🎧 intro (00:00:00–00:00:28)
Good morning. It's Thursday, August 28th, and this is The Record.Today's show is all about violence at home, chaos at the top, and rockets abroad.From a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school, to the ousting of the CDC's director, Trump military-style ICE plans in Chicago, and devastating attacks on Kyiv, this is the news without filters.I'm tired of it being packaged for convenience, so here we go.
🗞️ 1: Minneapolis Catholic School Shooting Kills 2 Children, Injures 17 Others (00:00:28–00:01:44)
What’s happening:On the morning of August 27, 2025, tragedy struck Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis during a back-to-school Mass. The service, themed "A Future Filled with Hope," was abruptly interrupted when 23-year-old Robin Westman opened fire through church windows, killing two children—aged 8 and 10—and injuring 17 others, including 14 children and three elderly parishioners.
What to know:Westman, a former student of the school, had legally purchased a rifle, shotgun, and pistol for the attack. Authorities discovered a manifesto and video left behind by Westman indicating mental distress, references to other mass shooters, and explicit anti-Semitic messaging. Among these messages were references to HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, founded in 1881 to help Jewish refugees and now the world’s oldest refugee protection organization. Westman’s writings echoed rhetoric seen in prior antisemitic attacks, including the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, showing how anti-Semitic ideology often intersects with other violent targeting, even in places not explicitly Jewish.
Though no clear ideology was identified regarding the Catholic school attack, the FBI is investigating the incident as a potential act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics. The presence of antisemitic messaging underscores the broader climate of extremism and prejudice that continues to influence acts of violence in the U.S., highlighting the tangled web of hate that can affect multiple communities simultaneously.
My take:Violence in places meant for peace is a societal failure. America's tolerance for armed individuals is a political choice, and children are paying the price.
🗞️ 2: CDC Director Ousted Amid RFK Jr. Tenure (00:01:44–00:03:36)
What’s happening:Dr. Susan Monarez was removed as director of the CDC less than a month after being sworn in. Her dismissal followed a series of resignations from senior CDC officials, including the chief medical officer and immunization director, who criticized political interference in public health decisions.
What to know:Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, has significantly altered federal vaccine strategy, cutting mRNA vaccine funding and limiting vaccine recommendations.
My take:When politically engineered chaos is at the top of the CDC, it’s not just internal drama. It puts public health at risk. When science becomes political theater, the consequences are real lives, not just talking points.
🗞️ 3: Trump Seeks Military-Style ICE Operations in Chicago (00:03:36–00:04:30)
What’s happening:The Trump administration is planning to use Naval Station Great Lakes, just north of Chicago, as a hub for federal law enforcement operations targeting undocumented immigrants. The plan could include thousands of National Guard or even active-duty troops, coordinated with ICE.
What to know:DHS claims these operations target the “worst of the worst,” but most people caught in ICE raids have no violent criminal history. Illinois Governor Pritzker opposes the plan, while Trump insists he has the authority to deploy troops anyway.
My take:This is a show of force masquerading as law enforcement. Using the military against civilians in U.S. cities is unprecedented. Lives and rights are on the line, and political theater doesn’t change that.
🗞️ 4: Russia Launches Deadliest Kyiv Attack Since 2023 Summit (00:04:30–00:04:57)
What’s happening:Russian forces hit more than 20 locations across Kyiv, including military air bases and industrial sites, leaving around 60,000 residents without power.
My take:War isn’t a spectacle. While leaders posture, ordinary people endure the consequences. Accountability isn’t optional—it’s urgent.
🧠gut check (00:04:57–00:05:36)
It’s exhausting to watch the world bend toward chaos.It’s exhausting to speak it out.But looking and talking about it isn’t weakness. It’s clarity.Keep talking about it. Keep being aware that we need to come together, stand together.
đź“Ś show notes + support (00:05:36)
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🔚 sign-off (00:05:36)
That’s The Record🗞️. No permission required. See you tomorrow.
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