The Common Ills: The Snapshot

Thursday, November 13, 2025

The Snapshot

Thursday, November 13, 2025. Donald Chump knew. Let that register. And Donald Chump celebrated the 2017 holidays with . . . Jeffrey Epstein. So many thing emerging.

Adelita Grijalva, let's start with her. Yesterday, she was finally sworn in.

Finally? Annie Grayer (CNN) notes:

After 50 days of waiting, Rep. Adelita Grijalva was sworn into Congress Wednesday, bringing an end to a contentious chapter in the US House of Representatives that included a lawsuit and rising tensions inside the Capitol over her seating.

[. . .]

“It has been 50 days since the people of Arizona’s 7th Congressional District elected me to represent them,” Grijalva said on Wednesday. “This is an abuse of power. One individual should not be able to unilaterally obstruct the swearing in of a duly elected member of Congress for a political reason.”

Immediately after being sworn in, Grijalva become the decisive 218th member in support of an effort to force the House to vote on the release of all of the Jeffrey Epstein case files, an issue that has roiled the House and sparked division among Republicans. Hours before her signature advanced the effort forward, top Trump administration officials met with at least one Republican who had also signed onto the petition.

That was late in the day yesterday. A lot happened yesterday so let's go chronological for a bit and we'll mix in some videos with it. .

Chris Brennan, (USA TODAY) observed early yesterday:

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to finally get back to work on Nov. 12 after shutting down his chamber in mid-September to avoid negotiating with Democrats on a solution to end the government shutdown.

But Johnson's recalcitrance about actually governing has been linked a secondary motivation – protecting President Donald Trump from the Epstein files, a seedy, secret dossier about his old bon vivant buddy, the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in federal prison in 2019.

Johnson has stalled for seven weeks swearing in Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat who won a Sept. 23 special election to represent her state's 7th Congressional District.

Grijalva told me on Nov. 11 that she still hasn't heard from Johnson, who is convening a House session at noon on Nov. 12. But her team told me staffers for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, informed them that she is expected to be sworn in when the session starts.

That's bad news for Trump, and Johnson can no longer help him dodge it.

Grijalva has pledged to provide the final signature needed on a discharge petition that would force the House to vote on bipartisan pending legislation that calls on the U.S. Department of Justice to release its files on Epstein and his accomplice, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

Joe Light (BARRON'S) added:

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R., La.) is set to swear in Arizona Democrat Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva at 2 pm in Washington on Wednesday. Grijalva is succeeding her father, Raul Grijalva, who died in March. She has waited 50 days to be sworn in since her election in September.

Grijalva is expected to provide the decisive signature on a discharge petition to force a floor vote demanding that the Justice Department release its files on deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Johnson has said he delayed Grijalva’s swearing-in because the House was out of session during the government shutdown, which is expected to end as soon as Wednesday.

There is no masking this. Speaker of the Closet Mike Johnson spent fifty days refusing to seat Grijalva because he doesn't want a House vote on the Epstein files. This was not about helping the American people. This was about Johnson trying to protect Donald Chump.

Prior to Grijalva being sworn in, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee issued the following press release:

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Oversight Democrats and Ranking Member Robert Garcia released never-before-seen emails from the latest production from Jeffrey Epstein’s Estate, striking a blow against the White House’s Epstein cover-up. In private correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein wrote in 2011 that Donald Trump, “spent hours at my house” with a victim of sex trafficking, referring to Trump as “dog that hasn’t barked.” In a separate email with author Michael Wolff in 2019, Epstein stated explicitly that Donald Trump, “knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop.” In another email with Wolff in 2015, Epstein and Wolff discuss if they can “craft an answer” for Trump’s upcoming CNN interview, with Wolff characterizing Epstein’s leverage over Donald Trump, saying, “If he says he hasn’t been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency.” The Epstein Estate released a total of 23,000 documents that the Oversight Committee is currently reviewing.

“The more Donald Trump tries to cover up the Epstein files, the more we uncover. These latest emails and correspondence raise glaring questions about what else the White House is hiding and the nature of the relationship between Epstein and the President,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia. “The Department of Justice must fully release the Epstein files to the public immediately. The Oversight Committee will continue pushing for answers and will not stop until we get justice for the victims.”

The three emails from the production can be found below and here.

Email #1

Email #1 is direct correspondence between Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

The correspondence reads:

To: Ghislaine Maxwell

From: Jeffrey Epstein

“I want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is trump.. [Victim] spent hours at my house with him ,, he has never once been mentioned. Police chief. etc. im 75 % there

To: Jeffrey Epstein

From: Ghislaine Maxwell

“I have been thinking about that…”

Email #2

Email #2 is direct correspondence between Jeffrey Epstein and Michael Wolff.

The correspondence reads:

To: Michael Wolf

From: Jeffrey Epstein

“[Victim] mara lago. [identifier]. Trump said he asked me to resign, never a member ever. Of course he knew about the girls as he asked ghislaine to stop”

Email #3

Email #3 is direct correspondence between Jeffrey Epstein and Michael Wolff.

The correspondence reads:

To: Jeffrey Epstein

From: Michael Wolff

“I hear CNN planning to ask Trump tonight about his relationship with you--either on air or in scrum afterwards.

To: Michael Wolff

From: Jeffrey Epstein

“if we were able to craft an answer for him, what do you think it should be?”

To: Jeffrey Epstein

From: Michael Wolff

“I think you should let him hang himself. If he says he hasn't been on the plane or to the house, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency. You can hang him in a way that potentially generates a positive benefit for you, or, if it really looks like he could win, you could save him, generating a debt. Of course, it is possible that, when asked, he'll say Jeffrey is a great guy and has gotten a raw deal and is a victim of political correctness, which is to be outlawed in a Trump regime.”

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Republicans on the House Oversight Committee responded by finally releasing some documents of their own. Glenn Thursh (NEW YORK TIMES) reports:

House Republicans on Wednesday released a titanic trove of 23,000 pages of documents from the estate of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein after months of delays — shortly after emails surfaced suggesting that President Trump knew more about Mr. Epstein’s sex trafficking than he has previously acknowledged.

The documents were obtained by the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Representative James Comer, through a subpoena in August. They were published online about two hours after House Democrats released an email from Mr. Epstein in which he wrote that Mr. Trump “spent hours at my house” with one of Mr. Epstein’s victims.

House Republicans are walking a thin and perilous political line in the Epstein case.

They are seeking to protect Mr. Trump, Mr. Epstein’s close friend until the two men had a falling out. But they have their own political flank to cover by appeasing a restive party base that has demanded complete disclosure of Mr. Epstein’s interactions with other powerful men — an issue that has at times transcended loyalty to the president.

The release of documents appears to be intended to provide Republicans with a defense against charges that they have not released all of the government’s files on Mr. Epstein, his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and the federal government’s handling of both of their cases.

How serious is it? Very serious. Lesley Abravanel reports:

As explosive emails emerged Wednesday from late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, CNN reports that top officials in President Donald Trump's administration were setting a meeting to discuss a petition in the House of Representatives that would force a vote on releasing Justice Department case files as soon as the government reopens.

That meeting was to include Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), who has wanted the DOJ to release the files and has signed onto the House's effort to force the vote compelling their release.

While CNN can't confirm whether or not the meeting has taken place, they note that "intention of a meeting underscores the Trump administration’s concerns around the Epstein saga, which roared back Wednesday morning when the House Oversight Committee released more documents it had obtained from Epstein’s estate."

They are in damage control mode attempting to peel off votes. Why? Because they're scared about all that could come out.

What else could come out?

For the fifth time this week, we're noting this very important MEIDASTOUCH NEWS video report.

This is much, much worse than most people thought. That's why the administration is going nuts trying to get people to remove their signatures from the measure to force a vote. ABC NEWS' Katherine Faulders reports:

Top administration officials met with Rep. Lauren Boebert Wednesday morning about the effort to force a House vote on the release of Justice Department's Epstein files, multiple sources told ABC News.

The meeting, with top White House and Justice Department officials, was part of an effort to get Boebert to remove her name from the petition to release the files, the sources said.

It came just hours before House Speaker Mike Johnson was to swear in Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva, who has said she intends to add the final signature to that petition to force a vote on the release of the files.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy AG Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel were among those present for the meeting, which occurred at the White House, the sources said.

To all those who scoffed at the notion that (a) there was something to hide and (b) that Mike Johnson refused to allow the House to remain in session because he didn't want a vote on Epstein, you might need to turn in your deck of tarot cards because they are clearly no longer working.

Ted Johnson (DEADLINE) notes:

Donald Trump has weighed in on Wednesday’s release of emails in which Jeffrey Epstein claimed that Trump “knew about the girls” and spent “hours” at his house with one of Epstein’s victims.

Trump wrote on Truth Social, “The Democrats are trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax again because they'll do anything at all to deflect on how badly they've done on the Shutdown, and so many other subjects. Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap.”

He also called on Republicans to avoid talking about Epstein

The backlash intensified after a series of high-profile ICE operations in sanctuary cities, which Democratic leaders condemned as fearmongering ahead of midterm elections. Administration officials described the historical analogies as baseless and divisive.

Trump said, “Look, they call me a Nazi all the time. I’m not a Nazi, I’m the opposite. I’m somebody that’s saving our country. But they call me Nazi.”

As Marcia noted last night in "Kim Davis and other Nazis," people who are not Nazis don't have to spend time denying that they're not Nazis.

Instead of releasing the files, Chump and his administration are trying to derail the Congressional effort to release the files. What's Fatty Chump hiding?

Travis Gettys (RAW STORY) reports:

President Donald Trump's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continued into his first term in the White House, so much so that Epstein spent Thanksgiving with Trump while the president was in office, according to newly released emails written by the late financier.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a new batch of emails Wednesday obtained from Epstein's estate, followed by the Republican-led panel's release of 20,000 additional documents, and one of those exchanges shows that he claims to have spent Thanksgiving 2017 – Trump's first as president – at his private Mar-a-Lago resort.

Epstein exchanged emails on Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 23, 2017, with Manhattan modeling management guru Faith Kates, who asked where he was spending the holiday.

If you've forgotten the lie, it has been stated that Chump broke off contact with Epstein in the '00s -- some saying 2004 and some saying 2006. 2017? That's a decade later and two years before Epstein died. The friendship clearly continued. How many US presidents do you think have dinners with convicted sex offenders?

At THE AMERICAN PROPSECT, Ryan Cooper writes:

Well, now we have it. On Wednesday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released another batch of documents related to notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Among them were several emails about Donald Trump. One was from Epstein to his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell back in 2011. He wrote: “i want you to realize that that dog that hasn’t barked is trump.. [victim] spent hours at my house with him ,, he has never once been mentioned. police chief. etc. im 75 % there[.]” (Excuse the spelling and grammar errors, that’s all Jeffrey.)

By now, we’re all familiar with what “spent hours” meant in the context of rich, powerful men and Epstein’s victims—particularly given the reference to ‘barking,’ which has to mean going to prosecutors or the media.

Cooper also pulls from TAP's previous Epstein coverage to note these ten stnd out pieces:

1992: Trump and Epstein are filmed partying together with young cheerleaders at Mar-a-Lago.
2002: Trump tells New York magazine: “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy … He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
2003: As part of an incredibly revolting book celebrating Epstein’s 50th birthday, Trump sends a birthday note with a hand-drawn note of a pubescent, nude female form, and a poem reading in part: “Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that? … A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
2008: Epstein is finally investigated for sexual abuse of minors. Then-U.S. attorney Alex Acosta grants Epstein one of the most bizarre sweetheart deals in American legal history, in which Epstein not only secretly pled to a much lesser charge of soliciting an underage prostitute, but also got all his unnamed accomplices immunized forever.
2011: Epstein sends the above email.
2016: Epstein claims in another email that he is hanging out in Trump Tower a week after the election.
2017: Trump nominates Acosta, who has no relevant experience, to run the Department of Labor, which he does until 2019.
2019: Epstein is finally indicted for sexual abuse. A few months later, he apparently commits suicide under the most suspicious circumstances imaginable.
2022: Maxwell is convicted of conspiring with Epstein to abuse children, and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
2025: Trump, back in office, fires the prosecutor who successfully prosecuted Epstein. His lawyers have a meeting with Maxwell. She subsequently says that Trump definitely didn’t do anything wrong, and then she is transferred to apparently the cushiest prison cell in the Western Hemisphere, according to a recent whistleblower report, which includes a service puppy.

Let's wind down with this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:

Rollbacks include a rule that would have ensured workers with disabilities are paid competitive wages

Trump admin’s FY26 budget proposes a complete elimination of team that ensures compliance with disability protections

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — In a new letter, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), along with Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Chair of the Bipartisan Disability Caucus, and Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.) led 56 members of Congress in pressing Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer about the Department of Labor’s (DOL) dismantling of key disability employment protections. Secretary DeRemer’s rollbacks include regulations that prohibit discrimination by federal contractors, a proposed rule that would have ensured competitive wages for disabled workers, and funding to teams that enforce labor protections.

“(Y)our actions as Secretary of Labor represent the most significant retreat from opportunities for workers with disabilities and federal disability rights enforcement in decades,” wrote the members.

In July, Secretary DeRemer proposed a rule that would eliminate directives from Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, including hiring goals for federal contractors and data collection requirements to monitor compliance with disability employment objectives.

“This provision serves as a cornerstone of federal efforts to promote disability employment in the private sector…Without concerted action, a growing number of disabled people would be shut out of the workforce and increasingly reliant on social safety net programs,” said the members.

Eliminating data collection and measurable targets means there would be no accountability mechanisms to ensure private companies are complying with the law. This policy reversal would also run counter to the Trump administration’s goal of reducing government dependency and promoting workforce participation, and would likely reduce employment opportunities for disabled workers, increasing their reliance on government benefits.

Secretary DeRemer has also laid off nearly 90 percent of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, leaving only 50 employees to process thousands of federal contractor audits that affect millions of workers. President Trump’s FY26 budget proposes getting rid of the office entirely.

President Trump’s FY26 budget also proposes cutting the Office of Disability Employment’s budget by more than 20 percent.

“By cutting this office’s funding, your administration is decreasing the federal government’s leadership role in promoting competitive integrated employment at a time when such coordination is most needed,” wrote the lawmakers.

Secretary DeRemer is also undermining workers with disabilities’ fight for competitive wages. The Biden administration had proposed phasing out 14(c) certificates, which are waivers allowing employers to pay a wage lower than the federal minimum wage to workers with disabilities. In July, Secretary DeRemer abandoned this proposal, and the DOL continues to issue the certificates.

“This exploitative practice undermines the dignity and economic security of people with disabilities while creating perverse incentives for employers to segregate disabled workers in sheltered workshops, where most employees are people with disabilities,” said the lawmakers.

In July, the DOL also proposed eliminating equal opportunity regulations in registered apprenticeships, which combine paid job training with technical instruction, providing clear pathways to employment. Data shows that workers who completed apprenticeships saw a 49 percent increase in their earnings.

“The disability community deserves leadership that expands employment opportunities…you have instead continued a systematic dismantling of decades of bipartisan progress that has measurably improved employment opportunities and quality of life for millions of Americans with disabilities,” concluded the lawmakers.

The coalition asked Secretary De-Remer to provide clarity by December 11, 2025 on her decisions to eliminate the above protections and how the department plans to fulfill its legal obligations to workers with disabilities without those regulations.

Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) joined in signing the letter.

Representatives Alma Adams (D-N.C.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Donald Beyer (D-Va.), Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Cleo Fields (D-La.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), Bill Keating (D-Mass.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), John Mannion (D-N.Y.), Sarah McBride (D-Del.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Emily Randall (D-Wash.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) joined in signing the letter.

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Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Cupid Killer Kim Davis" went up last night. The following sites updated: