By STEPHEN GROVES, MATT BROWN and JOEY CAPPELLETTI

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is heading towards a vote on a bill to force the Justice Department to release the case files it has collected on the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, pushing past a monthslong effort by President Donald Trump and Republican leaders to stymie the effort.

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The push for more disclosure in the years-old sex trafficking investigation into Epstein has come roaring back since the House returned to Washington after a nearly two-month absence during the government shutdown. As lawmakers returned last week, they were greeted by new details from a tranche of Epstein’s emails, including claims that Trump had “spent hours” at Epstein’s house with a sex trafficking victim and that he “knew about the girls.”

The new revelations and the coming vote showed one of the rare instances where Trump has not been able to exhibit almost total control over his party.

Yet the sex trafficking case into Epstein has only grown in political influence since Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial in 2019. He faced charges that he sexually abused and trafficked underage girls, and since then many more have said they were abused by the well-connected financier.

Now, many lawmakers say that the Justice Department also needs to release its case files on Epstein, arguing that it could show that other people were aware of or complicit in Epstein’s sexual abuse. House Democrats, joined by a few key Republicans, have been able to force a vote on the bill to do that by using a rarely successful measure called a discharge petition.

As it became apparent that the bill will pass the House, most likely with significant support from Republican lawmakers, Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson changed their approach from outright opposition to declarations of indifference.

“I DON’T CARE!” Trump wrote in a social media post Sunday. “All I do care about is that Republicans get BACK ON POINT.”

FILE — Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a news conference to announce charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein, July 2, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Why is the House about to vote?

Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced a petition in July to force a vote on their bill, the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

The effort was backed by all House Democrats and four Republicans: Massie and Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Nancy Mace of South Carolina.

Minutes after Democrat Adelita Grijalva of Arizona was sworn into office Wednesday, she signed her name to the Epstein petition, pushing it to the magic number of 218 — a majority in the 435-member House.

Johnson said following Grijalva’s swearing-in that he would expedite the petition process to bring a vote on the bill to the House floor this week.

The speaker has pushed back on claims that he has obstructed the Epstein legislation to protect Trump or others. He told reporters last week that the Republican majority took issue with the phrasing of the measure, which he claimed did not adequately protect victims.

Johnson has also pointed repeatedly to a concurrent investigation into Epstein’s sexual abuse that is being conducted by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Republicans who control the committee have also focused on Epstein’s connections to Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton.

It was the oversight panel that released Epstein’s emails, part of 20,000 pages of documents that it obtained from Epstein’s estate.

The committee has also subpoenaed the Justice Department for its case files on Epstein, but Democrats on the committee say the response has been insufficient.

What does the bill do?

The bill would force the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison. Information about Epstein’s victims or continuing federal investigations would be allowed to be redacted, per the bill.

The department, however, would not be allowed to redact information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”

Several survivors of Epstein’s abuse, joined by lawmakers, also plan to speak outside the Capitol on Tuesday morning.

Is it going to pass?

The bill will almost certainly pass the House, but its future in the Senate is a different story.

It already has support from a majority of the House, and more Republicans are expected to vote for it as they respond to demands from their voters.

The tougher test will come in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53–47 majority.

Asked in September whether the Senate would take up the Epstein bill if it passed the House, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said, “I can’t comment on that at this point.”

Thune added that the Justice Department “has already released tons of files related to this matter.”

“I trust them in terms of having the confidence that they’ll get as much information out there as possible in a way that protects the rights of the victims,” Thune said.

Will Trump stop it?

If the measure passes both chambers of Congress, it would go to Trump. He could try to stop it with a veto, but he would also be under enormous pressure to sign it.

Trump lobbied two Republicans last week to try to stop the House discharge petition. But after that was unsuccessful, he seemed to change his approach to the bill.

“We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party,” Trump wrote on social media late Sunday after landing at Joint Base Andrews following a weekend in Florida.

A president’s veto could also be overridden with a two-thirds vote in both chambers. That has only happened twice since 2009.

Massie suggested Trump can avoid the entire ordeal by releasing all the Epstein files held by the federal government.

“There’s still time for him to be the hero,” Massie said of Trump.

By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The biennial Dubai Air Show opened on Monday with hometown airline Emirates ordering 65 of Boeing’s upcoming 777-9 aircraft, as the carrier looks to increase its fleets off record earnings and unending demand for flights through this East-West travel hub.

Emirates valued the deal with Boeing and GE Engines at $38 billion at list prices, although airlines often negotiate lower prices in major orders.

Emirates is betting big on Boeing’s next plane

The announcement brings the total of Boeing 777-9s on order for Emirates to 270, making it Boeing’s largest customer for the aircraft, even as the plane has suffered repeated delays in entering service. Emirates relies heavily on the double-decker Airbus A380 and the Boeing 777, and has also started flying the Airbus A350.

“It’s a long-term commitment that supports hundreds of thousands of high-value factory jobs, and it reinforces our 40-year partnership with Boeing and GE,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman and chief executive of Emirates.

“Emirates is already the world’s largest operator of the 777 — all powered by the GE engines — and after today’s order, I expect to remain the biggest 777 operator for the years to come.”

Sheikh Ahmed added that Emirates continued to encourage manufacturers to build larger aircraft with more capacity as air travel is only expected to grow. However, he smiled and looked at Boeing when putting forward his hoped-for timeline for putting the 777-9 in service for Emirates.

“We look forward to receiving delivery of our first 777-9s starting from the second quarter of 2027,” he said.

Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, offered no timeline for the plane’s entry to service in her brief remarks.

“The 777-9 will further support Emirates mission to connect people and places around the globe like never before,” she said.

The officials took no questions from journalists after the announcement.

Meanwhile, Boeing announced a firm order of 11 Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft by Ethiopian Airlines and Air Côte d’Ivoir made a firm order of four Embraer E175 aircraft. Air Senegal later ordered nine Boeing 787-8 MAX aircraft as well.

Air show comes as travel through Dubai grows

The air show will also see renewed interest in flying taxis, something the sheikhdom long has promised and now hopes to deliver on next year. Military sales as well remain a focus, with Russia again taking part despite facing Western sanctions over its grinding, yearslong war on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Israeli firms won’t be attending over lingering anger from the devastating Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

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Emirates, the state-owned flagship airline of Dubai, earned annual profits of $5.2 billion in the last fiscal year and passenger numbers remain record-breaking at Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel. The airline made a $52 billion purchase of Boeing Co. aircraft at the 2023 edition of the air show, which takes place at Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central.

FlyDubai, the lower-cost sister to Emirates, also has seen record-breaking earnings, and likely wants to expand its fleet of single-aisle aircraft. The airline currently flies 95 Boeing 737 variants, with Airbus wanting to break into the carrier’s fleet. FlyDubai ordered $11 billion worth of 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners at the last air show, which when delivered will be the airline’s first wide-body aircraft.

Al Maktoum airport itself is on the agenda for Dubai’s government. It plans a $35 billion project to expand to five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates, to be completed within the next decade. The airport now has just two runways, like Dubai International Airport. Those additional slots coming online will help Emirates and FlyDubai grow their network, and require more aircraft to fly those routes.

UAE leader examines Russian weaponry

Meanwhile, Rosoboronexport, Russia’s main arms exporter, displayed its aircraft and weapons systems at a massive pavilion at the far end of the air show. The UAE has maintained economic ties and flights to Moscow despite the war on Ukraine and Western nations levying heavy sanctions on the country.

Rosoboronexport showcased a stealth fighter, the Sukhoi Su-57, and the full-scale Pantzir-SMD-E surface-to-air missile system. Air defense systems have taken on a new importance in the Mideast after Qatar came under attack by both Israel and Iran this year. Iran also saw its systems devastated by Israel in a 12-day war between the countries in June.

Underscoring the UAE’s ties to Russia, the Emirati president and ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, walked through the Russian pavilion first thing on Monday. He stopped to watch a short video with graphics of a Russian drone striking an armored vehicle. Sheikh Mohammed, himself a helicopter pilot, walked up the stairs to look in the cockpit of the Su-57 as well.

Earlier, U.S. fighter pilots from the 55th Fighter Squadron, which flies F-16 Fighting Falcons, stopped to look at the Su-57.

Asked if they thought they could shoot it down, one airman smiled and just said: “It looks cool.”

Three well-known Minnesota foundations have teamed up to expand affordable housing access in the state.

The St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation in partnership with the F.R. Bigelow Foundation and Mardag Foundation announced Monday a five-year, $20 million initiative that aims to expand access to safe, stable and affordable housing across the state, according to a news release from the foundation.

The initiative, called Our Home State, will contribute to ongoing efforts by supporting shelters, preventing evictions, investing in community-led solutions and advancing policy innovation that promotes production.

“This fund represents our shared commitment to ensuring that everyone, no matter their income or ZIP code, has access to safe, stable and affordable housing,” said Chanda Smith Baker, the newly-appointed president and CEO of the St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation, in the release.

Early investments into the initiative will be used to focus on eviction prevention, shelter capacity, affordable housing development and “narrative change to influence housing policy and public perception,” per the release.

St. Paul-based chemical company Ecolab also has committed $3 million to Our Home State, bringing the total to $23 million.

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“Our Home State deepens our partnerships with communities that have long been working toward housing stability,” said Erik Takeshita, F. R. Bigelow Foundation board chair, in the release. “We’re aligning resources and power behind community leadership to help ensure every Minnesotan has the dignity of a safe, stable home.”

The St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation, which was led by Eric J. Jolly for the past decade until his retirement, is the largest community foundation in the state and has given out nearly $2 billion since its 1940 inception.

“When people have a place to call home, they have the stability to pursue opportunity, care for their families and contribute to the strength of our region,” Smith Baker said.

By SAM MEDNICK, Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The number of Palestinians dying in Israeli custody surged to nearly 100 people since the start of the war in Gaza, according to a report published Monday by a human rights group that says systematic violence and denial of medical care at prisons and detention centers contributed to many of the deaths it examined.

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The picture that emerges from the report by Physicians for Human Rights-Israel is consistent with findings by The Associated Press, which interviewed more than a dozen people about prison abuses, medical neglect and deaths, analyzed available data, and reviewed reports of autopsies. AP spoke with a former guard and a former nurse at one prison, an Israeli doctor who treated malnourished prisoners brought to his hospital, former detainees and their relatives, and lawyers representing them and rights groups.

The former guard at a military prison notorious for its harsh treatment of Palestinians told the AP detainees were routinely shackled with chains and kicked and hit with batons, and that the facility had been dubbed a “graveyard” because so many prisoners were dying there. He agreed to talk to AP to raise awareness of violence in Israeli prisons and spoke on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal.

Of the 98 prisoner deaths PHRI documented since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack that ignited the war, 27 occurred in 2023, 50 in 2024 and 21 this year, the most recent on Nov. 2. PHRI says the actual death toll over this timeframe is “likely significantly higher,” noting that Israel has refused to provide information about hundreds of Palestinians detained during the war.

Fewer than 30 Palestinians died in Israeli custody in the 10 years preceding the war, PHRI says. But since the war, the prison population more than doubled to 11,000 as people were rounded up, mainly from Gaza and the West Bank. The number of prisoners dying grew at an even faster rate over that period, PHRI data shows.

PHRI documented deaths by interviewing former detainees and prison medical staff, examining reports prepared by doctors who observed autopsies at the behest of dead prisoners’ families, and confirming dozens of fatalities through freedom of information requests.

“The alarming rate at which people are killed in Israeli custody reveals a system that has lost all moral and professional restraint,” said Naji Abbas, a director at PHRI.

Last year, the head of Israel’s prison system, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, boasted that he had degraded prison conditions to the legal minimum. Under pressure from rights groups, conditions improved slightly.

Israel’s Prison Service said it operates in accordance with the law. It declined to comment on the death count and directed any inquiries to Israel’s army.

The army said it is aware some detainees have died, including people with preexisting illnesses or combat-related injuries. But army spokesperson Nadav Shoshani said the death count in the PHRI report is inflated, while declining to say what the army believes the real number to be.

The army also said allegations of abuse or inadequate conditions are assessed, and that those who violate the army’s code of conduct are punished and sometimes subject to criminal investigations.

Guards told to reduce the number of deaths

Although hesitant at first, the former guard at the Sde Teiman military prison in southern Israel said he eventually participated in beatings of prisoners.

This undated photo from winter 2023 provided by Breaking The Silence, a whistleblower group of former Israeli soldiers, shows blindfolded Palestinian prisoners captured in the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces at a detention facility on the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel. (Breaking The Silence via AP)

One morning, early in Israel’s war against Hamas, the guard arrived at work to see a motionless Palestinian lying on his side in the yard, yet no guards rushed to see what had happened to the man, who was dead.

“It was sort of business as usual with the dead guy,” said the guard, who didn’t know the cause of death.

Prisoners’ arms and legs were always in chains, and they were beaten if they moved or spoke, the guard said, adding that nearly all would urinate and defecate on themselves rather than ask to use the bathroom.

The former nurse at Sde Teiman said chains used to restrain many prisoners’ arms and legs caused such severe wounds that some needed their limbs to be amputated. She spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. During the several weeks she worked there at the start of last year she didn’t see anyone die, but she said the staff at times talked about prisoner deaths. She left the job because she didn’t like the abusive treatment of the prisoners, she said.

The army said prolonged handcuffing is implemented only in exceptional cases when there are “significant security considerations.” Even then, detainees’ medical condition is taken into account, it said. Only a few detainees from Gaza are currently being handled this way, it added.

Guards were told by their commanders — who also participated in the beatings — that they needed to reduce the deaths, according to the Sde Teiman guard, who spent several months there.

Eventually cameras were installed, which helped mitigate the abuse, he said. Twenty-nine prisoners have died at Sde Teiman since the war began, according to PHRI.

Earlier this year, an Israeli soldier was convicted of abusing Palestinians in Sde Teiman and sentenced to seven months in prison, according to the army, which said this shows there is accountability.

But lawyers for prisoners say Israel rarely conducts serious investigations into alleged violence and that this fuels the problem.

In a sign of the public climate, the Israeli military’s top lawyer was recently forced to resign after acknowledging she approved the leak of a surveillance video at the center of an investigation into allegations of severe sexual abuse against a Palestinian at Sde Teiman. The leak, meant to defend the decision by her office to prosecute guards for the alleged abuses, instead triggered fierce criticism from hard-line Israeli leaders who sympathized with the guards.

Several soldiers were indicted in that case, which is still pending before the military court.

Medical neglect and abuse

It is difficult to pinpoint with certainty the cause of death for most prisoners. Sometimes, at the behest of prisoners’ families, doctors were granted permission by Israel to attend autopsies and provided reports to the families on what they saw.

Eight reports seen by the AP showed a pattern of physical abuse and medical neglect.

In one, a 45-year-old man who died in Kishon detention center, Mohammad Husein Ali, showed multiple signs of physical assault, likely causing brain bleed, according to the report. The potential use of excessive restraints was also noted. His family said he was healthy before he was detained from his home in the West Bank. He died within a week of being imprisoned.

Husein Ali had previously served time in an Israeli prison after being convicted of association with militancy, according to his family. But they said he had no ties with militants when he was arrested last year.

Relatives of Mohammad Husein Ali, 45, who died in the Israeli Kishon detention center, sit in their living room in the Nur Shams refugee camp near the West Bank town of Tulkarem, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. From left are Mohammad’s father Waleed Husein Ali, wife Hadeel, son Bara’, daughter Misk, an unidentified relative, and Mohammad’s mother Sobheya Husein Ali. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

After Husein Ali was taken, his 2-year-old daughter would stare out the window calling for her father, said his wife, Hadeel. “She’d say ‘baba, where’s baba’, but after time she stopped asking,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes.

Malnutrition was a contributing factor in at least one death, according to PHRI, leading to a 17-year-old boy dying from starvation.

In September, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered that more and better food be served to Palestinian inmates. Rights groups say the situation has slightly improved.

The army said detainees receive three meals a day, approved by a dietitian. It said every detainee is examined by a doctor upon arrival and, for those who need it, monitored with regular checkups.

Former prisoner can’t forget what he witnessed

Sariy Khuorieh, an Israeli-Palestinian lawyer from Haifa, said he was detained at the start of the war after Israel accused him of inciting violence through his social media posts. While in Megiddo prison for 10 days, Khuorieh says he saw a man die after repeated beatings.

Khuorieh said the 33-year-old father of four from the West Bank was beaten almost daily. The man, and some of his relatives, had close ties to Hamas, according to a Palestinian security official and someone who knew the family, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for retaliation.

The night before the man died, he screamed in pain for hours while in solitary confinement, said Khuorieh, who choked back tears while recounting what happened. The man had repeatedly called for a doctor, but none came, Khourieh said.

A spokesperson for Israel’s Prison Service wouldn’t comment on the case.

A report written about the man’s autopsy seen by AP said the cause of death was inconclusive but that there were signs of old and new bruising, including broken ribs. The report said it could be assumed that violence contributed to his death.

When the guards opened the man’s cell they kicked and beat him before summoning a physician who tried to revive him and then pronounced him dead, said Khuorieh, who said he was able to see what was happening through the small window in his cell door.

Once the man was pronounced dead, Khuorieh said one of the officer’s laughed and said: there’s “at least one less” to care about.