Cornell tipster speaks out and Supreme Court begins a new term: Morning Rundown

Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., on Friday Heather Ainsworth for NBC NewsShareAdd NBC News to GoogleOct. 5, 2026, 7:03 AM EDTBy Kayla Hayempour and David HickeyA Cornell student who gave police leads expresses dismay with how the case was handled. The new Supreme Court term begins with a climate change case. And all passengers are presumed dead after a medical jet crashed off Nantucket.

Add to GoogleBreaking down the latest updates in the Cornell case02:21A Cornell student who gave campus police leads in the alleged rape of Jane Doe about 24 to 48 hours after the incident in 2024 said she feels “betrayed” over how authorities handled the case.

The student, who spoke to NBC News yesterday on condition of anonymity, said she first heard about allegations that Doe was raped as a rumor on campus.

The student said she decided to go to police after she saw screenshots of a Chi Phi group message on Snapchat and because “it felt like the right thing to do if we could help this girl.” She said she walked them through everything she knew, including that fraternity members were messaging about the events of the evening with Doe and about potential witnesses.

She also gave police secondhand information about drug use at Chi Phi and said she was familiar with the frat house and believed she knew where ketamine was alleged to be kept.

Smoke from the Aspen Acres fire rises on July 1, 2026 in Pueblo, Colorado.Michael Ciaglo / GettyThe Supreme Court kicks off a new term today, with the justices hearing an attempt by oil companies to throw out lawsuits alleging they should pay damages related to climate change.

The case concerns a lawsuit brought by the city and county of Boulder, Colorado against Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy. The ultimate decision could have broad ramifications for similar lawsuits around the country.

Boulder officials say they face increasing costs because of the impacts of climate change, including efforts to minimize risks from wildfires. They accuse Exxon and Suncor of misleading consumers about the effect of greenhouse gasses from their products, an allegation the companies deny.

Other major cases already on the court’s docket involve a challenge to bans on AR-15 semiautomatic rifles and two about the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policies.

Here’s what to know about oral arguments.

The U.S. Coast Guard searches for six people aboard a missing medical transport aircraft after search crews located a debris field confirmed to be from the aircraft off the coast of Nantucket on Saturday.U.S. Coast GuardThe operator of an air evacuation jet that dropped off the map in waters off New England said that it’s facing “the heartbreaking reality” that all on board have died.

Canada-based Latitude Air Ambulance said that the flight, which appeared to have crashed off Nantucket, Massachusetts, was carrying a patient, a family escort for the patient and four crew members. They were four Canadians and two Bermudians. A source familiar with the matter told NBC News the Bermudians were the patient and the patient’s son.

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the jet early Saturday as it flew from Bermuda to Boston. The search for the passengers was suspended yesterday, after 66 hours of combing the seas, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Almost 200 people are under medical observation in Russia’s Siberia region after the death of a 28-year-old lab worker who may have been exposed to pneumonic plague, according to local media reports.

While Russian authorities have not confirmed her exact cause of death, the country’s consumer welfare service said Sunday that the researcher at an anti-plague institute in Irkutsk had died of “pneumonia of unknown etiology,” or origin. It said the “sanitary-epidemiological situation” in the Irkutsk region and the cities of Irkutsk and Shelekhov was “stable.”

The pneumonic form of plague is especially contagious and “can trigger severe epidemics,” according to the World Health Organization. The WHO did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday about the suspected case in Russia.

Dr. Ashish Jha, who served as the White House Covid-19 response coordinator from 2022 to 2023, said “much more” information and transparency was needed from Moscow. “If there were weapons programs, biological weapons programs in these labs, that would be much more concerning to me,” he told NBC News in an interview. “We need to understand that now.”

Drake Maye of the New England Patriots runs with the ball during the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Sunday in Orchard Park, New York. Kathryn Riley / GettyWeek 4 of the NFL season featured dramatic comebacks, quarterbacks who redeemed themselves (while others continued to struggle) and three teams left with undefeated records.

Add to GoogleInside Walmart's push to win fashion shoppers with $25-and-under looks, new bohemian brand03:30This story was born after one of our executive producers noted her stylish cashmere sweater wasn’t from a fancy designer store but...Walmart! The big box retailer has been making waves as it embraces the fashion world with a new clothing and accessories line, dubbed “Scenario.”

The company describes the brand as “bohemian” and “romantic,” which immediately caught our attention. Can that messaging really translate to the Walmart customer? How does a company famous for its ultra-low prices on everyday essentials rebrand itself into a fashion destination? And could this be a play to capture market share from Target?

We hit the streets of New York to find out what shoppers really thought about the pivot — and whether there was any shame associated with the Walmart fashion game. Interestingly, most folks were all for it, citing value and affordability. That’s not totally surprising given the state of the U.S. economy, with consumers squeezed by high prices and inflation.

Needless to say, the retail landscape is rapidly changing, but experts told me it will be an uphill battle for Walmart to shed its reputation of “cheap” and embrace a new mantra of “chic.”

Friendly reminder: Prime Day is tomorrow. It’s the best time to save big on holiday gifts and household essentials, but not every sale is worth your money. We spoke to experts to find out what to buy and what to skip during Amazon’s major fall savings event. Plus, here’s what our editors would love to see on sale tomorrow.

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David HickeyDavid Hickey is a platforms and social editor for NBC News.