Sunday, October 4th

What happened

Donald Trump posted what appeared to be Sen. Tom Cotton’s cellphone number on Truth Social, urging Arkansans to call him in support of the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent. The fight is part of Trump’s push to move Senate Republicans behind the bill, which passed the House 308-117 but stalled in the Senate. Cotton opposed it, saying winter mornings would leave children going to school in the dark and noting Congress previously repealed year-round daylight saving time. Trump said permanent daylight saving time would add afternoon light, reduce crime, and help golfers, tennis players, hunters, farmers and the PGA Tour. Cotton held firm while Trump kept pressing. Whether the Senate moves on the measure remains unresolved.

What happened

Attorney General Letitia James took over the Cornell rape investigation after Gov. Kathy Hochul removed Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten from the case. The shift follows Jane Doe’s September civil lawsuit alleging seven Chi Phi fraternity members drugged and gang raped her at the fraternity house in October 2024, after the original criminal inquiry closed without charges. The core fight is over evidence: Van Houten and Cornell police say prosecutors got a short sworn statement and Snapchat screenshot, while critics say fuller interviews and witness material were not reviewed. Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said the university “must do better” and ordered an outside review. James’s office now decides whether charges are warranted.

What happened

Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada is resigning after the state’s failed execution of Christa Pike. Gov. Bill Lee ordered an independent review and paused Tennessee’s remaining executions for the year while it proceeds. Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital and is unconscious, intubated, and on a ventilator at a Nashville-area hospital. Her lawyers say the IV lines were misplaced or her veins blew, sending the drug into tissue instead of blood. The department says it followed protocol and has not explained the failure. Strada said stepping down serves Tennesseans while the review finds exactly what happened. The review will shape any next step.