Morning Brief 2025-09-16

No guests slated for today's show. Subject to change.

News...

Glenn Beck: Civics isn’t a class; it’s the backbone of the republic we fight for
Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

Trump sends federal police to battle crime in Memphis at request of governor
At Gov. Bill Lee’s request, Trump ordered FBI, DEA, ATF, ICE, and U.S. Marshals to the city, citing Memphis’ sky-high violent crime rate and pledging results similar to Washington’s federal crackdown.

Trump open to designating Antifa a domestic terrorist organization
"It's something I would do, yeah," Trump told reporters on Monday at the White House in response to a question. "Also, I've been speaking to the attorney general about bringing RICO against some of the people ... that have been putting up millions and millions of dollars for agitation."

BLM Grifter Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Spending Donations on Herself
The charges, announced in 2022, amounted to a staggering 27-count superseding indictment.

Black Lives Matter activist hurls vile f-bomb slurs at Daily Mail when asked about stealing donor cash for luxurious treats
"You wasn't reaching out or interested in my side of the story when I caught this case 4 1/2 years ago," she wrote in an email.

In 16 Years, the VA Turned This $450 Million Hospital Project into a $1.6 Billion Boondoggle
What began as a simple hospital project has become yet another example of bureaucratic failure at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Florida Says Ban on Openly Carrying Guns Is Invalid After Court Ruling
The state attorney general told law enforcement officers to stop enforcing the decades-old ban, after a court last week ruled it unconstitutional.

Team finds ‘ghost ship’ that eluded searchers for decades, sank nearly 140 years ago
The F.J. King schooner, lost in an 1886 gale while hauling iron ore, was finally discovered off Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula after searchers followed a lighthouse keeper’s century-old sighting.

Charlie Kirk...

The ‘normie conquest’: Millions just joined the right overnight
A Ukrainian refugee’s murder and Charlie Kirk’s assassination shattered America’s apolitical middle.

Shapiro: Churches Were Packed, Synagogues Prayed — The Awakening Charlie Kirk Always Believed In
Charlie’s tragic death may be the turning point for America to return to faith.

Charlie Kirk's hometown seeks to honor his legacy by approving Turning Point chapters in schools
Citizens living in an overwhelmingly Democratic-voting area spoke last week at a school board meeting where they presented their requests to honor the slain conservative activist by approving new chapters of Turning Point USA there.

Photos: Mourners Around the World Show Love for Charlie Kirk
Vigils were held around the world for slain free speech advocate and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, offering a poignant demonstration that the power of his ideas reached far beyond America’s borders and that good people around the world can unite in mourning for a young husband and father.

FBI Links Suspect’s DNA To Kirk Assassination Weapon
“I can report today that the DNA hits from the towel that was wrapped around the firearm and the DNA on the screwdriver are positively processed for the suspect in custody,” Patel said Monday.

FBI reveals assassin texted plan to kill Charlie Kirk: ‘Some hatred cannot be negotiated with’
“What was found, in terms of information, a text message exchange where the suspect specifically stated that he had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and he was going to do that,” Patel said Monday.

Charlie Kirk shooting suspect allegedly confessed to assassination in online chat before arrest
The message was sent Thursday night, around two hours before he was apprehended, from an account on the platform tied to the suspect.

Old man who falsely claimed he shot Charlie Kirk is known ‘gadfly’ who told cops he did it to ‘draw attention from real shooter’: Report
George Zinn approached cops immediately after Kirk was killed and yelled, “I shot him, now shoot me,” the report stated.

Secret Service faces security test with large-scale Charlie Kirk funeral service
The memorial service is open to the public and will be held at the giant Arizona Cardinals stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Trump shares call for media ‘accountability’ with ‘Charlie Kirk Act’ after shooting
Trump has shared a video calling for the president to reinstate a Cold War-era media “accountability” law in response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, with a petition calling for its revival gathering more than 5,000 signatures within 13 hours.

JD Vance tells supporters to call out people who celebrate the murder of Charlie Kirk: 'Hell, call their employer!'
"When you see someone celebrating Charlie's murder, call them out. Hell, call their employer!" Vance said. "We don't believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility. And there is no civility in the celebration of political assassination," he added.

Reason: Charlie Kirk Would Not Have Wanted This
A vast cancel culture campaign is a poor way to honor his legacy.

NJ surgeon who ‘cheered’ Charlie Kirk’s murder resigns — as suspended nurse who called him out is reinstated
Jung allegedly openly celebrated news of Kirk’s murder in front of the hospital’s nurses’ station — and defended his words when nurse Lexi Kuenzle then questioned how a person whose job is saving lives could ever cheer a death.

Political Violence Shouldn’t Be a Team Sport
Beware the “conflict entrepreneurs” telling you how to think.

Charlie Kirk and rabbi pal talked hours before his death: ‘He was in a combative mood’
Hours before his assassination, Kirk was focused on countering anti-Israel smears on campus and remained one of the few Gen Z conservatives who refused to cave on his pro-Israel stance.

Politics...

Liberals more likely to say political violence sometimes justified: Poll
The Sept. 10 poll shows the more liberal respondents were more likely to say violence can sometimes be justified.

Quarter of Democrats say America is ‘better off’ after Charlie Kirk’s assassination
A new survey found 24% of Democrats believe the nation benefits from Kirk’s death, while just 38% of Democrats said they prayed for him and his family.

Media spin leaves many believing Charlie Kirk’s assassin was a Republican
A YouGov poll shows more Americans think the suspect was a GOP supporter than know he was a leftist, after outlets pushed false claims before officials confirmed his radical ties.

Marjorie Taylor Greene revives call for ‘national divorce’ after Kirk killing
“There is nothing left to talk about with the left. They hate us,” Greene wrote on the social platform X. “To be honest, I want a peaceful national divorce.”

Nancy Mace moves to censure Ilhan Omar over Charlie Kirk remarks
Mace said if Omar "mock[s] a political assassination and celebrate[s] murder, you don’t get to keep your committee seat, you get consequences."

Texas Senate Candidate Colin Allred Holds Voter Registration Drive at Dallas Church as Pastor Attacks Charlie Kirk
Rev. Frederick Haynes III said Kirk's death doesn't count as a political assassination.

Trump slams Hochul’s endorsement of ‘communist’ Mamdani
"Washington will be watching this situation very closely. No reason to be sending good money after bad!" he stated.

Democrat governor tries to gaslight Americans on leftist violence — and gets hit with fierce backlash
Gov. Shapiro offered a misleading account of his own brush with political violence.

Joe Manchin Blasts Obama, Biden, and Schumer for Working to 'Weaken the Very Guardrails' of Democracy
Former Democratic senator Joe Manchin tears into the Democratic Party in an upcoming book, blasting "woke ideology," diversity, equity, and inclusion mandates, and party leaders' quest for power at the expense of democracy.

Once a 'fringe Democrat,' now Fetterman offers wisdom to win, echos Trump's 'common sense'
Fetterman says lots of things, yet still votes in lockstep with the rest of the Democrat Party.

Economy...

Stocks climb as Fed meeting looms and Trump touts China trade talks
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit fresh records after Trump said negotiations with Beijing were going well, while investors bet the Fed will cut rates this week. Tesla surged after Elon Musk bought $1 billion in shares.

Trump advocates end to quarterly earnings reports
“Did you ever hear the statement that, ‘China has a 50 to 100 year view on management of a company, whereas we run our companies on a quarterly basis??? Not good!!!’” Trump said.

War news...

Trump Announces Obliteration Of Another Narco Vessel In Cartel Crackdown
“This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” Trump said.

Israel...

Qatar says Biden never asked to expel Hamas leaders after massacre, asked to restore offices
A top Qatari official says the Biden administration never requested Hamas be removed after the Oct. 7 terror attack that killed over 1,200 people, including 46 Americans — and later asked Qatar to bring Hamas back to resume talks.

Rabbi Who Took 4 Bullets For Religious Freedom To Honor Charlie Kirk With Prayer Rally In Jerusalem
Rabbi Yehudah Glick, a champion for the Temple Mount, survived a 2014 point-blank assassination attempt by a Palestinian.

Hamas mouthpiece praises Hannah Einbinder’s ‘Free Palestine’ Emmys message — but censors her bare shoulders in video
Quds News Network shared footage of Einbinder’s Emmys speech but blurred her chest and shoulders, removing even the pro-Palestinian pin she wore. The outlet later deleted the post after widespread mockery on social media.

Ukraine - Russia...

US military officers make surprise visit to Belarus-Russia war games
Coupled with the trip taken by White House special envoy John Coale to Minsk last week for talks with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, the visit appears to reflect President Trump’s growing ties with the former Soviet state.

Russia has given military training to around 20% of deported Ukrainian children
Russia has sent tens of thousands of Ukrainian children, whom they have abducted, to more than 200 different facilities, where about a fifth of them have been given military training, according to a new report from a United States watchdog organization.

Europe...

CNBC: The UK is about to embrace Trump. The truth is, it needs him right now.
Trump’s three-day visit with King Charles and Prime Minister Keir Starmer comes as Labour reels from cabinet resignations, an Epstein-linked scandal, and growing unrest over mass immigration.

Entertainment...

Jamie Lee Curtis Breaks Down, Sobs over Charlie Kirk Assassination: ‘A Father and a Husband and a Man of Faith’
“I disagreed with him on almost every point I ever heard him say, but I believe he was a man of faith, and I hope in that moment when he died, that he felt connected with his faith ... I hope whatever connection to God means that he felt it.”

Woke Mob Attacks ‘White Lotus’ Star Jennifer Coolidge for ‘Liking’ Charlie Kirk’s Instagram
It is unclear if Coolidge runs her own Instagram or if she has a staff that does that for her as many celebrities do, but as of Monday morning, her account no longer showed a “like” for Charlie Kirk’s account.

Emmys ignore Kirk assassination as star uses stage to bash Israel
While no one mentioned Charlie Kirk’s murder, actress Hannah Einbinder closed her Emmys speech by screaming "Free Palestine" and attacking the Jewish state — then claimed it was her "duty as a Jew."

Media...

Trump announces he's suing the New York Times in $15B defamation lawsuit
He described the lawsuit as a "great honor" and called the rag a "virtual mouthpiece for the Radical Left Democrat Party."

Daily Beast apologizes to Melania Trump over retracted article alleging an Epstein link
“We apologize to the first lady and our readers,” read an editor’s note on the retracted Daily Beast article.

Washington Post boots columnist after anti-Kirk posts, Hamas cheerleading, and unhinged martial arts ranting
The Post fired its bodybuilding opinion writer after she smeared Charlie Kirk, sympathized with Hamas, and then melted down on Substack with talk of "vengeance" and feminist sword training.

Education...

Abbott says over 100 teachers will have certification suspended over Charlie Kirk social media posts
Abbott said the Texas Education Agency is investigating teachers in the state who have "called for or incite violence following the Charlie Kirk assassination."

Why George Abaraonye should NOT be removed as Oxford Union’s president
Abaraonye is a symbol of the derangement, ideological capture, and degeneracy of the entire university system. Expressing glee at the murder of someone with whom he disagrees, Abaraonye is the figurehead that Oxford deserves and a perfect symbol for our university system writ large.

Health...

1 in 6 parents reject vaccine recommendations: Poll
American parents who homeschool a child and those who consider themselves to be very religious are the most likely to delay giving their children vaccines, with 46% and 36% forgoing inoculations for their kids, respectively.

Technology...

AI Chatbots Might Already Be Better Than Humans at Debating
In a recent study, participants were paired with either a human or an AI debate opponent. The results confirm AI's power of persuasion.

Quantum computing is coming — and corporate America isn't ready
Most companies are about as prepared for quantum computing's arrival as Blockbuster was for Netflix.

Sports...

Tom Brady is returning to play football ... in Saudi Arabia
Brady will play in a first-of-its-kind round-robin tournament featuring three teams of current and former NFL players. The flag football tournament will take place next March in Riyadh.

Sept. 16, 2008 - Wall Street crisis... Who is benefiting from the bailout?... These weasels who started this... Battle of the headlines... Enron and the outcry... Glenn Beck's 'Unelectable' DVD out today...

Warning: 97% fear Gen Z’s beliefs could ignite political chaos

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

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.

Without civic action, America faces collapse

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

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

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

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