Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Good morning, and welcome to RedState's "Morning Minute" — a brief glimpse at which stories are trending at the moment and a look ahead at what the day may bring. Consider this your one-stop shop for news to kickstart your day.
TOP O' THE MORNIN'
Red-Hot at RedState
DOJ Steps in After Boys Get Punished for Telling the Truth
Maybe one day we’ll get back to a country where up is up, boys are boys, and locker rooms don’t require legal teams. Until then, thank God someone’s willing to fight.
Master Messenger: Trump Goes Full MAGA at Pennsylvania Rally, Hands GOP the 2026 Talking Points
For the GOP in 2026, the message from President Trump in Pennsylvania is crystal clear: "After just 10 months, our border is secure, our spirit is restored, inflation is stopped, wages are up, prices are down...and America is back!"
Follow his lead.
JD Vance Humorously Nukes Report About Fight With Wife
The Democrats still have three more years before 2028, and they're already imploding over Vance. They're in for a long haul.
Trending Across Townhall Media
John Lott Fires Back at Critics of DOJ's Civil Rights Division Defending 2A
So yeah, gun rights are civil rights, and they're civil rights that are often being denied to black and Hispanic Americans because they're not wealthy enough to jump through the hoops.
Rights aren't for the rich. They're for every American.
The Somali Grift Isn't Just for Minnesota Anymore
You know the Mafia is sick to their collective stomach, wondering how they never got away with this level of fraud and why any of them ever went to jail.
These Christmas attacks are nothing less than a scheme to end Western culture.
An Audience Member Caused Trump to Chuckle at His Poconos Rally. Here's What Happened
The 2024 version of the president will be out in full force as we enter the 2026 midterm season.
Find an American to do the job. If there isn't one who can do it, train them to do it.
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
Wednesday will be a busy day on the Hill, with multiple meetings and hearings set, including:
- Senate Foreign Relations — Hearings to examine arms race
- House Science, Space, and Technology — The Genesis Mission: Prioritizing American Science and Technology Leadership
- House Oversight and Government Reform, Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee — “Lowering the Cost of Healthcare: Technology’s Role in Driving Affordability”
- House Foreign Affairs, Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee — Understanding Judea and Samaria: Historical, Strategic, and Political Dynamics in U.S.–Israel Relations
- House Natural Resources, Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee — Oversight Hearing on "Abuse of the Equal Access to Justice Act by Environmental NGOs"
- House Judiciary, Oversight Subcommittee —
- “Fighting Obamacare Subsidy Fraud: Is the Administrative Procedure Act Working as Intended?”
- Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship — Hearings to examine running government like a small business, focusing on waste and fraud
Tuesday was a busy day as well, with the Senate voting to confirm Robert P. Chamberlin to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Mississippi, William J. Crain to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and James D. Maxwell II to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Mississippi.
The House held multiple votes on Tuesday as well, including passing (by voice vote):
- H.R. 2302 — Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Land Transfer Act of 2025, as amended
- H.R. 1276 — To remove restrictions from a parcel of land in Paducah, Kentucky, as amended
- H.R. 4285 — STARS Act, as amended
- H.R. 655 — Dalles Watershed Development Act, as amended
- H.R. 2293 – Cormorant Relief Act of 2025, as amended
- H.R. 2388 – Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Project Lands Restoration Act
- H.R. 2389 – Quinault Indian Nation Land Transfer Act
- H.R. 2290 – World War II Women’s Memorial Location Act, as amended
- H.R. 2306 – Adams Memorial-Great American Heroes Act, as amended
- H.R. 2916 – To authorize, ratify, and confirm the Agreement of Settlement and Compromise to Resolve the Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim in the State of New York, and for other purposes
- H.R. 573 – Studying NEPA’s Impact on Projects Act, as amended
- H.R. 4503 – ePermit Act, as amended
- H.R. 5131 – Public Lands Military Readiness Act of 2025, as amended
- H.R. 323 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 80 Prospect Street in Avon, New York, as the "Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz Memorial Post Office Building"
- H.R. 1008 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 298 Route 292 in Holmes, New York, as the "Sheriff Adrian 'Butch' Anderson Post Office Building"
- H.R. 1009 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 86 Main Street in Haverstraw, New York, as the "Paul Piperato Post Office Building"
- H.R. 1830 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 840 Front Street in Casselton, North Dakota, as the "Commander Delbert Austin Olson Post Office"
- S. 2283 – A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 West Oklahoma Avenue in Guthrie, Oklahoma, as the "Oscar J. Upham Post Office"
- H.R. 2466 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5225 Harrison Avenue in Rockford, Illinois, as the "Jay P. Larson Post Office Building"
- H.R. 1461 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 521 Thorn Street in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, as the "Mary Elizabeth 'Bettie' Cole Post Office Building"
- H.R. 2175 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 130 South Patterson Avenue in Santa Barbara, California, as the "Brigadier General Frederick R. Lopez Post Office Building"
- H.R. 1372 – To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 300 Macedonia Lane in Knoxville, Tennessee, as the "Reverend Harold Middlebrook Post Office Building"
Additionally, they passed S. 356 (Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025) by a vote of 399 to 5, and H.R. 1676 (Make SWAPs Efficient Act of 2025, as amended) by a vote of 400 – 0.
White House What's Up
President Trump had a busy Tuesday afternoon/evening, first stopping by the Vice President's Christmas reception, before heading to Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, to deliver a speech on the economy.
President @realDonaldTrump makes an appearance at the Vice President’s Christmas reception! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/x7lYpTXLbV
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) December 9, 2025
READ MORE: Trump Touts the Economy and Tackles 'Affordability' in Pennsylvania
On Wednesday, President Trump will participate in a round table in the Roosevelt Room in the afternoon. At 5:00 PM Eastern, he'll greet pastors in the Oval Office.
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Dir. Central Intelligence Agency - John Ratcliffe — Ratcliffe joined Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine on the Hill Tuesday to brief Senate leaders regarding military strikes on drug boats in the Caribbean.
Full Court Press...
We had a handful of rulings of note on Tuesday:
- ❌ CASA v. Noem (termination of TPS status for Afghanistan, Cameroon) — Judge Theodore Chuang (Maryland) DENIES admin's motion to dismiss counts 5 & 8; GRANTS, in part, plaintiff's motion to complete administrative record and for extra-record discovery.
- ✅ U.S. v. Maxwell (sex trafficking) — Judge Paul Engelmayer (Southern District of New York) GRANTS DOJ's motion to unseal grand jury material.
- ✅ Talbott v. Trump (transgender individuals serving in the military) — D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals dissolves prior administrative stay, and GRANTS stay pending appeal.
READ MORE: Trump Scores Another Legal Hit As DC Appeals Court Upholds Transgender Service Limits
Two more cases are being argued at the Supreme Court on Wednesday:
- Hamm v. Smith —
- Whether, under a proper application of Atkins, a State can require a claimant to prove an IQ of 70 or less by a preponderance of the evidence.
- Whether courts evaluating multiple IQ scores must find that every valid score of" about" 75 or less supports an Atkins claim.
- FS Credit Corp. v. Saba Capital Master Fund — whether Section 47(b) of the Investment Company Act, 15 U.S.C. § 80a-46(b), creates an implied private right of action.
MORNING MUSING
It's been three months (to the day) since Charlie Kirk was assassinated. As tragic and devastating as that day was, I don't think it was possible at that moment to even begin to comprehend the shockwaves that would emanate from that heinous, horrific act. Like many, I've watched Charlie's widow, Erika Kirk — whom I knew very little about before he was killed — hold her head up and do her best to graciously navigate her intense personal grief while being under the microscope.
Charlie's death was a clarifying moment in many ways. Unfortunately, the clarity it brought reflects extraordinarily poorly on many. But there are millions who were moved to lean harder into their faith — maybe even to begin exploring it, where before, they'd shied away from it.
Erika was on The Five on Tuesday afternoon, and I was struck by the exchange she had with Jessica Tarlov in the video below. As many differences as I have with Tarlov, I appreciate that she asked this question and that she listened to what Erika had to say. And I was extraordinarily moved by what Erika said toward the end — reminding us that "Faith is just a muscle — the more you use it, the stronger it gets." And, more importantly, she prayed for people to understand that, "Your life might be the only Bible someone reads."
What an awesome responsibility to contemplate — what a critical perspective to hold.
WOW: Jessica Tarlov asks Erika Kirk HOW she forgave her husbands assassin.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) December 9, 2025
"Hate is...all consuming. It will deteriorate & tear you apart...It’s like drinking a poison. It impacts you more than the other person...[Forgiveness] is NOT a weakness. It’s a form of a strength." 🙏 pic.twitter.com/IxtDiZIUGF
LIGHTER FARE
Well...that's one way to deal with it! 😂
The age old problem has finally been solved.. Christmas tree for cats..🐈🐾🎄🌲😍
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) December 9, 2025
📹abramengIe pic.twitter.com/r148y2V50b
Enjoying the "Morning Minute"? You can ensure you receive it in your Inbox every weekday by signing up for our newsletter here.