This week’s edition covers stories
from September 4th to September 10th, 2025.
Today’s issue is 620 words, a 5-minute read
Hey folks, Isabella here.
From strikes shaking the University of Minnesota to shifts in how your morning paper gets printed, from Trump’s immigration crackdown to a rise in political violence, the news is moving fast. We break it down quickly, so you don’t have to scroll for hours. Here’s what you need to know:
U of M Workers Hit the Picket Line:
First Teamsters Strike in 50 Years
📸 Ben Hovland | MPR News
More than 1,400 University of Minnesota service workers — custodial, maintenance, food service, and sanitation staff — are on strike after rejecting the U’s final contract offer. The union, Teamsters Local 320, says the U’s proposed 3% raise and shorter contract term don’t cut it, pushing instead for a 3.5% bump to match other campus unions and a standard three-year deal.
This is the first Teamsters strike at the U since the 1970s. Picket lines have stretched across campuses statewide, with students and faculty showing strong solidarity. Dining halls are understaffed, custodial services have been reduced, and trucks are being turned away at picket lines. One protester was arrested on Wednesday after blocking a loading dock.
With the U facing budget cuts, tuition hikes, and criticism over bloated administrative pay, tensions are high. Neither side looks ready to head back to the bargaining table until someone blinks.
Charlie Kirk Assassinated at Utah College Event
Charlie Kirk, CEO and co-founder of conservative youth group Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University. Officials called it a political assassination carried out from a rooftop.
The 31-year-old activist, a close ally of Donald Trump who helped rally young Republicans nationwide, was struck by a single bullet in the neck mid-speech. The shooter remains at large, though police questioned and released one person earlier in the day. Authorities are now pursuing a new person of interest.
The event, billed as the first stop on Kirk’s American Comeback Tour, had already drawn controversy, with nearly 1,000 students petitioning to block his appearance. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox condemned the killing as “a tragic day for our nation.” Trump lowered flags to half-staff and called Kirk a “martyr for truth and freedom.”
Read more →
The assassination comes amid a surge of political violence across the U.S., raising urgent concerns about safety, free speech, and democracy’s fragile state. Adding to the intrigue, online sleuths noticed the assassination happened just days after The New York Times covered Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday book revelations, which included a “doctored picture of Pashcow, Jeffrey Epstein, and a couple other unidentified people, including what appears to be a young woman. And they’re holding up this novelty check for something like $22,000 that is kind of fake signed by Donald Trump.” Conspiracy theories are swirling: Was the timing purely a coincidence, or som ething more? Still, no credible evidence links the two events.
End of an Era: Star Tribune
Shuts Down Printing Plant
After 158 years of printing newspapers in Minnesota, the Star Tribune will close its Minneapolis plant at year’s end. About 125 workers will be laid off as production moves to Des Moines starting Dec. 28.
Publisher Steve Grove says the shift will save millions annually and help fund the paper’s digital future. Print subscribers won’t lose their daily delivery, but deadlines will move earlier — meaning some late sports scores and breaking news won’t hit print until the next day. The 40-year-old Heritage plant will be sold.
Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
A new Congressional Budget Office report projects that Trump’s mass deportation plans would directly remove about 320,000 people over the next decade. The report also estimates that the broader effects of this policy, including the voluntary departure of family members and the reduction in future births, could lower the U.S. population by 4.5 million by 2035. Critics warn that this reduction in workers, particularly those in their prime years, could lead to higher prices and labor shortages.
At the same time, the Supreme Court has allowed ICE to stop people based solely on race, ethnicity, language, or type of work. The ruling effectively greenlights racial profiling and erodes Fourth Amendment protections. Together, these moves reveal the sweeping demographic, economic, and civil rights consequences of Trump’s immigration agenda.
Read more → | Analysis →
Trump’s Economic “Vibecession”
President Trump’s economic credibility is sinking fast. His One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, which extended tax cuts but slashed Medicaid, is unpopular, especially with low-income households who lose money under the law. Polls show his approval rating on inflation at -24, with most Americans saying the economy is getting worse.
Despite the White House’s spin about stock markets and trade deals, layoffs are rising, manufacturing is shrinking, and the housing market is shaky. Republicans worry these bad vibes could tank the 2026 midterms.
Stay informed, stay connected.
See you next week!
–
Isabella and the NewPrensa team
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Hi, friend: Isabella here!
I’m a Communications Specialist by day and
believing in myself by night!
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