Transcripts and audio from the October 24 hearing for suspected Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson will be made public after a Monday ruling from the Utah judge overseeing the murder case. District Court Judge Tony Graf gave the court until the end of the day to release the transcript from a brief closed-door hearing that focused on whether Robinson, 22, could remain in civilian clothing and unshackled for the trial. The audio from the hearing must be released within two weeks. Graf added that 246 words, which amounts to one page of the 80-page transcript, would be redacted, NBC News reported. Robinson was present for Monday’s hearing virtually and did not appear on screen. He was heard saying, “Yes, your honor,” when the judge asked if he was present, the New York Post reported. The ruling is another win for reporters in the pretrial arguments, as media outlets have pushed for full transparency in the case. Monday’s decision follows a separate ruling earlier this month from Graf to allow cameras in the courtroom during the trial. Kirk’s widow, Erika — along with members of the media — has pushed for the trial to be made as public as possible, while Robinson’s defense team has argued that wall-to-wall coverage could taint the jury pool. “There were cameras all over my husband when he was murdered,” Erika Kirk said. “There have been cameras all over my friends and family mourning. There have been cameras all over me, analyzing my every move, analyzing my every smile, my every tear. We deserve to have cameras in there. … Let everyone see what true evil is.” Attorneys for local and national media outlets argued in a motion earlier this month that “every high-profile criminal prosecution has significant pretrial publicity, no matter where it occurs” and that the First Amendment guarantees the media access to the courts doing “the public’s business,” according to NBC News. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships In the October 24 closed-door hearing, Graf said that Robinson could wear civilian clothing for the trial, but added that the suspected assassin would have to be restrained in court. In his first virtual court appearance after his arrest, Robinson was in a suicide vest. He was also placed on “special watch” in jail after reportedly telling his parents that he would rather kill himself than turn himself over to law enforcement. Robinson faces numerous charges, including seven felony charges of aggravated murder in the killing of Kirk, a 31-year-old husband and father of two, on September 10 at Utah Valley University. He’s accused of killing Kirk with a single shot from a bolt-action rifle while the conservative commentator spoke to a large group of students. Robinson told his parents that he killed Kirk because he believed Kirk “spread too much hate,” according to charging documents. The suspected assassin could face a firing squad if he’s convicted of the aggravated murder charge. Robinson is due back in court on January 16 for a major hearing on a motion to disqualify the Utah County Attorney’s Office from prosecuting the case over an alleged conflict of interest. Robinson’s defense team argues that a family member of a Utah County prosecutor was present at Utah Valley University when Kirk was assassinated.

Rural health care is getting a big boost thanks to the Trump administration. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced on Monday that all 50 states will receive funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program, a $50 billion investment established through President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts legislation. This $50 billion initiative is meant to strengthen and modernize health care in rural communities across the country. The funds will be allocated over five years, with $10 billion available each year from 2026 through 2030. For the first year, the money for each state ranges from $147 million to $281 million. “Today marks an extraordinary milestone for rural health in America,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “Thanks to Congress establishing this investment and President Trump for his leadership, states are stepping forward with bold, creative plans to expand rural access, strengthen their workforces, modernize care, and support the communities that keep our nation running.” Thanks to the Rural Health Transformation Fund, created by congressional Republicans and signed into law by President Trump, we are investing $50 BILLION in rural healthcare across America! pic.twitter.com/4pA6EsLc0f — House Republicans (@HouseGOP) December 29, 2025 Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that because of the investment, rural Americans will have affordable health care close to home, free from bureaucratic obstacles. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships “More than 60 million Americans living in rural areas have the right to equal access to quality care,” Kennedy said. “This historic investment puts local hospitals, clinics, and health workers in control of their communities’ health care.” The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stated in a press release Monday that states are improving healthcare access in rural areas by planning efforts that will: Bring More Care Within Reach Strengthen and Sustain the Rural Clinical Workforce Modernize Rural Health Infrastructure and Technology Driving Structural Efficiency & Empowering the Community Providers Advance Innovative Care Models and Payment Reform Oz told reporters Monday the $50 billion investment isn’t intended to pay off the bills: “The purpose of this $50 billion investment is to allow us to rightsize the system and to deal with the fundamental hindrances of improvement in rural health care.” As part of the program, states are required to submit regular updates to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Oz said he wants states to get creative with the funds to change the way health care has been administered in rural America. “By doing this the right way and by allowing more practitioners to move to these areas and training nurses and doctors in these rural areas, we think they will stay put and provide high-quality care,” Oz said.

'There is not really a very good path for him'

'He does not have any faith'

'Bullshit attacks'

'If they are, we’re going to have to knock them down'

'Kept its license despite numerous violations'

Public affairs experts are weighing in to highlight the top issues that will impact the 2026 midterm elections. “Prices are going to be the top issues that voters care about. But beyond that, voters also care about safety, security, those will be top on the ballot as well,” Matt Terrill, the managing partner of Firehouse Strategies, told The Daily Signal. Terrill is a top public affairs expert having worked for both the National Republican Committee and the 2016 presidential campaign of then-Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. He noted some of the positive signs in the economy under the Trump administration. “You’re seeing inflation down. You’re seeing egg prices down,” he said.  One notable cost that affects millions of Americans is the price of gasoline, which according to Consumer Affairs, has declined by about 21 cents per gallon from where it was in December 2024. Diesel has also been trending downward in recent weeks. Terrill emphasized the need for a holistic approach to reduce energy costs in the U.S.  When asked about what the GOP should do regarding messaging around those critical issues, Terrill emphasized that there would still be opportunities for Americans to receive economic relief in the upcoming months.  “Remind Americans, if you’re President [Donald] Trump and Republican candidates in 2026 about the deregulation efforts being done under President Trump’s watch, and remind Americans about what President Trump has been doing to bring investment into the U.S. economy,” Terrill explained, also noting the tax cuts that were enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill.  “I think obviously the tax cuts on tips and overtime. That’s going to help with the affordability,” Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., who is running to represent Alabama in the Senate, added in an interview with The Daily Signal. “I think part of this is just countering the narratives being pushed out by Democrats right now, and really the White House is drilling home what they’re doing to bring down energy costs, what they’re doing to bring down health care costs,” Terrill stated. “I mean, D.C. is the only entity in America that creates inflation. And when we print dollars in D.C., it’s just, it’s ink on paper, and we can print it pretty fast, but if you’re out there trying to earn that money by the hour, our printed dollars compete against the ones that you actually earn in the market, and it just makes it difficult for families to survive,” Moore told The Daily Signal.  Moore contended that voters would also be concerned about the recently uncovered fraud perpetuated against American taxpayers in Minnesota that could tally as high as $9 billion. “These people are taking tax dollars and stealing them from the Treasury, and so there has to be an accountability level there,” the Alabama congressman stated. “Some people need to be removed from this country. They need to be denaturalized as citizens. Things that we can do to show the American people that we’re going to protect the overall national security, and the funds that they’re sending to us to manage without just letting these blue states and some of these places just waste their money,” Moore said. The congressman also emphasized the importance of combatting crime as a way to alleviate costs on Americans.  “Things that we can do to lower crime and to also lower the theft of products and services makes things more affordable in the long haul,” Moore stated. He cited Trump’s deployment of the National Guard as an example of Republican success at combatting crime. Such was the resounding effect of the troops in Washington that even the city’s mayor acknowledged the subsequent decline in several categories of crime. “When the American people are seeing National Guard members being attacked, or they’re seeing a young woman on a train in Charlotte being attacked, or what they’re seeing related to crime in Chicago, the issue of national security is top of mind,” Terrill said.  Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist and former State Department appointee during the first Trump administration, noted the many factors related to the affordability of housing.  “You had COVID where you had people fleeing cities towards the suburbs, and you saw the prices go sky high. And then you had inflation. The cost of building just was tremendously high. And then combine that all with interest rates. That’s a recipe for disaster,” Bartlett said. He contended that members of Congress would have to “incentivize this without furthering expenses or giving more to the demand side” to help alleviate the issue but also noted that much of the problem stems from local governance like permitting land use.  “We can’t just run on the status quo. I think we absolutely need some new ideas, whether it’s from Congress, whether it’s from the White House, as to give a goal to the American voter and the American public towards the economy and society that we want to live in,” Bartlett said.  “There’s so many other aspects, including addiction, and that continues to be a plague in society with drugs, as this White House has highlighted, whether it is fentanyl or cocaine addiction, where it starts, how it’s trafficked,” Bartlett explained. The post Experts Talk Top Midterm Election Issues appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Possibly Looking at Bi-Coastal Energy Prices Shocks for 2026

On Monday, CBS Mornings finally found Republicans they liked. The people they celebrated were the so-called “Nasty Nine,” a group of self-described Republicans in Montana’s State Senate who decided to throw their lot in with Democrats and pass their agenda. Of course, CBS framed the story as the nine righteously breaking ranks to stand up against the scary “ultra-conservative caucus.” Fill-in co-anchor Michael George led into the segment by teeing it up as a wonderful tale of politicians overcoming “political polarization,” where the Republican Party was the bad guys and the Democrats were the good guys. He even suggested it was an example for the rest of the country: Well, look, it is no secret that political polarization is pretty much the norm these days with Republicans and Democrats not agreeing on much. Now, back in April, nine GOP state senators in Montana were kicked out of their party for voting with Democrat colleagues across the aisle. Now, some of those lawmakers are talking to our Jo Ling Kent about why they did it and how they hope to set an example for the rest of the country. “Montana is often called ‘the last best place where life feels different.’ And this year, ‘different’ meant something rare: Republicans and Democrats voting together,” gushed correspondent Jo Ling Kent. “Nine Republican state senators voted with 18 Democrats to form a new majority to pass major legislation last session, undermining the influence of the ultra-conservative caucus of the Montana GOP … Safe to say it did not go over well.” Kent lamented, “The political punishment was swift. The nine senators were censured by their own party in April, stripped of their GOP status, and in June, cut off from voting rights at Republican Party conventions.”   CBS News finally finds Republicans they can tout. Of course, they're Republicans who decided to side with Democrats against the "ultra-conservative(s)": MICHAEL GEORGE: Well, look, it is no secret that political polarization is pretty much the norm these days with Republicans… pic.twitter.com/BasQnvneXd — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) December 29, 2025   Without going into any detail about the legislation that was passed by the “new majority,” and without any word from the opposition about what they had issues with, Kent partnered with the senators to boast about what was done (Click “expand”): KENT: What was at stake, senator? RUSS TEMPEL (R-state senator, MT): Things as far as I was concerned was the Medicaid expansion. Example, of one of the hospitals I work with, they work on a pretty small margin. KENT: Senator, what was at stake for you? DENLEY LOGE (R-state senator, MT): Medicaid reauthorization. I had two rural hospitals in my district. KENT: What would have happened if you had not been able to pass this legislation? LOGE: Well, you get people that will go to the Emergency Room, so we end up paying two and three times the cost as taxpayers. And if that happens, pretty soon the doors are going to close as well. KENT: In another bipartisan effort, the Senate approved a state trust to support housing, infrastructure, pensions and childcare. JOSH KASSMIER (R-state senator, MT): We're going to invest in dams, bridges. Kent even spoke with a couple of Montana Democrats who beamed about the Republicans (Click “expand”): CORA NEUMANN (D-state senator, MT): Americans need that right now. Just, don't look left, look right. Look ahead at the goal which is to serve our constituents. There's a lot of pain in Montana right now. KASSMIER: They want to see relief. They want to see their quality of life improve. LAURA SMITH (D-state senator, MT): I refuse to use the word bipartisan as a bad word. He might not vote for my bill, I might not vote for his, but we can both vote on it on behalf for constituents, you better bet we'll come together. NEUMANN: I like these guys. I can tell you that. “It is nice to see that unity in Montana certainly bucking the trend nationwide,” Kent proclaimed. While Kent was palling around with the Senator’s at one of their homes, she didn’t seem to do any in-person meetings with the Republicans they opposed. Instead, she just paraphrased from a statement and hyped a lawsuit against the party: And this story is not over yet. The Montana Republican Party chairman did confirm to us at CBS News the party no longer considers the Republicans that we interviewed to be members of their party. That has three of the nine Republican senators suing to regain their rights to vote at the Republican Party Convention in Montana. The so-called nasty nine says the punishment has been a distraction for what they call the GOP leadership's failure to deliver for Montana families, and they're committed, they say, to their conservative principles. And they’re just looking for some unity. Meanwhile, the left didn’t look too kindly on the Democratic U.S. Senators who crossed the aisle to join Republicans in ending the government shutdown just last month. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: CBS Mornings December 29, 2025 8:20:04 a.m. Eastern MICHAEL GEORGE: Well, look, it is no secret that political polarization is pretty much the norm these days with Republicans and Democrats not agreeing on much. Now, back in April, nine GOP state senators in Montana were kicked out of their party for voting with Democrat colleagues across the aisle. Now, some of those lawmakers are talking to our Jo Ling Kent about why they did it and how they hope to set an example for the rest of the country. [Cuts to video] JO LING KENT: Montana is often called “the last best place where life feels different.” And this year, “different” meant something rare: Republicans and Democrats voting together. JOSH KASSMIER (R-state senator, MT): I mean I would have worked with anybody if they had a solution. KENT: Nine Republican state senators voted with 18 Democrats to form a new majority to pass major legislation last session, undermining the influence of the ultra-conservative caucus of the Montana GOP. KASSMIER: We voted for lower income tax relief. We invested in infrastructure. We invested in the future of Montana. KENT: Safe to say it did not go over well. Y'all were called part of a nasty nine. KASSMIER: Yeah, that's right. DENLEY LOGE (R-state senator, MT): I say necessary nine. KENT: The political punishment was swift. The nine senators were censured by their own party in April, stripped of their GOP status, and in June cut off from voting rights at Republican Party conventions. BRUCE GILLESPIE (R-state senator, MT): It become more my way or the highway. KENT: What was at stake, senator? RUSS TEMPEL (R-state senator, MT): Things as far as I was concerned was the Medicaid expansion. Example, of one of the hospitals I work with, they work on a pretty small margin. KENT: Senator, what was at stake for you? LOGE: Medicaid reauthorization. I had two rural hospitals in my district. KENT: What would have happened if you had not been able to pass this legislation? LOGE: Well, you get people that will go to the Emergency Room, so we end up paying two and three times the cost as taxpayers. And if that happens, pretty soon the doors are going to close as well. KENT: In another bipartisan effort, the Senate approved a state trust to support housing, infrastructure, pensions and childcare. KASSMIER: We're going to invest in dams, bridges. LOGE: And preemptive repairs so that you don't come behind and have to pay a triple price to fix it. KENT: The state legislative session ended on April 30th. With lawmakers back home, Senator Bruce Gillespie hosted our interview on familiar ground, his family farm in Etheridge near the Canadian border. All four GOP Senators here are that connection to land and make their living in agriculture. Despite criticism from within their party, these Republican senators believe they still have hometown support. BUTCH GILLESPIE (R-state senator, MT): We've had a lot of thank yous. We've had a lot of, you know, atta boys, keep doing what you are doing. LOGE: I received a lot of e-mails and letters similar to this. KENT: So, what’s it say? Do you mind reading it to me? LOGE: I'll read it. Dear Danley, I'm so glad you stayed with your basic ethical beliefs. You have more fans than you know. KENT: Two Democrats who joined the nine Republicans say they all just focused on what was best for Montana. I mean, they've been called part of the nasty nine. You’re a Democrat. Are they nasty? LAURA SMITH (D-state senator, MT): No. We've had some epic, epic arguments. KASSMIER: We respect their opinion, they respect ours and we just move on, right? SMITH: And it doesn't change our party values. We always came back to the table. TEMEL: I mean if we weren't willing to sit down and talk we would have never accomplished half of what we did. CORA NEUMANN (D-state senator, MT): Americans need that right now. Just, don't look left, look right. Look ahead at the goal which is to serve our constituents. There's a lot of pain in Montana right now. KASSMIER: They want to see relief. They want to see their quality of life improve. SMITH: I refuse to use the word bipartisan as a bad word. He might not vote for my bill, I might not vote for his, but we can both vote on it on behalf for constituents, you better bet we'll come together. NEUMANN: I like these guys. I can tell you that. KENT: Do you like them back? KASSMIER: Oh, yeah. Like I said, I’m friends with them. I like them. I'm proud to call them friends. KENT: So, not the nasty nine after all? SMITH: No, they are not. [Cuts back to live] KENT: It is nice to see that unity in Montana certainly bucking the trend nationwide. And this story is not over yet. The Montana Republican Party chairman did confirm to us at CBS News the party no longer considers the Republicans that we interviewed to be members of their party. That has three of the nine Republican senators suing to regain their rights to vote at the Republican Party Convention in Montana. The so-called nasty nine says the punishment has been a distraction for what they call the GOP leadership's failure to deliver for Montana families, and they're committed, they say, to their conservative principles. And they’re just looking for some unity. Guys. VLADIMIR DUTHIERS: What a remarkable story. Jo Ling Kent, thank you very much. That was great.