Jussie Smollett, the now-disgraced actor from “Empire,” has turned himself in. Chicago police say he fabricated a hate crime against himself in order to get attention because he was dissatisfied with his salary. In this episode, we recount what happened, the media’s careless response, and what Smollett’s actions mean for the real victims of hate crimes. Plus: Daniel sits down with Nick Adams, author of “Class Dismissed,” who argues that college isn’t for everyone—and that that’s OK.

We also cover the following stories:

Sixteen states have announced they’re filing a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration. The Heritage Foundation’s John Malcolm, an expert in legal affairs, joins us to discuss what will likely happen as the case winds through the courts. Plus: A CBS reporter says the media is biased.

We also cover these stories:
• The Trump administration is reportedly launching a global effort to legalize homosexual conduct in countries where it’s criminalized.
• Justice Clarence Thomas suggested Tuesday that a pivotal media case, The New York Times vs. Sullivan, might need to be revisited,
• Martina Navratilova, a lesbian tennis star, is speaking out against allowing transgender athletes to compete in sports.

On today’s podcast, we’re featuring an exclusive interview with Mark Morgan, former chief of the U.S. Border Patrol under President Barack Obama. Now he’s speaking out in favor of President Donald Trump’s border wall. Find out why on today’s show.

Also on today’s show:

It’s been a year since the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that took the lives of 17 people. Today, we spoke with Kenneth Preston, a student journalist from Broward County who helped shine light on the corruption in that school district after the shooting. We ask him about what’s changed, and what hasn’t, since that fateful day. Listen below or read the transcript a little bit further down.

We also cover these stories:

Social justice — you’ve probably heard the term. It’s a buzzword, but it’s also an ideology. When you peel back the layers, it becomes quite clear that this new social justice ideology stands directly against America’s founding principles — things like blind justice and equality before the law. Noah Rothman writes about all this in his new book “Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America.” He joins us to discuss.

We also cover these stories:
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, pulls National Guard troops from the border.
• Freshman Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar of Michigan, after getting serious flack from both parties after tweeting what many consider to be anti-Semitic messages, apologizes.
• The National Down Syndrome Society releases a new video celebrating the accomplishments of men and women with down syndrome.

Are young Americans open to the pro-life message? Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life, joins us to discuss the work her organization does, and how they help pro-life students reach students with different views. Plus: Justin Bieber tells Vogue magazine he decided, after he and his now wife started dating again, to wait until marriage to have sex.

We also cover these stories:
• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D.N.Y., and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., introduce the Green New Deal.
• Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, is calling for a look into Vanessa Tyson’s accusation that Democratic Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of Virginia sexually assaulted her in 2004.
• A new Rasmussen poll finds that 44 percent of pro-choicers would oppose a law like New York’s third-term abortion law.

In today’s special edition of the podcast, The Daily Signal’s Kelsey Harkness sits down with a number of Heritage Foundation scholars to get their take on the policy proposals in President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.

We also cover these stories:
• Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., asked Neomi Rao, a judicial nominee, whether she thought gay marriage was “sinful”.
• A woman accusing Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault, which he denies, is now working with the same law firm that helped Christine Blasey Ford.
• Ivanka Trump reacts to a new art exhibit in Washington, D.C. that features a model resembling her vacuuming crumbs visitors throw.

Hawk Newsome says he often makes it a point to meet people where he grew up. So on a cold day not long ago, I made my way to Papa Juan’s Cigar Room in the South Bronx to see the man who led Black Lives Matter of Greater New York.

“I appreciate you having the courage to come to the South Bronx,” he tells me as we sit down to chat. “I make it a point to bring people to the Bronx. So, they could one, see the folks that I’m a part of, see what we represent. Two, just to see how scared they get.”

Well, if you’re against murdering infants, you might have been left reeling by recent statements made by Virginia Democrats in connection with a proposed extreme abortion bill. The Heritage Foundation’s Melanie Israel, an expert in pro-life matters, joins us to discuss the new radical abortion policies we’re seeing in New York and Virginia. Plus: We talk about more proof that LGBT activists aren’t tolerant.

We also cover these stories:
• A bipartisan group of lawmakers is working to reach agreement on government funding, which is set to expire in 2 weeks. But the president sent a clear message to the committee on Wednesday that he wouldn’t sign a bill without border security.
• President Trump congratulated the Venezuelan opposition leader Wednesday and vowed to maintain “regular communication” during what he called Venezuela’s fight to regain its democracy.
• Jussie Smollett, the actor who stars in the Fox drama series “Empire,” is alleging a hate crime against him that involved assailants shouting “MAGA”.

Around 2 p.m. every day, some men will use their corporate computers to make an appointment to have sex with a minor–and many of those appointments will occur on corporate property. Businesses, says Geoff Rogers, CEO and co-founder of U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking, are among the organizations that may seem to have no connection to sex trafficking–but can play a role in ending it in the United States, where thousands of children, many originally in the foster care system, are now victims of sex trafficking. Plus: We discuss President Trump’s push for Bible literacy classes in public schools.

We also cover these stories:
• The Congressional Budget Office reports the shutdown cost a total of $3 billion in foregone economic activity that won’t be recovered.
• Sens. Chuck Grassley, R- Iowa, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced a bill would require Congress and the public receive a report when a special counsel investigation is over or if the special counsel is fired or resigns.
• The Midwest is about to be hit with a record-breaking cold snap.