Welcome to the RedState Weekly Briefing — where we take a quick look at the week’s most viewed stories in case you missed any of them. What do you suppose caught people's attention in this latest whirlwind week? Grab a cup of coffee (or something stronger if you're so inclined), and sit down with this 21st Century Weekend Edition of your favorite (online) publication.
#1 - Unbelievable: Antony Blinken Gives Biden Credit for Gaza Deal, and It Gets Worse From There — by Bonchie
Comparing the terrible ceasefire Blinken and Biden brokered to this one is so disingenuous. That ceasefire was never viable because it left hostages in the hands of Hamas, and it provided no path to disarm and fully defeat the terrorist group, instead demanding Israel essentially surrender. It was the typical warmed-over slop we've come to expect from the Obama/Biden axis of foreign policy expertise.
At no point did the Biden administration apply any pressure on the Arab nations to turn against Hamas and end the war. More importantly, they never applied pressure on Iran, which was fueling the conflict in Gaza and propping up Hezbollah in the north as a threat. In short, the entire region was on fire, and it was handed over to Trump in far worse condition than Biden and company found it.
#2 - 'He Looked Like a Deer in the Headlights': Trump Lowers the Boom As US Defeats China-Backed UN Tax Scheme — by streiff
My colleague Ward Clark covered the preliminaries to the battle royal in Marco Rubio: The US Is a 'Hard NO' on Risky UN Carbon Tax Scheme – RedState.
This is more than a grift, so UN bureaucrats can afford hookers and blow and limousine rides. This was a direct attack on world commerce by the Chinese government.
The idea was that the IMO would impose a 10% tax on all shipping entering port that does not meet the metrics of the "Net Zero Framework." Those tariffs would be passed along to consumers through higher prices. The catch is that the only country capable of making the NZF-required modifications is China.
#3 - CNN Makes Rare Move After Despicable Christiane Amanpour Remark About Freed Hostages Prompts Backlash — by Sister Toldjah
If you're not a person who hates Israel and who has routinely shown sympathy for their terrorist enemies, Monday was a good day, with the surviving hostages being released as a result of the historic peace deal between Israel and Hamas, brokered by President Trump and members of his administration.
But Monday was not a good day for CNN's longtime chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour, a British-Iranian "journalist" whose name has become synonymous with Israel- and America-bashing.
As RedState reported earlier, Amanpour was one of the sour-faced media figures who, while talking about the hostages being released, seemed to fret about Hamas supposedly losing their "leverage" in the deal. What was inarguably worse, however, was her claim that the hostages were "probably being treated better than the average Gazan, because they are the pawns and the chips that Hamas had."
#4 - JD Vance's Brutal Takedown of Elizabeth Warren After She Implies Involvement in Peace Deal — by Nick Arama
However, as our sister site Twitchy reported, Vice President JD Vance just leveled her effort to glom onto the deal by referencing her 1/1024 claim to native American heritage.
The president told me he did this on Indigenous Peoples Day in honor of you. https://t.co/KsTPzHQ2yz
— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 13, 2025"The president told me he did this on. Indigenous Peoples Day in honor of you," Vance jokingly replied
That's quite the mic drop, and people on X loved it. If Vance becomes the 48th president, he's certainly going to keep things lively.
#5 - Game on: New Poll on All Three VA Statewide Races Confirms Democrats' Worst Fears Amid Jay Jones Scandal — by Sister Toldjah
As both Earle-Sears and Miyares have noted, these races have gone from being about the issues to also being about character and who is best suited from a moral standpoint to hold these positions, to represent the people of the commonwealth.
Though strong arguments could be made before the news of the Jones texts broke on how Virginia Democrats were unfit for statewide office, how they've responded in the aftermath has just put a finer point on it.
Jay Jones not only thinks he's above the law (read more on that here), but he also thinks it's okay to fantasize about killing your political opponents and their children, and (allegedly) about cops dying. Abigail Spanberger not only refuses to distance herself from Jones, but she can't even be bothered to show any emotion or respond to questions about how she would feel if her own children became victims as a result of the harmful policies she supports, like boys in girls' locker rooms.
If you enjoy the Weekly Briefing, be sure to check out "RedState Radio," our weekly podcast. It features a rundown of our top stories of the week, along with chats with a couple of our contributors about what they've been covering. This week, we're joined by Bob Hoge and Sister Toldjah. If you like RedState, we think you'll like this added feature. Liking, subscribing, and following are much appreciated.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
Help us continue to report the truth about the Schumer Shutdown. Use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your VIP membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member