Quick Hits

• Oregon school shooting: A 16-year-old shot his way through locked doors into an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher before being shot by a witness at the scene, MPR News reports.
• Trump pauses Russia sanctions he signed into law: The executive order comes two days before the sanctions deadline and a week after a diesel deal with Putin; Al Jazeera reports Trump waived additional Russia sanctions in a bid to ease energy prices as his rift with Zelenskyy widens.
• Ukraine's grid under strain: Russian strikes on Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Volyn and Rivne killed at least eight people and cut power to 1 million as Moscow presses its campaign against Ukraine's power grid (Al Jazeera).
• Nationwide letters probe: The FBI is investigating letters containing "suspicious substances" mailed to congressional and election offices across the country, including in Minnesota (MPR News).
• California wildfire: Thousands of evacuation orders are in effect in Orange County as Santa Ana winds fan fast-moving flames (Al Jazeera).

Top Stories

• Oregon elementary school shooting. A 16-year-old killed three children and a teacher at a Bend elementary school Thursday after shooting through locked doors, and was then shot by a person at the scene, according to MPR News.
• Trump's reversal on Russia sanctions. Al Jazeera reports Trump issued an executive order putting new Russia sanctions — which he himself signed into law — on hold two days before their deadline and a week after a diesel deal with Putin, waiving further sanctions to try to ease energy prices amid a widening rift with Zelenskyy. An Al Jazeera opinion piece argues that despite growing tensions, Kyiv and European leaders "have little choice but to work with Trump" because they remain dependent on US support.
• Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure. Attacks across multiple cities killed at least eight people and cut power to roughly 1 million as Moscow continues targeting Ukraine's energy grid (Al Jazeera).
• Suspicious letters to election and congressional offices. Federal authorities are probing letters with "suspicious substances" sent to offices nationwide and urging recipients to take precautions (MPR News).
• Wisconsin plane crash. Six people, including a grandmother, her two adult daughters and a grandson, were killed when a small plane crashed after flying in a thunderstorm, family members said (MPR News).
• Brewers to the World Series. Milwaukee swept the two-time defending champion Dodgers in the NLCS to reach its first World Series since 1982, powered by a lockdown bullpen and repeated comebacks (MPR News).

Left Perspective

(MPR News, rated lean-left)

• MPR News reports Republican candidates across Minnesota are running campaign ads that blame fraud and violence on Somali Minnesotans, with the outlet describing candidates "looking to ride a wave" on the issue.
• The Minnesota Department of Human Rights announced Friday that two businesses violated state law by refusing tribal ID cards and now face civil penalties and damages (MPR News).
• Red Lake Nation Chairman Darrell Seki Sr. agreed to resign after federal authorities accused the tribe's child welfare program of neglect — though MPR News notes Seki denies he has stepped down yet.
• President Trump suggested Friday that his newly minted press secretary, Katie Zacharia, "might not stay on the job much longer," saying he told her she didn't have to do the job (MPR News).

Right Perspective

No right-leaning outlets were included in today's supplied source set.

International View

• Albanian PM Edi Rama claimed "foreign hands" are driving protests that have rocked the country for months (Al Jazeera).
• Al Jazeera profiles the Israeli opposition politicians seeking to replace Netanyahu, noting their largely shared positions on Gaza and other wars; separately, the outlet reports Israeli raids and arrests in southern Syria are pushing the population "to the brink," with survivors recounting beatings and psychological abuse.
• A Yemen analysis from Al Jazeera asks whether government forces can sustain their offensive against the Houthis as missile strikes threaten key Red Sea supply routes.
• A Mexican judge sentenced three men to 158 years each for the 2024 murders of Australian and US surfers, one week after their conviction (Al Jazeera).
• Croatian fans were arrested over pro-Nazi chants before and during the Hajduk Split–Ajax European match in Split (Al Jazeera).
• The Senegal-sized Thwaites glacier in Antarctica may be melting faster than previously thought, with scientists concerned about rapidly accelerating ice loss (Al Jazeera).

Underreported

• Ilhan Omar search: Tangle examines the federal search of Rep. Omar's home in an immigration fraud investigation, arguing her unusual life story and "messy paperwork" aren't evidence of wrongdoing and questioning whether the raid is "a waste of tax dollars."
• Media Miss: AllSides flags that fewer teens are identifying as LGBT, a story it says received limited coverage.
• Musk's donations: AllSides highlights that Elon Musk is currently the GOP's biggest donor.
• Third-party opening: Tangle (a members-only preview) argues the window for a third party is "wide open" heading into the midterms.
• Guilfoyle scrutiny: Tangle's "Suspension of the Rules" hosts discuss a Wall Street Journal report on Kimberly Guilfoyle, asking whether there is "finally a line on corruption" in the Trump administration.
• AI governance: Al Jazeera reports experts call balancing AI public-safety rules with user privacy "extraordinarily difficult" amid a chatbot "murder guide" case; a separate Al Jazeera opinion argues tech giants are "weaponising" AI fears to protect monopolies from cheap open-source models.
• NBA parity: MPR News notes eight different franchises have won the last eight NBA championships, with Anthony Edwards' Minnesota Timberwolves among teams positioned to extend the streak.

Sources

MPR News (lean-left): Oregon school shooting; FBI letters probe; Trump press secretary; Russia sanctions; Wisconsin plane crash; Brewers sweep; Somali campaign ads; Tribal IDs; Red Lake; NBA parity

Al Jazeera (center): Sanctions waiver/Zelenskyy rift; Ukraine strikes; Ukraine-Europe opinion; Albania; Netanyahu successors; Southern Syria; Yemen analysis; Mexico sentencing; Croatia arrests; Thwaites glacier; Orange County wildfire; Chatbot murder guide; AI fears opinion

Tangle (center): Ilhan Omar raid; Third party; Guilfoyle

AllSides (center): Media Miss: teens and LGBT identification; Musk as GOP's biggest donor