The Daily Signal

In April, the Biden-Harris administration finalized a rule requiring foster parents to affirm a child’s gender ideology. “The provider must commit to establishing an environment that supports the child’s LGBTQI+ status or identity,” according to the rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. The policy, according to Herbie Newell, president and executive director of Lifeline Children’s Services, “made people of faith into a different category of foster and adoptive parent, saying that because they didn't give in to this pro-radical LGBTQ+ agenda, that they couldn't foster any child with gender dysphoria or any child that might be having any questions about their LGBTQ status.” “Faith-based Christian people were put on the sidelines and not able to participate in our foster care and adoption system in the same way,” according to Newell. With over 350,000 children in the U.S. foster care system, and over 100,000 of whom are waiting to be adopted, Newell says he is hopeful the incoming Trump administration will roll back these “oppressive administrative rulings.” During Trump’s first administration, there was a sense that “the problem is way too big for us to exclude anyone from the table,” Newell said, noting that he was invited to “West Wing of the White House three times during [Trump’s] presidency.” During the Biden administration, Newell said neither he nor any other faith-based adoption leaders that he knows of were extended such an invitation. Newell joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the adoption and foster care policy changes he hopes to see under a second Trump administration. He also explains the ramifications of China’s decision to end international adoptions to the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, Russia fired an intermediate range ballistic missile at Ukraine. The missile, according to nuclear deterrence and missile defense expert Robert Peters, is designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads, sending a clear message to Washington to “knock it off.” Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, America has told Ukraine that it could use the provided weapons only within the “borders of Ukraine to expel the Russian forces,” says Peters, who before becoming a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation served as the lead strategist at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Then, in mid-November, President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to hit targets inside Russia. Ukraine wasted no time in firing one. Almost immediately afterward, Russia issued a new doctrine on its use of nuclear weapons. As Peters summarizes it, Russia warns “that if anyone conducts deep, penetrating strikes inside of Russia to include using conventional missiles or aircraft or even drones, Russia reserves the right to respond with nuclear weapons.” Russia also said that a nation that supplied the weapons also could become the target of a retaliatory nuclear strike by Russia. Russia’s decision to fire the ballistic missile Thursday at Ukraine can be considered a “mock nuclear strike,” Peters says. Russian President Vladimir Putin “doesn't want a nuclear war,” Peters says. “He doesn't want to fight the United States. But he really, really can't stand that we're giving [Ukraine] these kinds of precise, long-range, deep-penetrating strike capabilities. And he's trying to get us to stop, and he may be willing to use these [nuclear] weapons. It's hard to say.” Peters joins this episode of “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss how the U.S. should proceed in its foreign policy with Ukraine, why a nuclear war would look different than many Americans imagine, and the likelihood that World War III might be approaching.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Special Council Jack Smith has taken action to drop all charges against Donald Trump.  It appears that Israel and Lebanon have reached a ceasefire agreement. The agreement would end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.  The pentagon has lost $2.5 trillion.  Relevant Links: https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/11/25/pentagon-lost-track-2-5-trillion/ Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special interview edition of "The Daily Signal Podcast," Rob Bluey interviews Jonathan Baron, founder of Baron Public Affairs and host of "The Political Risk Brief" podcast.Baron reveals his firm's groundbreaking research on the conservative influencers who helped fuel Trump's electoral victory using a parallel conservative media ecosystem that bypassed traditional outlets. He details the three key groups of influencers—amplifiers, specialists, and mavericks—who shaped the media narrative.Baron believes four major "betrayals" of the American public set the stage for Trump's rise. Since then, Trump has used his unique abilities to position himself as a "centrist" while still taking strong stances on controversial issues.Listen to learn more about the new media landscape and how it will impact Trump's second term.Keep tabs on Baron's work by subscribing to "The Political Risk Brief" podcast: https://www.baronpa.com/the-political-risk-brief/Sign up for our email newsletters: https://www.dailysignal.com/emailSubscribe to our other shows:The Tony Kinnett Cast: https://www.dailysignal.com/the-tony-kinnett-castProblematic Women: https://www.dailysignal.com/problematic-womenThe Signal Sitdown: https://www.dailysignal.com/the-signal-sitdownThanks for making “The Daily Signal Podcast” your trusted source for the day’s top news. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German theologian, a pastor, an anti-Nazi dissident, and a spy who took part in an assassination plot against Adolf Hitler. Bonhoeffer, an author himself, has had many books written about his life and now, his story is being told on the big screen. This Thanksgiving, Angel Studios is bringing “Bonhoeffer” to theaters. “The beauty of Bonhoeffer's story is that it shows what a real Christian should be like, and it shows a failed church, so you see both,” Camille Kampouris, one of the film’s producers, told The Daily Signal Podcast. Because of this duality, Kampouris says the film should appeal “to everyone.” Kampouris and her husband, Emmanuel Kampouris, set out to make a film about Bonhoeffer's life a decade ago with the famous last words, “how hard could it be.” Camille and Emmanuel Kampouris join “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share about the long, and sometimes harrowing, journey of making the movie, and what they hope audiences take from it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's top news:Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and prosecutor for nearly 20 years, is Trump’s new pick for U.S. attorney general. Trump specifically hailed Bondi as a force against the weaponization of the federal government against conservatives.Trump scored a “decisive win” today in a New York courtroom. Judge Juan Merchan won’t hold a sentencing hearing next week as planned. Instead, today the embattled judge granted the Trump legal team’s request to file a motion to dismiss the case.Senator Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota, introduced a bill that would eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. It’s called the Returning Education to Our States Act, and it could serve as the legislative vehicle to carry out Trump’s promise.Plus, coming up tomorrow our special Saturday interview edition, my colleague Virginia Allen speaks with Camille and Emmanuel Kampouris, producers of the new movie about German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer.Thanks for making “The Daily Signal Podcast” your trusted source for the day’s top news. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nuclear power stands at a critical crossroads in America. With growing demands for electricity and a desire from the incoming Trump administration to bolster America’s energy independence, nuclear energy has the potential to transform our future.So what’s preventing the United States from experiencing a nuclear revolution?In a groundbreaking new book, Heritage Foundation senior research fellow Jack Spencer argues nuclear power can be a dynamic, market-driven energy source—but only if government gets out of the way.“Nuclear Revolution: Powering the Next Generation” (Optimum Publishing International) makes the case that regulatory barriers have made nuclear power unnecessarily expensive rather than the economically competitive energy source it should be.Purchase your copy: https://www.heritage.org/NuclearRevolutionToday, a maze of outdated regulations are stifling innovation while doing little to enhance safety.Spencer spoke with The Daily Signal to explain the challenges facing the nuclear industry and how it could power America in the future.Subscribe to Spencer’s podcast, “The Power Hour”: https://www.heritage.org/the-power-hour Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name as Trump’s Attorney General nominee.  President Joe Biden quietly awarded the ​​former CEO of Planned Parenthood with the nation's highest civilian award, according to Life News.  The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu.  Relevant LinksListen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcastsSign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Laken Riley’s murderer was convicted and sentenced.  A new bill would ban biological males from all federal women’s bathrooms.  President Elect Donald Trump announced the nominations of Linda McMahon and Michael Whitaker. The majority of American medical societies have released statements infusing political ideology into their missions. The United States shut its embassy in Kyiv. Relevant LinksListen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcastsSign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices