Plus: Remembering Jane Goodall; Christians Facing Persecution In Nigeria

Good evening,

Jane Goodall, the legendary British anthropologist and environmentalist who devoted her life to the study of chimpanzees and conserving nature, died on Wednesday at 91, the Jane Goodall Institute announced on Instagram.

GOODALL’S GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH: Goodall’s early fieldwork studying primates in Tanzania proved that wild chimpanzees make and use tools, eat meat, and display a similar range of emotions to humans.
In her decades-long career, Goodall and her institute advocated to save chimpanzees and other great apes from extinction, prevent deforestation, strengthen women’s education, and for a stronger international response to the climate crisis.

Goodall is survived by her son, Hugo, and her three grandchildren.

Mo News Team
P.S. The Mo News Daily podcast will feature a special interview episode tomorrow as Mosheh and Jill observe Yom Kippur. Look out for regular coverage in this newsletter and on Instagram.

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

U.S. Government Shutdown: Healthcare At Center Of Standoff As Blame Game Begins

The federal government officially shut down this morning — the first shutdown since the historic 35-day shutdown in 2018-2019 over funding President Trump’s border wall.

At issue this time: Senate Democrats are standing firm on their demand to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that help millions of Americans afford health insurance. Republicans, holding narrow majorities in the House and Senate, are refusing to negotiate until Democrats pass the stopgap bill first.
- NOTE: Back in 2019, air traffic controllers and TSA staff calling out sick in protest of the shutdown helped break a 35-day stalemate. We will see what happens this time.

The blame game is in full swing with both parties pointing fingers at the other. But polls show more Americans are placing the blame on Republicans in polls leading up to this shutdown.

THE MESSAGING WAR
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) blamed Democrats for the government shutdown Wednesday, accusing Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) of bowing to “far-left activist groups” and dragging his colleagues into a “boxed canyon.” Back in the spring, Schumer got sharp criticism from the left wing of his party for not fighting a GOP funding bill—hence why he is pushing back this time.

House Democratic Caucus chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA) said Wednesday’s shutdown was “because Republicans failed to fix the health care crisis [they] created,” pointing to Democrats not having input in Trump’s tax and spending bill from July that rolled back Medicare and Medicaid eligibility.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), President Trump and Vice President JD Vance claim Democrats are trying to pass free healthcare for undocumented immigrants.
- The Democrats’ budget proposal includes multiple policies on healthcare, including an extension to the Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year and a reversal of Trump’s Medicaid cuts. Illegal migrants in the U.S. are not legally eligible for federally funded health insurance, and the Democrats’ proposal does not change that. But, there are some nuances. We explain more ⬇️

The Senate, in a 55-45 vote, Wednesday rejected Republicans’ stopgap bill to fund the government through Nov. 21. The measure needs 60 votes to pass.

Three Democrats — John Fetterman (PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (NV), and Angus King (ME) — joined Republicans in support, but the measure fell short of the 60 votes needed.

THE IMPACT
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), an estimated 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed each day the government remains shut down. Essential workers — like TSA agents, air traffic controllers, military service members, FBI agents, and postal workers — are required to keep working, but won’t be paid until the shutdown ends.

📲 Here’s what some federal workers and contractors in the Mo News community told us about how the shutdown is impacting them:

In past shutdowns, federal employees who are furloughed received back pay once funding was restored. Contractors usually don’t, or use PTO pay. This time, the Trump administration has hinted at possible permanent layoffs—meaning some of these federal employees may not have jobs to come back to.

Some agencies and parks have separate pots of money they can draw from to keep operations running for an extended period. Other offices had workers report in today just to sign furlough paperwork.

Back in 2019, by the time the government reopened, about $3 billion in U.S. economic activity was lost, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

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🚨 ONE THING WE’RE FOLLOWING

The Latest On The Persecution And Murder Of Christians In Nigeria

A girl in Lagos, Nigeria walks by a mural depicting the abduction of over 200 Chibok schoolgirls by Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram in the northeastern town of Chibok, circa April 2025.

On Friday, Real Time host Bill Maher accused U.S. media of ignoring what he described as the “systematic killing” of Christians in Nigeria.

“I’m not a Christian, but they are systematically killing the Christians in Nigeria,” Maher said on his HBO show, who noted that the conflict is not being reported on in mainstream news. The comments have gotten a lot of attention and led to a number of questions from our community this week.

WHAT IS GOING ON IN NIGERIA?
More than 7,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in just the first half of 2025, according to the Nigeria-based nonprofit International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law.

Thousands more have been kidnapped, highlighting an escalating crisis that has drawn little international media coverage.

WHO’S BEHIND THE ATTACKS?
The militant group Boko Haram, whose name translates to “Western education is forbidden,” has been one of the main drivers of violence since it emerged in northern Nigeria in 2009. Their goal is to topple the Nigerian government and establish an Islamic caliphate.

In the past 16 years, Boko Haram and other Islamic extremist factions have waged a campaign of gun attacks, bombings, and abductions. The group has killed an estimated 125,000 Christians and 60,000 liberal Muslims.
The United Nations estimates more than 2 million people have been displaced from their homes since the insurgency began.
The U.S. classified Boko Haram as a terrorist organization in November 2013. The group has also been compared to Nigeria’s Taliban.

Nigeria remains sharply divided by religion, with about half the population Muslim and half Christian, including Protestants and Roman Catholics, as of the early 21st century. That split has made the country particularly vulnerable to sectarian conflict, especially in the northeast, where Boko Haram is most active.

WHY HAS THE CONFLICT WORSENED LATELY?
Attacks from Boko Haram and other insurgents have intensified this year.

In 1994, Nigeria created the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which eventually expanded and pooled military resources from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon to oversee insurgent activity in the Lake Chad region (near Nigeria’s northeast border.)
- But in March 2025, Niger pulled out of the task force, which experts say has made the shared border between Nigeria and Niger more vulnerable to insurgent attacks, including from Boko Haram. It’s also made it easier for Boko Haram to smuggle in weapons.

A map of the northeast border of Nigeria, where Boko Haram is primarily located. (Via DW)

NIGERIA’S RESPONSE TO MAHER
The Nigerian government condemned Bill Maher’s claims of a “systematic killing” of Christians and denied that Christians were being particularly targeted by Boko Haram.

Shehu Sani, a former Nigerian senator, argued that Boko Haram terrorists and bandits do not discriminate between Muslims and Christians when carrying out their attacks.
The Nigerian federal government issued a statement rejecting claims of systematic genocide of Christians as “baseless, despicable, and divisive.”
- In the statement, the Nigerian government reiterated that they were committed to eradicating Boko Haram and other terrorist groups.

A MO NEWS COMMUNITY MEMBER RESPONDS
Tiffany, a member of our Mo News Premium community, discussed how she had several friends who fled Nigeria to escape persecution from Boko Haram and found refuge in the U.S. and E.U., while working to secure better lives for themselves. We are grateful that she shared her story with us today. ☺️

“This is my friend Athanansius,” Tiffany wrote. “We worked on several reports together. He’s lost two friends to Christian persecution and is the sole provider to his mother, after his father died when Athan was four.”

Tiffany and Athanansius, courtesy of Tiffany.

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

Supreme Court agrees to hear arguments in case on Federal Reserve independence, leaving Lisa Cook in job for now (CNN)
Judge finds the Trump administration unconstitutionally targeted noncitizens over Gaza war protests (AP)
Trump says Harvard deal is close, university will pay $500 million (CNBC)
Gas explosion causes collapse at NYCHA Bronx apartment building (ABC7)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

Three alleged Hamas members accused of plotting against Jewish institutions in Germany (FOX) Oktoberfest reopens after a security sweep due to a bomb threat (GUARDIAN)
Israel orders Palestinians to leave Gaza City, saying those who stay will be considered militants (AP)
Offshore earthquake kills at least 69 in Philippines, officials say (ABC)
Rescuers race to find survivors after Indonesia school collapse traps dozens (BBC)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

The US economy lost 32,000 private-sector jobs in September (CNN)
Record EV sales lead General Motors, Ford to 8% increases in Q3 U.S. auto sales (CNBC)
Peloton debuts AI coaching and new products in sweeping overhaul (AXIOS)
Scientists make embryos from human skin DNA for the first time (BBC)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Hundreds of celebrities relaunch a McCarthy-era committee to defend free speech (NPR)
Keith Urban changes Nicole Kidman-inspired lyric to name his guitarist Maggie before divorce announcement (FOX)
A-list comedians face backlash for performing at Saudi Arabian festival (NBC)
90s Syracuse basketball great Lawrence Moten dies at age 53 (ESPN)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… After a weeklong showdown, 32 Chunk — a 1,200-pound brown bear — has been crowned the 2025 Fat Bear Week champion at Katmai National Park in Alaska.

The annual contest, now in its 11th year, lets anyone vote on which bear bulks up best before hibernation. Chunk beat longtime rival 856 in the finals.