US Edition - Today's top story: Dozens of men failed to stop an alleged gang rape at Cornell – here's the misperception that keeps bystanders from intervening and how to short-circuit it October 2, 2026 US Edition   Top headlines Another failed execution attempt in Tennessee A proposed SEC rule change generates backlash Thinking of quiet quizzing? Just don’t tell your boss Lead story To Amherst College social psychologist Catherine Sanderson, what stood out about the alleged sexual assault at Cornell that’s currently dominating headlines was not the seven men directly accused. It was the 50 other fraternity members who were reportedly on a group chat about what was happening and who apparently failed to intervene. Why do bystanders so often fail to step in and stop bad behavior? Sanderson writes that one big reason is that people often misjudge what others believe to be normal and acceptable. This tendency to “misperceive what others are actually thinking and feeling” is a part of human nature, she writes. But it doesn’t need to be the end of the story. Sanderson points out that understanding these normal psychological factors is a critical first step in learning strategies for how to intervene. Sign up for our newsletter on how AI is impacting society. Every Friday.   Maggie Villiger Senior Science + Technology Editor   People may quash their own beliefs to fit in with what they think the group believes. Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis News via Getty Images Dozens of men failed to stop an alleged gang rape at Cornell – here’s the misperception that keeps bystanders from intervening and how to short-circuit it Catherine A. Sanderson, Amherst College People may accept bad behavior – even sexual assault – when they overestimate how acceptable their peers think it is. But there are ways to undermine this thinking and make intervention more likely. Economy + Business US regulators want to make corporate earnings reports less frequent, but investors have doubts Tzachi Zach, The Ohio State University No federal rule proposal has ever generated so much opposition. Politics + Society Christa Pike survived a lethal injection attempt – the latest person to endure a failed execution Austin Sarat, Amherst College The constitutional prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment has shaped legal discourse around failed executions, but courts have not stopped states from attempting to execute the same person again. White nationalism’s appeal runs deeper than partisan politics Patrick Egan, New York University; James Bisbee, Vanderbilt University; Joshua A. Tucker, New York University Nearly 1 in 7 white men under 30 in the US support white nationalism, and partisanship alone doesn’t explain who’s drawn to it. Arts + Culture More than 50 years after a North Dakota school district burned copies of Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Slaughterhouse-Five,’ the anti-war novel is still being censored Susan Farrell, College of Charleston The battle over the novel offers a window into America’s long-running fight over what students should be allowed to read. Education How Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is helping kids start reading when they’re very young Alex H. Poole, Drexel University This free program mails an age-appropriate book monthly to each enrolled child from birth to age 5. International From suicide bombers to positions of authority – the changing role of women in jihadi groups Sara Harmouch, George Washington University More women are taking up training and recruiting positions in the Islamic State group and other militant organizations. Ethics + Religion A Colorado preschool case will be the Supreme Court’s latest to test boundaries of LGBTQ rights and religious freedom Mark Satta, Wayne State University; Institute for Humane Studies When the Supreme Court hears arguments in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, Colorado will defend antidiscrimination laws for the fourth time in 10 years. Science + Technology Want to use AI to improve your work? Have it disagree with you Monideepa Tarafdar, UMass Amherst Prompting AI models to contradict your ideas can improve your thinking about a problem. Physicists who uncovered the first particle accelerator were honored with a Nobel Prize 75 years ago – their work shaped physics, medicine and even art research Artemis Spyrou, Michigan State University; Andrea Richard, Ohio University Particle accelerators aren’t just for testing the Standard Model. They’re also used to diagnose and treat disease and study world history. Podcast