President Donald Trump is accusing Democrats of being “totally unreasonable” in negotiations over funding the Department of Homeland Security. “The Democrats’ purposeful DHS SHUTDOWN is causing chaos at the airports. These Lunatics are being totally unreasonable in their Radical Left asks,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday. “They are FULLY TO BLAME, and must pay a big price, for the good of our country, in the midterm elections,” Trump added. Democrats have continued to demand that funding for the agency be dependent upon major immigration enforcement reforms. Republicans refuse to agree to many of the Democrats’ demands, such as requiring immigration agents to unmask themselves while conducting enforcement operations. A month into the DHS shutdown, negotiators remain “far apart,” according to a senior White House official. More than two weeks ago, the Trump administration sent congressional Democrats an offer that was both “reasonable” and “serious,” the White House official said. The proposal centered on codifying certain operational immigration enforcement guidelines into law, but Democrats responded Monday night “with a counteroffer that does not indicate the seriousness that this moment needs,” the official said. Democrats’ offer to the Trump administration was “disappointing,” the senior White House official said, adding he would not provide details. According to the official, “the parties are far apart in large part because the administration’s put forward a five-part serious proposal that we are willing to engage in additional conversations on, but that has not been reciprocated in kind.” Five-Part Trump Administration Proposal The White House on Tuesday released a letter to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chair of the Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who sits on the committee, outlining the five areas in which the Trump administration has told Democrats they are willing to “codify improved operational guidelines.” First, the administration told Democrats they will expand the use of body cameras for DHS agents during immigration operations. Second, the Trump administration is pledging to limit the locations where immigration enforcement operations take place and stop conducting operations at places like schools and hospitals, unless doing so for reasons of national security, public safety, or due to a flight risk. The proposal to Democrats also included increased oversight of detention facilities. Fourth, the administration proposed requiring immigration officers to clearly display their identification as a DHS law enforcement official and clearly state their agency and identity when asked. Finally, the Trump administration said it will “adhere to existing law and practice of not deporting any U.S. citizen and will codify current practice of not knowingly detaining a U.S. citizen, except when the person violates a state or federal law that makes the citizen subject to arrest.” Border czar Tom Homan and Assistant to the President James Braid signed the letter to Democrats. Many DHS workers continue to work without pay, including Transportation Security Administration workers. The failure of Democrats and Republicans to reach an agreement to fund the agency followed the Trump administration’s controversial immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis that involved the shooting of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in January. The post Trump Accuses Democrats of Being ‘Totally Unreasonable’ During DHS Funding Negotiations appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The U.S. is poised to return to the moon this coming April as part of a reenergized manned space program that is emboldened rather than deterred by the risks and challenges irrevocably attached to the mission.   By pressing ahead, NASA and its many public and private sector partners are allowing scientific evidence rather than speculation to guide their decisions. They are also making a clean break with a concept known as the “precautionary principle” that has deep roots in the United Nations climate conferences that date back to the early 1990s.  As I explain in my new book “Climate Porn: How and Why Anti-Population Zealots Fabricate Science, while Targeting American Capitalism, Freedom, and Independence,” the precautionary principle as it is defined by climate activists is antithetical to what makes America tick.   The basic idea behind the concept is that when an activity is viewed as being potentially harmful to human health or the environment then precautionary steps should be taken even if the cause-and-effect relationship between the activity and theorized harmful results are not scientifically established. In other words, there should not even be a risk of a risk. Under this scenario, hysteria, fear, and misinformation could grind all meaningful human activity to a halt.   Imagine how different American history would have been if the precautionary principle had held sway with policymakers when the nation first attempted venturing into space. Alan Shephard’s famous line “Why don’t you fix your little problem and light this candle?” would not have found a receptive audience back in mission control during his 1961 spaceflight.  President John F. Kennedy’s patriotic march to the moon would not have materialized either. His comment, “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard,” would not have expression in a world where fear of failure trumped exploratory efforts.   In fact, there may not have been a free United States of America at all. George Washington would not have crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776 to launch a surprise attack on the Hessians in Trenton, New Jersey since the effort was risky and—and, well, it might not have worked at all.   The four astronauts (three Americans and one Canadian) who are part of the Artemis II crew will travel further into space than any human has ever traveled before and glimpse a side of the moon that has never been seen before, before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.   It takes a special kind of courage to be part of the upcoming 10-day mission, as it does with any human spaceflight. From the time of the launch at Cape Canaveral to the splashdown in the Pacific, there are risks that can never be completely eradicated. But they can be curtailed.   Like Apollo before it, Artemis is relying upon vigorous testing and scientific observations rather than mere modeling exercises that became a dominant part of what passes for “climate science.”   But times are changing and the wheel is turning. During a May 2025 energy symposium at The Heritage Foundation, scientists and economists dissected the numerous false assumptions behind climate models that have given rise to burdensome regulations.  Former NASA engineers, who are part of a group called The Right Climate Stuff have also taken a hatchet to what some call a “garbage in, garbage out” approach to modeling designed to produce desired policy outcomes.   “Climate Porn” goes into some detail about the climate movement’s assault on the scientific method and the corrective actions now underway. Independent, privately funded outfits like the Center for Environmental Research and Earth Sciences (CERES) are providing climate realists with valuable platforms to take a hard look at what really drives warming and cooling trends on Planet Earth.   During the Heritage energy symposium, CERES scientists called attention to solar influences on climate, which the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has persistently neglected to account for in its reports. In a new study, the CERES team concludes that “total solar irradiance” estimates the U.N. omits strongly suggests most of the warming since the 19th Century could be natural.   The climate is always changing, and those changes could present challenges to humanity particularly if the planet moves back into a cooling phase. But humanity will be in a stronger position to adapt and adjust to those changes if it is richer, wealthier, and more industrialized. A reinvigorated space program is a big part of that equation.  That means taking chances and accepting risks, but that’s the American way.   We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post How the Upcoming Moon Mission Transcends Anti-Scientific Climate Activism   appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A team of doctors entered Shanyce Thomas’s hospital room to explain what had happened and why she could no longer have children. She never imagined her trip to Planned Parenthood would lead to multiple surgeries and a medically induced coma. Looking back nearly six years later, Thomas says her “message to Planned Parenthood is that you guys need to close down.” Thomas is sharing her story publicly in hopes that it will prevent other women from having the experience at Planned Parenthood that she had. Thomas was in college when she found out she was pregnant. Shanyce Thomas’s college graduation photo. (Courtesy of Shanyce Thomas) “I thought my mom was going to kill me,” she remembers thinking at the time. After talking with her boyfriend, Thomas went to Planned Parenthood for an abortion. When she arrived at the abortion clinic 10 weeks pregnant, the clinic gave her mifepristone and misoprostol, the two pills used to conduct a chemical abortion, and a packet of information. “They didn’t really give a thorough explanation” of the possible effects of the pills, she recalled during an interview with The Daily Signal. Thomas returned to Planned Parenthood when she found herself in “severe pain.” “They told me that everything was fine and sent me back home,” Thomas said, but when she continued to decline physically, her father rushed her to the hospital near her family’s home in Connecticut. “I developed a severe infection behind my uterus that went undetected until it became life-threatening,” she explained. Thomas was placed in a medically induced coma for a month, and doctors were ultimately forced to perform a partial hysterectomy. “In one moment, my ability to carry children in the future was taken from me, not by choice, but by necessity to save my life,” she said. Thomas is one of five siblings and always thought she would have a big family of her own. “It hits me sometimes when I see my siblings having kids,” Thomas said. “I could still have kids, just not physically, I just can’t carry them.” About five months after taking the abortion pill in early 2020, she finally started to regain her strength and return to normal life activities. Today, Thomas works as a surgical technologist and is in nursing school. “Planned Parenthood patient safety and clinical quality are always of the utmost importance,” Planned Parenthood told The Daily Signal. “Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) cannot comment on any specific patients’ medical treatment or records to protect the confidentiality of our patients and to comply with federal and state patient privacy laws. We follow rigorous medical standards and guidelines to ensure that all patients receive the care and information they need,” Planned Parenthood added. Thomas said her experience led her to “get more connected to God,” and today she is sharing her story as a Live Action fellow in hopes it ”is able to help another person going through the same thing, or could prevent another girl from going through the same thing.” “I think it’s time for me to advocate for this, advocate for myself, and advocate for other women,” she said. Thomas spoke last week at Sen. Josh Hawley’s, R-Mo., press conference in Washington, D.C., announcing the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act. The bill, if passed, would remove the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone. The bill would also allow women like Thomas who have been harmed by the abortion pill to sue manufacturers for damages. Shanyce Thomas speaks at a press conference in Washington, D.C., March 11. (Live Action) The bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate as it would require 60 votes to pass. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn., has introduced companion legislation in the House. The post ‘You Guys Need to Close Down’: Abortion Pill Survivor Has a Message for Planned Parenthood  appeared first on The Daily Signal.

President Donald Trump’s new nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., prepares to appear before the Senate, Democrats continue to keep DHS shut down. “It’s extremely disappointing that Democrats are once again putting petty politics over the safety and security of our nation,” Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, told the Daily Signal.   Pfluger, a House Homeland Security Committee member that chairs the subcommittee on cybersecurity, spoke to The Daily Signal before Mullin’s Wednesday appearance on Capitol Hill. Mullin will appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday morning. The Oklahoma senator is Trump’s choice to replace former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. As a kid from Westville, it has been the greatest honor and privilege to serve the people of Oklahoma for the past thirteen years in both the House and Senate. I am grateful to President Trump for nominating me to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. I look forward to…— Markwayne Mullin (@SenMullin) March 5, 2026 Republicans initially believed that Noem’s departure would grease the skids on an effort to end the DHS shutdown, but Democrats have continued to hold the line. Pfluger believes Mullin is the right man for the job and has hope that Mullin’s attributes and talents can help bring the shutdown to an end. “We need somebody who’s strong, who can communicate, who has the ability to lead, you know, from top to bottom through all I mean. It’s not just security,” Pfluger said, referencing Mullin.  “I think he brings the leadership skills, the communication skills, the ingenuity, and innovation to lead it into the next sets of challenges,” Pfluger continued.  “Markwayne is a great guy. He’s a tremendous leader. I’ve known him since I came into Congress,” Pfluger said. “I know his heart is to always do the right thing for our country, always, and he will continue to do that when he’s confirmed as the Secretary of DHS.” The DHS encompasses the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Cybersecurity Agency, Secret Service, Customs and Border Patrol, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Democrats have withheld funding over demands to reform ICE. .@TSA agents have missed their paychecks, with some sleeping in their cars to save money on gas. This is inconceivable.Congressional Democrats need to wake up and fund @DHSgov! https://t.co/QGNPD8qesa— Rep. August Pfluger (@RepPfluger) March 17, 2026 Pfluger said the Democrat obstruction is endangering Americans who have become all too familiar with headlines of terrorist attacks. “We had to learn the hard way on 9/11 about just how vulnerable our country can be to extremist terrorists, those that want to do us harm,” Pfluger said. “If we don’t stay vigilant than those types of things can really, really hurt our country, and we know the motive is out there.”T While Pfluger is optimistic about Mullin’s ability to lead DHS, he remains concerned that Democrats will remain intransigent in the face of terrorist threats. “Nobody can really peer inside the mind of radicalism right now and understand what’s enough,” Pfluger said of Democrat demands. The heinous attack targeting ROTC students in Norfolk, Virginia, is yet another reminder of the threats facing the homeland from a resurgence in foreign terrorist organizations, like ISIS, both at home and abroad.In the wake of increasing attacks and plots inspired by violent… https://t.co/PrFoKawfKL— House Homeland GOP (@HomelandGOP) March 12, 2026 The post EXCLUSIVE: Can Mullin Help the GOP End the DHS Shutdown? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

REUTERS–A congressional committee said on Tuesday it has issued a subpoena to Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify behind closed doors in its probe of the late convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. Bondi faces accusations that the Justice Department has concealed the names of powerful associates of Epstein in its release of millions of documents related to the late financier. Under the subpoena, Bondi would give a sworn deposition to the House of Representatives Oversight Committee on April 14. A Justice Department spokesperson said the subpoena was “completely unnecessary” because lawmakers have been able to privately review unredacted versions of the Epstein files at a Justice Department facility.  Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, are due to give the committee a separate private briefing on Wednesday. “She continues to have calls and meetings with members of Congress on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which is why the department offered to brief the committee tomorrow,” the spokesperson said, referring to a law Congress passed nearly unanimously in November. “As always, we look forward to continuing to provide policymakers with the facts.” Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, said in a letter to Bondi on Tuesday that the panel wants information about the Justice Department’s collection, review and release of files connected to Epstein. COMPLAINTS ABOUT REDACTIONS Epstein cultivated close ties to powerful political and business leaders before and after he was convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor. He was arrested again in 2019 and died in jail while facing federal sex-trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide. Lawmakers have complained that redactions in the Justice Department’s files appear to go beyond the limited exemptions allowed in the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The department has also declined to publish a large volume of material, citing legal privileges. Bondi said more than 500 Justice Department lawyers worked on a compressed timeline to review reams of material. Justice Department officials have acknowledged errors in the rollout of the files, but have denied claims that they have protected any powerful individuals. The Epstein files have dogged Bondi throughout her tenure as President Donald Trump’s attorney general. Some of Trump’s supporters accused her of a cover-up last July when the Justice Department said it would not release additional material related to its investigations of Epstein after raising expectations for more disclosures. The statement drew new scrutiny of Trump’s past friendship with Epstein. Trump says he broke off ties with Epstein years before his 2008 conviction and has repeatedly said he did not see any evidence of sex trafficking. He has not been accused by law enforcement authorities of criminal activity related to Epstein. Originally published by Reuters The post House Panel Subpoenas Attorney General Bondi in Epstein Probe appeared first on The Daily Signal.