Shaya Baum, Michael Kassab and Sarah Annas are back to discuss some of the biggest stories making headlines this week, from the three-year anniversary of October 7 in Israel and an Israel-bound Flydubai flight hijacking to the Christa Pike execution case in Tennessee and the latest NFL Week 4 headlines.

OCTOBER 7: THREE YEARS LATER
October 7, 2026 marks three years since the Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed nearly 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and resulted in 251 people being taken hostage.

Shaya, Mike and Sarah reflect on where they were when they first learned about the October 7 attack, what they remember most and the stories, images and moments that have stayed with them three years later.

ISRAEL-BOUND FLYDUBAI FLIGHT HIJACKING
A Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv descended roughly 17,000 feet in a matter of minutes after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to take control of the aircraft. Passengers and crew reportedly helped restrain the co-pilot while other pilots aboard helped regain control before the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.

The hosts react to the Israel-bound flight hijacking and the actions of the passengers, crew and pilots who stepped in during the emergency.

CHRISTA PIKE & THE TENNESSEE EXECUTION
Christa Pike was scheduled to become the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. After Pike was given two syringes of pentobarbital, she remained alive and was eventually transported to a hospital for medical treatment.

NFL RAPID FIRE: WEEK 3 & WEEK 4
The crew closes out the episode with NFL Rapid Fire, including the Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions offense, Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills and the NFL’s undefeated teams.

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Shaya Baum, Michael Kassab and Sarah Annas are back to break down some of the biggest stories getting people talking.

Mike Rogers vs. Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race, the “Palestinian Rachel Dolezal” controversy, growing questions about kratom, two Ole Miss student deaths, and NFL headlines, this week’s Back to Business Podcast covers it all.

MIKE ROGERS, ABDUL EL-SAYED & THE MICHIGAN SENATE RACE
Mike Kassab shares his experience speaking at a Mike Rogers event before the conversation turns to Michigan’s U.S. Senate race between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.

THE “PALESTINIAN RACHEL DOLEZAL” CONTROVERSY
Philadelphia public school teacher and activist Hannah Gann admitted she falsely claimed Palestinian and Tunisian heritage for years; activist groups she worked with also accused her of falsely claiming Black identity. The story has prompted online comparisons to Rachel Dolezal. How did Gann build credibility around an identity that wasn’t actually hers, and what happens when the truth comes out?

OLE MISS, KRATOM & THE QUESTIONS PEOPLE ARE ASKING
Two Ole Miss students died in separate incidents on the same day, with kratom found during both investigations. Toxicology results were still pending when we prepared the episode, but the cases raise bigger questions about a substance millions of Americans have tried.

What is kratom? Why are more people using it? And why is it so readily available at gas stations, smoke shops and online?

NFL RAPID FIRE
The crew closes out the episode with NFL rapid fire, including Jaxson Dart, Caleb Williams, the Vikings, Falcons, Chargers and Aaron Glenn’s return to Detroit.

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New episodes every Wednesday at 10 AM.

#BackToBusinessPodcast #MikeRogers #AbdulElSayed #MichiganSenate #MichiganSenateRace #HannahGann #RachelDolezal #Kratom #OleMiss #NFL #Michigan #CurrentEvents #NewsPodcast #Podcast

This week on the Back to Business Podcast, Sarah Annas, Shaya Baum and Michael Kassab break down major stories making headlines across politics, culture, international affairs and sports.

Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour amid renewed controversy over his pro-Palestinian comments and past rhetoric and imagery that critics have condemned as antisemitic. Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, said his opposition to Macklemore performing at the venue was not about supporting Palestinians, but about rhetoric he viewed as antisemitic.

In Afghanistan, teenage girls are risking arrest simply to receive an education. CBS News recently went inside a secret school in Kabul where girls ages 14 to 16 continue studying despite Taliban restrictions. Before the reporters left, students handed them 21 handwritten “letters to the world,” describing the education and freedoms they have lost and their hopes of studying, working and choosing their own futures. What does it say that in 2026, girls are still forced to risk their safety just to go to school?

The hosts also turn to escalating tensions in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a Houthi drone headed toward Mecca. As Saudi Arabia seeks outside help against the Iran-backed Houthis, reports have also raised the possibility of Saudi Arabia turning to Israel for security assistance. The hosts discuss what that could mean for Israel and Saudi Arabia, two countries facing shared regional threats, and whether security cooperation could bring them closer together.

Finally, it’s NFL rapid fire. Shaya and Michael break down the biggest storylines from Weeks 1 and 2, including Caleb Williams and the Bears, Green Bay and Dallas, Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City, Lions vs. Bills, Seattle moving forward without Sam Darnold and whether the Giants can build on their early success.

Watch or listen to the Back to Business Podcast every Wednesday at 10AM.

CBS News Credit: This episode includes a brief video/audio excerpt from CBS News reporting on the secret girls’ school in Afghanistan. All CBS News footage and audio remain the property of CBS News.

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