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Kenneth Eugene Smith executed by nitrogen hypoxia in Alabama, marking a first for the death penalty
Alabama carried out its planned execution of the condemned inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith on Thursday night using nitrogen hypoxia, a controversial and widely-contested death penalty method used for the first time in the United States. The execution took place at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore at 8:25 p.m. local time, the Associated Press reported.
Smith and his spiritual adviser, the Rev. Jeff Hood, said in a statement Thursday afternoon that “the eyes of the world are on this impending moral apocalypse.”
“Our prayer is that people will not turn their heads. We simply cannot normalize the suffocation of each other,” statement said.
Smith’s legal team had challenged Alabama’s plan to use nitrogen in the death chamber without documented evidence of its repercussions and called on the state to halt the execution altogether. His attorneys accused the state of using Smith as a “test subject” for an experimental execution in one request to stop it that was ultimately rejected.
Nitrogen hypoxia is a process that aims to cause asphyxiation by forcing an individual to inhale pure nitrogen or lethally high concentrations of it through a gas mask.
U.S. courts across multiple levels of government rejected stay requests. The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that Alabama was within its constitutional rights to carry out the execution. On Thursday, the Supreme Court allowed the execution to proceed as planned, over the public dissent of the court’s three liberal members.
“Having failed to kill Smith on its first attempt, Alabama has selected him as its ‘guinea pig’ to test a method of execution never attempted before,” Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote.
Besides the legal challenges, the execution took place in the face of mounting criticism from human rights experts – including the top human rights official at the United Nations, who said earlier this month that “putting an inmate to death with nitrogen gas could possibly amount to torture under international treaties.”
What is nitrogen hypoxia?
Smith’s execution came after he had already survived a botched lethal injection in November 2022. Alabama is one of three U.S. states that technically allows nitrogen hypoxia as an alternative to lethal injection and other, more traditional capital punishment methods. Oklahoma and Mississippi are the only other states that have authorized executions by nitrogen hypoxia, which is relatively new as a form of capital punishment. Before Thursday, no states had used the method to conduct an execution.
Its application inside the execution chamber in Alabama had been criticized as experimental and, potentially, unnecessarily painful and dangerous for the condemned person and others in the room. UN experts cited concerns about the possibility of grave suffering that execution by pure nitrogen inhalation may cause. They said there was no scientific evidence to prove otherwise.
The consequences of too much nitrogen inhalation —usually accidentally in industrial settings— are well-documented. A colorless and odorless gas, nitrogen is only safe to inhale when it is mixed with an appropriate concentration of oxygen; otherwise, breathing it is toxic. Veterinarians have refused to use nitrogen asphyxiation to euthanize animals because of its “distressing” effects and potential risks to people around.
What did Kenneth Eugene Smith do?
Smith was accused of being a hitman and was sentenced to death following his conviction in the 1989 murder of Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett, a preacher’s wife, in northwestern Alabama’s Colbert County.
Prosecutors said in 1988 that Smith and John Forrest Parker each received $1,000 to carry out the slaying on behalf of Elizabeth’s husband, Rev. Charles Sennett, Sr., the pastor of the Westside Church of Christ in the city of Sheffield.
The pastor had been having an affair and found himself in significant debt before taking out a large life insurance policy on his wife, authorities said. Sennett then sought to collect the money by having his wife killed. Sennett committed suicide one week after his wife’s murder, once the investigation got underway and authorities began to consider him as a suspect, according to court documents.
The prosecution alleged that Rev. Sennett originally hired another man, Billy Williams, for the job, and Williams in turn recruited Smith and Parker. All three men were promised equal compensation, a ruling filed in 2021 by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in response to one of the legal challenges Smith brought.
Smith and his accomplices planned to kill Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett in the home she and her husband shared and tried to make the crime look like a burglary. On March 18, 1988, Elizabeth was murdered. Smith took a video cassette recorder from the Sennett residence, which investigators later found in Smith’s home and played a role in the state’s case against him.
Smith argued in subsequent appeals authorities did not have a legitimate search warrant to enter the home where the cassette was found. Court records show that Smith confessed to his role in Elizabeth’s murder in interviews with police – and that was the piece that ultimately led to his conviction.
Smith was convicted of capital murder in an initial verdict and sentenced to death. That was overturned by the Alabama Court of Appeals, and convicted again of capital murder during a second trial that took place in the 90s. Still, the jury in that trial voted to recommend a sentence of life imprisonment without parole instead of the death penalty. A judge overruled the jury’s recommendation and again sentenced Smith to be executed by the state. His accomplice Parker was executed in June 2010 for his part in the killings, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.
His execution on Thursday would not be possible if Smith’s trial happened today: in 2017 Alabama became the last U.S. state to strike its law allowing judges to override jury recommendations when it comes to capital punishment.
CBS News
How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Chicago Bears today. The Vikings are currently 8-2, an impressive run so far this season, and will be looking to add a fourth win to their current streak after last Sunday’s 23-13 win against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears, on the other hand, are entering this game on the heels of a four-game losing streak after a tough 20-19 loss against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Vikings vs. Bears game today, whether or not you have cable.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
The Vikings vs. Bears game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Fubo offers you an easy, user-friendly way to watch NFL games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, plus NCAA football channels. The Pro tier includes 200+ channels and unlimited DVR, while the Elite with Sports Plus tier adds NFL RedZone and 4K resolution. New subscribers get a seven-day free trial and all plans allow streaming on up to 10 screens simultaneously.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.
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How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Detroit Lions will face off against the Indianapolis Colts today. The Lions enter this game as top contenders with a near-perfect record of 9-1 so far this season. The Colts, who are 5-6 this season, could have a tough game on their hands against the Lions but will be looking to rack up another win after prevailing over the New York Jets in a tight game last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Colts vs. Lions game today, whether or not you have cable.
Here’s how and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Lions vs. Colts game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Experience NFL action like never before with Fubo’s comprehensive sports streaming platform. From Sunday showdowns to primetime matchups, catch every NFL game across major networks including CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Choose the Pro package to unlock 200+ channels and limitless DVR storage, or elevate your game-day experience with the Elite with Sports Plus package, featuring NFL RedZone’s commercial-free scoring highlights and stunning 4K quality.
Test drive the service with a no-commitment seven-day free trial, and share the excitement with family and friends — Fubo supports simultaneous streaming on up to 10 devices, so everyone can watch their favorite teams.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games, and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.
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How to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The New England Patriots will face off against the Miami Dolphins in a game today at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The Patriots have had an uneven season so far, coming into the game with a record of 3-8, including a 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on November 17. The Dolphins, however, haven’t fared much better this season as they enter the game with a record of 4-6, although they are coming off two wins in a row, the latest against the Las Vegas Raiders last weekend.
Keep reading to find out how and when to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game today, even without cable.
CBS, Paramount+ and CBS Essentials are all subsidiaries of Paramount Global.
How and when to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game today
The New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT). The football game will be shown on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ and the platforms noted below.
How and when to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins game without cable
While CBS is available with many basic cable packages, you’ll have other viewing options, too for the Patriots-Dolphins game. Just understand that the below streaming options will require the use of an internet provider:
Paramount+: Watch CBS-aired NFL games without cable
With Paramount+ you’ll have multiple viewing options to choose from. You can catch NFL games on the Paramount+ Essential tier for just $7.99 each month or you can watch college football with a Paramount+ with Showtime subscription for $12.99 monthly. In addition to live streams of NFL games airing on CBS, you’ll get to watch additional live sporting events including NCAA college football, PGA Tour golf, soccer and more.
Get started with Paramount+ here today.
Amazon Prime Video: Add Paramount+ to your existing subscription
Already have an Amazon Prime Video account? Simply add Paramount+ to your current subscription to watch all the CBS-aired NFL games in addition to Paramount+ originals. The same prices from above apply, depending on which tier you choose. Not sure which is best for you? Don’t worry. Both options come with a free seven-day trial that can help you decide.
Watch the Patriots-Dolphins game on Amazon Prime Video.
Fubo: Watch the Patriots-Dolphins game for free
Looking for an inexpensive way to watch football? Fubo could be the best way to do so. The live TV streamer is currently offering a seven-day free trial and $30 off of your first month’s subscription. Once subscribed, you’ll gain access to all of their live sporting events immediately. And there will be a lot to choose from. Not only does Fubo come with access to NFL games airing on your local CBS channel, it also includes Fox Sunday NFC games, “Sunday Night Football” on NBC, “Monday Night Football” on ABC and ESPN and all of the games that air on the NFL Network. So don’t wait.
Get started with Fubo online now.
How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more
How to watch the New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins NFL game today: Livestream options, more
How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more