The Daily Signal

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: A Biden-Harris rule enables families to lose their kids to gender ideology. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, brings up his faith in an attempt to deny his own voting record on men who identify as transgender competing in women’s sports. Drugstore chain Walgreens is closing 1,200 stores over the next 3 years.  A recent Cygnal poll in two “bellwether counties” shows that Donald Trump may be leading in Pennsylvania. Americans’ trust in the mass media falls to a record low leading up to the Nov. 5 election. Relevant Linkshttps://www.dailysignal.com/2024/10/15/pennsylvania-polls-show-trump-could-win-battleground/https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/10/15/im-christian-democrat-appeals-his-faith-denying-his-record-voting-men-womens-sports/https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/10/16/relentless-growth-obama-era-foster-care-policy-unmasks-transgender-orthodoxys-inherent-threat-parental-rights/Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/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

State leaders in Indiana have taken significant steps to divest from China and from the environmental, social, and governance agenda. “We have the good fortune in Indiana to have a Legislature that is on top of making sure that we divest from Chinese entities and from ESG-focused funds,” Indiana state Comptroller Elise Nieshalla says. The ESG agenda has benefited China through its promotion of solar and wind energy, and electric vehicle batteries, all which China mass produces. While some state asset managers are promoting investment in solar panels and EV batteries for electric vehicles in the name of “clean energy,” Nieshalla contends the methods China is using to produce those goods are far from clean. “I think we have seen a true hypocrisy,” she says, “because while … the whole ESG movement has been putting intense pressure on the United States toward renewable energy and to move away from reliable energy—i.e., coal, oil and gas—they are making significant investments in fossil fuels in China, India, Brazil, and [those nations] do not implement the clean energy technology that we do with fossil fuels.” The energy agenda moving away from coal, oil, and gas is not only benefiting China, but also harming the U.S. economy at a time when the U.S. is burdened with a national debt of more than $35 trillion. Nieshalla joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the ways Indiana has successfully divested from China and the ESG agenda, and how other states can follow suit.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: The labor union representing border patrol agents endorses Trump. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are neck and neck in Michigan.  The United States will deploy troops and an advanced anti-missile system to Israel.  Nevada forces girls to compete against biological male despite wishes. Poll shows most Americans oppose tax increases. Relevant Linkshttps://www.dailysignal.com/2024/10/09/government-jobs-booming-while-private-sector-continues-lose-ground/https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/10/09/overseas-voting-sparks-litigation-in-these-battleground-states/https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/10/09/tax-hike-harris-trump-confront-big-decision-president/Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/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

French teacher Peter Vlaming was fired in 2018 for shunning the use of pronouns to refer to a transgender-identifying student. On Sept. 30, the West Point School Board in Virginia agreed to pay him $575,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees."I'm so relieved that our basic fundamental rights of freedom of expression, of freedom of religion have been formally upheld," Vlaming told The Daily Signal.The School Board cleared Vlaming’s termination from his record and changed its policies to conform to the new Virginia education policies established by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Va.Vlaming is a Christian, so he believes God created male and female. Still, the teacher was willing to respect the rights of his students to disagree.When one of his female students started identifying as male, Vlaming avoided referring to her with pronouns, instead using her preferred name. On Halloween of 2018, his students participated in a virtual reality tour of French catacombs, during which the transgender-identifying student almost ran into a wall. "Don't let her hit the wall!" Vlaming called out instinctively.The student called her parents, who complained to the school. Vlaming was placed on administrative leave and given an ultimatum that he would be fired if he didn't use preferred personal pronouns. Vlaming refused to comply and was fired.Nearly six years later, Vlaming, represented by the religious liberty nonprofit law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, won his case."Stand your ground with love," Vlaming advises other teachers. "Stand your ground. Live truthfully with love. You'll give others courage as well. At least that's what I hope and pray for." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The far-left’s obsession with canceling Christopher Columbus does not have as much to do with the man, but rather what he represents, according to historian Jarrett Stepman. Efforts to cancel men like Columbus come from “cultural Marxists who thought that you need to change American culture to truly change our policies at the highest level," says Stepman, a columnist for The Daily Signal and author of "The War on History: The Conspiracy to Rewrite America's Past." Stepman joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the history of Columbus Day and the role the explorer played in the opening of the “transatlantic exchange that led to the creation of the United States.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Constantino grew up in Amsterdam, New York, at a time when the city was bustling with activity. In the years that followed, however, many of the manufacturing jobs disappeared, leaving its factories empty and its residents without work.Rather than flee upstate New York, Constantino instead co-founded Sticker Mule in 2010. The company makes products ranging from magnets and stickers (hence the name) to buttons and T-shirts. Today, it employs about 1,000 people in the Amsterdam area.And until recently, Sticker Mule was known for its products—not its politics.That changed on the day former President Donald Trump survived an assassin’s bullet. Fed up with the hatred toward Trump, Constantino posted on Sticker Mule’s X account an appeal to “help end the hate.” In that post on the night of July 13, he also declared his support for Trump."I've been seeing the hate directed at President Trump and his supporters for the last eight years. And I don't like it,” Constantino told The Daily Signal in an interview Friday. “When a bullet hit President Trump, I spoke up, and I've been doing everything I can to try to stop the hate.”Since that fateful night in July, Constantino hasn’t slowed down. This week, he unveiled a massive 100-foot-wide sign atop his Amsterdam factory along the Mohawk River. He spoke with The Daily Signal about the sign—and the controversy that ensued—for a special episode of our podcast.Illuminated in white and red letters, the “Vote for Trump” sign nearly landed Constantino in jail for allegedly violating zoning rules and distracting drivers.“As soon as the local Democrat mayor heard about the excitement and the enthusiasm for the sign, he got a restraining order issued against me, blocking me from displaying the sign under threat of jail time,” Constantino explained. “My lawyer said, Anthony, if you show that sign, you're going to end up in jail. I thought they were joking; they were serious.”A judge’s last-minute order spared him.Monday’s celebration proceeded as planned with thousands of onlookers. Constantino’s new political action committee—Sticker PAC—produced a video casting the controversy as a “fight for free speech.”Even if Constantino’s advocacy for Trump displeases some of Sticker Mule’s customers, the CEO isn’t planning to stay silent when it comes to politics.“I'm very proud of my organization for the way they've handled all this and they've endured all this. They stayed focused on doing exciting things for our customers, exciting things for the business,” he said. “Everyone stuck by my side. We haven't lost a single employee."Constantino told The Daily Signal that he remains motivated to stop the political division in America and bring the country together. He believes Trump is the leader who can do it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Lewis, a former Pennsylvania state representative, is the new president at the Commonwealth Foundation, the state's premier public policy organization. He stepped into the job in September, just as America turned its attention to the Keystone State, which will play a decisive role in the 2024 election.In an interview with The Daily Signal, Lewis pinpointed the key issues facing Pennsylvania voters, starting with the higher prices they're paying for gas, groceries, and housing."The big issue on everybody's mind is inflation and the cost of living," Lewis said. "Over the last few years, voters and citizens have been given what's tantamount to a 20% tax hike ... and not being able to afford what they used to be able to afford just a few years ago."As a near-lifelong Pennsylvanian, Lewis shared his aspirations for the state, faulting poor leadership as an impediment hampering the Keystone State. He cited Pennsylvania's strategic location and natural resources as key advantages, but blamed high taxes and regulations as reasons why its residents are fleeing for other states."We're the Keystone State. We're the epicenter of the East Coast. We've got great competitive advantages here," Lewis explained. "We should be leading economically, we should be adding to our population base. We've got so much potential, but unfortunately, a lot of leftist policies have held the state back for years."Lewis plans to use his experience in the state legislature to guide the Commonwealth Foundation's efforts and help Pennsylvania achieve its true potential. He cited the energy sector as crucial to Pennsylvania's economy, warning that restrictive government policies could undermine its competitive advantage."If you were to rank Pennsylvania as its own nation, you would see we're in the top of exporters globally," Lewis said. "We have this massive opportunity."Education reform is another priority for Lewis. As a lawmaker, he championed parental rights and the need for school choice. "Parents know best what their kids need for their educational journey," he said. "And it's not always the government school."The Lifeline Scholarship Program, which would provide educational opportunities for students in underperforming schools, was a step away from becoming law until Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a line-item veto in 2023. Shapiro, who touted his support for the idea during his 2022 campaign for governor, flip-flopped when faced with pressure from teachers unions.Looking ahead to the future, Lewis outlined his vision for the Commonwealth Foundation, promising to maximize the organization's impact through policy development, government affairs, and storytelling. "We transform free-market ideas into actionable public policies so that all Pennsylvanians can flourish," he said. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Hurricane Milton takes four lives in Florida.  Inflation hits 2.4%.  A U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon says it was hit by Israeli tank fire.  A University of Kansas professor is caught on camera telling his students that male voters who are not willing to vote for a female candidate should be shot.  “Rings of Power” season 2 film review.  Relevant Links: https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/10/10/whats-behind-professors-claim-men-who-refuse-vote-kamala-harris-should-lined-up-shot/ Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/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

A lot of things in Coach Joe Kennedy’s life have been unexpected—not the least of them being taking a major case to the Supreme Court or having a movie made about his life. Kennedy's decision to take a knee in prayer after football games placed him in the middle of a national controversy, and thrust him into a spotlight he never asked for or wanted, since, as he acknowledges, he sees himself as a pretty “average Joe.”The film “Average Joe” hits theaters Thursday and aims to go beyond what Americans know about the coach from news headlines to share his personal life story, says director Harold Cronk.Kennedy was thrust off the football field and into the courtroom nearly a decade ago after he was told he could not take a knee in silent prayer on the 50-yard-line after football games. His decision to persist in his commitment to the Lord cost him his job at Bremerton High School in Bremerton, Washington, about 30 miles west of Seattle.In 2022, after a seven-year legal fight, Kennedy won his case before the Supreme Court. In early September 2023, he returned to the football field and again took a knee in prayer at the end of the game. Later that same month, he made the choice to “retire,” telling The Daily Signal at the time that he and his wife “finished the fight.”“You know, we were in the race to finish the fight, and we’ve remained faithful, and that’s it,” he said.Kennedy and Cronk join “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the making of the movie and what they hope viewers take away from the film.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TOP NEWS | On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Millions have evacuated due to Hurricane Milton. After 12 years of legal battles, Colorado Christian baker Jack Phillips may finally be done defending himself in court. Several Democrats running in tight races for the U.S. House and Senate joined a larger group of Democrats in signing a letter urging Congress not to defund a measure providing experimental transgender medical interventions to the military. The Democrat’s vice presidential nominee endorsed abolishing the electoral college on Tuesday.  Relevant Linkshttps://www.dailysignal.com/2024/10/08/225-hospitals-provide-irreversible-transgender-procedures-children-new-database-documents/Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/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