“The Trump administration Thursday carried out its ninth federal execution of the year in what has been a first series of executions during a presidential lame-duck period in 130 years, putting to death a Texas street-gang member in the slayings of a religious couple from Iowa more than two decades ago. Four more federal executions, including one Friday, are planned in the weeks before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.”

+ From November: I helped put Brandon Bernard on federal death row. I now think he should live.