Three Things You Need to Know - October 31, 2017

Company "A" and Company "B"

Who is George Papadopoulos? Not since Carter Page, has such an obscure “foreign policy advisor” for the Trump campaign garnered such hype. The media is in full-on AHA! mode this morning. These are some of the headlines: from the New York Times, “Why George Papadopoulos is More Dangerous Than Paul Manafort.” From the Washington Post, “Russia’s Outreach to George Papadopoulos Went Just How Spies Would Have Done It. I could read them all but this is only a three hour show.

According to court records unsealed yesterday, Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI. The FBI said he quote: "falsely described his interactions with a certain foreign contact who discussed 'dirt' related to emails" concerning Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.”

The interactions with Russians included a woman claiming to be related to Vladimir Putin. Spoiler alert, she wasn’t. All of this, allegedly, was to gain damaging information on Hillary. You know, they actually have a name for that. It’s the term that is sweeping the nation. It’s called “opposition research.” Oh yeah, note to the Trump Campaign: if you want to engage in opposition research, do it like the DNC and Clinton Campaign do. Have your lawyer contract a former British spy. You’ll get an extra layer of deniability that way.

So why is every single media outlet fully on board the Papadopoulos hype train? What could they possibly be doing? Perhaps it’s just irony or maybe it’s fate, but - in addition to Halloween - today is National Magic Day. The mainstream media, in reverence to this most hallowed day, is pulling a little sleight of hand. So, the question is, what’s in the other hand that we’re being distracted from?

If you read the 30 plus page Manafort indictment you might have noticed a reference to “Company A” and “Company B.” Apparently most of the media missed it. NBC News was one of the only sources to take notice. Sources told NBC that “Company A” is the Podesta Group. They were working hand in hand with Manafort lobbying for the Ukrainian Government. Tony Podesta, founder of the Podesta Group and brother to former Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, announced he was resigning from the firm that HE FOUNDED in order to fight the Muller investigation.

Wait, what?! There’s more people involved in the Russia investigation besides Manafort and Papa-what’s his name? And someone with heavy connections to the Clintons? Surely not!

Well, now I’m in trouble. I broke the cardinal rule of magicians on National Magic Day. The mainstream media will NEVER let me in their club now. Oh well. Don’t be fooled by the hand they’re showing you. The truth is there is something else they don’t want you to see.

How Harvey Changed the World

A martyr for social change.

That’s apparently how Harvey Weinstein sees himself.

Not as an alleged rapist and serial molester, but as some sort of warrior for change all of a sudden.

According to a Hollywood Insider, Weinstein is trying to spin his disgrace into a teachable moment.

He’s been allegedly telling people “that he was born to take the fall for his behavior in order to ‘change the world.’

Despite how sociopathic and ridiculous that sounds, Harvey is right. He did change the world.

Every day since his scandals came to light, it seems like another Hollywood figure is outed for their inappropriate behavior.

This week, Kevin Spacey was accused of making sexual advances on a 14-year-old in the 1980’s.

The fall-out from this accusation could destroy Spacey’s career.

Netflix quickly announced that the next season of House of Cards would be its last saying they are “deeply troubled by last night’s news concerning Kevin Spacey.” Although the decision to cancel House of Cards after the sixth season was already made months ago, it didn’t stop Netflix from taking this opportunity to create the image that they made this announcement based on Spacey’s behavior.

Look, no one wants to be associated with someone who sexually assaults another person. Spacey’s behavior is unacceptable. Weinstein’s behavior is REALLY unacceptable. And hopefully Hollywood has learned a hard, painful lesson. But, due process exists for a reason. And on Halloween, I’m afraid if we’re not careful, this might turn into a witch hunt.

Cross-ing Out Memorials

Here we go again. Another cross is under siege for the crime of being visible on land owned and maintained by the state.

This time it is the Peace Cross in Bladensburg, Maryland. Why is this cross in the news? Because the battle over it may end up in the Supreme Court and the decision could affect similar memorials all over America.

Earlier this month, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled 2-1 that the Peace Cross is unconstitutional. They said it violates the First Amendment by having, “a primary effect of endorsing religion and excessively entangles the government and religion.”

The Peace Cross is a 40-foot-tall World War I memorial that commemorates 49 soldiers killed from Prince George’s County in Maryland. The monument was built in 1925, funded by local families and the American Legion.

For 92 years, this cross has entangled government and religion in ways that have wreaked untold havoc on the minds and hearts of Maryland’s citizens! Whenever someone even looks at it, they feel enslaved by the American theocracy rays shooting out of the cross, zapping their minds, and making them head to the nearest church to worship!

That kind of manipulation must be shut down.

But opponents of the Peace Cross are not actually worried about protecting the First Amendment. This is simply a case of anti-Christian bigotry.

The female manager of a pawn shop near the Peace Cross said, “We heard they may be taking it down, and I disagree with that. It just doesn’t bother anybody around here. I worry nobody is going to remember them [meaning the 49 fallen WWI soldiers]. You can’t remember something you cannot see.”

Which is exactly the outcome opponents of the Peace Cross are hoping for. Forget Christianity—and forget our soldiers in the process.

MORE 3 THINGS

Are Gen Z's socialist sympathies a threat to America's future?

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In a republic forged on the anvil of liberty and self-reliance, where generations have fought to preserve free markets against the siren song of tyranny, Gen Z's alarming embrace of socialism amid housing crises and economic despair has sparked urgent alarm. But in a recent poll, Glenn asked the tough questions: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from—and what does it mean for America's future? Glenn asked, and you answered—hundreds weighed in on this volatile mix of youthful frustration and ideological peril.

The results paint a stark picture of distrust in the system. A whopping 79% of you affirm that Gen Z's socialist sympathies stem from real economic gripes, like sky-high housing costs and a rigged game tilted toward the elite and corporations—defying the argument that it's just youthful naivety. Even more telling, 97% believe this trend arises from a glaring educational void on socialism's bloody historical track record, where failed regimes have crushed freedoms under the boot of big government. And 97% see these poll findings as a harbinger of deepening generational rifts, potentially fueling political chaos and authoritarian overreach if left unchecked.

Your verdict underscores a moral imperative: America's soul hangs on reclaiming timeless values like self-reliance and liberty. This feedback amplifies your concerns, sending a clear message to the powers that be.

Want to make your voice heard? Check out more polls HERE.

Civics isn’t optional—America's survival depends on it

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Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'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