RealClearWire—Pennsylvania’s “Get Stuff Done” governor has a favorite state department that he’s willing to staff to the rafters: his personal, dedicated PR team. As published reports last summer detailed, Gov. Josh Shapiro now sports 21 employees in his Executive Office, “dedicated to promoting” his image. But earlier this month, in response to an official Right to Know request, Shapiro’s administration contended that he had never surfed the web on a state-owned device. So, all his social media posting—is it done exclusively by staff? Or all on Shapiro’s personal phone? Shapiro’s 21 PR folks must be terribly busy, making sure all his social media postings—and all his surfing—are safely done exclusively on his personal devices. To put those staffers in perspective, that’s a larger headcount than many of the offices actually tasked with the heavy lifting of governing: helping Pennsylvanians. While the Commonwealth is staring down a structural deficit and still recovering from last year’s 135-day budget stalemate that left our schools and social service agencies in the lurch, the governor was busy building a taxpayer-funded media empire. In Harrisburg, as in most state capitals, personnel is policy. And Shapiro’s personnel choices tell you everything you need to know about his priorities. Take a look at the strike teams that Shapiro claims are transforming the Commonwealth. The Office of Transformation and Opportunity—his supposed one-stop shop for cutting red tape—is a lean operation of about a dozen staffers. The state Board of Pardons, chaired by the lieutenant governor, which oversees the complex legal work of clemency, gets by with roughly 14 employees. Even the Office of Health Equity, supposed to be a lifeline for the most vulnerable in the state’s 67 counties, survives on a small, skeleton crew. But when it comes to the guts of “Get Stuff Done,” Shapiro’s Department of Self-Promotion, the taxpayers’ checkbook is wide open. Shapiro has more people writing his tweets and staging his “impromptu” press conferences than he has experts fixing the permitting backlogs that he campaigned on ameliorating. Priorities? For those of us who have watched Shapiro’s climb from state representative to Montgomery County Commissioner to the attorney general’s office, this is not a surprise—it’s his playbook. A recent, lengthy profile in The Atlantic noted that “Even those who detest the governor acknowledge that he is a master operator…” It’s true: Shapiro has always been a master of the earned media cycle, using taxpayer resources to package his nearly every move into viral clips. Team Shapiro goes out of its way to show how hip he is by making sure his regular meet-and-greets with his fellow influencers get covered in the mainstream media. And remember that while the Office of Open Records—the very entity that helps citizens trying to see how their money is being spent—is drowning in a record-high volume of appeals with a staff of 19, the governor’s second-floor Capitol “war room” is perfectly staffed to spin the narrative of the day. It’s a hall of mirrors funded by citizens’ 3.07% PIT. As we look toward the in-process 2026-27 budget, the optics are troubling. Every dollar spent on a Regional Outreach Deputy or a Digital Content Producer is a dollar that isn’t putting a state trooper on patrol or fixing a pothole. We are witness to a taxpayer-funded campaign operation being run out of the Governor’s Office under the guise of public information. Does Pennsylvania need a governor who requires 21 PR staffers to convince us he’s working? No. We need a governor who spends more time working for us and less time posing for selfies and cosplaying as an influencer. The Shapiro brand is high-gloss, high-cost, and increasingly hollow. When the PR staff outnumbers the policy experts in critical units, the transformation we were promised looks like nothing more than a fresh coat of paint on a crumbling foundation. Pennsylvanians deserve a governor determined to serve the people, not one more focused on a 2028 presidential campaign. This article was originally published by RealClearPennsylvania 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 post Shapiro’s Brand Is High Gloss and High Cost appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Washington, D.C., is used to power plays, but not the kind on display from lawmakers and lobbyists at the 2026 Congressional Hockey Challenge on Thursday night. At the MedStar Capitals Iceplex, a bipartisan team of officials and staff took the ice to face off against some of the districts’ finest lobbyists in their annual hockey game for charity. The lobbyists took home the trophy in a 4-3 thriller, defeating the lawmaker team—rumored to be too concerned with another kind of ICE—in an exciting overtime shootout. The game raised a record breaking nearly $200,000 for charity. (Annette Lee Photography) “It’s pretty incredible to do it two years in a row after losing seven or eight in a row. But to be fair, I was on the other team, so maybe that’s what secret is here,” Lobbyist Matthew Flynn told The Daily Signal, shortly after chugging a beer out of the trophy cup.  “Part of the problem is our coaching is pretty weak, with [Republican Rep.] Pete Stauber from Hermantown, Minnesota,” Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., sarcastically told the press after losing the game. “I told him that we’re gonna have to have a talk about his contract for next year,” he continued joking.    Emmer hasn’t skated in 16 months but was joined on the ice by his teammate son, Jack Emmer, a staffer on the House Oversight Committee.  “It makes you feel older, but it’s so much fun,” Emmer, 62, told The Daily Signal as his family joined the father and son duo on the ice. “I mean, I got a son who’s playing, I got a grandson, and a granddaughter who are here, and our daughter-law.”  The stands were full of loyal, and slightly buzzed, staffers who came out to support their bosses. The upstairs bar for staffers ran out of beer shortly after the puck dropped. But there was beer somewhere in the arena, as Stauber’s staff could be seen running the congressman beers to the player’s bench while staffers of Rep. George Whitesides, D-Calif., were seen cheering and waving handmade posters that read “Gooooooo Whitesides!”  The 2026 Congressional Hockey Challenge (@HockeyCHC) with @CoupangInc is back at @MedStarIceplex this Thursday, March 26 at 7:30 PM.The 16th annual charity game pits lawmakers, administration officials, and staff against lobbyists.?? https://t.co/r49PEZaQdR pic.twitter.com/VyA9AipOLN— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 23, 2026 FBI Director Kash Patel also got in on the action. Celebrating Olympic gold with Team USA’s men’s hockey team in Milan seemed to give the FBI director something extra on the ice as Patel was frequently seen mixing it up on the boards and fighting for loose pucks. Two goals from Billy Dwyer, senior policy adviser for Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and another from Rob MacGregor, a staffer from the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, had the lawmakers locked in a 3-3 tie with the lobbyists. Eetu Höglund from UPS scored two goals for the lobbyists, and Dan Martini from eBay scored one.   The game then headed to overtime, where things got more serious. What some might call a brawl broke out on the ice, landing two lobbyists and one staffer from the House Homeland Security Committee in the penalty box.  After some pleading and negotiating with the referee, and some boos from the crowd, the staffer was released. The incident, however, led some in the crowd to suggest that Capitol Hill might be a better place if some penalty boxes were installed. (Annette Lee Photography) The lawmakers lost after the first three penalty shooters failed to score, and the lobbyists’ penalty shooters—John Jukuri from the NCSL Foundation, Will Bensur from Firehouse Strategies, and Michelle MacGregor from Orrick—all found the back of the net. Now that the lobbyists have taken home the crown, the two sides can go back to fighting over the other kind of ICE—Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The post Lawmakers and Lobbyists Drop the Gloves in Ice Hockey Thriller appeared first on The Daily Signal.

From March 29 to April 5 this year, most of the Christian world enters into the holiest days of their calendar year. These are the days that commemorate the final days of the life of Jesus. Investigating what is remembered and celebrated can be both practically impactful and spiritually inspiring. On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. This was a specific and calculated choice evoking the Old Testament prophecies from Zechariah. The prophet tells Israel that “your king is coming to you, a just savior is he, Humble, and riding on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). The miracle worker and famous preacher enters Jerusalem during Passover, the busiest time of year for the ancient city. He chooses a donkey (the symbol for peace) rather than the horse (known as the animal of strength for military leaders). The crowds welcome him, but they will be the very crowd that rejects and deserts him on the day of his trial. Palm Sunday reminds humanity that we can too often be noncommittal about our faith. Our commitment to prayer and holiness often wavers when we hear what the crowds are saying. Our faith often collapses the moment we must face sacrifice and ostracization. We blend into the masses rather than stand out and defend our faith. Four days later, on Holy Thursday, Jesus celebrates his last meal with his disciples. But before doing so, he left them a sign that they are directed to follow. He got on his hands and knees and washed the feet of the disciples (John 13). The God of the universe placed himself in the lowest position to showcase that love is sacrificial. Then he took bread and wine, said the blessing, and told his disciples that the bread was his body and the wine was his blood. Before he was arrested, beaten, and killed, Jesus laid down his life. His mission was coming to its culmination. In order to remain with us always, he left the gift of the Eucharist: his body, blood, soul, and divinity. When Jesus said that the bread and wine become his body and blood—they truly change. We take Jesus at his word. He was not speaking poetically. Through Christ’s power, handed down to the priest through the generations, the bread and wine become his body and blood. The proposal of the Catholic Church is that Jesus waits for us in the Eucharist. In every tabernacle across the globe, he desires to meet us and hear from us. The challenge is to make time for him rather than ignore him as the disciples did on his final day before his crucifixion. We must be firm in our hope that the resurrection has the last say over any pain and suffering. Following the Last Supper, Jesus leads his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. Here sweating blood as he considers his forthcoming pain (Luke 22:39-46). There he is arrested and brought to several Jewish leaders before he lands in front of Pilate on Good Friday. Once he is convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death by crucifixion, he is brought to be scourged. Prisoners would have been stripped completely naked and chained by their wrists to a post or wall. Two strong soldiers would alternate blows as they whipped him with a flagrum, a torture device similar to and more severe than a “cat of nine tails.” This was a whip with straps that had objects tied to the end of each strap. At the end of each strap would have been a piece of glass, rock, bone, or metal object. The intention of the soldier was to hit the prisoner so hard that one of these sharp objects would dig into the flesh of the man. Then the soldier would pull back the whip, literally ripping out tendons and muscles from his face down to his feet. Recent medical analysis reports that the incisions Jesus would have endured during the scourging would have needed roughly two thousand stitches to repair. For this reason, many sources report that prisoners would often died during the scourging, not even making it to crucifixion. Now a cross beam weighing between 150-300 pounds is placed on Jesus’ shoulders, and he carries it a half-mile to his place of death. Along the way, he is continually mocked and whipped. Soldiers held Jesus down as they nailed 6-to-9-inch nails through his hands and feet. Then the cross would have been lifted about ten feet high in the air for all to see and mock. Ultimately, Jesus dies after hanging on the cross for nearly three hours. He would have died of asphyxiation or suffocation as he could no longer lift his beaten body up to breathe. It is the tremendous suffering of Jesus that stands out among these holiest of days. Despite being humiliated, deserted, rejected, mocked, and brutally beaten he remains calm and forgives his enemies. He loved us to the end. For this reason, the crosses that adorn homes, churches, and necklaces serve as reminders of the love that our God has for us. They are invitations to keep God at the center of our lives and become mirrors to His love in our homes and communities. If we do that, then this week will make us into reflections of the heart of God. I can’t think of a time when we need that more. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post The First Holy Week appeared first on The Daily Signal.

To repeat what Americans have heard a lot recently, our Social Security system is in very bad shape. Per the most recent report, in 2025, of the Social Security and Medicare board of trustees, Social Security is capable of paying out the entirety of promised benefits through 2033. After that, there is only the capability of paying out 77% of promised benefits. That’s seven years from now. Anyone who got a letter from their investment fund or insurance program that said, “We’re sorry, but in another seven years we won’t be able to pay out what was promised,” would immediately be on the phone to their lawyer, Why does this very bad news about Social Security not seem to trouble Americans? One reason is that we have no control. It’s not yours despite the fact that you paid for it. You would immediately be on the phone to your agent or your lawyer if your insurance company declared bankruptcy because it’s yours. You own it. Have you ever called Social Security or the IRS to ask a question? You will sit on the phone for hours, and in the end, most likely you won’t connect. Try it and you will understand what hopeless means. On Aug. 14, 2010, President Barack Obama addressed the nation to note the 75th anniversary of the signing of Social Security into law. It was already clear then that the system was shaky. But Obama assured the nation he will “safeguard” Social Security’s “promise to America’s seniors.” He assured Americans that he would never allow a reform enabling Americans to take ownership of their funds, “tying your benefits to the whims of Wall Street traders and the ups and downs of the stock market.” When Obama made that statement in 2010, the S&P 500 stock index stood at 1079. Today, it stands at 6506. The average return of the S&P 500 from 1957 through December 2025 was 11.5% per year. From November 2007 to January 2009, the stock market, measured by the S&P, dropped over 46%. This was the biggest decline since the 1929 crash. Two Cato Institute analysts checked what would have happened to a couple who invested what they would have paid in Social Security taxes over a 45-year working life and then retired right after the huge market decline in 2009. The answer was that even after the crash, they would have earned an average of 6.75% per year and would have had a sufficient accumulation to payout 75% more than they would have gotten from Social Security. Needless to say, if they had retired before the crash, they would have had much more. But even so, the magic of compound interest over 40-plus years well overcomes a short-term disaster. Stock returns reflect the earnings of corporations, and the earnings of corporations reflect the growth of the U.S. economy. Let’s use some simple logic here. Anyone who is negative about the long-term returns on stocks is negative about the long-term growth of the U.S. economy. And anyone that’s negative about the long-term growth of the U.S. economy should understand that there will be few economic resources for the government to tax. What we keep hearing from politicians is about “saving Social Security.” I’m not interested in saving systems. I am interested in saving people. The only way the existing Social Security system can be “saved” is by taking a bad deal and making it worse. Raising taxes or cutting benefits. Or, for sure what we can expect from the progressives is to turn the system into another welfare program by disproportionately raising taxes on higher income earners. The country is ready for a major overall that will free Americans from the government plantation and allow them to reap the benefits of freedom and ownership.COPYRIGHT 2026 CREATORS.COM We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Time to Leave the Social Security Plantation appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A 16-year-old girl allegedly confessed to shooting and killing her mother and her mother’s boyfriend following multiple fights with her mother regarding the girl’s transgender identity and “misgendering,” according to court records obtained by The Daily Signal. A police video, also obtained by The Daily Signal, shows her discussing the misgendering dispute. Julia Grace Egler has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree premeditated murder for the deaths of her 38-year-old mother, Kelley McCollom, and McCollom’s boyfriend, 22-year-old Matthew Szejnrok, on July 7, 2024. While Egler initially claimed that someone else broke into the residence where she lived with McCollom and Szejnrok, she later “confessed to killing” the victims, according to a probable cause affidavit. “She admitted that she had broken into [McCollom’s] bedroom while she was gone and obtained a revolver and ammunition,” the affidavit reads. “She waited in the kitchen area of the residence for them to arrive home, with a gun in her hand and the knife in her right pants pocket. When they walked through the front door, she told them ‘Welcome home’. Moments later, [Egler] shot her mother several times, then shot Matthew several times, as he pleaded with her to stop.” “[Egler] advised that she had reached her boiling point with her mother following many disagreements in the previous weeks,” the affidavit reads. “[Egler] was not happy with the fact that [McCollom] was not very accepting of her gender transition (pronouns he/him), and she also did not like that [McCollom] was dating [Szejnrok] who was 22-years-old.” The Palm Bay Police Department provided video footage of Egler’s interview with police on July 7, 2024. Julia Egler Probable CauseDownload The Transgender Dispute In the video, the defendant told police that she and her mother frequently fought over issues such as “me being trans.” Egler identified as male and went by the name Jasper. “She’d be like, ‘You’re not a real boy’ and … you know, the whole spiel of transphobic stuff,” Egler said. (Transgender activists condemn people who disagree with transgender ideology as “transphobic” to suggest that critics have an irrational fear of people who identify as transgender.) Egler acknowledged her mother’s attempts to compromise, “to meet me in the middle.” McCollom would refer to Egler as “child,” instead of daughter. “Is she misgendering you?” the detective asked. “Yeah,” Egler responded. The detective asked if McCollom was “intentionally calling you ‘she,’ or not using the appropriate pronouns, or not referring to you as Jasper and referring to you as Julia.” The suspect nodded, and added that her mother mentioned that Egler still has a female anatomy. “All that bulls—, kind of shoving it in my face,” the suspect responded. “Obviously, that’s kind of painful. I already beat myself up about it enough, I don’t need you doing it, too.” When asked at what age she decided to transition, Egler said, “I’ve never really seen myself as a woman.” She said she pushed her gender identity “away for a long time until I couldn’t anymore.” When the detective asked if Egler suppressed her feelings while trying to conform to society’s norms, she said, “more trying to fit into my mom’s conforms [sic].” Egler said her mother denied transgender idoleogy, stating, “No, it’s not real, even if you get the surgeries, it’s not real.” Egler pleaded not guilty to the two murder charges, and her public defender, Michael Pirolo, told The Daily Signal that her trial has been scheduled for Nov. 2. Other Transgender Shooters Egler’s alleged crime arguably fits a growing trend of violent crimes committed by people who identify as transgender or who support transgender ideology. In February, Jesse Van Rootselaar, an 18-year-old man who identified as a woman, shot and killed eight in British Columbia, Canada. Tyler Robinson, 22, who faces murder charges in the September killing of Charlie Kirk, reportedly lived with a boyfriend who identifies as transgender and allegedly told his boyfriend he shot Kirk on his behalf. Robin Westman, a 23-year-old male identifying as a female, shot and killed two children at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis in August. Mia Bailey, a 30-year-old man who identifies as female, shot and killed his parents in June 2024. Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a 28-year-old woman who identified as male, shot and killed six on March 27, 2023, at a Presbyterian school in Nashville, Tennessee. The man who tried to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in June 2022 identifies as a woman. On May 7, 2019, Maya “Alec” McKinney, a 16-year-old woman who identifies as male, and her 19-year-old fellow student, Devon Erickson, shot and killed one and injured eight at a school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. In June 2024, a judge sentenced Alexia Willie, a man who identifies as a woman, after he confessed to threatening to rape girls in girls’ restrooms, carry out mass shootings at schools, and bomb churches. The post Teen Girl Allegedly Confessed to Killing Mother, Mother’s Boyfriend, After ‘Misgendering’ Dispute appeared first on The Daily Signal.