Donations Pour In For The Family Of Michigan Church Mass Shooter

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Plus: The Latest On The Government Shutdown Negotiations & Memes

Before we get to today’s headlines, here’s a glimpse of what’s ahead for all of us this weekend in our weekly ‘Cheers to the Freakin’ Weekend’ section:

What We’re Watching:

What We’re Reading:

What We’re Eating:

  • Mosh: Recipes from Dinner Party Animal by Jake Cohen

  • Jill: Fruit salad to celebrate the very end of summer

  • Claire: Peruvian food from Warique ~Williamsburg

  • Sam: B&H Dairy ~Lower East Side

Have a great weekend!

Love Mo News? Support our news coverage and join Premium — where we post over the weekend to a private Instagram with the latest headlines and analysis.

The Mo News Team

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Government Shutdown Messaging War Turns To Memes & Social Media

President Trump is leaning heavily on memes to express his frustration with Democrats over the government shutdown. Some Democrats — like California Gov. Gavin Newsom — are trying to fight fire with fire, while others are criticizing the move.

  • House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) defended the tactic Friday, saying memes highlight “the absurdity of the Democrats’ position,” but added that “at the end of the day, the decisions are hard ones” and not taken lightly.

It comes as Trump met with Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought on Thursday to discuss potentially “thousands” of federal worker layoffs during the shutdown. So far, the White House has cut or frozen billions of dollars in funding for infrastructure and clean energy projects — mostly in Democratic-run cities and states.

“In a very polarized society, we have a rough consensus among Republicans and Democrats, that free speech is in a bad place… I think that’s a good thing in the sense that it’s a necessary, although not a sufficient, condition for making anything better. It’s a certain kind of agreement, and it’s one of the only things we do agree on,” Zimmerman said.

THE MEME WARS
On Thursday night, Trump posted an AI-generated parody of the classic song “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.” The video starred Vought — who has threatened imminent federal worker cuts — as the Grim Reaper. Trump himself appears playing cowbell, with Vice President JD Vance on the drums.

  • The clip was created by the Dilley Meme Team, a pro-Trump group that calls itself the president’s “online war machine.” Their content frequently goes viral and is often reposted by Trump.

  • The “Reaper” video wasn’t Trump’s first fighting meme of the week. On Monday, Trump shared an AI-generated clip of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) wearing a sombrero, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) voice dubbed over with insults about Democrats.

    • Jeffries shot back: “Mr. President, the next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through a racist and fake AI video… say it to my face.”

Johnson advised Jeffries to ignore the trolling altogether. Vice President Vance brushed off the criticism, saying: “I think it’s funny.” Vance added that if Democrats “help reopen the government, the sombrero memes will stop.” In turn, Newsom has posted videos of Johnson and Vance with Minion glasses and clothing, calling them “MAGA Minions.”

The meme strategy highlights how Trump is framing the funding battle — a cultural spectacle designed to cast Democrats as villains.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: SHUTDOWN EDITION
The historic 35-day shutdown in 2018–2019 was over Trump’s demand for $5.7 billion in border wall funding. Around 380,000 federal workers were furloughed, another 420,000 worked without pay, and the standoff cost the economy billions. Similar impacts are going to be felt this shutdown. Last term, Trump ultimately caved, signing a bipartisan deal with no border wall funding.

  • This time, it’s Democrats drawing the line. They want to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies – which they say help 22 million Americans afford health insurance – and roll back Medicaid cuts from Trump’s July tax-and-spending bill. Republicans insist they won’t negotiate until Democrats pass their funding measure first.

    • Nearly 80% of Americans want Congress to extend the enhanced tax credits, a new KFF poll finds. It remains to be seen how many Americans support a prolonged government shutdown on the issue.

Progressive leaders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (VT), released a video on Wednesday explaining why they did not vote for the Republican spending bill that would have prevented the shutdown.

“There’s nothing clean about it,” Ocasio-Cortez said about the ‘clean’ Republican funding extension bill. “This is one of the dirtiest tricks that is being pulled on the American people right now.”

Democratic leaders face a tough balancing act in the shutdown fight: they are torn between demands from their base to fight the GOP, and establishment pressure to act as responsible governing partners. For now, they’re fighting — but it’s not necessarily connecting with the base, part of which sees Schumer as prosecuting the case poorly.

“Communication is not necessarily the strength of the Democratic Party’s leaders right now.” — Tommy Vietor, former Obama aide and Pod Save America co-host.

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🚨 ONE THING WE’RE WATCHING

$300K+ Raised In 48 Hours For Family Of Michigan Church Shooter By Church Community

In the aftermath of Sunday’s attack at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Michigan — which killed four people and injured eight others — a fundraiser for the gunman’s family raised over $300,000 in just 48 hours.

The fundraiser was started by a member of the Latter-day Saints church who said he feared the assailant’s wife and child — “two more victims” — would be left without support.

REWIND
Authorities say 40-year-old veteran Thomas Jacob Sanford drove a truck into the church, set the building on fire, and opened fire with an assault-style weapon before being shot and killed by police. Victims ranged in age from 6 to 78.

Fundraisers for survivors and victims’ families have also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. (Click this link for individual donation pages.)

The fund for Sanford’s family was launched Tuesday by Utah-based writer and church member Dave Butler, who has no connection to Grand Blanc or the Sanfords. Butler told the New York Times he hoped the effort would reflect his faith’s teachings: to “mourn with those who mourn,” turn the other cheek, and care for widows and orphans. Donations began pouring in within minutes. Many came with Bible verses and messages of forgiveness.

Sanford’s sister will help direct the spending of the donations, with his family expressing gratitude for the outpouring.

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

  • Trump sets Sunday evening deadline for Hamas to agree to Gaza deal, warning ‘all hell’ if they don’t (CNN)

  • Supreme Court takes up challenge to Hawaii law restricting where people can carry guns (NBC)

  • Fire at Chevron refinery sends massive flames shooting into Southern California night sky (FOX)

  • Texas megachurch founder Robert Morris pleads guilty to child sex abuse charges (AP)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

  • Hamas says it accepts some elements of Gaza peace plan after Trump issues ultimatum (AP)

  • One of two victims in Manchester synagogue attack was accidentally shot by police (AP)

  • Sarah Mullally named first woman Archbishop of Canterbury (NPR)

  • Four Gaza flotilla activists deported by Israel (BBC)

  • More unidentified drones in Europe halt flights at Munich airport amid sightings near Belgian air base (CBS)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

  • OpenAI’s invite-only video generation app Sora tops Apple’s App Store (CNBC)

  • Apple removes app that tracks ICE agents from its App Store, developer says (CBS)

  • Japan days away from running out of Asahi Super Dry due to cyber attack, reports say (GUARDIAN)

  • Family of deadly Cybertruck crash victim sues Tesla, claiming car’s design didn’t allow her to escape (ABC7)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

  • Diddy sentenced to 4 years in prison, fined $500,000 (MO NEWS)

  • Tyrese Gibson turns himself in to police for dog attack that killed neighbor’s pet in Atlanta (CBS)

  • “I’ll change the monarchy when I’m king,” says Prince William (BBC)

  • Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner sue Ray J for defamation over racketeering claims (AP)

  • Cam Schlittler rewards Yankees’ faith with unforgettable 12-strikeout outing that ends Red Sox’s season (CBS)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… Yes, Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ album is out, and the entire Mo News Team is obsessed. Mosh and Senior Producer Sari discussed the album on this week’s #AMA (Ask Mo Anything) podcast — available on Saturdays for Mo News Premium members. Here are some takeaways:

  • Sari joked about choosing between listening to a news podcast or the new album this morning. She went with Taylor, saying she would be “more prepared for the day.”

  • The verdict? Chill, positive, loved it! Despite past worries that “happy Taylor” might mean worse music, Sari (and those on the Mo News team who have also listened) agreed this album still delivers, even though much of it reflects her relationship with fiancé Travis Kelce.

Join Premium to listen to the #AMA podcast, where we answer your questions and provide context on the government shutdown, tariff profits, Hegseth’s military meeting, and the Comey indictment.

Guest User
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