Native American Gains, Charlie Kirk Case, Big Boy Tour: This Week in US News
From historic graduation gains for Native American students to the largest steam locomotive ever built whistle-stopping across the country, this week’s news across the United States spans education, justice, culture, and extremism. Here’s a look at five stories shaping the national conversation.
Innovation and Data Fixes Drive Native American Graduation Gains
Graduation rates at federally funded schools serving Native American students have reached a record high of 79%, up from just over 50% a decade ago, according to an AP News analysis. The U.S. Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) oversees 183 schools serving over 40,000 students.
The surge reflects both genuine innovation and more accurate data collection. At Chief Leschi Schools in Washington, a career and technical education program helped boost graduation rates from 53% to 87% between 2019 and 2025. Superintendent Don Brummett said the school had previously “devalued the trades,” calling that “a mistake.” At Choctaw Central High School in Mississippi, maintaining a COVID-era virtual learning option helped rates climb from roughly 70% to 93%.
However, tribal leaders warn that progress is fragile. The dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education and cuts by DOGE could undermine gains. “When drastic changes go into motion without tribal consultation, there can be unintended consequences for our students,” said Jason Dropik of the National Indian Education Association.
Charlie Kirk Murder Case: Key Takeaways from Preliminary Hearing
A five-day preliminary hearing in Provo, Utah, has concluded for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University. According to AP News, prosecutors presented surveillance video they say shows Robinson on campus, including buying food at Chick-fil-A and later returning in different clothes to shoot Kirk from a rooftop.
Robinson’s roommate, Lance Twiggs, testified that Robinson cried and said “he wishes he hadn’t done it” the day after the killing. A handwritten note allegedly left by Robinson read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it.” The suspected murder weapon — a bolt-action rifle with one spent round — was found wrapped in a towel near campus, with DNA matching both Twiggs and “very likely” Robinson.
Defense attorney Michael Burt challenged the DNA evidence, arguing analysts “can’t match Mr. Robinson to the questioned samples.” Judge Tony Graf will hear final arguments on Sept. 1. The case has drawn high-profile attention, with Donald Trump Jr. and Sen. Mike Lee among those attending.
Big Boy: The World’s Largest Steam Locomotive Crosses America
Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 — the world’s largest operating steam locomotive — is barnstorming across the United States as part of America’s 250th birthday celebrations. As NPR reports, the 133-foot-long, 1.2-million-pound behemoth drew close to 100,000 visitors over two days in Philadelphia.
Built between 1941 and 1944 to haul freight through the Wasatch Mountains, the Big Boys were retired by 1962. Only eight were preserved, and just No. 4014 remains operational, restored under the supervision of Ed Dickens, Union Pacific’s senior manager of Heritage Operations. “Seeing the happiness, seeing the crowds is something that’s just spectacular for us,” Dickens said. The train is now returning to Wyoming with stops in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado.
Yiddish Draws a New Generation of Jewish College Students
Amid deepening divisions over Israel within Jewish communities, a growing number of young Jewish Americans are turning to Yiddish language and culture as an alternative expression of their identity. According to NPR, Duolingo reports roughly 296,000 people worldwide are studying Yiddish, with an estimated 60% under 25.
Lindsey Bloom, a senior at Mount Holyoke College, said she had “stopped engaging with their Judaism because they didn’t know where to go” before discovering Yiddish. “I actually align with this a lot more,” she said. Mindl Cohen of the Yiddish Book Center noted that exploring diaspora history offers young Jews “inspiring and provocative” alternatives to the politics of Israel. The Workers Circle, a Jewish social justice organization, runs a college ambassador program helping students plan Yiddish cultural events on campus.
Patriot Front: What You See Is Not What You Get
When hundreds of masked men in khakis and blue shirts marched through Washington, D.C., on July Fourth weekend, the white nationalist group Patriot Front achieved its goal: mainstream media coverage and a sanitized public image. But an NPR investigation reveals a far darker reality beneath the patriotic veneer.
Born out of the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Patriot Front has a documented history of violence and property damage. The group was ordered to pay nearly $2.76 million for assaulting an African American musician in Boston in 2022, yet no criminal charges were filed. Founder Thomas Rousseau, formerly a leader of Vanguard America, rebranded the group in red, white, and blue to attract new recruits.
Kristofer Goldsmith, who infiltrated the group, described its internal culture as a “cult” and its ideology as genuinely neo-Nazi. “The goal of their propaganda, of their public actions like this, is to beat MAGA and conservatives and Republicans into defending them,” he said. Len Kamdang of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law warned: “Although they were on their best behavior [last] weekend, this is a dangerous group that commits acts of violence all over the country.”
What to Watch
In the weeks ahead, the Charlie Kirk case will return to court on Sept. 1 for final arguments on whether Robinson must stand trial. The Big Boy locomotive continues its westward journey through the Midwest. And as the Trump administration’s education and budget policies take shape, tribal leaders will be watching closely to see whether hard-won gains in Native American education can be sustained.