Three Things You Need to Know - October 19, 2017

October 19, 2017

WRITER

Someone is covering their asset in Vegas.

I didn’t think this was possible, but the Las Vegas attack investigation continues to get even more strange.

It’s been nearly three weeks and neither the FBI nor the Las Vegas Police have given us a possible motive. We haven’t seen a single surveillance video or photo.

On top of that, not only do we not know what’s going on, but the police seem to not know either. They’ve released three different timelines for the attack. All three seem to revolve around, and conflict with, the time hotel security guard Jesus Campos encountered the shooter on the 32nd floor.

Campos is the most significant eyewitness to the attack, so naturally, everyone’s been trying to get him to tell his story. He was set to do just that last Thursday.

All the major news outlets gathered in a Vegas Hotel. Minutes before the interviews were set to kick off, Jesus Campos vanished. The security union rep was told Campos was taken to a minor emergency clinic for a health reason, but that was the last time anyone saw him. Not even his neighbors knew where he was. Until yesterday. Jesus Campos was found on the set of the Ellen DeGeneres show.

So, hang on just a second. Campos is the key witness to the worst crime in modern history. The investigation is being questioned, and the timelines for the attack conflict. And the man that could clear all of this up is interviewed on a comedian’s talk show? Are you kidding me? I mean, was this to ensure that no hard follow up questions would be asked? Because that’s exactly how the interview played out.

Campos told his story and it was compelling. His account of the events seems to confirm the third timeline police released last Friday. Campos was dispatched to the 32nd floor at 9:59, he was shot in the leg by Paddock around 10:04, and the massacre began at 10:05. He was also quick to add that he radioed for backup as soon as he was shot.

Not to knock Ellen, but had this been - say - Anderson Cooper, he might have asked why it took officers a full thirteen minutes, after Paddock shot Campos, to reach the 32nd floor. It was also two minutes after Paddock had stopped firing on the crowd. An investigative journalist could

have asked why it took so long. Did the hotel take their time informing the police?

Ellen made sure to mention that this was the only interview Campos would give. Are we ever going to get the full story on this? We may never know, and this is getting stranger by the day.

Hillary's Russian hypocrisy.

Hillary Clinton might want to stop talking so much about Russian collusion. Here’s why. In 2010, the Obama administration and the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment approved a deal that allowed the Russian atomic energy agency, called Rosatom, to buy a majority stake in Uranium One.

Uranium One was a Canadian company with significant uranium mining rights in the U.S. The Committee on Foreign Investment reviews all deals that could result in foreign control of an American business with national security importance. This deal gave Moscow control of 20% of the U.S. uranium supply.

Then, in 2013, Rosatom bought the rest of Uranium One, meaning Vladimir Putin now controls one of the largest uranium producing operations in the world. Most of these facts were known before now, and even reported, but for some reason, the story never gained media traction. The new bombshell twist to this story was reported by The Hill this week – that starting in 2009, the FBI investigated Russia’s efforts to infiltrate the U.S. nuclear materials industry.

With the help of a secret U.S. informant working with the Russians, the FBI compiled evidence of bribery, kickbacks, extortion and money laundering in the U.S. by Rosatom officials. The FBI also has evidence that Rosatom and Uranium One officials donated millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation, even while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State and while she was on the Committee on Foreign Investment, which approved Rosatom’s purchase of Uranium One.

Hillary did not disclose those donors to the Obama administration even though she had agreed to do so. Shocking. Why would the Obama administration sign off on those deals, when the FBI had several years of corruption evidence against Rosatom? Why was Congress never briefed about this FBI probe and its findings? And why did Congress never look into the link between Hillary, the Clinton Foundation, and the sale of Uranium One, even after the New York Times reported it in 2015? Hillary, What Happened?

I think you need a follow-up book just to address this shady chapter in your political career. We deserve answers.

The humanity in the horror.

Flying embers and smoke swarmed them from all sides. Mike and his roommate knew they had only seconds to make a last-ditch escape from their home in Yuba County, California. As fire singed their hair and burned their eyes, they ran to their SUV, praying to God that they would make it out in time.

Two men barely escape wildfires in California

We’re not dead yet. Mike and his roommate survived. But others have not been so lucky. The Northern California wildfires have claimed at least 42 people so far with that number is expected to rise as search and rescue teams continue to comb through gutted homes looking for bodies.

5,700 homes and businesses have been reduced to ashes. To put things in perspective, the wildfires have consumed an area larger than New York City.

This has been the deadliest wildfire epidemic in California’s history. But out of the wreckage and debris comes a story of hope. Loren Jade Smith lost the most precious thing in the world to the Santa Rosa wildfires. His Oakland A’s collection. All his baseball cards dating back to 2000.

17 jerseys. 10 hats. And 2 baseballs. One of them signed by the whole team. Loren wrote to the baseball team about his plight. “To the Oakland A’s: I love watching your A’s games. I want to be an A’s player and I play at Mark West Little League in Santa Rosa. I played baseball in my backyard all day loving the A’s and making up my own game. In my backyard, they won six World Series in a row. But my house burned down in the Santa Rosa fire and my saddest things were my A’s collection…”

The president of the A’s was so moved by Loren’s letter that he promised to completely outfit the nine-year-old and his family in new Athletics gear. And people from all over the country are now sending Loren their Oakland A’s memorabilia in an effort to help him restore his collection. Never underestimate the generosity of humanity. Ask and you shall receive.

As the wildfires in Northern California become contained, remember that the fire in man’s heart to do good will never be extinguished.

MORE 3 THINGS

'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 resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

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

The dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is America’s next generation trading freedom for equity?

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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Three Things You Need to Know - October 19, 2017

Someone is covering their asset in Vegas.

Hillary's Russian hypocrisy.

The humanity in the horror.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

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.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Picking up his torch

Two turning points, decades apart

A time for courage

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

The dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

From Muhammad to Marx

Gifts from God, not the state

POLL: Is America’s next generation trading freedom for equity?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

Do you think the Gen Z support for Trump is an opportunity for conservatives to win them over with anti-establishment reforms that preserve liberty?