Midair Pilot Attack, U.S. Leaves Iraq, & Grocery Costs

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Adam Rogers
October 01, 2026

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A pilot aboard a FlyDubai flight carrying dozens of Israelis stabbed another pilot and apparently tried to crash the aircraft Wednesday, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The flight from Dubai to Israel ultimately landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
The plane plunged from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in about a minute before making an erratic circle near the Jordanian border. Netanyahu said a passenger and crew member broke into the cockpit as the aircraft descended and helped subdue the attacker while other crew members took control of the plane.
Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot after the emergency landing in Tabuk while the captain and another crew member were hospitalized with injuries. Israel also scrambled fighter jets during the incident over fears the aircraft had been hijacked.

Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin is donating $3 billion to Carnegie Mellon University in what the school says is the largest single gift ever made to a U.S. university.
Griffin will direct $2 billion toward building a new 35-acre Carnegie Mellon campus in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood. Construction is expected to begin next year, with the campus eventually serving about 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students.
Rather than traditional academic majors, the Miami campus will focus on areas including human health, national security, energy and climate resilience, and advanced manufacturing. The remaining $1 billion will be split between Carnegie Mellon's computer science program and other projects at its main Pittsburgh campus.

The U.S. military completed its withdrawal from Iraq on Wednesday, ending a 12-year mission against the Islamic State. The last American troops departed a base in the northern Kurdish region under a withdrawal agreement reached by Washington and Baghdad in 2024.
U.S. forces returned to Iraq in 2014 after ISIS seized large portions of the country four years after the previous American withdrawal. The terrorist group has since been reduced to scattered sleeper cells, and Iraqi forces will take primary responsibility for security while the U.S. continues providing targeted training and intelligence support.
The departure comes as Iraq struggles to disarm powerful Iran-backed militias that have repeatedly attacked U.S. forces and rejected calls to surrender their weapons. Baghdad recently pushed its disarmament deadline from September to June 2027 while Kurdish officials have raised concerns about losing U.S. air defenses amid continuing regional conflict.

The Fed’s watchdog found broad mismanagement of its $2.4 billion headquarters renovation but no criminal violations alleged by Trump administration prosecutors. (More)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to call for a 20% cut in U.S. generals and admirals as part of a broader military restructuring. (More)

A federal appeals court halted Tennessee’s execution of Christa Gail Pike about an hour before it was scheduled while reviewing whether evidence of childhood abuse was adequately considered at sentencing. (More)

Britain says it has “strong indications” Iran was involved in a suspected terror plot involving five men arrested near a U.S.-run military base. (More)

MI5 warned UK researchers to cut ties with a Chinese state-owned group accused of recruiting academics to conduct research that could aid Chinese intelligence. (More)

Mexico’s investigation into the disappearance of 43 Ayotzinapa students could expand to additional former officials after authorities uncovered new evidence and identified 17 people for investigation. (More)

U.S. stock markets closed mixed on Wednesday (S&P -0.25%, Nasdaq +0.24%, Dow -0.86%). The indexes gave up their intraday highs despite new information showing inflation had cooled last month. (More)

Micron topped quarterly estimates as booming AI demand helped revenue nearly quadruple to $54.2 billion. Its first-quarter forecast also beat expectations. (More)

U.S. private employers added 90,000 jobs in September, beating expectations as hiring rebounded from a three-month slowdown. (More)

Manchester City was found guilty of systematically breaking Premier League financial rules from 2009-18 and could face fines, a points deduction or expulsion. The club plans to appeal. (More)

The White Sox beat the Astros 7-3 to sweep their Wild Card series and win their first playoff series since the 2005 World Series. (More)

Alec Bohm’s 10th-inning homer lifted the Phillies past the Braves 4-3 and forced a decisive Game 3 in their Wild Card series. (More)

Bacteria from Swiss alpine lakes showed broad antiviral properties that could eventually help protect crops from viral infections. (More)

Bioengineered honeybee silk could lead to “smart” wound dressings that biodegrade as wounds heal and eventually detect infections or release drugs. (More)

Middle-aged adults taking creatine gained about 2.4 pounds of lean tissue over 12 weeks without structured exercise. Combining it with exercise produced larger strength gains. (More)

Works by Van Gogh and Cézanne among lot in $450 M auction.

How grocery costs compare by state.

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California Coastal Trail will eventually span a 1,200-mile route.

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