Massie Floats Hegseth Impeachment, LA News Chopper Crash, Krasner Faces DOJ Referral: AM Update 9/17

Good morning, everyone. I'm Emily Jishinsky, host of Afterparty and the Megane Kelly Wrap-Up Show on Serious XM Channel 111. It's Thursday, September 17th, 2026, and this is your AM update. It's a publicity stunt by someone who wants attention. It will immediately be tabled, of course. House lawmakers heading home early, delaying Congressman Thomas Massey's surprise effort to impeach or secretary Pete Hagseth until after the midterms. We just received the confirmation that, in fact, NewsChopper 4 went down just before 7 o'clock tonight in Chatsworth. In LA Newsroom, realizing in real time that the helicopter crash they were covering had claimed the lives of their own colleagues, Soros Back, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, referred to the Justice Department, a federal judge finding evidence he and a top deputy may have pressured prosecutors to deceive the court. At Kennedy Air Jack Schlossberg, reportedly retreating from the spotlight after suffering a crushing defeat in his first run for Congress, all that more coming up in just a moment on your AM update. Our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, says Washington politicians are always getting in your wallet, and that now they're messing with your credit card. They say your credit card and the security it offers are under attack, and that senators Dick Durbin and Roger Marshall want to change the nation's payment system to benefit corporate megastores like Walmart and Target at the expense of everyday Americans. Credit cards can keep your payments secure and provide rewards that families use to make everyday purchases more affordable. The Electronic Payments Coalition says the Durbin Marshall mandates would let corporate megastores cut corners on credit card processing, on routing transactions over cheaper, untested networks with weaker security and fewer protections. Find out more at guardyourcard.com and consider telling Congress to guard your card. House Speaker Mike Johnson abruptly sending lawmakers home a day early for their pre-election recess, delaying action on outgoing Congressman Thomas Massey's surprise efforts to impeach war secretary Pete Hagseth until after the midterms. Congressman Massey, Republican from Kentucky, who lost his primary earlier this year, caught Republican leaders off guard Tuesday by introducing eight articles of impeachment against Hagseth. The congressman centering his case on Hagseth's management of the war with Iran. Secretary Hagseth directed and caused United States armed forces to be introduced into hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran, notwithstanding that one, Congress had not declared war against the Islamic Republic of Iran, two, Congress had not enacted any specific statutory authorization for the introduction of United States armed forces into hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and three, no national emergency have been created by an attack by the Islamic Republic of Iran upon the United States, its territories, or possessions or its armed forces. The allegations extending beyond Iran, Congressman Massey also accusing Secretary Hagseth of abusing his authority during the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, characterizing the military operation as the kidnapping of a foreign leader under the pretext of drug enforcement. The congressman telling CNN on Tuesday, he deliberately kept the resolution's secret from GOP leadership, fearing they would interfere before he could read the articles on the House 4. Congressman Massey designating the resolution as privileged, requiring the House to address it within two legislative days. The Senate can leadership then canceling today's scheduled votes, effectively pausing the procedural clock until lawmakers return. The House taking its final votes last night before beginning a roughly seven week recess, members not expected back in Washington until November 9. Congressman Massey writing on X-Quote, and there it is, just as I predicted, they're canceling Congress tomorrow to avoid the vote on impeaching Secretary Hagseth. Mr. Johnson denied to reporters that the schedule change was designed to protect Secretary Hagseth, dismissing Massey's resolution as a stunt. "It's a publicity stunt by someone who wants attention. It will immediately be tabled, of course, but we probably won't do that today. We'll probably do it when we come back, but it's a stunt." "Secretary Hagseth is an extraordinary job, the Department of War, we're in the middle of international conflicts right now and we should not be playing games with national security." A motion to table, allowing lawmakers to kill Massey's resolution without holding an upper down vote on whether to impeach Secretary Hagseth. Dr. Carlson, a friend of Congressman Massey's, asked if he supports the impeachment effort on last night's episode of Afterparty. "I would support, in fact, demand an apology from the head of that department and for the president of the United States for murdering a bunch of little girls who had nothing to do with anything, and everyone's willing to accept that horrible things happen in war, probably why you should initiate them in the first place, but when they do happen, you have to apologize for them or else you're evil. Super simple." Carlson, referring to the February strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, killing more than 160 people, most of them children. A preliminary US military investigation reportedly finding American forces were likely responsible, the incident now cited in Congressman Massey's impeachment resolution. Three people killed when a television news helicopter crashed in Los Angeles Tuesday evening, including the reporter and pilot aboard the aircraft and a pedestrian on the ground. The helicopter providing aerial coverage for NBC4 and TeleMundo 52 when it went down shortly before 7pm in the Chatsworth neighborhood. Aerial reporter and photojournalist Eliana Moreno and veteran pilot George Marcello killed in the crash, along with 29-year-old Edie Gutierrez Mejia, who was in the parking lot below. Moreno and Marcello worked for Angel City Air, which owned and operated the aircraft. The crew had been hovering near the scene of an earlier collision between an SUV and a Metro bus, an accident that killed two people and injured six others. The helicopter coming down between two commercial buildings, sparking a fire that burned at least four additional vehicles and two storage containers. The additional people were taken to the hospital. The cause remains unknown. Video transmitted from the helicopter, capturing a warning alarm as the aircraft began rapidly losing altitude. Moreno heard asking Marcello whether he could pull up moments before the feed ended. The tragedy then unfolding in real time on NBC4. Reported Robert Kovacic reporting only yards from the wreckage, unaware that the helicopter belonged to his own station. "It's a chopper. Are you okay? It's not you guys, is it?" "I don't know, hey, it's me. You know me from Adrian. I don't know. I don't know." "We're hearing that it's a chopper down. We're hearing it. It is a chopper down." And honestly, I just saw a colleague of mine from ABC in tears and concern. We don't know where the chopper is from. We don't know if it even is a chopper. We don't know if it's a news chopper. We are just looking right now. What are you hearing? "Okay, so Zia and I, my husband and I saw it. We think it's a seven. I'm not sure. I don't call me on it. I think it's an air seven." "Did you see what happened? Did you see?" "Yeah, it came and it was for the accident that was on just so though. And north off, and it came and I think it just slammed into the building. But we don't know why." As Kovacic worked to determine who's helicopter crashed in the studio, longtime NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams, beginning to reach the devastating conclusion on the air. "We know that our chopper was out there to cover a story. We know we've lost contact with them. And we know that there is a chopper down in a parking lot with no survivors at this point it appears. So it doesn't take much to piece all that information together." Williams receiving the official confirmation, a short time later. We've just received the confirmation that, in fact, news chopper four went down just before seven o'clock tonight in Chathworth. And we are going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, to process and to regroup. But in the meantime, if anything should happen, if there is a news conference, if there is anything, we will break into program and bring it to you. The newsroom returning to the air Wednesday morning, remembering Moreno for the unmistakable enthusiasm she brought to every report, and Marcienau for the decades he spent flying above Los Angeles. "It's morning. We really want to take time to reflect on the tragedy that has touched all of us so deeply. We've been talking about it late last night, early this morning, overnight hours. And Eliana, we were talking about this morning up in the newsroom as we prepared to show you pictures of Eliana and George. What I'm going to miss most about her and what really stood out to me was her passion and her enthusiasm. Every time you heard her voice, I mean, she was gung ho. She loved what she did. You could tell there was so much passion and that she loved her job. And what can you say about George that when you thought about news chopper four, you thought about George was so respected within the community as a pilot, but also just as a colleague, somebody that has a legacy and has been here in LA for so long. Marano joining Angel City Air after graduating from Chapman University in 2010, eventually becoming the familiar voice of aerial coverage on both NBC4 and Telemundo 52. Marcienau bringing more than 30 years of flying experience to the job, while also training other pilots as a flight instructor. The pair had flown hundreds of hours together since 2023, according to NBC4. The NTSB leading the investigation alongside the F-1. A. Investigators arriving at the scene yesterday to begin determining what caused the helicopter to go down. LA Mayor Karen Bass, responding to the accident, quote, "Our hearts are with those impacted by the bus collision and the helicopter crash and with the entire community who lost members of their team while they were doing their job." Coming up, a murder appeal in alleged cover-up and possible federal crimes, the mounting legal trouble now facing progressive prosecutor from Philadelphia, Larry Krasner, and Kennedy air-Jack Schlossberg reportedly whisked away the Martha's Vineyard by his family following his crushing congressional defeat. I have got to talk to you about cozy earths, bamboo, stretch, knit pajamas. I love mine. They are silky smooth and buttery soft and you can feel it the second you put them on. 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A judge finding evidence they may have pressured their subordinates to deceive the court during a convicted murderer's appeal. Crazner emerging as one of the country's best-known progressive prosecutors after a political action committee funded by liberal billionaire George Soros spent nearly $1.7 million supporting his first campaign. His office adopting policies against prosecuting certain lower-level crimes and seeking cash bail in many lower-level cases, fueling years of criticism over his approach to crime and punishment. The latest controversy centering on Dennis Johnson convicted of second-degree murder in 2009 for the killing of Kenyatta Smith and sentenced to life in prison. Johnson later asking a federal court to overturn his conviction, arguing his trial attorney provided ineffective representation. Stiegler allegedly deciding the office would support Johnson's appeal before conducting an independent investigation, then assigning the case to assistant district attorney Jacqueline Mason, whose previous legal experience involved patents and trademarks rather than criminal litigation. Mason filing a brief in 2022 under Stiegler's direction, agreeing that Johnson's conviction should be overturned. Stiegler reportedly forcing Mason to use information from the Innocence Project, a group seeking to overturn Johnson's conviction. If it's good enough for the Innocence Project, Stiegler allegedly said, "Mason also testifying that Stiegler colluded with Johnson's defense attorneys to develop the legal theories to get the case tossed." For other senior prosecutors inside Crasner's office, re-examining Mason's filing years later, as the case headed toward a hearing before George W. Bush appointed federal judge Paul Diamond. Those prosecutors discovering serious factual errors in Mason's filing, then moving to withdraw it from the court. They're allegedly attempting to place the entire blame on Mason, proposing that her other cases be searched for mistakes so she could be portrayed to the court as a rogue prosecutor with a pattern of filing inaccurate information. Crasner allegedly joining that effort, then warning the four senior prosecutors of "consequences" if they disclosed Stiegler's conflict to the judge. Diamond holding evidentiary hearings into what happened inside the DA's office, ultimately crediting Mason and the four prosecutors who uncovered the errors. The judge describing Stiegler's testimony as "contradictory, evasive, and at times outright dishonest." Diamond finding that Stiegler may have committed perjury, and that Crasner and Stiegler may have tried to manufacture a false narrative intended to shield Stiegler and protect the DA's office. The judge concluding their alleged conduct could also amount to obstruction of justice and conspiracy. Diamond now removing Crasner and Stiegler from the Johnson case, referring both men and the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office to the U.S. Attorney for investigation and any other appropriate action. The referral, not amounting to criminal charges, federal prosecutors now responsible for deciding whether to open an investigation, present evidence to a grand jury or pursue charges. Crasner releasing a statement quote, "I respectfully and vigorously disagree with the court's findings of fact and conclusions of law. I look forward to appealing to the higher court as soon as the law allows." Johnson's attempt to overturn his murder conviction remaining on hold, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office permitted to continue handling the matter, though Crasner and Stiegler may have no further involvement. Former Congressional candidate and only grandson of President John F. Kennedy, Jack Schlossberg, retreating from the spotlight after his first run for Congress, ended in a crushing third-place finish. Schlossberg finishing a distant third in June's Democratic primary for New York's 12th Congressional District, receiving just 10.8% of the vote, compared to winner Michael Lashers 39%. Daily mail sources claiming Schlossberg was convinced he would win, making it all the more painful when he failed to carry even his own Chelsea neighborhood. Sources now telling the mail Schlossberg has rarely been spotted at his Manhattan apartment in recent weeks, prompting questions among neighbors about where he went. His family reportedly concerned about leaving him isolated after such a public defeat, bringing him to Martha's Vineyard to recover outside the glare of New York politics. The report echoing a separate account earlier this month from the New York Daily News, describing Schlossberg as, quote, "down in the dumps since the election." His friends apparently responding with a rather ambitious recovery plan, reportedly trying to connect him with newly single Democrat Congresswoman Alexandria Casio Cortez in the hopes of producing either a professional opportunity or a romantic one. Schlossberg telling the New York Post he respects the Congresswoman, but believes she, quote, "can do way better than him." Political allies also telling the Daily News, they imagine a future for Schlossberg inside a Democrat White House, suggesting he could potentially run a blue administration's social media operation. Schlossberg attracting attention long before his campaign through a stream of bizarre and sometimes cruel videos, at times targeting members of his own family. One post mocking the voice disorder affecting his cousin, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Schlossberg sourced disputing any suggestion that he has completely withdrawn, telling the Daily Mail he has made several trips back to New York for meetings about his political future and the upcoming midterms. I'll do it for your am update, I'm Emily Gisinski, host of Afterparty. Go and check out more at AfterpartyEmily.com, catch the Megan Kelley Show later today, live on Series XM's The Megan Kelley Channel 111 at Noonies on YouTube.com/MeganK Kelley and all podcast platforms.