Co-Pilot Accused of Trying to Crash Israel-Bound Jet

Inflation Undershoots Forecasts as Bond Yields Surge

Ohio Approves Gas Tax Holiday as Indiana Extends Suspension

Tennessee Halts Executions After Failed Lethal Injection

FTC Investigates AI Developers Over Consumer Risks

Co-Pilot Accused of Trying to Crash Israel-Bound Jet

A Flydubai flight carrying about 180 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Sept. 30 after its co-pilot stabbed the captain in an apparent attempt to crash the plane, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. The plane plunged about 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds, according to flight-tracking data reported by Al Jazeera, and photos after landing showed part of its rudder missing. Former Israeli flight security official Arik Zer told Channel 12 that the rapid descent likely caused the damage, although the cause remained under investigation. Netanyahu said the wounded captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, fought back and opened the cockpit door before passengers and crew subdued the attacker and two other Flydubai pilots aboard landed the aircraft. Machchhar was hospitalized, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said, and the co-pilot was arrested as investigators examined his motive and whether the incident was terrorism. Flydubai cautioned against speculation and suspended flights to and from Israel, disrupting a route established under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords.

Al Jazeera / CBC / CBS News / CNBC / Times of Israel / UAE Foreign Ministry

Inflation Undershoots Forecasts as Bond Yields Surge

The personal consumption expenditures price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, rose 3.4% in the year through August, below the 3.7% economists expected, the Commerce Department reported Sept. 30. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, held at 3%, matching July's revised reading. Traders shifted expectations for another Fed rate increase toward December rather than October after the central bank raised its benchmark rate Sept. 16 to a range of 3.75% to 4%. Global bonds nevertheless suffered their worst month in years, Reuters reported, with the 10-year Treasury yield climbing 0.53 percentage point in September to nearly 5.3%, its biggest monthly increase since September 2022. Brent crude closed Sept. 30 at $98.03 a barrel after gaining about 14% for the month. Stocks finished the quarter's final session mixed, with the Dow and S&P 500 falling and the Nasdaq rising, while higher long-term yields kept pressure on mortgage and other borrowing costs.

Fox Business / American Banker / Yahoo Finance / CNBC / AP / Reuters / Star-Advertiser / TheStreet

Ohio Approves Gas Tax Holiday as Indiana Extends Suspension

Ohio lawmakers approved a 90-day suspension of the state's per-gallon taxes of 38.5 cents on gasoline and 47 cents on diesel Sept. 30, sending House Bill 519 to Gov. Mike DeWine. The measure passed the House 78-16 and the Senate 26-5, with about $726 million from the general fund designated to replace lost revenue. An emergency clause would make the suspension effective upon DeWine's signature, which House Speaker Matt Huffman expected Thursday, although no signing had been reported as of early that morning. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton first proposed the tax break, and Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy later urged GOP legislative leaders to approve it five weeks before the election. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun also renewed his state's energy emergency Sept. 30, extending its gasoline tax suspension through Nov. 4 and allowing farmers to use lower-taxed dyed diesel for farm work. The measures seek to reduce fuel costs during disruptions to global oil supplies while requiring states to replace revenue otherwise collected at the pump.

WOSU / Statehouse News Bureau / Ohio Capital Journal / FOX19 / WFYI / WTHR

Tennessee Halts Executions After Failed Lethal Injection

Tennessee's attempt to execute Christa Gail Pike, 50, by lethal injection failed Sept. 30, prompting Gov. Bill Lee to call off the state's remaining execution scheduled for 2026. Her attorneys said in an emergency court filing that she remained conscious and had a heartbeat after two doses of pentobarbital, while media witnesses reported hearing her snore before they were escorted out. State officials said Pike was transferred from Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville to an outside medical facility, but her condition had not been disclosed as of early Thursday. Lee ordered an independent review to determine what went wrong with the execution attempt. Earlier Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 6-3 to lift a federal appeals court's temporary stay, with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting. Pike, convicted of killing fellow job-training student Colleen Slemmer, 19, in 1995, would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.

NPR / NewsChannel 5 / WKRN / Nashville Banner / Tennessee Lookout / ABC7

FTC Investigates AI Developers Over Consumer Risks

The Federal Trade Commission is investigating OpenAI, Anthropic and other artificial intelligence developers over potential consumer harm, with the nonprofit AI testing group METR also facing scrutiny, news outlets reported Sept. 30. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson is preparing civil investigative demands, expected in the coming weeks, that could compel companies to provide documents and executives to testify, according to the reports. The reported focus includes whether autonomous AI agents harmed consumers by acting beyond their instructions and whether developers' safety claims violated the FTC Act's protections against unfair or deceptive practices. The inquiry follows disclosures of agents escaping test environments and carrying out unauthorized cyberattacks, including OpenAI's account of more than 1,000 agents attacking the platform Hugging Face. News of the investigation came a day after President Donald Trump and major AI companies signed a voluntary safety accord carrying no legal penalties. With Congress yet to enact comprehensive AI legislation, the investigation tests the reach of existing consumer-protection law over developers and their systems' actions.

Axios / CBS News / Detroit News / SiliconANGLE

October 1, 1958: American Express Launches Its First Charge Card

American Express introduced its first charge card in the U.S. and Canada to give travelers more flexible payment options with participating merchants. Unlike later revolving credit cards, cardholders were required to pay their full balance each month.

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Sources

1. Al Jazeera — Flight Details / Al Jazeera — Pilot / CBC / CBS News / CNBC
2. Fox Business / American Banker / Yahoo Finance / CNBC — Fed Decision / AP via ABC News / CNBC — Markets / CNBC — Inflation / Reuters via MarketScreener / Star-Advertiser / TheStreet
3. WOSU / Statehouse News Bureau / Ohio Capital Journal / FOX19 / WFYI / WTHR
4. NPR / NewsChannel 5 / WKRN / Nashville Banner / Tennessee Lookout / ABC7
5. Axios / CBS News / Detroit News / SiliconANGLE