubin, who is also the author of "Don't Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Unreason," joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss how wokeness infiltrated progressivism and why he chose to walk away from the left. We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meet to confer on a new Atlantic Charter, which details eight different areas of collaboration between the U.S. and U.K. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., is seeking to join the Congressional Black Caucus, but Democrats are reportedly blocking his membership. House Democrats call out Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for saying the U.S. and Israel are similar to Hamas and the Taliban. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arguably no philosopher had a greater influence on America's founding than John Locke, says Joseph Loconte, director of the Center for American Studies at The Heritage Foundation. Locke’s ideas about property and freedom helped to shape America as the Founders drew on his ideas when they wrote the nation's founding documents. “[T]here was no philosopher who was quoted more often than John Locke by the American revolutionaries,” Loconte told “The Daily Signal Podcast.” An expert on Locke, Loconte is presenting a paper this week on the English philosopher and the biblical roots of American democracy at the virtual John Locke Conference in Naples, Italy. Loconte joins the show to discuss what advice Locke (1632-1704) would offer to America today and why the philosopher's writings remain so relevant to the American experiment. We also discuss these stories: The Biden administration rescinds former President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting the Chinese-owned apps TikTok and WeChat. Former President Barack Obama praises his daughters, Malia and Sasha, for their social activism. The New York Times comes under criticism after editorial board member Mara Gay tells MSNBC that seeing “dozens of American flags” on Long Island was “disturbing.” The newspaper insists she was "taken out of context." Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Meckler stepped in as Parler’s interim CEO after Amazon, Google, and Apple essentially canceled the social media platform. Meckler says he didn't intend to become CEO of Parler when he called the company in January to ask if he could help, but recognized the gravity of the situation and wanted to do all he could to defend free speech. “Parler was the point of the spear,” says Meckler, a former leader of Tea Party Patriots who is also president of Citizens for Self-Governance. “And if we allowed Big Tech and the Big Tech oligarchs to take Parler offline and leave it offline permanently, [these tech companies were drawing] a line in the sand that we might never be able to cross again.” Conservatives must be prepared to respond to opposition from Big Tech companies, he says, because “any conservative, whether you're a conservative business person or you're running a nonprofit organization,” is susceptible to what happened to Parler. Meckler joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss his stint as Parler’s CEO and how the platform ultimately was restored. We also cover these stories: Vice President Kamala Harris defends the fact that she has not yet visited the southern border amid the ongoing border crisis. A bipartisan group of senators announces release of the first congressional report detailing security failures that led to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee ask Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate an Antifa attack on journalist Andy Ngo. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Ted Cruz joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss his recent trip to Israel to observe the fighting that's been occurring in the region between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group. We discuss how Hamas has a headquarters in the basement of a hospital, effectively using innocent people as human shields. "It's their own terrorists killing their own people, because they wanted to kill Israeli civilians, but they just weren't very good at it, and shot their own people instead," Cruz, R-Texas, told The Daily Signal. "The press utterly ignores that," Cruz said. "The other civilians that are injured are predominantly the result of a decision that Hamas made to use Palestinians as human shields. So, they deliberately fire their weapons, fire their rockets from heavily populated civilian areas into heavily populated civilian areas. "It's actually a double war crime. Shooting in a civilian area is a war crime, but shooting from civilian areas is also a war crime," the Texas Republican lawmaker said. "The Hamas headquarters was in the basement of a hospital in Gaza," Cruz said, adding: This is a Palestinian hospital. And here's the calculation Hamas is making: It's a win-win. Either the [Israeli Defense Forces] will refrain from attacking their headquarters, in which case, that's great. That's what they want. Or in the alternative, if the IDF does attack the headquarters, it will kill a significant number of Palestinians, and they're literally using Palestinian women and newborn babies.We also cover these stories: The Supreme Court rules unanimously Monday that immigrants who came into the country illegally and were subsequently allowed to stay under temporary protected status can't get green cards or lawful permanent status. The Supreme Court declines to hear arguments in a case that could have required women to register for the military draft. As usual, the court did not specify why they chose to punt on the case, but did say they defer to Congress on the issue. Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, and his brother Mark will be traveling to space on the inaugural crewed flight of New Shepard, a rocket system created by Bezos’ aerospace company Blue Origin. “The Daily Signal Podcast” is available on Ricochet, Apple Podcasts, Pippa, Google Play, and Stitcher. All of our podcasts can be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts. If you like what you hear, please leave a review. You also can write to us at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chuck DeVore moved his family from California to Texas a decade ago. The move was prompted by several factors, including “seeing [California] drifting further and further to the left,” he said. Today, many people are making the same decision DeVore, vice president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, made and are leaving California for the Lone Star State. That raises the question: Will Texas be pulled to the left by all the people moving there? Initial data suggests that it won't be. “People come here for their own, very deeply personal reasons,” DeVore said. “And you can't assume that because someone came here from a blue state that they're going to have liberal views.” Polling reveals that many people who move to Texas from California support conservative candidates in elections. That could change at any time, though, he warns. DeVore joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the ways in which his organization is working to keep Texas, Texas. He also explains what might be next for the recent election reform bill that failed in the [Texas Legislature] when Democrats walked out of the session, preventing a vote on the legislation. Also on today’s show, we read your letters to the editor and share a few highlights from The Heritage Foundation’s recent Resource Bank conference in Austin, Texas. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Michael McCaul says the United States needs to hold China accountable for COVID-19. The Texas Republican joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss how we might do that. "I think it's becoming more and more clear as the evidence unfolds, when we talk about the origins of COVID-19, that it's more likely it came out of this laboratory," McCaul said of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China. "And the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party went to cover this up: Detaining doctors, silencing them, destroying lab samples, not allowing the [World Health Organization] to declare it an epidemic, then a global pandemic. They have the blood of 3.5 million people on their hands, and economic chaos and destruction throughout the world." We also cover these stories: The Biden administration announces Thursday that it is sending 25 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine abroad to nations in need. The cases of COVID-19 have fallen to the lowest levels since March 2020. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs legislation to discourage Texas communities from defunding their police department. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Chip Roy recently introduced a bill to withhold federal funds from any schools that teach critical race theory. The Texas Republican lawmaker joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about the bill, how critical race theory is affecting what children learn in schools, what can parents do to make sure their kids aren’t being taught critical race theory, the illegal immigration crisis at the border, and more. "What now the American people are seeing is they've had the veil lifted on our corrupt public education system," said Roy, whose bill would apply to both elementary and secondary schools as well as higher education. "They're now actually starting to see the garbage that's being taught and shoved down the throat of our children," he said. "And part of that garbage has been critical race theory and all of the various tentacles that critical race theory creates, in which we are teaching our children to believe that America is evil, to be ashamed of "their whiteness." And how they can undo their whiteness. There are so many stories if you go look." We also cover these stories: Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is speaking out about newly unearthed emails from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden. Both Buzzfeed and The Washington Post obtained emails via a Freedom of Information Act request. The Republican National Committee is putting pressure on the Commission on Presidential Debates to ensure that presidential debates are nonpartisan. Rashad Turner, the founder of the Black Lives Matter chapter in St. Paul, Minnesota, leaves the organization over policy disagreements. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Louisiana high school teacher Jonathan Koeppel spoke out recently against the gender-identity ideology being promoted at his school. A video of his remarks at a school board meeting quickly went viral. During the meeting in April, Koeppel played an audio clip for the school board from an education app the school uses, called “BrainPop,” in which students were advised to refer to individuals as “they” if the student didn't know that individual's "preferred" pronouns. "I would have thought that this is only happening in California or in New Jersey, New York, and the more progressive—what I would call—progressive states," said Koeppel, who teaches in the St. Tammany Parish Public Schools system. Not only is the school allowing a far-left ideology to be pushed on children, but it’s also teaching students incorrect grammar, he said. Koeppel joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain why he chose to speak out and how the school board, parents, and other teachers responded to his remarks. We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden gives a speech in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on closing the racial wealth gap. Former President Barack Obama says that Biden is finishing the work of his administration. In a message for gay pride month, Biden calls out former President Donald Trump and conservative states for passing legislation that banned biological males from participating in girls and women’s sports. 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-leaning media sometimes uses the news to promote an agenda, independent journalist Drew Holden says. Holden has become known for his Twitter threads, in which he shows how news coverage changes depending on whether the subject is a liberal or a conservative. "What we've seen in the last couple of years," Holden says, "is a more activist stance in newsrooms to say, 'We actually have a moral duty and a fiduciary obligation to the people who read our stories, to not bring them this kind of both-sides conversation, and to instead home in on the truth,' particularly if it is opposed to someone like Donald Trump." Holden joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to shine a light on just how bad media malfeasance is, what the resulting misinformation means for society, and how conservatives can reclaim a place in the media ecosystem. Also on today’s show, we read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about Korean War veteran Ralph Puckett, who recently received the Medal of Honor at age 94. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Memorial Day, America honors the more than 1 million men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. Robert Wilkie, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs in the Trump administration, says Americans owe a great debt because without those who laid down their lives, “we wouldn't have very much to stand on.” Wilkie, who grew up in a military family, learned from a young age that freedom has a cost. Also a former undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, he says it is imperative that young Americans are taught U.S. history and the values of our nation. Otherwise, he says, they won't understand why America is worth fighting for. Wilkie, now a visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation, our parent organization, joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the history of Memorial Day and how we can honor those who fell in defending our freedoms. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corporate wokeness increasingly is becoming part of American society. Justin Danhof, general counsel for the National Center for Public Policy Research, argues that Americans can and should stand up to woke ideology. "The shareholder base of even large companies that are woke, like Facebook, Alphabet, Nike, they're not monolithically left, but that's what the vote looks like," Danhof says. "The management of those companies, they have freedom to take stances against conservative values, because that's what the vote looks like." Danhof joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss what conservative shareholders can do. We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden proposes a $6 trillion budget for fiscal year 2022, a senior administration official tells CNN. Senate Republicans unveil a $928 billion infrastructure proposal to counter the White House’s $1.7 trillion plan. USA Today removed the word “male” from an op-ed by Chelsea Mitchell on competing against transgender athletes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conservative movement needs to be aware that a “propaganda war” is being waged on America. “Policy obviously matters," John Tillman, chairman and CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute, says. “That's what all of us are trying to advance ... the foundational principles of the founding of this country, and what advances human freedom and human flourishing. That's our product, but we're doing this in a wartime environment.” Through his work at the Illinois Policy Institute and The Heritage Foundation's Feulner Institute, Tillman is seeking to advance pro-American policies in ways that resonate with all Americans. Tillman joins “The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss the importance of advancing pro-American policies and how conservatives can use social media and other mediums to promote a message of freedom. We also cover these stories: Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., and 29 other GOP members send a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asking him to take action against the “left-wing extremism” in America's military. Tennessee becomes the latest state in America to ban critical race theory from being taught in public schools. Chip and Joanna Gaines of the famed HGTV show "Fixer Upper" are making headlines for a recent campaign contribution. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tuvia Tenenbom, a bestselling author, playwright, journalist, and founder of the Jewish Theater of New York, has traveled the world to understand increasing antisemitism. He documents his experiences in his latest book “The Taming of the Jew.” Recent fighting between Israel and Hamas has brought the issue to the forefront with more than two dozen antisemitic attacks reported in the United States since May 10. Tenenbom attributes this troubling trend to the pro-Palestinian organization Black Lives Matter and its supporters on the American left and in the news media. Tenenbom, 64, also speaks about the antisemitism he personally has experienced. Publishers in America and Europe rejected “The Taming of the Jew,” prompting him to seek an Israel-based company. Now he is speaking out against cancel culture and urging Americans to take action before it’s too late. We also cover these stories: Moderna announces that its COVID-19 vaccine appears to be safe for youth. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy condemns statements by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene comparing mask and vaccine requirements to what Jews faced during the Holocaust. "Fast and Furious" actor and pro wrestler John Cena apologizes to China for calling Taiwan a country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humberto Lopez came to this country legally as an immigrant with his family. He joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss why his family came to America, his initial thoughts about it, and more. "The American dream is still attainable as long as we have capitalism," Lopez says, adding: Big government, it's getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And I think that's going to take away the opportunities for a lot of the dreams [that] a lot of us would have had 50, 60 years ago. It's making it harder and harder. I got a video the other day, it's called 'The Great Reset,' where you won't own anything, but you'll be happy. Well, sure you'd be happy if they give you a home, free education, universal pay, college tuition free, and you stay home and don't do anything. Yeah, you're going to be very happy. But those of us that want to work hard for the American dream, it's going to make it harder and harder. We're going to be working for the government.We also cover these stories: The Biden administration rebukes Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko following the forcing-down of a Ryanair flight and arrest of a dissident journalist in Minsk in what the airline called a “state-sponsored hijacking.” President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris speak out against antisemitism in America. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs a bill aimed at preventing social media companies from "deplatforming" users and fighting online censorship. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Murtaugh served as communications director for President Donald Trump's re-election campaign last year, witnessing firsthand how a single tweet could dominate the news cycle. Now, with Trump banished from social media platforms, the former president is still finding a way to wield his influence. Through daily postings on current events and political issues, Trump is once again commanding attention. Murtaugh, a visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation and Daily Signal contributor, explains what it means on the latest episode of "The Daily Signal Podcast." "President Trump absolutely has a way of throwing a wrench into a news cycle if he so chooses," Murtaugh tells me. "And as much as the media likes to pretend that, oh, they hate President Trump and they're tired of the tone and the mean tweets and all that stuff, they can't get enough. And so when he puts out statements, it really does roil the news cycle for that given day." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yael Eckstein and her family, who live in Israel, have heard rockets explode day and night for nearly two weeks. Eckstein, who leads the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, lives near Jerusalem with her husband and four children. She says the most recent Hamas-Israel conflict has affected her family, and all of Israel, in a deeply personal way. “In the past 10 days, we have been living in our bomb shelters," Eckstein says, adding: “Just today alone, for an hour straight, there were just rocket barrages on Israeli cities.” As president and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Eckstein oversees a team that is providing humanitarian aid to Israelis. The organization has set up mobile bomb shelters across the country. Eckstein joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain what life is like in Israel now and what America and the world should know about the conflict with Hamas. *Please note that the interview with Eckstein was recorded before Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire. We also cover these stories: The House of Representatives passes a $1.9 billion bill to improve security at the Capitol in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot. Nearly half of the states reject "enhanced" federal unemployment benefits in an effort to encourage their residents to return to work. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, signs into law a measure preventing school officials from forcing students and staff to wear any type of mask or face covering while in school. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a recent trip to the U.S.-Mexico border, Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., saw young girls who had been gang-raped on the journey to America. In one case, Cammack says, a Border Patrol agent "pointed out a 9-year-old girl" at a processing facility in Donna, Texas. The girl "came up to me and she had tears in her eyes," the Florida Republican recalls, adding: She looked extremely distraught and I was asking her her name. She was really struggling to tell me her name. I asked her where she was from, and I kept hearing this really broken crackle. And I asked the Border Patrol agent. I said, "Is she just very upset? What's going on?"And he pulled me aside and he said, "Ma'am, we found this young girl in the fields. She was being gang-raped by cartel members. And she had been screaming so loud for so long that her vocal cords have given out."This is a 9-year-old girl who had been recycled by the cartels, meaning they are children that are sent along to escort single adults to the border so that they can get through the processing, because they don't run biometrics on children under the age of 12.Cammack joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to describe this encounter as well as share her perspective on the situation at the border. We also cover these stories: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says he opposes Democrats' “slanted” bill to create a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. President Joe Biden speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about his nation's latest conflict with the terrorist group Hamas. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot appears to be granting interviews only to black or Hispanic journalists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices