Three Things You Need to Know - September 5, 2017

Kim Jong Un's Nuclear Selfies

40 minutes. That’s how long New Yorkers would have before a nuclear missile from North Korea detonated. Hundreds of thousands dead in a matter of seconds. Thermal radiation would then spread past Yonkers in the north, and as far south as Staten Island. A large portion of New York City --- the greatest city in the world --- effectively wiped off the map.

On Sunday, North Korea claimed to have this capability. As we were packing up minivans and setting out on Labor Day weekend road trips, Kim Jong Un was taking selfies next to a miniaturized nuclear warhead. A poster display could be seen in the background, showing the warhead neatly inside the tip of an ICBM.

Hours later, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake was felt as far away as China. Windows rattled in buildings on the Chinese border. It was not only North Korea’s sixth nuclear test, it was the most powerful and significant one so far.

For years, the entire world underestimated North Korea’s nuclear program. Today, it’s accelerating at a frightening rate. The power of the bomb tested on Sunday far surpassed that of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Make no mistake, this bomb was a city-killer. That’s the power Kim Jong Un appears to now wield.

So what’s next? Could it be an oil embargo? This is what brought Kim Jong Un’s father to the table back in the 90s. But will it work for the son? Or might he consider an oil embargo an act of war just like Japan did during WWII. The attack on Pearl Harbor came soon after.

Remember the robotic voice of Joshua in the 1980’s movie Wargames? "Shall we play a game?" Kim Jong Un and President Trump are locked in their own game of nuclear chicken. Who will blink first? In Wargames, it took a computer to teach the humans that --- in some games --- "the only winning move is not to play."

That was a movie. Unfortunately, this is our life.

Behind the Holiday: Labor Day

That cookout you enjoyed on your day off yesterday --- what exactly were you celebrating? Do you know the complicated backstory of Labor Day? It involves Canada, Marxism, a union strike, riots, death and one of the sleaziest presidents in U.S. history.

In late 1800s America, labor unions gained traction to combat terrible working conditions in the factories and mines that fueled the Second Industrial Revolution. In many cases, unions were vital in helping workers deal with 12-hour work-days, 7-day work-weeks, no compensation for on-the-job injuries, low wages, no benefits, inadequate breaks and filthy, dangerous work spaces.

Generally, the Second Industrial Revolution helped widen the gulf between the wealthy and poor classes. This is the Marxist/socialist sweet spot --- manipulating the sense of unfairness that the poor worker feels. Their strategy is turning downtrodden workers into revolutionaries who will level the playing field by redistributing wealth.

Factory working conditions in America gave Marxists a foot in the door --- this is where guys like Peter J. McGuire come in. McGuire was an Irish Catholic from New York City and a devoted Marxist. In 1874, McGuire co-founded the Social Democratic Workingmen’s Party of North America --- the first Marxist political party in the U.S. He also co-founded the American Federation of Labor, which became the most powerful labor union in the country. McGuire’s goal was to convert America to socialism through labor unions.

In 1882, labor officials in Toronto invited McGuire to attend the labor festival that had been a fixture in Canada for a decade. McGuire ate it up. He scrambled back to New York City to organize a similar American labor march.

McGuire chose September 5th, since it roughly fell halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving. The Labor celebration was a hit --- 30,000-plus marchers skipped work for a day of picnics, speeches demanding an 8-hour workday and a parade through New York City.

The Labor march became an annual event and caught on around the country --- a way for laborers to demonstrate that Labor Lives Matter, well, as long as you weren’t black or Asian which disqualified you from joining the AFL. Five years after it started, Labor Day was an official holiday in 30 states.

Then in 1894, a pivotal strike occurred in Pullman, Illinois that made Labor Day a permanent fixture on our national calendar.

Because of an economic downturn, George Pullman’s Palace Car Company (which made luxury train sleeping cars) had to lay off hundreds of employees. For those that remained, Pullman lowered wages without lowering rent for the company houses where most employees lived. Marxist labor leaders couldn’t let Pullman, the evil capitalist, get away with this. They had to shut him down. So workers went on strike and sympathetic railroad workers around the country joined in.

The strike quickly turned violent. Rioters set hundreds of train cars ablaze. The unrest crippled the railroad business and interrupted delivery of U.S. Mail, which prompted President Grover Cleveland to send 12,000 troops to Chicago to break the strike. Troops and strikers exchanged fire and at least two strikers were killed.

President Cleveland’s unpopular response to the crisis was not good for Democrats in a mid-term election year. Congress rammed through a bill to make Labor Day a Federal holiday as a way to appease labor unions across the country. President Cleveland signed the bill just six days after the Pullman Strike was broken. Marxist terrorists had torched railroads and trains across the country and the President gave them the gift of Labor Day.

So, Labor Day was a Canadian idea, copied in America by the Marxist founder of the American Socialist Party, that was made a Federal holiday by a Congress and President trying to save face during an election year. It was the first of countless bones the Democratic Party would throw to labor unions over the next century.

By the way, remember Peter J. McGuire? The Marxist, racist, anti-immigrant, co-founder of the American Socialist Party, the AFL and our annual Labor Day celebration? In 1901 he was arrested for embezzling union funds. I guess for some people, socialism moves too slowly in redistributing the wealth.

And for the record, there is a statue honoring Peter J. McGuire in Pennsauken, New Jersey. It has an inscription in Latin that translates, "Labor conquers all."

Hurricane Harvey Update

Scavengers are stealing from flood victims in Houston.

We’ve seen the best of humanity during the rescue phase of Hurricane Harvey --- now the worst of humanity is rearing its head. Unreal, the idea of people returning to their ravaged homes, sifting through what’s left of their possessions, putting things in the yard to dry out, only to have thieves rob them.

This is rare so far in Houston compared to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. But it’s a reminder how much still hangs in the balance for southeast Texas.

On Sunday, Houston mayor Sylvester Turner said, “I’m encouraging people: Get up, and let’s get going.” It’s the same can-do spirit conveyed in a Washington Post story with the headline, “Texans’ do-it-ourselves rescue effort defines Hurricane Harvey.”

This has been a big part of the Hurricane Harvey narrative so far – Texan resilience and independence. Neighbors having each other’s backs. But can this same do-it-yourself ethic continue through the rebuilding effort?

Current damage estimates are between $150-180 billion. Can Texas, a state with no income tax, be a model for a different kind of recovery effort, on its own, through innovative private/public partnership, without waiting for the Federal money truck to back up to Houston?

Remember all the FEMA debit card abuses and swindles after Hurricane Katrina? Federal money dumps are not an efficient solution. Besides, FEMA is still $25 billion in debt from Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. The federal government cannot afford this.

This is a perfect chance for President Trump, the businessman, to outline a different path for rebuilding – more private donations, less federal aid. Trump was in the real estate and construction business – this is his wheelhouse. This is an opportunity for him to lead in a unique and better way on a responsible rebuilding of Houston.

MORE 3 THINGS

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

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Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

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When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

Do you think the Gen Z support for Trump is an opportunity for conservatives to win them over with anti-establishment reforms that preserve liberty?