A gunman killed two children and wounded 17 others through the stained glass windows of Annunciation Catholic School during a church service. What we’re learning this morning.
Plus, the CDC director has refused to resign despite pressure from the Trump administration and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
And the Department of Homeland Security works to clear the controversial immigrant detention facility deep in the Florida Everglades — nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” — after a federal judge ordered it to be dismantled.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
Minnesota mourns: Two children killed, 17 hurt in school church shooting
Minneapolis is still reeling from horror inside a Catholic church, where children participated in prayer. On Wednesday morning, children at Annunciation Catholic School attended Mass to celebrate the beginning of the new school year.
While there, a gunman opened fire through the stained glass windows. Two children, just 8 and 10 years old, were killed. Seventeen others were injured, most of them kids.
The shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, died from a self-inflicted wound. Federal officials referred to Westman as transgender, though their gender identity was not clear.
Court records show a 2020 petition, signed by Westman’s mother, to change his name from Robert to Robin. It said the petitioner “identifies as female.”
Police say Westman had no criminal history but left behind a notebook and videos revealing a fixation on mass shootings.
“We know we have a total of 19 victims from this tragedy. Two were young children, ages eight and 10, that were sitting in the pews at mass when they were shot and killed. They were pronounced deceased on the scene,” said Minneapolis Chief of Police Brian O’Hara. “There were another 14 children between the ages of six and 15 that were injured by gunfire … The coward that shot these victims took his own life in the rear of the church.”
As the incident unfolded, children hid in pews while teachers shielded those they could. Some students even shielded their own classmates. In the aftermath, parents rushed to embrace their kids.
“These were Minneapolis families. These were American families, and the amount of pain that they are suffering right now is extraordinary,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church.”
Flags flew at half-staff nationwide Thursday morning. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called it a day that no community should ever endure.
“It’s Minnesota’s day today, and it’s my strongest desire that no state, no community, no school ever experiences a day like this,” Walz said.
Investigators said they’re still searching for a motive, but evidence shows Westman elaborately planned the attack.
A hand-drawn diagram matched the layout of the church and he barricaded a few of the church doors. Authorities also recovered a rifle, shotgun and pistol.
Annunciation Catholic School remains closed Thursday. The FBI continues to investigate the shooting as a possible hate crime against Catholics and domestic terrorism.
CDC director refuses to resign after vaccine backlash
The CDC is experiencing a shakeup on Thursday morning as the director, Susan Monarez, refuses to leave her post.
After confirming her just last month, the White House declared Monarez was “out” last night. This, after clashing with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over COVID-19 vaccine policy.
HHS posted on X that she was no longer director, but Monarez is defying the order.
Her lawyers called it a political firing, saying: “She refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives. She chose protecting the public over a political agenda. For that, she has been targeted.”
The White House insisted she’s been terminated, calling her “not aligned” with the president’s health agenda.
However, her attorneys argued that only the president can remove a Senate-confirmed director. They said until he does, she remains in charge.
Already, four top CDC officials, including the agency’s chief medical officer, have resigned in protest, warning that public health is being “weaponized.”
Under Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the administration has fired advisory boards, cut funding for MRNA research and narrowed eligibility for COVID-19 boosters.
FDA limits COVID-19 shots to high-risk groups
New COVID-19 booster guidelines were announced Thursday morning, and eligibility has been limited. The FDA now states that only high-risk groups should routinely receive the updated shot: adults 65 and older, and children with at least one underlying condition.
Kennedy celebrated the move on X, calling it “science, safety and common sense.” In the post, he declared the days of “Biden’s general mandate” over.
Doctors can still prescribe the vaccine to others outside those groups, but they won’t be able to simply walk into a pharmacy and get it. It’s unclear whether insurance will cover the cost for anyone not recommended.
The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics described the tighter guidelines as “deeply troubling.”
The next step involves a CDC vaccine panel considering the evidence before making final recommendations on who should receive the shot.
Russia launches large-scale strike on Kyiv; 12 dead, dozens injured
Russia carried out one of the largest strikes on Ukraine in months, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more overnight in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s air force reported that the Kremlin launched nearly 600 drone strikes, decoys and 31 missiles across the country, calling it one of Russia’s largest air assaults to date. Defense forces shot down over 560 drones and 26 missiles, but some got through, hitting the capital.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted to X, saying the strikes prove Moscow has no interest in peace. He urged world leaders who have called for negotiations to “take principled positions” rather than remain silent.
Meanwhile, Russia reported intercepting more than 100 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Detainees evacuated from ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ following judge’s orders
The Trump administration has begun closing the controversial immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades, known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
The move follows a federal judge’s ruling that parts of the facility must be dismantled due to environmental concerns.
The Department of Homeland Security announced it will relocate detainees to other locations but insists it will oppose the decision, describing it as “another attempt to prevent the president from removing the most problematic individuals.”
The administration requested to keep the center open during its appeal, but the judge rejected that request late Tuesday, saying they failed to provide any new justification.
Florida deploys robot rabbits to help fight Burmese python invasion
Florida’s latest secret weapon against invasive Burmese pythons: robotic rabbits.
The Everglades are overrun with Burmese pythons, so much so that Florida hosts an annual python hunt. Now, scientists at the University of Florida are coming together to fight with technology.
The fluffy-looking little critters aren’t pets; they’re remote-controlled rabbit decoys designed to emit heat, smell and movement — just enough to lure a hungry python out of hiding.
“The Burmese python has decimated a lot of our native wildlife in the Everglades,” Mike Kirkland, lead invasive animal biologist at the South Florida Water Management, said. “This is really an emergency situation for our native wildlife. And that’s why we’re trying to manage the species.”
This summer, researchers deployed around 120 of the “bunny bots” as a test run. It’s too soon to say if it’s a game-changer, but officials noted early results look promising.
In the Everglades, the hunt continues. Now, it’s humans and technology against nature.
More from Straight Arrow News:
Drone Star State: We tried Texas’ flying pizza delivery
A pepperoni and mushroom pizza dangles in midair above Granbury, Texas. Eighty feet up, the blades of a delivery drone spin as it lowers a bag with a pizza box tucked inside.
The crunchy, thin-crust pie from a local Little Caesars restaurant is still warm. Drone delivery like this one, courtesy of the company Flytrex, is becoming increasingly common for food, groceries and medications. Several companies have recently announced expansions of drone delivery in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, making the metroplex a testing ground for technology that could soon transform how Americans receive goods.
Flytrex and similar companies offer consumers an exciting delivery experience that could be faster, more convenient and cost-effective — there’s no tipping the driver. On the business side, the technology promises to solve last-mile delivery challenges. However, experts say scaling up will require overcoming significant technical, regulatory and social hurdles. Read the full story now >
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Author: Craig Nigrelli
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