Sep 29, 2026 · 31 min
Cornell reopens assault inquiry as criminal standards face scrutiny
DA Re-Opens Cornell Rape Case
The episode examines how universities can impose discipline while prosecutors face a higher burden to bring criminal charges, alongside stories of detention and rescue.
- 1Cornell is reopening a sexual assault investigation after criticism of the original inquiry and the district attorney’s decision not to charge.
- 2Five men arrested near a British airbase were released under restrictions, leaving unanswered questions about the evidence behind the arrests.
- 3Evan Gershkovich describes detention, isolation, and recovery after Russia used his imprisonment as a political bargaining chip.
Don't miss
Evan Gershkovich recounts being lured into an FSB operation, arrested, hooded, beaten, and held as a political bargaining chip.
The brief
Cornell is reopening a sexual assault investigation after public criticism of the original inquiry, including questions about conflicting accounts and the decision not to file criminal charges.
The central tension is evidentiary: Cornell’s Title IX process led to suspensions, expulsions, and a continuing chapter ban, while prosecutors said university discipline could not establish a crime.
The episode then turns to five men arrested near RAF Fairford over an alleged bomb plot. Their release under restrictions leaves authorities’ basis for the arrests unexplained.
George Stephanopoulos interviews Evan Gershkovich about being arrested, beaten, and held in Russia, then facing isolation, therapy, and the difficult work of returning to ordinary life.
The closing story offers a striking contrast: skydiving EMTs and first responders parachuted to a plane crash, reaching victims before ground responders and helping passengers expected to recover.
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