Author: NCIJ NETWNCIJ NETWORK

Each day of the 2017 trial brought troubling news about defense attorney Bernard Shelton Jr.’s health. Before jury selection began, Shelton told Cook County Circuit Judge Ursula Walowski he was getting over a bad case of food poisoning and was not in any shape to strongly defend his client, who was accused of abusing his then-girlfriend. But the judge noted that the case was already four years old and told Shelton, “Sometimes, you know, we do have to sacrifice.” The next day, Walowski paused the trial because Shelton had been hospitalized. Shelton returned to court the third day but said…

While I’ve done a decent job of predicting the overall arc of U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, I’ve also gotten some things profoundly wrong. For example, I—like many in Washington—thought we were headed into a new period of tension and competition with China. Worse, I told a journalist last year that I didn’t think Trump wanted a war with Iran, a mistake that has prompted me to reconsider not just Trump’s approach to Iran, but my understanding of his decision-making process writ large. Mea culpa. While I’ve done a decent job of predicting the overall arc of U.S. President…

Claim: A man from Ulladulla, Australia, entered a cannabis plant into the tomato category of the town’s garden competition and won first place. Rating: In September, a rumor spread online about an Australian man riding high after entering a cannabis plant in the tomato category of a local garden competition — and winning the first place prize.  For example, a Facebook page called The Local Situation posted the claim alongside an image purportedly showing the 83-year-old budding “tomato” gardener with his alleged gold medal cannabis plant (screenshotted). The caption says the man is from Ulladulla, a coastal town in southeast…

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, October 1: A FlyDubai flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia after the pilot was stabbed by his co-pilot in what the Israeli media are calling a terror attack. The co-pilot was detained by off-duty pilots on board and passengers before making a safe landing in Saudi Arabia. Also in the news, Cornell University’s college campus culture is back under scrutiny after a shocking sexual assault claim. Plus, a man learns that Singapore does not take AI slop lightly. The terrifying events on a FlyDubai plane that was heading to Tel Aviv are dominating the press. The…

Prisoners have thanked Andy Burnham as they celebrated walking free from jail early.The first wave of releases began on Thursday, with 700 offenders expected to be freed across England and Wales under the government’s plan to ease prison overcrowding.Those released from dozens of prisons under the government’s latest early release scheme on Thursday were greeted by huddles of journalists requesting their personal messages for the prime minister.It follows the damaging early release scheme under Keir Starmer in 2024 when offenders were photographed holding bottles of champagne while saying “Big up Starmer”.Among the first releases, a former bus driver turned shoplifter,…

ZDNET’s key takeaways PwC reveals business leaders can’t agree on who is responsible for AI. AI agents may lack the identity controls that manage employees today.  Is a dedicated AI executive or leader the answer? Artificial intelligence (AI) adoption continues to surge, with agentic AI and large language models (LLMs) now integrated into everything from enterprise applications to chatbots that help you with food delivery. Also: LLMjacking can run up your business’ AI bill fast – how to stop it The benefits of AI are clear: it can streamline business operations, reduce manual workloads, serve as a research and analysis…

Microsoft announced that Windows settings backup and restore is now enabled by default on all Microsoft Entra-joined or Microsoft Entra hybrid-joined enterprise systems upgraded to Windows 11 26H2. The Windows settings backup tool (formerly known as Windows Backup for Organizations) backs up and restores enterprise users’ Windows settings after a device is reset, replaced, upgraded, or reimaged. Microsoft unveiled it two years ago at the Ignite conference in November 2024 as an opt-in feature (disabled by default), and it reached public preview in May 2025 and general availability in August 2025. As announced in July, Microsoft has enabled the Windows…

Bitcoin BTC$83,896.70 closed the third quarter up 40%, outrunning every major asset even as Treasury yields climbed to their highest in more than two decades. Investors poured billions of dollars into exchange-traded funds tied to BTC and other tokens, and several altcoins rallied even harder, leaving analysts convinced a new bull run has arrived.Yet amid the rally, one familiar stain on the industry’s image kept spreading. That’s hacks and exploits. The money lost in these incidents is small next to the billions flowing into ETFs, but the damage to crypto’s reputation is harder to wave away.Crypto suffered 247 security incidents…

NASA will offer live coverage of preparations, liftoff, and docking for the SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station. The broadcasts will be available across several NASA platforms. Viewers can find streaming options at: https://www.nasa.gov/live Crew-13 Launches Oct. 1 Crew-13 is scheduled to lift off at 11:10 a.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 1, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Docking with the International Space Station is targeted for about 7 p.m. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will transport four crew members: NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut…

Available for over a yearNew York state prosecutors say they will reopen a criminal inquiry into the alleged rape of a woman at Cornell University in 2024. The woman, referred to in court documents as Jane Doe, alleges in her lawsuit that seven men from Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity chapter assaulted her in an incident involving alcohol and the drug ketamine. The case was investigated by university police but will now go before a grand jury. The case has been discussed widely online, with many including actress Florence Pugh reacting with fury over the reported disciplinary actions taken by the…