DEVELOPING....
....OR NOT....
REMINDER: “THE MORNING MEETING” RETURNS MONDAY AT 9AM ET
In a snug little nook of the streaming-news scene,
Where the Gang of 500 sip coffee at nine-fifteen,
Where the chatter is zippy, the mood evergreen,
And no segment’s a slog or a homework routine—
There returns our bright circus of wit and of meaning,
“The Morning Meeting” is back (after holiday cleaning!).
Oh, we’ve missed all the laughter, the nods, the debate,
The “Which aide is steering the West Wing?” update,
The wink from a host when a Trump vet relays
What “the boss” said last night in the Mar-a-Lago maze.
We’ve missed parsing memos from people unnamed,
And the Scott Bessent whispers no market has tamed.
Now December is here with a twist and a turn:
A rotation of voices the diehards will yearn
To decode, like a clue in a cross-party feud—
(You know, like when Jason Miller shifts tone in the mood.)
Each guest is hand-picked for the spark they ignite,
For tales Hogan Gidley won’t say on the mic—but just might.
They’ll take you to rooms where the deals are arranged,
Where “off the record” isn’t odd but pre-pre-pre-staged.
They’ll share what the Hill folk are trading for clout,
And which senior adviser stormed quietly out.
They’ll map out the plotlines the press hasn’t caught—
The kind Jonathan Swan catches only when sought.
We’ll go fast, we’ll go forward, we’ll see what’s ahead,
Not the stuff from last week every pundit has said.
We’ll track the small shifts the real insiders know—
Like when a comms aide goes quiet before a big show,
Or when Ashley Etienne senses currents below
That the rest of the town hasn’t spotted just so.
The tempo will pop like a late-night leak spree,
And no thought needs to ramble like Senate TV.
We’ll dance through the headlines, we’ll glide through the noise,
With the calm Meridith McGraw brings when chaos destroys.
We’ll challenge assumptions with seasoned delight,
With a spark that outlives even primetime’s spotlight.
And always, dear friends, it will hinge upon you—
For a meeting’s a meeting when many minds stew.
We’ll ask and we’ll challenge, we’ll probe and we’ll cheer,
With none of the ranting you dread on the air.
No filibust-fluff, no consultant clichés,
No “Senator, thank you”—those long windy ways.
Just politics spoken the way humans speak,
The way aides murmur secrets they pray won’t leak,
Or swap on a walk through a Capitol creek,
Or whisper at dinner about plans for next week.
The vibe will stay warm, and the jokes stay humane—
Even charting the pulse of Trump-world again.
For this is a community—real, not contrived,
Where the curious gather and feel more alive.
A place where the sharp and the savvy convene
To test out ideas still half-baked and unseen.
Where no one’s performing for viral applause,
Where the only agenda is truth without gauze.
So refill the mug (be it black Joe or Coke),
Crack open the laptop, rejoin all the folk
Who savor the mornings where thinking is fun—
And December’s just starting, with voices that stun.
New hosts! Big ideas! Insider delight!
Enough to keep news junkies buzzing all night.
“The Morning Meeting” is back—oh, indeed!
Monday at nine. Be there. Take the lead.
For the joy of together, of interest shared—
Of being informed and being prepared.
We’ll be here with a grin, with a spark, with a cue—
And we simply, sincerely, can’t wait to see you.
All my best,
Mark
****
On this Saturday of our shared holiday weekend, two stories are percolating on podcasts, online, and on social media that could be everything as the world returns to full-on work on Monday -- or they could be next to nothing.
Even if it is the latter, both narratives will continue to flourish inside the Blue and Red bubbles that are their respective petri dishes.
What I am saying is that one or both might jump out of their confined spaces and gain wider currency and broader birth, so that, like, real people know about them, care about them, talk about them.
So they both warrant watching.
On the Blue side, the story is the presumed simultaneous mental, physical, and political demise of Donald Trump, happening right before the eyes of Matt Drudge:
Heather Cox Richardson has the same framing:
Once one is SURE that this time it’s for real -- that Trump is done and dusted and the next three years are just falling action leading towards his eventual demises -- nearly every news development can be seen through this prism, such as the quality Politico story about the overwhelming number of judges who have ruled against the administration in deportation/immigration cases, to the Washington Post exclusive on Secretary Hegseth’s Caribbean strike orders.
On the Red side, the percolater storyline is about the War on Islam (plus the War on the War on Islam).
A not insignificant part of MAGA believes that the presence of pretty much all Muslims in America -- not just the ones who emigrated here -- is now properly seen as a failed experiment, and they should all leave (or, at least, not be permitted to be a part of public life, including elective office).
Some samples from my X feed:
There’s also the intra-MAGA fight over allegations of pro-Islamist sentiment inside the tent, a charge often connected to allegations of payola, via Loomer:
All of this runs parallel to, and is hauntingly similar to, the raging battle over antisemitism in the Red tribe as well.
George W. Bush was heroic after 9/11 in keeping reflexive hostility towards Muslims from exploding on the national town square.
After the resonant European experience, the National Guard shooting, and the posture of the current president, do not be surprised if this all breaks wider this coming week.
To be continued….
****
ESSENTIAL READING
Russia unleashed a nearly 10-hour air assault across Ukraine on Saturday, killing at least two people in the capital, Kyiv, and injuring dozens more, according to Ukrainian authorities.
The attack, which involved dozens of Russian missiles and hundreds of drones, came as Trump administration officials were expected to meet with Ukrainian and Russian officials in the coming days as part of a diplomatic push to end the war.
The Russian assault started just before midnight, and the all-clear was given around 9:30 a.m.
In Kyiv, the local authorities responded to fires and tended to wounded residents in seven districts under a thick white fog. The city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said that two people had been killed and at least 29 injured.
* Understanding the presence and (now) absence of Andriy Yermak vis-à-vis the Ukrainian government and the peace talks is best done by reading this New York Times piece by their guy in Kiev.
* A very long and deeply reported Wall Street Journal piece on how Witkoff and Kushner (and Trump) see prospective business ties to Russia as a big part of the talks.
* Trump-tied stocks and cryptocurrencies have tumbled, per the Wall Street Journal.
* Another piece of Andy Beshear content -- a Wall Street Journal profile, with lots of access to the man -- that is another Rorschach test for all y’all. If you think Beshear is The Answer, the piece has all you need; if you think Beshear is A Mirage, same thing.