Donald Trump said he feels “badly” for the seven Cornell fraternity members under investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James, whom he accused of being “corrupt.”

The president renewed his attacks on James, repeating the controversial “Peekaboo” nickname he has used for her after New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed her special prosecutor in the alleged gang-rape case.

On Thursday, Hochul, a Democrat, signed an executive order naming James to oversee the investigation into allegations that a woman was gang raped by seven fraternity members.

Trump had previously told reporters that he believed Cornell University would “do what’s right” in response to the allegations. But on Friday, he criticized Hochul’s decision to appoint James.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Why would the Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, appoint a Corrupt Prosecutor, Letitia ‘Peekaboo’ James, to represent the State in the highly controversial Cornell University rape case?”

Critics have previously accused Trump’s use of the nickname of being racist, a claim he has denied.

Asked about the case again on Friday, Trump did not offer detailed comments about the people involved. He said, however, that he believed James would prevent the defendants from receiving fair treatment.

“Well, Letitia James is a corrupt person. She’s totally corrupt and I cannot imagine it, and I feel badly for whoever she’s looking at, because they won’t get a fair shake. Letitia James is a corrupt person,” Trump said.

The Daily Mail has contacted Hochul and James for comment.

James previously filed a civil lawsuit alleging that Trump’s business committed financial fraud. The case led to the president being fined more than $400 million, although the penalty was later voided as excessive.

Last October, James was federally indicted on allegations of bank fraud and making false statements. The case was dismissed a month later.

Trump had earlier said that, while he did not “know that much about it,” Cornell was a “fine school” and that he was sure the university would “do what’s right.”

Hochul said she had “lost faith” in the local investigation when she announced the appointment of a special prosecutor in the Cornell case.

“New information has raised serious questions about how this case was handled, and I’ve lost faith in the Tompkins County District Attorney’s ability to fairly oversee it,” Hochul said.

“The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued.”

Hochul’s decision followed the release of a transcript in which the alleged victim told Cornell police that she was “100 percent” certain she had been assaulted.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has said his decision not to charge the seven alleged perpetrators at the time was based on the contents of Jane Doe’s signed 2024 statement.

But he told CBS News on Tuesday he had never before seen the transcript showing what Jane Doe told campus police. 

The District Attorney said he will now seek a copy of the transcript and follow up with Cornell police.

‘Nobody knows this information about the transcript and that gives me something to really dig into because that changes the landscape for me,’ he said.

Cornell officials, meanwhile, said its police department provided the results of the school’s investigation to the District Attorney’s Office as prosecutors reconsider whether to bring charges against the alleged rapists.

University officials have also said they agreed to undertake an independent investigation into its handling of the matter.

The case gained renewed attention after Jane Doe filed a civil suit on September 16.

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It alleges that Doe, then 20, arrived at the fraternity house on October 19, 2024, already heavily intoxicated following a night of drinking in Ithaca.

She alleges she was pressured to take ketamine and given marijuana and high-proof alcohol before being repeatedly sexually assaulted as additional fraternity members entered the room.

The complaint alleges seven men eventually participated and that Doe became ‘completely incapacitated.’ She says the ordeal continued until around 5.45am, when she lost consciousness.

It also claims that during the assault, one fraternity member posted to a ‘Chi Phi Actives’ Snapchat group that there was ‘free p***y’ upstairs, referring to Doe. 

‘Like you can walk in and whip it out,’ another member allegedly responded, according to a screenshot described in the filing. 

Doe reported the allegations to Cornell University Police on November 8 after friends encouraged her to come forward, according to the lawsuit.

Cornell temporarily suspended the fraternity and seven students that day.

The defendants have not all publicly responded to the allegations but no criminal charges have been filed.

Kretzschmar, Norris and Lopes have now publicly denied participating in the alleged sexual assaults or drug use described in the complaint.

Jeremy Saland, an attorney for defendant Scott Kretzschmar, said the alleged incident ‘did not happen.’

‘At bottom, Scott never sexually assaulted or even touched the plaintiff in any way. Period,’ Saland said.

‘We look forward to confronting the plaintiff in a court of law for her selfishly false claims with both the evidence and her own words.’

Defendant Scott Norris separately denied participating in sexual activity or drug use, while acknowledging sending one message cited in the complaint.

‘I did not participate in any sexual activity or drug use,’ Norris said. ‘I thoughtlessly engaged in Snapchat and briefly stopped in the room where misconduct happened but not when it happened.’

In 2024, Ingalls, Newell, Lee and Sarabia acknowledged having sexual contact with the woman but said that their interactions had been consensual. All men denied any wrongdoing during the Title IX investigation.

Cornell previously defended its handling of the situation, insisting it conducted a thorough investigation which resulted in expulsions and the fraternity being barred from campus.

For Doe, her attorney says the consequences have stretched far beyond the night at the center of the lawsuit.

He has claimed his client continues to suffer from anxiety, depression and sleepless nights and stopped attending Cornell following the alleged attack.

‘She is basically stalled, and her life is devoted to dealing with the trauma,’ Giuffra previously told the Daily Mail. ‘It’s like a constant, constant reminder.’

‘You could give her all the money in the world; nobody wants to have this as their story. Nobody wants to have this in their lives.’

The Daily Mail contacted James and Hochul for comment. 

No, this is not a trick of the eye.

A rare two-headed baby turtle discovered at a protected nesting site on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, last month is surviving despite the long odds.

The hatchling is a diamondback terrapin weighing roughly as much as a nickel. The Cape Wildlife Center said on Facebook that it has bicephaly, an uncommon developmental condition in which an animal develops two heads.

The Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary brought the tiny turtle to the Cape Wildlife Center, where staff are providing care and monitoring its condition closely.

Bicephaly occurs when a single embryo does not completely divide during the development of identical twins, leaving two functioning heads attached to one body, according to Live Science.

The Cape Wildlife Center said it has documented only two other cases of bicephaly in the past five years, making this double-headed hatchling “especially rare.”

“While we’ve encountered this unusual condition before, every case gives us another opportunity to learn more about these fascinating animals’ anatomy and physiology,” the center said.

For now, staff are keeping a close watch on the hatchling’s appetite, growth and behavior — or, as the center jokingly put it, the appetite and behavior of “this little one’s (two’s?).”

The discovery represents an unusually rare example of bicephaly in turtles, said Zak Mertz, CEO of New England Wildlife Centers, the organization that includes the Cape Wildlife Center.

“It is fascinating and an area that certainly merits more study,” Mertz told the outlet. “We are excited to care for these two and learn as much as we can to inform future study in the process.”

Mertz said available research indicates that the unusual condition may result from a combination of genetic and epigenetic factors.

He said the turtles’ relatively long lifespans, tendency to return to the same nesting sites and limited gene pool — linked to their conservation status — could all play a role.

Environmental conditions may also contribute, Mertz added. Possible influences include incubation temperature and humidity, the physical features of nesting sites and even substances to which the parent turtles are exposed.

Although two-headed animals are exceptionally uncommon, they are not unheard of. Recent examples include a two-headed porpoise discovered off the Netherlands and a double-headed dolphin found on a beach in Turkey.

A 2021 study titled “Two heads are not always better than one” found that double-headed or partially duplicated sea turtles often have serious craniofacial and spinal abnormalities. Craniofacial abnormalities affect the structure, bones and soft tissues of the skull and face.

The study also found that two-headed turtles are generally smaller than other hatchlings and face major survival challenges because of their abnormal anatomy.

Because bicephaly can threaten a turtle’s ability to survive, scientists say monitoring these rare animals can provide valuable insight into the health of the species and its habitat.

Diamondback terrapins live in brackish marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. In Massachusetts, they are listed as threatened under the state’s Endangered Species Act, according to the outlet.

The White House has openly defended spending $5.5 million in taxpayer funds on advertisements that celebrate Donald Trump’s presidency.

The television spots feature patriotic imagery and footage highlighting Trump’s achievements, alongside a declaration that America “will never be a communist country.”

The commercials also use a song by American singer JMSN that repeatedly features the words “Love me.” The artist has objected to the use of his music in the campaign.

The advertisements began airing during commercial breaks on Fox News and other media outlets in late September. The New York Times reported that they were financed through taxpayer funding allocated to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

According to the newspaper, the ads were commissioned under a contract worth $20, with additional commercials expected to air.

At least four spots have aired so far, costing approximately $5.5 million, a figure that is expected to rise, according to media tracker AdImpact and people familiar with the spending.

A White House spokesperson told The Daily Mail that the advertisements are not political, insisting they are intended solely as patriotic public service announcements.

“These public service announcements are about reminding Americans to love their country and understand what makes it worth defending, at home, at our borders, and abroad. The ad is educational and unapologetically patriotic. We should be proud of our country,” the spokesperson said.

A DHS spokesperson said the department had followed “all applicable rules for contracting decisions.”

The Daily Mail has contacted the Office of Management and Budget for comment.

One advertisement opens with nighttime footage of Mount Rushmore, accompanied by quotes and clips from Trump’s Fourth of July weekend speech honoring the nation’s 250th anniversary.

“We know that this is not an ending,” Trump says in the commercial. “This is only the beginning of the golden age of America.”

The spot closes with an audio endorsement from UFC Chairman Dana White.

“He is the toughest, most resilient person that I’ve ever met, and nothing was going to stop him from fighting so hard for the country he loves.”

The words “Paid for by the U.S. Government” appear on screen at the end of the advertisement.

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Politicians from both parties criticized the commercials on Thursday. Some pointed to laws barring the use of taxpayer money for “publicity or propaganda” and restricting partisan political activity by government employees.

Republicans seeking to protect their congressional majorities in the upcoming midterm elections have released advertisements featuring similar themes involving communism, the economy and crime.

Several House Democrats who hold senior committee positions called on Thursday for the first advertisement to be removed, describing it as “the sort of government propaganda one might expect in North Korea.”

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican who is not running for reelection, called the ad ‘inappropriate’ and likened it to something he would expect from the former right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. 

Trump told the New York Times that he would ‘gladly’ pay for the commercials ‘if somebody said that’s wrong.

‘These are ads for the country. You have to understand. I’m not promoting a candidate. I’m not promoting myself because I’m not running for office. I’m promoting the country,’ he said.

The bid is seen by many as part of a last-ditch effort to save Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

Trump is facing record low approval ratings, an unpopular war in Iran, and high gas prices as the elections are just weeks away.

Many Republican insiders in Washington are privately bracing for a major Democratic wave to sweep them out of power in Congress, leaving Trump a lame duck president for his final two years in office. 

The latest polls show that Republicans are running behind, particularly in critical Senate races in Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, and even traditionally safe states for Republicans like Iowa and Texas.

The shift toward Democratic control in the prediction market has been particularly notable because Republicans held the advantage in the Senate market for much of the Midterm campaign. 

Republicans currently hold 53 Senate seats compared with 47 for Democrats and have an advantage of 219-214 in the House.

The battle for the lower chamber is looking increasingly difficult for Republicans, with Democrats currently projected to hold around 230 seats compared with 200 for Republicans.

Democrats need 218 seats for a majority there and would need 51 Senate seats to be able to avoid a tiebreaking vote from Vance. 

Christa Pike told medical personnel that her arm felt as though it might “burst open” and questioned whether something had gone wrong during Tennessee’s failed attempt to execute her, according to her attorneys.

Pike, 50, remains unconscious and on a ventilator after receiving two doses of pentobarbital during Wednesday’s botched lethal injection. The death-row inmate was convicted of killing her Job Corps classmate in 1995. Court filings cite experts who compare the drug’s effects to corrosive substances such as bleach or Drano.

Execution personnel reportedly made at least seven attempts to access a vein. According to the filing, one of the needles was removed bent at a 90-degree angle.

During the procedure at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Pike said: “My arm feels like it’s about to burst open.”

She then asked the all-female execution team, “Does this happen like that?”

Her lawyers said witnesses heard Pike crying and struggling to breathe throughout the procedure.

Pike’s experts maintain that pentobarbital is a highly alkaline, caustic chemical capable of burning flesh, tissue and veins when it comes into contact with them. They likened it to common household products including bleach and Drano.

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After she was taken to a Nashville hospital, both of Pike’s arms were reportedly swollen, blistered and badly burned, court documents state.

Pike is believed to be the only person to survive a lethal injection after the execution drugs entered the bloodstream.

She has remained in critical condition since the failed execution. Her attorney, Randy Spivey, said she likely sustained permanent brain damage.

Pike was 18 in January 1995 when she killed her 19-year-old Job Corps classmate, Colleen Slemmer. Pike later said she acted out of jealousy because she believed Slemmer wanted to take her boyfriend.

Pike, her 17-year-old boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp and their 18-year-old friend Shadolla Peterson lured Slemmer to a secluded area of the University of Tennessee’s Knoxville campus, where they tortured and attacked her.

Pike ultimately killed Slemmer by striking her in the head with a piece of asphalt. She also kept part of the victim’s skull as a souvenir. A jury sentenced Pike to death in 1996.

Shipp was sentenced to life in prison because he was a minor at the time of the crime. Peterson, who testified against Pike and Shipp, received probation for her role as an accessory.

British prosecutors announced terrorism charges Friday against a 28-year-old man who was already being held in connection with the alleged killing of conservative politician Ann Widdecombe.

The Crown Prosecution Service charged Joshua Kerry, of South Yorkshire, with preparing terrorist acts. Authorities allege he engaged in conduct intended to facilitate terrorism, including potential acts targeting Reform UK leader Nigel Farage MP.

Kerry has remained in custody since late July, when he was arrested and accused of murdering Widdecombe, a former Reform UK and Conservative politician.

According to prosecutors, Widdecombe was having lunch at her home in Devon on July 8 when Kerry allegedly entered through the front door. Investigators say he struck her in the head 21 times with a hammer, took her wallet and left, with the attack lasting approximately two minutes.

Officials said the terrorism allegations concern a period stretching from May 31 through July 8.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counterterrorism Policing, said the charge followed an extensive investigation involving detectives, analysts and forensic specialists from across the country. She described the case as the result of “tireless work” and said investigators had pursued multiple lines of inquiry.

U.K. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, posting on X, called the new charges against Kerry “extremely concerning” and sent her “profound sympathies” to the Farage family. She added that “an attack on anyone in politics is an attack on us all. This case raises serious questions about the security of those in public life.” 

The Jo Cox Foundation, set up in honor of the Labour MP who was murdered in 2016, said in a statement, “No one in public life should have to fear for their safety. Violence, abuse and intimidation not only endangered individuals and their families, but threaten our democracy and have no place in public life. We must do more to prevent the rising levels of abuse and intimidation in politics.”

Kerry is scheduled to appear again at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

In a separate announcement Friday, Counterterrorism Policing revealed charges against two Iranian men accused of plotting an attack against the Jewish community in the Manchester area.

The Crown Prosecution Service charged Salam Ahmadyan, 36, and Rahman Salehi, 34, under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 with preparing terrorist acts. Prosecutors allege the pair communicated with an overseas third party who may be located in Iran in connection with the alleged plot.

Evans described the charges as “extremely serious,” but said authorities do not believe the public faces an ongoing threat related to the investigation.

She said the alleged Manchester plot occurred during the High Holy Day period, coinciding with the anniversary of last year’s devastating terrorist attack at Heaton Park synagogue. The case also comes amid a broader rise in reported antisemitic incidents across the United Kingdom.

Ahmadyan and Salehi have been remanded in custody and are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.