Three Things You Need to Know - September 28, 2017

September 28, 2017

Staff

WRITER

UC Berkley is a circus.

There are only a couple of situations in life where you need a tent.

When you’re camping.

When you’re setting up a circus.

And that’s about it.

But the tent that was put up during the latest protest at UC Berkeley was totally different.

This tent was an “Empathy Tent.” Doesn’t that make you feel so warm inside? The “empathy tent” was designed to give opposing forces a “safe space” to flesh out their political disagreements in a peaceful environment.

Right-wing group “Patriot Prayer” was speaking on campus when leftist groups “By Any Means Necessary” and Antifa showed up to protest.

What could go wrong?

It wasn’t long before representatives from both sides were placed in the tent to talk it out. Of course, talking turned to yelling, which turned to pushing, which turned to fighting.

Almost immediately, the brawling escalated to the point that the tent was nearly toppled. Police officers rushed to the scene.

Four people were arrested, including an activist for “By Any Means Necessary” named Yvonne Felcara. Yvonne has an interesting profession for an extreme left-wing activist. She’s a middle school teacher. Don’t you feel confident in the future of our country? She was arrested on suspicion of rioting, obstruction and battery. This was not her first arrest.

And this nonsense does not come cheap.

This protest comes after UC Berkeley preemptively spent $600,000 to ensure protests didn’t turn violent when Ben Shapiro spoke on campus.

We live in a world where apparently people with different opinions cannot talk to each other in a civil fashion. At all.

We live in a world where it costs $600,000 to stop middle school teachers from becoming violent.

We live in a world where “empathy tents” exist.

And our inability to be considerate human beings is making our world worse.

UC Berkeley has shown, once again, that it is not a bastion of education. It is a circus.

So maybe a tent is appropriate after all.

Helping people in times of crisis should never be a partisan issue.

If there was ever a moment when Democrats and Republicans could truly collaborate, you’d think it would be working together on something like the disaster in Puerto Rico.

Last Sunday, Hillary Clinton tweeted unsolicited advice to President Trump that he should send the USNS Comfort a U.S. Navy hospital ship, to Puerto Rico now.

“These are Americans citizens,” she tweeted helpfully.

President Trump, Sec. Mattis, and DOD should send the Navy, including the USNS Comfort, to Puerto Rico now. These are American citizens. https://t.co/J2FVg4II0n
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 24, 2017

Turns out the Navy was already preparing to send the Comfort. There are also three other U.S. Navy ships already in Puerto Rico working on relief. And 5,000 active-duty U.S. service members on the ground. And 13 Coast Guard ships working to fix ports and launching search-and-rescue missions.

Hillary did not have all the facts when she pleaded for Trump to #SendtheComfort.

The Pentagon discussed sending the Comfort to Puerto Rico as early as last weekend, but decided against it because the damaged Puerto Rican ports weren’t able to accommodate a ship that large, and because the Puerto Rican government requested help in getting the island’s 60 hospitals operational instead. So, the Pentagon sent a fleet of Air Force jets with supplies, generators and medical personnel.

Hillary’s tweet didn’t mention those things. The President’s critics aren’t interested in hearing about his actual relief efforts because his approval rating rose after hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The Left can’t have that.

Priority number one for the Left isn’t helping Puerto Rico. It’s trying to make America think Donald Trump doesn’t care about helping Puerto Rico. It sounds like they’ve already got their main talking point picked out.

Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez said it: "This is going to turn [out] to be Mr. Trump’s Katrina."

President Trump brings a ton of criticism on himself, but this is not one of those times. He seems to be trying to help Puerto Rico, and Democrats, if they truly cared about Puerto Rico, should help him.

Divide and conquer.

That’s what our enemies are doing to us, and it’s happening right under our noses. Chaos is the name of the game, and we’re falling for it time after time after time.

Facebook revealed this month that Russia purchased $100,000 worth of political ads during the 2016 presidential campaign. The way this has been reported lately, you’d think all those ads would be pro-Trump. But, yesterday, details started to emerge on what Russia was actually doing and who they were really supporting. The answer is: everyone, no one, everything and whatever stirred up the most chaos.

As early as 2015, Russian Facebook ads have both supported and condemned Black Lives Matter. Some ads were pro Muslim and pro-immigration. The next day, those same groups would post negative Muslim ads and anti-immigration rhetoric. Trump, Hillary, Right and Left. They’ve been playing both sides.

Do you think the Russians actually cared who became president? In terms of heads of state, the President of the United States is one of the weakest authority figures in the world. The founding fathers made it that way on purpose. The Russians know this. They were preparing to divide us, regardless of who became president.

This goes a lot deeper than just the election. As early as this past week, Russian intelligence was using the NFL “take a knee” controversy to continue their chaos campaign. Senator Lankford of Oklahoma said in a hearing yesterday that Russians were “taking both sides of the argument” on social media to inflame divisiveness.

We’re being played like a fiddle. And while the collusion narrative continues in the media, a foreign intelligence service is actively trying to split us apart. The Russians have been doing these types of things for decades but never on this scale and this magnitude. Technology has opened up an entirely new era in espionage, and the scary part is that this has only just begun. Look how easily we have been turned against one another. Imagine how much worse this will become in 2 to 5 years.

It’s divide and conquer. Chaos is the name of the game. It’s time to wake up.

MORE 3 THINGS

The Woodrow Wilson Mother's Day loophole

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I’ve got a potentially helpful revelation that’s gonna blow the lid off your plans for this Sunday. It’s Mother’s Day.

Yeah, that sacred day where you’re guilt-tripped into buying flowers, braving crowded brunch buffets, and pretending you didn’t forget to mail the card. But what if I told you… you don’t have to do it? That’s right, there’s a loophole, a get-out-of-Mother’s-Day-free card, and it’s stamped with the name of none other than… Woodrow Wilson (I hate that guy).

Back in 1914, ol’ Woody Wilson signed a proclamation that officially made Mother’s Day a national holiday. Second Sunday in May, every year. He said it was a day to “publicly express our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” Sounds sweet, right? Until you peel back the curtain.

See, Wilson wasn’t some sentimental guy sitting around knitting doilies for his mom. No, no, no. This was a calculated move.

The idea for Mother’s Day had been floating around for decades, pushed by influential voices like Julia Ward Howe. By 1911, states were jumping on the bandwagon, but it took Wilson to make it federal. Why? Because he was a master of optics. This guy loved big, symbolic gestures to distract from the real stuff he was up to, like, oh, I don’t know, reshaping the entire federal government!

So here’s the deal: if you’re looking for an excuse to skip Mother’s Day, just lean into this. Say, “Sorry, Mom, I’m not celebrating a holiday cooked up by Woodrow Wilson!” I mean, think about it – this is the guy who gave us the Federal Reserve, the income tax, and don’t even get me started on his assault on basic liberties during World War I. You wanna trust THAT guy with your Sunday plans? I don’t think so! You tell your mom, “Look, I love you, but I’m not observing a Progressive holiday. I’m keeping my brunch money in protest.”

Now, I know what you might be thinking.

“Glenn, my mom’s gonna kill me if I try this.” Fair point. Moms can be scary. But hear me out: you can spin this. Tell her you’re honoring her EVERY DAY instead of some government-mandated holiday. You don’t need Wilson’s permission to love your mom! You can bake her a cake in June, call her in July, or, here’s a wild idea, visit her WITHOUT a Woodrow Wilson federal proclamation guilting you into it.

Shocking Christian massacres unveiled

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Is a Christian Genocide unfolding overseas?

Recent reports suggest an alarming escalation in violence against Christians, raising questions about whether these acts constitute genocide under international law. Recently, Glenn hosted former U.S. Army Special Forces Sniper Tim Kennedy, who discussed a predictive model that forecasts a surge in global Christian persecution for the summer of 2025.

From Africa to Asia and the Middle East, extreme actions—some described as genocidal—have intensified over the past year. Over 380 million Christians worldwide face high levels of persecution, a number that continues to climb. With rising international concern, the United Nations and human rights groups are urging protective measures by the global community. Is a Christian genocide being waged in the far corners of the globe? Where are they taking place, and what is being done?

India: Hindu Extremist Violence Escalates

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In India, attacks on Christians have surged as Hindu extremist groups gain influence within the country. In February 2025, Hindu nationalist leader Aadesh Soni organized a 50,000-person rally in Chhattisgarh, where he called for the rape and murder of all Christians in nearby villages and demanded the execution of Christian leaders to erase Christianity. Other incidents include forced conversions, such as a June 2024 attack in Chhattisgarh, where a Hindu mob gave Christian families a 10-day ultimatum to convert to Hinduism. In December 2024, a Christian man in Uttar Pradesh was attacked, forcibly converted, and paraded while the mob chanted "Death to Jesus."

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommends designating India a "Country of Particular Concern" and imposing targeted sanctions on those perpetrating these attacks. The international community is increasingly alarmed by the rising tide of religious violence in India.

Syria: Sectarian Violence Post-Regime Change

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Following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, Syria has seen a wave of sectarian violence targeting religious minorities, including Christians, with over 1,000 killed in early 2025. It remains unclear whether Christians are deliberately targeted or caught in broader conflicts, but many fear persecution by the new regime or extremist groups. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a dominant rebel group and known al-Qaeda splinter group now in power, is known for anti-Christian sentiments, heightening fears of increased persecution.

Christians, especially converts from Islam, face severe risks in the unstable post-regime environment. The international community is calling for humanitarian aid and protection for Syria’s vulnerable minority communities.

Democratic Republic of Congo: A "Silent Genocide"

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In February 2025, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an ISIS-affiliated group, beheaded 70 Christians—men, women, and children—in a Protestant church in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, after tying their hands. This horrific massacre, described as a "silent genocide" reminiscent of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has shocked the global community.

Since 1996, the ADF and other militias have killed over six million people, with Christians frequently targeted. A Christmas 2024 attack killed 46, further decimating churches in the region. With violence escalating, humanitarian organizations are urging immediate international intervention to address the crisis.

POLL: Starbase exposed: Musk’s vision or corporate takeover?

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Is Starbase the future of innovation or a step too far?

Elon Musk’s ambitious Starbase project in South Texas is reshaping Boca Chica into a cutting-edge hub for SpaceX’s Starship program, promising thousands of jobs and a leap toward Mars colonization. Supporters see Musk as a visionary, driving economic growth and innovation in a historically underserved region. However, local critics, including Brownsville residents and activists, argue that SpaceX’s presence raises rents, restricts beach access, and threatens environmental harm, with Starbase’s potential incorporation as a city sparking fears of unchecked corporate control. As pro-Musk advocates clash with anti-Musk skeptics, will Starbase unite the community or deepen the divide?

Let us know what you think in the poll below:

Is Starbase’s development a big win for South Texas?

Should Starbase become its own city?

Is Elon Musk’s vision more of a benefit than a burden for the region?

Shocking truth behind Trump-Zelenskyy mineral deal unveiled

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President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have finalized a landmark agreement that will shape the future of U.S.-Ukraine relations. The agreement focuses on mineral access and war recovery.

After a tense March meeting, Trump and Zelenskyy signed a deal on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, granting the U.S. preferential mineral rights in Ukraine in exchange for continued military support. Glenn analyzed an earlier version of the agreement in March, when Zelenskyy rejected it, highlighting its potential benefits for America, Ukraine, and Europe. Glenn praised the deal’s strategic alignment with U.S. interests, including reducing reliance on China for critical minerals and fostering regional peace.

However, the agreement signed this week differs from the March proposal Glenn praised. Negotiations led to significant revisions, reflecting compromises on both sides. What changes were made? What did each leader seek, and what did they achieve? How will this deal impact the future of U.S.-Ukraine relations and global geopolitics? Below, we break down the key aspects of the agreement.

What did Trump want?

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Trump aimed to curb what many perceive as Ukraine’s overreliance on U.S. aid while securing strategic advantages for America. His primary goals included obtaining reimbursement for the billions in military aid provided to Ukraine, gaining exclusive access to Ukraine’s valuable minerals (such as titanium, uranium, and lithium), and reducing Western dependence on China for critical resources. These minerals are essential for aerospace, energy, and technology sectors, and Trump saw their acquisition as a way to bolster U.S. national security and economic competitiveness. Additionally, he sought to advance peace talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war, positioning the U.S. as a key mediator.

Ultimately, Trump secured preferential—but not exclusive—rights to extract Ukraine’s minerals through the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, as outlined in the agreement. The U.S. will not receive reimbursement for past aid, but future military contributions will count toward the joint fund, designed to support Ukraine’s post-war recovery. Zelenskyy’s commitment to peace negotiations under U.S. leadership aligns with Trump’s goal of resolving the conflict, giving him leverage in discussions with Russia.

These outcomes partially meet Trump’s objectives. The preferential mineral rights strengthen U.S. access to critical resources, but the lack of exclusivity and reimbursement limits the deal’s financial benefits. The peace commitment, however, positions Trump as a central figure in shaping the war’s resolution, potentially enhancing his diplomatic influence.

What did Zelenskyy want?

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Zelenskyy sought to sustain U.S. military and economic support without the burden of repaying past aid, which has been critical for Ukraine’s defense against Russia. He also prioritized reconstruction funds to rebuild Ukraine’s war-torn economy and infrastructure. Security guarantees from the U.S. to deter future Russian aggression were a key demand, though controversial, as they risked entangling America in long-term commitments. Additionally, Zelenskyy aimed to retain control over Ukraine’s mineral wealth to safeguard national sovereignty and align with the country’s European Union membership aspirations.

The final deal delivered several of Zelenskyy’s priorities. The reconstruction fund, supported by future U.S. aid, provides a financial lifeline for Ukraine’s recovery without requiring repayment of past assistance. Ukraine retained ownership of its subsoil and decision-making authority over mineral extraction, granting only preferential access to the U.S. However, Zelenskyy conceded on security guarantees, a significant compromise, and agreed to pursue peace talks under Trump’s leadership, which may involve territorial or political concessions to Russia.

Zelenskyy’s outcomes reflect a delicate balance. The reconstruction fund and retained mineral control bolster Ukraine’s economic and sovereign interests, but the absence of security guarantees and pressure to negotiate peace could strain domestic support and challenge Ukraine’s long-term stability.

What does this mean for the future?

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While Trump didn’t secure all his demands, the deal advances several of his broader strategic goals. By gaining access to Ukraine’s mineral riches, the U.S. undermines China’s dominance over critical elements like lithium and graphite, essential for technology and energy industries. This shift reduces American and European dependence on Chinese supply chains, strengthening Western industrial and tech sectors. Most significantly, the agreement marks a pivotal step toward peace in Europe. Ending the Russia-Ukraine war, which has claimed thousands of lives, is a top priority for Trump, and Zelenskyy’s commitment to U.S.-led peace talks enhances Trump’s leverage in negotiations with Russia. Notably, the deal avoids binding U.S. commitments to Ukraine’s long-term defense, preserving flexibility for future administrations.

The deal’s broader implications align with the vision Glenn outlined in March, when he praised its potential to benefit America, Ukraine, and Europe by securing resources and creating peace. While the final agreement differs from Glenn's hopes, it still achieves key goals he outlined.

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