Good morning, and welcome to RedState's "Morning Minute" — a brief glimpse at which stories are trending at the moment and a look ahead at what the day may bring. Consider this your one-stop shop for news to kickstart your day. 

TOP O' THE MORNIN'

JD Vance Responds to Walz's Debate Challenge, Nukes Kamala's 'Vibe' Campaign

I’d be surprised if the Ohio senator doesn’t wipe the floor with the Marxist Minnesota governor on October 1 or whenever a debate is officially scheduled.

Elon Musk Trolls the Left With Video of Him and Trump

But unlike the fake "joy" that the media is trying to hype with Kamala, this captures the real fun when you know you are standing up for the country.

Special Forces Soldier Who Shot Chechen Illegal Won't Be Charged; Details Reveal Tom Clancy-Like Scene

Sending employees out to survey at dusk, without any type of identifying information, without notifying homeowners beforehand, and without proper clothing and footwear sure seems like a bad and dangerous way to do business.

WHAT'S ON TAP?

Today on Capitol Hill...

Summer snoozefest rolls on. It looks like New Jersey will soon have a new, non-convicted Senator: Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is set to appoint George Helmy, his former chief of staff, to fill the seat that Bob Menendez is about to vacate. 

White House What's Up

Another quiet day for President Joe Biden, as well. Aside from his Daily Brief, the only thing on the schedule is a brief jaunt to Prince George's County, Maryland, to deliver remarks on everything he's doing (wink, wink) to lower costs for the American people. 

The Homestretch

Oh — and Biden will be joined by Vice President Kamala Harris at that event in Maryland. (No daylight between them, remember.) She's set to speak, too. 

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her running mate, will be in Newport, Rhode Island, for a fundraiser.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump will hold yet another Thursday press conference, this one in Bedminster, New Jersey, at his golf resort. 

His running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), will be campaigning in western Pennsylvania. 

MORNING MUSING

Mother Nature has been showing off quite a bit lately. Monday evening, there were some fantastic auroras to see in much of the northern U.S. Then Wednesday, the mothership of all motherships put on a show in Kansas. Taking a break from political musings today just to share some of the fantastic images I've seen capturing these events. 

The intense colors of the G4 storm on Monday (G3 at night here in NA) were thanks to the persistent high density of the CME smoothie, sitting between 20-40 pp/cc! The reds were so vibrant that they completely demolished the white balance I had. pic.twitter.com/kyf3iTVdm1

— Landon Moeller (@landon_wx) August 15, 2024

Kansas has done it again pic.twitter.com/8mAxJl9oqb

— Ben Williams (@ben_williams_wx) August 15, 2024

OH. MY. GOD. pic.twitter.com/ahLdZwUteh

— EdwinWX (@Edwin_SextonWx) August 15, 2024

LIGHTER FARE 

There's something about Brit humor I find endearing...

British graffiti at its very best. pic.twitter.com/YsdFbFMtru

— No Context Brits (@NoContextBrits) August 14, 2024