The Supreme Court has rejected Alabama's bid to execute death row inmate Kenneth Smith by lethal injection, leaving in place a lower court ruling that his preference for lethal gas is a viable alternative method. This marks the first time an inmate has been allowed to choose an execution method other than lethal injection, as the state has authorized nitrogen hypoxia as an alternative. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for Smith in November, allowing him to choose nitrogen hypoxia as an alternative to lethal injection.
Posts published in “US”
Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City and attorney for former President Donald Trump, is facing a $10 million lawsuit from a former employee for alleged sexual assault, failure to pay wages, and offering pardons for $2 million. The lawsuit includes phrases such as "This conversation was recorded" which could be a problem for Giuliani, and mentions three potential federal crimes. Giuliani has denied all of the allegations.
13-year-old Ella Reed from Fort Pierce, Florida, bravely fought off a shark attack in the waters off the coast, leaving her with 19 stitches and bites on her torso, arm, finger and knee. After the shark latched onto her stomach, she fought it off with her arm and yelled for her nearby friend to head for safety. Reed is now grateful for the support of her family and friends and is looking forward to getting back in the water.
A Florida elementary school teacher is under investigation by the state Department of Education after she showed her fifth-grade students a Disney movie featuring an openly gay character. Jenna Barbee, the teacher, believes the investigation is an example of discrimination against the LGBTQ community. She said she showed the movie as a “brain break” in between students’ standardized testing and that she had no intention of offending anyone. The state Department of Education has not yet commented on the investigation.
On Monday, a shooting in Farmington, New Mexico left four people dead, including a suspect who was "confronted and killed on scene", and two police officers wounded. Schools citywide were put on lockdown in response, and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham thanked police for their quick response. The incident is a reminder of the dangers of gun violence and the need for increased gun control measures.
John Durham's four-year investigation into the FBI's conduct during the 2016 presidential election has concluded with the release of a 300-page report. The report found that the Justice Department and FBI "failed to uphold their important mission of strict fidelity to the law" when it came to the events of the 2016 campaign. It also stated that the FBI's actions were negligent, but not the result of intentional misconduct or political bias. The report has been met with mixed reactions from both sides of the political aisle.
On Monday morning, two staff members at Rep. Gerry Connolly’s (D-VA) district office in Fairfax were attacked by a person armed with a baseball bat. The suspect is now in police custody and both members of Connolly’s team were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Connolly praised his staff as “the best team in Congress” and the Fairfax Police Department is currently investigating the incident.
Massachusetts State Police have confirmed the tragic news that the body of 4-year-old Mohamed Fofana was found on the shoreline of Castle Island in Boston Harbor on Monday afternoon. The search for Fofana had involved helicopters and several teams covering land and sea, and his death has been a devastating blow to his family and friends. The cause of death is still unknown, and the investigation is ongoing as the community mourns the loss of a young life taken too soon.