Executions halted
The week's news at a glance.
St. Louis
A federal appellate judge this week ordered Missouri to suspend all executions until it develops a procedure for administering lethal injections that does not cause “unconstitutional pain and suffering.” The ruling came after “John Doe,” the physician who prepares and administers the injections, testified that he is dyslexic, frequently makes mistakes, and performs his duties with minimal oversight. The director of the Missouri Corrections Department testified that the last two times “Doe” injected condemned prisoners, he used half the amount of anesthetic mandated by Missouri’s current protocol. “It is obvious,” Judge Fernando Gaitan ruled, “that the protocol as it currently exists is not carried out consistently.” Illinois, New Jersey, and New York have also declared moratoriums on executions, in part because of concerns over lethal injections.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
'Dawn of a new Trump era'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Anora: Sean Baker's 'startlingly wise and tender' film is his most 'vivid creation yet'
The Week Recommends Mikey Madison is 'mesmerising' as the 'flawed, fearless' heroine of Palme d'Or-winning movie
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Why China's young people are rejecting marriage
In The Spotlight Changing attitudes and a slowing economy are contributing to a slump in weddings
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published