Happy Sunday, and 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 yet another eventful 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.
#1 – REPORT: The Latest ‘Shadow Docket’ Scandal Proves Between the Justices and Legacy Media, SCOTUS Is Toast — by Jennifer Oliver O’Connell
The NYT further concluded that this emergency docket process is a bane to SCOTUS that has contributed to the undermining of the judicial body.
And, yeah, it’s all Trump’s fault.
Since then, even as the court’s approval ratings dropped, applications like the one it confronted a decade ago have proliferated, swamping the court’s ordinary work.
This is partly a consequence of a gridlocked Congress and presidents willing to push the boundaries of executive power, particularly Mr. Trump.
But it is also the result of the justices’ decision to entertain emergency requests like the one in 2016, warping procedures that had developed over centuries.
Perhaps someone could also point out to the brain trust at the NYT that it is the Left’s penchant for lawfare and the activist judges who make these highly partisan and ideologically skewed decisions that have resulted in the need for a method that expedites reviews and judgments by the highest court.
#2 – Hegseth Puts on a Clinic After Tabloid Outlet TMZ Asks First-Ever Questions at Pentagon Briefing — by Sister Toldjah
Opinions on social media and in D.C. on the arrival of TMZ have been decidedly mixed, with some arguing that the more established media outlets that have put in the time on the Hill are more deserving of the opportunities to ask questions of political figures.
But the fact remains that TMZ will be a force with which to be reckoned. And those same public figures might want to make adjustments in their PR strategies to accommodate the outlet’s unorthodox approach in the pursuit of answers from the people in power because, again, they’ll be reaching audiences who otherwise may not pay attention to traditional news sources. Clearly, Hegseth understands this.
#3 – Trump’s Fed Chair Pick Has Fun at Elizabeth Warren’s Expense at Confirmation Hearing — by Bob Hoge
You would think a hearing about the Reserve, interest rates, and economics would be dry, but Massachusetts Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren brought some unintentional humor to the proceedings by breaking out her cranky, hen-pecking attitude when it was her turn to ask questions.
She kept badgering Warsh to disagree with Trump on something — anything. He did finally come up with an answer, but it certainly wasn’t what she was fishing for. Well-played, Kevin:
🚨 OMG. Trump Fed Chair Nominee Kevin Warsh is TOYING with Elizabeth Warren
WARREN: Name one aspect of Trump’s economic agenda you disagree with.
WARSH: He said I’m ‘out of central casting.’ I’d look older, greyer and show up with a cigar of sorts. 😂
*Clapping*
WARREN: Quite… pic.twitter.com/wzAXwUaf6T
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 21, 2026
#4 – The Atlantic’s Kash Patel Hit Piece Is Backfiring – Badly — by Brad Slager
The talk over the weekend that this had been a passed-around story that few outlets would touch is hinted at by Fitzpatrick’s teaming up with Jonathan Lemire from MS NOW for the piece. They claim they based this reporting on speaking with some White House officials, and as Sarah explained, it is “according to the more than two dozen people I interviewed about Patel’s conduct.”
Who these people are and what their positions entail for them to deliver empirical wisdom on these matters is a complete mystery, for, as we have become more than accustomed to, this is all relying on anonymous sourcing. This is just the beginning of the flaws in this hit piece. How is it you speak to 25 or more people, and not one of them has the stones to admit to their status?
#5 – CA Gubernatorial Debate Night Scorecard: Who Killed It, Who Bombed — by Bob Hoge
I’ll cut to the chase: the winners were Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco on the Republican side; they were both ruthless and kept reminding viewers that all the massive failures in California have happened on the Democrats’ watch.
I’ve seen Hilton speak numerous times, and he has a firm grasp of the issues and a winning message, but I haven’t seen Bianco in action as much. He capably handled every question thrown at him and came with fire on numerous subjects.
The losers: the toxic Katie Porter, who failed to stand out and seemed like an afterthought, and Becerra, who brought his extremist leftist politics firmly into the mix. Tom Steyer, whom I have heavily criticized in recent articles, actually almost seemed cogent compared to his Democrat comrades, while Mahan projected the Pete Buttigieg sort of “I’m such a reasonable and nice guy” vibe.
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