Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.
New York governor criticizes handling of Cornell caseIn direct and sometimes angry remarks this morning, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York criticized Cornell University’s police department and the local district attorney for their handling of sexual assault allegations made by a former student. Hochul said she had been troubled to learn that the student had told police unequivocally in 2024 that she had been raped at a fraternity house. That language was missing in the condensed statement that was sent to the local district attorney, who decided not to file criminal charges. “In what world would the police” not elevate such an allegation, Hochul asked. She later added: “I am deeply disturbed by Cornell University’s police and how they handled this.” The governor was joined by the state attorney general, Letitia James, whom she has appointed to oversee a new investigation into the allegations. James said the case was now an active criminal investigation. The case has reignited a national conversation about the persistent issue of sexual assault on college campuses. But prosecuting the case may be challenging, in part because New York State law makes it hard to charge people with rape if the accuser chose to become intoxicated. Hochul pushed state lawmakers today to change that.
U.S. hiring slowed downAmerican employers added 29,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent, according to a new report from the Labor Department. The results were weaker than expected for a job market that had appeared robust in recent months. Growth in average hourly earnings fell to 3 percent on an annual basis, well below that of inflation, and the slowest since the pandemic. And job gains for July and August were revised down by 60,000. “Bottom line,” our economics reporter Ben Casselman said. “There’s no sign here of the job market falling apart, but it would be hard to call it ‘hot’ either.”
Ukraine fires its own ballistic missile for the first timePresident Volodymyr Zelensky announced late last night that Ukrainian forces had fired a domestically made ballistic missile for the first time in combat. It was a breakthrough for Kyiv, which has found itself overpowered by Russia as the yearslong war has increasingly turned to the skies. The Ukrainian weapon, which could be used to target Russian missile launchers along the border, is not expected to significantly shift the dynamics of the conflict. But its manufacturer is working on a larger missile that would be able to reach Moscow. For more:
The Trump administration is hunting for alien lifePresident Trump has created a new advisory council on U.F.O.s and stocked it with a number of scientists who embrace the idea that alien technology may be lurking among us. Critics see the government panel as diverging from the sober work of similar groups in the past. So far this year, the administration has released six rounds of U.F.O. files. We pored through the documents and asked the panel and its detractors for their takes.
More top news
The best TV shows, according to Times readersLast week, I wrote about the top 100 shows of the 21st century, according to actors, showrunners and others in the industry. Today, the list is yours. More than 100,000 Times readers submitted their votes. Check it out. Turns out, readers thought that “Gilmore Girls,” “Ted Lasso,” “Community” and “The Big Bang Theory” were underrated. They were far less interested in the British version of “The Office,” which fell 79 spots compared to the initial list. See a show you like? Add it to your watch list.
In ancient Rome, the fashion was loudDon't be fooled by the pale appearance of the surviving marble statues from ancient Rome. The elite Romans used garish garments and vibrant dyes to project their status. A Copenhagen museum demonstrated this by using paint residue analysis to produce digital reconstructions. The displays are part of a new show on the ways imperial expansion delivered the raw materials and styles that Romans used, like purple dye from sea snails or vermilion dye from insects.
Dinner table topics
Cook this flavor-packed twist on fish Creole. Watch these movies and shows coming to Netflix this month. Listen to Stephen King talk about finishing a trilogy he began with his friend in 1984. Bask in the fall’s delights at these getaways. Reduce your screen time by taking advantage of these analog tools. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
