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 this latest whirlwind 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 — here we go!

#1 - JD Vance Delivers Blistering Response to Historian on Ukraine That Has People Cheering — by Nick Arama

Finally, there's impetus for change and a real end to the conflict, one that puts our interests first but also is ultimately better for Europe. 

We went into this with Europe thinking back in 2018 that we should pay for their defense unequally with NATO, with them laughing at Trump when he criticized them for still buying oil from Russia. That's part of the reason that led to the invasion, along with the weakness and missteps of Biden. There are solutions, and the fact that the Trump team is seeking them doesn't mean they are appeasing Russia.

#2 - Trump Executive Order Wipes Out 90 Years of Practice and Permanently Changes the Executive Branch — by streiff

There are several legal fights underway as this over-arching order is issued. The White House is seeking to invalidate federal statutes that limit the ability of the president to fire any appointed officer for any reason: see Judge Orders Biden Appointee Fired by Trump Reinstated to Office – RedState and  Trump Sends Scorching Appeal of DC Court Order Reinstating Biden Appointee to the Supreme Court – RedState.

If this order sticks, Trump has permanently and fundamentally changed the Executive Branch, as it has existed since 1935, in less than a month.

#3 - WATCH: Shock Video of CRJ Crash in Toronto Released, Reveals a Ton About What Happened

How did this happen? That's going to be something the NTSB dives into. Causes could range from pilot error over a variety of matters to some kind of unforeseen mechanical issue that didn't emerge until they were meant to flare the aircraft. Many have mentioned the wind, though that will likely still end up logged under pilot error. If you've ever followed NTSB reports, there aren't many things pilots are allowed to use as an excuse for crashing, and if wind shear is experienced, an immediate go-around is the required action. No go-around was even attempted in this case. 

We'll see where this leads, though. The cause could end up being something none of us are thinking about, and the NTSB are magicians when it comes to figuring this stuff out. Given the breadth of data they'll have to work with, I don't think they'll have any issues with this case.

#4 - Laugh It Up, Funny Boy: Germans Who Laughed at Trump Over Russia Are Weeping Bitter Tears of Regret — by streiff

Naturally, the low-T crowd went wild when he broke down into a blubbering mess because it was a metaphor for the state of Europe.

While you try to look away when a grown man is humiliating himself, this time, it is appropriate to point and snicker. Back in 2018, Heusgen was one of the clutch of German politicians laughing at President Trump as he warned them of the danger of sole dependence upon Russian natural gas for their energy.

#5 - '60 Minutes' Airs an All-Timer, and the Depths They Sink to Will Blow Your Mind — by Bonchie

In broad terms, I don't think trying to make overpaid government bureaucrats who spent their time dolling out taxpayer money to foreign entities into victims is going to be very effective. Did "60 Minutes" run segments shedding tears for the people who lost their jobs when the same bureaucratic state pushed for the shutting down of the country for COVID-19? Or what about the workers who were left hanging when former President Joe Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline? I could spend all day listing examples. 

Now, are you ready for the big twist? In the same episode "60 Minutes" lauded anti-free speech laws in Germany under the guise of policing "disinformation," it turns out they lied about who Drye and Dubard were. It turns out both were not actual USAID employees by contracted consultants, with one being a speechwriter for Samantha Power, the politically appointed head of the agency during the Biden administration.