The deadliest shooting in modern Austrian history + a curfew in LA
+ World’s most popular TikTok star Khaby Lame leaves the US after being detained by ICE
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Fucking hell guys, I wish I had some better news for you today, but tbh the last few days have felt dire - and that’s coming from someone living in New Zealand, relatively protected from the fucked-upness of the USA in particular.
I’m sending this newsy out early today because the news is changing at speeds that I just cannot keep up with, and I want you to get the most updated stuff to your inbox.
I do just wanna say a quick thank you for supporting SYSCA - because of our paid supporters, I can post and write the truth, with no censors, or pressure of anyone breathing down my neck. You keep this independent, and for that, I literally owe you everything!
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The deadliest shooting in modern Austrian history
Content warning: Gun violence, death
Austria has entered three days of national mourning after a former student opened fire at his old high school in Graz, killing 10 people and injuring at least 11 more before taking his own life.
It’s now the country’s deadliest mass shooting in recent history.
The gunman - a 21-year-old Austrian man who didn’t graduate from the school - entered two classrooms, including one he’d once studied in, and opened fire shortly after 10am on Tuesday. He was later found dead in a bathroom inside the school.
Eight of the victims were students, one was a teacher, and the tenth died later in hospital.
Austria’s Chancellor, Christian Stocker, called the attack “a dark day in the history of our country” and “a national tragedy that has shocked us all.” President Alexander Van der Bellen echoed this heartbreak, saying the attack “strikes our country at the heart.”
Police say the shooter legally owned the pistol and shotgun used in the attack and was not previously known to authorities. His motive is still unknown.
In Graz, thousands gathered in silence at the heart of the city, candles in hand, grief spilling out onto the streets. A sea of quiet solidarity formed at the steps of the Johann fountain, where the people of Graz turned their mourning into light.
World’s most popular TikTok star Khaby Lame leaves the US after being detained by ICE
Khaby Lame, the world’s most followed TikToker, has left the United States after being detained by U.S. immigration agents in Las Vegas.
The 25-year-old Senegalese-born, Italian citizen, who built his global platform by reacting to absurd life hacks with a signature deadpan expression, was stopped by ICE at Harry Reid International Airport on Friday. Officials say he overstayed his visa. He arrived in the U.S. on April 30 and had been in New York just last month for the Met Gala.
ICE confirmed he’s now departed the U.S. under “voluntary departure” terms, meaning he’s not subject to a formal deportation order, which can ban you from re-entering for up to a decade. (
This all lands in the middle of President Trump’s intensifying immigration crackdown, with increased ICE raids, protests erupting in cities like L.A., and growing concern over how far executive authority is being pushed.
The latest on LA
First off, I just want to repeat what I wrote yesterday, to make sure we don’t lose any context (or if you’re just now getting caught up on the news).
As I’m sure most of you have seen, a wave of protests has gripped Los Angeles over the past few days.
I want to be really clear here: this all started because Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stormed Latino neighbourhoods in Los Angeles, targeting workers, day labourers, and bystanders with a level of force that felt designed to humiliate. These weren’t isolated raids. They were coordinated, aggressive, and broadcast loudly by a federal government that wants to make a spectacle out of fear. And LA responded, because people are sick of watching their communities be criminalised and their neighbours disappear in vans without warning.
A curfew
The pressure in LA is still mounting, as citizens come out to support their brothers and sisters.
In response, Mayor Bass has declared a local emergency and announced a curfew from 8pm to 6am, saying last night’s violence was the “tipping point.” Police Chief Jim McDonnell said 197 people had already been arrested today alone.
For now, the curfew applies to just one square mile of downtown LA - but it could expand. “This is not a citywide crisis,” Bass said, trying to calm public concern. But officials are already bracing for several more days of unrest.
A legal battle begins
California Governor Gavin Newsom tried to block Trump from deploying Marines and National Guard troops, but a federal judge denied his emergency request. A full hearing is set for Thursday.
Meanwhile, California’s Attorney General said Trump has overstepped: “There is no rebellion. There is no invasion. The president must follow the law.”
The national picture
Protests have spread far beyond LA. In New York, a major demonstration marched through Federal Plaza, home to ICE, with protesters calling for the agency’s removal. There’s a real fear that what’s happening in LA could soon hit other cities too.
And while the White House is framing this as law and order, LA’s leaders say it’s only creating chaos and fear.
And from me?
Thank you for not just attending these protests, but for taking the time to capture the reality of them, and for sending me what you’re seeing. Having feet on the ground is so important, and for as long as I can share it, I will xx
Hi bookies!!
The book club has been SO engaged this month because of our June book pick, Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. The reviews have been pouring in from our club members as they finish the book super early this month - it’s that good!! Luce and I cannottttt wait to dissect it at the end of the month.
Also, I asked the book club this so would love your thoughts:
Subscribe to get exclusive access to the cutest book club on the internet - one book a month, spoiler-free chapter chats, and zero pressure to keep up.
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I feel like what’s happening in LA is being used by Trump as a distraction from what Musk has alleged…. It’s terrible and my heart goes out to the residents of USA.
I enjoy museums as an adult, way more than I did as a kid. As a kid, the Egyptian/Viking/dinosaur stuff was cool, but as an adult I see the interest and value in so much more of it. Except railway/boat/car museums, those are still boring af 🤣