Earlier this year, I was on a college visit with my daughter when I found myself having to ask if, by sending her there, she might have to share a dorm with a “transgender” biological male. What stayed with me was the fact that I had to ask about it at all. Standing there awkwardly among the other parents with my daughter, I realized how far-reaching radical gender ideology has become in our country, and how deeply it is now embedded in the education system. And it’s exactly why Missouri HB 2536 needs immediate action in the Senate. For years, Americans have been told not to worry about “small” changes to long-standing norms surrounding women’s private spaces. We were told gender-neutral bathrooms were no big deal. Women were patted on the head and told our concerns about privacy were silly and overblown. We have been made to feel that acknowledging our own biological reality is somehow discriminatory or intolerant. We know that the “small” changes were never small. They were an intentional erasure of what it means to be a woman. If Missourians think this debate is isolated to states like California, they should pay attention to what recently happened at Kansas City International Airport. Just a few weeks ago, a man was accused of secretly filming women inside the airport’s gender-neutral restrooms, with investigators believing at least 66 women may have had their privacy violated. The alleged criminal isn’t the only one responsible for this invasive violation. Permissive legal structures that expose women to sexual predators were put in place by lawmakers who ignore the fact that women have private spaces for good reason. And this is a warning Missouri cannot afford to ignore. Thankfully, the Missouri House of Representatives just passed legislation aimed at preventing these kinds of invasions of privacy from happening again. HB 2536 would require public schools, colleges, correctional facilities, and other public institutions to maintain separate restrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping quarters for biological males and females. It would also preserve protections for fairness in women’s sports.  Now the future of women’s and girls’ privacy and protection is in the hands of the Missouri Senate. Democratic senators and gender activists will undoubtedly try to reduce this bill to political slogans or caricatures of hysterical, bigoted women, but Missourians need to understand exactly what is at stake. Parents should not have to question whether their daughters will be sharing intimate spaces with men, and young women should not be made to feel unreasonable for protecting their privacy. HB 2536 is a commonsense bill, and it must be passed to restore clarity where gender ideology has blurred the lines. It is unacceptable for lawmakers to shy away from acknowledging biological reality simply because doing so has become some kind of sick political football. The truth is that women’s rights and protections are being eroded, one “inclusive” change at a time, until suddenly what once seemed unimaginable becomes reality.

During Police Week, GOP leadership will honor law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Sunday night, Majority Whip Tom Emmer illuminated his office with blue lights shining out of his office windows on the ground floor of the U.S. Capitol all week long. The visual tribute will last all week. “I am proud to continue the tradition of lighting up our Capitol office blue to express House Republicans’ gratitude to the brave men and women of law enforcement,” Emmer told The Daily Signal. Emmer has carried out this tradition for four years now, since becoming majority whip in January 2023. In past years, Majority Leader Steve Scalise has also changed the lights in his office to blue, honoring police officers. “Our conference will always back the blue, despite the Left’s attempts to defund and demoralize police forces across America,” Emmer continued. “During National Police Week—and every week—we recognize our officers’ hard work, bravery, and sacrifice,” Emmer concluded. Democrats have forced the second LONGEST shutdown in history to defund the police, reopen the border, and stop illegal immigration enforcement.House Republicans REFUSE to let Democrats jeopardize our country with their crazy policies. That’s why we're voting AGAIN to fully… pic.twitter.com/dDhKrntfQQ— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) March 28, 2026 This year’s police week comes as Democrats are continuing their call to “defund the police” even after years of it being a proven failed policy. Congress just managed to re-open part of the Department of Homeland Security, after nearly 80 days, though they still have more work to do to convince Democrats to fund immigration services and Secret Service officers. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, law enforcement deaths in 2025 hit an 80-year low, a 25% decrease compared to 2024. “Each of the 111 fatalities we publish in this report represents a selfless sacrifice made on behalf of the community and the nation in which they serve,” said National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund CEO Bill Alexander. As of now, there are roughly 700,000 law enforcement officers sworn into service nationwide. A powerful day at the White House—welcoming officers, their families, & the loved ones of the fallen.This National Police Week, we honor the heroes who run toward danger, the families who stand behind them, & those who never came home. WE WILL NEVER TURN OUR BACKS ON YOU. pic.twitter.com/PQbEMZdCI0— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 15, 2025 The nation’s capital will honor law enforcement officers throughout the week. On Wednesday, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will hold its 38th annual candlelight vigil on the National Mall. On Thursday, the group will hold a police vehicle parade featuring classic restored cars and motorcycles at the U.S. Capitol Reflecting Pool. On Friday, the group will hold the 45th annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service on the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., from noon to 3 p.m. The week will end with fundraiser games at Nationals Park, where the Washington Nationals will play the Baltimore Orioles on Friday and Saturday nights. Emmer will also host his annual “Pizza for Police” lunch at the Capitol this week. In just three days, families will gather at the Memorial.For Dominique Pelletier and her sons, that name is Trooper Aaron Pelletier (EOW 5/30/2024)—a devoted father and officer who lived to serve.Thanks to the @MSIFoundation there’s a 4x match. Give: https://t.co/v7azwi50Na pic.twitter.com/9fsaerDECx— National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (@NLEOMF) May 8, 2026

THE DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a “60 Minutes” interview airing Sunday that President Donald Trump wanted to remove Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. The United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on Feb. 28 after talks regarding the Islamic regime’s nuclear program broke down. Netanyahu told CBS News reporter Major Garrett that, while the campaign had achieved “a great deal,” he believed there was still “work to be done.” “There’s still nuclear material—enriched uranium—that has to be taken out of Iran. There’s still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled,” Netanyahu said. “There’s still proxies that Iran supports, there’s ballistic missiles that they still want to produce. Now, we have degraded a lot of it, but all that is still there and there’s work to be done.” “How do you envision the highly enriched uranium will be removed from Iran?” Garrett asked. “You go in and you take it out,” Netanyahu replied. WATCH: Iranian state media claimed the rescued crew of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle was part of an operation targeting Iranian nuclear materiel kept at Isfahan, where Iran has a research center. Iranian outlets also claimed the U.S. lost multiple aircraft, but United States Central Command confirmed only one A-10 Thunderbolt close-air-support plane was lost and its pilot was safely recovered. “With what, special forces from Israel, special forces [from the] United States?” Garrett asked. “Well, I’m not gonna talk about military means, but the president— what President Trump said to me, ‘I want to go in there and I think it can be done physically,’” Netanyahu responded. “That’s not the problem. If you have an agreement and you go in and you take it out, why not? That’s the best way.” “What if there isn’t an agreement? Can it be taken out by force?” Garrett asked. “Well, [if] you’re gonna ask me these questions, I’m gonna dodge them because I’m not gonna talk about our military possibilities, plans, or anything of that kind,” the prime minister replied. Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed during a Sunday interview on “Meet the Press” that Iran had material for ten nuclear devices and over 1,000 pounds of uranium enriched to 60%. Wright also asserted that ending the Iranian nuclear program would lower energy costs in the long term. Trump Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff made similar allegations in a March 2 interview with Sean Hannity, but the administration has not offered evidence to corroborate the assertions from Witkoff or Wright. Trump and other administration officials asserted the Iranian nuclear program was “obliterated” after the June 2025 strike against multiple Iranian nuclear sites, but maintained Iran posed a threat to the U.S. without providing specific details. Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously said the U.S. launched strikes because an Iranian response to Israel’s planned attack could have potentially targeted American forces. The New York Times reported April 7 that, despite skepticism from administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Trump was convinced to launch strikes against Iran during a Feb. 11 visit to the White House by Netanyahu. Former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent resigned March 17 over the conflict, claiming the war began “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” He also argued in an X post that Iran posed no “imminent threat” to the United States. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. Originally published by The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Last week, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) announced it had gathered more than 1.5 million signatures—nearly double what it needed—to put a sweeping new wealth tax on California’s November ballot. The initiative is called the 2026 Billionaire Tax Act. The name is designed to make you stop reading. Don’t. SEIU has spent months positioning itself as the champion of nurses, teachers and caregivers. What it has actually done is run a $24 million campaign to put a measure on the ballot that could eventually be used to tax virtually any Californian who owns assets—with no return trip to the ballot box required. The measure would impose a 5 percent tax on the total net worth of California residents worth more than $1 billion as of Jan. 1, 2026. Buried in the fine print is a provision allowing the California legislature to expand the tax—lowering the threshold, adding asset categories—by simple majority vote, without voter approval. The Tax Foundation has warned that the measure’s design could push the effective rate on some taxpayers well above the advertised 5 percent. SEIU leaders will tell you pensions and retirement accounts are excluded. That’s true … for now. What the union won’t tell you is what happens to those pension funds when California’s investment climate deteriorates. CalPERS—the pension system for California public employees—manages roughly $556 billion in assets and is already facing more than $179 billion in unfunded liabilities. CalSTRS, the pension fund for California’s teachers, manages a portfolio of more than $400 billion. Both depend on a functioning private economy and stable financial markets. When founders and investors are forced to sell equity stakes to pay a tax bill, and when the state’s wealthiest residents continue to leave, the damage doesn’t stop with them. It reaches the pension checks of the workers the SEIU claims to speak for. The Hoover Institution estimates the permanent loss of income tax revenue from departing residents will leave California worse off—not better off — by $25 billion. Nearly 30 percent of the billionaire tax base had already left the state before the initiative even qualified for the ballot. Six billionaires departed publicly before the Jan. 1 residency deadline, including Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. More have reportedly followed without any fanfare. Every departure costs the state years of income tax revenue, capital gains and related economic activity California can’t afford to lose. SEIU and its enablers call this a health care funding measure—a response to federal Medicaid reforms. It isn’t. California already has the highest income tax rates in the nation. Its budget problems aren’t a revenue problem. They’re a spending problem that’s outpaced even California’s substantial tax base for years. SEIU claims to speak for hundreds of thousands of workers whose retirement security runs through CalPERS, CalSTRS and a California economy that keeps generating jobs and investment. A measure that accelerates capital flight and weakens pension fund returns, then hands Sacramento the tools to expand asset taxation without a vote is not a benefit to those workers. California voters should read past the name of this initiative before they decide whether to support it. The SEIU is counting on them not to. This article was originally published by RealClearPolicy and made available via RealClearWire. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.

THE DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Energy Secretary Chris Wright deflected when asked by “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker about when gas prices would start to drop. The average price of a gallon of gas in the United States on Sunday was $4.52, according to AAA, up over $1.50 from $2.98 on Feb. 26, days before the start of military operations against Iran. Welker asked Wright about his prediction from his previous appearance in a March episode that the price of gas would return below $3.00 per gallon before the summer. “Do you think it’s still very possible that gas prices will dip below $3 a gallon in time for summer which is about six weeks?” Welker asked Wright. “I can’t make any predictions about, you know, oil prices or gasoline prices,” the energy secretary responded, “The military part of the conflict took about what we expected; I think the president was guiding four to six weeks, it took five and a half weeks. After the military main military operations have ceased, now we’re in a negotiating period. We’re using economic leverage against Iran, and this regime is trying to cling on to their nuclear program, so obviously this part of the conflict has gone a little longer.” “Just to go back to this central question, though, do you anticipate gas prices will drop below $3 a gallon this year?” Welker shortly thereafter asked. “I can’t make predictions about that,” he responded. “I can say that when we start to get free flow of traffic through the Straits of Hormuz, energy prices will come down. And by ending Iran’s ability to get a nuclear weapon, they are the biggest threat in the world to the flow of global energy.” During a March 8 appearance on Fox News Sunday, Wright told host Shannon Bream that “energy will flow soon” and called reports that prices would climb as a result of the conflict with Iran “fiction.” Responding to an earlier question about if ending the Iranian nuclear program or reopening the Strait of Hormuz was the administration’s top priority, Wright claimed Iran had material for 10 nuclear devices and over 1,000 pounds of 60% enriched uranium. Wright also asserted that ending the Iranian nuclear program would lower energy costs in the long term. Trump Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff made a similar claim in a March 2 interview with Fox News, but the administration has not offered evidence to corroborate the assertions from Witkoff or Wright. “So you’re saying that ultimately gas prices will start to come down once the [Strait of Hormuz] is reopened?” Welker said. “Here’s what analysts are saying about how high gas prices could ultimately go: ‘U.S. gasoline prices have a legitimate chance of rising to $5 a gallon as refiners prioritize jet fuel production at the expense of other products, according to analysts at JPMorgan Chase.’ Should Americans be prepared for the possibility of paying $5 a gallon for gas?” “Look, again, I can’t predict the price of energy in the short term or even the medium term, but what we’re doing is ending a 47-year conflict. Iran has fought—‘Death to the United States,’ for 47 years, ‘Death to Israel’—and as we saw when the conflict broke out, they attacked all of their neighbors in the Middle East that had no involvement in the conflict whatsoever,” Wright deflected. “If you have a hostile, unstable power like that, you simply cannot allow them to have nuclear weapons. That was a consensus opinion all my adult life.” Trump and other administration officials declared the Iranian nuclear program had been “obliterated” after the June 2025 strike on multiple Iranian nuclear sites, but still asserted Iran posed a threat to the U.S. without providing specific details. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. launched strikes because American casualties resulted from an Iranian response to Israel’s planned attack. The New York Times reported April 7 that, despite skepticism from Vice President JD Vance and other officials, Trump was convinced to launch strikes against Iran during a Feb. 11 visit to the White House by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent resigned March 17 over the conflict, claiming the war began “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Kent also argued in an X post that Iran posed no “imminent threat” to the U.S. “I know you’re saying you can’t predict how high gas prices will go, but I don’t hear you ruling out the possibility that they could in fact go to $5 a gallon,” Welker responded. “Well, I’m just avoiding price predictions, but I will say the United States is in a tremendous position,” Wright replied, “We’re by far the world’s largest producer of oil. We’re by far the world’s largest producer of natural gas. There’s been no rise in the price of natural gas: that’s the largest primary energy source for the United States, that’s for home heating, that’s for electricity. Gasoline, diesel prices are up, and they will remain up while this conflict’s in place, and then they will come back down. And, ultimately, they’ll come back down lower than they were before.” Wright also told Welker oil supplies from Venezuela and Guyana would help lower prices, adding that, around the world, there was “an extremely bright outlook” when it came to energy production. He made similar arguments during his March 8 interview with Bream. Wright also said the Trump administration would support suspending the 18-cent-per-gallon federal gasoline tax, following states like Utah, Indiana and Georgia, when asked about it by Welker. Originally published by The Daily Caller News Foundation.