Episode
DOJ Authorizes Firing Squad Executions for Death Penalty & Lakers Fall Short of Sweep
- Podcast
- Headlines From The Times
- Published
- Apr 28, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 461
- Processing state
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Summary
The Justice Department is now authorizing firing squads as a method of execution, marking a major shift in federal death penalty policy. The method has rarely been used in modern U.S. history, with only three executions carried out this way since the 1970s. The move is part of a broader push to expand and speed up capital punishment under the Trump administration. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says the policy supports victims, while critics, like Alexis Hoag-Fordjour, Professor at Brooklyn Law School and Robin Maher, Executive Director at Death Penalty Information Center, pushback against the move and argue it’s a reaction to prior efforts to limit executions. And the Lakers failed to sweep the Houston Rockets in Game 4 of the first round playoff series. The Rockets capitalized on the excessive turnovers from the Lakers and a poor performance from Lebron James. The Lakers are coming back home for Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead, where they will face the Rockets with Kevin Durant back on the roster without key players like Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves. Read more at https://LATimes.com