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53 articles, grouped into stories

Trying to execute Christa Pike again would push into uncharted legal territory, experts sayAfter Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike survived an execution attempt it's unclear whether the state will try again. Pike suffered burns and blisters after executioners attempted to administer two lethal doses of pentobarbital. Gov. Bill Lee has halted further executions and ordered a review of the failed attempt. Legal experts say the situation is…
Appeals court reverses convictions in kidnapping and terrorism case involving 3-year-old boy's deathA federal appeals court has vacated kidnapping convictions in a case involving the death of a 3-year-old boy who went missing from Georgia in 2017 and later turned up dead at a squalid compound in New Mexico. The boy’s father and other family members were sentenced to life in prison in 2024 after jurors convicted them in what prosecutors described as a…
Washington resident conspired with Canadian school shooter before attack, officials sayFederal authorities have arrested and charged a 30-year-old from Washington state in connection with a February school shooting in British Columbia. The U.S. attorney’s office in Seattle on Tuesday said James Cody Bryant of Bellingham communicated with the 18-year-old shooter for six months ahead of time. Officials say Bryant did not report the shooter's…
Tennessee Republicans consider more execution options after Christa Pike lethal injection failsTennessee's top Republicans are exploring alternative execution methods after the failed execution of Christa Pike. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn said Monday the state needs to reevaluate its execution procedures. She emphasized the need to find a successful method, whether lethal injection or electric chair. Top legislative leaders have discussed potential…
Governor says Tennessee's prisons chief is resigning after failed execution of Christa PikeThe head of Tennessee’s prison system is resigning after the failed execution of Christa Pike. The announcement was made by Gov. Bill Lee on Saturday. Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada said in a statement that stepping aside “is in the best interests” of the state as an independent review is carried out to determine why Pike’s…
Christa Pike on a ventilator and unconscious after failed Tennessee execution, attorneys sayChrista Pike's attorneys say she was placed on a ventilator in hospital and was unconscious hours after her failed execution in Tennessee. Her lawyers said in a court filing Friday that hospital staff were working to save Pike’s life and clear the pentobarbital from her system as of late Thursday. Pike was given two doses of the drug Wednesday in the…
NY governor says Cornell rape accuser was 'failed' by people obligated to protect herNew York Gov. Kathy Hochul says the woman who accused members of a Cornell University fraternity of gang rape was “failed” by people obligated to protect her, including police and the county prosecutor. Hochul’s claim came during a news conference Friday in which she gave details on her decision to turn the case over to a special prosecutor, state…
New York's governor removes DA in Cornell rape allegations, appoints AG Letitia James to take overNew York’s governor has appointed a special prosecutor to oversee an investigation into a woman’s allegations that she was gang raped at a Cornell University fraternity house, saying she had lost faith in the local district attorney’s ability to handle the case. Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday she has signed an executive order appointing the office of…
Massachusetts man charged with cyberstalking podcaster and former Trump official Katie MillerA Massachusetts man has been arrested in a federal case alleging he cyberstalked conservative podcaster and former Trump administration official Katie Miller. Authorities say the man contacted Katie Miller at least 40 times over the course of several weeks, sometimes leaving disturbing voicemails and text messages about her and her husband, Stephen…
Donor revives fraud claims against Christian worship leader Sean Feucht over a $250,000 donationA federal lawsuit in California accuses Christian worship leader Sean Feucht of lying about needing funds for a nationwide concert tour.  Southern California businessperson Steve Bray claims Feucht solicited a $250,000 donation for the tour, which was already fully funded by another large organization. Bray's initial lawsuit was dismissed due to lack of…
Christa Pike is in critical condition after Tennessee’s failed execution attempt, her lawyers sayAttorneys for Christa Pike say the death row inmate is still alive but in critical condition a day after the state's failed attempt to execute her for the 1995 murder of a woman. The state tried to execute Pike by lethal injection on Wednesday but neither the initial nor backup dose of pentobarbital killed her. Pike was still snoring when the execution…
Tennessee governor calls Christa Pike's failed execution 'deeply disturbing' and calls for a reviewTennessee officials haven't yet explained what went wrong during the failed execution of Christa Pike, which was called off after she was given an initial and a backup dose of the drug meant to kill her. It wasn’t clear if Pike was still alive on Thursday. She could be heard snoring loudly in the execution chamber Wednesday night more than an hour after…
DC judge permanently dismisses case charging ex-Olympian with vandalizing Reflecting PoolA judge in Washington has agreed to permanently dismiss a criminal case charging a former Olympian with vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The decision could prevent federal prosecutors from reviving David Hearn’s case under political pressure from President Donald Trump. D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman on Thursday ordered the…
Tennessee governor halts executions after Christa Gail Pike survives lethal injection attemptTennessee officials have been unable to put Christa Gail Pike to death for a 1995 murder after administering two doses of a lethal drug. A death penalty expert said it was an unprecedented failure. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee late Wednesday halted the remaining scheduled execution for the rest of the year and ordered an outside investigation. Pike's…
No criminal wrongdoing in Federal Reserve building renovation, watchdog says, but it was mismanagedThe Federal Reserve’s internal watchdog said Wednesday that the agency has broadly mismanaged an expansive building renovation project but did not find any criminal violations, as alleged by Trump administration prosecutors. The Fed’s inspector general said that a variety of missteps by its Board of Governors inflated the cost of the $2.4 billion…
Court halts execution of Christa Gail Pike for a Tennessee murder she committed at age 18Tennessee's execution of Christa Gail Pike has been halted just an hour before it was set to begin. A federal appeals court wants to review whether her claims of childhood abuse were fully considered at sentencing. Tennessee's attorney general is appealing the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court and the execution could still take place. Pike, who was 18…
Tennessee prepares to execute a woman for a crime she committed at age 18Tennessee is preparing to execute Christa Gail Pike for a 1995 murder she committed at age 18. The now 50-year-old is scheduled for lethal injection on Wednesday. If carried out, it would be Tennessee’s first execution of a woman in at least 200 years. Pike and her boyfriend were convicted of killing their classmate Colleen Slemmer. Pike was sentenced to…
Ex-Trump prosecutor Smith forcefully defends investigations as Republicans assail his team's tacticsFormer special counsel Jack Smith has forcefully defended his prosecutions of President Donald Trump and his investigative tactics. He pushed back against repeated Republican efforts to paint him and his team as partisan political operators during a Senate hearing Tuesday that featured a senator’s bungled attempt to accuse him of lying about a basketball…