Good morning and welcome to RedState’s Morning Minute – a quick look at what stories are trending right now and a look ahead to what the day might bring. We’re gearing up for an insanely busy week, so buckle up and consider this your one-stop shop for news to kick-start your day.
UP IN THE MORNING
Red-hot at RedState
Priceless: Michael Cohen asks Biden for a pardon on MSNBC
While I think Biden will very likely pardon some people, especially Democrats, I think Cohen may not be on that list, and that’s probably why he’s making a public statement.
Wildfire Act: Blue ‘donation’ scandal explodes, implicating Elizabeth Warren while Obama brothers freak out
Nothing about this plan makes sense unless you assume the worst, and right now I don’t see any reason for it not assume the worst.
How did developer Rick Caruso save Palisades Village when everything around it burned down?
All I know is that I wish Rick Caruso had been mayor before and during this tragedy and not Karen Bass.
Trending in TownHall media
The crazy story of Luigi Mangione’s alleged gun, 3D printer files and the associated lawsuit
Luigi Mangione is accused of murder, but now we learn that the company that gave him access to the plans to build the alleged murder weapon was also behind the death threats against a rival company.
Are you already shaking with fear?
But one thing is certain: Jagmeet Singh will not lead anyone to the front lines of the great North American war.
Stunner: Why was the Pacific Palisades Reservoir empty? It’s getting worse.
I’m not a hydrologist or physicist, but wouldn’t water pressure improve if there was water in all tanks and reservoirs? Am I missing something here?
Watch Gavin Newsom get a fact check about empty reservoirs on live TV
It’s over, people. Nobody trusts you. Nobody likes you. And we’ll have a lot of fun watching you turn into pretzels with nowhere to go.
Welcome to the last full Monday that Joe Biden is President! So Monday is a damn good day for us.
WHAT’S UP?
Today on Capitol Hill…
Although there are no hearings scheduled for Monday, this is expected to be an extremely busy week on Capitol Hill as President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet members begin committee hearings starting Tuesday.
In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is expected to announce the chairs and rosters for the House Intelligence Committee and the House Rules Committee, which could cause some excitement. Additionally, he needs to see where the members of the Freedom Caucus who met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend stand on reconciliation — they still have a lot of work to do.
The Senate is expected to take another procedural vote on the Laken Riley Act behind schedule Monday afternoon. With JD Vance (R-OH) officially resigning his Senate seat, the Republican majority stands at 51-47. However, Jim Justice (R-WV) is expected to be sworn in, possibly as soon as today, and Ohio Governor, Mike DeWine, should soon announce his appointment as Vance’s successor.
What’s going on in the White House?
President Joe Biden (seven days left!) will receive his Daily Brief on Monday morning. In the afternoon he will give a foreign policy speech at the Foreign Ministry. Afterward, he and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with senior administration officials (seven days left!) to discuss the status of the wildfires in Los Angeles.
Full court press…
As Rusty Weiss notes this morning, Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, the man arrested by citizens after being spotted using a blowtorch near the Los Angeles wildfires, is due in court on Monday. Given his status as an illegal alien, it’s doubtful the ICE detainee holding him will be honored — and he hasn’t yet been charged with arson. We will continue to monitor this.
If I tried to describe to you the various motions and steps currently being taken in the Southern District of Florida and the 11th Circuit regarding the possible release of (former) Special Counsel Jack Smith’s “final report,” you would think that I would it’s I’m crazy. (You could anyway, but you would Really then think about it.)
The swordplay currently taking place in SDFL and the 11th District is quite fascinating. pic.twitter.com/ZvAdFTo6W7
— Susie Moore ⚾️🌻🐶 (@SmoosieQ) January 11, 2025
Suffice it to say that the release of the report (Volume 1 or 2) is not yet set and there is a lot of activity surrounding it. We will do our best to monitor the situation and report any significant developments.
Meanwhile, President Trump, soon to be sworn in despite being a “convicted felon” for now, continues to await a decision from the Appellate Division in his New York civil fraud case and will undoubtedly appeal to the same court against the recent verdicts and sentences Judge Juan Merchan in his Manhattan business records falsification case.
UPCOMING ATTRACTIONS
As noted above, the focus this week will be on the Senate confirmation hearings. Here is the current schedule:
- Doug Collins – Minister of Veterans Affairs (January 14)
- Pete Hegseth – Secretary of Defense (January 14)
- Doug Burgum – Secretary of the Interior (January 14)
- Kristi Noem – Secretary of Homeland Security (January 15)
- Pam Bondi – Attorney General (January 15)
- Chris Wright – Energy Secretary (January 15)
- Marco Rubio – Secretary of State (January 15)
- John Ratcliffe – Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (January 15)
- Sean Duffy – Transport Minister (15 January)
- Russ Vought – Director of the Office of Management and Budget (January 15)
- Pam Bondi – Attorney General (January 16 – second round)
- Scott Turner – Minister of Housing and Urban Development (January 16)
- Lee Zeldin – EPA Administrator (January 16)
- Scott Bessent – Finance Minister (January 16)
As also noted, Biden will deliver a foreign policy address on Monday afternoon and his farewell address on Wednesday evening. We can also expect more pardons this week – that could be captivating.
Finally, keep an eye on Israel and Hamas – there appears to be some progress on the hostage deal. Pray.
Morning rumination
I know I apply this space in the morning to share what’s on my mind, even if it’s personal, but I’m not sure if what I’m about to share is TMI. Well… I would never say that I’m not an emotional person. I absolutely am. However, I generally have the ability to tune out this aspect of my personality and go into Spock mode when it comes to a crisis or analyzing legal (and sometimes political) matters. This actually confuses people sometimes. I don’t know if it was my decades as a litigator that taught me that or what. In any case, I don’t usually get that emotional when it comes to the political world. (I often get irate or frustrated – I mean sentimentally.)
This morning I opened my email and in my inbox found the Trump-Vance team’s schedule of events for next weekend and Inauguration Day. I read through it to familiarize myself with the schedule and it left me with tears in my eyes. As the dogs in the videos I share so often might say: Damn?! I didn’t expect that. I can’t fully explain it. But there you have it. As ambivalent as I was about DJT, I don’t know if I’ve ever been more excited about an inauguration. I suspect this will be a wild and captivating week. I guess I’ll always have the tissue handy…
LIGHTER COST
Rubber Ducky, you’re the one…
Panda got modern toy…🐼🐥😍 pic.twitter.com/iYlgCdpfSw
— Nature is amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) January 13, 2025
