News of the day: VW recall, abuse scandal at Cornell University, terror in Hagen and Unna

The Situation at VW in the Screw Crisis The Three Question Marks Today: Megawrap – will a rusted screw endanger the VW group? Abuse Scandal – what happens next at the US Elite University Cornell? Terrorism – what did the investigators find with the suspects in NRW? 1. VW might have a loose screw The recall from VW is taking on greater dimensions. Today it was revealed that the VW subsidiary Škoda is affected by significantly more models than originally thought: A screw needs to be replaced in around 1.7 million cars worldwide. (More on this here.) The reason for this is a lack of rust protection on one of the two fastenings of the steering gear on the axle. In the worst case, "the screw pulls out, and the steering is lost." You sit in the car and turn the steering wheel, but the wheels no longer turn," writes my colleague Haiko Tobias Prengel. He has intensively studied the screw that bears the name N10552402 at Volkswagen. A nightmare that Volkswagen wants to prevent. "The VW problem screw withstands a force equivalent to a mass of about nine tons," writes Haiko. This value applies to a new screw, but cases where it has been torn off or broken are unknown. Furthermore, the second screw, which also connects the steering gear with the front axle, is not affected by the recall. N10552402 is thus developing into a nightmare for the already struggling VW group. VW does not have enough of the better coated spare part, screw WHT 013461, in stock. These are now being produced. But because the component is classified as safety-relevant, VW still has to bring all affected cars to the workshop immediately. For many of these, a new example of the problem screw N10552402 is installed first. When WHT 013461 becomes available, the fun starts all over again. Read the whole story here: This is the screw that millions of VW owners are waiting for 2. Abuse Scandal at US Elite University Elite University Cornell in Ithaca in the US state of New York Photo: Matt Rourke / AP As we discussed the abuse scandal at the American Elite University Cornell in our department yesterday, it also concerned the so-called frat houses. "Frat" is short for "Fraternity," and frat houses are the living and communal houses of the American student associations. Connections do not even in Germany attract abstentions. However, the excesses in the American associations were unparalleled, as everyone who has ever studied in the USA agreed. The scandal currently shaking the American Cornell University far exceeds excessive drinking and drug trips. Two years ago, several students were allegedly drugged and then sexually abused by a classmate in a frat house. "In the months following the alleged group rape, there was hardly any reporting on the case at first," writes my colleague Miriam Khan. Perhaps also because there was an investigation by the university, but no charges by the authorities. Two years later, the victim filed a lawsuit against the seven suspects, the student association, the university, and other parties involved. "A few days ago, it was revealed that the public prosecutor is reopening the case." My colleague Claus Hecking has since arrived in the US state of New York, where he met shaken students on the campus of the Elite University. "The initial shock of these revelations," said Claus, "is increasingly giving way to a wave of anger." A demonstration is planned for Monday. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has now removed the previously responsible prosecutor from the case and replaced him with a prominent special investigator: Letitia James, who once investigated a fraud case against Donald Trump and his sons. Read more here: "The men might get away with it without punishment" 3. Terrorism in NRW Operation in Hagen Photo:Alex Talash / dpa I almost had to smile when I read the preview about terrorism in NRW. The investigators, it was said, found an airsoft rifle with the suspects. If that is enough for the SEK to move in, I thought, then probably a third of all families with pubescent children should warm themselves up. Putting aside infantile humor: At the beginning of the year, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution identified the three men as suspicious according to SPIEGEL information. Everything indicated a high degree of radicalization and an affinity for the "Islamic State." The authorities monitored the men and learned about attack ideas and plans. During the search, in addition to the mentioned airsoft rifle, a machete was also found. North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister of the Interior Herbert Reul praised the investigators. "These guys got lost in attack fantasies and believed they were invisible," said the CDU politician. "Our constitutional protection sees more than they like, and our police strike before they do." Read more here: Raids in NRW – three men allegedly planned an attack What else is important today Inflation in the Eurozone rises to 3.8 percent: Everything is getting more expensive – more and more people are feeling it. This can now be proven in numbers: Inflation in the Eurozone rises by 3.8 percent. The fault is mainly Donald Trump. Direct mandate goes to AfD instead of CDU: After a new recount, the CDU must give its direct mandate in Berlin-Spandau to the AfD. The result had been wrongly transmitted earlier. The correction affects the size of the Berlin state parliament. "If I don't show courage, 170 passengers will die": The co-pilot from Oman attacked him with a knife: Despite serious injuries, the Indian captain of the Flydubai plane resisted – and thus prevented a disaster. Smit Machchhar has now described the attack. My favorite story today: What is... Robert Habeck doing? Former Vice Chancellor Habeck, cycling in Copenhagen Photo:Nanna Navntoft / DER SPIEGEL Few politicians of the past few years have polarized as Robert Habeck. Some people considered him the greatest political talent in a long time, others saw him only as an enemy image, the man behind the "Heat Hammer." After the end of the traffic light coalition, the former green Vice Chancellor withdrew from politics. My colleague Xaver von Cranach met and accompanied him in Copenhagen, where Habeck now lives. They cycled through the city, talked about God, the world, and politics, and ate with him: "We landed at a pizzeria, and Habeck didn't want to eat anything. Later, the vegetarian still took a piece of salami from the carton," writes Xaver. Double morality? One could also say: Typical Habeck move. When Russia invaded Ukraine and the energy lifeline Nord Stream was cut, Habeck let liquefied natural gas terminals be built in the North and East Seas. One wouldn't have thought of it otherwise. But you better see for yourself: What is less important today Sting celebrates his 75th birthday Photo:Jordan Strauss / Invision / dpa More agile than the police allow: Pop singer Sting, 75, has nothing to do with retirement at 63. The former frontman of the band The Police, whose civil name is Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, wants to continue playing concerts. Even today, on his birthday, he is on stage. "I feel just as much energy as I did at 14," Sting told the news agency dpa. How does the 75th birthday feel to him? "Better than being dead." Mini-mirror From the " Kieler Nachrichten" Here you can find the whole mirror. Cartoon of the Day Discover more cartoons here. Thomas Plaßmann And tonight? If you could bridge a knowledge gap if one exists (like with me) and watch "Band of Brothers." The legendary World War series from 2001 was for decades only available on the American streaming service HBO, which also produced it. Recently, it is also available on Amazon Prime. "Band of Brothers" tells the story of an airborne division that jumps behind enemy lines in Normandy with parachutes and fights as part of the Allied invasion of Berlin. The plot is based on the book of historian Stephen Ambrose, with Tom Hanks co-writing the screenplay. The series has since gained legendary status and serves as a basis for the game series "Brothers in Arms" and various parts of the "Call of Duty" series. Watching it now, 25 years after its premiere, is doubly interesting. "Band of Brothers" is still captivating. At the same time, some parts show how storytelling has changed in streaming series during this time. I wish you a nice evening. Sincerely Your Michail Hengstenberg, Author in the Culture Department