What many don’t know is that there are two sides to Donald Trump: the public persona known for scathing Truth Social posts and humiliating contentious reporters and the incredibly gracious family man behind the bombast.Before Glenn Beck knew the difference, he believed Trump to be an insincere grifter, spurring him to make some public statements he deeply regrets today.On a recent episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Glenn shared a story about Donald Trump that nearly drove him to tears. Before Trump announced his presidential run in 2015, he and Glenn were friendly after hitting it off at one of Larry King’s birthday parties. During one conversation, Trump urged Glenn, who traveled often for work, to stay at one of the Trump hotels.Glenn agreed to try it out and booked a room at the Trump International Hotel in New City during a business trip. However, at the time, he was on a strict diet for health reasons that only allowed him to eat 70 specific foods. As a result, a personal chef had to accompany him everywhere he went.“And so I called [Trump] up, and I said, ‘Hey, I'm coming to New York. I have a chef that has to travel with me because I can only eat these 70 things, and it has to be exact. ... Could you accommodate?’ ... And he's like, ‘Absolutely, not a problem,”’ Glenn recounts.However, during Glenn’s stay in NYC, he got a phone call informing him that his father was about to pass away, requiring him to cut his trip short.“Somehow or another, [Trump] found out that I left. I go to Seattle; my father dies; I come back home, and he calls me up, and he said, ‘Is there a reason you left early from the hotel? Did something go wrong?’ And I said, ‘Yes, sir. My father passed away.’ And he said, ‘Oh my gosh, Glenn, I'm so sorry to hear that,”’ Glenn says, calling Trump “so relatable and so kind.”However, Glenn’s kindly opinion of the future president immediately soured when Trump announced just a week after their phone conversation that he was running for president.“I can't believe I'm confessing this. This is so horrible for me to say. This is one of the worst things I've done in a long time,” he says, fighting back tears.“I remember getting on the air as soon as he announces [his candidacy] ... and I said, ‘That son of b***h has been courting me this whole time. He has been setting me up for an endorsement. That's what this whole thing has been about.’ And I assume the worst of him,” Glenn confesses.Today Glenn knows the real Donald Trump — the one whose children and grandchildren worship the ground he walks on. He knows that the attentiveness and kindness Trump showed him after his father passed away wasn’t performance or grift. It was genuine.“He was just such a gracious guy, and I spat in his face for it, and I regret it. Anything that you think he is, anything the press says he is, he's not that guy,” says Glenn.To hear Glenn retell the story in detail, watch the video above.Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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by Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D., Childrens Health Defense: Two women, with support from Children’s Health Defense, are suing the government agency that oversees the compensation program for COVID-19 vaccine injuries. The women, who developed debilitating injuries after receiving Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, allege the program violated their constitutional rights by setting eligibility criteria so restrictive […]

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Welcome to our Best of 2025 spotlight on the environment, which we all know is one of the most dynamic and urgent spaces for innovation and impact. This year brought so5e truly awe-inspiring breakthroughs in sustainability, conservation, and climate resilience. These stories remind us that when creativity and science meet care for the planet, real transformation is possible. The SS United States, once a gleaming symbol of American engineering might, is charting a new course beneath the waves. The 1,000-foot ocean liner, which shattered transatlantic speed records on its maiden voyage in 1952, has left its long-time berth on Philadelphia’s Delaware River. Its destination? The bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, where it will become the world’s largest artificial reef. This ambitious plan comes after years of uncertainty about the ship’s fate, a tense rent dispute, and a last-minute safety inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard. The vessel is currently being towed to Mobile, Alabama, for extensive prep work before its final submersion off the coast of Okaloosa County, Florida. Susan Gibbs, president of the SS United States Conservancy and granddaughter of the ship’s designer, expressed mixed emotions about the historic journey. “The ship will forever symbolize our nation’s strength, innovation, and resilience,” Gibbs said. “We wish her ‘fair winds and following seas’ on her historic journey to her new home.” A record-breaking past and an uncertain future In its heyday, the SS United States was a marvel of modern engineering. On its maiden voyage, the ship set a transatlantic speed record of 36 knots—just over 41 miles per hour—crossing the Atlantic Ocean in three days, 10 hours, and 40 minutes. This impressive feat bested the RMS Queen Mary’s time by 10 hours, a record that remains unbeaten by any ocean liner to this day. The vessel’s speed wasn’t just for show; it was designed with national security in mind. In addition to ferrying wealthy passengers across the Atlantic, the SS United States was capable of transporting thousands of troops at unprecedented speeds in the event of a military emergency. But as air travel rose to dominance, the ship’s glory days quickly faded. By 1969, it was relegated to reserve status and eventually passed through the hands of several private owners, all of whom found the cost of restoring the vessel to be prohibitively expensive. A new life beneath the waves Transforming a massive ocean liner into an artificial reef is no small task. The process involves extensive cleaning to ensure that no pollutants harm marine ecosystems, as well as careful planning to position the ship in a way that will maximize its appeal to marine life and divers alike. Officials estimate that it will take at least one-and-a-half years to complete the cleaning, transportation, and submersion of the vessel. If all goes according to plan, the SS United States will join more than 500 artificial reefs already off the coast of Florida’s Panhandle, providing a new home for coral, fish, and other marine species. Preserving history while embracing the future For many, the decision to transform the SS United States into an artificial reef is a bittersweet one. The ship’s storied past, from its record-breaking voyages to its service as a symbol of American innovation, makes it a powerful icon. But with restoration costs soaring and no viable alternatives, this new plan offers a way to preserve the vessel’s legacy—if not above water, then beneath it. Susan Gibbs acknowledged the mixed emotions surrounding the decision but expressed hope that the ship’s next chapter will be a fitting tribute. In a world where climate change and environmental degradation pose increasing threats to our oceans, transforming a historic vessel into a marine sanctuary feels like a fitting end to the SS United States’ long and storied journey.The post From ocean icon to world’s largest artificial reef: the final voyage of the SS United States first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.