Morning Minute: Unplugged

redstate.com

Thursday, July 23, 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. 

Advertisement

TOP O' THE MORNIN'

Red-Hot at RedState 

A Platneresque Democrat Scandal Hits WI Governor's Race, and You Just Cannot Make This Stuff Up

Here's one area where this scandal differs a bit from the various Platner Reddit post controversies: Platner took ownership of what he wrote (though he claimed he was a "different person" now). But the Gov. Tony Evers-backed Crowley and his campaign are saying that though he had access to the account in question, he didn't write the offensive posts.

What Is Going on? Another Suspected Leaker Found Inside JD Vance’s Secret Service Detail

The latest investigation comes just six months after a different alleged breach involving Vance’s detail.

Thirty Years Later, FBI Record Exposes a Missing Piece of the TWA Flight 800 Investigation

The FBI should release the messages, if they still exist, along with records showing how investigators resolved the claim. Thirty years after the deaths of 230 people, that part of the investigation still deserves a public accounting.

Trending Across Townhall Media

Bearing Arms — The Trace Warns That Third Circuit Ruling on Assault Weapons a Likely Signal

Assault weapon bans are going down, and I'm here for it.

HotAir — Democrats Fight Over Whether Blacks or Latinos Should Have More Power in Presidential Nomination

From the outside, the black-Latino framing of the debate may seem to make sense, but it is wrong. The dispute is between black voters in Right to Work/non-competitive South Carolina and radical SEIU union leaders in a very swing state. 

Advertisement

PJ Media — Rudderless Dems Keep Sending Gift Horses for GOP to Look in the Mouth

It's important to note that none of the older Democrats have a clear answer to this. 

Townhall — Democrats Are Walking Into a Minefield

But then again, we are Republicans, and the fact remains that the Republican Party is the only party that can summon up enough dumb to squander these advantages.

Twitchy — These CNN Election Fraud Shots and Chasers Are Suitable for Framing (Shifting Goalposts Alert)

CNN is obviously ready, willing and able to help the Democrats try and spin it all away. 

WHAT'S ON TAP?

Today on Capitol Hill...

Not quite so many hearings set for Thursday on the Hill, but still, a few (all focused on considering nominations): 

  • Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions — Business meeting to consider the nominations of Sean Kaufman, of Georgia, to be Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Erica Schwartz, of Florida, to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, both of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Keith Sonderling, of Florida, to be Secretary of Labor.
  • Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs — Business meeting to consider the nominations of Christopher Phelan, of Minnesota, to be Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, John Crews, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National Credit Union Administration Board, and Jeffrey Ledbetter, of Virginia, to be Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban Development; to be immediately followed by an opening hearing to examine the nominations of Brian Johnson, of Ohio, to be Director, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, Abby Warren, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce, and Irving Dennis, of Ohio, to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development.
  • Senate Judiciary — Business meeting to consider the nominations of Todd Blanche, of Florida, to be Attorney General, and Christopher Nassar, to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, both of the Department of Justice, Daniel Desmond Domenico, of Colorado, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit, and Matthew R. Byrne, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio, and designation of subcommittees for the 119th Congress.
  • Senate Finance — Business meeting to consider the nominations of Francis Brooke, of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary, Erin Browne, of New York, to be an Under Secretary, Sriprakash Kothari, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Secretary, and George McMaster, of South Carolina, to be an Assistant Secretary, all of the Department of the Treasury.

    • Advertisement

    There was some notable movement on key pieces of legislation on Wednesday, too.

    SEE: Breaking: House Passes Trump’s SAVE America Act As Part of NDAA, Setting Up Senate Showdown

    5 Democrats Defect During Voting on GOP Bill, As the Other 203 Back Boys in Girls’ Sports

    White House What's Up

    President Trump has a full Thursday on his schedule:

  • — THE PRESIDENT departs The White House en route the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The White House
  • — THE PRESIDENT arrives at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • 2:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT makes an Announcement on the Ratepayer Protection Pledge — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • — THE PRESIDENT departs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency en route the White House — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • — THE PRESIDENT arrives at the White House — The White House
  • 4:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT hosts the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2025 World Series Champions — Rose Garden
  • 5:30 PM — THE PRESIDENT participates in a Policy Meeting — Oval Office
  • 6:00 PM — THE PRESIDENT greets the United States Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein and Newt Gingrich — Oval Office

    • Keeping Up With the Cabinet

    Sec. Interior - Doug Burgum — Burgum recently met with Wyoming ranchers and tribal leaders ahead of the Day of the American West.

    Advertisement

    Productive meetings with Wyoming ranchers and tribal leaders today. @Interior is committed to supporting our Western communities and the people who help steward our lands and resources. Excited to celebrate the Day of the American West tomorrow to honor the history, cultures and traditions that shaped the American frontier.

    Full Court Press...

    We'll be back to our regularly scheduled court rundown programming tomorrow!

    COMING ATTRACTIONS

    Keep your eyes on those committee meetings today — multiple key nominations are under consideration. 

    MORNING MUSING

    Hey there — it's me, your faithful Morning Minute scribe, back from a mini-break/staycation/family time. First off, many thanks to our fearless leader, Jennifer Van Laar, for tackling MM duties while I was out. 🫡 

    Second, every time I take time off, I tell myself I'm going to "unplug" from work, the news, etc...and then I promptly fail to do so. Checking those Slack and news alerts and even social media is so ingrained in my everyday life that even a conscious effort not to typically doesn't suffice. 

    Not this time, though — and it wasn't even so much a conscious effort. I just...did. I set the phone and the computer down and, for the better part of three days, largely focused on puttering around the house and spending time with loved ones. 

    Advertisement

    The fact that I was actually able to, for once, tells me that this was a much-needed respite. So, yes, I enjoyed my brief time away, but I'm back and recharged. Let's get to it!

    LIGHTER FARE 

    Swap the grass for some biscuits and gravy, and I'm in!

    Enjoying the "Morning Minute"? You can ensure you receive it in your Inbox every weekday by signing up for our newsletter here. 

    Editor's Note: Do you enjoy RedState's conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.

    Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.