Beltway Insider: Trump, Cornell Gang Rape Updates, Police Mishandling, Newsom, Pike Released, Jim Bakker Dies

Details: Category: Haute This Issue; Published on Saturday, 10 October 2026 12:56; Written by Janet Walker

President Trump, in an effort to control the mid-term narrative, has made a deal with Russian President Vladmir Putin to buy diesel from the Kremlin, to address the rising cost of fuel in the United States.

The President's job approval rating, according to The New York Times for the period ending October 10, 2026, of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President decreased by 1% to 37% and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as president increased by 1% to 60%. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

Beltway Insider: Trump, Cornell Gang Rape, Renee Good, Flydubai Plane Incident, Pike Execution

Trump Buys From Putin

President Trump, who understands the mid-terms could effectively terminated any control over the House of Representatives and turn his remaining two years into a lame duck session, with much moving but nothing being accomplished, as brokered a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import diesel fuel in hopes of addressing one aspect of the long-term Middle Eastern war, that has impacted the nation's economy.

The shift in policy has, in effect, help Putin replenish a much needed war chest in its continued aggression against neighboring Ukraine.

For many, the annual cost of automobile ownership has ballooned to more than $12,000, a rise of more than $1000 over 2025. "This year's analysis finds that the average annual cost to own and operate a new vehicle is $12,863, or $1,071.92 per month. This reflects continued increases from fuel prices, depreciation, and finance charges. In 2025, the total annual cost was estimated at $11,577, or $964.78 per month," AAA.com reports.

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Cornell Frat House Gang Rape Updates

The Cornell 7 gang rape case is bringing a long held narrative in the national conversations, as parents of young boys are instilling them before the adolescent "talk" what situations look like, what "no" means, and what to do if they witness a young woman who is incapacitated, in anyway.

A single mom, and surgical nurse from a midwestern town explained she drummed it into her son, before he could understand what it meant, explaining if he was ever anywhere, as he would play sports and travel with the team, where he saw a woman who couldn't move, was on the ground, to call home and she would make sure the girl arrived home safely. When ask the son rolled his eyes, "I know, I know, stay with the girl, cover her up, and call your mom."

Common sense? Maybe.

Nicole Bedera, a sociologist who specializes in sexual violence explains, "Parents also need to realize that men who participate in gang rape or group sexual violence "are motivated to do it to gain power and status over other men," she says. Often, people assume that such behavior is born of hatred of women — but in these scenarios, Bedera says, women simply don't register as human beings: "They are objects, not people." For the perpetrators, she says, the assault is "a way of bonding with each other without vulnerability," The Washington Post reported.

In environments where parents are determined to provide every advantage for their child, failure to check behavior starts before children are becoming influenced by peer groups, the understanding of right behavior and wrong or unacceptable behavior begins in the home and in our modern advanced technology homes, computer access is critical in creating boundaries.

For the Hudson County, NJ victim, she is dealing with grown up version of the Cornell 7, unchecked behavior that spills into the works force and waits for the opportune moment to again unleash itself.

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Police Mishandling

Police mishandling of rape allegations are common.

"Even as she took her allegations about a 2024 gang rape at the Chi Phi fraternity house through Cornell's internal disciplinary process, the university's police department gave her the impression that a criminal investigation was continuing, lawyer Thomas Giuffra told The Associated Press. In fact, the criminal inquiry ended almost as soon as it began," PBS.org reported.

This is disheartening, but not uncommon. The Hudson County, NJ victim, after making the initially report with general detectives, at a station house, they called the SAVA unit and told the victim she needed to report the crime a second time to the sexual assault detectives, in a different location. And they wouldn't come to the station; she would need to come to them. Obviously another obstacle to justice, and when she arrived at the SAVA unit with the police escort, she was left at the elevator without any introduction or handoff to the detectives or knowledge of what floor, who to speak with, or even the process.

Victims, and not simply victims of rape, tend to have a sense of right and wrong, and believe that law enforcement is there to aid the victim. It is a common misconception, especially in rape cases.

The 2023 documentary Victim/Suspect, directed by Nancy Schwartzman, details cases around the country of young women who report rape and are seeking justice are charged with making a false criminal report and the system they expected to protect them becomes the one that is prosecuting them.

The Hudson county, NJ victim explained, when the detective asked her if she wanted an advocate, and she replied, "I'm the victim, why do I need an advocate?" and he said, "so you waive your rights to an advocate." She explain after reiterating the same details, again, she felt intimidated, and felt like she was being filmed. She remembers sitting in a room with a large window, that was darkened on the other side, not leading to the outside. In hindsight, she believes he wanted her to name a suspect, he even went so far as to say, "Without a name, I won't be able to help you," in order to have her arrested for filing a false report.

For Jane Doe, after filing the police report, she too believed an investigation had begun. The case was also closed before she left the building. "The thing I think we all feel, like, betrayed in regards to is that, like, it wasn't handled," she said. "When we got the police report, I think we all assumed it was being, you know, it would be, like, handled properly, yeah, and it was, like, in good hands." The student, who discussed details corroborated by documents reviewed by NBC News, said she and a friend initially gave a tip to authorities after the crime alert was issued," NBCnews.com reported.

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Newsom Mulls Death Row Pardons

California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has been considered one of the democrats top contenders for a 2028 Presidential run, has announced, after the botched execution of Tennessee inmate Christa Pike, that he may commute the sentence of more than 500 California death row inmates to life, without the possibility of parole.

Gavin who has also been a strong opponent of the president's use of executive orders and imposing his will on the people, has not yet indicated if the commutation would be up to the voters of California to decide to abolish the death penalty or if it will be the will of one, instead of the will of the people.

"The governor, a Democrat, has received conflicting advice from his closest advisers, the people said. Some have urged him to take a bold step that reflects his moral opposition to capital punishment before he leaves office in January. Others have warned that he could face political attacks if he were to show mercy to convicted killers," The New York Times reported.

In two decades, California prison officials have not carried out an execution of any of the state's death row prisoners. The death penalty is not a deterrent to crime, the overloaded system, and the odds of capture are the incentive, to remove the harshest of penalties may simply be anther incentive.

Arguments of human suffering during the final moments are without merit, as most failed to show any compassion to their victims. The religious who have built an anti-death penalty argument on one biblical verse, only need to perform cursory online biblical research to find other verses that require citizens to obey the law.

Children who suffer needlessly in abusive homes, children who go hungry each day, or the lack of running water in many areas throughout the nation is actual human suffering.

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Tennessee Death Row Inmate Christa Pike Released

Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike, who survived her execution even after receiving two doses of Phenobarbital poisoning, has been released from the hospital.

Medical professionals flushed the poison from her system. She has since been released to the correction facility where she has been incarcerated for the last 30 years.

The fallout from the botched execution continues as Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, ordered all evidence to be secure, paused further executions, and the Director of Tennessee State Correctional Facilities tendered his resignation. It is unclear if all the prison officials involved in the botched execution will be terminated or placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Pike was not superhuman, and the failure was not a sign, the medical professionals inserting the needle failed to find her vein, causing the phenobarbital to pool in her arms, and not circulate through her bloodstream. For the majority of the population who have not witnessed an execution, those medical professionals who prep the prisoner exit the room before the curtain opens and those in the gallery witness the death, making any adjustments impossible.

While many continue to argue for clemency or a comminution of her death sentence to life in prison. The facts are that "A jury sentenced Pike to death decades ago for her role in a 1995 killing she helped carry out when she was 18 alongside two other teens. Pike was also convicted of attempted first-degree murder in a 2001 assault on another inmate while she was incarcerated. Her case drew global attention because she would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years," The Washington Post reported.

Pike committed capital crimes in a state that continues to impose the death penalty. She was caught, tired and convicted. Life in prison is an incentive for others to continue to commit heinous criminal acts, as the system remains overloaded, and capture can be difficult, or non-existent.

Prior to Pike's attempted execution, her case went to the United States Supreme Court in an attempt to stay the execution, no order arrived at the prison, and the execution attempt was carried out on September 30. Subsequently, the sentencing order has not changed, and unless the state overturns the previous order, when the executions pause is lifted Pike will likely be on the scheduled.

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Coronavirus Total

At the order of the President of the United States, the U.S. no longer recognizes the value of The World Health Organization. The CDC has recommended every person from age six months, including senior citizens should receive at least one shot of an updated COVID-19 vaccine, annually. The death toll from Covid-19 has dramatically decreased, as has transmission of the virus. Even as confirmed new cases continue each week, fewer are dying from each new variants.

For the 7 days ending October 10, 2026, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases reported by the World Health Organization increased by 55.643 to 779,395,900. The total worldwide death toll did not increase over the past 7 days has increased by 803 to 7,117,476 deaths. The United States has stopped providing Covid data to the World Health Organization. (Data updated September 20, 2026, from the World Health Organization.

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Disgraced Reverend Jim Bakker Dies

Disgraced Reverend Jim Bakker, of the 1980s PTL Ministry fame, along with his former wife, Tammy Faye, who eventually lost his reputation, religious affiliations, and multi-million dollar ministry, to charges of rape, fraud, and conspiracy, has died. He was 86.

"The Bakkers were at the peak of their popularity in March 1987, when the Charlotte Observer — in a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into PTL ministry finances — revealed that Mr. Bakker had a brief sexual encounter in 1980 with Jessica Hahn, a 21-year-old church secretary from New York. The newspaper showed that PTL officials had authorized $265,000 in payments to Hahn to keep the dalliance secret," The Washington Post reported.

During the rise of the televangelist, the competition for viewership of the sincere hearted, and their dollars, was ruthless, with Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Oral Roberts, and The Bakkers, all making a play for donations. The Bakkers lived an opulent life and were quick to use their wealth to tantalize others into believing the principle of prosperity without the work. The pride in their accomplishments and possessions, became their downfall.

Bakker is survived by his second wife, Lori, his two children with his first wife Tammy Faye, who died in 2007, and four children with his second wife.

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For more information on President Donald Trump: Whitehouse.gov.

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade. A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five award-winning screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," a non-fiction narrative, "Days, Times, Seasons, and Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," and "Songs of Freedom: A Collection of Biblical Teachings," which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Authors Guild, the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.