Pilot's Midair Attack, Failed Execution & Phone-Free Concerts - Thursday, October 01, 2026

Erica Mandy (0:00)

Today is Thursday, October 1st. We're talking about heroic actions that help stop an attack on board a passenger flight, saving everyone on board. Also, how a lethal injection in Tennessee went so wrong that the governor put a stop to all other executions this year. And the Trump Administration's new plans to remake the military, involving drones, cadets, bases and more.

Plus, how a so-called Kelvin wave could impact the California coast. What could be the next front in the fight against mosquitoes? And why more concerts are going phone-free? Those stories and a lot more news to know next.

Welcome to The NewsWorthy, all the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.

Well, we start today with a flight that took a terrifying turn this week. It was going from Dubai to Israel when one of the pilots attacked the other at the controls. The fly Dubai flight was carrying 174 people when the co-pilot stabbed the captain and the plane plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. But from the floor, the injured captain managed to click the release to open the cockpit door. That's when about half a dozen passengers and crew did not hesitate. They rushed in and overpowered the co-pilot. A dentist on board said he treated the injured captain as best he could. And thankfully, there also happened to be two other pilots on board who were able to take over and land the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.

There, the co-pilot was arrested. His motive is still under investigation. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the co-pilot was trying to crash the plane.

Now, in response, he says Israel will tighten security checks on all other pilots flying into the country. As for the passengers who survived the ordeal, they eventually made it back to Israel on a replacement flight more than 10 hours later.

For the first time in more than 200 years, a woman was supposed to be executed in Tennessee last night, but something happened that's never been reported before. Christa Pike was given two doses of a lethal injection drug, but she didn't die. Witnesses said she stayed awake after the first dose and could still be heard snoring after the second. She was eventually taken by ambulance to a hospital. Not only was her execution suspended, but Tennessee's governor halted all scheduled executions in the state for the rest of the year, while an investigation looks to figure out what exactly went wrong. The Death Penalty Information Center says seven other people have survived botched executions in the past. But that's because execution teams couldn't access a vein to give them the drugs. No one has ever survived after actually receiving the drugs until now.

Pike had been scheduled to die for murdering her classmate back in 1995 when they were both teenagers. Now she still faces a death sentence, but it's not clear exactly what will happen to her. And as of this morning, there's no word yet on her condition.

New details are raising new questions about how the Cornell University rape case was handled. The district attorney who decided not to file criminal charges a couple of years ago now says he never saw a full transcript of the woman's interview with campus police, including the part where she told investigators, quote, I can say with 100% confidence I was raped. As we told you earlier this week, the woman says she was pressured into taking drugs and sexually assaulted by seven men at Cornell's Chi Phi Fraternity House two years ago when she was 20 She reported the incident to campus police about three weeks later. Now, a newly revealed transcript of that interview shows she told investigators she was completely and totally incapacitated among other things. The DA says he and prosecutors were only given a six-page signed statement that he says described her sexual activity as voluntary and consensual. He has said that statement was the basis for the decision not to file charges. Now, he's calling for an investigation into why more information was not given to his office at the time. Though remember, the DA has already reopened the criminal investigation into the incident itself and plans to present the evidence to a grand jury.

For its part, Cornell still insists its police department provided the DA with the results of its investigation as required, that the investigation was thorough, and that it disciplined students involved, including two expulsions and other suspensions.

Now, New York Governor Kathy Hochul says the university has agreed to an independent investigation of how the university handled the allegations. By the way, this case is also putting a spotlight on New York's so-called voluntary intoxication loophole, which can make it harder to prosecute sexual assault when someone becomes incapacitated after choosing to drink or take drugs. And now some New York lawmakers are renewing calls to change that law. Other states like Michigan, Minnesota and Texas have already changed their laws to address similar cases. Of course, many parts of this conversation have resonated with people, especially other young women who say it's brought memories of their own traumatic experiences back to the surface. Some have since come forward to speak publicly about them, saying they hope by sharing their stories, they're helping others feel less alone.