October 6, 2026 5:07 am
President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Army Maj. Nidal Hasan for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas. The U.S. military hasn’t carried out the death penalty since 1961. A Pentagon spokesperson says the Army secretary will decide the time and place for the execution. Hasan killed 13 people and injured more than 30, claiming it was to stop soldiers from going to Afghanistan. Trump’s approval starts procedural steps for the execution, but Hasan could delay it with an appeal in civilian courts. Death sentences are rare in the military, with only four men currently on death row.
October 6, 2026 5:08 am
Tennessee’s top Republicans are exploring alternative execution methods after the failed execution of Christa Pike. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn said Monday the state needs to reevaluate its execution procedures. She emphasized the need to find a successful method, whether lethal injection or electric chair. Top legislative leaders have discussed potential changes to state execution laws during their 2027 session. Tennessee’s execution procedures gained national attention last week when Pike survived a lethal injection attempt. Republican Gov. Bill Lee halted the remaining execution scheduled for this year and ordered an independent investigation into the state’s capital punishment system.
October 5, 2026 5:09 am
REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has begun a three-nation tour of NATO allies with a stop in Iceland. Unease persists there about the Trump administration’s Arctic intentions even after a deal was reached to ease the president’s designs on neighboring Greenland. Rubio called Iceland “a good friend” and offered no hint of tensions with the island that’s a NATO member but has no army. Before the Greenland deal was struck last month, Iceland was an occasional feature of Trump’s comments and social media complaints about NATO allies not doing enough to support the United States. Rubio, who also will visit Greece and Portugal this week, has often been called upon to reassure U.S. partners after undiplomatic comments by Trump.
October 6, 2026 5:11 am
Seven major oil-exporting countries agreed Sunday to keep production steady in November at a time when the Iran war has driven the price of benchmark Brent crude oil above $100 a barrel. The so-called OPEC+ subgroup will meet again on Nov. 1 to review conditions in the oil market. The group includes Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman. The fighting with Iran began with U.S. and Israeli attacks last Feb. 28 and has disrupted global oil supplies and driven prices higher.
October 5, 2026 5:10 am
VIENNA (AP) — The United States military recently confirmed that the U.S. has deployed weapons in space. It didn’t specify the types or targets of these weapons. Such resources as the 2026 Global Counterspace Capabilities Report, published by the nonprofit Secure World Foundation, help to provide an overview of potential space weapons. The report lists five distinct categories of counterspace capabilities. It examines systems being developed by 13 countries. But there’s a lack of transparency on what is being launched into space, Concerns persist, despite the Outer Space Treaty, which bans nuclear weapons in space. Experts argue the treaty needs updating to address modern challenges.
October 6, 2026 3:53 pm
(AP) – Grammy-nominated R&B singer Freddie Jackson, known for hits like “Rock Me Tonight” and “You Are My Lady,” has died at 70. His family confirmed he died Monday through a statement on Instagram. Jackson was born and raised in Harlem, where he learned all about soul music and sang gospel at White Rock Baptist Church. He began his career in the New York club scene before finding success with his debut album in 1985. In 2024, he revealed a kidney disease diagnosis and partnered with the National Kidney Foundation to raise awareness. Details about arrangements will be announced soon.
October 6, 2026 6:22 am
Jim Bakker, who along with his first-wife Tammy Faye built an evangelical empire around the hugely successful “The PTL Club” TV show, only to lose it all over a sex scandal and financial crimes, has died. He was 86. His second wife, Lori Bakker, said in a statement that Bakker died Monday. His cause of death was not immediately clear. The pair lived near the Missouri entertainment town of Branson and filmed their TV show “The Jim Bakker Show” there since it launched in 2003. Bakker suffered a stroke in 2020.
October 6, 2026 4:28 pm
West Virginia University Police are warning students about reports of hazing at at least two on-campus fraternity sites. In a Campus Warning issued Tuesday, police said there were multiple anonymous reports of alleged hazing. The possibly involved fraternities were not identified, nor were any other details about the reports revealed. Anyone who has been a target of hazing or who may have information that’s helpful to investigators is urged to call University Police at 304-293-3136 or visit the department at 886 Chestnut Ridge Road, Morgantown. Information may also be shared anonymously via the LiveSafe app.
October 5, 2026 2:53 am
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, or EHD, is a virus that can be fatal to deer. Throughout parts of Pennsylvania, there is concern about what this disease will do to the deer population. Jeannine Fleegle, a wildlife biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, explains that the virus is transmitted by midges, which are tiny bugs. The virus then replicates and causes more deer to get sick. Infected animals look sick, and they often have pink around their eyes and on parts of their body due to leaky blood vessels. Fleegle explains that EHD deaths usually occur in late summer and early fall. Since EHD is a vector-transmitted disease, the outbreak is over once there is a frost that kills the vectors. The public is encouraged to report animals that look sick to the Game Commission. Although there are confirmed cases of EHD in several counties, Fleegle says this year is not out of the ordinary. More information about EHD can be found here. (Photo: AP)
October 5, 2026 5:40 pm
ITHACA, New York (AP) — Cornell students and others are thronging a campus plaza to protest the university’s response to allegations of sexual assault at a fraternity house. Students arrived at the demonstration wearing purple ribbons on sweaters, shirts and jackets and holdings signs with such messages as “support survivors, expel rapists.” The Ivy League school has been trying to quell a firestorm — on campus and beyond — over its handling of the alleged 2024 gang rape. The school’s main administration building was splashed with graffiti and damaged overnight.
