Arizona Sues Speaker Mike Johnson

10.22.25

Happy Wednesday and welcome back to today’s edition of Common Sense with Ally Sammarco—your daily briefing on U.S. politics. Let’s break it down.

Government Shutdown Enters 22nd Day Without Resolution….The federal government shutdown officially became the second‐longest in U.S. history Tuesday, as the Senate once again failed for the 11th time to advance a funding measure. The stalemate continues despite urgent economic and service disruptions as well as countless of federal workers being left without pay—while Donald Trump told top Democratic lawmakers he won’t meet unless the government reopens first. (How does that even make sense?)

Common Sense takeaway: It’s interesting that the guy who wrote the “Art of the Deal” can’t bring both sides to the table to make a deal. Clearly, he’s not that interested in ending the shutdown. Why is that? Perhaps he’s enjoying the opportunity to gut more federal agencies without repercussions.

U.S. and India Near Major Trade Breakthrough….The U.S. and India are reportedly nearing a trade agreement that would slash American tariffs on Indian goods—including textiles, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural imports—from rates as high as 50% down to roughly 15–16%. In exchange, India is expected to increase energy exports to the U.S., expand access for American agricultural products, and strengthen its cooperation on supply chains for clean energy materials.

Common Sense takeaway: If this happens, the deal would lowers trade tensions between both countries and would be a step toward countering China’s dominance in global manufacturing. I’m not going to hold my breath, but it would be a step in the right direction.

Arizona Sues Mike Johnson Over Refusal to Seat Rep. Grijalva….House Speaker Mike Johnson’s standoff over swearing in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva has now escalated into a legal battle. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed suit against Johnson, accusing him of stripping AZ-07 of representation by refusing to swear in Grijalva, the Arizona Democrat who won her late father’s seat in a special election nearly one month ago. Johnson has claimed “procedural concerns” as justification, but the lawsuit argues there’s no legal basis to block a duly elected member from taking office. Democratic leaders have accused Johnson of purposefully delaying seating Grijalva because she represents the 218th (and final) signature on a discharge petition needed to force a House vote to compel the Justice Department to release all of its files related to the Epstein investigation.

Common Sense takeaway: It’s so obvious what’s going, and Mike Johnson thinks we’re too stupid to notice. There is no basis as to why Rep. Grijalva shouldn’t be sworn in—other than they are intentionally trying to block the release of the Epstein files. I’m sure he would have found some spare time if the Rep.-elect had been a Republican.

Jewel Heist at the Louvre Stuns Paris….On Sunday morning, thieves made off with millions in jewels from a secured exhibit at the Louvre around 9:30am local time. French officials stated that two people, with their faces concealed, used power tools to break into the Galerie d’Apollon through a window and completed the heist in as little as four minutes. The stolen pieces reportedly include a necklace and a pair of earrings from the Marie-Louise collection; a necklace, earrings and tiara from from the Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense collection; and a brooch, bodice bow and a tiara from the collection of Empress Eugénie—all together worth around $102 million.

Common Sense takeaway: This is like a scene out of Ocean’s Eleven. How on earth did the security systems “work properly” but still allow time for the thieves to get in and out undetected? Clearly, they need a better system for one of the most famous museums in the world. I’ll be surprised if any of the jewels are recovered.

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Check back tomorrow for more.