Nova Newsletter
Sep 25, 2025
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The Spotlight

1. Trump reviews ICE shooting of Minneapolis nurse

Minneapolis Ice Protesters BBC News

President Trump says his administration is “reviewing everything” after immigration agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, in Minneapolis on Saturday.

Takeaways

  • Trump told the Wall Street Journal he will make a determination and may eventually pull agents from the city, with no timeline.

  • DHS says agents fired in self-defense after Pretti “brandished” a gun; local officials and family dispute that account.

  • Minneapolis police say federal agents blocked state officers from the scene, despite a search warrant.

  • Republicans and Democrats, plus the NRA, are pressing for a broader investigation as protests spread.

Video shows a scuffle before the shooting, fueling competing narratives.

Minnesota officials also dispute federal claims about the operation’s target and criminal history.

The next fight is likely over who controls the probe and what evidence gets released.Read More

Cookie Factory Explosion ABC News

An overnight explosion and fire at the Violanta biscuit factory near Trikala, Greece, killed at least four workers, authorities said Monday.

Takeaways

  • The blast hit during the night shift and the fire gutted the plant.

  • Crews recovered four bodies, all women, after battling flames for hours.

  • One person remained unaccounted for as the search continued.

  • Seven people, including a firefighter, were hospitalized, none in serious condition.

Police said investigators suspect the explosion started near the ovens, which run around the clock.

Arson investigators and emergency crews stayed on site as officials worked to determine the cause.

The findings will likely shape whether the plant reopens and what safety changes follow. Read More

3. Gold breaks $5,000 as uncertainty spikes

Hiba Kola/Reuters

Gold surged past $5,000 an ounce on Monday, hitting a record high as investors piled into safe havens.

Takeaways

  • The rally follows a roughly 64% gain in 2025, the biggest annual jump since 1979.

  • Markets are on edge over Trump trade threats and broader geopolitical friction, including US and NATO tensions.

  • Silver also pushed above $100 an ounce as the precious-metals rush widened.

  • A weaker dollar, expected Fed rate cuts, and central-bank buying are adding fuel.

Gold’s scarcity remains part of the pitch: about 216,265 tonnes have been mined in total.

This is a confidence trade, and the next headlines may matter as much as the next data print. Read More

Quick Headlines

Researchers say newly dated cave art from Indonesia could represent some of the oldest known evidence of early human creativity. (Maxime Aubert via AP)

  • WHO Warns US Exit Raises Risks
    The World Health Organization said the U.S. withdrawal makes Americans and the world “less safe,” as Washington formally ended its membership and halted funding and staffing, setting up fights over disease surveillance and crisis coordination. Read More

  • Indonesian Hand Stencils Rewrite Art Timeline
    Researchers dated a red hand stencil in an Indonesian cave on Muna Island near Sulawesi to at least 67,800 years old in Nature, a record that signals earlier symbolic behavior and bolsters evidence of early humans in Wallacea. Read More

  • Political Violence Tracker Maps Recent Attacks
    Fox News tallied a three-year wave of targeted shootings and arson hitting figures across the spectrum, from two incidents involving Trump to the Shapiro mansion fire and killings of Brian Thompson and Charlie Kirk, despite a broader 2025 murder-rate drop. Read More

Deep Dive

Historic winter storm cripples US, exposing cold weather fault lines

Snow falls near the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 25, 2026. Amid FARAHI—AFP via Getty Images

A sprawling winter storm has killed at least 13 people and knocked out power to more than 1 million customers as it pushes from the South and Midwest toward the East Coast.

Takeaways

  • The scale is national: more than 200 million people faced some form of weather alert by Sunday morning.

  • Infrastructure is the weak link: rare deep snow in Southern states collided with ice, frozen lines, and prolonged subzero wind chills.

  • Travel broke fast: more than 16,000 flights were canceled from Saturday through Monday, including about 11,000 on Sunday alone.

  • Officials are bracing for the second punch: freezing temperatures behind the storm may turn slush into sheet ice and extend outages.

  • The human toll is widening, especially for people without stable shelter as “feels-like” temps drop into the negatives.

Arctic air drove wind chills into the minus 20s and minus 30s in parts of the country, with Copenhagen, New York, hitting a reported record of -49°F, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

The National Weather Service warned that communities “will contend with bitterly cold temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills,” a recipe for prolonged travel hazards and infrastructure damage.

President Trump called the system “historic” and approved disaster declarations across multiple states, while DHS Secretary Kristi Noem urged residents to “stay home if possible.”

In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced remote learning and expanded warming centers after officials reported at least five people found dead outside.

This storm’s legacy may be less about snowfall totals and more about how long the cold keeps systems from recovering. Read More

On Our Radar

5. Super Bowl LX set for Patriots-Seahawks rematch

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye celebrates with the trophy after the AFC Championship NFL football game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher)

The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will meet in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Takeaways

  • Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. ET, with NBC carrying the broadcast and Peacock streaming.

  • It’s a repeat of Super Bowl XLIX, when New England beat Seattle 28-24.

  • Bad Bunny headlines the halftime show, with Charlie Puth singing the national anthem.

  • Pregame performers include Brandi Carlile and Coco Jones.

The Patriots reached the game by beating the Broncos, while the Seahawks advanced past the Rams.

This one will test whether Seattle can flip the script in the NFL’s biggest rematch spot. Read More

6. 🎉 This day in history

On This Day – September 29

  • 1905: The Cullinan diamond was discovered at South Africa’s Premier Mine, briefly mistaken for a worthless crystal before becoming the largest gem-quality diamond ever found and later cut into 9 major stones and 96 smaller ones.

  • 1961: Wayne Gretzky was born in Brantford, Ontario, the future NHL icon known as “The Great One” who would redefine modern hockey records.

  • 2020: Kobe Bryant, a five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, died at 41 in a helicopter crash, a loss that rippled far beyond basketball.

Life Hack of the day

7. Stop hiccups fast


Take a deep breath, pinch your nose, keep your lips sealed, and hold it. While holding, swallow hard 2 to 3 times without letting any air out. The breath hold plus swallowing disrupts the diaphragm spasm and often stops hiccups immediately.

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