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Constellation Announcer
At Constellation, we bring the energy powering America's growing economy every minute, every day. As the nation's largest producer of clean and reliable American made energy, Constellation is wherever you are.
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Hannah Jewell
Hey, it's Hannah. A quick thing before we get started today. The Seven is celebrating its fourth birthday this month and September is almost over. But we have a gift for you, a special offer on a premium Washington Post subscription. You can get one for $3 every four weeks or $33 for the first year. That's billed as $3 every four weeks for the first year, then $17 every four weeks thereafter. You can cancel anytime. To take advantage of this special offer, go to washingtonpost.com the seven. That's the number seven. This is a great deal for listeners and readers of THE Seven. And it comes with three extra accounts you can share with friends and family. Now let's get to the news. At least four people died in an attack at a Mormon church in Michigan. That's where we're starting the seven. From the Washington Post, I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Monday, September 29th. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories. Yesterday morning, a gunman rammed a truck into a Mormon church in Grand Blanc, Michigan. According to authorities, he opened fire and deliberately set the church ablaze. The building was packed with worshippers at the time of the attack. Ten gunshot victims were sent to hospitals and at least four people have died. More victims could be found as authorities continue to search through the rubble from the fire. Grand Blank Township Police Chief William Renney praised what he called the heroism of those who were in the church.
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William Renney
They were shielding the children who were also present within the church, moving them to safety. But just hundreds of people just practicing their faith. Just extreme courage, brave. And that's the type of community that we are.
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Hannah Jewell
The gunman has been identified as 40 year old Thomas Jacob Sanford. He was killed by police in the attack. The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of targeted violence, but it has not identified a motive. Congress has just days to avert a federal government shutdown. That's number two. At one minute past midnight on Wednesday, spending laws will expire. At that point, the US Government will become a bare bones operation unless Congress can pass a funding bill to keep it open. And that's a big unless. Things aren't looking great so far. The Senate is set to vote on two proposals tomorrow, but neither one is expected to get enough votes. And both political parties are blaming the other for lawmakers failure to keep the government funded. A key sticking point has been Obamacare. Democrats have said they will agree to a Republican proposed short term funding extension if it includes some of their priorities, and that is a big if. Democrats want a reversal to Republican cuts to Medicaid and a permanent extension of subsidies for people receiving health care on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. President Trump is set to meet with congressional leaders from both parties later today. Number three, President Trump plans to attend a gathering of top generals. Last week I told you about a surprise urgent meeting called by Defense Secretary Pete Hexseth. He summoned hundreds of generals from around the world to Quantico, Virginia, on short notice. The meeting is set for tomorrow and its purpose remains a little mysterious. The Post has heard from multiple sources that the plan is for Hegseth to make a short speech on military standards and the warrior ethos. But the meeting comes in the wake of Hegseth's firing of numerous senior military officers without cause. So Pentagon staffers are worried. And yesterday President Trump said he will also attend the gathering. He described it as a kind of pep talk, but his presence is adding new security concerns to the massive and nearly unprecedented military event.
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William Renney
Foreign.
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Hannah Jewell
Hegseth also makes an appearance in our fourth story today. Oregon sued the Trump administration over an order to deploy troops to Portland. Yesterday, Hexseth ordered the deployment of 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland for 60 days. On Saturday, President Trump had described Portland as war ravaged. Residents disagreed with that characterization. The move follows an executive order from Trump which directs the nation's full counter terrorism apparatus against domestic political opponents. That's despite a long precedent restricting such a move. Yesterday, Oregon filed a lawsuit seeking to block the deployment. Here's Governor Tina Kotek speaking to reporters.
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Tina Kotek
Any Any federal takeover with military troops in our state is a threat to communities across Oregon. It violates our right to govern ourselves. It interferes with local law enforcement's ability to fulfill their mission and frankly, it drains taxpayer resources that could be better spent elsewhere.
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Hannah Jewell
Oregon's lawsuit described Trump's move as the unlawful federalization of the National Guard. The Trump administration has a new proposal for ending the war in Gaza. That's number five. The Post obtained a copy of the administration's new 21 point plan. It calls for an immediate end to all military operations, a freezing of battle lines and the release of Israeli hostages. It calls for the disarming of Hamas and leaves the door open for a future Palestinian state. It also envisions an international security force and a Trump development plan to rebuild the shattered territory. It specifies that no Gazans would be compelled to leave the territory and that anyone who does would be entitled to return. Neither side has agreed to this plan, but Trump is expected to press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept it at a meeting today at the White House. Tropical Storm Imelda will bring rain and wind to the southeast this week. That's number six. Big waves and rip currents will hit areas from eastern Florida to southern Virginia this week because of the storm, which formed yesterday. But things could have been much, much worse. That's thanks to another storm, Hurricane Humberto, which is expected to pull Storm Imelda away from the U.S. that means we should avoid catastrophic flooding. But predicting storms like these is getting more and more difficult for National Weather Service staff. Some are working double shifts to keep their offices open after Trump administration cuts. Almost 600 workers have left through firings, resignations or retirement that has pushed the agency to its limits. And at number seven, Bad Bunny will headline the 2026 Super bowl halftime show. The Puerto Rican rapper and singer was revealed as the headliner during halftime of last night's game between the Green Bay packers and Dallas Cowboys. He helped break the news with a video on social media. He doesn't say anything in it, he just looks dreamy on a beach. In a statement though, he told fans to tell their grandmothers about the performance, which is expected to celebrate his culture and history. Super Bowl 60 takes place in the San Francisco Bay Area on February 8th, and this show might be Bad Bunny's only performance in the states next year. The three time Grammy winner has raised concerns about fears of immigration crackdowns at concerts in America, but he will be touring the rest of the world. So if you can't make it to the super bowl, you'll have to travel outside the country to see him live. Alright, you're all caught up. But don't forget that birthday sale I told you about at the top of the show. Find the details@washingtonpost.com the seven that's the number seven. I'm Hannah Jewell. I'll meet you back here tomorrow.
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Constellation Announcer
At Constellation we bring the energy powering America's growing economy every minute, every day. As the nation's largest producer of clean and reliable American made energy, the Constellation is wherever you are.