Cornell rape accuser receives threats, and poll shows Latino voters dropping Trump: Weekend Rundown

The woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Cornell University fraternity members has received threats pressuring her to drop her lawsuit, her attorney said.

Thomas Giuffra told CNN’s “State of the Union” that people attempting to unmask his client’s identity had also targeted at least three women mistakenly identified as her. The former Cornell student is identified as Jane Doe in court documents.

Doe filed a lawsuit last month against Cornell and seven Chi Phi fraternity members, alleging she was sexually assaulted over the course of hours on Oct. 19 and 20, 2024, while she was under the influence of ketamine, alcohol and marijuana.

The suit has sparked renewed scrutiny of how the university and local authorities handled the allegations. Gov. Kathy Hochul last week appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to consider whether criminal charges are appropriate.

More Cornell news:

• 2024 investigation: Cornell police spoke to witnesses and received anonymous tips about an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house in the first weeks of its investigation two years ago. But the local prosecutor did not review the additional information before deciding not to bring charges.
• Arrest at Chi Phi: Police records also show that university police made a drug-related arrest at a fraternity house 22 hours before the woman alleged she was drugged and sexually assaulted there.
• President’s statement: Michael Kotlikoff said in a video messageSaturday that what Doe alleges is “deeply disturbing” and raises questions about the investigation that followed.

Notable quote

It’s not enough to not rape somebody. Because what that girl could’ve really used that night and what she didn’t find was one good man.

Brian Recker, a former pastor with over 450,000 followers on Instagram

As the Cornell case continues to draw national attention, parents online are sharing how they’re teaching their children to challenge a culture that allows sexual violence to persist.

Poll: Latino voters swing away from Trump and Republicans

Latino voters helped propel Donald Trump back to the White House. Now, they are turning on him, according to a new NBC News/Telemundo poll — a shift that gives Democrats a major opportunity to capitalize in midterm elections that could hinge on states and districts with sizable Latino populations.

Like the broader electorate, Latino voters are racked by major concerns about high prices and Trump’s approach to immigration enforcement.

The president’s approval rating sits at 27% among Latino voters. Two-thirds say his administration’s deportation policies have gone too far, and three-quarters disapprove of how he has handled the economy and the cost of living. And Democrats have a 24-point lead on whom Latino voters want to see in control of Congress, 59%-35%.

‘Meet the Press’

Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel called on Democratic lawmakers to set aside plans to impeach President Donald Trump if they win a majority in the House, pushing them instead to pass an ethics reform package.

Asked directly on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” whether Democrats should take up impeachment in January if they take the House gavel, Emanuel said: “Short answer: No, because it’s not going anywhere, and it’s going to be a food fight, and it’s just going to be we return to the politics of fighting.”

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said in a separate “Meet the Press” interview that he is considering a run for president in 2028.

“My plans right now are to run for re-election, but as I’ve said before, if I don’t think I can be effective in the Senate anymore, I would consider it,” Kennedy said.

Politics in brief

• ‘Get out and vote’: Trump rallied Saturday for Republicans in Ohio’s competitive races for Senate and governor, predicting that the party will defy expectations in a choppy midterm election climate.
• ‘The elephant in the room’: The estranged wife of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton urged voters to stand behind all Republicans in a new ad, though she neglected to name Paxton directly.
• ‘Call Tom on his cellphone’: Trump appeared to share Sen. Tom Cotton’s cellphone number in a social media post about the stalled daylight saving bill.

6 presumed dead after medical jet crashes off Nantucket

The operator of an air evacuation jet that dropped off the map in waters off New England said Sunday that it’s facing “the heartbreaking reality” that all on board have died.

Canada-based Latitude Air Ambulance said in a statement that the flight, which appeared to have crashed off Nantucket, Massachusetts, carried a patient, a family escort for the patient and four Latitude crew members.

The six people on board were four Canadians and two Bermudians. A source familiar with the matter told NBC News the Bermudians were a patient and the patient’s son.

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the Gulfstream G100 jet early Saturday as it flew from Bermuda to Boston. The search for the passengers was suspended at sunset Sunday, after 66 hours of combing the seas with the help of partner agencies, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

Governor says Tennessee’s prisons chief is resigning after failed execution of Christa Pike

The head of Tennessee’s prison system is resigning after the failed execution of Christa Pike, Gov. Bill Lee announced Saturday.

In response to the resignation news, Pike’s attorneys told NBC News that Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada’s departure was “justified, but it does nothing to help Christa now.”

“What happened to her Wednesday reflects a systemic failure that goes far beyond any one person,” they said. Pike remained unconscious in a hospital as of Friday.

Pike has remained unconscious and on a ventilator at a hospital in the four days since her failed execution in Tennessee, and her prognosis might not be known for days more, one of her lawyers said Sunday.

Taylor Swift pops into ‘SNL’ to joke around with host Dakota Johnson

Pop music icon Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live,” joining her friend and the episode’s host, Dakota Johnson, for some laughs.

Swift appeared onstage during Johnson’s opening monologue to address her role as the movie star’s “literal therapist,” in Johnson’s words.

The pop star made another appearance during the curtain call, bringing out a blue and white cake for Johnson’s birthday.

In case you missed it

• Early indications suggest the Flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking his captain and trying to seize control of an Israel-bound plane acted alone, multiple U.S. officials briefed on the investigation and a former Israeli security official told NBC News.

• A dual U.K.-Iranian national arrested on suspicion of plotting a terror attack following a security incident at a U.S.-run military base in England has been released on bail, authorities said.
• Yemen’s Houthis say they attacked an Aramco oil facility in Riyadh with missiles and drones.
• A 12-year-old girl was killed and three other people were injured when gunfire erupted amid an apparent dispute over parking at a Baltimore park Saturday, officials said.