All posts tagged: row

Faith leaders, activists, the pope urge Biden to empty federal death row before Trump term

Faith leaders, activists, the pope urge Biden to empty federal death row before Trump term

Published by skeptic

(RNS) — A group of faith leaders, activists, law enforcement officials and families of murder victims has called on President Joe Biden to spare the lives of about 40 inmates currently on death row in federal prisons. The campaign is prompted by concerns the Department of Justice will lift a moratorium imposed by the Biden administration in 2021 and begin to execute prisoners after President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Thirteen federal prisoners were executed during the first Trump administration — more than four times as many as under all the presidents combined since the federal death penalty was reinstated in 1988. Among those asking Biden to commute the sentences of death row inmates is the Rev. Sharon Risher, whose mother, Ethel Lance, was one of nine church members killed in the 2015 shooting at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Risher cited Trump’s promise to restart executions in urging Biden to act. “It is vital that you deny him that opportunity by commuting every death sentence remaining on federal and military …

Death Row killer executed with ‘tortuous’ nitrogen gas for sick murder | US | News

Death Row killer executed with ‘tortuous’ nitrogen gas for sick murder | US | News

Published by Sam

In a highly controversial move, Alabama Death Row inmate Carey Dale Grayson was executed by nitrogen hypoxia, marking only the third-ever execution using this method. On Thursday evening, Grayson, 50, was forced to choke on an influx of atmospheric gas fed to him via a mask while strapped to a gurney in the execution chamber at the state prison in Atmore, a small city bordering Florida and about 50 miles north of Pensacola. Grayson suffered oxygen deprivation and died. This marked the state’s sixth execution in 2024. Grayson was convicted for the brutal murder of hitchhiker Vickie Deblieux in 1994.  Grayson raised his middle fingers and cursed at the prison warden. When the prison warden asked for his final statement, Grayson responded with an obscenity. He said: “For you, you need to —- off.” The warden turned off the microphone. Deblieux, 37, was hitchhiking from Tennessee to her mother’s home in Louisiana when she was picked up by four individuals who transported her to a secluded woodland area. There, they savagely attacked her, beating her …

Royal news live: King Charles ‘axes’ Prince Andrew’s £1m allowance due to Royal Lodge row

Royal news live: King Charles ‘axes’ Prince Andrew’s £1m allowance due to Royal Lodge row

Published by skeptic

Prince William confronted by founder of The Big Issue in awkward interaction Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email The King will cut financial ties to the disgraced Duke of York after he refused to move out of his home, a royal writer has claimed. Prince Andrew’s £1 million “living allowance”, received every year, has been withdrawn by Charles as he continues to seek to distance himself from his younger brother. This is according to royal writer Robert Hardman, in the serialisation of a new book published by the Daily Mail. The keeper of the privy purse was “instructed to sever [Andrew’s] living allowance”. It comes after Andrew reportedly refused to move out of the 30-room Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor Great Park into the smaller Frogmore Cottage – previously inhabited by Harry and Meghan. “’The duke is no longer a financial burden on the King,’ confirms one familiar with the situation,” Mr Hardman writes. “’He claims to have found …

Donald Trump Campaign And Foo Fighters In Fresh Row Over Music Use

Donald Trump Campaign And Foo Fighters In Fresh Row Over Music Use

Published by Sam

It all started last week, when Trump appeared on stage at one of his political rallies in Arizona to the sounds of the Foo Fighters tune My Hero. The group wasted no time in making it clear that they had not granted the former US president to play their music at his political events, reiterating such on X shortly after the rally. However, seemingly unbeknownst to Dave Grohl and his bandmates, the Trump campaign has now claimed that they did seek the relevant permission. The Independent reported that Trump’s team sought permission using BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) to play the track, which campaign manager Steven Cheung reiterated in an X post aimed at the Foo Fighters, using their own song titles against them. A representative for Foo Fighters told HuffPost UK that the band “were not asked permission” directly, and “would not have granted it” if they had been. It’s perhaps worth pointing out that Cheung made no such retort when reports emerged last week claiming that Beyoncé that slapped Trump with a cease-and-desist over …

X ‘closes operations’ in Brazil after row with supreme court justice | World News

X ‘closes operations’ in Brazil after row with supreme court justice | World News

Published by skeptic

Social media company X says it will close its operations in Brazil, after claiming a judge on the country’s supreme court threatened to arrest its legal representative in Brazil if the company did not comply with his orders. X, formerly Twitter, said it was removing its remaining staff in Brazil “effective immediately” though the service will still be available there. The company, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has already clashed with the justice in question, Alexandre de Moraes, over free speech, far-right accounts, and misinformation on X. Image: Brazil’s Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes. Pic: Reuters Image: Elon Musk. Pic: Reuters In April, Mr de Moraes ordered an investigation into chief executive Mr Musk over the dissemination of defamatory fake news and another probe over possible obstruction, incitement and criminal organisation. His most recent orders amounted to censorship, X said, and an account claiming to be X’s global government affairs shared a copy of the supposed document in question. The Supreme Court’s press office has not yet commented or confirmed the veracity of the …

Fortnite back on mobile phones after Epic Games’ row with Google and Apple | Science & Tech News

Fortnite back on mobile phones after Epic Games’ row with Google and Apple | Science & Tech News

Published by skeptic

Fortnite is back on mobile phones for the first time in four years, after bitter legal rows got the game taken off both Android and Apple app stores.  Now, developer Epic Games has launched its own app store, making it one of the first third-party stores available on iOS – although UK iPhone users will have to wait until next year to play. Android users can get flossing straight away, but they’ll need to download the new Epic Games Store, which also contains Fall Guys and Rocket League. The store’s launch marks the latest chapter in a long-running battle royale between Epic and the tech giants. Epic claimed, in a number of court cases, that both Google and Apple operated anti-competitively. Fortnite was taken off both stores in 2020 when Epic stopped paying commission for its downloads. It lost a court case against Apple where it argued third-party app stores should be allowed on iPhones and other devices. In March, however, a new EU law came into force which meant that Apple had to allow …

CDK cyber outage hits US auto dealers for second day in a row

CDK cyber outage hits US auto dealers for second day in a row

Published by Sam

:A cyber outage at retail technology and software provider CDK entered its second consecutive day on Thursday, impacting automobile dealers across the United States, the affected companies said. “The CDK outage is impacting automotive dealerships across the U.S. and Canada, including a portion of BMW Group dealers,” a spokesperson for BMW North America told Reuters. CDK told Reuters it experienced another cyber incident on Wednesday and proactively shut down most of its systems, but was working to reinstate its services and get dealers’ businesses back to normal soon. It did not disclose the number of affected dealerships in its statement. But, according to its website, CDK works with more than 15,000 retail locations across North America. The company, which provides software to car dealerships, briefly shut down all its systems on Wednesday, saying it was investigating a cyber incident. A dealer who received a letter from CDK said the company informed him that it could take several more days to get the systems up and running. “Dealers are very committed to protecting their customer information …

Row breaks out over 100ml U-turn as passengers told to arrive an hour early for flights

Row breaks out over 100ml U-turn as passengers told to arrive an hour early for flights

Published by Sam

Airport passengers have been told arrive three hours early to clear security queues amid a row over the Government’s U-turn on 100ml limits for liquids in hand luggage. EasyJet is advising its passengers to turn up an extra hour early for flights from Birmingham Airport after growing security queues left passengers lining up outside the building. Travellers should arrive an hour earlier than if they were flying from another British airport, the airline said. The advice comes as the Airport Operators’ Association (AOA) hit out at the Government for its surprise U-turn, in a highly unusual move for the travel industry, which normally shies away from being seen to criticise officials. Rules were expected to change at the start of June, letting passengers carry bottles of up to two litres, but last Friday the Government announced that the 100ml limit would remain in force, saying that new security scanners were not ready. Countries across Europe have successfully eased the 100ml rule, with several using scanners made by the same firms approved by the Department for …

Teenager jailed for stabbing two men to death after row over woman outside Halifax nightclub | UK News

Teenager jailed for stabbing two men to death after row over woman outside Halifax nightclub | UK News

Published by Sam

A 19-year-old man has been jailed for 28 years for murdering two men outside a Halifax nightclub. Rashane Douglas, from Huddersfield, stabbed Joshua Clark, 21, and Haidar Shah, 19, outside Maggie’s on Commercial Street on 1 October last year. Douglas also stabbed Brandon Coupe, 18, in the attack, which happened after an earlier row over a woman. He was found not guilty of the attempted murder of Mr Coupe, but was found guilty of wounding with intent and sentenced to six years. Douglas was also given 18 months for possession of a knife with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The sentences will run concurrently. Judge Rose said in court: “This case is an illustration of the tragic consequences which can follow when a young man carries a knife in public. “If you carry a knife, you are more likely to draw it; if you draw it, you are more likely to use it; if you use it, you are more likely to cause injury or death.” Image: Pic: West Yorkshire Police During his trial, …