Three Things You Need to Know - January 10, 2018

Trump Reaching All the Way Across the Aisle on Immigration

Remember the days when talks of amnesty torpedoed Marco Rubio? What about when “low-energy Jeb” was destroyed by, then, candidate Trump for referring to illegal immigration as an “act of love”? Those days were so five minutes ago. Yesterday, in a rare glimpse into a meeting between the President and lawmakers, Trump said DACA should be a quote “bill of love.” Eat your heart out Jeb Bush.

Getting a fly on the wall view into one of these meetings isn’t normal - so you gotta wonder - why did the cameras keep rolling yesterday? Was it a mistake or was there something else going on here? The news of the day was dominated by Michael Wolff’s book and questions over Trump’s mental stability. Does anyone see a mentally unstable President in that meeting? To the contrary, he looks - uncharacteristically - reserved, attentive and engaging.

Some have criticized the President’s willingness and ability to reach across the aisle and compromise. That definitely wasn’t the case yesterday. Actually, it was hard to determine whether Trump favored the Democrats at the table or the Republicans. When Feinstein posed the question about the President’s willingness to do a “clean DACA bill now”, Trump went into full-on agreeable mode. It took House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to butt in and remind Trump that Feinstein didn’t mention the wall or border security.

Trump eventually made his intentions a little more clear, but it all kinda seemed like an afterthought for him. He even seemed to want to hurry it all along by saying that - whether he liked or agreed with it - he’d sign anything they put in front of him. There’s not much leadership there, but this meeting had an ulterior purpose.

For those that are pissed off on Twitter that Trump is considering DACA, you might as well get used to it. Trump knows it as does everyone in both the House and the Senate. Without DACA, Trump and the Republicans have ZERO leverage to do anything with border security and immigration reform. Because of that, DACA ain't going nowhere. In fact, I bet all this was already agreed upon before the cameras even turned on.

So why did they keep rolling? The real work on immigration had already happened and was going to be finalized during the closed-door session, but Trump, the Democrats AND the Republicans wanted their constituents to know something. Feinstein wanted to project the appearance that DACA was their primary motivation. McCarthy wanted Republicans to know that border security and immigration reform was the higher priority than any kind of amnesty. And Trump? He wanted to show everyone that he was mentally stable, and - as I’m sure Kushner and Ivanka coached him - willing to reach across the aisle and cooperate.

They should rename Pennsylvania Avenue to Broadway because the theater is just as good.

Bannon Out at Breitbart

Jay Gatsby didn’t like who he was, so he created a new identity for himself.

He didn’t go about his transformation in the most upstanding and moral ways, but he succeeded in becoming a self-made millionaire.

As I reflect on the news of Steve Bannon’s firing from Breitbart yesterday, I can’t help but see a Gatsby-like figure constantly reinventing himself.

Bannon was born to an Irish, working-class family in Virginia. They had nothing. He spent his childhood working for pennies at a junkyard.

But Bannon always wanted more for his life.

He became an officer in the Navy and later worked at the Pentagon.

In the 1980’s he entered investment banking after attending Harvard Business School. He became a Goldman Sachs banker.

After banking, he decided he wanted to get into the movies. He became a screenwriter and a producer.

His film credentials ultimately led to a relationship with Andrew Breitbart.

When Andrew died, Bannon saw an opportunity to create a new chapter in his own book. He saw Breitbart News as a tool to wedge himself into a White House position. In order to court the Trump Administration, he turned the news site into an embarrassing propaganda outlet.

His plan worked. He was named Trump’s chief strategist.

But it wasn’t long before he fell out of the White House’s good graces. He started bragging that he was the brains behind the President.

Bannon and his inflated sense of influence were soon kicked to the curb and he was back at Breitbart.

His return ushered in more of the same dangerous alt-right commentary and yellow journalism as before. And after leading a disastrous campaign for Roy Moore, the Breitbart News board fired him for good yesterday.

Today is a glistening new beginning for Breitbart.

With Bannon gone, they have a chance to restore their dignity and return to reputable reporting.

Let’s hope they take it in that direction.

As for Steve Bannon, he will beat on, his boat against the current. But I have no doubt he will create a new life for himself once again.

Only time will tell where we will see him next.

The Irony of the Popularity Spike of the Lazy River on College Campuses

Water parks are a growing trend on public university campuses. Especially lazy rivers on campus. Just let the irony of a lazy river on a college campus sink in for a moment. This is what higher education has come to.

From a student perspective, this is awesome. Who wouldn’t want a lazy river at their school? Of course, it’s going to be a selling point for the male high school senior trying to decide where to spend all his parents’ money. Colleges don’t have to put anything else in the brochure but pictures of the water park.

For adults who actually care about the future of our great nation, the question is why? Who was the genius that said, “You know what would really motivate our students, set them apart from students around the world, really inspire them to aim high and become productive citizens? A lazy river on campus!”

Now we’re even removing our students’ need for creative problem-solving when it comes to recreation and procrastination. “Don’t waste brain cells on that kids – here’s a water park!”

Many of these water park colleges are public universities originally built on the premise that educated citizens are vital to a democratic society. But now college administrations and trustees are way more concerned with building their university brand than maintaining any kind of public trust. So, they’re turning colleges into all-inclusive resorts.

Auburn University’s water park has a giant paw-print-shaped hot tub that can accommodate 45 students. The lazy river at Louisiana State University spells out “LSU.” Texas Tech’s water park has Wi-Fi, because, I mean, you gotta stay connected. The indoor water park at the University of Missouri features a grotto modeled after the one at the Playboy Mansion.

Booker T. Washington is rolling over in his grave.

Most of these projects are paid for by raising student activity fees, on top of regular tuition. Tuition and fees at public four-year colleges have grown over 60% in the past ten years. Which begs the question of Bernie Sanders and Democrats – how on earth are you supposed to make college free when you have to pay for lazy rivers?

MORE 3 THINGS

The Biden admin has let in MORE illegal aliens than the populations of THESE 15 states

GUILLERMO ARIAS / Contributor | Getty Images

There are currently an estimated 16.8 MILLION illegal aliens residing in the United States as of June 2023, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). This number is already 1.3 million higher than FAIR's January 2022 estimate of 15.5 million and a 2.3 million increase from its end-of-2020 estimate. Even Democrats like New York City's Mayor Adams Mayor Adams are waking up to what Conservatives have been warning for years: we are in a border CRISIS.

However, this isn't the same border crisis that Republicans were warning about back in 2010. In the first two years of the Biden administration alone, the illegal alien population increased by 16 PERCENT nationwide, imposing a whopping net cost of $150.6 BILLION PER YEAR on American taxpayers. That is nearly DOUBLE the total amount that the Biden administration has sent to Ukraine.

This isn't the same border crisis that Republicans were warning about back in 2010.

These large numbers often make it difficult to conceptualize the sheer impact of illegal immigration on the United States. To put it in perspective, we have listed ALL 15 states and the District of Colombia that have smaller populations than the 2.3 MILLION illegal immigrants, who have entered the U.S. under the Biden administration. That is more than the entire populations of Wyoming, Vermont, and South Dakota COMBINED—and the American taxpayers have to pay the price.

Here are all 16 states/districts that have FEWER people than the illegal immigrants who have entered the U.S. under the Biden administration.

1. New Mexico

Population: 2,110,011

2. Idaho

Population: 1,973,752

3. Nebraska

Population: 1,972,292

4. West Virginia

Population: 1,764,786

5. Hawaii

Population: 1,433,238

6. New Hampshire

Population: 1,402,957

7. Maine

Population: 1,393,442

8. Montana

Population: 1,139,507

9. Rhode Island

Population: 1,090,483

10. Delaware

Population: 1,031,985

11. South Dakota

Population: 923,484

12. North Dakota

Population: 780,588

13. Alaska

Population: 732,984

14. Washington DC

Population: 674,815

15. Vermont

Population: 647,156

16. Wyoming

Population: 583,279

POLL: Should the Government control the future of AI?

The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

Earlier this week, tech titans, lawmakers, and union leaders met on Capitol Hill to discuss the future of AI regulation. The three-hour meeting boasted an impressive roster of tech leaders including, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and others, along with more than 60 US Senators.

Tech Titans and Senators gathered in the Kennedy Caucus Room.The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

The meeting was closed to the public, so what was exactly discussed is unknown. However, what we do know is that a majority of the CEOs support AI regulation, the most vocal of which is Elon Musk. During the meeting, Musk called AI "a double-edged sword" and strongly pushed for regulation in the interest of public safety.

A majority of the CEOs support AI regulation.

Many other related issues were discussed, including the disruption AI has caused to the job market. As Glenn has discussed on his program, the potential for AI to alter or destroy jobs is very real, and many have already felt the effects. From taxi drivers to Hollywood actors and writers, AI's presence can be felt everywhere and lawmakers are unsure how to respond.

The potential for AI to alter or destroy jobs is very real.

Ultimately, the meeting's conclusion was less than decisive, with several Senators making comments to the tune of "we need more time before we act." The White House is expected to release an executive order regarding AI regulation by the end of the year. But now it's YOUR turn to tell us what YOU think needs to be done!

Should A.I. be regulated?

Can the government be trusted with the power to regulate A.I.? 

Can Silicon Valley be trusted to regulate AI? 

Should AI development be slowed for safety, despite its potential advantages?

If a job can be done cheaper and better by AI, should it be taken away from a human?

Do you feel that your job is threatened by AI?

Haven't grabbed your copy of Dark Future yet? Glenn is giving you EXCLUSIVE access to the first chapter of his New York Times bestselling book detailing all of his predictions about how modern technology and political systems will be used to make "The Great Reset" a reality.

Enter your email below to have chapter 1 of Dark Future sent straight to your inbox.

If you want a hard copy of Dark Future, click HERE. If you want an audiobook version, click HERE.

Glenn wrote this essay on September 12, 2001. Are we the same people now?

ED JONES / Contributor | Getty Images

Twenty two years ago today on September 12th, 2001, Glenn wrote an essay called "The Greatest American Generation." These were his visceral thoughts immediately following the 9/11 attacks. This beautiful essay calls upon the American spirit to rise to the occasion to pull us through what was one of the darkest days in our nation's history. He called us to unite around the common vision that unites us as Americans.

Yesterday, Glenn revisited this essay, wondering if we are the same people who could have pulled through that dark hour. Do you still believe the things that he wrote in this essay? Or have we become a people too divided to overcome a tragedy of the magnitude of 9/11? Consider these questions as you read Glenn's essay below, "The Greatest American Generation," published on September 12, 2001.

I've always believed that the greatest American generation is the one that's living, in the here and the now. The question is not if this is the greatest American generation. The question was when were we going to wake up? I remember staying at my grandparents' house in the summer when I was small. Every morning my grandmother would open the attic door and call up, "Kids, time to wake up." For me she'd have to do this a couple of times before I'd lumber out of bed and cross the cold, squeaky wooden floor. But finally, I would. And she'd be there in the kitchen ready with breakfast. My grandfather was already outside in the henhouse because there was work to do. They were hardworking, good and decent people. Seemed to me that they were from not only a different time but a different place. They weren't.

The spirit of our parents and our grandparents isn't from some foreign place. It hasn't died out. It's a flame that flickers in all Americans. It's there and it's ready to blaze to life when we're ready to face the challenges that now lie at our feet. It's what sets us apart. It's what built this country. It's why our borders still teem with the poor and the tired and those yearning to be free, burned with zeal in the hearts of millions of immigrants from every corner of the Earth who came here in search of a better way of life. The flame that Lady Liberty holds is the American spirit which burns deep within all of us, no matter what our race, gender, our religious background. And today the world is watching us. It's really nothing new. It always has.

Since the dawn of man people dreamt of a better life, dreamt of a better way, of freedom. But it was Americans that finally found a way to build it. And out of all that we've built, the powerful machines, the computers, the weapons of mass destruction, hardware and software that we spent millions on every year to protect and keep the plan secret, our biggest seeming secret, the one the world wants most of all, isn't a secret at all. It's something we freely give to the rest of the world. And while it seems self‑evident to us, for some reason it can't be duplicated. Yet it can be passed on from person to person, torch to torch. It's the American spirit.

If you weren't trapped in one of those towers or on a plane or in the Pentagon, then you have great reason to humbly give thanks today, not for our lives but because we're the lucky ones. God hasn't forsaken us. He's awakened us. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, he's gently called out, "Kids, it's time to wake up! We've been given another chance."

Thousands of years ago in Babel, the great civilization in their arrogance built a tower that reached the sky. It crumbled and they were scattered. Our heart and steely symbols of power and wealth may have crumbled, but we have not been scattered. Americans aren't ever going to scatter. Let the world recognize through our actions today that those firefighters in New York are not the exception. They are the rule. Americans don't run from burning buildings. We run into them. It was a beautiful fall morning on the edge of the land created through divine providence. Coffee shops were open. Children were on their buses and people easing into another typical workday when America's greatest generation heard the voice: "Kids, it's time to wake up."

Several times we've ignored the voice. We've drifted back into twilight sleep muttering, "I know, I know, in a minute." But finally we are awake and out of bed, for there is much work to do. The task before us is much more daunting than what our grandparents and parents faced, but we are stronger, a more prepared nation. The torch has been passed. We are the greatest American generation. The American spirit is alive and well. Our flame has not burned out. It had just been dimmed while we were asleep."