Thursday Morning Minute

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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’

House Minority Leader Wails About GOP Killing Continuing Resolution, Elon Musk Floors Him With Reality

Let the Democrats whine all they want; they had their turn, and it’s about to be over.

Democrats Just Handed Republicans a Spending Fight Slam Dunk If They Are Smart Enough to Take It

Republicans need to put their differences aside and come together to do the smart thing. Pass a clean CR and force the hand of Democrat leadership.

Sen. Kennedy Dissects Dem Witness With Delicious Wit During Climate Hearing

Kennedy cuts through the palaver and gets down to the nitty gritty again in pointing out the difference between what witnesses say and what they do.

WHAT’S ON TAP?

Today on Capitol Hill…

Well. That escalated quickly…

No formal hearings on the Hill today, but that sound you hear is the pitter-patter of Congress critter feet running here and there about the Capitol trying to figure out how best to address the funding issue (a clean CR comes to mind) and avoid a Christmas shutdown. Do grab the popcorn, because this is kabuki theater of the highest order.

White House What’s Up

Only the Daily Brief and then a return to the White House from Wilmington, Delaware, in the afternoon for President Joe Biden Thursday. Yawn.

Full Court Press…

Suspected killer Luigi Mangione was due in court Thursday morning in Pennsylvania, where he was expected to waive extradition to New York.

Former Uvalde CISD police chief Pete Arredondo is also due in court on Thursday for a hearing on his request to throw out charges filed against him in connection to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in May of 2022.

There’s always a chance that the New York appellate court could get in on some of the fun and issue its ruling in President-elect Donald Trump’s civil fraud appeal (though we’re long past holding our breath on that).

On Wednesday, we learned that Trump’s legal team has filed another motion to throw out the verdict in the Manhattan business records case — this time on the basis of juror misconduct.

Also, Florida announced state charges that it will pursue as to would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh — though the feds appear to be stonewalling their efforts.

Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up the TikTok ban for an emergency review.

Sean “Diddy” Combs had a status conference in court on Wednesday. A pre-trial conference has been set in his case for March 17, 2025, though it does not appear that a trial date was set.

MORNING MUSING

We’ve heard a fair amount of talk this week about growing (or buying) a spine, compliments of the one and only Senator John Kennedy (R-LA). He raised it in the context of a hearing with the NCAA and their stance on protecting women’s sports, but it lends itself to the larger arena of government and politics — particularly when we look at the turmoil surrounding spending and the budget. I have a degree of empathy for those trying to navigate a narrow passage through the Fire Swamp, but it’s time for them to realize we have a rare — exceedingly rare — opportunity to best the Swamp — flame spurts, lightning sand, and ROUSs and all.