Wingspan Weekly (Ninth Edition)

News Briefs Nov. 8 – 14

Madeline Petrick, Editor-in-chief

November 14, 2025

News

The Supreme Court rejected a call to overturn same-sex marriage, JFK’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, announced his run for Congress, the Justice Department is suing the California House to block their congressional redistricting and pennies officially stopped being produced. Here are our picks for the top stories of the week.

U.S.

Longest government shutdown in US history ends after 43 days, as Trump signs funding bill (AP)

After 43 days, President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill on Wednesday night, ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The bill passed in the House 222–209 earlier on Wednesday after clearing the Senate on Monday.

The agreement keeps several federal agencies funded through Jan. 30 and guarantees back pay for federal employees.

The shutdown had stalled pay for thousands of federal workers, caused major airport delays and caused millions of Americans to lose their SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, and there is still uncertainty when missed payments will be fully restored.

This shutdown stemmed from the dispute over the Affordable Care Act, specifically a health-care funding program that helps people pay for insurance. Democrats conceded to Republicans in the Senate on Monday, and Americans lost some of the financial discounts that lowered their insurance costs.

Before signing the legislation, Trump said the government should never shut down again, adding, “This is no way to run a country.”

Chief Executive of BBC News Deborah Turness speaks to the media outside BBC Broadcasting House after she and Director General of BBC Tim Davie resigned following accusations of bias at the British broadcaster, including in the way it edited a speech by U.S. President Donald Trump, in London, Britain, November 10, 2025. REUTERS/Jack Taylor (REUTERS/via SNO Sites/Jack Taylor)

International

Furor over editing of Trump speech sparks ‘existential crisis’ at the BBC (AP)

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is facing accusations of institutional bias after it edited a speech of Trump’s on Jan. 6, 2021, so that it appeared he explicitly urged supporters to march on Capitol Hill and “fight like hell.”

The editing sparked the resignations of top BBC executives Tim Davie and Deborah Turness, and Trump has threatened legal action.

Critics say this is part of a long history of perceived bias at the publicly funded broadcaster, while supporters insist the BBC remains a trusted news source in the U.K. and worldwide.

Local

Frontline Ukrainian physicians visit Nebraska, offer gritty lessons on combat medicine (KETV)

Five combat surgeons from Ukraine visited the University of Nebraska Medical Center to teach the doctors about polytrauma and injuries of war.

“It is a two-way exchange because we certainly realize we’re not on the battlefields every day,” Sarah Pirtle, the Global Health Programs manager at UNMC, said. “We share a lot of information from them, which is a springboard for things that they can bring back.”

The Russo-Ukrainian war has been ongoing since 2014, but Russia began invading Ukraine in February 2022.

GEHS

The football team faces off against Gretna again tonight in the State Semifinals at 7 p.m. The game theme is blackout.

One Act is traveling to Lincoln Northwest High School tomorrow for their first competition of the season.

Sports

Nov 3, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani acknowledges the crowd during the World Series championship parade at downtown Los Angeles. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images (REUTERS/via SNO Sites/Kiyoshi Mio)

Dodgers’ Ohtani unanimous winner of fourth MVP in five years (ESPN)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and designated hitter, Shohei Ohtani, was named National League MVP on Thursday. He received all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. This is his fourth MVP win in five years.

He hit .282 with 55 home runs and returned to pitching, posting a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts. He also helped lead the Dodgers to a second straight MLB championship.

Ohtani, who joined the Dodgers in 2023 on a 10-year, $700 million deal, is the first player in MLB, NBA, NHL or NFL history to win both an MVP and a championship in each of his first two seasons with a team.

With four unanimous MVP awards, Ohtani now ranks second all-time behind Barry Bonds, of the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants, who won seven.

Entertainment

MSNBC’s name is being replaced, but its leaders insist that its mission will remain the same (AP)

MSNBC is officially splitting from NBC News this week. This Saturday, MSNBC will become MS NOW (My Source for News, Opinion and the World).

The network says its mission and stars, including Rachel Maddow, will stay the same.

MS NOW is suggesting it will be better positioned to experiment with new forms of media like podcasts and newsletters, without ties to the more corporate NBC News.

A newly released email from disgraced late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, referencing U.S. President Donald Trump, is seen in this handout image released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee in Washington, D.C., U.S., on November 12, 2025. House Oversight Committee Democrats/Handout via REUTERS (REUTERS/via SNO Sites/House Oversight Committee Democr)

Caught our attention

Takeaways from the newly released Epstein documents (AP)

A House committee released thousands of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein on Wednesday, many of them emails the convicted sex offender sent to his powerful friends and reporters.

Democrats first shared a few emails mentioning Donald Trump, and Republicans said they were cherry-picked to make him look bad.

The emails show Epstein claimed Trump “knew about the girls,” though it’s unclear exactly what he meant. They also mention Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre and former Prince Andrew.

Have a great weekend, Griffins. Thank you for staying informed.

About the Contributor

Madeline Petrick, Editor-in-chief

Madeline Petrick, otherwise known as Madie, is a senior who started her scholastic journalism career at Gretna High her freshman year, where she wrote for Gretna Media. With the opening of Gretna East, Petrick made the move and became a founding member of The Wingspan and Gretna East Media. That same year, she was appointed Editor-in-Chief and has retained the title ever since. Throughout her time as a student journalist and editor, she has earned over 50 individual awards and led her staff to several team awards at the local, state and national levels. Some of her proudest accomplishments on staff include winning a combined eight individual awards in the NSAA State Journalism Championships in her first three years, and The Wingspan being named a 2025 NSPA Online Pacemaker Finalist as a second-year program. In 2026, she was named the Nebraska Student Journalist of the Year. Aside from her involvement with Gretna East Media, she is the Gretna Swim Team Captain, Student Council President, National Honor Society President and a Head Producer for Gretna Live. Outside of school, she is a lifeguard and youth swim coach. Petrick will be attending Boston University and studying journalism next fall. See more awards here.