Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) and Democratic Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes are set to bring back executions of prisoners on death row in the state after they put the practice on a hiatus two years ago. When Hobbs and Mayes took office in 2023, they suspended capital punishment in the state, citing a pending review of Arizona's death penalty process. Hobbs then appointed , via executive order, former U.S. Magistrate Judge David Duncan as a commissioner to undertake the review. Arizona has a history of unsuccessful executions, which is what prompted the review in 2023. Duncan was set to review Arizona’s procurement process for lethal injection drugs and lethal gas, execution procedures, the access of news organizations to executions, and the training of staff to carry out executions. Last week, Hobbs ended Duncan's review and said she had lost confidence in it. She said the report "faced repeated challenges" and no longer believed it "will accomplish the purpose and goals of the Executive Order" that she issued when appointing Duncan. In a letter to Duncan, Hobbs said early drafts of the review, which have been released, made her question Duncan's understanding of both Hobbs's executive order for a list of recommendations to be produced for improving the execution process and the actual scope of work Duncan was hired to perform. "For example, you recommend that ADCRR conduct executions by firing squad (a method not currently authorized by Arizona law), despite the Executive Order’s direction to focus on procurement, protocols, and procedures related to carrying out an execution under existing law," she said. In response, Duncan told Fox 10 Phoenix that he was shocked by his dismissal and the release of the draft report. “I was simply asked to do three things: We had a history of botched executions in Arizona. Figure out why, figure out if it can be done properly. Increase transparency,” he said. As a result, the day Duncan was dismissed, Mayes said she would seek a death warrant for a prisoner in the coming weeks. The state allows prisoners to choose their preferred method of execution: lethal injection or gas chamber. Gas chambers can only be picked by those who were sentenced before 1992 after the state outlawed the practice after one inmate suffered for nearly 11 hours in a gas chamber. After an eight-year pause, Arizona resumed executions in 2022, killing three men, but the state struggled to administer the lethal injection in all three cases. Attorneys on behalf of Clarence Dixon, who was executed in May 2022, said his IV insertion process took 40 minutes , having to switch veins during the process. The attorneys said it caused him to experience pain, and a media witness said it resulted in a "fair amount of blood." The two other people who were executed also reportedly suffered during the execution process, according to the Arizona Republic. After spending two years reviewing Arizona's use of lethal injections, Duncan said he determined he had a “false hope” that lethal injections would work. In his draft, Duncan concluded that lethal injection is too flawed and supported using firing squads instead. In the letter, Hobbs said firing squads were on the table per Arizona law, but Duncan emphasized his thoughts, suggesting voters take up the matter. "It is a very quick death, and it is one that is probably the most humane of it," said Duncan. "It also has the least botch rate. The botch rate for lethal injection is 7%." Duncan also told Fox 10 he was curious if the state simply did not like the findings of his report. "I can imagine maybe political winds change, that that could have happened. Maybe I was telling people what they didn't want to hear,” he said. “The problem with that is that's an internal investigation,” Duncan said. “It's exactly the opposite of an independent review." Duncan said he was denied access to learn how Arizona conducts executions. When he asked to see a dry run of an execution, Duncan said he was told he was not allowed because of concerns he would reveal identifiable information about the executors. "I would never reveal their confidentiality, and so I said, 'That's preposterous,' that that's the reason that you won't let me talk to them and won't let me watch a dry run, and they said they did them four times a year, and I just wanted to see one so that I could make comments and observations. They said 'no,'" Duncan said. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Duncan also asked for tax documents after a doctor was paid $60,000 in cash for three executions, which he said the state said he didn't need to have access to. “I received no response from the lawyer from the associate director of the Department of Corrections,” Duncan said. “The next response that I received from the state of Arizona was the letter from Governor Hobbs firing me."Deadline Reminder: Law Offices of Howard G. Smith Reminds Investors of Looming Deadline in the Class Action Lawsuit Against Wolfspeed, Inc. (WOLF)
Sir Keir Starmer was speaking at the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) conference in Estonia where he met leaders of other Baltic states. After signing an energy partnership with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Bergen, Sir Keir flew to Estonia where he spoke alongside Mr Store and their Estonian counterpart Kristen Michal. Asked what else could be done to support Ukraine, Sir Keir said: “There is an ever-increasing demand for more capability. That is understandable, and Ukraine needs all the capability that it can get, so I think all of us have put in more capability into Ukraine by way of equipment.” He added: “A lot of money has been raised, funding has been raised, but more is going to be needed.” The Prime Minister’s also discussed making the economic case at home for continued support for Ukraine. Sir Keir said: “Making the case on the significance of Ukraine, making the case, to double down, linking it back to each of our countries – what does it mean for us if Russia succeeds, is a really important question that we have to answer with our people to make it clear why it is that we are so supportive of Ukraine, why it is that we must stand with our allies on this, why it is we must make sure that Nato is put in the strongest position as well. “Now, this is a different world to the world of 10, 20 years ago, to recognise the world that we are living in, there’s a positive case as well to be made. “Defence spending doesn’t sort of sit in a silo over here with no effect on the rest of the economy, no effect on technology. “It has a huge effect on technologies, the cutting edge of technology and change which can then be used in other areas. “It binds countries together. I think all of us have got joint projects on in terms of defence capabilities that bind us together. There’s a huge number of well-paid jobs that are very important to our economy in defence spending as well. “But we have to make that positive case. I don’t personally feel that we can sort of sit back and assume that all of those in our respective countries necessarily accept all of our arguments unless we make them in that positive way, which I do think the argument can and should and must be made. “But the challenge that you put to us is the right challenge, which is it’s very difficult when finances are tight, as they are in all of our countries.” On Tuesday morning the Prime Minister will meet Taavi Madiberk, the founder of Estonian tech start-up manufacturing low-cost air defence missiles, Frankenburg Technologies, which is planning to open a new office in London Specialising in the manufacture of the missiles, the rapidly growing company already collaborates closely with the UK defence industry, sourcing a significant portion of its subsystems locally, including from propulsion specialists Roxel in Worcestershire. The Prime Minister will again attend the JEF summit, joining leaders from the Nordics and Baltics to discuss support for Ukraine, the sustained threat posed by Russia and wider European security. He will then visit British forces serving in the region to deter malign Russian threats.Rosie on the House: Securing doors and windows in your homeIn conclusion, the Crimson Wyvern in Monster Hunter Wilds represents the pinnacle of danger and excitement that the game has to offer. Its striking appearance, fearsome abilities, and challenging combat mechanics make it a truly unforgettable adversary for hunters seeking the ultimate thrill of the hunt. Brace yourselves, hunters, for the Crimson Wyvern awaits, ready to test your skills and courage in a battle like no other.
(Reuters) - Companies ranging from finance majors to Silicon Valley behemoths are pledging donations to Donald Trump's inaugural fund as business leaders rush to ensure a favorable relationship with the U.S. president-elect after his November election win. Trump is set to take office in January and executives are hoping a positive rapport with his administration, such as the one Tesla boss Elon Musk has established, could mean notable benefits for their companies. Below is a list of companies that are contributing funds for Trump's inauguration for his second term in the White House. UBER TECHNOLOGIES Uber Technologies and its CEO Dara Khosrowshahi donated $1 million each, a company spokesperson told Reuters. AMAZON.COM Amazon is donating $1 million. The company will also air the inauguration event on its Prime Video service, an Amazon spokesperson said. META PLATFORMS Meta Platforms has donated $1 million, a company spokesperson told Reuters. OPENAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a personal donation of $1 million to the inaugural fund, an OpenAI spokesperson confirmed. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a statement. BANK OF AMERICA AND GOLDMAN SACHS Bank of America, the second-largest U.S. lender, and investment bank Goldman Sachs plan to contribute to Trump's inaugural committees, but have yet to decide on the amount, spokespersons for each bank said. (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh, Deborah Sophia and Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai)