New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed the Attorney General’s office to serve as special prosecutor in a sexual assault case at Cornell University that previously resulted in no criminal charges. The decision follows new information questioning what details Cornell campus police provided to the local district attorney. According to NPR, the reporting woman gave police a detailed account stating she had been raped.
The case has significantly impacted the campus community. Hundreds of students gathered recently, with some breaking down in tears while speaking with reporters. One student described the victim as someone who “could have been any one of my friends or a classmate,” noting that the situation has shattered student trust in the university.
In legal developments regarding Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike, the state attempted to carry out her execution on Wednesday, but she survived. Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer. She remains in critical condition after receiving two doses of the lethal injection drug pentobarbital.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has paused all executions for the remainder of his term and ordered an independent review of the incident. This marks the second failed execution in the state this year. Lee had previously suspended executions from 2022 to 2025 after a review identified issues with the state’s execution drugs. Although the current protocol was developed following that earlier review, state authorities are again investigating what went wrong.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is scheduled to release its monthly jobs report. Economic pressures continue to mount for many Americans, as rising prices and borrowing costs outpace wage growth.
Two botched executions in Tennessee? This death penalty system is clearly broken beyond repair.
The lack of charges at Cornell is terrifying. Trust in universities is fragile right now.