Morning Minute

Morning Minute: What If They Never Vote to Reopen It?

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Good morning, and welcome to the Morning Minute — a quick look at the headlines shaping the day and what’s coming next in Washington. This edition focuses on the Schumer Shutdown and the political forces keeping the government closed.

Top stories on the docket range from Hunter Biden’s new revelations to policy fights over health subsidies and culture wars in corporate America. Headlines include Hunter Biden’s profane reaction after an onstage moment, reports that Republicans will extend Obamacare subsidies, and fading DEI roles across industries.

According to Hunter, that moment singularly enraged him beyond comprehension. So much so that he almost launched a profane tirade against Obama, got in his face, and threatened him.

“I knew that that was going to be a meme,” Hunter says in the book, according to Axios. “That really, really, really, really pissed me off.”

Other trending pieces note shifts in the gun market and the cultural landscape at corporations. Observers are watching Glock model changes and the reported exodus of DEI roles as firms recalibrate after the last election cycle.

The new design may have a bigger impact on legislative efforts targeting Glocks, however; not only in California, but in states like Illinois and New York where there are bills similar to AB 1127 that have yet to win final approval from lawmakers.

Today on Capitol Hill we remain on Day 22 of what many are calling the Schumer Shutdown, with vote number 12 on a clean continuing resolution scheduled for the afternoon. Sen. Jeff Merkley has been railing against the administration on the Senate floor in a non-filibuster filibuster that stretched roughly 14 hours.

On the plus side, the Senate confirmed a couple of U.S. District Court judges on Tuesday, adding to the federal bench. Confirmed were:

• Harold D. Mooty III — Northern District of Alabama
• Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe — Middle District of Florida

The Senate calendar lists multiple meetings and hearings for the day that could shape nominations and policy. Among them are committee business on a Veterans Affairs nomination, hearings on labor law reform, and Judiciary sessions on several judicial nominations.

• Senate Veterans Affairs — Business meeting to consider the nomination of John Bartrum to be Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health
• Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions — Hearings to examine labor law reform part 2, focusing on new solutions for finding a pro-worker way forward
• Senate Judiciary — Hearings to examine multiple judicial nominations
• Senate Aging (Special) — Hearings on modernizing health care, with Mark Cuban to testify

At the White House, the schedule shows a quieter day for President Donald Trump, who is set to meet with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, in the afternoon. Vice President JD Vance is traveling in Israel to work on the Gaza Peace Deal and related diplomacy.

In cabinet news, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said the USDA will resume core operations despite the shutdown, with key services set to restart on Thursday. That statement aims to calm farmers and food supply stakeholders worried about interruptions.

Court watchers had a busy Tuesday with several notable rulings and procedural moves that could reverberate through pending cases. The developments include transfers and denials that keep several high-profile matters alive.

• ↔️ U.S. v. Comey (false statement, obstruction) — Judge Michael Nachmanoff (Eastern District of Virginia) orders defense motion to disqualify U.S. Attorney transferred to Judge Cameron McGowan Currie (South Carolina).
• ❌ State of Washington v. Dept. of Education (denial of federal grants) — Judge Kymberly Evanson (Western District of Washington) DENIES admin’s motion to dismiss.
• ❌ Los Angeles Press Club v. Kristi Noem (restricting press freedom) — Judge Herman Vera (Central District of California) DENIES admin’s request for stay pending appeal.

Keep an eye on the Supreme Court, where a decision on the Illinois National Guard stay application appears to be looming. Also on Thursday the Senate plans to vote on Sen. Ron Johnson’s bill to secure pay for military members and excepted federal employees.

The repeated clean CR votes underline the strange incentives at play: Democrats enjoy political cover while many federal employees face real hardship. If the Senate fails again this afternoon, it raises the unsettling possibility that the shutdown could linger far longer than anyone expected.

From a practical view, most readers may not feel immediate pain yet, while thousands of federal workers face missed paychecks and uncertainty. That discrepancy is the political fault line; it explains why the standoff persists even as real people get squeezed.

Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.

We had the jump-scare earlier in the month, and now social feeds are calling the moment #ded in a different kind of viral clip. Pop culture oddities keep the news cycle lively even while the shutdown grinds on.