Wednesday, September 23, 2026
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
Wild Bodycam: WNBA Stars in Peak Entitlement Mode Block Teammate’s Arrest, Then the Taser Comes Out
The video will no doubt be sold in the media as shocking police conduct that could have threatened the safety of Bueckers and others around her. What it actually shows is what should have been a simple arrest that turned chaotic after the athletes decided they were entitled to handle it themselves.
FCC Rolls Out New Tools to Help Americans Block Robocalls and Scam Texts
For once, Washington actually did something useful. Take the win.
Walz Hangs Head in Shame, Admitting He Let Minnesota Get Looted — Compares It to Trump's Ballroom
This is the record Walz now wants voters to treat as a footnote — hundreds of millions already proven stolen, billions more still being counted, but aw shucks, he did his best. Good riddance.
Trending Across Townhall Media
Bearing Arms — Ninth Circuit Reverses Course, Upholds Hawaii's Bizarre Gun Purchasing Restrictions
Yukutake will definitely be appealed to the Supreme Court, and while the odds of the Court granting cert to any given case are pretty low, the refusal of the Ninth Circuit to follow the justices' guidance and the blatant hostility that Hawaii still extends to our right to keep and bear arms may help persuade a majority of the Court to issue the "courtslap" that VanDyke has called for in the past.
HotAir — Kamala Harris Out Reminding People Why She Lost
If the polls and Harris' reception on the campaign trail are any indication, Harris will not be the candidate. Donors don't want her. Democrats who will be on the ballot in 2028 don't want her. And I suspect that once they are reminded that the candidate of "Joy" can barely string together a coherent sentence, primary voters won't want her either.
PJ Media — Karoline Leavitt Outs the White House Press Corps
Appearing on Sean Hannity's podcast, Leavitt pulled back the curtain on the briefing room and revealed how much of what happens during White House daily press briefings is just for show. According to Leavitt, reporters who hit her with loaded questions on camera would later come to her privately and apologize once the cameras stopped rolling.
Townhall — Karoline Leavitt Reveals What Some Reporters Have Told Her in Private
Well, not shocking, but it does seem to justify keeping some of these networks off campus, right? Then again, I also get that Trump is truly at his best when the people he hates most battle him in the Oval. For now, I’m okay with letting CNN, Politico, and MSNBC do their little bits from across the street.
Sharp-eyed commenters say even the food on the students’ plates wasn’t diverse enough.
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
Though the House is out, the Senate is in, and they have several meetings/hearings set for Wednesday, including:
- Senate Armed Services — To receive a closed briefing on an update on the United States Central Command area of operations.
- Senate Environment and Public Works — Hearings to examine updating America's nuclear waste management policy.
- Senate Foreign Relations — Closed hearings to examine combating and deterring wrongful detentions, focusing on an update on U.S. efforts.
- Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs — Business meeting to consider the request to direct Senate Legal Counsel to file an application seeking immunity.
- Senate Judiciary — Hearings to examine standing up for women in sports, focusing on ensuring opportunity, fairness and safety for female athletes.
- Senate Armed Services, Cybersecurity Subcommittee — To receive a closed briefing on cyber operations and readiness for the second and third quarters of Fiscal Year 2026 as well as an update on election security.
- Senate Judiciary, Crime and Counterterrorism Subcommittee — Hearings to examine flock's nationwide AI surveillance network.
- Senate Intelligence (Select) — To receive a closed briefing on certain intelligence matters
- Senate Aging (Special) — Hearings to examine leveling the playing field, focusing on restoring America's edge in generic drug manufacturing.
White House What's Up
President Trump’s Wednesday schedule includes:
- 8:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT participates in Executive Time — The White House
- 11:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting — The White House
- 12:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting — The White House
- 2:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting — The White House
- 3:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting — The White House
- 6:00 PM — THE PRESIDENT departs the White House en route to Joint Base Andrews — The White House
- — THE PRESIDENT arrives at Joint Base Andrews — Joint Base Andrews
- — THE PRESIDENT participates in an Arrival Ceremony with the President of the People's Republic of China — Joint Base Andrews
- — THE PRESIDENT departs Joint Base Andrews en route to the White House — Joint Base Andrews
- — THE PRESIDENT arrives at the White House — The White House
Keeping Up With the Cabinet
Sec. Interior - Doug Burgum — It's Fat Bear Week, y'all! (Think I like this one better than Shark Week...)
It’s Fat Bear Week! @Interior manages over 500 million acres of public lands, including the pristine wilderness of Katmai National Park. After months of feasting on salmon in the Brooks River, Katmai’s brown bears are now at their largest size.
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) September 22, 2026
Vote for your favorite:…
Full Court Press...
We had some interesting developments in the courts on Tuesday. (These aren't all decisions, so the normal indicator icons won't necessarily translate.
- ✅ In Onder v. Von Glahn (MO redistricting), 8th Circuit Court of Appeals DENIES appellants' motion to recall mandate and for stay.
- 👀 [Filed under "Who Needs Retirement?!"] In J.G.G. v. Trump (TdA/AEA deportations), DC Circuit panel for oral argument (slated for 9/25) swaps 82-year-old Bush 41 appointee for 91-year-old Bush 41 appointee (to join 85-year-old Carter appointee, alongside relative spring-chicken 53-year-old Trump I appointee).
Also, in the MO redistricting case, the referendum proponents have now filed their application for stay with the Supreme Court, and Justice Kavanaugh has requested that the other parties file their responses to the application by 2:00 PM on Wednesday.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
While President Trump is greeting Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews this evening, their formal meetings are set for Thursday.
One way or another, the Supreme Court will weigh in one more time on the MO redistricting battle, presumably by no later than end of the day on Monday.
MORNING MUSING
I carried out my least favorite tradition yesterday: It being the autumnal equinox, I swapped out the summery wreath on my front door for the fall one. This does not make me happy. There are things I do like about fall, but I'm a summer girl. Give me the sunshine. Give me the pool. I will take the heat — even though it was 90+ degrees and we were melting last week, this 60 degrees and overcast BS has me glummer than glum.
I'll never be happy about saying goodbye to summer. 😢
LIGHTER FARE
Feel like "friends" is doing a lot of work here...
Making friends with a baby goat..🐈🐾🐐😍 pic.twitter.com/9XRRy2Gzwg
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) September 23, 2026
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