Leftmedia skews October 7
New York Times reporter Isabel Kershner recently published an article about a documentary on Israel killing Palestinians in Gaza. One sentence insinuating that the Israelis were not the victims of Hamas’s deadly attack sparked backlash online. Kershner originally wrote, “But Israelis still largely view themselves as the victims of Oct. 7.” Two days later, journalist Eitan Fischberger, a former Israel Defense Forces staff sergeant, called out the clear political bias. The Times then removed the sentence, saying it was included because of an editing error. Critics argue this “editing error” reflects a broader pattern of the Leftmedia’s October 7 coverage. Three years ago today, Hamas launched a large-scale ground attack on southern Israel, killing roughly 1,200 Israelis and taking about 250 hostages. The terrorists also fired thousands of missiles at military bases and civilian communities. The pogrom triggered the Gaza war, which is currently under a fragile ceasefire.

DOJ charges 16 with election crimes
The DOJ has charged 16 foreign nationals with election crimes, including illegally voting, making fake claims of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, and making fake statements on citizenship applications. If this sounds like a familiar headline, it’s probably because it is. Our Douglas Andrews wrote about the DOJ arresting more than 200 for similar crimes. The current crop of voting fraudsters mostly consists of green card holders from Minnesota, which has consistently been a beacon of opportunity for those attempting to defraud the government. Having a green card means you can legally live and work in America, but that doesn’t mean you can vote. Obviously, these people didn’t care, largely because they didn’t understand or because they thought they could get away with it, both of which are a bad look for the states where this crime is rampant.

Obama fixer goes to Cornell
With public outrage over the Cornell University alleged gang rape scandal growing, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul tapped State Attorney General Letitia James to handle the investigation, pledging that she would do so “without conflict or bias” despite the fact that James already expressed her solidarity with the “victim.” Meanwhile, Cornell has hired its own independent investigator, former Obama Deputy AG Sally Yates. This is the same Yates who signed off on the FISA warrant launching the bogus Russia-Trump collusion election conspiracy. As constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley observed, “First, Gov. Hochul appoints Letitia James, the single most political AG in the country, as special counsel. Now Cornell has hired Sally Yates as its investigator. Yates ordered Justice Department attorneys not to assist Trump after he was elected in 2016 on his immigration policies.” It appears that Hochul and Cornell want a narrative “fix” rather than genuine justice.

Plague in Russia? One dead, dozens quarantined
The world is watching Russia after a 28-year-old lab technician was exposed to and died of “pneumonic plague,” a strain of the Bubonic plague, at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia. Russia is responding strongly, closing and quarantining five different hospitals while more than 200 people remain under observation. Pneumonic plague spreads through droplets expressed by coughing, but Russian workers are wearing full hazmat suits, suggesting they may know something we don’t. Unlike in the 13th century, the Black Plague is now treatable and won’t spread like wildfire. Still, just years after COVID-19 and with fears of biological warfare running rampant, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are watching carefully.

Couple arrested for creating abusive surrogacy farm
A California couple was charged with conspiracy to commit child abuse and dissuading a witness. Chinese-born Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang had been running a mansion with more than 22 children, almost all of whom had been born through a surrogate. Xuan and Zhang even made their own surrogacy agency; since they hired many women to simultaneously carry their various pregnancies to term, an agency would lower suspicion. The couple was arrested last year when reports surfaced that they had authorized nannies caring for 14 of their children to beat them or administer other physical punishments. Notably, this is not the first time a Chinese-born person has used surrogacy to mass-produce “American” children. The district attorney is seeking bail of $100 million since the couple runs a lucrative real estate company and is considered a major flight risk.

An update on two executions
Christa Pike, who was justly sentenced to death, survived her attempted execution and is now awake and speaking nearly a week later. Authorities are still investigating how anyone could survive two lethal doses of pentobarbital, with some speculating that the IV may not have been placed properly or that her veins were ruptured, leading to the drug spreading to her arms rather than her heart. Tennessee Correction Commissioner Frank Strada offered his resignation over the failed execution despite his belief that the state followed protocol to the letter. Questions now emerge about cruel and unusual punishment and what to do with a criminal who survives a lethal injection. Meanwhile, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has made certain that Fort Hood terrorist Nidal Hasan’s December 3 execution will not fail, as it will be carried out by firing squad.

A guilty plea for stealing $194M from intel agency
Former federal employee David Rush pleaded guilty on Tuesday to stealing $194 million from the intelligence agency he worked for using fake classified programs and siphoning taxpayer money into them. The CIA flushed him out, but officials did not name the agency he worked for. Some of the special access programs he created under the cloak of a “need-to-know” basis required the purchase of $100 million in properties in Florida and $46 million in gold bars. As an equal-opportunity con man, he lied about earning bachelor’s and doctoral degrees and claimed combat experience he didn’t have to secure a federal position. After creating the programs, Rush would “read in” government contractors, ordering them not to reveal its existence and then getting them to provide the money.

Chick-fil-A spurns AI
Whereas other fast food chains are leaning into artificial intelligence, Chick-fil-A is doubling down on human hospitality. “From our experience, we really want that hospitality to be human to human,” CEO Andrew Cathy said. “We’re not going to substitute that interaction with technology, because we feel like that hospitality is so important to create that warm environment for consumers.” Looking to save money, restaurants such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s have replaced some drive-thru employees who take orders with AI bots. Looking to make more money, McDonald’s is also using AI to set dynamic menu prices. Cathy mentioned that Chick-fil-A does implement non-voice AI technology behind the scenes to support workers and accelerate service.

Higher ed reducing tuition
Gallup finds that only three out of 10 Americans believe college is crucial for success, so many colleges are slashing tuition costs nationwide. At least a dozen colleges and universities are cutting undergraduate prices by 40-50%. Emory and Henry University in Virginia cut tuition by half to $19,990; Arizona’s Prescott College lowered tuition by 55.8% from $33,960 to $15,000; and the University of Tulsa plans to cut tuition in the fall of 2027 from $58,780 to $31,850. However, this shift away from the high-price, high-aid model may not reduce costs for students, as scholarships shrink when tuition is lowered. Other universities are reducing fees for certain programs or degrees. For example, UC Irvine reduced its MBA fees by $30,000, bringing it to $99,000. Some argue that only degrees in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine retain value in today’s market.

Talarico campaign MIA for nearly two weeks
Strangely, over the last couple of weeks, Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico has been absent from the campaign trail and even fundraising events. After skipping a planned speech before the U.S. Hispanic Business Council last week in Rio Grande Valley, his campaign staff claimed he was sick. Furthermore, Talarico’s campaign has continued to cancel public events, even though, with the election just a month away, candidates typically seek as much face time with voters as possible. RNC spokesman Zach Kraft believes Talarico is strategically hiding, arguing, “The more Texans learn about James Talarico’s radical plan to eliminate oil and gas, raise taxes, and force sex changes on kids, the more they realize they want nothing to do with him.” Whatever the reason, it gives Republican candidate Ken Paxton the opportunity to set the narrative for the race.

43% of young adult voters back Sharia law
A national poll by Our Republic and Rasmussen Reports found that younger generations view Sharia law far more favorably than older generations. Some 21% of adults have a positive opinion of Sharia law, while 43% of those ages 18–24 and 39% of those ages 25–29 view it favorably. This legal code notably restricts women’s rights, allows polygamy, and prohibits certain foods, drinks, forms of dress, and interest rates. The anti-Israel sentiment has become so extreme that it has brainwashed some regular Americans into the Islamist ideology. Generally, these are the same Americans who would be on the opposite side of the political spectrum in virtually any Islamic government. It’s unfortunate to see young voters refuse to understand things all in service to a narrative.

Headlines

  • Tropical Storm Isaias forms in the Gulf (Fox Weather)
  • Paramount closes $110 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (CBS News)
  • Trump turns to emerging tech giant in bid to ramp up submarine production (Fox News)
  • Louisiana test scores surge after officials tighten standards, resist lockdowns (Washington Times)

The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, Jacob Geoffrey, Hudson Baldwin, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.