Two Hurricane Threats, Hegseth Takes Blame & ChatGPT Gets Visual - Thursday, October 08, 2026

Erica Mandy (0:00)

Today is Thursday, October 8th. We're talking about two storms expected to bring hurricane conditions to opposite sides of the US, and what a woman said after waking up from a botched execution. Also, the Defense Secretary's new explanation for keeping an aircraft carrier at sea for more than 300 days. Plus, why people are creeped out over what Amazon seems to know about them, how ChatGPT is getting a lot more visual, and can AI answer your election questions accurately?

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.

As of early this morning, Hurricane Isa Eas has become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, and it's heading for the Gulf Coast. It's now a Category 1 storm, but it's forecast to strengthen into a Category 2 or 3 hurricane before making landfall late tomorrow or early Saturday. The biggest concern right now is for the Western Florida Panhandle and parts of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Some areas could get up to 10 inches of rain, and tornadoes are also possible. Already, the storm is affecting the energy industry. More than 9% of Gulf oil production had been shut down ahead of the storm yesterday, with more evacuations and shutdowns possible as Isa Eas gets stronger. Some Florida school districts have already canceled classes, and there are mandatory evacuations in place for certain coastal areas. Meanwhile, another unusual storm is threatening the US on the other side of the country. Hurricane Rachel is taking a rare turn towards southern California, with the storm's projected path now shifting closer to San Diego. Rachel is expected to weaken before reaching California this weekend, but it could still bring heavy rain, strong winds and dangerous surf. And that could mean some flash flooding and mudslides, especially in desert areas and places that have recently burned. In a way, though, it could also be a relief, since it could put an end to southern California's stretch of record-breaking heat. sexual violence Sexual violence reports are rising at colleges across the country. The latest federal data shows reports of rape and other sexual violence have generally climbed over the past decade, despite a dip during the pandemic. In 2024, more than 5,700 rapes were reported by American colleges and universities, including the case involving seven fraternity brothers at Cornell University. But there's an important caveat here. Sexual assault is widely under-reported, and experts say rising reports can sometimes just mean more survivors feel comfortable coming forward. A 2019 National College survey found more than one in four undergraduate women had experienced rape or sexual assault since starting college. And at Cornell, the administration is facing growing pressure over its handling of that 2024 gang rape case. Yesterday, students held a seven-hour sit-in demanding changes to how the university handled sexual assault allegations. Student organizations also held a campus-wide economic blackout, asking everyone not to attend class or spend money on campus. For now, two investigations are still underway. One to re-examine the actual rape case and decide whether to press criminal charges. And the other to examine how the university handled the case. Stay tuned.

The FBI says it has stopped a planned terror attack at the largest shopping center in the US. Authorities arrested an 18-year-old man, accusing him of planning a mass shooting at Minnesota's Mall of America later this month. The FBI had been investigating him for nearly two years. That's how long they say he's been talking to a confidential source about joining a terrorist group or carrying out an attack in the US. Prosecutors say he eventually focused on the Mall of America and talked about killing between 30 and 60 people. The FBI then set up an undercover operation, and the man allegedly bought an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammunition from an undercover agent. He was arrested right after the transaction. The man was born in the US., but the FBI says he expressed interest in traveling to Somalia to join ISIS. But this isn't being investigated as an attack directed by a foreign terrorist group. The FBI says he was acting alone, and there's no longer a threat.

The first person in the US to ever survive a completed execution attempt is now apparently angry and confused. It's now been more than a week since Christa Pike was given two lethal injections. Her lawyer says she was actually thought to be brain dead on Monday, and her team expected her to be taken off life support. But on Tuesday, she woke up and started talking. Her first words were, quote, Where am I and who are you? Pike is now dealing with a blood clot, pneumonia, and she can't swallow or eat. Her lawyers are also trying to figure out exactly what went wrong in the execution chamber. Yesterday, a judge has ordered Tennessee to preserve the syringes, IV lines, drug packaging and other equipment used during this attempt along with any drug residue left behind. Pike's lawyers say they want to test that evidence and document her injuries as they consider their next legal steps. The state's Corrections Commissioner has already announced his resignation. For now, it's not clear whether Tennessee will make another attempt to execute Pike. Already, her botched execution has been cited in another death row case, but at least in Texas, a request to delay a lethal injection was rejected, and last night an execution was carried out as scheduled. Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom is reportedly considering whether to spare the lives of all 563 prisoners on the state's death row. To be continued.