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NEWS: Mike Johnson Delays Swearing in Congresswoman So Democrats Don't Get Epstein Signatures
Good morning everyone. I hope you had a great Friday evening.
This morning, I bring you the story I’ve been covering for months: the Epstein Files. Speaker Mike Johnson is delaying the swearing-in of Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva to buy time to pressure Republicans who signed the discharge petition to release the Epstein Files into removing their signatures. He is stalling democracy to keep the truth hidden.
Meanwhile, federal employees are “terrified” as the White House vows to impose “maximum pain” during a looming government shutdown. This is what unchecked power looks like.
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With that, here’s what you missed:
House Speaker Mike Johnson is refusing to swear in Rep.-Elect Adelita Grijalva, who won Arizona’s 7th Congressional District by a 40-point margin and whose victory has already been certified by the state’s Secretary of State, in order to prevent her from becoming the decisive 218th signature on a bipartisan discharge petition to force a House vote on releasing the Epstein files.
Johnson claims he is waiting for “official results,” even though he swore in Democrat James Walkinshaw of Virginia within 24 hours of his race being called just two weeks earlier with only unofficial results. Grijalva, who has pledged along with Walkinshaw to sign the petition authored by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, has criticized the double standard and suggested Johnson’s move is politically motivated to block transparency. Massie himself has warned that attempts to obstruct the petition would amount to a coverup.
Epstein survivor Jess Michaels is urging lawmakers to release the Epstein files, saying authorities have ignored her and dozens of other victims’ testimonies, and calling on Congress to “seek the truth” and deliver long-denied accountability for Epstein’s trafficking network.
The US government faces a shutdown on 1 October if Congress fails to pass a funding deal, and unlike past shutdowns, the White House has directed agencies to prepare for permanent mass layoffs in programs that lose funding, raising the stakes and making this year’s threat far more serious.
Federal workers across multiple agencies are gripped by fear and uncertainty as the Trump White House threatens to use a looming government shutdown as a vehicle for mass layoffs, directing agencies to “use this opportunity” to cut programs not aligned with Trump’s priorities. Employees describe being “terrified,” “disoriented,” and unsure if they will be furloughed or permanently terminated, while unions warn of service disruptions at agencies like the IRS, FAA, and VA.
Defense Secretary WHISKEY Pete Hegseth has ordered as many as 800 generals and admirals to Washington on short notice for an unprecedented meeting at Quantico, alarming military officials and lawmakers over cost, security, and the risks of pulling top commanders from their posts. While Hegseth plans to showcase Pentagon “accomplishments” and outline a new defense strategy prioritizing homeland security, critics warn the gathering is as much about optics for Hegseth’s image as it is about policy, and fear it could also be used to justify sudden removals of senior officers amid ongoing cuts.
The US has revoked Colombian president Gustavo Petro’s visa after he joined a pro-Palestinian protest in New York and urged US soldiers to defy Trump’s orders, with the State Department condemning his remarks as “incendiary” and “reckless.”
The US State Department has appointed a dedicated official to handle the case of Mohammed Ibrahim, a 16-year-old American-Palestinian detained for over seven months in an Israeli military prison, as his family and lawmakers intensify calls for his release amid allegations of double standards and human rights violations.
External power to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been cut for more than three days, forcing reliance on emergency generators and sparking safety fears, with Ukrainian officials warning Moscow may be manufacturing a crisis to tighten control and potentially restart reactors despite wartime risks.
Immigrants held at the newly reopened California City detention center, now the state’s largest ICE facility, describe it as “hell on earth,” citing filthy cells, untreated medical problems, and abusive conditions, though operator CoreCivic denies the allegations.
Lorenz Kraus, 53, has been charged with murdering his elderly parents after confessing in a TV interview that he killed them years ago as an “act of mercy” and buried their bodies in the backyard of their Albany, New York home, where police recently recovered the remains.
In Narva, Estonia’s border city with a 98% Russian-speaking population, upcoming mayoral elections are unfolding against heightened tensions with Moscow, including recent Russian fighter jet incursions, sparking debate over building a military base and raising fears that populist candidates could exploit security anxieties and divisions.
Denmark reported renewed drone activity over key military facilities including Skrydstrup Air Base and the Jutland Dragoon Regiment, following earlier flyovers that temporarily shut down airports, raising regional security concerns amid suspected Russian aggression; authorities are boosting defenses with Swedish anti-drone support and coordination with Germany.
At the U.N. General Assembly, the U.S. rejected calls for international AI oversight, with Trump officials insisting that governance should remain with sovereign nations, not global bodies, even as the U.N. launched its first Global Dialogue on AI Governance; the stance clashed with leaders from China, Spain, and others who argue only multilateral frameworks can address AI’s risks and opportunities.
See you this evening.
— Aaron
