Scientists discover 180,000 giant tortoises on one Seychelles island Free-roaming Aldabra population far exceeds human population of Seychelles after decades-long recovery programmeA survey of the world's largest free-roaming giant tortoise population has discovered that the once endangered species is thriving.A population of Aldabra giant tortoises lives on an island in Seychelles called Aldabra Atoll. Continue reading...
Ethiopia launches drone attack against Eritrean troops who crossed into Tigray Government forces' attack raises risk of internal conflict in Ethiopia that could trigger regional war Eritrean troops who crossed into Ethiopia's Tigray region have come under drone attack from government forces, raising the risk that renewed internal conflict in Ethiopia could trigger an all-out regional war between the neighbouring countries.Military vehicles carrying soldiers drove across Eritrea's southern border into Tigray on Wednesday, reaching the town of Adigrat 25 miles (40km) south, according to civilian witnesses, a militia commander and the conflict monitoring group Acled. Continue reading...
Kenya confirms first Ebola case as virus 'surges' in DR Congo province Health minister says 28 contacts identified after death of citizen who arrived from DRC on SaturdayKenya has reported its first-ever Ebola death, the health minister announced on Tuesday, as the disease continues to spread rapidly through the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the outbreak was announced in May.This is the 17th outbreak of the highly infectious, often deadly disease in the DRC. As of 2 October, 4,082 people had died out of 8,463 confirmed cases in the country since the emergence of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is still no vaccine nor specific treatment. Continue reading...
Tigray rebel groups 'forcibly recruiting boys as young as 15' as fighting spreads Civilians try to flee as men and boys rounded up on streets by new alliance as Ethiopia conflict erupts againAs renewed fighting has threatened a fresh humanitarian crisis in the northern region of Ethiopia, reports are emerging that a new alliance of armed groups in Tigray has been forcibly recruiting men and boys to its ranks.Renewed conflict erupted on 23 September between Ethiopia's federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which rules the region, shattering the fragile Pretoria peace agreement signed between the two sides in November 2022. Continue reading...
Guardian readers fund life-changing surgery for Somali boy injured in US airstrike After Guardian investigation uncovered drone strike that killed 12 civilians and injured many more, seven-year-old Abdiqadir Salah underwent vital operation in MogadishuOn the rickshaw ride to the hospital, Marian Haji Abdi Guled felt a mixture of joy and apprehension: the day they had been waiting for had finally arrived.Almost a year earlier, her then seven-year-old son, Abdiqadir Salah, had been seriously injured, alongside his two siblings, in what a Guardian investigation found was a US drone strike on the village of Jamaame in Somalia that killed at least 12 civilians, including eight children. Continue reading...
Men accused of shooting Australian surfer brothers and US friend dead in Mexico to learn fate as trial concludes The brothers' parents, Martin and Debra Robinson, to address court before a Mexican judge hands down verdictA Mexican judge is expected to hand down his verdict in the high-profile murder trial of three men accused of killing two Australian surfers and their American friend in 2024.Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, aged 30 and 33 respectively, and their friend Carter Rhoad, 30, were on a surfing trip to Mexico's Pacific coast when they were shot dead in Baja California state in an alleged robbery. Continue reading...
Long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln returns home to San Diego Bay Long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln returns home to San Diego Bay The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier returns to the San Diego Bay after deployment Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in San Diego. | Jae C. Hong "Home is the sailor, home from sea."Robert Louis Stevenson penned that line almost 150 years ago - but on Thursday, those words read sweet and new to thousands of sailors and Marines aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.After an almost 11-month deployment to the Middle East, the sea-weary aircraft carrier arrived at its homeport at San Diego's Naval Air Station North to massive crowds of cheering, misty-eyed and flag-waving spouses, children, parents, friends and fellow troops. The massive ship played a pivotal combat role during the ongoing Iran war - setting a record-long deployment of more than 260 uninterrupted days at sea that included two extensions.The USS Lincoln arrived in San Diego Bay late Thursday morning under unseasonably warm skies. Scores of sailors and Marines, dressed in service dress uniforms, lined the carrier's flight deck to the delight of awaiting loved ones. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier returns to the San Diego Bay after deployment Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in San Diego. | Karl Anderson The deployment's historic length - coupled with reports of stark conditions during combat - brought wide attention to the USS Lincoln and its crew.And while the carrier is now far from the Middle East, the scrutiny of its 2025-2026 deployment will continue. Accounts of suicide attempts, food rationing, broken plumbing and mental health emergencies prompted Democratic lawmakers to call for a congressional hearing.President Donald Trump labeled reports of dire conditions about the USS Lincoln as "a CNN fake report" - and refuted that relatives of the Lincoln sailors had raised concerns about the carrier's length at sea, saying the deployment was "not nearly long enough," The Associated Press reported.And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in August that conditions aboard the Lincoln were "completely misrepresented."But Navy leaders later acknowledged issues aboard a "city at sea" that thousands called home while underway. Meanwhile, experts told The Associated Press that the reported suicide attempts are a low number in a strike group of 6,000 sailors at sea for over 10 months.Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., requested the congressional hearing following a Sept. 22 letter from Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao confirming that eight suicide attempts were made during the Lincoln group's combat-heavy deployment."Our troops and their families make immense sacrifices every single day, yet the president dismissed them with open disrespect," wrote Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee."That this administration can find endless taxpayer dollars for bombs, ballrooms and billionaires, but cannot take care of our service members, is completely unacceptable."Americans, she added, need hearings, accountability, and "a clear plan to protect our service members and prioritize American families." Family and friends wait to greet the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier as it returns to Naval Air Station North Island after deployment Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Coronado, Calif. | Gregory Bull
Hegseth: A 'generational mission' for the USS Lincoln
While the Lincoln sailors had to wait until Thursday to finally step on terra firma, Hegseth flew on a helicopter to the carrier Wednesday to get an early jump on the "welcome homes.""I'm here today on behalf of the President of the United States to make sure you understand how deeply grateful we are - and how much we want to showcase and recognize the historic undertaking of this strike group," said Hegseth.The secretary announced that Trump was presenting the USS Abraham Carrier Strike Group with the Presidential Unit Citation - the highest collective unit award in the American military.Hegseth also saluted the Lincoln carrier group's "back of the baseball card" statistics that included almost 11 months at sea, two extensions in the middle of a combat zone, over 10,000 flights and 23,000 flight hours, 1.5 million pounds of ordnance dropped and 64 Iranian Navy ships sunk."You were called upon by your nation for an important and significant and generational mission to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon," added Hegseth. "Theocratic regimes should never have access to nuclear weapons. President Trump recognizes that - and he called upon the Lincoln from day one to execute on that." The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier returns to the San Diego Bay after deployment Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in San Diego. | Karl Anderson The Iranians and the United States made a deal to share the ocean, he joked. "The Iranian Navy gets the bottom of the ocean - and the Lincoln gets the top."Since the beginning of the Iran war, Hegseth has been frequently critical of the media's coverage of the conflict. He once again scolded the press during his Wednesday visit to the Lincoln."There were a few folks in the media who tried to turn the USS Abraham Lincoln into some sort of a symbol - a symbol of dysfunction or a symbol of low morale or a symbol of a failed mission," he said."And when I look at (the crew), and when I talk to your leadership. … I know it's the exact opposite, which is actually what the media does so often."The families and loved ones of the Lincoln sailors, added Hegseth, have also performed honorably during the long deployment."When you greet your families tomorrow, just pass along my gratitude from the president and myself," he told the troops. "Let them know that their long wait was in service of a righteous and historic mission. Thank them for their patience, for their patriotism, for their love, for their support and for pitching in on the homeland, which is never easy." A woman watches as the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier returns to the San Diego Bay after deployment Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in San Diego. | Jae C. Hong
Lincoln's sailors reflect on nearly a year at sea
As the 1,092-foot-long vessel was navigating towards the U.S. mainland on Wednesday, many Lincoln sailors told the San Diego Union-Tribune that they were not always aware of the broad news coverage at home because Wi-Fi communication on the ship was sometimes limited.Roman Elliott, a 20-year-old mechanic's mate, said, with a smile, "I learned to deal with it by playing cards. Lots of cards."I am a little nervous about the (homecoming). It's kind of like things were at the end of boot camp, when you're finally free," he added. "I'm looking forward to that."Christian Webster, a 22-year-old aviation repair worker, had a different take, telling the San Diego Union-Tribune that he never thought he would see combat when he joined the military."This is going to stay with me, knowing that I went through and accomplished what I want to do, and that I have gone far."Meanwhile, sailor Steven Rivas learned firsthand the sacrifices that are often asked of American service personnel during times of war. His wife, Brenda, gave birth to their daughter during the historic Lincoln deployment.But Rivas didn't find out he was a new dad for more than a week after Baby Evie's birth because the Lincoln crew was not allowed to use Wi-Fi at the time to send messages."I had no way to find out if there were any complications," Rivas said Wednesday in a San Diego Union-Tribune interview. "It was just a waiting game for me to find out. When I finally did see pictures of (Evie) I, well, I cried. My wife said the birth was a real snap."Rivas and his wife are not alone. The babies of scores of Lincoln crew members were reportedly delivered during the carrier group's deployment. Sailors stand aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier returns to Naval Air Station North Island after deployment Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Coronado, Calif. | Gregory Bull This article originally appeared on Deseret News at https://www.deseret.com/u-s-world/2026/10/08/lincoln-navy-carrier-homecoming-iran-war/
Three states, including Alabama, Florida and Georgia, have declared states of emergencies ahead of Hurricane Isaias.
Thousands of residents have been ordered to evacuate across two states.
Hurricane Isaias is currently a Category 2 storm and continues to strengthen in the Gulf.
Isaias is expected to approach the coast by Friday, with landfall currently estimated to be 11 p.m. EST between Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida.
Hurricane Isaias is continuing to strengthen in the Gulf after becoming the first Atlantic hurricane of the season and expected to make landfall along the northern Gulf Coast later this week as a dangerous Category 2 hurricane.Isaias is expected to approach the coast by Friday, with landfall currently estimated to be sometime late Friday or early Saturday between Gulf Shores, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida.Advisory ChangesIsaias strengthened from a Category 1 to a Category 2 hurricane on Thursday, with sustained winds of 100 mph as it moves northeast at 12 mph.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp have declared states of emergency ahead of the storm.In a Thursday press conference, DeSantis urged residents to prepare now, including filling up their gas tanks and stocking up on enough water and nonperishable food to last through a potential power outage."If you are in the Panhandle, assume that you are going to lose power," DeSantis said. "Prepare to lose power. That is likely to happen with a storm that is at hurricane status."Over a dozen Florida and Alabama counties have canceled school through the end of the week, and multiple colleges have closed their campuses.Meanwhile, evacuation orders have been issued for Dauphin Island in Alabama, as well as Okaloosa and Escambia counties in Florida.How Are Hurricanes Rated?Mandatory evacuation orders have also been issued in Walton County, Florida.The City of Orange Beach has issued mandatory evacuations of coastal tourists and visitors."In anticipation of the expected impacts from Tropical Storm Isaias, the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are encouraging all non‑residents, and residents living in low-lying, flood prone areas to voluntarily evacuate," a statement from city officials said. "City officials urge all individuals who are not permanent residents to leave the area immediately and relocate to a safer location."Both Shell and Chevron have instituted shut-in production procedures across five of their offshore oil facilities in the Gulf and removed non-essential workers, respectively.BP said it was also removing non-essential personnel and securing offshore facilities. ExxonMobil operations are currently normal, but they are monitoring the forecast closely.Hurricane Isaias Churns In Gulf As Oil Rigs Prepare For Potentially Dangerous ConditionsHurricane Isaias strengthened from Tropical Storm Isaias late Wednesday night.In their Wednesday 11 p.m. update, the National Hurricane Center kept Isaias at tropical storm strength. About 30 minutes later, they released a special advisory stating that Isaias had indeed strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane.What's The Difference Between A Tropical Depression, Tropical Storm And Hurricane?Isaias rapidly intensified from a tropical storm into a Category 1 hurricane, with winds increasing by 40 mph in just 6 hours between Wednesday afternoon and late Wednesday night.Hurricane Isaias forecast cone.Isaias' forecast cone shows it heading directly toward the northern Gulf Coast, with impacts centered over roughly 30 million people in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle.Tropical weather advisories have expanded inland, across parts of southern Alabama and southwestern Georgia.A Hurricane Warning is in effect from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay/Gulf County Line in Florida. Latest From Fox Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan NorcrossA Storm Surge Warning is also in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi to the Suwannee River in Florida's Big Bend region.Tropical Alerts."The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline," the NHC said.Currently, between 5 and 7 feet of surge is forecast for Mobile Bay and from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to Indian Pass, Florida.Heavy rain is expected to begin on Friday, with flash flooding, damaging wind gusts, storm surge and even tornadoes possible as the storm comes ashore.Storm surge forecastHurricane Hunters are continuing to conduct regular reconnaissance missions into Hurricane Isaias to collect the latest forecast data."The eye of Isaias has become apparent on visible and infrared satellite imagery," the NHC said. "Interestingly, this is the first eye noted on satellite pictures in the Atlantic basin during the 2026 Hurricane Season."Fox Weather Joins The Hurricane Hunters On Critical Recon Mission Into Tropical Storm IsaiasThe storm is expected to continue to strengthen early Friday, with heavy rain reaching parts of the Gulf Coast as early as Friday morning."Residents from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle should closely monitor the latest forecast updates and ensure they have their hurricane plan in place," the NHC said.How To Watch Fox WeatherFOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross noted that several dynamic factors still remain at play, which will determine how strong and exactly where Isaias will make landfall, namely the storm's angle of approach and how the winds will impact the storm as it comes ashore.Timeline: Where Tropical Storm Isaias Is Headed And When It Could Become A HurricaneSome forecast models show Isaias weakening at landfall, while others show the storm strengthening as strong winds high in the atmosphere interact with it from the north.Norcross said most of the storm's most impactful weather will most likely be on the right side of the storm's center.Meanwhile, Noaa's Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has issued a flash flood risk for Friday across portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, as well as southern portions of Tennessee, southwestern North Carolina and western South Carolina.A Level 3 out of 4 flash flood risk covers Mobile, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle west of Panama City. A Level 2 risk includes Atlanta and Montgomery, Alabama, and eventually shifts inland into Saturday to include the Carolinas and Tennessee Valley.7 Facts You Should Know About Flash Floods"Rainfall estimates currently show 6 to 10 inches with localized higher amounts which will lead to flash and urban flooding and eventually river flooding," the FOX Forecast Center said.Severe weather threatNOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a Level 2 out of 5 risk of severe weather for Saturday across southern Alabama and into the Florida Panhandle, with a particular threat of tornadoes as the storm's outer bands come ashore.Tropical Storm Isaias Churns In Gulf As Oil Rigs Prepare For Potentially Dangerous ConditionsThe system is expected to move inland quickly with heavy rain spreading across the Southeast Saturday, triggering a broad Level 2 flash flood risk from some places along the Mississippi River to the Southeast coast.This story is developing. Check back frequently for updates. Original article source:Hurricane Isaias strengthens to Category 2 storm, evacuations expand across Gulf ahead of dangerous landfallThis article originally appeared on Fox Weather at https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/isaias-first-atlantic-hurricane-threatening-gulf-coast
Cornell's Jane Doe is 'terrified' after police swatting incident, lawyer says Cornell's Jane Doe is 'terrified' after police swatting incident, lawyer saysThe Cornell University campus on the night of October 6, 2026. Student leaders held a town hall to discuss fallout from the Jane Doe sexual assault case. - Surya Vaidy/CNNOne month ago, the woman now known to America as Cornell's Jane Doe was living in New York City among thousands of other aspirational twentysomethings, attempting to break into the hotel industry and build a new life, according to her attorney, Thomas Giuffra.But that plan has been derailed since she filed a lawsuit against Cornell University and others, alleging she was raped at a frat house in 2024.Instead, Giuffra said, Doe spent Wednesday taping up paper to obscure the windows of her parents' home out of fear that a gunman could attack her, and reeling from a swatting episode that he said prompted police to swarm their home Tuesday night with weapons drawn.Doe is increasingly scared for her own safety, Giuffra said in a phone interview with CNN on Wednesday as he detailed his client's deteriorating mental state after an escalating series of violent threats.Officers pointed weapons at Jane Doe's boyfriend, her brother and her father after receiving a bogus tip that "someone was killing people in the house" on Tuesday evening, he said.Death threats, doxxing attempts and an outpouring of anger online have also been levied at his client, Giuffra added."I don't think she's in a good spot now," Giuffra said. "She's scared."The public fallout from her allegations have rocked one of the country's leading educational institutions. The university, its campus police force and the Tompkins County District Attorney's office have each faced scrutiny over how they initially investigated her claims. Anger among students was palpable during a Wednesday sit-in on the Ithaca, New York, campus.Cornell students take part in a seven-hour sit-in protest on Wednesday. - Angelina Katsanis/ReutersDoe herself has been following media reports and social media posts on her case, Giuffra told CNN as he described a family reeling from a sudden and terrifying ordeal that punctured their sense of safety."Before (this week), it was just a lunatic fringe, which you can be dismissive of," he said. "Now it's somebody taking real steps to harm you, and that's pretty frightening."
Doe's parents are furious after a fake tip to police, lawyer says
At 7 p.m. on Tuesday evening, a police officer in Doe's hometown was dispatched to respond to a disturbing call: A man had shot and killed his mother and then turned the gun on his sister.The information was bogus. But the officer, believing an active-shooter situation was unfolding, rushed to Doe's home, where he saw a car backing out from the driveway, according to a police report from the incident obtained by CNN.As he apprehended the two men in the vehicle - later revealed to be Doe's brother and her boyfriend - another figure emerged from the home's doorway. "I'm the dad. What's going on?" he yelled, according to the report. The man told police his daughter is Jane Doe of the Cornell case and that the family was "being threatened by numerous unknown people."The swatting incident was an escalation in a series of threats to Doe's safety that have roiled her family this week. The term "swatting" refers to false tips made to law enforcement agencies with the intention of having armed officers deployed to somebody's home or place of business."Luckily the brother was in his car, (he) put his hands up," Giuffra told CNN on Wednesday, relaying the events of the night. "(Doe's) boyfriend got thrown on the ground," and her father also had "guns put in his face," according to Giuffra. "If you had a trigger-happy cop, or somebody had done the wrong thing, somebody could have ended up dead," he said.Police are now investigating the swatting attempt, and the FBI is also looking into the events, according to Giuffra.According to Doe's lawyer and two police reports reviewed by CNN, police arrived moments after Doe received a separate phone call from somebody claiming to share a first name with one of the seven men she named in her civil complaint.According to her account to officers in the reports, Doe "began panicking" when she received the call, "because (her phone) wouldn't stop ringing." She informed officers about that previous call while they were at her house following the swatting tip.Before the night was over, Giuffra's wife told him that she, too, had received a threatening phone call. "These people have done so much research into (Doe)," Giuffra said. It is not clear whether the separate threats cited in the police reports were connected.Giuffra said he was in contact with Doe and her family on Wednesday. Her parents are angry and she is terrified, he said.The lawyer shared with CNN an audio recording of a call he says was placed to his office on Wednesday afternoon. In the recording, a man identifies himself as "the person who called your client."The man also is heard saying: "I'm telling you guys simply, I think you should advise your client to withdraw the case. Otherwise blood will be shed."
Doxxing attempts also have taken their toll
Tuesday's swatting attack was an escalation of the potential dangers facing Doe since she filed her lawsuit last month, but it was far from the only threat she's received, her lawyer said.Giuffra estimated that dozens of threats have been made against her since mid-September, when his client filed a 101-page complaint alleging she had been sexually assaulted and raped by several members of the Xi chapter of Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity.The Chi Phi fraternity house on the campus of Cornell University. - Surya Vaidy/CNNDoe's civil suit was filed against the university, the fraternity, seven fraternity members and others. It alleges that members of the frat drugged and sexually assaulted her in October 2024 and invited other fraternity members in a group chat to join the assault. The suit also alleges the school failed to protect her and adequately punish the accused students, who all deny wrongdoing.Giuffra detailed to CNN another threat: a text message, sent to Doe's phone on Monday, with three emojis depicting guns.Meanwhile, a handful of online personalities with large followings have led a campaign to uncover the identity of Doe, whose name was redacted in legal documents. One wrote on X to 347,000 followers in late September: "If you happen to know who this Cornell 'Jane Doe' is, get in touch and I would be happy to publish her name and identifying information."He later claimed to have identified her and said he shared that identity online before deleting his post. Such behavior is known as doxxing, or sharing someone's personal information or identity online without their permission.It has left Doe frightened and struggling to come to terms with the impact of the lawsuit, which has prompted outrage and scrutiny of how the university and its private police force initially investigated her claims.On Wednesday, Doe was "taping paper over windows in the house she's lived at her whole life," Giuffra said, "so people can't see into her house to take a shot at her.""I don't get shook up very easily, but this shook me up. I didn't want to have a body on my hands," he said."The dad is … concerned for his daughter. He can't believe this has happened out of something where she's just trying to stand up for herself and be heard," Giuffra added."But the parents are really strong people, and they're going to protect their daughter."
Her career dream is 'lost'
Doe had studied hotel administration at Cornell's prestigious Nolan School of Hotel Administration, and it had been her "dream" to attend the school, Giuffra said. Her complaint says she traveled across the country and arrived at the school with the same "hopes, expectations and trepidations of other high school graduates."But she left the program without graduating after the alleged assault took place two years ago. Doe initially attempted to begin a career in New York City earlier this year, but after filing the lawsuit - "when everything hit the fan" - she instead returned to her family home, where she has been staying with her boyfriend, her lawyer said."The dream is lost," Giuffra told CNN, referring to her hopes of working in the hospitality industry.Instead, Doe has been hiding out at her parents' home, where she has been following the intense media coverage of her case."It's kind of hard to switch it off," Giuffra said. "She comes from a generation of people who are focused on social media." CNN is not specifying the location of Doe's family home at her lawyer's request.She has been going on walks but otherwise spends much of her time indoors. She remains in contact with some of the friends she made at Cornell, Giuffra said.Cornell students Tuesday on the school's grounds in Ithaca, New York. - Surya Vaidy/CNN"She's a little paranoid," Giuffra said of his client. "If she's out of (the) safety zone of her family, she just doesn't seem to function well." A few friends of the family know she has returned home and have been providing support, and Doe's mother has taken time off from work to help look after her daughter, he said.Doe is also aware of the many messages of support that she has received from around the world since filing the lawsuit, according to Giuffra.Cornell, which recently appointed former acting US Attorney General Sally Yates to investigate the school's handling of sexual assault claims, was the site of a seven-hour sit-in on Wednesday to show "solidarity with Jane Doe," according to flyers for the event.During a meeting with Cornell's Graduate and Professional Student Assembly on Monday, university President Michael Kotlikoff acknowledged the mounting frustration across campus as more details and questions emerge about Doe's 2024 allegations."We're all angry. I understand that anger," Kotlikoff said, according to the independent student newspaper the Cornell Daily Sun. "People want easy answers to this."The school's president previously released a video statement promising further review of the case, saying it highlights "heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization, and aspects of party culture, alcohol, and drug use.""The students up there (at Cornell) have been overwhelmingly supportive, and it's wonderful," Giuffra said. "They're trying to effect change, and bringing out to the light something that's been going on for generations."For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.comThis article originally appeared on CNN at https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/08/us/cornell-jane-doe-threats-swatting
Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter will be livestreamed Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter will be livestreamedWASHINGTON (AP) - The firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed, the Pentagon said Thursday, a stunning revelation about plans for the first military execution in more than 65 years after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had described it as being "public." The Army announced this week that the execution would take place at Fort Hood on Dec. 3 after Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others in a shooting at the military base in 2009. Hegseth, speaking to the conservative TV outlet Real America's Voice News on Wednesday, said, "We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public." Officials in the Pentagon clarified Thursday that the execution would be livestreamed and that more details would follow. The revelation from Hegseth about the public nature of an execution - let alone one as violent as a firing squad - has raised further questions about how the death penalty is carried out in the United States, especially after the botched lethal injection of Christa Pike in Tennessee.
Experts offer mixed reactions on the plan
Hasan could choose to resist execution and file a habeas petition in civilian court, which is a legal request for a court to review the legality of someone's detention, and could significantly delay the execution, experts on military law said. "It frankly might outlast the current administration, and who knows if the next one will have the same penchant for executions," said Eugene R. Fidell, a visiting lecturer at Yale Law School specializing in military law. Deborah Denno, a death penalty expert and law professor at Fordham University, said livestreaming an execution could make the process "much more transparent" and inform the public about all that capital punishment entails. Those are benefits that she said would be useful at a time when Pike's botched execution has raised fresh questions about the manner by which criminal defendants are put to death for their crimes. "I think it could possibly be a good idea because it would be transparent and the public would be fully aware that it's happening," she said. Denno acknowledged that there may need to be public policy discussions about the platform hosting the livestream and what age or other viewing restrictions might be necessary. But she said that on balance, "It's not such a far-fetched idea." On the other hand, Elisabeth Semel, co-director of the Death Penalty Clinic at UC Berkeley Law, said Hegseth's announcement raises a host of legal and public policy questions, including concerns for the dignity of the defendant, who will be eligible to view the execution and what the Trump administration has in mind in opting for an unusual spectacle. Though there has been long-running discussion about the idea of televising an execution, "I don't recall a situation in which it was instituted by the government. I think that also raises serious questions about what is the motivation of the government," she said. "This is a president who's about spectacle and that's, I think, precisely the message that he intends to deliver," Semel said, adding that she was skeptical that the administration had given second thought to the legal and social questions being presented by the decision.
Trump has spoken out against public executions in Iran
Trump, who approved Hasan's execution, has previously been critical of public executions in Iran, at times using the possibility of protesters being killed by the Iranian government as a possible rationale for military action. Those warnings preceded his ultimate choice to attack Iran at the end of February. "We've been told that the killing in Iran is stopping," Trump told reporters on Jan. 14. "It's stopping, and there's no plan for executions." He repeated that on Jan. 20 at a White House press briefing. Slightly more than a month later in his State of the Union address, Trump said, "We stopped them from hanging a lot of them with the threat of serious violence." The White House on Thursday referred questions about the plans for the livestreamed execution to the Pentagon. Hegseth was asked Wednesday if Hasan had made any final requests or reached out to the Trump administration. The Pentagon chief simply replied: "Don't care. We'll see him on Dec. 3."
It's not clear if Hasan will try to appeal
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist who held the rank of major, walked into a medical building on Nov. 5, 2009, where soldiers were waiting in long lines to receive immunizations and medical clearance for deployment. He shouted "Allahu akbar" - Arabic for "God is great!" - and opened fire with a laser-sighted handgun. He also shot at the backs of soldiers fleeing toward the parking lot. Hasan said it was an effort to stop them from going to Afghanistan and killing his fellow Muslims. A military judge barred him from presenting that as a defense during his 2013 trial. Hasan was left paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in the back by law enforcement, and he now uses a wheelchair. Hasan could seek a lengthy delay of his execution, though given his behavior at trial, he may not want to. After firing his lawyers and representing himself, Hasan began his portion of the trial by telling jurors he was the gunman. He said little else over the next three weeks, which convinced his court-appointed standby lawyers that Hasan's only goal was to get a death sentence. As the trial progressed, those suspicions grew. The military called nearly 90 witnesses, but Hasan rested his case without calling a single person to testify in his defense and made no closing argument. Yet he leaked documents during the trial to journalists that revealed him telling military mental health workers that he could " still be a martyr " if executed. Attorney John Galligan, a former military judge who had represented Hasan in several civil matters following his criminal trial, spoke with Hasan Wednesday but is barred from offering much detail about that conversation. He is not representing Hasan in his criminal case but said he's worried about his physical health under the plan laid out by officials, and that Hasan has not yet had access to legal counsel. Galligan said that according to Hasan, the commandant of the facility brought a chaplain but no attorney from either the Trial Defense Service or from his civilian defense when he was notified that Trump had signed off on his execution. Galligan called that a breach of Army regulations. A spokeswoman for the Army said Thursday that multiple attempts were made to contact Trial Defense Service attorneys, saying they made every reasonable effort and adhered to policy. "The civilian counsel was not reasonably available to be physically present for the notification on the 5th," the spokeswoman said, adding that counsel was located in Virginia, but did not provide a name. The spokeswoman also said Hasan has not been kept from contacting and communicating with his counsel. Hegseth said the military hasn't executed a service member by firing squad since World War II. The last military execution took place on April 13, 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was executed by hanging. Amnesty International said in its report on executions in 2025 that it knew of at least 17 public executions - 11 in Iran and 6 in Afghanistan. ___ Lauer reported from Philadelphia. Associated Press writers Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix and Josh Boak and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/pentagon-says-firing-squad-execution-210940574.html
Who's Eric Deters? Kim Guilfoyle reportedly asked MAGA donor to pay $100,000 AmEx bill. Who's Eric Deters? Kim Guilfoyle reportedly asked MAGA donor to pay $100,000 AmEx bill.Eric Deters, a former Kentucky congressional candidate and longtime ally of President Trump, has emerged in the national spotlight after an explosive report revealed his alleged text exchanges with Kimberly Guilfoyle, U.S. ambassador to Greece, over her credit card debt.The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Guilfoyle, ex-wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and the former fiancé of Donald Trump Jr., allegedly pressed Deters to pay her $100,000 American Express balance without leaving a paper trail and, in exchange, promised to help him reach senior administration officials.Deters, 63, is a former attorney, businessman and conservative radio host who has spent years building connections within Trump's inner circle. He declined to make the payment and has since publicly accused Guilfoyle of offering political access in exchange for large sums of money.
Guilfoyle's $100,000 request
Guilfoyle's dealings with Deters began drawing attention after the Journal obtained hundreds of text messages, emails and letters, detailing their relationship in a bombshell report.According to the outlet, Guilfoyle told Deters she needed the balance to be paid ahead of her July 9, 2025, confirmation hearing before the Senate."Honey please I need you to get this done for me today," she wrote in one exchange on the messaging app Signal, which was obtained by the Journal. The message was sent on July 3, 2025 - just days before her hearing.She then reportedly sent Deters instructions to wire $100,000 directly to her American Express account, suggesting the payment would not leave a paper trail."It won't show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express," she wrote. "Please."Deters refused, telling Guilfoyle he did not have the money and could not make the payment without jeopardizing his marriage.The Journal also reported that Guilfoyle repeatedly urged Deters not to document their financial arrangements in writing, warning that doing so could threaten her ambassadorship.In an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" on Thursday, Deters characterized their relationship as a "quid pro quo," alleging that Guilfoyle promised to use her political connections to help him if he provided the money."She made it very clear, and the text messages make it very clear, she was so desperate for me to send that $100,000," Deters said, claiming Guilfoyle offered to become his "ride or die in the Trump world" if he paid her.Guilfoyle's attorney has since disputed the authenticity of the messages without identifying specific inaccuracies, saying the ambassador was owed money for previous speaking engagements and travel expenses - a claim Deters denied.Secretary of State Marco Rubio refused to comment on the story, telling reporters while on diplomatic travel in Greece that he does not know if the allegations are "true or not true.""Our job is not to respond every time someone decides to give the media something without any advance warning, without having any chance to look at it and see what's in there," Rubio said.
His ties to Trump and the MAGA movement
Deters has been an outspoken supporter of Trump since he first campaigned for president in 2016, promoting Trump's candidacy as a morning radio host based in Ohio.He frequently declared himself "Trump today, Trump tomorrow, Trump forever," according to the Journal.His connections to Trump's family grew through Freedom Fest, a conservative gathering he launched in northern Kentucky in 2020 in opposition to COVID-19 mandates.The event attracted prominent figures in Trump's inner circle, including the president's sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., as well as Guilfoyle, who became engaged to Donald Trump Jr. that same year before the couple announced their split in 2024.Deters told the Journal he paid Guilfoyle $300,000 over several years to speak at the event, along with $200,000 to Donald Trump Jr. and $100,000 to Eric Trump.He also donated $125,000 to the MAGA Inc. super PAC, according to Federal Election Commission records.The event continued for several years, though its 2026 edition was canceled after organizers sold just six of the 100 available VIP tickets, according to Deters. In September, he said on Facebook that he is "never ever, ever, ever ever doing this event again."After Trump's 2024 election victory, Deters began seeking Guilfoyle's help with several disputes involving federal agencies.One involved an Ohio spine surgeon named Abubakar Atiq Durrani, who fled to Pakistan after facing charges of performing unnecessary surgeries and defrauding insurance companies.Deters, who said he was advising attorneys representing hundreds of Durrani's former patients, wanted the Justice Department to pursue his extradition.He also sought assistance with an IRS inquiry into a tax deduction connected to the sale of his interest in the family business.According to the Journal, Guilfoyle contacted then-IRS Commissioner Billy Long on Deters's behalf and discussed reaching other senior administration officials.Deters also offered to pay her $1 million if she could arrange an interview with podcaster Tucker Carlson, hoping to draw attention to the Durrani case. The interview never materialized.Deters told the Journal that despite his financial contributions and connections, Guilfoyle failed to deliver on her promises, which included lobbying top Trump officials such as FBI Director Kash Patel and former Attorney General Pam Bondi."She never came through on anything," he said.
Political career and legal controversies
Deters launched several unsuccessful bids for political office, including for Kentucky governor and Congress, where he challenged Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) in the state's 4th Congressional District.The northern Kentucky businessman, who previously co-owned regional restaurant chain Snappy Tomato Pizza, is also a former criminal defense attorney.His legal career was marked by repeated disciplinary proceedings. In 2020, Deters was banned from entering a courthouse in Hamilton County, Ohio, after threatening on social media to burn it down.The Kentucky Bar Association also twice suspended him over misconduct, including making false statements in court proceedings and filing frivolous claims.The Kentucky Supreme Court rejected his effort to regain his license to practice law in 2021, with the chief justice describing Deters's approach to practicing law as "anarchy.""Deters' lack of self-awareness is utterly amazing," the opinion reads.Deters has since retired from practicing law, describing himself to the Journal as a "legal outlaw."Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.This article originally appeared on The Hill at https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6137160-guilfoyle-deters-texting-allegations/
Newly obtained footage shows Iran attack on major U.S. post in Kuwait early-on in war Newly obtained footage shows Iran attack on major U.S. post in Kuwait early-on in warWashington - New videos obtained exclusively by CBS News show Iranian attacks on a major U.S. military base in Kuwait as the war with Iran kicked off seven months ago. American forces faced ballistic missiles, drones and what witnesses described as Iranian F-5 fighter jets. The footage obtained by CBS News was recorded by a person stationed on the ground at Camp Buehring, and captures the moments of impact and their explosive aftermath. Damage to buildings and military equipment can also be seen in the videos.The attacks on Camp Buehring offer a window into the strain Iranian attacks placed on American forces during the opening days of the war. CBS News has learned that soldiers defending the base ran critically low on .50-caliber ammunition as some soldiers were repositioned into the Udari Desert in Kuwait. Two soldiers were injured by lightning there in late April, according to U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter. Contacted by CBS News, U.S. Central Command, the primary unit which oversees American military operations across the Middle East, declined to comment. The Pentagon did not comment, but pointed back to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's comments on March 4 regarding the removal of U.S. troops from bases and the employment of defensive measures. "As we built up offensive combat power, we moved the vast majority of American troops - over 90% of Americans that were on our bases - what we say off the X, out of the range of Iranian fire," Hegseth told reporters in March. Camp Buehring, or CBKU, sits about 25 miles from the Iraqi border and has for more than two decades served as a major staging ground for American forces deploying across the Middle East. CBS News authenticated the videos using metadata embedded in the files and compared the footage to other photographs showing damage to the base. Ahead of the war, sources said most of the roughly 7,000 troops there were moved elsewhere - as were the majority of U.S. forces in Kuwait - as a part of the Pentagon's "get off the X" plan, military shorthand for moving away from a position vulnerable to attack. Once the war started, Iranian attacks, some originating from Iraq, repeatedly threatened the installation. Missiles and drones forced soldiers into bunkers. Three U.S. service members told CBS News that Iranian F-5 fighter jets were also used during the attacks, a detail first reported in April by NBC News. "They ran so close to us I could see their helmets," the eyewitness described. "They came in, they hit us, and then took off."While most of the U.S. service members were moved off of Camp Buehring, a tranche of more than 100 soldiers stayed behind. The service members feared the isolated base was ill-equipped to handle a mass-casualty event if the attacks continued. "They hit us bad," the source told CBS News on condition of anonymity because of the military's strict media restrictions. "It was horrible. There were a lot of brave guys who stayed to fight there - and people at home don't know what happened. We had to abandon the base."A senior Army official working in logistics, managing operations from another post in Kuwait, confirmed to CBS News there were concerns about the availability of .50 caliber ammunition and other "exquisite" munitions like Patriot missile batteries.The decision ultimately was to leave. Service members packed up, loading their vehicles with whatever equipment they could and drove at night deep into the Kuwaiti desert. Their remote locations would emerge as forward operating bases, or "FOBs," where the soldiers would remain indefinitely.No one was killed by enemy fire at Camp Buehring or at the FOBs, but several were injured, including two soldiers who were struck by lightning in desert sandstorms. One soldier suffered burns after the direct strike while the other suffered a ruptured eardrum, according to U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter. Before the lightning strike, Army leaders had been trying to move the troops out of the area, but were not able to do so quickly enough. In May, the soldiers left the FOBs for Camp Arifjan, and then relocated to other positions both in and out of the Middle East."CBKU got demolished," the source added. "They need to do an investigation. How come no one came to reinforce us?"The Defense Department's inspector general last month released a report on the war with Iran that revealed "equipment losses" worth up to $3.7 billion - including nearly 60 aircraft. On Monday, the Congressional Research Service, which provides nonpartisan analysis to members of Congress, reported that 81 fixed or rotary-wing aircraft including drone assets had been lost or damaged by Iran since February, according to news reports and statements from the Defense Department. In a first-of-its-kind mandatory report to Congress, the inspector general added that U.S. Central Command had reported Iranian strikes at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan. Although strikes were mentioned in the report, pictures and videos of any impact zones have been extremely limited. Beyond Camp Buehring, CBS News earlier obtained exclusive photos of damage at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. CBS News has also reported extensively on the deadliest attack of the war against U.S. troops at the Port of Shuaiba, which killed six American service members.This article originally appeared on CBS News at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-attack-kuwait-camp-buehring-u-s-new-footage/
