Morning Minute: How Signally Is Your Virtue?

Friday, October 2, 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 

Supreme Court Poised to Hear 'Most Important Case' of Trump Presidency, MAGA World Is on Edge

The Supreme Court is taking up a major immigration case that could determine whether the Trump administration can continue holding large numbers of illegal aliens without bond hearings while their deportation cases move through the courts.

Two Louisiana Brothers Raised Money for Gaza, Then the Wrong Donor Came Calling

Donors were told they were feeding people. The money went to Hamas. And the people collecting it went to considerable lengths to make sure nobody could tell the difference.

Memo Reveals Xavier Becerra's HHS Autopenned Sponsor Applications of Unaccompanied Minors

This continued exposure of what Becerra did to vulnerable children, and Becerra's refusal to talk about his own record and the things that matter to Californians, should be an instant disqualifier. Instead, Becerra is arrogantly assuming he will fail up to the governor's chair, and Californians will do nothing to stop him.

Trending Across Townhall Media

Bearing Arms — Florida School District Rethinking Guns in Cars After Principal's Arrest

When it was just the regular folks who have children who attend the schools there, it was different. They weren't approved and vetted enough, but now it's a principal, and everything is totally different.

HotAir — Canada's Ministers Living in a Dreamworld

It's sad. I love the idea of Canada. Our polite little brother whom we tease, but would fiercely protect from others. That is, for now, gone as a possibility. 

PJ Media — What If Trump Dropped the Sharia Law Bomb

Proposing a national Sharia Law ban would make the Dems go absolutely bonkers. (Even more so.) And if they take the bait and tie their brand to the defense of Sharia Law, the Democrats will be ice skating uphill.

Townhall — The Shocking Part About the NYTimes Piece on the Cornell Gang Rape Story

One thing is for sure. The media has often failed miserably in reporting on such complex topics. Be skeptical. 

Twitchy — Absolutely Freaking NOT! Zohran Mamdani Describes His Grand Vision for Socialist Utopia to Theo Von

The "No Kings" protests against Trump from socialists/communists like Mamdani who want the government to control every aspect of your life have been nothing but more massive hypocrisy and projection. 

WHAT'S ON TAP?

Today on Capitol Hill...

Alright — all the critters have officially left the building now for their campaign recess ahead of the midterms next month. The focus now will largely be on those tight congressional races — and the occasional current critter hijinks. 

Reasons to Vote in 2026, Part I: Illegal Immigration

Is the Big Blue Wave Inevitable? This Poll Says Hold Your Horses

White House What's Up

President Trump’s on the move Friday. His schedule includes:

• 8:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT participates in Executive Time — The White House
• 11:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT receives his Intelligence Briefing — Oval Office
• 12:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting — Oval Office
• 6:00 PM CDT — THE PRESIDENT departs the White House en route to Mobile, Alabama — The White House
• — THE PRESIDENT arrives in Mobile, Alabama — The White House
• — THE PRESIDENT delivers Remarks — The Mitchell Center
• — THE PRESIDENT departs Mobile, Alabama en route to the White House — Mobile, Alabama
• — THE PRESIDENT arrives at the White House — The White House

President Trump’s Saturday schedule includes:

• 8:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT participates in Executive Time — The White House
• 7:00 PM — THE PRESIDENT departs the White House en route to Dayton, Ohio — The White House
• — THE PRESIDENT arrives in Dayton, Ohio — Dayton, Ohio
• — THE PRESIDENT delivers Remarks — Butler-Vandalia Student Activity Center
• — THE PRESIDENT departs Dayton, Ohio en route to the White House — Dayton, Ohio
• — THE PRESIDENT arrives at the White House — The White House

President Trump’s Sunday schedule includes:

• 8:00 AM — THE PRESIDENT participates in Executive Time — The White House

Keeping Up With the Cabinet

Sec. Energy - Chris Wright — Wright was part of the administration's rollout of the Alaska LNG Project this week.

On the first day of @POTUS' new administration, he asked how we can build the LNG pipeline in Alaska.

Today, we have the answer.

The Alaska LNG Project will be the largest infrastructure project built in the last 50 years.

This is an incredible day for America. pic.twitter.com/FOIH6BwX2K

— Secretary Chris Wright (@SecretaryWright) September 30, 2026

Trump: Historic US Energy Deal Includes New Reactors, Alaska LNG Pipeline

Full Court Press...

The courts were busy on Wednesday-Thursday, with multiple notable decisions issued, including:

• ❌ In African Communities Together v. Venturella (immigration raids and arrests), Judge P. Kevin Castel (Southern District of New York) GRANTS in part/DENIES in part the parties’ competing motions for summary judgment; DISMISSES as moot plaintiffs’ challenge to a separate immigration-court dismissal policy withdrawn by the government.
• ❌ In Democracy Defenders Fund v. DOJ (FOIA) — Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly (D.C.) GRANTS in part/DENIES in part plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment, ordering expedited processing of most of its FOIA requests concerning the Epstein investigative files and the DOJ’s handling of them, while narrowing portions seeking records involving any Justice Department official.
• ❌ In United States Institute of Peace, et al. v. Kenneth Jackson, et al. (actions re: USIP), D.C. Circuit GRANTS the Institute’s emergency motion to partially vacate the stay pending appeal, preventing the administration from permanently carving President Trump’s name into the Institute’s headquarters while the dispute over control of the organization remains pending.
• ❌ In United States v. Party for Socialism and Liberation New Jersey, et al. (FACE Act case against pro-Palestinian protesters), Judge Katharine Hayden (New Jersey) GRANTS defendants’ motions to dismiss, finding the complaint failed to connect each defendant to force, threats, or obstruction intended to interfere with religious worship; but dismisses case without prejudice and gives the government 30 days to amend.
• ❌ In Global Nurse Force, et al. v. Donald Trump, et al. (H-1B petition fees), Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr. (Northern District of California) partially GRANTS a preliminary injunction, vacating the agency policies implementing the fee and barring their enforcement until the agencies complete notice-and-comment rulemaking and required small-business analyses; DENIES the administration’s motion to dismiss and DENIES class certification without prejudice.
• ↔️ In Angelica S. v. HHS (policy on unaccompanied minors), Judge Dabney Friedrich (D.C.) GRANTS IN PART/DENIES IN PART the parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment and remands the requirements to HHS, without vacating them, for prompt reconsideration.
• ✅ In CLEAR Clinic v. Noem (deportation/access to counsel), Judge Ann Aiken (Oregon) DENIES plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction and DENIES motion for class certification.

Also see:

Skinny on SCOTUS - Stakes for Hawaii’s Vampire Rule, Clocks for TPS, and No Sharpies for Juries

Breaking: Judge in Lindsay Clancy Case Denies Defense Motion for a Finding of Not Guilty

COMING ATTRACTIONS

As noted above, President Trump is traveling to Alabama and Ohio this weekend. 

And next Monday marks the first day of the Supreme Court's 2026 term. 

MORNING MUSING

I realize I'm beating the proverbial dead horse here, but I don't think it's AI (or, sorry, SI) that will be the downfall of our civilization — it's social media. And I know I'm a massive hypocrite for saying that because I use it all the time. But my goodness, how much better off would we all be if we weren't incentivized by byte-sized dopamine hits to regularly let the whole world (or, most often, the few dozen friends/followers who bother to pay attention to our posts) EXACTLY HOW WE FEEL ABOUT EVERY LITTLE THING!?

I'm finding myself particularly annoyed of late with all the holier-than-thou "I stand with" proclamations. (And, again, I must acknowledge I've been guilty of this at times myself, so fie on me, too.) If I were to wager, it would be that most who proudly announce their profoundly noble opinions via social media have spent virtually zero time thinking critically about whatever issue it is they're "championing." They're simply parroting what they gleaned from someone else's social media feed and want the world to know they're one of the good people. 

Good for you, Sharon. Here's a gold star...

LIGHTER FARE 

I could watch this over and over again. (Sound up.) 

Me: "OK I'll come but I'm only having one drink"

Also me, a little later: pic.twitter.com/2Bis0LZtwo

— Paul Bronks (@SlenderSherbet) October 1, 2026

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