A 'hot take' is a published reaction or analysis of a recent news event that doesn't offer much in the way of deep reflection.
Loosely speaking, a hot take is a published reaction or analysis of a recent news event that, often because of its time-sensitive nature, doesn't offer much in the way of deep reflection. It's sort of like a batch of brownies from the oven—ideally, you ought to let them cool a bit before you serve them, but you just can't help yourself.
It's not a stretch to see where hot take comes from. We define take (sense 5) as "a distinct or personal point of view, outlook, or assessment ."
The most relevant sense of hot is likely that found at 6a : "of intense and immediate interest "
