Normal view

US federal judge blocks Alabama from executing man by nitrogen gas

Emily C Marks finds method proposed to kill Jeffery Lee violates ban on cruel and unusual punishment

A federal judge on Tuesday permanently blocked Alabama from executing a man with nitrogen gas after declaring the method violates the ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Alabama became the first state in the nation to use the execution method in January 2024, but has faced repeated legal challenges to its use.

Emily C Marks, a US district judge, permanently enjoined the state from executing Jeffery Lee by nitrogen gas. Lee was scheduled to be executed Thursday at an Alabama prison.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Dave Martin/AP

© Photograph: Dave Martin/AP

© Photograph: Dave Martin/AP

The battle to redraw electoral districts ahead of the midterms: Where changes have been confirmed and where they are awaiting approval

27 May 2026 at 10:27

The redrawing of electoral districts, or gerrymandering, in the United States is reaching unprecedented levels. After the Supreme Court’s late-April ruling changed electoral rules and curtailed minority rights, Republicans have stepped up efforts to dismantle majority-Black districts, especially in the South, though the strategy extends to states beyond that region.

Seguir leyendo

© Jay Janner (The Austin American-Statesman vía Getty Images)

Redistricting map of Texas congressional districts at the Capitol in Austin, August 20, 2025.
❌