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Glenn's Show Prep

Are YOUR taxpayer dollars funding these 15 ESG-FRIENDLY states? Find out HERE.

March 10, 2023
Justin Sullivan / Staff | Getty Images
Katarina Bradford

This week, we published a list of the top 14 states FIGHTING against ESG. Now, we are giving you the top 15 ESG-friendly states who are using YOUR taxpayer money to invest in leftist corporations.

Glenn has long warned of the dangers of ESG on American industry, and this list proves the risk. Already, multiple states on this list have divested their funds from gun manufacturers because they don't comply with their leftist agenda. Moreover, the businesses in these states who don't want to integrate left-leaning environmental, gender, and diversity standards into their business won't have any hope of investment from their government.

However, several of the states are considering ESG legislation RIGHT NOW, so there is still time to act. Glenn encouraged his audience to send THIS Utah bill to their governor's desk to protect reliable American industry. If your state is still deliberating integrating ESG standards into their investment strategy, ACT NOW. If they have already integrated ESG practices, you still have the power to fight back. Find out if YOUR state is considering ESG or already adopted ESG investment below.

Oregon

The Oregon state treasury announced that as a "fiduciary," it will engage ESG monitoring as a factor in its investment strategy:

Acting as a fiduciary, Treasury monitors and manages risks as a prudent global investor, engages as a responsible shareholder, and advocates for investor-friendly practices and regulations, such as improved identification and disclosure of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks.

In summary, that means if you are an Oregon resident, the state is using YOUR taxpayer dollars to fund liberal environmental and social agendas.

Connecticut

Connecticut's treasurer, Erick Russell, published the state's "Investment Policy for the Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds" (CRPTF). The plan integrates ESG monitoring as an core value in the state's investment strategy for retirement plans:

The CRPTF supports the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in the investment decision making process, given that such factors can impact both risk and return over the long term. In most cases, the CRPTF will vote FOR shareholder resolutions that request companies to disclose non-proprietary information related to ESG issues.

If you are a Connecticut resident, how do you feel about YOUR government using retirement funds and taxpayer dollars to fund woke ESG causes?

Maryland

Like Connecticut, Maryland's "State Retirement and Pension System" uses ESG as a core investment value for their states' pension and retirement plans. In fact they have an entire ESG committee dedicated to the task.

You can read the 2022 ESG report for yourself HERE.

Maine

Maine's government also has a special branch dedicated to ESG considerations in YOUR retirement plans. The Maine PERS (Public Employee Retirement System) states:

The primary duty of MainePERS is to serve as good fiduciaries to our members. This requires considering sustainability as a vital component of successful long-term investing. We have compiled this Environmental, Social and Governance Report to outline how these factors impact our investment decisions.

Investment's main purpose should be securing the biggest return on investment--that is what investment should be about... right? At least you would hope so if someone else is managing YOUR money. Yet, this consideration takes a back seat if it comes into conflict with the state's liberal ESG standards.

California

​It comes at no surprise that California is one of the original leaders in pro-ESG policy. In 2022, California's Senate passed the first bill in the U.S. requiring all companies statewide generating more than $1 billion in revenue to disclose their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The bill's author, state Senator Wiener, said:

Corporate transparency and accountability are critically important when it comes to addressing our climate crisis. Corporate emissions are a huge contributor to climate change, but frankly, we don’t yet know the scope of the problem. That’s why we need to act quickly and decisively to ensure corporations are reporting their emissions. This is a landmark bill, and today’s vote is a big step forward for California’s fight against climate change.

This bill has been incorporated into a three-bill package being considered by the California state legislature RIGHT NOW. The addition of the other two bills will give California's government the power to use YOUR retirement funds to invest in ESG-friendly businesses, like Connecticut, Maryland, and Maine.

New Jersey

New Jersey's State Investment Council announced that it would be integrating ESG into its investment practices in 2018. The Council stated:

The policy recognizes that material ESG factors are an important component of a comprehensive investment management strategy, and an analysis of these factors should be applied by the Division in connection with the investment and evaluation of the Pension Fund's assets.

If you have a state pension fund in New Jersey, then your money is being used to fund left-leaning corporations.

New York

​New York's state retirement fund published a report stating:

ESG factors are a key component of the Fund’s analysis of both short- and long-term financial risks and opportunities.

That means your taxpayer dollars are funding ESG practices. New York also divested its pension funds from gun manufacturers. Unless you are a liberal-leaning business that complies with the Left's woke environmental and social standards, you will not get public investment from your state's retirement fund.

New Mexico

New Mexico's State Investment Council, which is a part of the State Investment Office, adopted ESG standards in their investment practices in 2021. Among their ESG considerations for investment include: resource conservation, climate change, sustainability, gender diversity, equity & inclusion, and others. In other words, unless your business in New Mexico complies with these leftist standards, you won't get any investment from your government. Moreover, if you are paying into New Mexico's pension program, you are FUNDING these leftist businesses.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts' Pension Reserves Investment Management Board (PRIMB) unanimously voted to recommend to the full board that pension fund managers vote against companies that:

Failed to align their business plans with the goals of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as set forth in the Paris Climate Agreement, and/or that have failed to establish a plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

In addition to climate change, Massachusetts has utilized the force of its state pension fund to demand that companies adopt leftist gender and inclusion standards in order to receive funding, becoming one of the most outspoken ESG proponents.

Nevada

In 2022, Nevada's treasurer announced that his $49 billion portfolio—taxpayer dollars, mind you—will divest from all businesses that sell assault-style weapons. What other industries will they choose to divest from in the future if they don't comply with their leftist standards?

Rhode Island

Rhode Island, like California and New York, divested its state pension funds from publicly traded gun companies. The state also uses state retirement and pension funds to invest in ESG-friendly companies.

Vermont

Vermont's Teasurer’s Office and the Vermont Pension Investment Committee (VPIC) announced that they "consider financial factors and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in their investment decisions." They also hold companies to the climate standards put forth in the Paris Climate Agreement.

Washington

Seattle, one of the nation's most left-leaning cities, announced that its City Employees Retirement System will be taking ESG into consideration when choosing their investments. This comes as no surprise from a city in a state that is mandating "100% clean energy by 2040" and holding its first "greenhouse gas allowance auction."

Colorado

Colorado is considering a bill RIGHT NOW that would require Colorado's Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA) to factor the state’s greenhouse gas emission reduction goals into its investment decisions. If it passes, it would affect one out of every ten Colorado residents who contribute to the PERA fund.

Delaware

Delaware has been pushing state ESG policy since 2018. The state Senate passed a bill that enables the government—again, using the same justification as a "fiduciary"—to invest using ESG as a consideration. The state also passed a certification process in 2018. Though "voluntary," these certificates are used by the government to identify sustainable businesses. So if you don't have a certificate, you can kiss goodbye to the possibility of state investment.

Will Budweiser begin accepting tiny dogs to join their iconic Clydesdale fleet?

In honor of their new brand partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, Budweiser is expanding their famous fleet of Clydesdale horses to be more inclusive: introducing, "A Clydesdale's Journey," the story of how a brave little dog transitioned into "horsehood."

Of course, this is a joke. Unfortunately, we need to make that clear nowadays. However, it captures the sentiment that a lot of Americans are feeling amid our current culture war.

If you can't call "a spade a spade," or in Dylan Mulvaney's case, "a man a man," we are reduced to absurdity, like Glenn's most recent meme.

This little-known American hero inspired BlazeTV

Bettmann / Contributor | Getty Images

I was thinking this weekend, about the power of the individual. We have been trained by very powerful people and organizations to forget this. It used to be that we could be trained by organizations to better empower ourselves, but now corporations are aligning themselves with the government, making us feel small and powerless.

But don't.

I want to tell you about a story that takes you from the early 20th century, starting with a guy, alone in a field, all the way to where we are today.

Back in the early 20th century, one American found himself alone on a battlefield—not one of bullets and bombs, but a battle of wits and innovation and stamina. The battle would determine the fate of an industry, and all of our lives individually.

Bettmann / Contributor | Getty Images

Our protagonist, born to humble beginnings in a log cabin, was a genius. As a teenager, he had a really uncanny ability to envision the future beyond the limits of his time. His favorite subjects were science and mathematics. He would dream with his science teacher, who first thought that he was a little nuts. Most geniuses are perceived that way in the beginning.

Our hero faced all kinds of obstacles that would have broken the will of many, but he was driven by an unshakable belief that tomorrow could be better than today. He had an unwavering hope in the power of the individual and the incredible things he could accomplish in our country through hard work and determination.

In our country, he believed, you could stand up to the man.

And he did.

He was driven by an unshakable belief that tomorrow can be better than today.

Bettmann / Contributor | Getty Images

When he started to get going, everyone stood against him: the giants of industry, the titans of commerce, the lords of finance. He had one main opponent that tried to discredit his ideas. This opponent sabotaged his work. He sent spies into this little guy's workshop. But no matter how much this guy spent, no matter how much power this man had, no matter how much he would expend in resources, our little hero just kept working at night.

One day, our hero was plowing the field on his family's farm. As he was turning the plow to start a new row, he saw all of the rows lined up next to each other. It gave him an idea, and that moment changed the entire world. He envisioned a series of dots lined up just like the rows on his family's farm that could transmit an image onto a screen.

When he brought it up, he received ridicule, skepticism, and betrayal from those he trusted. He set up a little lab in San Francisco, but he couldn't get anybody to invest. He was making the equipment himself, but it kept failing because he didn't know how to make it. He started making his own little components, and improvised solutions with an unwavering faith in his vision.

He received ridicule, skepticism, and betrayal from those he trusted.

On September 7th, 1927, he transmitted the very first electronic television image, a straight line. He used a single beam of electrons, creating the first fully functional, all-electronic television system. As the years passed, the fruits of his labor began to take shape. One day, to the astonishment of the world, he unveiled his creation—a groundbreaking innovation that would change the way we work, the way we live, the way we communicate.

The invention, a marvel of modern engineering and design, captivated the public. It sent shock waves through the industries that once sought to destroy him. The giants that scoffed at him now found themselves scrambling to catch up as their empires began to crumble. Through a series of lengthy battles with these giants in court, our hero defended his patents and secured his place in history.

The giants that scoffed at him now found themselves scrambling to catch up.

That little man who faced the insurmountable odds and emerged victorious was none other than Philo Farnsworth.

He was the inventor of the fully functional, all-electronic television system, the device that brought families together, shaped culture, and connected us to the world and to space. We saw a man who walked on the moon made possible through the brainchild of a man who fought a lonely battle against the giants of his time, and it's all but forgotten.

But it all started with a guy who was working out in a field. When he turned his plow and saw those lines, he thought, "If I put dots of color, into lines, several lines, I'll be able to transmit a picture." Those dots we now know as pixels, the building block of every image we see today. In 1927, his invention changed the world, making all his hard work in the face of adversity worth it.

Bettmann / Contributor | Getty Images

Farnsworth has been a pivotal source of inspiration for me. In 2011, we launched BlazeTV. At the time, traditional cable networks were still the dominant force in news and entertainment. I remember sitting in my office, looking at my news team, when Stu, my executive producer, and I said, "This is all going to come collapsing down around them." We decided to embrace the power of the internet and embrace the power of an audience. Like Farnsworth, the "establishment" didn't like us. They laughed and said it would NEVER work.

We bypassed the gatekeepers of television, and we made BlazeTV an independent place for the voice to be heard. It was a place to connect and hear the truth, engage in thoughtful discussions about the issues that matter most. And because of our success, OTHERS followed in our footsteps while our mainstream critics are struggling to keep afloat. A new wave of independent media organizations emerged and leveraged the power of the internet, to create alternative sources of information and entertainment.

We bypassed the gatekeepers of television, and we made the BlazeTV an independent place for the voice to be heard.

All of us in the independent media have thrived on the principles of honesty, integrity, and intellectual curiosity—something that is all, but dead in the mainstream media. Today's mainstream media is tragically clinging to the past and has exposed themselves in their desperation to survive.

They have no desire to be useful and relevant—the fact that they are willing to call a woman a man, and a man a woman is a cry of desperation, not of relevancy. In reality, the only way to survive is to remain loyal only to the truth. We're not battling people. We're battling desperation. We're battling evil—a relentless barrage of falsehoods and manipulations.

But the truth will always weather the storm.

Most people don't know, I named BlazeTV after two things. One of them was the burning bush of Moses. It was a fire of truth that burned but was never consumed. As long as we're truthful, that fire will burn and will never consume.

The truth will always weather the storm.

I just want to remind you that things always change, but individuals make all of the difference. Our country is a testament to the power of innovation, resilience, and the unwavering belief of the individual, the importance of free speech, open discourse, and the rule of law. Let that be your beacon of hope this week. No matter what is collapsing around us, there's somebody thinking of something much better. And it's growing.

Right now, as we see the collapse of truth, just know you have helped build something that will replace those lies. A positive change is possible, if we believe in the truth and ourselves.

Holocaust remembrance: It could happen again

Anadolu Agency / Contributor | Getty Images

Remembering the Holocaust is not for the dead. It’s for the living.

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day—one of the few remaining days where we as Americans are unified. For this single day, we lay aside the moral relativism sweeping our culture and agree again that there is a right and wrong and that the Holocaust was firmly the latter.

But after the public statements are posted and political proclamations are made, will we still agree that there is a clear and definite right and wrong—that we really should never again allow an atrocity like the Holocaust to take place?

Will we still agree that there is a clear and definite right and wrong?

If “never again,” is more than just a slogan, what does that mean for us today?

Anthony Blinken said in his public statement:

Among the most powerful lessons we can learn from the Holocaust is that the mass murder of six million Jews was not a sudden or singular act, but rather the culmination of countless incremental steps designed to vilify and dehumanize people. That’s why we must remember now, and always.

He’s right.

But on most days, any discussion of these “countless incremental steps” withers away to nothingness. It becomes blind and dull finger-pointing. It becomes, “That’s nothing like the Holocaust! How could you even make that comparison?” It becomes undiscussable.

Yes, on these incremental steps, the conviction and passion of many grow cold. It is an unexplainable phenomenon that paints those who seek to earnestly apply the lessons of the Holocaust to modern times as antisemites.

We don’t remember only to honor the dead. We remember to guide the living. If we don’t believe that the story of the Holocaust has any application to the present and the future, then why not forget?

We don’t remember only to honor the dead. We remember to guide the living.

The slippery slope that led to the Holocaust was paved with many evils, but one was the people being too squeamish—too preoccupied to identify the “incremental steps” on the path to destruction.

The people who fell victim to Nazi ideology, both the oppressed and oppressor, were no different from us. There was nothing uniquely evil that lived inside those who became Nazis. It is the same evil that lives inside each of us.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said:

The line between good and evil runs not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either — but right through every human heart.

If that’s so, then it’s the work of every generation to recommit to the battle of good versus evil—within our nation, within our family—within our own hearts. For, as God said to Cain, sin is always lurking at our door.

It’s the work of every generation to recommit to the battle of good versus evil.

When evil slithers upon us, it may appear different on the outside, but, at its core, it will always be exactly the same. That is why we must study, debate, dissect, compare, and contrast the Holocaust—that is why we must hold it up against current times.

To think of the Holocaust as a hideous, yet unrepeatable past event is not enough. The evil within human hearts has not been abolished. To truly mean the words “Never Again,” we must first accept that, without our vigilance, it could happen again.

THESE 9 countries are fighting to TOPPLE the U.S. dollar.

SOPA Images / Contributor | Getty Images

Every American living in the U.S. today has lived in a dollar-dominated world. After World War I, the dollar replaced the British pound as the world's strongest currency after the war decimated and depleted Europe's economies. The Bretton Wood Agreement in 1944 solidified the dollar's standing as the international trade currency. In 1973, the "petro-dollar" was born, with all oil purchases transacted through the U.S. dollar.

The U.S. dollar's dominance has funded our way of life without collapsing on our own debt and secured our place as the world's leading superpower.

Until now.

The dollar is under the greatest attack since it rose to its place of prominence after World War I. Led by China and Russia, the BRICS alliance, composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, aims to create a "multi-polar" world where the yuan and ruble provide an alternative currency for those who want to become independent from the dollar and the influence it entails.

The dollar is under the greatest attack since it rose to its place of prominence after World War I.

In 2023, we have seen the biggest international rally against the U.S. dollar since World War I. Trading relationships that the U.S. has long taken for granted are now turning to the Chinese yuan to bypass the Western "strings attached" to the dollar. This means countries like Iran and Russia now have a way to bypass U.S. sanctions. The greater threat is a new "world order" controlled by China and Russia depleting the U.S. dollar. This has the potential to completely alter our way of life.

Below are the top 9 countries to take active steps against the U.S. dollar, posing the greatest threat to the U.S. as a superpower.

1. Argentina

Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez (right) welcomes Brazil's President Lula da Silva (left) to Buenos Aires.

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

Argentina and Brazil announced they will be forming their own common currency with the explicit purpose of severing their reliance on the U.S. dollar. Brazil and Argentina are the first and second-largest economies in Latin America. The move will help them become more immune to U.S. sanctions as they progress towards closer ties with China. Moreover, Argentina is considering joining the BRICS alliance as a formal step away from the U.S. dollar.

2. Brazil

President Lula da Silva (left) shakes hands with China's Ambassador to Brazil Zhu Qingqiao (right).

SERGIO LIMA / Contributor | Getty Images

One of the founding members of the BRICS alliance, Brazil signed a memorandum of understanding with China earlier this year to establish a yuan-clearing arrangement, the first step in establishing bilateral trade with China. More progress to this end is expected this week as Brazilian President Lula de Silva prepares to visit President Xi in Beijing.

Lula de Silva ousted former President Bolsonaro, who was more closely aligned with the U.S. and Western interests. Now, Silva aims to lessen Brazil's dependence on the U.S. dollar and the risk of sanctions for doing business with enemy nations with the U.S.

Henry Osvald, president of the Brazilian Association for Industry, Commerce and Innovation in China (BraCham) remarked that the deepening ties between Brazil and China "comes at a very important moment as the US dollar is not stable and it is depreciating considerably." Moreover, Osvald said:

Brazil is the only country in Latin America that has a bank established in China, and there are already several Chinese banks established in Brazil - this will help economic and trade ties and strengthen the yuan as an alternative to the US dollar and the euro.

As Iran, China, and Russia are continually aiming to expand their interests in Latin America, the Chinese yuan will allow them to do so with less fear of repercussions from the U.S.

3. China

China's President Xi Jinping leads the anti-dollar coalition through boosting the yuan's international status.

LUDOVIC MARIN / Contributor | Getty Images

The Chinese yuan is the biggest challenger to the U.S. dollar as the international trade currency of choice. From their Belt and Road Initiatives to forging closer ties with countries that were subject to U.S. sanctions, China is positioning the Yuan as an alternative to countries who aim to become more independent from the U.S. dollar and the influence it entails.

China is the focal point of all the countries on this list. Xi is providing a way for nations who want to distance themselves from U.S. interests to do so without fear of economic repercussions. The list is already large and will continue to grow as China seeks to expand BRICS and the yuan's influence in Latin America and Africa.

4. France

French President Macron (left) greets President Xi (right) during his historic visit to Beijing.

LUDOVIC MARIN / Contributor | Getty Images

France, a long-time U.S. ally, has become one of the most outspoken Western critics of the U.S. dollar and the European spokesperson for autonomy from the U.S. In his recent historic visit to Beijing, Macron reiterated his call for Europe's "strategic autonomy" to prevent becoming "vassals" to the U.S. Macron, like German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, are determined to keep industrial ties with China despite the growing conflict between China and the U.S.

France's determination to distance itself from the U.S. is a major blow to U.S. foreign policy and relations with the West. It speaks volumes to the deterioration of trust behind U.S. fiscal and foreign policy in regards to the U.S.'s closest allies.

5. India

India's Prime Minister Modi (right) and Putin (left) deepen trade relations with the rupee and rouble to bypass U.S. pressures attached to the dollar.

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

Behind the Chinese yuan, the Indian rupee is arguably the second-greatest challenger to the U.S. dollar. As a BRICS founding member, India has long aimed to distance itself from the influence of the dollar. This year, India took a major step forward, announcing its new trade policy that steps away from the dollar in favor of placing the rupee and Russian ruble as international currencies to settle trade transactions.

In addition to strengthening the rupee's standing for trade transactions across Asia, most notably Malaysia, India agreed to use both rupees and rubles instead of the dollar in mutual trade with Russia to avoid Western sanctions. India also agreed to switch to a rupee payment for Iranian crude imports, bypassing Western sanctions on Iranian oil.

6. Iran

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (left) meets with Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China Li Zhanshu (right) during his official visit to Beijing, China on February 14, 2023.

Anadolu Agency / Contributor | Getty Images

There are few countries who are subject to more international sanctions from the U.S. than Iran. Sanctions on Iran's oil and weapons industries have been a long-time strategy used by the U.S. to restrict Iran's nuclear program. However, with the Chinese Yuan as an option, U.S. sanctions will lose much of their power in curbing Iran's initiatives. Through using the yuan, Iran can trade its oil, sell its weapons to Iranian-backed militias wreaking havoc throughout the Middle East, and continue to grow its nuclear program with less fear of international consequences.

7. Russia

Putin (right) and Xi (left) lead the BRICS alliance against the U.S. dollar and influence.

Contributor / Contributor

China and Russia have been forging closer ties for years to deal with Western opposition. However, the war in Ukraine has brought them closer than ever before. Putin and Xi's historic meeting in Beijing solidified their military and economic alliance, aiding each other in bypassing Western sanctions and pressures.

Putin called for the Chinese yuan to be used globally, saying, “We support using Chinese yuan in transactions between the Russian Federation and its partners in Asia, Africa and Latin America." Moreover, Xi told Putin, “Right now, we’re seeing a change we haven’t seen in 100 years, and we’re driving this change together" signaling a new "multi-polar" world order with China and Russia becoming legitimate power challengers to the U.S.

Last month alone, the yuan overtook the dollar as the most traded currency on the Moscow Exchange for the first time ever, representing almost 40 percent of total trading volume. As they aim to make the yuan the international currency of choice beyond Russia into the developing world, Russia and China pose the greatest economic threat to the U.S., as Xi said, in the past "100 years."

8. Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (left) greets Chinese President Xi Jinping (right)

Pool / Pool | Getty Images

Saudi Arabia's decision to ditch the "petro-dollar" in favor of the "petro-yuan" is arguably the most significant blow to the U.S. economy in modern times. The "petro-dollar" refers to the dollar's standing as the currency facilitating oil that has been traded and sold from Saudi Arabia. The “petro-dollar” has been an integral part of the U.S.’s foreign policy and economic standing since the 1970s.

It is one of the main reasons why politicians justify taking on so much domestic debt—most countries "buy up our debt" via oil purchases. Our current way of life is completely dependent upon foreign investors, who hold a total of $7.3 trillion in U.S. debt as of 2022. We've been free print ourselves into oblivion knowing our foreign investors will pick up the bill.

Not anymore.

Now, Saudi calls for all oil transactions to be carried out in yuan, NOT the U.S. dollar. This isn't merely a major blow to the dollar's international reputation as a safely-backed currency—it is a threat to our way of life and our fiscal bottom line.

9. South Africa

South African President Ramaphosa (left) greets fellow BRICS member, Vladimir Putin (right).

Mikhail Svetlov / Contributor | Getty Images

South Africa is arguably one of the most outspoken opponents to the U.S. dollar out of the BRICS nations. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says he'll use his chairmanship of the BRICS group of leading emerging economies to focus on advancing African interests, creating less dependency on the dollar and Western influence. He said:

Our continent was pillaged and ravaged and exploited by other continents and we therefore want to build the solidarity in BRICS to advance the interests, of course initially of our own country, but also of the continent as a whole.

China is already Africa's largest trading partner. With Ramaphosa's urgency to expand BRICS on the continent, it is clear that Western interests are losing the battle on the African front.