Human Race: Plague researcher dies

A Russian lab technician at a plague research institute in Siberia has died, sparking fears of a new pandemic. Darya Shipilova was hospitalized on Sept. 29 and died Oct. 2. Russia’s public health watchdog claimed in its official statement that the 28-year-old woman died from “pneumonia of an unknown cause.” The lack of a more specific cause of death raised suspicion and concern from locals and world leaders. Some unverified reports claimed she fell ill after an accident at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia, suggesting she might have died after contracting pneumonic plague. Russian authorities said no evidence suggests that her illness was caused by the pathogens she worked with. In spite of that, the hospital where Shipilova died has been placed under quarantine and government officials are implementing anti-epidemic measures in the surrounding areas. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said U.S. officials are monitoring the situation closely, and he encouraged transparency from Russia so world health officials can react appropriately. Pneumonic plague is a rare bacterial infection that killed tens of millions of people in 14th-century Europe. Since the 1990s, most cases have been recorded in Africa, although about seven people a year contract it in the United States. It’s treated today with antibiotics.

Botched execution

Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike is back in prison, recovering from a botched execution that left her unconscious and on life support for nearly a week. Pike is the first known prisoner in the modern era to survive the administration of lethal injection drugs, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Attorney Randy Spivey said Pike is suffering from a loss of function in her arms, among other injuries. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has ordered an independent investigation and paused all executions this year, but it remains uncertain whether the state will try to execute Pike again. —Grace Snell

Caught spying

U.S. authorities arrested a California real estate agent on Oct. 4, accusing her of serving as an agent for China and spying on the son of Taiwan’s president, who lives in the United States. Officers arrested Wanying “Heather” Zhang, 34, at a Los Angeles airport while she was attempting to depart for China. Under the direction of Chinese authorities, Zhang allegedly surveilled Ting-Yu Lai, the son of Taiwanese President Ching-Te Lai, according to U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. Zhang allegedly sent photos, videos, and license plate information to Chinese officials. A criminal complaint related to the case detailed texts between Zhang and two other alleged Chinese agents about tracking Ting-Yu Lai. —Liz Lykins

Final goal

Soccer great Lionel Messi played the last national game of his 21-year professional career on Oct. 6. The Argentinian left the field with 126 goals, two Copa América titles, and a World Cup championship to his name. Although he will no longer play for Argentina, Messi will continue to thrill fans of Major League Soccer with Inter Miami. Messi, who is now 39, set the stage for an international career when he was just 13, leaving Argentina to train at the youth academy of Spanish club Barcelona. He announced his retirement from the national team in late August, weeks after Argentina lost to Spain in the World Cup final. —Leigh Jones

Swapping mics

Karoline Leavitt, the youngest person to serve as White House press secretary, will join Fox News as a contributor, starting Nov. 1. Leavitt stepped down from her position as press secretary about four months after giving birth to her second child, a daughter. Leavitt held the high-profile role from the start of President Donald Trump’s second term in January 2025 until the end of August. She is the second of Trump’s press secretaries to accept a job with Fox News. Kayleigh McEnany, who served during part of Trump’s first term, co-hosts a daytime talk show and a weekend series with the network. —Addie Offereins

Life sentence

An Ohio judge sentenced former American Idol contestant and self-described music pastor Caleb Flynn to life in prison without parole on Oct. 5 for killing his wife. A jury found the 40-year-old guilty of nine charges, including aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence. Prosecutors say Flynn shot his 37-year-old wife Ashley in the back of the head while she was asleep and staged it to look like a break-in. The murder followed an 18-month-long affair. While Flynn admitted to committing adultery, he continues to insist he did not kill his wife. The couple had two daughters, who were aged 9 and 11 at the time of their mother’s death. —Liz Lykins

Chess champion

Bodhana Sivanandan, an 11-year-old from northwest London, became the youngest chess player to earn the woman grandmaster title. She earned this distinction for her performance at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where she represented England. This is the latest milestone for the chess prodigy who is also Britain’s youngest women’s chess champion and the youngest person to represent England internationally in any sport. While woman grandmaster is the highest female-specific title a player can achieve, Sivanandan still has one more title to earn: international master. In an interview with the International Chess Federation, Sivanandan said she was excited about her achievement but wants to “keep making history.” —Claire Wilkerson

Peace Prize winner

The Nobel committee awarded its coveted Peace Prize to South African–born jurist Navi Pillay on Oct. 9. In 2003, Pillay became one of the first judges to serve on the International Criminal Court, where she helped convict Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga for conscripting child soldiers. She became the UN human rights chief in 2008, and then took a post at the International Court of Justice in 2019. Last year, Pillay chaired the UN committee that concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas. Her selection for the high-profile award is seen as a rebuke to President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who have criticized international courts as biased against their countries. —Leigh Jones