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On this vote, the yeas are 427. The nays are 1.
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A bill to release the Epstein files is one step closer to the president's desk. That's where we're starting the seven. From the Washington Post, I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Wednesday, November 19th. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories. The House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill to force the Justice Department to release files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It wasn't a close vote, as you just heard. And in light of the overwhelming support in the House, the Senate agreed to deem the legislation passed as soon as it arrives from the House. After that, the bill heads to President Trump, who has said he will sign it. After weeks of resistance. Yesterday, about a dozen accusers of Jeffrey Epstein held a news conference outside the Capitol. Haley Robson was one of them. She addressed the president.
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And to the President of the United States of America, who is not here today, I want to send a clear message to you. While I do understand that your position has changed on the Epstein files and I'm grateful that you have pledged to sign this bill, I can't help to be skeptical of what the agenda is. So with that being said, I want to relay this message to you. I am traumatized. I am not stupid. I am traumatized. I am not stupid.
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If and when Trump signs the bill, a bulk release of the files may not be imminent. The bill gives the Justice Department a few exceptions under which it can refuse to release material, for example, if it would jeopardize an active federal investigation. On Friday, Trump ordered his attorney general to launch a new federal investigation related to Epstein, one that's focused entirely on Democrats. President Trump defended the Saudi crown prince over the killing of Post opinion columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The that's number two. Yesterday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made his first visit to Washington, D.C. since the murder of Khashoggi in 2018. This is what Trump said in the Oval Office when a reporter questioned him and Muhammad about that killing.
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As far as this gentleman is concerned, he's done a phenomenal job. You're mentioning somebody that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen, but he knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that. You don't have to embarrass our guests by asking a question like that.
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The first gentleman Trump was referring to there was Mohammed. The second was Khashoggi. Trump's assertion that he did not hold the Saudi leader responsible for the murder contradicts a U.S. intelligence report that concluded the opposite. And his dismissive language offered the highest level confirmation yet that Muhammad will face few consequences for the killing. Number three the Trump administration said it will dismantle parts of the Education Department. President Trump campaigned on a promise to shut down the Department of Education. In March, he signed an executive order seeking its elimination. But only Congress can entirely eliminate the department, so Trump officials have instead vowed to work to dismantle it from within. Yesterday, officials said they will move some key offices to other federal agencies, including one that administers $28 billion in grants to K12 schools and $3.1 billion for programs to help students finish college. Public education advocates were furious about the moves, warning they would threaten the protections and services that students need. Number four Israeli settlers are ramping up their attacks in the West Bank, a recent surge in settler violence has swept the larger of the two Palestinian territories. Masked gangs have rampaged through Palestinian villages, beating residents, torching a mosque and assaulting and injuring Israeli security forces. They also targeted the annual olive harvest. The attacks have underscored the extent to which the Israeli government has allowed Jewish settlers to operate with impunity. Current and former members of Israel's political and security elite have blamed their government for enacting policies they said either encourage settler viol or allowed it to flourish. Number 5 the number of pedestrians killed by vehicles in the US is rising. As pedestrian fatalities have declined in other developed countries, they have risen. In the U.S. a Post investigation found that between 2010 and 2023, yearly deaths caused by cars and trucks striking pedestrians rose 70%. The data shows that these deaths are not distributed evenly around the country. Instead, certain areas and kinds of roads are hotspots for fatalities. The largest clusters of deaths occur on thoroughfares that cut through economically distressed neighborhoods. In our newsletter today, you can look up whether you live near a danger zone. Find a link to that in our show. Notes One of America's most dangerous volcanoes will soon power homes. That's number six. In Oregon, engineers are busy working on building the hottest geothermal power plant on Earth. It will tap into the energy of the Newberry Volcano, and next year the electricity it produces will be sold to nearby homes and businesses. Techniques used on the Newberry Volcano project could help make geothermal energy cheaper and more widely available without the pollution of fossil fuels or the variability of renewables. Today, geothermal produces less than 1% of the world's electricity, but the International Energy Agency says technical advances could boost that figure to 8% by 2050. And at number seven, I was shocked by this headline. Phone and computer time may actually be good for the aging brain. This idea may go against every instinct and assumption in your body, but it's backed up by science. Researchers took a close look at 57 different studies. They found that more use of everyday digital technologies such as computers, smartphones and the Internet was associated with a 58% lower risk of cognitive impairment in people older than 50. If you're over 50, do not take this story as an excuse to spend the day yelling at your family on Facebook. This research didn't prove cause and effect, and there are still risks to seniors online like exposure to financial scams and misinformation, not to mention AI videos. But if you're using tech to challenge your brain and connect with others, have fun out there. Alright, you're all caught up. If you are a devoted daily listener, and I hope you are, you probably noticed it took a lot longer than usual to get our show out into the world yesterday. We are experiencing what can only be described as a funky tech problem. Thank you for your patience while we work it all out. The good news is the newsletter version of the Seven is not being stalked by gremlins this week. Just search for the 7 Morning Briefing to sign up. It's free. I'm Hannah Jewell. I'll meet you back here tomorrow.
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