Nova Newsletter
Sep 30, 2025
☕ Good morning. 1,879 words for you today - 10 minute read.
The Spotlight
1. Four Killed in Michigan Mormon Church Attack
This frame grab from UGC drone footage obtained from “X/Julie J/@MALKOWSKI6APRIL” shows a fire at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan on September 28, 2025. At least two people were killed and several others injured Sunday after a shooter targeted a Mormon church in Michigan, authorities said (Photo by HANDOUT / X/Julie J/@MALKOWSKI6APRIL / AFP)
A gunman killed at least four people and injured eight at a Mormon church in Grand Blanc, Michigan, before setting the building on fire.
Takeaways
Police identified the suspect as 40-year-old Marine veteran Thomas Jacob Sanford.
Two victims died during the shooting; two more were later found in the burned church.
Seven victims are stable, one remains critical.
FBI deployed 100 agents to assist local authorities.
Sanford allegedly drove into the church doors, opened fire with an assault rifle, then set the building ablaze. He was killed by police at the scene.
The attack unfolded as parishioners mourned the death of church president Russell Nelson, who died Saturday at age 101.
The incident marked the 324th U.S. mass shooting this year, one of several violent attacks over the weekend in North Carolina, Texas and New Orleans.
Authorities are still searching for a motive. Read More
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2. Trump Presses Netanyahu as Gaza War Deal Tests Israeli Politics
President Trump welcomed Prime Minister Netanyahu to the White House on Monday, pitching a 21-point “day after” plan to end Israel’s nearly two-year war in Gaza while Netanyahu struggles to hold together a fractious coalition.
Takeaways
Trump’s plan calls for hostage releases, aid delivery, and phased Israeli withdrawal.
Netanyahu risks alienating far-right allies who demand full control of Gaza and the West Bank.
The proposal leaves the door open to a Palestinian state, a red line for key Israeli ministers.
A transitional authority led by international figures, possibly Tony Blair, would govern Gaza.
Implementation hinges on Hamas, which says it has not received the offer.
Trump framed the plan as “something special” for the Middle East, but its terms clash with Israel’s far-right leadership. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir want Gaza emptied of Palestinians and resettled by Israelis, a stance at odds with Trump’s framework and international law.
Netanyahu’s coalition, already fragile with 60 of 120 Knesset seats, could collapse if his partners defect. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir control 13 seats and have threatened to bolt over concessions to Hamas or recognition of Palestinian statehood. Yet their leverage is checked by the risk of new elections.
At the core of Trump’s proposal is the Gaza International Transitional Authority, a $90 million project in its first year that would place international diplomats above Palestinian technocrats. The model recalls earlier U.S.-led interventions and raises questions of legitimacy on the ground.
Hamas, still holding dozens of hostages, has denied receiving a new offer. Its armed wing says Israeli bombardment has already severed contact with some captor teams in Gaza City.
The plan’s fate rests on whether Netanyahu risks his government to stay aligned with Trump. Read More
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3. Mamdani Vows $165M Immigrant Legal Defense Fund
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani spoke with reporters while leaving the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 16, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
NYC mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani pledged $165 million for immigrant legal defense, casting it as the “cornerstone” of his plan to make New York the nation’s strongest sanctuary city.
Takeaways
Proposal boosts immigrant legal aid by over $100 million.
Funding would expand key programs, including Rapid Response Legal Collaborative and Immigrant Family Unit.
Mamdani vows to end city cooperation with ICE and shield immigrant data.
Trump blasted the plan, calling Mamdani a “communist” and warning federal funds won’t flow.
Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, says more legal support will keep families together and protect New Yorkers facing deportation. His broader agenda includes free buses, rent freezes and city-run groceries.
The campaign has not detailed how it will cover costs beyond taxing corporations and the wealthy.
The plan is a direct test of how far a NYC mayor can push back against Trump’s immigration crackdown. Read More
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Quick Headlines
YouTuber MrBeast defended a viral video showing a stuntman escaping a burning building for $500,000 after critics called it reckless, insisting strict safety measures and professionals made the spectacle risk-free. Read More
President Trump renewed plans to levy 100% tariffs on movies made outside the US, blaming lost industry jobs on overseas incentives, though analysts doubt feasibility and warn costs could rise for studios and consumers. Read More
At least 11 people died and 17 fishermen remain missing after Typhoon Bualoi struck central Vietnam, damaging hundreds of homes and forcing 30,000 evacuations before weakening as it moved into Laos. Read More
Rising tuition, student debt, and AI-driven job losses are pushing more young Americans into trades like electrical and plumbing, with surveys showing 77% want careers harder to automate. Read More
Federal prosecutors charged Paul Ivery after he allegedly threatened to kill a Border Patrol agent during an anti-ICE protest in Broadview, Illinois; three others also face charges, including two found with loaded guns. Read More
Oregon filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after the president ordered 200 National Guard troops to Portland to guard ICE facilities, calling the move unlawful and likely to inflame tensions as protests continue. Read More
Deep Dive
4. Trump and Congress Face Shutdown Brinkmanship over Obamacare Aid
Sunrise light hits the U.S. Capitol dome on Jan. 2, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Lawmakers have until Wednesday night to avert a government shutdown as Democrats demand an extension of Obamacare subsidies and Republicans push for a clean funding bill.
Takeaways
The deadline: Funding expires Wednesday at midnight, threatening the third shutdown under Trump.
The divide: Democrats want premium subsidies extended, Republicans insist on passing a short-term spending bill first.
The stakes: OMB memo suggests shutdown furloughs could include mass layoff notices.
The cost: The 2019 shutdown cut $8 billion from GDP, with $3 billion never recovered.
Congress returned Monday with leaders set to meet Trump, but talks remain deadlocked. Democrats argue that if subsidies lapse, insurers will hike rates as early as Oct. 1, creating a de facto premium spike. Republicans counter that the issue can be handled after funding is secured.
The Office of Management and Budget escalated tensions with a directive telling agencies to consider issuing reduction-in-force notices during any lapse. That move signals this shutdown could be more severe than the stopgaps of past decades, which typically relied on furloughs without permanent cuts.
Essential services such as Medicare, Social Security, the VA, and border security would continue, but agencies like the IRS and SBA would scale back. Rental aid and small business loans could also face delays, affecting households and local economies.
Shutdowns have been rare since 1980, with just 10 in total, but the fiscal and political costs are significant. In 2019, the CBO found private contractors and federal workers bore the brunt of the losses, many never recouped.
This week’s negotiations will determine whether the government stays open or enters a more punishing shutdown than in years past. Read More
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On Our Radar
5. Bad Bunny to Headline Super Bowl Halftime Show
Bad Bunny performs during the final concert of his summer residency in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sept. 20. Alejandro Granadillo/AP
The NFL confirmed that Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny will take the stage at Super Bowl LX in February, following last year’s politically charged Kendrick Lamar set.
Why it matters:
Bad Bunny has been outspoken against Donald Trump, backing Kamala Harris in 2024 and slamming U.S. neglect of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
He skipped U.S. stops on his latest tour, citing concerns that ICE raids could endanger fans.
His selection has conservatives accusing the NFL of platforming a “Trump hater.”
The bigger picture:
The halftime show has long been a cultural lightning rod — from Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protests to Beyoncé’s Black Lives Matter tribute in 2016. The NFL’s deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation was meant to balance entertainment with social justice. Jay-Z praised Bad Bunny’s advocacy for Puerto Rico, calling it “truly inspiring.”
What’s next:
Super Bowl LX kicks off February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Expect Bad Bunny’s set to be both a global music moment and a political flashpoint. Read More
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6. Superman’ Soars on HBO Max
James Gunn’s Superman is off to a heroic start on streaming. The DC reboot, starring David Corenswet as Clark Kent, racked up 13 million views in its first 10 days on HBO Max the platform’s biggest movie debut since Barbie (2023).
By the numbers:
Premiered on HBO Max: Sept. 19
13M streams in 10 days
Box office run: $600M worldwide on a $225M budget
Critical reception: 83% on Rotten Tomatoes
The Superman effect: Other titles saw a lift as fans revisited the hero’s legacy:
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story ➡️ +670%
Superman: The Movie ➡️ +155%
Superman Returns ➡️ +120%
Man of Steel ➡️ +40%
The cast: Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), plus Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Anthony Carrigan, and more.
The verdict: Variety praised Gunn’s layered storytelling, calling the film “arresting and touching, and occasionally exhausting, in equal measure.” Read More
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8. 🎉 This day in history
British Home Secretary Winston Churchill (right) escorted by High Commissioner Herbert Samuel, in Jerusalem during the British Mandate period. (Photo: Wikimedia)
On This Day – September 30
1846 – Open wide: American dentist Dr. William Morton becomes the first to use ether as an anesthetic during a tooth extraction. Dentistry has been a little less terrifying ever since.
1946 – Justice served: Twenty-two top Nazi leaders, including Hermann Goering and Joachim von Ribbentrop, are convicted at the Nuremberg trials, landmark verdicts that set the stage for modern international law.
1955 – Rebel without a tomorrow: James Dean, Hollywood’s brooding symbol of restless youth, dies in a car crash at just 24, cementing his place in American pop culture mythology.
9. Poll
Life Hack of the day
🍋🎛️ Lemon Microwave Cleaner
How to clean your microwave with ease? Place a bowl of water with lemon slices inside and microwave for 3 minutes. The steam loosens grime, allowing you to simply wipe surfaces clean without scrubbing.
That’s your morning brief. Now go show someone how smart you are. 🧠
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