death penalty

The US Army has laid the groundwork to carry out death row executions, which could proceed if President Trump gives approval. The military has six men on death row at Fort Leavenworth, and no executions have taken place there since 1961. ABC News reported the preparations, drawing attention to the possibility of the first federal-era military executions in decades under Trump's pro-death penalty stance.

Tennessee is preparing to carry out its first execution of a woman in roughly 200 years, according to NPR reporting. The case has drawn attention to the state's death penalty practices and the rarity of female executions in the United States, prompting widespread discussion of the history and circumstances of the case.

A federal memo under discussion would exempt accidental killings of protected animals from the Endangered Species Act, meaning incidental deaths could no longer trigger penalties or enforcement. Conservation advocates worry the change would weaken protections for species at risk, since companies and individuals could plausibly claim unintentional harm.

Two Singaporean television actors have been charged in connection with protests against the death penalty in Singapore. The charges relate to demonstrations calling for an end to capital punishment, a deeply contested issue in the city-state, where the death penalty remains in force for drug trafficking and murder. Details of the actors' identities and the specific charges have not been widely reported yet, but the case is drawing attention to restrictions on protest activity in Singapore.

Florida is scheduled to execute a 77-year-old man convicted of a 1995 murder. The case is drawing attention due to the inmate's age, the nearly three decades since the crime, and ongoing debate over capital punishment in the state. It remains unclear whether clemency appeals or last-minute legal challenges are underway ahead of the scheduled execution.

Tennessee's governor says he does not plan to intervene in the scheduled execution of Christa Gail Pike, the only woman on the state's death row. Pike was convicted of the 1995 murder of fellow student Colleen Slemmer in Knoxville. The decision leaves her execution set to proceed unless courts step in, drawing attention from opponents of the death penalty.

The New York Times reports on Christa Pike, the only woman on death row in Tennessee, as she waits for her execution after decades spent largely in isolation. The piece examines her case, her upbringing and long confinement on death row, and how her coming execution has renewed debate over capital punishment in the state.

A jury has recommended against mercy for a man convicted of murdering an infant, meaning he is likely to face the death penalty or life without parole when the judge imposes the final sentence. The case concerns the killing of a baby, and sentencing now moves to the court. Details about the defendant, the location, and the timeline of the crime and trial were not provided.

Police in Wichita, Kansas have arrested a 21-year-old man on a capital murder charge in connection with a deadly shooting. Authorities have not released extensive details about the victim or the circumstances of the killing, and the case now moves through the courts as prosecutors consider whether to pursue the death penalty. Local residents have expressed concern about gun violence in the area.