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 — here we go!
#1 - Fed-Up CA Homeowner Opens Fire on Intruder; His Neighbor's Comments Perfectly Capture Wine-Mom Liberalism — by Jennifer Van Laar
As the segment begins, Morgan's leaning her head into the homeowner's car window and asking him, "Did you actually shoot [the intruder], or did you just shoot at him?" What? Who cares? Why would someone ask that instead of, I dunno, expressing sadness that their neighbor had to go through that terror?
Then Morgan, who had no qualms about taking her 15 minutes of fame, says to Sarkissian, "This is the second time they've been robbed, so I guess you get more frustrated." Gee, ya think?
Morgan says she's lived there "twenty-five years, and there's never been anything until the last couple of years." Why is that? She was legitimately dumbfounded as to why that might be, but hazarded a guess:
"As the walls keep getting higher in the neighborhood, I think then there's more interest in coming into the neighborhood from other areas. That's all I can think of."
Oh, sure, that must be it. Can't even comprehend that it might have to do with the politicians she's elected and the stupid policies they've enacted.
#2 - RFK Jr. Drops Bombshell About mRNA Vaccines and Pandemic - It Will Make You Furious — by Katie Jerkovich
"We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted," Kennedy's post read. "BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu."
"We're shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate," he added.
Kennedy further explained that mRNA "only codes for a small part of the viral proteins, usually a single antigen. One mutation and the vaccine becomes ineffective."
In layman's terms, he said that means the vaccine, "paradoxically, encourages new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics, as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine. The same risk applies to flu."
#3 - Watch: Obama Gives the Game Away in 2016 NPR Interview — by Susie Moore
Ah. Mmmhmm. So...after he gave the game away by definitively asserting what the CIA's assessment was/would be weeks before the ICA (which, of course, was supposed to be a combined effort of the CIA, the FBI, the NSA) would be released, he had to return for a clean-up on Aisle Obama and insist there was "still a whole range of assessments taking place among the agencies" and that the assessment that the meddling had been in favor of Trump was simply a "CIA leak" rather than anything official.
And, of course, what then was the official assessment once the ICA was released in January was that:
- Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump (with high confidence)
- Putin and the Russian Government aspired to help President-elect Trump’s
election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him (with high confidence per the FBI and CIA; moderate confidence per the NSA)
Why, it's almost like President Obama was prescient!
And not so much a skilled communicator.
#4 - Things Just Went From Bad to Worse for Texas Democrats Who Fled to Stop Redistricting — by Bonchie
Naturally, a national freakout ensued, with Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) helping facilitate the Democrats who abandoned their duties in Texas. That's especially ironic given Illinois is arguably the most gerrymandered state in the country. Meanwhile, one Democrat compared this redistricting fight to the Holocaust, because everything must be stupid.
In the aftermath, Texas Republicans moved to fine the derelict members for each day they remain absent. Arrest warrants were also approved by the legislature, with Abbott authorizing the Texas Department of Public Safety to enforce them.
That's where things get complicated. A state law enforcement agency can't just roll into Chicago and start slapping handcuffs on the Democrats in question. That will have to wait until they decide to cross back into their home state, at which point they can be arrested and taken involuntarily to the state capitol to provide a quorum. In the meantime, the most effective strategy to break this gambit will be financial pressure.
#5 - Mullin: Trump Was Right to Tell Schumer to Pound Sand - Now Dems Will Have to Lie in the Bed They Made — by Susie Moore
It also bears noting that Trump hasn't taken to Truth Social to excoriate Thune for somehow working against him if that were, in fact, the case. Instead, his most recent comment on the matter was this:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 2, 2025
A great job being done by “Leader” John Thune, and “Speaker” Mike Johnson. Thank you both! The GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL WILL GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL PIECES OF LEGISLATION IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. MAGA!!!
The takeaway here appears to be that Senate Republicans have made serious headway on Trump's nominations, but since the Democrats are hellbent on being obstructionists, when they return, they're going to get to lie in the bed they made for themselves.
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