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'
Jill Biden Announces Retirement, Makes Comments About Joe and Kamala That Are Something Else
I would agree the Democrats choose leaders who have integrity like Joe and Kamala — which is to say they choose leaders who have no integrity.
“They spread an untold amount of falsehoods about my friends, colleagues, and bosses and forced many good people to defend themselves in ways they should’ve never had to,” he said.
At one point, Kennedy cornered Baker and got him to bend the knee on a key point by having him concede that men who compete against women in sports have an advantage "every time" after Baker initially (and laughably) claimed the point was "debatable."
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Today on Capitol Hill...
It's the last day for meetings and hearings before the Christmas/holiday break for Congress. Today's hearings include:
- House Committee on Administration — "American Confidence in Elections: Prohibiting Foreign Interference"
- House Judiciary, Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Subcommittee — “IP and Strategic Competition with China: Part IV – Patents, Standards, and Lawfare”
- House Homeland Security, Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee —Examining the Polar Security Cutter: An Update on Coast Guard Acquisitions
- Senate Budget — Hearings to examine the climate-driven insurance crisis
- House Veterans' Affairs — Restoring Congressional Power over VA After Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo
- House Judiciary, Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee — “Revisiting the Implications of the FACE Act: Part II”
- Joint Economic — Hearings to examine trade wars and tariffs
The next time I lay out a list like the above, it will be for the 119th Congress, with the GOP in the majority in both the Senate and the House (albeit by a slim margin). Will there be an appreciable difference in the way the hearings are titled? I can't wait to find out. (It's the little things.)
In the meantime, pretty much everyone is disgruntled over the Continuing Resolution, released last night, with the vote scheduled for Friday. I suspect Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is going to have a heckuva Festivus Report this year.
White House What's Up
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill are in Wilmington, Delaware, Wednesday, where they will be attending a memorial service commemorating the 52nd anniversary of the death of his first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden, and daughter, Naomi Christine Biden, in a car accident.
Full Court Press...
It may seem a bit provincial, but here in the St. Louis area, there's a tussle going on over who gets to appoint the next St. Louis County prosecutor, a position being left vacant as Wesley Bell (D) gears up to replace Cori Bush (D) (won't you miss her?!) in Congress. It's a battle royale between Governor Mike Parson (R) and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page (D).
President-elect Donald Trump is suing Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register under Iowa's Consumer Fraud Act for that whackadoo poll released right before the election. Additionally, Trump, on Tuesday, asked the court (Southern District of New York) to proceed with his case against Bob Woodward and Simon & Schuster over the sale of audio recordings Woodward made while conducting interviews for his book "Rage." Judge Paul Gardephe swiftly responded with a handwritten order: "The court is at work on the outstanding motion. To the extent Plaintiff seeks to embark on discovery before the motion to dismiss is resolved, that application is denied." (In fairness to Trump, the motion has been on file for over a year — but it's always a bit touchy when one attempts to nudge a judge to get on with his or her decisions.)
MORNING MUSING
I haven't yet joined the legions of folks making good use of ChatGPT or Grok — although I see the merits of them. For instance, asking the AI assistants to digest the monster CR the House just released. That seems rather handy, though I'm still in the skeptical camp. (Google's Gemini, yesterday, told me sunset in June in St. Louis would be at about 4:40 p.m. under permanent Standard Time — no joke.) However, I have been having some fun with Grok on X — asking it to draw me as certain characters, etc. But when I asked it what movie character I'm like, the answer it gave me had me in tears (of laughter).
I legit snort-laughed and have tears running down my face. https://t.co/QSPbAkuRH6
— Susie Moore ⚾️🌻🐶 (@SmoosieQ) December 17, 2024
Q: What movie character am I like?
A: Given the playful, supportive, and engaging nature of your recent posts, you seem to embody the spirit of Dory from Finding Nemo. Dory is known for her positive attitude, her ability to connect with others despite her challenges, and her memorable catchphrase, "Just keep swimming!" which reflects perseverance through adversity with a smile, much like your interactions on X.
Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...
LIGHTER FARE
Well, someone isn't feelin' the love...
A perfect photo bomb exists 😍 pic.twitter.com/sfCibvt9nu
— Why you should have a cat (@ShouldHaveCat) December 17, 2024
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