The Daily Signal

What if former President Ronald Reagan was right? What if freedom really is never more than “one generation away from extinction,” as the then-governor of California said during his inaugural address in 1967. A Purcellville, Virginia-based Christian youth group called Generation Joshua has heeded Reagan’s warning and is working tirelessly to empower and educate teenagers to become future leaders of our nation. The organization exists “to teach high school students about their country, where it comes from, why it's free, and how to keep it that way,” Joel Grewe, the director of Generation Joshua, says. Through summer camps, local clubs, and other creative events, Generation Joshua has taught thousands of teens how to protect American liberties. In celebration of Bill of Rights Day on Dec. 15, Grewe and Jeremiah Lorrig, the organization’s deputy director, join “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share stories of the ways Generation Joshua is training and empowering America’s future leaders. Follow these links to learn more about Joshua Generation, Constituting America, or the American History and Civics Initiative. We also cover these stories: President Joe Biden calls on Congress to pass gun-control measures to try and clamp down on gun violence. Wholesale prices rise by 9.6% since last year.  The New Hampshire chapter of the American Federation of Teachers announces it is suing the state to block a law prohibiting teachers from teaching critical race theory in their classrooms. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Americans experience inflation at a rate not felt in four decades, the Biden administration continues to promote a multitrillion-dollar social spending package. “Our spending is already out of control,” Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., says, adding that “new government spending is only going to exacerbate [inflation] and make it worse.” In an effort to get spending under control and inflation rates down, the second-term congressman says, lawmakers should “completely kill this bill.” The House passed the multitrillion-dollar spending package in November and Senate Democrats are working to gain the votes needed to pass it before the end of the year. Steil joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss the likelihood that congressional Democrats will secure final passage of the social spending bill and what steps lawmakers should take to stop rising inflation rates. Steil also discusses how small businesses in his home state of Wisconsin are fairing amid economic challenges and after the riots that struck parts of the state last summer. We also cover these stories:  The tornado that tore through Kentucky late Friday and into Saturday claimed at least 70 to 80 lives, officials say. The Supreme Court declines to decide whether Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers violated the First Amendment by barring a conservative think tank from attending his press conferences. California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he will empower citizens to enforce a ban on the sale and manufacturing of "assault weapons." Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trial of Ghislaine Maxwell—the right-hand woman of deceased financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein—continues this week, with Maxwell’s defense attorneys expected to make their case Thursday. Maxwell is charged with recruiting and grooming four underaged girls to be abused by Epstein.To better understand the details and nuance of this disturbing case, The Daily Signal spoke with Zack Smith, a former assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Florida and a legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation.You can listen to the podcast or read a lightly edited transcript below. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Scott Atlas had a front-row seat at the White House as a member of President Donald Trump's Coronavirus Task Force. Now, he's telling all in a new book, "A Plague Upon Our House: My Fight at the Trump White House to Stop COVID from Destroying America.""The American people need to know the level of incompetence, the lack of rigor, the lack of critical thinking. I was stunned at what I saw," Atlas says of his time at the White House. "We had bureaucrats in charge of the policy and that policy was the restrictions and lockdowns. And it failed."Atlas blames three public health officials: Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator; Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Robert Redfield, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.He joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about his time on Trump's task force, President Joe Biden's failures, and a new academy he founded at Hillsdale College. Watch the full interview or read an abridged transcript at DailySignal.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Venezuela used to be a thriving and prosperous Latin American nation. Its citizens enjoyed a quality of life, and immigrants flocked there to better their situation. All of that changed abruptly when socialism took over the Venezuelan government.The once flourishing country quickly became an example for other nations as to what happens when socialism is allowed to run rampant. Violent crime skyrocketed, people lost their lives and livelihoods, and neighbors began to view each other as rivals for ever-diminishing resources.Yet, many Americans, blissfully ignorant of the ravages of socialism, want to bring it to the United States. When they hear the word socialism, they think of "free" college and health care, as promised by politicians such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.Venezuelan Daniel Di Martino has seen firsthand the horrors inflicted by socialism in his homeland, and wants to educate people about what it's really like."In Venezuela, about 30,000 people get killed every year of murder. My aunt got kidnapped one time, and when she went to report the kidnapping in the police station, one of the police officers was one of the kidnappers," Di Martino said."It's a country destroyed by socialist policies, so it's very hard to find food, very hard to find basic necessities," he added. "So, you have to make lines for hours. You have to bribe people. You have to be corrupt. It's not a good place to live. And so, that's why I'm very grateful to have been able to come to America."Di Martino joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to share his experiences with life in socialist Venezuela, as well as to offer his advice on how to educate Americans about the dangers of the ideology.We also cover these stories:  President Joe Biden pushes world leaders to bolster democracy during a virtual "Summit for Democracy." The Food and Drug Administration authorizes booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 16- and 17-year-olds. The parents of two girls who survived the Oxford High School shooting near Detroit file two $100 million lawsuits against the school district in federal court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a topic that few people know about, but that has far-reaching consequences.Trial lawyers across the country are cozying up to the left, advancing their radical agendas while lining their pockets with government money. The result? The average consumer pays the price."It affects [consumers] in part because you've got governments handing out big-deal contracts to politically active people on probably the wrong side of the aisle," says O.H. Skinner, executive director of Alliance for Consumers. "And I think that alone should be something that people pay attention to.""But on a basic level," Skinner adds, "these contracts are the kind of things where there's millions of dollars that are often not tied to individual cases, not tied to case outcomes, where consumers get money."Skinner joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to discuss how widespread the relationship between trial lawyers and the left is, as well as offer solutions for conservatives.We also cover these stories:  President Joe Biden says he won’t unilaterally send U.S. troops to defend Ukraine from a Russian invasion.  The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol will pursue contempt charges against former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows for failing to appear for a deposition. California is positioning itself to be an abortion sanctuary if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is still little data available on the new omicron variant of COVID-19 but that is not stopping some political leaders from implementing new policies and requirements. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has issued a vaccine mandate for employees across the city. The Biden administration is restricting travel from some nations while heavily promoting COVID-19 booster shots.But what do experts say is the right response to the omicron variant? Political leaders “shouldn't respond reflexively with the same old, same old tools that haven't worked all that well in the past,” says Doug Badger, a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation, the parent organization of The Daily Signal.Badger joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss what we do, and do not, know about the new COVID-19 variant and how our elected leaders can respond without restricting freedom. We also cover these stories:  During a video meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Joe Biden expresses concerns over Russia's intents toward Ukraine.  Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows says he no longer plans to cooperate with a congressional probe into the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. Lawmakers strip from the National Defense Authorization Act a controversial provision that would have required women to register for the military draft. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aubrey and Bryan Schlackman say they are just a normal couple who happen to have a unique vision to help pregnant women in crisis. “There are lots of women that are in desperate need, that need help,” Bryan Schlackman says. “And it's just devastating that we, that this culture, doesn't think first of how we can help the mom.”About a year ago, the Texas couple had an idea to create a “maternity ranch”—a term they coined. The mission of the ranch is to create a loving and safe environment for single pregnant women who need a fresh start. The vision for their Argyle, Texas-based ministry, Blue Haven Ranch, is to have 15 to 20 homes for mothers on the property of a fully functioning ranch that will produce income that will one day make the nonprofit self-sustaining. The couple is currently mentoring five pregnant women and helping them find a fresh start, but they can only house them in apartments until they have the resources to purchase the ranch and build the homes. Ultimately, they want to purchase 100 acres or more in the Dallas area to build the ranch. The Schlackmans say they think their vision to help women in unplanned-pregnancy circumstances is particularly relevant now in light of enactment of Texas' new heartbeat law, which restricts most abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, and the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court. Roe v. Wade is the 1973 high court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.When “abortion [becomes] illegal, other things have to come and take the place of that,” Aubrey Schlackman says. The couple joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain how the model of Blue Haven Ranch could be an answer to the challenges some women face during an unplanned pregnancy.We also cover these stories: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announces a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all private businesses. The Justice Department is taking legal action against Texas over the state's redistricting plans. The White House announces a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics over China’s human rights abuses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is social-emotional learning?By now, many Americans are aware of critical race theory, which makes race the focus of all aspects of American life. The philosophy categorizes individuals into groups of oppressors and victims, and is currently making its way through the political sphere, the military, and of course, education.But less well known is its ideological cousin, social-emotional learning. The program seeks to indoctrinate kids into leftist ideology by reinforcing a series of critical race theory-based morals and values.Jennifer McWilliams was working as a reading teacher at Frankton Elementary School in Indiana when she noticed that social-emotional learning was being taught as part of the curriculum at her school. When she voiced her concerns about the racist ideology, she was summarily fired.McWilliams says there’s nothing good about social-emotional learning, and that it’s based in racist critical race theory.“It is all negative,” she says, “When you understand the program fully, and you understand the framework and the ideology behind it, you will understand that it is not good. The entire social-emotional learning framework is based on the critical race theory ideology.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do lockdowns work? Do masks? What have we learned about what government actions help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and which don't?As public health officials and the media sound the alarm about the omicron variant of COVID-19, the answers to those questions are crucial.Alex Berenson, a former New York Times reporter and author of the new book "Pandemia: How Coronavirus Hysteria Took Over Our Government, Rights, and Lives," joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" to answer all those questions and more, drawing on data from various states and countries. Berenson also unpacks the damage caused by some measures taken against COVID-19.We also cover these stories: The Biden administration is preparing to reinstate the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy for migrants seeking asylum.  The administration announces new measures to control COVID-19 on the heels of the first confirmed U.S. infection involving the omicron variant. A Massachusetts teacher sues her former principal and superintendent after being fired for posting videos on TikTok voicing opposition to critical race theory and gender identity ideology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices