Nova Newsletter
October 3, 2025
☕ Good morning. 1,591 words for you today - 8 minute read.
The Spotlight
1. Shutdown Enters Day 2 with Firings Looming
Police respond to a shooting that killed three at Southport Yacht Basin in Southport, N.C. WECT-TV- J. Scott Applewhite/AP
The U.S. government shutdown stretched into a second day Thursday as Trump officials prepared possible federal worker firings while Senate Republicans pressed Democrats to back a short-term GOP funding plan.
Takeaways:
Senate adjourned for Yom Kippur, next votes Friday.
Trump eyeing agency cuts, including $18B in NYC infrastructure and $8B in Democratic state energy projects.
White House pressuring moderate Democrats to break with Schumer.
Republicans argue Democrats are blocking a seven-week stopgap bill over health care demands, while Democrats say GOP leaders are holding the government hostage.
Trump has ordered the OMB to recommend agencies for layoffs, warning mass cuts could start within days.
With both parties trading blame, the standoff shows no clear path to resolution and risks escalating political and economic fallout. Read More
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2. Trump Signs Order Pledging U.S. Defense of Qatar
U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order vowing to defend Qatar after Israel’s strike on the Gulf state, but the scope and enforceability of the pledge remain unclear.
Takeaways:
The order promises diplomatic, economic and military measures to protect Qatar.
Move follows Israeli PM Netanyahu’s apology for a deadly strike in Doha.
Analysts question the legality and permanence of the pledge without Senate approval.
The White House said Netanyahu apologized directly to Qatar during his Washington visit, after an Israeli strike killed six people, including a Qatari guard.
Qatar welcomed the order as a strengthening of defense ties, while critics called it a unilateral move without public debate.
The pledge comes as Gulf nations seek new security guarantees amid regional volatility and shifting U.S. commitments.
The order highlights Qatar’s pivotal role in U.S. military strategy, but its real-world impact is still in doubt. Read More
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3. Eiffel Tower Shuts As France Holds Mass Strikes
A board at the closed Eiffel Tower during a new round of strikes and protests to denounce spending cuts and demand higher taxes on the rich Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Nationwide strikes over austerity closed the Eiffel Tower and drew nearly 200,000 protesters across France on Thursday.
Takeaways:
Unions demanded higher taxes on the wealthy and opposed welfare freezes.
195,000 people protested nationwide, including 24,000 in Paris.
Rail and metro traffic saw partial disruptions, though high-speed trains ran normally.
The strikes, called by France’s biggest unions, are the third major protest wave in a month. Demonstrators targeted draft budget measures carried over from the previous government, warning of further strain on low- and middle-income households.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, only weeks into the job, has yet to name his cabinet or unveil budget details, leaving negotiations uncertain.
The unrest highlights France’s political fragility as unions push to shape fiscal decisions before the year-end budget debate. Read More
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Quick Headlines
Rapper Sheff G, also known as Michael Williams, right, joins then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally in the Bronx borough of New York on May. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)
Rapper Sheff G, 27, was sentenced in Brooklyn to five years for attempted murder and gang conspiracy. Once seen onstage with Donald Trump, he avoided prosecutors’ push for 20 years after the judge agreed to a lighter term.. Read More
Des Moines schools chief Ian Roberts resigned after it emerged he faked a PhD on his 2023 application. Hired despite the false claim, he lost his license and now faces deportation to Guyana. Read More
Police declared a Manchester synagogue attack that killed two and injured four a terrorist incident. Officers shot the suspect and arrested two others, as U.K. leaders condemned the Yom Kippur violence. Read More
After Thomas Sanford’s attack on a Michigan LDS church, Mormons raised over $275,000 for his widow and child. His sister said the compassion shocked their grieving family. Read More
Researchers from Purdue University say they may have found Amelia Earhart’s long-lost plane in a lagoon on Nikumaroro, pointing to decades-old satellite imagery of a submerged object. A team will travel there in November to investigate and possibly recover it, hoping to solve one of aviation’s greatest mysteries. Read More
Trump is using the shutdown to freeze transit and energy funding, hitting 2 million workers. Democrats call it reckless, while Republicans back his budget authority until the Senate meets Friday. Read More
Deep Dive
4. Education Workers’ Emails Altered to Push Shutdown Blame
Image from NBC News
Furloughed Education Department staff discovered their out-of-office emails rewritten to blame Democrats for the government shutdown, raising Hatch Act concerns and accusations of forced partisanship.
Takeaways
Five civil servants said their neutral auto-replies were changed without consent.
Messages included language accusing Democrats of blocking a funding bill.
Employees fear Hatch Act violations, which bar federal staff from partisan activity.
Some reverted emails back to neutral text, only to see them altered again.
The agency has not responded publicly to questions about the changes.
Employees told NBC News they had used standard, nonpartisan templates provided by the department, only to see them later overwritten with partisan language. One worker said, “It’s written in the first-person, as if I’m the one conveying this message, and I’m not. I don’t think it’s ethical or legal.”
The altered replies specifically cited the House passing H.R. 5371, a short-term spending bill, and accused Senate Democrats of blocking it. That detail suggested the edits came from within political leadership rather than rogue IT activity.
The Hatch Act, which restricts political activity by federal employees, has long served as a guardrail against government partisanship. But several staffers said the edits amounted to dragging career civil servants into messaging wars without consent.
One employee argued the episode reflects a broader erosion of legal accountability in Washington. “It seems like laws are dotted lines now, not solid lines,” they said.
The incident underscores how the shutdown is deepening mistrust inside federal agencies, with career staff caught in the political crossfire. Read More
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On Our Radar
5. Mariah Carey Finally Weighs In On Eminem Feud
Mariah Carey on left “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.” Youtube/ WWHL and Eminem on right
Mariah Carey broke her silence on her long-rumored feud with Eminem, addressing it during “Watch What Happens Live” on Wednesday night.
Takeaways:
Carey, 56, suggested the drama may have started when Eminem wanted her to play his mom in 8 Mile.
She dismissed the feud, saying she “really doesn’t care” what Eminem thinks.
Eminem has long claimed they dated, which Carey continues to deny.
Producer Damion “Damizza” Young recently reignited speculation, claiming Carey turned down the 8 Mile role and that personal tensions followed.
Eminem has referenced Carey in several tracks, while Carey famously clapped back with her 2009 single Obsessed.
The decades-old spat continues to resurface, even as both stars downplay its importance today. Read More
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6. Update on Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s Divorce
Nicole Kidman cited irreconcilable differences in her Sept. 30 divorce filing from Keith Urban, following nearly 20 years of marriage.
Takeaways:
Sources say Urban grew less supportive of Kidman’s acting resurgence.
Kidman reportedly wanted to save the marriage, but Urban may have moved on.
Custody deal grants Kidman primary residence with daughters Sunday and Faith.
Kidman, 58, recently wrapped Practical Magic 2 and has multiple upcoming projects, while Urban, 57, is on his High and Alive tour.
People close to the couple claim Urban is already linked to a younger woman in the music industry, fueling speculation in Nashville.
Kidman will spend most of the year with their daughters, while Urban’s parenting days are limited but prepaid financial obligations remain settled.
The split highlights a clash between two careers and two priorities. Read More
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8. 🎉 This day in history
Image: © Helga Lade/Peter Arnold, Inc.
On This Day – October 3
Germany Reunified, 1990 – East and West Germany officially became one after decades of division, with Gorbachev backing Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s push for unity within NATO.
O.J. Simpson Acquitted, 1995 – The “trial of the century” ended with Simpson found not guilty in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
McCarthy Ousted as Speaker, 2023 – In a historic first, House Republicans voted out Speaker Kevin McCarthy, shaking U.S. politics and leaving Congress leaderless.
9. Poll
Life Hack of the day
✂️ Aluminum Foil Scissors Sharpener
Dull scissors slowing you down? Grab a sheet of aluminum foil, fold it into several layers, and cut through it a few times. The repeated cuts help realign and sharpen the blades, giving your scissors a quick refresh without special tools.
That’s your morning brief. Now go show someone how smart you are. 🧠
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