Today’s Top Stories from NBC News
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2026
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In today’s newsletter: Tennessee failed to execute the lone woman on its death row after two lethal injections. Undecided voters weigh their options ahead of next month’s elections. And details emerge from inside the near-catastrophic Flydubai flight bound for Israel.
Here’s what to know today.
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(Tenn. Dept. of Corrections via AP)
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Tennessee failed to execute the lone woman on its death row as planned yesterday, even after twice injecting her with a lethal drug.
Attorneys for Christa Pike said last night that she was being treated at a hospital, but they did not know her condition. Pike, now 50, was convicted of murdering a classmate in 1995 when she was 18.
Journalists who witnessed the attempted execution described snoring and complaints from Pike about pain. At times, the curtain was closed and they could only hear sounds.
Pike was heard saying, “My arm feels like it’s about to burst open,” according to one journalist.
In an interview with NBC News this morning, the mother of victim Colleen Slemmer, May Martinez, described the attempt as “a mess.” Gov. Bill Lee ordered a review of the failed execution, the second in Tennessee this year.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court stepped in to allow the state to put Pike to death, overturning a lower court ruling that had halted the move. She was set to be the first female in more than 200 years that the state had put to death, according to historical records.
Read the full story of the failed execution here.
Here’s what else to know about Pike’s case.
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The Cornell student who alleged in a lawsuit that she was raped and plied with drugs at a frat house in 2024 described the incident to police in a sworn statement, according to the document, which was obtained by NBC News.
“I would say that it was the most intoxicated I’ve ever been in my life,” she told police. “I felt like I was unable to make any decisions.”
Her statement mirrored many of the allegations in the lawsuit. She described going to the Chi Phi fraternity house. There, a friend asked whether she was interested in a threesome, which she said she agreed to.
At one point during the night, “multiple men walked into the room,” and, she told police, “I was instantly horrified.” She ran across the room to hide under the covers of another bed, the statement said, which she said felt like the only option because they were standing between her and the exit.
Here’s what else was detailed.
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In a national NBC News poll, 5% of voters said they weren’t sure which party they wanted to see controlling Congress after this year’s elections.
Our reporters spoke with 16 of these undecided voters to understand what’s important to them as they decide who to elect this fall. Here are some of the top takeaways:
💵 Costs dominate: Almost every voter said high costs are top of mind, including the price of medicine, groceries and gas. “I’m eating less food because I can only afford so much,” one said.
🗳️ Down on both parties: Voters feel little loyalty to either party — and many of them said that’s in part because they aren’t sure either understands what’s important to them.
🏛️ Concerns with Trump: Several voters — including those who backed Trump in 2024 — voiced concerns about his handling of the economy and the Iran war.
Read the full story here.
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- For subscribers: James Talarico once took a vow to refuse campaign donations from people representing industries tied to coal, oil or natural gas. Now, locked in a high-stakes contest for a Senate seat in Texas, he has drifted from that promise.
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One pilot stabbed another aboard a plane headed to Israel yesterday and may have tried to crash the aircraft with 174 people on board, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
The pilot who initiated the attack is an Omani citizen and is being interrogated in Saudi Arabia, he added.
Israeli officials also praised the stabbed pilot, identified as Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, for his actions in opening the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to rush in, secure the cockpit and prevent the plane from crashing. “He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals,” Netanyahu said. “I wish Captain Machchhar a speedy and full recovery. He is a true hero.”
“I grabbed the attacker, and choked him, pulled him out first,” passenger Yaniv Hayun told Netanyahu in a face-to-face meeting, according to the Israeli government press office. Hayun, a plumber, said he entered the cockpit and subdued the attacker. “I started pulling the controls.”
Hayun told Netanyahu that he took actions based on what he had seen on a TV show and helped stabilize the plane.
Netanyahu said a motive was being determined, including whether it was an attempt to commit an act of terrorism. He said he expected the pilot who initiated the attack would be moved to Dubai soon. A senior U.S. official and a Saudi official said the stabbing increasingly looks like an act of terrorism based on the early results from the investigation.
Here’s what else we know about the flight.
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The rise of personalized AI agents is allowing users to respond to emails, set up calendars and even cancel unwanted subscriptions. One user, though, has begun getting outsized attention on social media: attempting to get the agents to book table reservations at near impossible-to-get restaurants.
Reservation platforms have long implemented measures to prevent bot activity from overwhelming them. It’s why several in the tech community were surprised when their accounts were suspended after their agents attempted to effectively hack the platforms to try to reserve tables.
Meanwhile, some in the hospitality industry are already sick of having to figure out whether the person on the other end of a request is AI. Lauren Wilford, who runs a restaurant in New England, said she recently presumed she was dealing with an AI agent after it made some absurd requests.
The playing field is tilting clearly toward agents, however, as their use becomes more ubiquitous.
— Rob Wile, breaking business reporter
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- A Louisiana State University student says she was raped by a football player who is still on the team.
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- Arizona State University placed its hockey coach on leave after the collapse of a player during a summer team workout. The player remains on life support and is unlikely to recover, according to a family attorney.
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Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Kayla Hayempour.
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