By Fred Lucas

President Donald Trump’s upcoming meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un may appear to be a breakthrough between two leaders who openly talked about nuclear war in 2017.

However, national security experts caution against expecting too much from a historic meeting that still has no publicly confirmed date and may have a less defined agenda than similar such meetings between heads of state. The meeting likely will be in late May or early June, based on what Trump has said.

Here are four key issues, according to experts, as the Trump-Kim meeting approaches.

1. What’s Different This Time?

This won’t be the first negotiation between the two countries, but it will be the first bilateral meeting between the president of the United States and a North Korean leader.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s secret Easter visit to Pyongyang to meet with Kim and other North Korean officials was a surprise, but doubts remain on whether the upcoming Trump-Kim meeting will achieve a breakthrough, said Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow for Asian studies at The Heritage Foundation.

“Trump has abandoned the usual U.S. diplomatic playbook calling for a ‘bottom up’ approach in which diplomats would first attain a carefully crafted agreement with North Korea prior to deploying the president for final signature,” Klingner told The Daily Signal in an email.

“Instead, Trump has gone for a ‘top down’ approach in which he is the chief negotiator. Trump seems unworried by the many diplomatic vacancies in his administration and therefore it is immaterial if Pompeo is confirmed prior to the summit.”

Trump nominated Pompeo to be secretary of state amid preparations for Trump’s meeting with Kim, but the nomination could be stalled in the Senate.

Klingner said:

To prevent a repeat of previous failed diplomatic attempts at denuclearization, the U.S. should insist on detailed agreement text that clearly delineates all sides’ requirements. …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By Caleb Pascoe

This year is the 100th anniversary of Lithuanian independence, and millions of Lithuanians are celebrating.

But independence isn’t the only thing Lithuanians have to celebrate. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, economic freedom in Lithuania has grown by leaps and bounds—it is now ranked as one of the 20 freest economies in the world in The Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom.

When Lithuania first appeared in the index in 1996, it scored only 49.7 on the Index’s 0 to 100 scale, and it was deemed “economically repressed.” This year, by contrast, Lithuania scored 75.3, earning a “mostly free” rating.

Since 2000, Lithuania’s economy has almost doubled in size, due in large part to measures like tax cuts, which cut rates by half, as well as the lowering of tariffs. Both individual and corporate tax rates now sit at a flat 15 percent, and average tariffs have dropped from 10 percent in 1996 to just 1.6 percent in 2017.

In his recent visit to The Heritage Foundation, Lithuanian Minister of the Economy Virginijus Sinkevicius touted these achievements and pledged to pursue further reforms to make his country one of the most innovation-friendly in the world.

Lithuania’s newfound freedom has also benefited the U.S. In 2017, Lithuania became the first former Soviet country to receive a shipment of liquefied natural gas from the United States. This achievement is both politically desirable and economically fruitful for both countries.

With all of these improvements, Lithuania truly does have good reason to celebrate—not just its national independence, but its economic prosperity as well.

The post Lithuania Is a Post-Soviet Success Story appeared first on The Daily Signal.

…read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By Adam Michel

President Donald Trump may have spearheaded a large tax cut late last year, but two members of his party apparently prefer that Americans pay more.

In two different battlegrounds, South Dakota Republicans are leading the charge to increase the ability of tax collectors to reach out and collect revenue from anyone in the U.S.

Twenty-five years ago, in Quill v. North Dakota, the Supreme Court threw out exactly this sort of tax scheme, ruling that a state cannot require a business to collect sales taxes for it unless the business has a physical presence—such as a building, warehouse, or employees—in that state.

This fundamental principle of physical presence limits the reach of revenue hungry tax collectors in all 50 states. It keeps California or Illinois from forcing local businesses elsewhere to collect their taxes. The protections of Quill are under fire in the courts and in Congress.

Ever since the protections in Quill were decided, efforts have been underway to get the Court—or Congress—to overturn precedent. And they may get their way later this year, when the Supreme Court will rule on a case that challenges Quill. The case was argued earlier this week by South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley.

>>> Here are the key exchanges from oral argument.

Quill is also once again being challenged on Capitol Hill by another South Dakotan, Kristi Noem, the state’s lone representative in the House. Her bill to expand the power of state tax collectors is based on the premise that the physical presence standard deprives states of needed revenue. It also pleases local retailers, who have long asked for protection from out-of-state online retailers.

The retailers’ complaints are not entirely baseless. Under Quill, an internet retailer selling remotely to consumers in another state might not be required to collect sales tax, while brick-and-mortar retailers selling the …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By Kay Coles James

It’s one of those moments that life sears into our memory. Nineteen years ago today, Americans turned on the news. And we saw it: the harrowing footage of students running out of Columbine High School.

I learned later the Columbine attackers tried to prevent those students from leaving. They planted a powerful bomb in the school cafeteria and set it to go off when the room would be full of kids. The bomb didn’t explode, thank God, but if it had, police say hundreds would have died.

As it was, the attackers took 13 precious lives, injured 24 other students and teachers, and left a scar in our nation’s soul that remains with us still.

While I was just a viewer of this tragedy, Evan Todd was one of the victims. He was the first student shot in the school library and recently shared his story in a powerful Daily Signal interview.

Watching it, here’s what really got me: Despite the passage of 19 years, Evan told us he feels like the attack happened just yesterday.

“They came into the library and stood at the door,” Evan recounts. “I was the only one standing up at the time, behind a pillar. That’s when they saw me move and they lowered their shotgun and fired and that’s when I was hit.”

“They went around shooting at random, asking students questions,” he continued. “After a while, they came back around to where I was at and put guns to my head and asked, ‘Why shouldn’t we kill you?’ I told them, ‘I’ve been good to you and everyone in the school, and you know it.’ Their facial expressions changed, and they lowered their guns.”

Although Evan’s life was spared, it was changed forever. “It’s 19 years later,” he told us, “and it still …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

Today, U.S. Representative Bill Flores (R-Texas) announced that the Spring Town Hall Events, originally scheduled for April 24th and 26th, have been rescheduled to May 22nd and 23rd.

Over the past few days, House Leadership has provided an updated set of legislative goals which they hope to accomplish during April and May. At the current time, the revised agenda could include a House budget, a farm bill, a defense authorization bill, a higher education authorization bill and legislation to address our nation’s infrastructure. In addition, there is a possibility that the House will consider immigration reform legislation which could include border security enhancements, solutions for the Dreamer population and solutions for other immigration related issues. The town halls are being rescheduled to accommodate this updated legislative timetable. The new event dates will enable a wider discussion for constituents of the 17th Congressional District to learn about the policy developments taking place in the House.

During the town halls, Congressman Flores will discuss the work being done in Congress, answer constituent questions and get feedback on various issues. The multimedia events will be conducted over the phone and a live video broadcast will be available on the Congressman’s website (Flores.house.gov/liveforum) and on his Facebook page.

Each town hall event will target different regions within the 17th Congressional District. Participants will be able to ask the Congressman questions through the caller queue and through the comments section of the video feed. Constituents can sign up to be added to the call list by visiting Flores.House.gov.

Town Hall Events:

Multimedia Town Hall
Northern Counties (Falls, Freestone, Leon, Limestone, McLennan, Milam and Robertson)
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Call-in number: 1-877-229-8493 Access code: 111954

Multimedia Town Hall
Southern Counties (Bastrop, Brazos, Burleson, Lee and Travis)
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Call-in number: 1-877-229-8493 Access code: …read more

From:: Bill Flores – News Feed

By Fred Lucas

The Justice Department’s internal watchdog has asked for a criminal probe of the FBI’s recently ousted top deputy for leaking and lying to investigators, several media outlets report.

Michael Horowitz, inspector general at the Justice Department and an appointee of President Barack Obama, sent a criminal referral on Andrew McCabe to prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, according to news reports Thursday.

On March 16, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, acting on the recommendation of the Office of Professional Responsibility—which cited the inspector general’s findings—fired McCabe just hours before his formal retirement with eligibility for a full pension.

An earlier inspector general’s report on McCabe made a “compelling case” that he had repeatedly lied to investigators, Ron Hosko, a former assistant director of the FBI, told The Daily Signal.

However, Hosko asserted, such cases rarely rise to the level of prosecution. Lying under oath is a felony, but it is often “selectively prosecuted,” he said.

“The leak [to news reporters] itself wasn’t of classified information,” Hosko told The Daily Signal. “It’s somewhat extraordinary. But I’m not surprised considering the political vitriol directed at Andrew McCabe.”

The Justice Department, reached late Thursday, declined to comment to The Daily Signal.

McCabe, 50, joined the FBI in 1996. He had been the FBI’s deputy director since Jan. 29, 2016. Amid controversies, he either stepped down or was removed from his post to go on paid leave this past Jan. 29.

Judicial Watch, a conservative government watchdog group, first exposed in 2016 potential conflicts of interest for McCabe through documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

“The wheels of justice finally caught up with McCabe for repeatedly lying under oath to investigators,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. “It’s high time America had …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By John-Michael Seibler

As Congress works through its reauthorization package for the Federal Aviation Administration, it should hold fast to first principles.

Although lawmakers are contemplating legislation on new technologies and developing business operations, the novelty of certain enterprises is no reason to deny the values of our constitutional framework.

Consider drone package delivery and a current proposal to impose federal air carrier certification on anyone who wants to enter that business.

Drone package delivery could enable medicine, groceries, and other items to be delivered faster and safer than by ground or manned air transportation. It could bring a lift to local economies just as Uber, DoorDash, and other companies have provided employment opportunities and improved quality of life.

But applying federal air carrier certification to drones would erode federalism and property rights, and preempt states and localities seeking to impose reasonable restrictions on how drones operate mere feet above their own communities.

Federal regulations known as Part 135 require companies that provide interstate or foreign transportation, or carry mail by air for hire, to apply to the FAA for a certificate and follow a detailed federal regulatory scheme.

As antithetical to economic liberty as that “mother may I” approach to business may seem, it makes sense for a world of manned air traffic, where complex logistical networks and significant public safety concerns that frequently cross state borders are most efficiently regulated by the FAA.

But there are other issues at stake when it comes federalism and low-altitude drone operations, as we explain in a recent Heritage report.

Under the proposed FAA reauthorization package, drone operators interested in the package delivery business would be required to apply for an unmanned aircraft systems air carrier certificate. If the certificate is granted, they could operate in much the same way as FedEx Air or American Airlines.

They would also be …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By Kevin Mooney

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has spent far fewer taxpayer dollars on chartered flights than his two predecessors in the Obama administration, public records show.

The Daily Signal’s examination of travel records found that on average Zinke’s two predecessors spent more annually on such noncommercial flights, despite media reports critical of Zinke’s spending on travel.

The cost of such chartered flights for Zinke totaled $72,849 in his first six months as interior secretary, the travel records show.

The average annual cost of such flights for his two predecessors in the Obama administration, Ken Salazar and Sally Jewell, from fiscal years 2010 to 2016 was $155,515, according to records provided by the Interior Department to the House Natural Resources Committee.

Salazar and Jewell spent just over $1 million on chartered flights over the seven years, the records show.

Taxpayers were billed for more than $640,000 for Salazar’s chartered flights in fiscal years 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Recent media reports, however, have taken critical looks at Zinke’s travel costs.

The Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General released a report Monday on Zinke’s use of chartered and military aircraft between March and September 2017, the span of fiscal year 2017 when he was interior secretary.

The report came in response to “several allegations of travel-related waste,” the office explains.

For several months, Politico and other national news outlets have focused on Zinke’s flights on chartered and military aircraft in reports that suggested he was wasting taxpayer money on the flights.

In reality, in spending $72,849 on the six trips on noncommercial flights, Zinke substantially reduced such taxpayer costs during his first six months in office, according to the secretarial travel records provided Oct. 31 by Interior to the Natural Resources Committee.

In fiscal 2011, or October 2010 through September 2011, Salazar took 19 trips on noncommercial flights at a cost …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By Rachel del Guidice

House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, says he wants tax reform 2.0 to be about creating a culture of reform so that the country does not regress and wait decades to further streamline the tax code.

“I want to change the culture in Washington,” Brady said Wednesday during a speech on the future of tax reform at The Heritage Foundation.

“Tax reform 2.0 is really about tax reform and improvement every year, just like the continuous improvement our businesses undertake,” he said, adding:

It’s important for Congress every year to be looking at … how do we make America and our businesses more competitive, how do we make them more innovative, how do we become more family-friendly in our tax code, how do we become better as a nation?

The Ways and Means chairman said he wants Congress and the administration to explore reforms and policies where families can save earlier and more efficiently for education, retirement, and health care, and encourage innovation that build on the reform Congress passed in December.

The last time the tax code was updated was in 1986 with President Ronald Reagan’s Tax Reform Act.

“We are never going to let America fall this far behind again,” Brady said. “The old way of doing things, which is to do tax reform once every 30 years and in between just adopt a bunch of special-interest provisions because people are scrambling to stay competitive, those days are over.”

During a panel discussion of tax experts following the chairman’s remarks, Scott Hodge, president of the Tax Foundation, said that Congress should follow the example states have set in their proactivity to make reform an ongoing process.

“There are many states that do this,” Hodge said. “Indiana, where the vice president was governor for so many …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed

By Fred Lucas

Former presidents and first ladies from both parties praised the life and legacy of Barbara Pierce Bush, the wife and mother of the only two living former Republican presidents.

“Our souls are settled because we know hers was,” George W. Bush says.

Political rivals of the Bush family–who include in varying degrees three of the past four presidents–had warm words for one of the more popular modern first ladies, who died Tuesday night at age 92.

“On this solemn day, we mourn the loss of Barbara Bush, an outstanding and memorable woman of character,” President Donald Trump said in a proclamation announcing that flags would be flown at half-staff in her honor.

She was the nation’s first lady from 1989 to 1993, but also in the public eye during George H.W. Bush’s eight years as vice president from 1981 through 1988.

“As a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, military spouse, and former First Lady, Mrs. Bush was an advocate of the American family,” said Trump, whose rivals during the 2016 Republican presidential primary included Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor who is the second of the Bushes’ four sons.

Trump added:

Mrs. Bush lived a life that reminds us always to cherish our relationships with friends, family, and all acquaintances. In the spirit of the memory of Mrs. Bush, may we always remember to be kind to one another and to put the care of others first.

In a separate statement unrelated to lowering the flag, Trump said, “Amongst her greatest achievements was recognizing the importance of literacy as a fundamental family value that requires nurturing and protection.”

The 41st president, George H.W. Bush, 93, was “brokenhearted” at the passing of his wife, according to his chief of staff, Jean Becker.

“He held her hand all day today and was at her side when [she] left this good earth,” Becker said …read more

From:: Daily Signal – Feed