Christa Pike is conscious and speaking after Tennessee failed execution, her attorneys say
Attorneys for Christa Pike, who survived Tennessee’s attempt to execute her last week, say she is awake and speaking as she receives treatment at a hospital. Her attorneys say they are grateful for the first responders and the medical team at the hospital “who treated Christa like a human and have provided exceptional care to her.” The statement from Pike's attorneys Tuesday is the first indication that Pike has improved since an ambulance carried her away from a Nashville prison last Wednesday. Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital as Tennessee officials attempted to put her to death for the 1995 killing of classmate Colleen Slemmer.
Paramount completes its takeover of Warner Bros to become one Hollywood giant known as Skydance
CHICAGO (AP) — Skydance-owned Paramount has closed its $81 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. The new Hollywood giant will be known as Skydance. The merger that closed Tuesday brings two of America’s oldest moviemaking studios together. It also further concentrates power in an industry already run by just a handful of major players. HBO Max and networks such as CNN now find themselves under the same roof as Paramount+ and CBS. Skydance Corp. emerges from one of the biggest tie-ups ever in the media and entertainment industry. Including billions of dollars in debt, the Warner acquisition amounted to nearly $111 billion.
Cornell brings in ex-Justice official Sally Yates to review school’s handling of sex assault claims
ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — Cornell University trustees have announced that former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates will review how the university handles sexual misconduct complaints. Tuesday's announcement comes after days of outrage over allegations of a 2024 gang rape at a fraternity house. The review will cover how the university investigates reports of sexual assault and sexual harassment, how the disciplinary process works and more. Cornell officials have been heavily criticized for their response to a complaint from a woman who told campus police in 2024 that she had been sexually assaulted by multiple Chi Phi fraternity brothers. New York’s attorney general is conducting a criminal investigation, and the governor called for an independent review.
Netanyahu and his opponents are putting Oct. 7 at the heart of Israel's elections
JERUSALEM (AP) — As Israel gears up for national elections this month, the country remains focused on Oct. 7. The Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks are at the forefront of a bitter campaign that will determine the fate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Nearly every poster, stump speech or debate on television seems to reference the attack. Netanyahu’s opponents want him to pay for the failures that led to the deadliest day in Israel’s 78-year history and plunged the country into a series of inconclusive wars. His defenders say Netanyahu was betrayed by the military establishment and has led Israel through a dramatic rebound from its darkest hour.
Washington resident conspired with Canadian school shooter before attack, officials say
SEATTLE (AP) — Federal authorities say a 30-year-old from Washington state conspired with an 18-year-old to commit a February mass shooting at a school in Canada. The U.S. attorney’s office in Seattle on Tuesday said James Cody Bryant of Bellingham communicated with the shooter for six months ahead of time. Authorities say Jesse Van Rootselaar killed two family members at home before attacking a nearby school, killing six more and wounding 25 others. Van Rootselaar was later found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials say Bryant did not report the shooter’s plans to authorities and conspired to broadcast the attacks.
California couple arrested on child abuse charges in horrifying surrogacy probe
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California couple have been arrested on child abuse charges following an investigation into a surrogacy scheme involving at least 21 children ranging in age from a few months to 13 years. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman says Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan face several counts of child abuse and other charges when they are arraigned later Tuesday. The couple pleaded not guilty at a court appearance and denied all the allegations. Xuan's attorney said they immigrated from China and wanted to exercise the freedom to have many children.
French riot police fire tear gas as more than 250,000 rally nationwide for school funding
PARIS (AP) — More than a quarter of a million people have marched in cities across France in support of school pupils demanding more education funding, increasing pressure on the government of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron. Pupils again blockaded high schools on Tuesday as large crowds waved flags and placards. Protests that began at a high school in the Paris region in mid-September have grown into a nationwide movement — the latest of many that have marked Macron’s nearly decade-long tenure. The Interior Ministry estimated that 256,000 people took part in the demonstrations nationwide, including 56,000 in Paris.
Trump says he has call scheduled with Putin to discuss possible case of pneumonic plague in Russia
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he has a call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a possible case of plague at a Siberian research institute. Speaking Tuesday to reporters at the White House, Trump said he would be talking with Putin about the case “very soon.” Health authorities are investigating after the death of an employee at an anti-plague institute, which authorities attributed to pneumonia with an unknown cause. Asked what the U.S. intelligence community was saying about the case, Trump said the U.S. is in “very deep discussions” on the topic. The World Health Organization says the case presents a “very low” risk outside Russia.
Army study found shock gloves purchased by ICE cause pain, compliance and fear
The shock gloves immigration agents could soon use to control detainees worked so powerfully during a military exercise that participants felt intense pain, stopped fighting and feared additional exposures. That's according to a previously unreleased Army study from 2024 that found the devices were effective in helping guards quickly get control of combative inmates. Records obtained by a watchdog group show Immigration and Customs Enforcement leaders were aware of the study's findings before signing a $16.7 million contract to buy 6,000 pairs of shock gloves. ICE has called the gloves “distraction and de-escalation devices” that will keep officers safe and prevent the use of lethal force. But critics question whether they're safe and worry officers will use them unnecessarily.
Eva Marie Saint, star of 'North by Northwest' and 'On the Waterfront,' dies at 102
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oscar winner Eva Marie Saint has died at the age of 102. Saint’s family announced that she died Tuesday at her home in Los Angeles. The pale, willowy blonde who won an Academy Award as supporting actress for her first movie, “On the Waterfront,” and appeared opposite Cary Grant, Bob Hope, Paul Newman, Gregory Peck, Warren Beatty and other stars of the 1950s and 1960s. Her credits included the Alfred Hitchcock thriller “North by Northwest,” but she was also known for the films she declined: “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit” with Gregory Peck, “Summer and Smoke” with Laurence Harvey and “The Rainmaker” with Burt Lancaster.
