Upstream Ideas

Can elevating stories of real people and real families affected by illegal immigrant crime change people’s hearts and minds about the wall? Right now the conversation is about the wall, but what about the detrimental effects of sanctuary city policies? Founder of Advocates for victims of illegal alien crime, Brian McCann joins Dan and Amy to share the tragic story of his brother’s murder by an illegal immigrant and how he got away with it.

Is school choice the pathway to opportunity for those in underprivileged communities? Is the educational establishment the worst enemy of black people? Is there plenty of money out there but in the wrong hands as Mayor De Blasio claims? Professor of economics at George Mason University, Walter Williams joins Dan and Amy to discuss.

Will Dorothy Brown make it on the ballot despite Preckwinkle’s challenge? How is Brown going to transform the education system? How is the city going to get the revenue for the $40 billion worth of unfunded pension liabilities? Is she still the target of any federal investigations? Cook County Circuit Court Clerk and mayoral candidate, Dorothy Brown joins Dan and Amy to discuss.

Who has more “human pain” according to Trump? Does Trump have the right to declare a national emergency as he says he does? Why aren’t Democrats seizing on the opportunity to get what they want out of an immigration reform bill? Are there more indictments to come or the full Mueller report in the near future? Anchor of Special Report, Bret Baier joins Dan to discuss.

If CNN's Jim Acosta doesn't see migrants trying to get into the country, do they really exist? Is the wall an integral aspect of the multi layered approach for border security? How many Americans have to die at the hands of illegal immigrants for Democrats to call it a crisis? Obama's Customs and Border Patrol Chief, Mark Morgan joins Dan to discuss.

Is government the biggest threat on the internet? Is the hysteria over social media giants overblown? Is it more important to be morally right than technically correct? Is there anyone who reaches the degree of purity to host the Oscars? Dickinson College professor, Crispin Sartwell joins Dan to discuss.

Has trust been completely eroded in academia? Is there a dominant moral orthodoxy on campus that encourages no dissent? Portland State University professor, Peter Boghossian joins Dan to discuss his run in with defying the academic class.

Should candidates like Mendoza and Preckwinkle have some self respect and get out of the mayor's race? How do we get to a better, less segregated city? What should we do about the taxes running people out of the city? Should each department be audited every few months to keep people honest? Willie Wilson, the only successful entrepreneur in the race, joins Dan and Amy to discuss his 2019 mayoral candidacy.

Do Mayor DeBlasio and New Yorkers understand “free healthcare” translates to taxpayer funded? Will Trump play his final card and declare a national emergency to get his border wall funding? Is anyone buying the Democrats' concern about fiscal responsibility? Mike Gallagher joins Dan and Amy to discuss.

Should Trump be swayed by the Democrats asking to open the government and then continue negotiations? How can Trump and Republicans best make the compassionate, humane argument for the wall against the Democrats and hysterics from mainstream media? Congressman Sean Duffy from Wisconsin joins Dan and Amy to discuss.

If there’s no military solution in Syria, then what are American troops doing there? Is it time for America to be more on the offense against islamofascism? Why are the new icons of the women’s movement being represented by grotesquely anti-semitic Democratic congresswomen? President of American Islamic Forum for Democracy, Dr. Zuhdi Jasser joins Dan and Amy to discuss.

Would Chicago still be a Trump free zone under a potential Mayor Chico? Does he think his friend, Ed Burke, should step down? Is bad behavior of alderman enabled by the way the City Council is set up? What does Chico want to do to raise revenue but lower property taxes? How does he intend on rooting out the systemic abuse at CPS? Mayoral candidate, Gery Chico joins Dan and Amy to discuss.

Can Ocasio-Cortez fool all Americans with a tax hike despite claiming she only wants higher taxes on those “at the tippy top?” How do America’s tax rates compare to European models that liberals cling to? Is the trade war with China irreparably harming manufacturing and need to come to an end? Is Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, “down with AOC?” Norquist joins Dan and Amy to discuss.

Is there anything any candidates in Chicago have to offer besides gambling, drugs, and big government? How does Paul Vallas plan on capping property taxes? Should everyone associated with Burke step out of the Mayor’s race? Would Vallas rather expose the entire crony closed network or send another Chicago politician off to jail? Mayoral candidate, Paul Vallas joins Dan and Amy to discuss.

Is Ocasio-Cortez and her plan to tax the “rich” at almost 70% make her sound more like an activist than a serious policymaker? Is there any research on how high tax rates affect how people choose their careers? Do “Democratic-Socialists look at people as just revenue agents for the state? Will 2019 be a year of slower growth? CNBC contributor and columnist at AEI, Jim Pethokoukis joins Dan and Amy to discuss.

Was Alderman Burke extorting business owners just for his love of the city? Should Burke and Munoz who is accused of domestic violence by his wife be bounced from City Council? How many more businesses and jobs would there be if it wasn’t for the corrupt culture in Chicago? Who is being shut out of the government in Chicago? Mayoral candidate and state representative, LaShawn Ford joins Dan and Amy to discuss.

Why not just reopen the fraction of the government currently furloughed and continue negotiating on border security funding? Does either side have an incentive to give in? New Democrat congresswoman like Ocasio-Cortez and Talib generate headlines but are they representative of the party at large? Does the longer the shutdown go on the more leverage Trump gains? Is anyone going to challenge the president in a 2020 primary? Editor of Washington Free Beacon, Matthew Continetti joins Dan and Amy to discuss.

Is being the “world’s police” always at the U.S.’ benefit? What have we achieved since 9/11? Is Trump giving Mueller reasons to continue to pursue the Russian collusion probe? Will Mueller be seen as a collaborator with the radical left if they use his report as a basis for impeachment? Former prosecutor and contributing editor at National Review, Andy McCarthy joins Dan and Amy to discuss.

Is Trey Gowdy right in his assessment that he’s more troubled about what Comey never knew rather than what he can no longer recall? If the Special Counsel was as focused on the other side as they're focused on Trump, would there be more action? Is Trump’s principled realism foreign policy approach at odds with Congress? Will Christie become chief of staff even though he put Jared Kushner’s father in jail? Anchor of Special Report on Fox News, Bret Baier joins Dan and Amy to discuss.

Will House GOP members stand behind Trump's border wall funding or bust position? Will Senate Democrats play ball? Is Nancy Pelosi unable to cut a deal with Trump because she’ll otherwise lose her race for Speaker? What’s the big deal with a government shutdown anyway? Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy joins Dan and Kristen McQueary to discuss.