Nova Newsletter
November 13, 2025
☕ Good morning. 1,720 words for you today - 9 minute read.
The Spotlight
1. Kansas County to Pay $3 Million for Newspaper Raid
The offices of the Marion County Record weekly newspaper sit across the street from the Marion County, Kan., Courthouse, Aug. 21, 2023, in Marion, Kan. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File)
A rural Kansas county will pay over $3 million and issue an apology after a 2023 police raid on the Marion County Record sparked nationwide backlash over press freedom violations.
Takeaways:
Marion County Sheriff’s Office helped draft search warrants for raids on the paper’s office, publisher Eric Meyer’s home, and a city council member’s home.
The settlement allocates $1 million to Meyer’s late mother’s estate and $1.1 million to the paper’s staff.
Prosecutors later found no legal justification for the raid, calling it a First Amendment violation.
Former Police Chief Gideon Cody resigned and now faces a felony interference charge.
The 2023 raid began after the paper investigated a local official and a restaurant owner. Officers seized computers, phones, and documents, escalating national scrutiny.
Experts say the payout reinforces shield laws protecting journalists and underscores the cost of suppressing free press. Read More
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2. Turkish Military Plane Crash Kills 20 in Georgia
All 20 Turkish military personnel aboard a C-130 cargo plane were killed after it crashed in Georgia’s Sighnaghi region, near the Azerbaijani border, while returning from Azerbaijan on Tuesday.
Takeaways:
The C-130 took off from Ganja, Azerbaijan, heading back to Turkey.
Flight data recorder recovered; crash cause under investigation.
Victims had attended Azerbaijan’s Victory Day military celebrations.
Condolences poured in from Azerbaijan, NATO, and the U.S.
A 46-member Turkish investigation team is working with Georgian authorities at the site, where debris was scattered across farmland. No distress signal was sent before the crash.
The aircraft, built in 1968 and added to Turkey’s Air Force in 2010, was operated by the 12th Air Base Command in Kayseri.
Erdogan vowed to determine the cause as efforts continue to recover the final victim. Read More
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3. U.S. Mint to Strike Final Penny in Philadelphia
Blank coins wait to be the last pennies pressed at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia will press the last circulating penny today after President Donald Trump ordered the 1-cent coin’s cancellation due to soaring production costs and declining use.
Takeaways:
Each penny costs nearly 4 cents to make, leading to an estimated $56 million in annual savings.
The Mint has produced pennies since 1793, totaling billions in circulation.
Retailers have reported shortages and confusion as the phase-out began with little federal guidance.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Treasurer Brandon Beach will attend the final production run.
Many Americans feel nostalgic for the coin, long seen as lucky or collectible, though its purchasing power has vanished. Critics call the end overdue, while historians mourn the loss of a 200-year cultural artifact that once reflected U.S. identity and ideals. Read More
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Quick Headlines
The aurora borealis lights up the night sky over Monroe, Wisconsin, on 11 November 2025, during one of the strongest solar storms in decades. Photograph: Ross Harried/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
A powerful geomagnetic storm lit up skies across the U.S., with northern lights seen from New York to Texas and California. The NOAA issued a severe G4 storm watch after multiple solar eruptions hit Earth, creating rare aurora displays expected to continue Wednesday night, weather permitting. Read More
Venezuela launches a “massive mobilization” of military and militia forces under Maduro’s order in response to the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford and 15,000 US troops in the Caribbean, raising regional tensions. Read More
The 758-meter Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan Province collapsed into a river just months after reopening, following reports of cracks the day before, though no casualties were reported and an investigation is underway. Read More
Italian prosecutors are investigating claims that citizens traveled to Sarajevo during the 1990s siege, paying up to €100,000 to shoot civilians from Serb positions, with evidence including a 17-page file and eyewitness testimony. Read More
Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered a halt to all intelligence cooperation with the U.S. over strikes on suspected drug boats that have killed at least 75 people since August, citing human rights concerns in the Caribbean. Read More
After mistakenly deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, U.S. attorneys asked a Maryland judge to allow sending him to Liberia, despite his lawyers arguing due process violations and his preference for Costa Rica. Read More
Deep Dive
4. Trump Downplays 50-Year Mortgages as Solution to Housing Costs
Signage at Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, US, on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. Benjamin Fanjoy | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Google has filed a federal lawsuit against a cybercrime group allegedly based in China that is behind one of the world’s largest SMS phishing (“smishing”) operations, accused of stealing financial data through fake texts impersonating major brands like E-ZPass, USPS, and Google itself.
Takeaways
First lawsuit of its kind: Google is the first company to bring legal action against SMS phishing operations.
Massive reach: The “Smishing Triad” allegedly targeted over a million victims in 120 countries, stealing up to 115 million U.S. credit cards.
‘Lighthouse’ kit exposed: The phishing-as-a-service platform generated fake login templates using trusted brands.
RICO and CFAA charges filed: Google invoked racketeering and computer fraud laws to dismantle the network.
Policy push follows legal action: Google is backing three bipartisan bills aimed at combating cyber fraud and robocalls.
Google’s general counsel Halimah DeLaine Prado said the syndicate “preyed on users’ trust in reputable brands,” creating convincing fake websites via a toolkit called Lighthouse. The operation reportedly relied on Telegram channels with 2,500 active members, including data brokers, spammers, and credential thieves.
The company discovered more than 100 website templates mimicking its branding and login screens. “The idea is to prevent continued proliferation and deter others,” DeLaine Prado told CNBC.
Under the lawsuit, Google is seeking to dismantle both the group and the Lighthouse platform, using the RICO Act, Lanham Act, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Analysts say this signals a shift toward corporations taking offensive legal measures against international cybercrime rings.
The company also announced support for federal bills like the GUARD Act and Foreign Robocall Elimination Act, aimed at cutting off international fraud pipelines and protecting seniors from scams. Read More
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On Our Radar
5. Kiss Guitarist Ace Frehley Dies from Fall Injuries
Ace Frehley participates in the BUILD Speaker Series to discuss his album “Spaceman” in New York on Oct. 16, 2018. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist and founding member of Kiss, died from blunt force head injuries after a fall earlier this year, according to an autopsy report released Tuesday.
Takeaways:
Frehley, 74, died Oct. 16 in Morristown, New Jersey, surrounded by family.
Medical examiner ruled the death accidental from head trauma and fractures.
He was the first founding member of Kiss to pass away.
Known as “Space Ace”, he helped define the band’s theatrical rock image.
Frehley, born Paul Daniel Frehley, joined Kiss in 1973 alongside Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss. The band rose to fame with hits like “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “I Was Made for Lovin’ You.”
Despite decades of feuds, Frehley reunited with Kiss in the 1990s before departing again in 2002. His influence shaped generations of rock guitarists. Read More
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6. Jimmy Kimmel’s bandleader Cleto Escobedo III dies at 59
Cleto Escobedo III, longtime “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” bandleader and Kimmel’s childhood friend, has died at age 59, the host confirmed Tuesday.
Takeaways:
Escobedo and Kimmel met as kids growing up in Las Vegas.
He led Cleto and the Cletones since the show’s 2003 debut on ABC.
The cause of death has not been disclosed; last week’s show was abruptly canceled.
Escobedo was also a saxophonist who toured with Paula Abdul and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Phillip Bailey.
Kimmel said on Instagram that “we are heartbroken is an understatement.”
Escobedo recalled in a 2022 interview that their friendship began through shared humor and admiration for David Letterman.
He played alongside his father in the show’s band for nearly two decades. Escobedo is survived by his wife Lori and two children.
“Cherish your friends,” Kimmel wrote, asking fans to keep the family in their prayers 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 — November 13
Arches National Park, 1971 – The stunning desert landscape of sandstone arches in eastern Utah is officially designated a national park, after first being established as a national monument in 1929.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Opens, 1982 – The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C., honoring over 58,000 U.S. soldiers who were killed or went missing during the Vietnam War.
Trump Impeachment Inquiry, 2019 – The first day of public testimony in President Donald Trump’s impeachment inquiry takes place in Washington, D.C., marking a pivotal moment in the investigation.
9. Poll
Life Hack of the day
🌊🫙 De-sand Yourself at the Beach using Baby Powder
Tired of bringing sand home from the beach? Sprinkle baby powder on your sandy hands, feet, and legs before getting in the car. The powder absorbs moisture, loosening the sand and making it easy to brush off. It’s a quick trick to stay sand-free and enjoy the ride home.
That’s your morning brief. Now go show someone how smart you are. 🧠
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