Amid late spring blooms and the summer tourist crush, 35-year-old Mohammad Mateen drives across the city of Srinagar to inspect pashmina shawls being woven for his homegrown Kashmiri brand, Blossoms of Heaven. He pulls up in front of master weaver Abdul Hamid’s house, a two-story structure surrounded by fruit trees. Hamid ushers us up the wooden steps to his attic workshop with two looms, and tells a story of revival. “Ten years ago, I used to weave four to five shawls a month,” he says. “Today, by god’s grace, I weave more than 30.”  Here in the Kashmir valley at the Indo-Pakistan border, a region that has been known for violent conflict since the 1990s, Mateen and Hamid represent a brave new generation. Through the practice of traditional crafts, they are trying to rebuild lives and livelihoods, a critical aspect of peace-building and economic redevelopment in former conflict zones. The road to economic rehabilitation has been long and hard.  Abdul Hamid weaving fine pashmina for Blossoms of Heaven. Credit: Geetanjali Krishna Like conflict zones across the world, Kashmir had been isolated from the rest of the country, and its fabled artisans, from their markets. “It felt as if while we Kashmiris struggled with turmoil and violence in our backyards since the 1990s all the way up to the early 2000s, the world left us behind and moved on,” Sajid Nazir, senior faculty at Craft Development Institute, Srinagar, remarks. “Our master craftspeople had had no contact with the market for decades, and years of conflict had eroded their confidence and trust. As for the younger generation, they were more interested in migrating to safer, more lucrative cities, than in practicing traditional craft.”  Peace began returning to the valley in the first decade of the millennium, but sporadic violence and internet shutdowns made it hard for local businesses to grow. “I still remember 2019, the last time that Kashmir experienced serious violence, curfews and one of the world’s longest internet shutdowns of over five months,” Mateen says. “I feared for our survival, and that of the craftspeople dependent on us.”  Mohammad Mateen, co-founder of Blossoms of Heaven. Credit: Geetanjali Krishna Cut to 2024, when much has changed for Mateen, and other entrepreneurs like him: “We employ, directly and indirectly, over 400 weavers across Kashmir today,” he says. “And we’ve managed to expand to markets in Qatar and other parts of the Middle East.”  This revival of craft-based livelihoods in Kashmir is thanks, at least in part, to a question that Gandhian craft visionary LC Jain posed in the early 2000s: Could incubating craft businesses in Kashmir create more sustainable livelihoods, revive skills that were in imminent danger of extinction and help the region recover from decades of conflict? Jain, who was the first to apply modern marketing techniques to promote handicraft sales in India, and had developed the government-owned Central Cottage Industries Emporium, thought so, and for good reason.  Kashmir has a rich craft tradition, and it is the third-largest livelihood sector after agriculture and tourism. Craft, traditionally practiced in the safety of people’s homes, is relatively safe even in times of conflict. So when Jain died in 2010, his family created a trust to give fruition to his ideas and thus, Commitment to Kashmir (CtoK) was born. The nonprofit was developed by some of India’s foremost craft activists and advocates – Laila Tyabji of Dastkar, Manju Nirula and Gita Ram of the Crafts Council of India, Ritu Sethi of Craft Revival Trust, Gulshan Nanda, former chairperson of Central Cottage Industries Emporium and Rathi Jha, the founder of the National Institute of Fashion Technology.  “The idea was that these craft-based businesses would have a ripple effect,” Shruti Jagota, project director at CtoK says. “They would help revive traditional handicrafts, create much-needed jobs in the craft sector, and perhaps even reverse migration from the state. The idea began showing results almost instantly. In collaboration with the state’s apex handicraft and handloom promotion agency, Craft Development Institute, CtoK began mentoring their first cohort of grantees in 2012. “Designers from across the country taught us how to innovate in terms of designs and colors and sales, and marketing experts taught us how to price our products, interact with customers and display our products in exhibitions,” Mateen, part of this first cohort, recalls. “We learned a lot, and above all, became more receptive to new ideas and new ways of doing business in order to stand out in a crowd.”  Crewel (hook) embroidery being done at Noorari. Credit: Geetanjali Krishna To date, CtoK has incubated 37 young craftspeople and Jagota estimates that over 85 percent have set up small and large craft enterprises, or are continuing in other capacities as leaders in the craft sector. Through their program, 850 new design and market-driven products have been developed and sold. These include not only crafty papier-mâché Christmas ornaments and contemporary leather accessories, but also products like hand-painted wooden boxes that fuse traditional Kashmiri motifs, like roses and tulips, with the reality of conflict — stones, barbed wires and army uniforms. Many new business ideas have emerged: For example, embroiderer Anjuman Ara is developing high-fashion embroidered garments with a CtoK designer. Shabir Lone is training women impacted by violence in the traditionally male dominated art of kani weaving, in which cane needles threaded with different colors are used to create intricate patterns on the loom.  Their efforts to connect artisans directly with their markets through regular exhibitions and bazaars across India, and now through their online platform Zaina by CtoK, have been a moderate success. Going by their sales records, Jagota reckons that all their grantees have sold at least 60 percent of their stock in offline events. “Also, I think we’ve been quite successful in making them independent of us,” she says.  But focusing so much money and effort on small cohorts has been difficult to explain to donors looking for high impact numbers, especially during the violence and the long internet shutdown of 2019, and then the Covid-19 pandemic. “So we’ve rethought our strategy in the last year,” she says. “We are now exploring the idea of working with craft clusters instead of individual entrepreneurs.”    CtoK is not the first to try the cluster approach. In 2018 to 2019, the World Bank and the Craft Development Institute identified several areas across Kashmir, with concentrations of people practicing crafts like willow basketry, wool weaving and crewel embroidery, in order to train groups of artisans to sustain and market their work. Masrat Jan (right) inspects an embroidered garment in the Noorari workshop. Credit: Geetanjali Krishna One of these clusters consisted of about 600 women embroiderers in Noorbagh, a neighborhood in Srinagar. They were trained and connected to markets by artisan-owned crafts company RangSutra. RangSutra conducted interactive workshops to help the embroiderers hone existing skills, develop rigorous quality control and enhance their creativity over one year. The company also gave the collective running orders of embroidered garments to fulfill. In 2023, their collective was incorporated as a “producer-owned company” by the government, called Noorari.  Nazir and I walk through the narrow lanes of Noorbagh to the Noorari office and are met by one of the directors of Noorari: 30-year-old Sahiba, a single mother and the sole wage earner in her family. She estimates that of the original 600 women trained, at least 200 remain active and able to earn about $9 to $12 US per day. In the workshop, about 30 women work on completing an order. “Working with designers has really refined our sensibilities,” Masrat Jan, a board member who oversees the production, says. “Earlier, we worked on a piece rate basis for traders obsessed with keeping the price low at the cost of craftsmanship. Now we’re rewarded for the fineness of our stitch…”  Sahiba doing the accounts at Noorari. Credit: Geetanjali Krishna With their training complete, the ladies of Noorari are working on an independent marketing plan. Sahiba wants to grow their modest Rs 5 lakh (under $6,000 US) profits tenfold in the next five years, but as none of them have experience of using social media marketing techniques and many are still traditionally homebound, this may prove challenging. “We all really want this to work,” she says. “After the years of uncertainty and conflict, having a business and giving employment to so many other women is an amazing feeling.”  As the sun sets over Dal Lake, Mateen stares at the clouds gathering above. “We’ve grown up with violence around us, we’ve seen months of peace disrupted by a single act of violence,” he reflects. “As a businessman, I wonder: How can we take this peace for granted?” Indeed, across the world’s conflict zones — from which, the UN estimates, over 114 million people have been forced to flee for their lives and livelihoods — the uncertainty of peace makes it difficult to do business. “In 2019, when the violence resulted in a lockdown, our distribution channels were disrupted, we couldn’t even visit the weavers and none of us had any connection with the outside world,” he says. “Our business nearly folded.”  Become a sustaining member today! Join the Reasons to be Cheerful community by supporting our nonprofit publication and giving what you can. Join Other aspects of working in Kashmir are equally tricky. Jagota says that in 2019 and 2020, key funding sources dried up. It has taken CtoK two years to find their footing. “Also, our experiences with the grantee program have shown us that one year is too short a time for mentorship. For craft business development in Kashmir, I think one needs at least two years if not more,” she says.  The Noorari cohort’s struggle to stay afloat underlines these challenges. But the pride on their faces as they display their exquisite embroidery is enough to gladden even the most cynical heart. “Noorari has given me a livelihood and dignity, two things I never thought I’d earn through the troubled years,” Jan says as she oversees the tracing of an embroidery pattern. “The best thing is that my two little daughters are so proud of me.”    The post A Brave New Generation of Craftspeople in Kashmir appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.

100 years ago today, Congress established what is generally regarded as the world’s first true wilderness area. 40 years before Congress gained the power of the Wilderness Act, American Forest Serviceman, author, and wildlife hero Aldo Leopold proposed the idea of turning a 558,014 acre (225,820 ha) part of the Mogollon Mountains containing the headwaters […] The post Good News in History, June 3 appeared first on Good News Network.

As unprecedented numbers of illegal aliens overwhelm the southern border, the United States faces the worst illegal immigration crisis in its history. But for one infamously progressive labor union, out-of-control illegal immigration isn’t an urgent national crisis to be solved, but a political opportunity to be exploited. A recent email obtained by the Freedom Foundation details a plot by the Service Employees International Union to take advantage of years of chaos at the southern border under President Joe Biden to mint millions of new Democrat voters going into the 2024 election and beyond. The SEIU email, dated March 19, explains that there are “9 million lawful permanent residents … eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship” and another “5.2 million newly naturalized U.S. citizens with the potential to vote for worker power.” To encourage these green card holders to “take the brave step and become citizens,” SEIU announced in the email that it would work to naturalize immigrants ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election through the union’s annual Virtual U.S. Citizenship Workshop.  Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with granting asylum to persons fleeing genuine persecution in their home country, or with allowing these lawful permanent residents eventually to become U.S. citizens or registering them to vote. The problem is that the Biden administration has defined the legal grounds for asylum so broadly as to dissolve any practical limits, granting asylum claims based on hardship of nearly any kind, up to and including the effects of climate change. Although the nation’s immigration system has been broken for decades, the Biden administration’s commitment to loosening asylum standards certainly contributed to the present crisis by encouraging a record number of illegal border crossers to lodge claims for asylum, creating a backlog of over 3.5 million pending immigration court cases. As U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services works through the backlog, the Left’s political infrastructure, including unions such as SEIU, works feverishly to convert these border crossers-turned-asylees into citizens-turned-voters, for example, by offering “free one-on-one assistance with the U.S. citizenship application and fee waiver” to lawful permanent residents.  And make no mistake, the Service Employees International Union expects a political return on its investment. According to its March email, the union hopes that, in exchange for its generosity, migrants will use voting as a tool to stop “extremist politicians” from “pushing racist laws or attacking workers’ rights.” If SEIU can convert millions of immigrants into left-wing activists, the union “can push worker power from ALL angles that impact our lives.” Indeed, SEIU credits its newest Democrat recruits for already doing the union’s political bidding by passing controversial legislation in swing states. According to the union, new “pro-worker voters” in Michigan were responsible for flipping control of the state to Democrats, who subsequently rammed through a repeal of the state’s popular right-to-work law. Right-to-work legislation, which protects employees from being fired for refusing to join or pay dues to a union, is supported by nearly 90% of Americans, according to recent polls. But, to unions such as SEIU, the repeal of such worker protections in Michigan was something to be “celebrated.”  Troublingly, SEIU’s political ambitions reach far beyond state policy. The union hopes to influence the “pivotal 2024 elections” by mobilizing its new Democrat voters, advancing progressive priorities for a whole range of hot-button issues in the process. To SEIU, the harm caused to Americans by the border crisis is a small price to pay for keeping its allies in power. The union knows that so long as Biden’s open border policies hold, a steady stream of potential recruits will continue to enter the country. As Eliseo Medina, a former vice president of SEIU, explained: “[I]f we have 8 million new voters … we will create a governing coalition for the long term, not just for an election cycle.”  If excessive partisan spending wasn’t enough to convince SEIU members of the union’s unsatiable thirst for political influence, capitalizing on an unprecedented border crisis to advance partisan politics often divorced from workplace issues should be a wake-up call to reevaluate their membership. As for the 80% of Americans who believe that the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border is “either a crisis (45%) or a major problem (32%),” SEIU couldn’t care less. So long as political gain is on the table, the Service Employees International Union will continue working to perpetuate and exploit an immigration disaster that will have profound impact on American life for years to come. The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation. The post Big Labor Exploits Border Crisis for Its Own Selfish Gain appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The story of America is scrappy, daring, and revolutionary. Our Founding Fathers took an idea—democracy—that had been dead for centuries and revived it with little more than an amateur militia and a dream for a better world.  The great American experiment has been led by consequential presidents. They were warriors, leaders, and titans. Some of them, like Abraham Lincoln, literally stood above the crowds with imposing height. Military heroes such as Ulysses S. Grant and Teddy Roosevelt had the kind of courage you only read about today. Thomas Jefferson authored the Declaration of Independence. Ronald Reagan, an actor before entering the political sphere, pioneered conservative policies and paved the way for the modern conservative movement.  From innovators, thinkers and writers to generals, orators, and businessmen, the presidency of the United States used to be a job that attracted the best of the best.  Fast-forward to 2024. America’s president is the butt of jokes around the world. President Joe Biden gets lost on stage, forgets what he’s saying in the middle of a sentence, and bears little resemblance to the charming “Uncle Joe” that many Americans admired during the Obama administration.  Adding insult to injury, the Biden administration makes wrong decision after disastrously wrong decision. It’s been four years of failure and intentionally destructive policies.  To put it plainly, Biden does not measure up to the legendary presidents of American history.  Just this week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre admitted from the podium that the Biden administration could take executive action to fix the border crisis, but it won’t. In fact, she bragged about the executive actions Biden took early in his presidency to destroy the progress of President Donald Trump‘s administration. Biden stumbled through nine errors in a recent speech that White House staff had to clean up afterward.  Biden’s White House issued condolences for the death of the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi—a man nicknamed the “Butcher of Tehran” for his human rights abuses and whose leadership led to a rise in terrorism and instability in the Middle East.  In another gaffe, Biden claimed to have been vice president during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also gave some bizarre marital advice: Marry a woman with a lot of sisters. He incorrectly announced that a person being held hostage by Hamas terrorists since Oct. 7 was in the crowd at an event.  He repeatedly stumbles up the stairs of Air Force One. He slips and falls on stage. He crashed his bike while riding at a slow pace. He reads aloud, with squinting eyes, the speech cues on his teleprompter. He tells strange, inconsistent, and false stories about vague family members and friends.  Rather than cause alarm, Biden’s gaffes have become a punch line for late-night television. Hollywood brushes it off. Mainstream media happily provides him cover.  Unlike the media elites, the American people are horrified. They don’t think that Biden is truly capable of running the country. The chaos erupting around the world—in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Israel, and Taiwan, to name a few—doesn’t calm any of those fears.  Biden is a liability on the campaign trail—and his team knows it. That’s why they’re trying so hard to keep Trump tied up in court, because when you put these two side by side, there’s no comparison.  The president shouldn’t be a punch line. He’s the most powerful person on the planet and leader of the free world. Presidents are supposed to inspire hope; they don’t hide in a basement.  The upcoming debates between Biden and Trump will make the choice explicitly clear.  When Americans head to the polls on Nov. 5, they will be reminded of the American presidents who have changed the course of history, some for better and others for worse.  Our great American revival can only happen when we embrace true leadership and put America first. Our next president must bring us closer to the promise of “E Pluribus Unum”—out of many, one. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post The Many Ways Biden Doesn’t Measure Up appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Ten years after its creation, The Daily Signal enters a new era Monday as its own independent organization.  Today, its dedicated team of reporters and editors serve an audience of millions of Americans who rely on The Daily Signal to produce high-quality news stories and publish insightful commentary and analysis. The team consists of 12 full-time staff, two fellows, two interns, and many contributors. Learn more about them below and see other Daily Signal authors. Virginia Allen Senior News Producer and Podcast Host After interning at The Heritage Foundation in the spring of 2018, Allen began her career as a communications department administrative assistant. After two years, she moved into a position with The Daily Signal in spring of 2020. Allen says she will never forget the experiences she has had reporting from the U.S. southern border. She deeply respects NewsNation reporter Ali Bradley for her bold and honest coverage of the southern border situation. Allen’s goal for The Daily Signal in 2024 is to increase podcast quality with even stronger coverage of the daily news and major policy issues facing the nation. Rob Bluey President and Executive Editor As the founding editor-in-chief of The Daily Signal, Bluey always dreamed of building a news outlet at Heritage from the moment he started his job in 2007. Having previously covered Congress as a reporter, he saw an opportunity to marry Heritage’s policy expertise with rich storytelling. He models his own approach to journalism on the work of the now-deceased syndicated columnist Robert Novak. He has big hopes for The Daily Signal’s future by putting a stronger emphasis on video, pursuing investigative reporting, and expanding its Capitol Hill coverage and political commentary. Hudson Crozier News Intern Crozier was selected to be a summer 2024 intern at The Daily Signal. He continues to build his writing portfolio and learn from The Daily Signal’s talented, experienced staff as he advances his own budding journalism career. One of his biggest inspirations in conservative media is The Daily Signal’s Mary Margaret Olohan for her fearless reporting on important cultural issues. Crozier hopes to become a more productive writer and reporter through the internship. Brian Gottstein Senior Editor and Writing Adviser After working as the official writer for Heritage’s previous president, Gottstein became a writing adviser. In that role, he helps policy analysts to write more compelling op-eds geared toward educating policymakers and the general public. The role also includes editing for The Daily Signal and managing the other editors. Gottstein enjoys the entertaining and useful writings of John Stossel. This year, Gottstein wants to help grow The Daily Signal audience significantly because he thinks Americans often cannot get the unique news, commentary, policy analysis, and solutions to some of America’s biggest issues anywhere else. Tim Kennedy News Producer Kennedy recently moved to The Daily Signal from digital production at Heritage to help improve video content while furthering the outlet’s investigative ambitions. Previously, he oversaw the day-to-day production of digital content. Kennedy is proud of his work with colleagues Virginia Allen and Christian Lasval to report exclusively on illegal aliens driving unlicensed mopeds and motorcycles in Washington, D.C. His favorite memory on the job is traveling to Maui to cover Hawaii’s wildfires. Kennedy admires Dutch historian Frank Dikötter’s books that document the now-deceased Chinese communist dictator Mao Zedong’s reign of terror. This year, he wants to see The Daily Signal’s social channels reach No. 1 in Forbes’ annual social media ranking of free-market organizations.  Tony Kinnett Investigative Columnist Since Heritage’s Lindsey Burke recruited Kinnett for investigative column writing in 2022, he has written The Daily Signal’s most-read article of 2023, “California Bill Would Charge Any Parent Who Doesn’t Affirm Transgenderism With ‘Child Abuse.’” It resulted in backlash so intense that California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the legislation. Flying to Maui to cover the wildfires with Tim Kennedy is Kinnett’s favorite memory at The Daily Signal. This year, he hopes to help create The Daily Signal’s first Instagram video with more than 5 million views or to syndicate his radio show to three stations. His top two media role models are Ben Shapiro and Chris Rufo.  Fred Lucas Chief News Correspondent Lucas is an accomplished journalist, veteran White House correspondent, and author with extensive experience in political reporting. As The Daily Signal’s chief news correspondent, he covers a wide range of topics and uses his investigative skills to uncover the truth. He has a keen ability to distill complex issues into clear, compelling stories. He is also the author of several books, including “The Myth of Voter Suppression: The Left’s Assault on Clean Elections” and “Tainted by Suspicion: The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections.” Lucas previously reported from state capitals in Kentucky and Connecticut and is a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Elise McCue Digital Fellow McCue was a Daily Signal intern during the summer 2023 session. She is proud of the breadth of topics she covered during her internship. One of McCue’s favorite memories at The Daily Signal was joining the staff at a Turning Point USA conference in Florida to promote the outlet. Emily Jashinsky, director of the National Journalism Center, is McCue’s journalism role model because she has made a name for herself by speaking boldly and unapologetically while still practicing thoughtful journalism. As the digital media fellow, McCue hopes to help make The Daily Signal a household name for conservative news. Ken McIntyre Senior Editor Along with Rob Bluey and Katrina Trinko, McIntyre helped found The Daily Signal in 2014. At the time, he was in his seventh year as an editor in Heritage’s communications department following a 30-year career as a reporter and editor at weekly and daily newspapers. McIntyre is proud of his work helping Daily Signal reporters and other contributors to capture the importance and consequences of public policy challenges and solutions in their news stories and commentaries. During his time with The Daily Signal, his favorite memory is when he helped interview, hire, and develop The Daily Signal’s first three full-time reporters.  Kevin Mooney Investigative Reporter Mooney came to work at The Daily Signal after reporting for the State Policy Network, a nonprofit organization, on how the IRS was targeting tea party activists during the Obama administration. The Daily Signal became the ideal platform for Mooney to expand on that coverage when a Virginia farmer, in a long-standing legal dispute with environmental activists, became caught up in the IRS controversy. Mooney admires the work Ken McIntyre and Peter Parisi do as editors on his articles. He aims to investigate new topics this year, such as election integrity, the border crisis, and cultural disputes involving radical public school curriculums. Tyler O’Neil Managing Editor O’Neil came to The Daily Signal after working as a Fox News Digital editor and as a PJ Media editor. His passion for conservative journalism and the truth led O’Neil to write his book, “Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center.” O’Neil loves bringing his family to Capitol Hill events and connecting with people at The Daily Signal. In journalism, he most looks up to G.K. Chesterton. O’Neil hopes to increase The Daily Signal’s website traffic, get himself and his colleagues on TV more often, and help develop the original and exclusive reporting that drives conversation. Mary Margaret Olohan Senior Reporter Olohan came to work at The Daily Signal after working at the Daily Caller News Foundation. Her most influential Daily Signal project to date was coverage of high school girls in Vermont who pushed back against a boy identifying as a girl who was using their locker room. One of Olohan’s favorite memories at The Daily Signal was going to the Big Board, a bar in Washington, D.C., to report on the stripping of its liquor license for refusal to enforce COVID-19 mask mandates. This year, she would like to identify the leaker of the Supreme Court draft opinion for Roe v. Wade. Olohan’s journalism role model is Mollie Hemingway, editor-in-chief of The Federalist.  Peter Parisi Editor Parisi joined The Daily Signal after responding to a posting on a journalism jobs board. He had previously worked at The Washington Times for 10 years with Ken McIntyre. Parisi enjoys sharing the benefit of his many years of writing and editing experience with interns, adding that getting thank-you notes from departing interns after each semester makes it all worthwhile. He relishes the challenge of compiling and editing policy analysts’ and reporters’ analyses of presidential State of the Union addresses and presidential candidates’ debates under intense deadline pressure. His journalistic role models include the now-deceased talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh and current talk-radio host Chris Plante. This year, Parisi hopes to write a column that makes the top 10 in that month’s tally of The Daily Signal’s most-read pieces. Olivia Pero News Intern Pero is a summer 2024 Daily Signal intern. A rising senior at Hillsdale College, she is a staff member of the college’s newspaper, The Collegian. Having interned with The Daily Caller’s video production department in the summer of 2023, Pero is eager to develop her writing and reporting skills this summer. She looks up to the journalistic work of John J. Miller, director of the journalism program at Hillsdale. During her time at The Daily Signal, Pero hopes to become a sharper thinker and stronger writer, and one day to decide on a beat topic to specialize in.  Sarah Sleem Fact-Checker and Proofreader Sleem has worked at The Daily Signal since graduating from Christopher Newport University in 2014. Her greatest accomplishment with the outlet has been taking on various roles and working with people who have helped her to sharpen her journalism skills. Sleem’s favorite memory at The Daily Signal is covering the 2016 election results with the team. Everyone worked together very quickly to get information out to the public. One of her favorite journalists is Virginia Allen, who she says is a natural at reporting and interviewing. Sleem hopes to help The Daily Signal team out in whatever way she can this year in order to keep people informed about what’s going on in Washington, D.C., and how it affects them. Jarrett Stepman Columnist Stepman previously worked at Human Events and Breitbart News. He describes his book “The War on History: The Conspiracy to Rewrite America’s Past” as his top accomplishment. A memory that sticks out to Stepman is when he covered a socialist conference in Chicago that foreshadowed the Left’s embrace of transgenderism. As a columnist, he looks up to Victor Davis Hanson for combining clear, concise thought with factual depth and history. Stepman plans to have a second book in the works by the end of the year.  Katrina Trinko Editor-in-Chief Trinko joined The Daily Signal in 2014 to help develop the strategy for a new news outlet focused on quality reporting of issues that interest conservatives. She is grateful to lead a team that has fearlessly reported on hot-button topics, such as detransitioners, Obamacare, the border, and more. Trinko fondly remembers fast-paced nights when the team worked on election coverage, brainstorming and reacting together in real time, pizza in hand, while working to provide the best journalism it could for The Daily Signal’s audience.  Elizabeth Troutman Reporting Fellow Troutman joins The Daily Signal as a reporting fellow after interning at the media outlet in the spring of 2023. As an intern, she covered Tucker Carlson’s speech at Heritage’s 50th Anniversary Gala. The article blew up a few days after the announcement that Carlson was no longer with Fox News. Troutman’s journalism role model is Mary Margaret Olohan, because she admires Olohan’s bravery in covering controversial stories, her drive, and her constant ability to get amazing news scoops. With this being Troutman’s first full-time job in journalism, she hopes to write a lot and break many untold stories. A few members of The Daily Signal’s team (from left): Virginia Allen, Fred Lucas, Jarrett Stepman, and Tyler O’Neil. (Photo: John Popp) The post Meet The Daily Signal’s Team of Journalists appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Ten years ago today, we launched The Daily Signal with a vision of producing quality journalism about issues that matter to the American people. In the past decade, we sure have. Here’s a look at some of the best journalism produced by The Daily Signal over the years. 1. Coach Kennedy’s Fight to Pray Back in 2015, we started covering the case of Coach Joe Kennedy, who lost his job at a public school after refusing to stop praying after football games. We followed Kennedy’s fight for justice all the way up to his appearance at the Supreme Court in 2022—where he won. Our own Virginia Allen was there in person in 2023 when Kennedy, back at his old job, coached one final game and prayed on the field one last time before quitting his coaching job. “We finished the race.” – Coach Joe Kennedy pic.twitter.com/Vz6dDD5PIN— Virginia Allen (@Virginia_Allen5) September 2, 2023 2. Small-Business Owners’ Religious Freedom Rights From the very start, The Daily Signal has aggressively covered small-business owners who want to be true to their beliefs about traditional marriage and not be forced to participate in same-sex weddings. In September 2014, we covered the story of Robert and Cynthia Gifford, who weren’t comfortable hosting a lesbian wedding on their property and were fined $10,000 and ordered to pay damages of $3,000. (The couple went to the New York Supreme Court, but lost their case in 2016.) We had one of our early blockbuster reports in 2015, when we reported on Aaron and Melissa Klein, bakers who had refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. That article, “State Silences Bakers Who Refused to Make Cake for Lesbian Couple, Fines Them $135K,” received over 1.1 million views. In 2017, we told the story of Steven and Bridget Tennes, farmers who had been banned from selling at their local farmers market because they wouldn’t host same-sex weddings on their farm. Six years later, we reported that they won their case. Starting in 2015, we told the story of Jack Phillips, the Colorado Christian baker who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding. We covered Phillips’ ongoing legal battle, which went all the way to the Supreme Court. In 2018. Phillips won that case. But Phillips’ legal fight wasn’t over. In 2018, shortly after his Supreme Court win, Phillips was targeted again by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission—this time, because he wouldn’t make a cake for gender transition. Amazingly, Phillips’ legal woes continue, as does our coverage. 3. Obamacare Big Government health care has affected many Americans’ lives since the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, was passed in 2010. We spoke to Scott Womack, who sold his 16 IHOP restaurants in 2014 in part because of the Obamacare employer mandate. In 2015, we shared the story of Pamela Weldin, who lost her health insurance three times under Obamacare. (Two years later, she lost it a fourth time.) We also reported on Marjorie Weer, a mom struggling to get her special-needs son, Monty, the care he needed under Obamacare. Monty was born with spina bifida. The 2017 report on Weer got the attention of the Trump administration. Weer visited the White House and met with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Monty, meanwhile, got his own photo with first lady Melania Trump. View this post on Instagram A post shared by First Lady M. Trump Archived (@flotus45) 4. The Border For the past 10 years, we’ve aggressively covered the border crisis, highlighting the stories corporate media largely ignore. In 2014, we interviewed Ronnie Osburn, a Texas rancher, who had recently “directed a group of 10 men from El Salvador, ages 19 to 23, to Border Patrol agents, who apprehended them.” Osburn’s ranch was often traversed by illegal immigrants. In 2017, Kelsey Bolar reported on how San Diego’s border wall was working out: And as illegal immigration has exploded in recent years, we’ve kept covering what’s going on. Rachel del Guidice interviewed Arizona rancher John Ladd in 2021. Ladd described how the regular trespassing of illegal immigrants on his ranch made him afraid for his family’s safety, saying, “We’ve had a lot of things stolen. We’ve had a lot of vehicles stolen. This barn has been broken [into]. We don’t even lock it anymore. We lock the houses.” “But somebody is always here. Nobody can leave the ranch without somebody being here. During Trump’s administration, we could be gone for a little while. And now it’s back to the same deal. Somebody’s always got to be here,” he added. Late last year, Virginia Allen interviewed Mark Lamb, a sheriff in Arizona, who warned about how easy it would be for a terrorist to sneak across America’s southern border. 5. Justice Brett Kavanaugh When President Donald Trump first announced that Brett Kavanaugh was his Supreme Court nominee, few guessed what Kavanaugh was about to undergo. But while much of the corporate media focused on the flimsy accusations of Christine Blasey Ford, The Daily Signal took a different route. We interviewed two female clerks who had previously worked for Kavanaugh, sharing their views on the nominee. Kavanaugh, of course, was ultimately confirmed. But in 2022, he and several other conservative Supreme Court justices faced protesters at their homes after the decision overturning Roe v. Wade leaked. Doug Blair covered the scene when protesters came to Kavanaugh’s home. The energy is markedly more negative outside Kavanaugh’s house. The anger has become much more palpable than outside any other justices’ house. pic.twitter.com/zY2OY34hcA— Douglas Blair (@DouglasKBlair) May 8, 2022 Blair continued to report on the protests, including when a man had traveled to Kavanaugh’s home with the intent to assassinate him. “Shouting ‘Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Kavanaugh has got to go!’ and ‘Regulate guns, not bodies!'” the protesters circled around the justice’s neighborhood several times,” Blair reported. 6. Dangers of Transgender Medical ‘Treatment’ for Minors Now it’s relatively well-known that transgender medical “treatment” for minors poses significant risks and can destroy a young person’s fertility. But that wasn’t the case in 2017. Leftists were vigorously promoting the idea that the best way to help a child who experienced gender dysphoria was to put him or her on puberty blockers—or perhaps even do permanent surgeries to alter their bodies. We made a video with Dr. Michelle Cretella, a pediatrician who had a different point of view, on how to help children suffering from gender dysphoria. Her video reached millions on Facebook. Two years later, we shared the story of “Elaine,” the mother of a daughter who had pursued gender-transition treatment. “I am speaking out because I love my daughter. And it is because of her that I know what I have told you is true. She has been a victim of ‘gender-affirming’ medical procedures, and I was powerless to stop doctors from harming her,” she wrote. Also in 2019, YouTube decided Cretella’s words were too controversial and took down our 2017 video. We quickly reported on the sentence YouTube wouldn’t allow a pediatrician to say: “See, if you want to cut off a leg or an arm, you’re mentally ill. But if you want to cut off healthy breasts or a penis, you’re transgender.” In 2022, we interviewed Chloe Cole, who was placed on puberty blockers as a teen, about her journey, and why she had become a detransitioner: 7. Pandemic Threats to Our Freedoms The COVID-19 pandemic quickly became a chance for leftist lawmakers and officials to try to control small-business owners and other Americans. Virginia Allen spoke to California small-business owners struggling under the constant lockdowns: “It almost seems like we are a forgotten industry,” [rock-climbing gym owner Howard] Konishi said, adding that it’s frustrating when one sees another business, such as a big-box store, that is allowed to keep operating, but you are forced to shut down. “It’s almost like paying for a house … that you cannot live in, but you are still expected to pay property taxes and rent and all that stuff. It’s tough. I know it’s for the good of the community, but I am just trying to survive here.”  Rachel del Guidice interviewed a pastor who kept his church open during the pandemic: Mary Margaret Olohan told the story of Eric Flannery, owner of The Big Board restaurant and bar in Washington, D.C., who was shut down by the city’s Department of Health in 2022 because he wouldn’t require people to show proof of vaccination to enter his establishment. 8. Men in Women’s Sports and Spaces In 2015, we reported how high school girls in a Chicago suburb felt about having to share their locker room with a transgender student. “[W]e are supposed to accept this and feel like nothing really is happening, but the fact of the matter is that this did get pretty big, and now we have someone with male genitals in our girls’ locker room when we are changing,” said one sophomore.   Four years later, Kelsey Bolar told the story of Selina Soule, a high school girl losing to biological males participating in women’s track events. More recently, Mary Margaret Olohan reported on high school girls in Vermont who were forced to share their locker room with a biologically male student: 9. DOJ Official Hid Arrest From Lawmakers Earlier this year, Mary Margaret Olohan reported that Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, had been arrested in 2006. Clarke had been asked by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., during her confirmation hearing in 2021 if “[s]ince becoming a legal adult, have you ever been arrested for, or accused of, committing a violent crime against any person?” Clarke responded no, not disclosing her 2006 arrest or its subsequent expungement. Sen. Mike Lee called for Clarke to resign. “Kristen Clarke is in charge of enforcing civil rights laws,” the Utah Republican said in a statement posted to X. “She enforces those laws aggressively against anyone who sneezes near an abortion clinic. And not at all against those who vandalize churches. She lied under oath during her confirmation proceedings, and should resign.” The New York Post editorial board also called on Clarke to resign. Kristen Clarke is in charge of enforcing civil rights laws.She enforces those laws aggressively against anyone who sneezes near an abortion clinic.And not at all against those who vandalize churches.She lied under oath during her confirmation proceedings, and should resign. https://t.co/5tHpaG4a2W— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) May 1, 2024 10. Politicized Pentagon Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, the Biden administration moved swiftly to implement its abortion-on-demand agenda throughout the federal government. That included the Defense Department, where Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a Feb. 16, 2023, policy providing three weeks of paid leave and reimbursement of travel expenses for military personnel and dependents who are seeking an abortion. The Daily Signal was ready to expose Austin’s action. Months later, when Sen. Tommy Tuberville accused the Pentagon of bypassing Congress to unlawfully change the policy, Rob Bluey explained to our audience why the Alabama Republican was pursuing one of the most important pro-life fights of 2023. By objecting to the promotions of hundreds of military officers, Tuberville put the spotlight on Biden’s radical abortion agenda and the woke nominees he wanted the Senate to approve. The Daily Signal’s investigative reporting on Air Force Col. Ben Jonsson exposed his controversial views. Today, Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., continues to block Jonsson’s promotion—the only military officer who remains in limbo. When the U.S. Senate unanimously approved 425 military promotions this month, one person was missing from the list: Col. Ben Jonsson, the Air Force officer who espoused controversial views on race and diversity.New @DailySignal investigative report. ?https://t.co/SGOww54WO0— Rob Bluey (@RobertBluey) December 19, 2023 The post A Look Back at The Daily Signal’s First Decade appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Traditional media outlets are failing—badly. Whether it’s the lack of public trust in their ability to report the news accurately and fairly or their reactionary approach to world events, the American people deserve something better. Ten years ago today, we launched The Daily Signal as an alternative to the establishment press. We believed then that major news outlets and broadcast networks were leaving a massive audience of conservatives and independent-minded Americans unserved. We set out on June 3, 2014, to inject competition into the market. Our hypothesis was correct. Outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR were shocked by Donald Trump’s victory in 2016. They never saw it coming because they never paid attention to the populist movement that propelled Trump to the White House. Sadly, despite some promises to reform their ways, many media outlets have resorted to even worse behavior today. They have further alienated millions of Americans. A recent I&I/TIPP poll, which measures trust in media, found that a mere 34% of Americans trust traditional media outlets. With the future of America at stake, this is a warning sign—but also an opportunity. That’s why we’re announcing an exciting new era for The Daily Signal. We view the public’s crumbling faith in media as a moment to put rocket boosters on our scrappy news outlet. As of today, The Daily Signal is officially an independent media organization with our own leadership team and board of directors. Over the next month, we will complete the process of separating from The Heritage Foundation, although we will continue to adhere to the same conservative principles that have guided our journalists for the past 10 years. >>> Meet The Daily Signal’s Team of Journalists Importantly, this change will allow us to publish a wider range of content than we have in the past, including coverage of political news in this critical election year. We’ve given our website a fresh look and we’re also adding a new Journalism Fellowship Program with the goal of training the next generation of conservative journalists, two of whom start today. What does this mean for you? You can expect the same insightful reporting and thoughtful commentary we’ve produced for the past 10 years. Just as our name implies, we will continue be your signal that cuts through the noise to transmit the news quickly and simply. We will always tell you the TRUTH. That’s our promise. If we’re serious about saving America and creating a better future for the next generation, it requires an informed public. Our nation’s leaders, and the people who elect them, need clearheaded, truthful information to make wise decisions—the intel to understand what’s really going on in centers of influence. In the coming days, weeks, and months, you can expect The Daily Signal to make investments in three areas where we see traditional media lacking: Hard-hitting investigative journalism that sparks action and delivers results on everything from cultural issues and national security to taxes and spending. Exclusive content and intel about what’s most important on Capitol Hill and in our state capitals. We’re currently hiring a congressional news reporter. Smart political commentary from world-renowned policy experts as well as from influential leaders who understand what time it is in America. Over the past decade, our small but hardworking team has consistently delivered fair, accurate, and trustworthy journalism to a loyal audience that reaches tens of millions of people each year. As we’ve embraced new forms of storytelling, including short-form documentaries and bite-sized videos, that audience has grown exponentially. >>> A Look Back at The Daily Signal’s First Decade We won’t ever be content with the status quo. Innovation is part of our culture. And there’s really no other option with the radical Left determined to alter America in ways that will make this country unrecognizable for our children and grandchildren. To all the patriotic Americans and supporters of our work, thank you for making the past 10 years possible. When we launched in 2014, I embraced the words of a mentor, Andrew Breitbart, who believed we needed more voices, not fewer. And it’s with that same spirit today that we embark on this new era for The Daily Signal. By focusing on quality journalism, the unmatched knowledge of our contributors, and insider intel thanks to our access policymakers, we’re ready to take The Daily Signal to the next level. Thanks for making us your trusted source for news. And if you’re not already a subscriber, please sign up for our newsletters. The post Independent and Ambitious: A New Era for The Daily Signal appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A Colorado man charged with murdering his girlfriend’s baby had the charges dropped after the district attorney prosecuting the case made shocking sexual comments about the suspect. William Jacobs, 22, was arrested on a first-degree murder charge in May 2023. He was accused of killing his live-in girlfriend's 10-month-old baby. Brook Crawford – the 21-year-old girlfriend of Jacobs and the mother of the baby – left her boyfriend to care for the infant while she went to work.The baby, Edward Hayes, was found unresponsive in a motel room in Cañon City, roughly 40 miles south of Colorado Springs.Baby Edward died at the Children's Hospital in Colorado Springs on May 23, 2023.According to an arrest affidavit, Jacobs told authorities during his initial interview that he was changing the baby's diaper when "he went stiff and began making gargling noises."Jacobs reportedly admitted to investigators that he bit Edward's arm while playing with him too rough, but he also allegedly told authorities that the baby suffered the bite mark from a dog. Jacobs confessed to hitting Edward's head on the bathroom door frame while he was trying to take him to the toilet so the baby could vomit, according to the Cañon City Daily Record.A detective said that Jacobs' story "was continually changing throughout the interview."At a preliminary court hearing, an expert purportedly testified that the baby's head trauma was non-accidental based on the severity and pattern of the injuries. On April 9, 2023, Jacobs was released on a personal recognizance bond after Crawford submitted a handwritten letter to the judge saying he could stay with her."William is a good person," Crawford wrote. "He just needs the opportunity to show you and the community and he has so much potential that is being thrown away in jail. … I feel if you just give him the time and chance to show you, you would understand how great of a person he is and will be."KRDO – a radio station in Colorado Springs – aired and published an interview in the summer of 2023 with 11th Judicial District Attorney Linda Stanley, who was the lead prosecutor in the Jacobs case. Stanley told the reporter regarding Jacobs, "Without the caring factor, without the love factor, then it’s, the (boy) is a pain in the (censored)."Stanley told the outlet, "I'm going to be very blunt here. He has zero investment in this child. Zero. He's watching that baby so he can get laid. That's it. And have a place to sleep. I'm sorry to be that blunt, but honest to God, that's what's going on."The New York Post reported that Stanley told the reporter that Jacobs "has a pretty awful past, including fondling his mom … It’s not good … It’s kinda weird … What kid fondles their mom, right?"The DA also allegedly informed the outlet that Jacobs had been previously charged with a sex crime, spent time in a juvenile detention center, and had a "violent past."After Stanley's comments aired, Jacobs' public defenders – Daniel Zettler and Jake Taufer – filed a motion to dismiss the case based on the district attorney's controversial comments. Taufer asserted that Stanley’s remarks were an attempt "to weaponize the press against Mr. Jacobs and Ms. Crawford." The attorney argued Stanley made the comments intentionally, willingly, and knowingly. He maintained that the intent of the interview was to sway public opinion and poison the jury pool.Crawford's attorney, Thom LeDoux, also claimed Stanley's interview was "highly prejudicial."Last week, Fremont County District Court Judge Kaitlin Turner dismissed the murder charge against Jacobs due to "outrageous government conduct.""This conduct violated Mr. Jacobs' right to due process. As a result, dismissal of the charges is an appropriate remedy," Turner wrote in her decision. Stanley claimed that she thought the interview was off-the-record.However, Turner disagreed and said, "Stanley knew or reasonably should have known that her on-the-record comments to reporter Rice about Mr. Jacobs and co-defendant Ms. Crawford would be disseminated by means of public communication and that they would have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing these criminal proceedings."Stanley is now facing an ethics complaint and potential disbarment. A hearing regarding her conduct is set for June.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Out come all these words. The post What is a ‘Mardy Bum’, according to Arctic Monkeys? first appeared on Far Out Magazine.