Wednesday, October 7, 2026

A Nashville judge ordered Tennessee's Department of Corrections to preserve all evidence from the failed September 30 execution of Christa Pike, who survived two doses of pentobarbital. Lawyers said Pike was told Monday she was braindead but woke Tuesday, now reportedly angry and confused, with pneumonia and unable to move her arms. An assistant attorney general declined to say whether the state plans another execution attempt.

Federal authorities arrested Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, 18, of Minnesota on Tuesday, accusing him of pledging allegiance to ISIS and planning a mass shooting at the Mall of America. Investigators say he had been monitored since December 2024 and bought an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammunition for $600 from an undercover FBI informant. He allegedly told the informant he intended to kill between 30 and 60 people. He faces one federal firearms-terrorism charge.

Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, were charged with conspiracy to commit child abuse involving children born via surrogates; Xuan also faces charges of child abuse, accessory after the fact and dissuading a witness, with an additional count against Zhang. Both pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors and outlets cite differing victim counts: 14, 15 or 21. UPI reported the couple had 27 children total. The case began after a 2-month-old was hospitalized with a head injury in May 2025.

Cornell University students held a seven-hour sit-in Wednesday in solidarity with Jane Doe, who alleges she was gang raped by members of the Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024. Doe gave her account to a university hearing panel seven months after the alleged assault. Her lawyer alleged fraternity members held meetings to protect themselves. Cornell has retained former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to lead an independent review of its handling of the allegations.

US prosecutors charged a 30-year-old Washington state resident with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country, alleging he helped Jesse Van Rootselaar plan the February school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, offering advice and money for supplies at least six months beforehand. Most outlets say the attack killed eight people; the BBC reported six children died.

The University of Arizona suspended most fraternity activities this week, citing multiple misconduct reports against chapters. Dean of Students Chrissy Lieberman said nearly half of the 21 Interfraternity Council chapters have multiple reports. The university said it placed chapters on "activities suspension" while investigating allegations including assault, drug use and hazing.

President Trump said Wednesday he does not think Russia's pneumonic plague case is a bioweapon, saying Russia claims to have it "under control." Russian media reported a second possible plague-related death in Irkutsk, but authorities have not confirmed it or linked it to plague. The WHO asked Russia for more details on the cause of the illnesses. The Kremlin denied a Trump-Putin call has been scheduled, though Russia says it is open to one.

US military commanders in Okinawa, Japan, ordered a 48-hour operational pause starting Wednesday at noon, banning off-base liberty and alcohol, and imposed a 30-day curfew after a Marine was arrested on suspicion of killing and robbing a Japanese woman. Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson cited the need for reflection on discipline. Okinawa's governor has called for disciplinary action against US forces.

Common Sense Media's Youth AI Safety Institute tested over 4,000 prompts on accounts registered to 13- to 17-year-olds and said ChatGPT missed more than one in four instances where a crisis referral was warranted, also citing failures in parental alerts and age checks. It urged OpenAI to keep teens off the platform. OpenAI disputed the findings, saying the testing doesn't reflect how its safeguards work in practice.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Trump is examining Wells Fargo's lending programs intended to boost Black and minority homeownership, saying the race-based initiatives may violate the Fair Housing Act. Wells Fargo shares fell after the inquiry was reported. The bank has not commented publicly on the matter.

Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv and a dozen other Ukrainian regions overnight into Wednesday, with death tolls reported variously as 11, 19, 21, 24, 25 and 26 by officials and outlets. A strike on an apartment block in northern Ukraine destroyed 30 flats and killed five children as families slept, according to Ukrainian officials. About 60 people were wounded.

Yemen's Houthi rebels struck two airports in Saudi Arabia, killing three residents and injuring dozens, as the Iran-backed group intensified attacks on the kingdom amid fighting with Saudi-backed forces in Yemen. The attacks are drawing Saudi Arabia deeper into conflict with Iran. Oil prices rose, with Brent crude back above $100 a barrel, amid concerns over regional tensions and a threatened recovery in exports.

Former BND foreign intelligence chief August Hanning, 80, who led the agency 1998-2005, was placed under formal arrest following his Tuesday detention on suspicion of treasonous espionage and attempted treason. Prosecutors say Hanning obtained classified documents through former aide Manfred D., also arrested, and used secret information to prepare an analysis for an employee of a foreign intelligence service. Manfred D. served as chief of staff to Hanning and later BND successors from 2012 to 2026.