America Shines with Aubrey Shines 10-18-26

Host Aubrey Shines welcomes Heritage Foundation border security expert Simon Hankinson for two focused blocks. The first examines Vice President JD Vance's recent October 8 actions against H-1B and J-1 visa fraud, including suspension of the PERM program for Microsoft and major IT outsourcing firms, DOL findings of roughly $20 billion in fraud with over 200 convictions, and investigations into nine universities. Hankinson draws on his experience as a former Foreign Service visa officer to explain how the program has drifted from attracting specialty talent toward undercutting American wages and jobs. In the second block, Hankinson addresses why secure borders remain essential to limiting the kinds of fraud and abuse that have long plagued temporary worker programs. Recent DHS data show fiscal year 2026 recorded the lowest southwest border apprehensions in American history—a 95 percent drop versus the prior administration—with zero Border Patrol releases for the full year. Economist E.J. Antoni then joins for two segments on the national debt, which stands near $40.3 trillion as of mid-October 2026 after crossing $40 trillion in August. He challenges mainstream doom-and-gloom framing by examining actual drivers such as sustained entitlement spending and interest costs now exceeding $1 trillion annually, while outlining concrete steps—including spending restraint and using tools already identified by efficiency efforts—to place the trajectory on a more sustainable path without panic narratives. Aubrey closes with a brief debrief, summarizing the key takeaways on protecting American workers and fiscal reality before sending viewers forward. Do you believe the H-1B crackdown and border security gains will meaningfully protect American jobs, or is the bigger long-term threat the national debt trajectory?