1. INGRASSIA UPDATE: It’s the 21st day of the government shutdown. With both sides still dug in over the impasse, the story making waves across the Capitol is Paul Ingrassia’s nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel, which appears to be on the rocks after POLITICO’s Daniel Lippman reported on text messages that showed Ingrassia say he has “a Nazi streak,” and that the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, after previously stating that Ingrassia is unlikely to pass, said his confirmation hearing should not go forward on Thursday, per POLITICO’s Jordain Carney and Hailey Fuchs. The White House thus far has not commented on the report, nor whether Ingrassia’s nomination will move forward. Ingrassia’s attorney, Edward Andrew Paltzik, said in a statement to POLITICO: “We do not concede the authenticity of any of these purported messages” and that “even if the texts are authentic, they clearly read as self-deprecating and satirical humor.” He added: “In reality, Mr. Ingrassia has incredible support from the Jewish community because Jews know that Mr. Ingrassia is the furthest thing from a Nazi.” 2. SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: Speaker Mike Johnson said House Republicans will hold a call today to discuss the status of the shutdown, adding that the party’s proposed deadline for a funding fix — Nov. 21 — is “becoming a very dicey prospect right now.” Meanwhile, 13 House Republicans joined in on a new letter to Johnson, thanking him for his leadership and urging the speaker to address the expiring health care subsidies immediately after the shutdown ends, Fox News’ Liz Elkind scoops. “Allowing these tax credits to lapse without a clear path forward would risk real harm to those we represent,” wrote the lawmakers. Lunch club: Trump at the White House today, where GOP lawmakers gathered for a lunchtime meeting with the president, praised the “outstanding” Senate GOP leadership team and lauded Thune’s “amazing job” as majority leader, CBS’ Kaia Hubbard reports. The president also shouted out the absence of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who was notably absent from the gathering: “Everybody showed up. We're just missing one person," Trump said. Paul later posted on X: “I actually wasn’t invited to the White House lunch today, but that’s ok I had a previously scheduled Liberty Caucus Lunch with [Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie].” 3. THE EPSTEIN SAGA: Speaker Mike Johnson said today he would allow for a floor vote on a bipartisan bill to compel the full release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill and Hailey Fuchs report. “If it hits 218, it comes to the floor,” Johnson said. During a press conference today, Johnson lauded the investigation that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has carried out already and vowed that all “credible information” will be released to the public. “We’re working around the clock to ensure that justice is served and also as part of the oversight to figure out why justice has been delayed for so long,” Johnson said. 4. THE ART OF THE DEAL: After weeks of discussions, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the U.S. has signed a $20 billion “economic stabilization agreement” aimed at bailing out Argentina’s central bank, POLITICO’s Michael Stratford reports. The deal centers on “propping up the Argentina peso ahead of crucial midterm elections” for Argentinian President Javier Milei, who has made himself an ally to Trump. Bessent described the deal as “a bridge to a better economic future for Argentina, not a bailout,” in a post on X, adding: “We do not want another failed state in Latin America, and a strong, stable Argentina as a good neighbor is explicitly in the strategic interest of the United States.” Though the terms of the swap agreement remain unclear, Argentina’s dollar bonds rose to “session highs” following the post, per Bloomberg. What’s the beef? The economic deal comes after Trump floated the idea over the weekend of importing Argentine beef to the U.S. as a way to combat high prices to the dismay of several lawmakers. Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) told reporters today he’s “strongly opposed” to the plan, while Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) posted on X that “if the goal is addressing beef prices at the grocery store, this isn’t the way.” 5. POLITICAL VIOLENCE WATCH: A pardoned Capitol rioter was charged for allegedly threatening to “eliminate” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney reports. “Court records reflect that the FBI’s tipster told the bureau that on Oct. 17, [Christopher] Moynihan ‘made statements regarding the assassination of Congressman Hakeem Jeffries’ and that he planned to carry out the attack ‘in a few days,’ while the Democratic House leader was in New York. The person told the FBI that Moynihan described the motivation for the plot as ‘the future’ and voiced concern that the man given clemency by Trump had been abusing drugs and expressing increasing ‘homicidal ideations.’” The response: “Jeffries praised state and federal authorities for apprehending Moynihan and lamented Trump’s blanket pardon. ‘Unfortunately, our brave men and women in law enforcement are being forced to spend their time keeping our communities safe from these violent individuals who should never have been pardoned,’ Jeffries said in a statement.” Johnson denounced the alleged death threat this morning: “Anybody who threatens to kill any political official, we denounce it absolutely.” 6. ANYBODY HAVE A MAP?: The North Carolina state Senate approved a newly drawn congressional map today, which Republicans hope will give them another House seat in next year’s midterms, WaPo’s Patrick Marley reports. Republicans already hold 10 of 14 districts in North Carolina, and the new map targets the seat of Democratic Rep. Don Davis, which “already leans 3 percentage points toward Republicans, and the new map would give the GOP an 11-point advantage in that district.” Democrats have “decried the map for carving up Black communities.” 7. TRAIL MIX: Former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein officially launched a bid to oust Thomas Massie this morning, becoming the first Trump-backed challenger to enter the closely watched primary, Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser scooped. “This district is Trump Country. The President doesn’t need obstacles in Congress — he needs backup,” Gallrein said in a statement. “I’ll defeat Thomas Massie, stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump, and deliver the America First results Kentuckians voted for.” Gallrein’s entrance comes after Trump has consistently skewered Massie over his criticism of the White House and urged Gallrein to run last week. More from POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky In Virginia: Nila Devanath, a hospital physician and daughter of immigrants from Hampton Roads, is launching a congressional bid for Virginia’s 2nd District. In a campaign announcement, Devanath emphasized her roots in service and health care as the daughter of a Naval doctor and lamented the state of the health care system: “As a doctor, I can’t stand by while families suffer. I’m running for Congress to fix this broken system for my patients, for our veterans, and for every family who deserves better.” Endorsement watch: Maine state Auditor Matt Dunlap’s primary challenge to Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) from the left has ticked off some Democrats, but he received a notable endorsement this morning from Mike Michaud, who represented the district for 12 years. More from The Portland Press Herald’s Randy Billings 8. FOR YOUR RADAR: “White House official pushes back on report that Trump is considering pardoning Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs,” by NBC’s Garrett Haake and colleagues: “‘There is zero truth to the TMZ report, which we would’ve gladly explained had they reached out before running their fake news,’ the official told NBC News in a statement. ‘The President, not anonymous sources, is the final decider on pardons and commutations.’ Casey Carver, a spokesperson for TMZ, said in a brief statement: ‘We stand by our story.’ … Combs' lawyers have previously told NBC News they have been pursuing a pardon for their client.”
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