death

Sept. 24, 2026 3:39 PM PT

Naked Eyes lead singer Peter Byrne died in Los Angeles on Sept. 14, according to the group’s website.

Byrne, who co-founded the synth-pop band with Rob Fisher in 1982, died “peacefully … after a brief illness,” the statement reads.

Naked Eyes’ Pete Byrne performs onstage in Los Angeles in 2019.

(Scott Dudelson / Getty Images)

Naked Eyes, a high note for the MTV generation, scored ’80s hits with their synth-pop version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “Always Something There to Remind Me” and their original song “Promises, Promises,” with the former hitting No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983 and the latter reaching No. 11 that same year. “When the Lights Go Out” and “(What) in the Name of Love” also reached the Hot 100’s Top 40, hitting No. 37 in 1983 and No. 39 in 1984, respectively.

Byrne was born in Islington, North London, and began his music career in the mid-’70s. From 1979 to 1982, he was a member of the band Neon, which included Fisher and future Tears for Fears founders Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. Byrne and Fisher released their debut album as Naked Eyes in 1983, according to the group’s website.

After Fisher died in 1999, Byrne released his 2001 solo album “The Real Illusion” and Naked Eyes albums “Fumbling With the Covers” in 2007 and “Disguise the Limit” in 2021. A remastered version of their self-titled debut album was released in 2025.

Byrne is survived by his siblings Eileen, Sandy, Carol and Steve; his three children, Merlin, Dylan and Chloe; and his ex-wife, Elena.

ITV have confirmed that gripping new six-part drama Winter starring Richard Armitage will replace Professor T in its schedule as the final episode of the fourth series airs

The fourth series of Professor T comes to an end tonight.

ITV airs the sixth and final episode of the latest season titled The Warrior Gene on Thursday (September 24) evening as Professor Jasper Tempest (Death in Paradise’s Ben Miller) wrestles with his feelings for Dr Helena Goldberg (Bend It Like Beckhams star Juliet Stevenson).

The synopsis reads: “In the run up to Wilfred and Zelda’s wedding, Jasper is wrestling with his feelings for Helena. Dan is stunned by a new case where he sees a dying man admit he killed someone.

“Whilst Dan and Chloe try to track down who’s been killed, Maiya thinks they are going on a wild goose chase, concerned this is about Dan’s grief over Lisa.

“Zelda has second thoughts about the wedding but when Jasper explains to her that ‘love is enough’, he realises his feelings for Helena and invites her to Zelda’s wedding.”

It continues: “Ms. Snares takes Jasper to Lyndon Collins’ lecture on the warrior gene and Jasper is intrigued by something Collins says about the case Dan is investigating.

“On the day of the wedding and Lisa’s memorial event, Jasper uses the case to get Dan to open up about Lisa and gain the strength to attend her memorial.

“After helping Dan, Jasper returns to Zelda and Wilfred’s wedding and is thrilled when Helena appears. Helena spots Jasper has finally removed his gloves. It’s clear he’s come a long way.”

ITV will fill the Professor T shaped gap in the schedule next week by airing Richard Armitage’s new drama Winter as the actor takes on the role of an unconventional forensic pathologist whose unique approach to murder investigations puts him at the heart of a series of complex cases.

Winter kicks off on ITV1 on Wednesday (September 30) at 9pm with each episode featuring a self-contained murder investigation alongside an ongoing personal storyline for Armitage’s character.

The synopsis for the new six-part series reads: “Although Winter does not always follow the expected rules, he has an exceptional ability to examine the evidence and uncover clues that others might miss.

“His skills bring him together with DI Lauren Bell, played by Annabel Scholey, a meticulous and no-nonsense detective who is equally determined when it comes to solving a case.

“Together, Winter and Bell form a formidable investigative partnership as they attempt to solve some of the most challenging murder cases.”

Professor X is available to stream on ITVX

Hayley Williams is speaking out days after her ex-husband, Chad Gilbert, the founding guitarist of pop-punk band New Found Glory, died at 45 following a battle with cancer.

Williams posted the statement on her Instagram Stories on Wednesday, writing that she hasn’t known what to say or “if it’s appropriate” but that she wants to address her former husband’s death because “life is made of the paths we cross and the reasons we cross them are infinite.”

“Chad is indeed a legend in the scene and my time connected to him taught me a lot,” she wrote. “He introduced me to people that continue to shape my life in beautiful ways, and to music and culture that has made life a lot richer.

“There isn’t much that hasn’t already been said about what he contributed to the musical world a lot of us grew up in. His influence and attitude guided the genre forward. His passion for fostering the community was inspiring and sticks with me.

“I will forever be grateful that from him I gained a deeper understanding and a reverence for the community and the culture of hardcore.”

Musician Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory and singer Hayley Williams of Paramore arrive at the 2010 People’s Choice Awards.

(Christopher Polk / Getty Images for PCA)

Williams concluded her statement by sending her love and sympathies to Gilbert’s family, friends and his New Found Glory bandmates Jordan Pundik, Cyrus Bolooki and Ian Grushka.

Gilbert died Sunday morning “peacefully in his sleep,” the band and his wife, musician Lisa Cimorelli, announced on social media. No cause of death was given, but the musician had been candid about his battle with cancer in recent years.

“He left this world surrounded by friends and family and took his final breaths with his wife and mother by his side, just as he wished,” the joint statement posted Sunday to Instagram read.

Williams and Gilbert were married in February 2016 after nearly a decade of dating but split the following year in July 2017, saying at the time that marriage wasn’t for the faint of heart.

Gilbert later married Cimorelli in October 2020, and the two welcomed a daughter, Lily, in 2021.

Dolly Parton’s estate has reportedly accused the late singer’s nephew of extortion and threats against staff.

On Tuesday, Parton’s estate, She’s Alive, LLC, requested a restraining order against Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver, court records show. The request came after he was fired from his job as head of security, as TMZ reported.

She’s Alive is run by Parton’s former manager Danny Nozell.

The New York Times reviewed court records containing allegations that Seaver began making demands shortly before Parton died. The demands grew into more serious threats, according to the records the news outlet cited, which the plaintiffs saw as an attempt to obtain money from the Parton estate.

Here’s what to know.

Who is Bryan Seaver?

Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, shared the news of his aunt’s death in a video posted to her Instagram account on Aug. 25.

In the video, Seaver, standing in front of a black background, introduces himself as the the son of Dolly’s sister Cassie Parton and says he is representing the Parton and Owens family in announcing his aunt’s death. The Owens are the maternal side of the country star’s family.

“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” he says in the video.

Seaver adds that he followed in his father Larry’s footsteps in becoming Parton’s head of security, a post he held for more than 20 years.

Seaver and his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, LLC, are the defendants in the lawsuit. They were reportedly terminated about three weeks after the country icon’s death.

Seaver did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

According to the New York Times’ reporting on the court records, the restraining order request, filed in Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville, sought to keep Seaver away from Parton’s properties and staff.

Who is Danny Nozell?

Nozell was Parton’s longtime manager. He has claimed credit for helping revive Parton’s international touring career.

He told The Times last month that Parton “worked up until the day she died” on multiple projects.

“She loved seeing her dreams come to life, and loved knowing her work brought people joy,” Nozell said in the statement. “Ever the planner, Dolly worked with the team that she handpicked, for the past several years to build a project roadmap that will guide us for decades to come.”

Nozell’s website described his work with Parton as “arguably his most notable achievements.”

What are the allegations?

The court records, according to the New York Times, include allegations that Seaver sent a profane threat to a Dollywood business partner, and that, separately, he referred to himself as a “killer” and “not an entertainment person” while corresponding with one of Parton’s longtime lawyers.

According to TMZ, Seaver and his team said in a statement that they were “dismayed by the … unexplained actions” following Parton’s death and “[w]e remain unshakably resolved to fulfill her final directive to protect her family, and we refuse to be intimidated by those whose actions we believe are being taken in bad faith and with the intent to profit from the life of someone who willingly gave so much.”

WASHINGTON — Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s wife used to spend her evenings cooking a big meal for her husband and waiting for him to return home from his job as a home builder. Now, his son told members of Congress, Salgado Araujo’s wife spends those evenings visiting her husband’s grave at the cemetery.

In a packed Senate hearing room, a rapt audience of dozens listened to the sons of Salgado Araujo, the mothers of Ruben Ray Martinez and Renee Good, as well as the woman who video-recorded the death of Alex Pretti and the lawyer for the family of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero.

Salgado Araujo, Martinez, Good, Pretti and Durán Guerrero were shot and killed by federal agents since the start of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants. Some were U.S. citizens; others were immigrants.

“We still have so many questions,” said Lorenzo Salgado, one of Salgado Araujo’s sons. “What are the names of the ICE agents who killed our dad? Why do they get to be protected behind anonymity, while my brother and I stand before cameras, showing our faces, proudly saying our first and last name?”

The forum on Tuesday was led by Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). It was the fifth such event that the two lawmakers have hosted since December, forums aimed at shedding light on what the lawmakers call the “lawless and abusive tactics” by immigration agents.

The forums are not official hearings because they have been organized without Republican support. Nothing has changed since the first forum, the lawmakers said, accusing the Department of Homeland Security of failing to fully investigate the deaths and prevent further ones.

Blumenthal noted that two days prior in Austin, Texas, another man was shot by ICE agents. Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a Venezuelan who was making a DoorDash delivery when ICE agents sideswiped his car, was seriously injured and placed in ICE custody with a bullet still lodged in his back.

Garcia said that, as of this month, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have verified more than 1,000 instances of abuse by immigration agents under this administration.

“Every community in America should be asking itself: How long will it be until ICE is in our city?” Blumenthal said. “How long will it be until we have a grieving family, until another loss of life?”

Rachel Reyes sobbed as she recounted the moments leading up to the death of her son, Martinez. She said his death came nearly a year before Good’s and Pretti’s “yet far fewer people know his name” because the family was denied access to investigative reports and video evidence showing he had been shot by an immigration officer.

“It’s deeply distressing to know that Ruben’s final moments were consumed by confusion, fear, pain and disregard for his life,” she said. “Though the circumstances surrounding his death and these other victims are distinctly different, the pattern is the same: lives cut short by the same agency, agents without body cameras, no warnings, no attempt to de-escalate, excessive force followed by deflection, and a lack of accountability after the fact.”

Donna Ganger, the mother of Good, said her daughter should still be alive. Ganger described herself as a Republican and a Christian. While Jesus teaches forgiveness, she said, she deserves accountability too.

“I voted for President Trump under the impression that these agents were here to protect the citizens of the United States,” she said.

“This is madness,” Ganger added.

Stella Carlson said that when she saw Pretti, she decided to become “his backup.” Instead, she watched him die and then watched the agents who shot him flee. Two masked agents returned “and began to manipulate his dead body, ripping open his clothes as if to provide aid, but instead moving him around like a rag doll.”

Later, Carlson said, she witnessed top government officials lie about Pretti, calling him a domestic terrorist who wanted to “massacre law enforcement.”

“I am just a regular person, but I care deeply about my community, my state and my country,” she said. “I believe there is power in ordinary people speaking the truth.”

Good and Pretti were killed within weeks of each other in January during a period of increased immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.

Sean Murphy, who represents the family of Durán Guerrero, said he and Durán Guerrero’s widow recently attended a meeting with representatives of the Maine attorney general’s office to retrieve some of his property that isn’t considered evidence.

One item that wasn’t returned was his 3-year-old daughter’s car seat, which had been pierced by a bullet.

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) asked each speaker what they think justice would look like.

Reyes said an independent investigation. Brent Ganger said that true justice isn’t possible because his sister can’t come back, but that accountability is possible if federal agents are held to the same accountability standards as local law enforcement.

To Carlson, justice would mean getting ICE off the streets and letting detainees return home. Murphy called for prosecution for the agent who killed Durán Guerrero.

For Lorenzo Salgado, justice would take another form: getting to see his mom heal and finally getting a full eight hours of sleep.

The forum came as congressional Democrats are seeking to edge out Republicans in the Nov. 3 election, and at times the Democrats seized it as a way to criticize the other party.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) asked members of the audience to stand up if they’ve been affected detrimentally by ICE. Ronaldo Salgado looked around the room as about a dozen people stood.

“The reality is that there are so many more stories. There are so many more names that you will never hear,” she said. Later, referring to Republicans, she added, “It’s time to vote them out.”

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) noted that Reyes voted for Trump and asked her to say anything she would want him to hear now. Reyes said that, like many Latinos, she deeply regrets her vote.

“I haven’t heard anything from any Republican whatsoever,” she said. “I’m very disappointed, and he lied.”

Good’s brother Brent Ganger said his family has waited long enough for accountability for the damage caused by ICE. As a moderate, he said, he hoped that all members of Congress — even those not in attendance — were listening.

“We will not be quiet, and we will not go away,” he said.

Coronation Street’s Sally Metcalfe may need to watch out as Lucy Parkinson attacked her on the ITV soap, before Lucy made a sinister comment about her murdered mother Rachel

Did Lucy Parkinson have something to do with her mum Rachel’s death on Coronation Street?

Fans fear it’s the case, and that her next victim may be lined up. Troubled teen Lucy has been lashing out ever since her mum Rachel’s death, and her father Richie’s imprisonment for the crime.

Tim Metcalfe’s cousin Richie had been charged, while he claimed it was self-defence, and that Rachel was abusive. Lucy backed this up and since then, private conversations have revealed Richie has asked Lucy to stick to his story.

Lucy’s been having nightmares though, with it clear she is struggling. With her making weird comments at times and displaying confusing behaviour, it was the latest comment, and her attacking Tim’s wife Sally Metcalfe, that has now rung alarm bells.

Sally had found a worrying drawing by Lucy, of a woman clutching her head. Sally asked if it was meant to be her mum and as Lucy grabbed it, it ripped and she blamed Sally.

Lucy started throwing things into her bag and was quite frantic, as Sally tried to calm her down. Suddenly, Lucy launched her phont at Sally, with it hitting her at speed, right in Sally’s face.

Sally was horrified, and the incident also left her with bruises. Lucy rushed off before being confronted by Tim, while he and Sally also discussed the situation.

With Sally and Tim taking Lucy in after Richie’s arrest, Sally is concerned Lucy needs more help than they can offer her. But perhaps Sally needs to watch out, as Lucy made a worrying admission to her dad Richie in a secret phone call.

As Tim slept on the sofa, a troubled Lucy told her dad how “it happened again”, before suggesting she had done something to her mum Rachel. Whether it was linked to Rachel’s death was not made clear, but Richie’s comments certainly teased the pair were hiding something.

Lucy said to him: “Dad, it’s happened again. I lost it this morning. I threw a phone at Sally. There’s something bad inside of me. What if I done to her what I done to mum.”

Richie replied: “It was your mum’s fault that happened, not yours. Just remember that. I’ll keep doing everything I can to protect you.” So what is Lucy talking about, and will Sally need to be careful?

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Dispatch calls reveal supermodel Cindy Crawford’s son, Presley Gerber, who died Sunday, suffered an apparent overdose while staying at a luxury outpatient rehab facility.

After Santa Monica police received a call reporting a cardiac arrest and another call for an overdose, officers responded to Resolutions Living, a $7.7-million, seven-bedroom mansion that operates as a rehabilitation home, at about 9:35 a.m., a law enforcement source told The Times.

Paramedics pronounced Gerber dead at 9:45 a.m. Sunday. The onetime Calvin Klein model had checked into the facility just hours before, around 10 p.m. Saturday.

On Monday, the L.A. County medical examiner’s office said that it was in the early stages of investigating the 27-year-old model’s death and that limited information was available.

An autopsy was performed Monday, but the cause and manner of death have been deferred, “which means additional testing and/or studies were requested in order to make a determination.” Due to the ongoing investigation into Gerber’s death, the medical examiner’s office cannot disclose what testing and/or studies were requested.

It could take a few months for a cause of death to be determined, the statement continued.

Police say that, at this time, there is no indication of foul play, but they are also investigating Gerber’s apparent overdose. According to the law enforcement source, police are attempting to track where and whom the drugs came from.

According to Resolution Living’s website, it operates as a partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient program for the treatment of myriad mental health issues, including depression, trauma and addiction, and offers dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring disorders.

Gerber had been candid about his mental health struggles for years through various podcast appearances and his social media, and revealed that he’d sought treatment through various rehab facilities from the time he was a teenager.

In 2023, he told “Studio 22” podcast that he wanted to use his own experience to help others battling the same issues.

“Having struggled with mental health, depression and some other things that come along with that,” he said, “I think that whether I help one person or 100 people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that’s all I need to do.”

He went on to model for brands including Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, and Bottega Veneta.

His father Rande Gerber, a well-known businessman, co-founded the Casamigos tequila brand with George Clooney.

In recent years, Presley Gerber had spoken openly about his mental health challenges and drug use.

In 2023, he told the Studio 22 podcast: “Having struggled with mental health, depression and some other things that come along with that, I think that whether I help one person or a hundred people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that’s all I need to do.”

And in this month’s American Vogue, external, Kaia discussed her brother’s struggles with addiction. She said: “When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone.

“I think that’s also why I started to self-identify as the easy one and never wanted to ask for help.”

She added: “My parents for most of our lives were very, very private and didn’t share anything – and now we have this absolute teacher, my brother, who says, ‘I’m gonna be very human for everyone.’ There’s only so much you can hide from the world. And trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them.”

Sway Dasafo, a pioneering British Ghanaian rapper known for his lyric storytelling and championing of British music, has died. He was 44.

The rapper and producer’s death was announced Thursday on social media by the Mobo Awards, which celebrates music of Black origin. Dasafo’s friend Kash Ahmad confirmed to the BBC that he died at his home in Ghana. No cause of death was provided, but the outlet reported that Dasafo had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010 before going into remission later that year.

“We’re deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sway,” Mobo wrote on Instagram. “Sway will always hold a special place in MOBO history.”

In 2005, Dasafo became the first unsigned artist to win the Mobo award for hip-hop act before he released an official album. He won over other established artists including 50 Cent and the Game off the strength of his mixtapes, “This Is My Promo” volumes one and two.

“Mixtapes effectively provide a diary of my life,” Dasafo told the Guardian in 2005. “They feature skits and interviews of me on radio. When people follow your story, they feel closer to you — it’s like a soap opera. People want to know what’s going to happen next.”

“It was a huge moment,” Mobo’s Instagram statement said of Dasafo’s win. “Not just for Sway, but for UK Hip Hop. At a time when British rappers were still fighting to be recognised alongside their US counterparts, his win made a real statement about the talent, creativity and potential coming out of the UK. … [W]e will always be proud that he was part of the MOBO story and of the history we shared together.”

Born Derek Andrews Safo on Sept. 5, 1982, in Hornsey, north London, to Ghanaian parents, Dasafo grew up primarily in England where he developed a love for literature and music. He started rapping as a hobby when he was 10 and was making beats on his computer at 13.

The versatile rapper got his start in groups such as Phynix Crew and One before going solo and releasing his series of mixtapes. Among his early hits were “Up Your Speed” and “Little Derek,” from his debut alum, “This Is My Demo,” which he released from his own label, Dcypha Productions.

“I’m a positive person and this positivity comes out in my music,” Dasafo said in his 2005 Guardian interview. “I don’t go round holding guns to people’s heads, so I won’t rap about holding guns to people’s heads. Trouble attracts trouble. If you rap about trouble, it will come to you.”

From early in his rap career, he expressed his desire to become a producer so he could sign and nurture other talent. Dasafo has collaborated with artists including Riz Ahmed, Ed Sheeran, Lupe Fiasco and Chamillionaire.

BBC Radio 1Xtra broadcaster Remi Burgz called Dasafo a “UK Rap pioneer” and “one of north London’s finest” during her program, according to the BBC.

“He was mine and many others’ first experience of U.K. rap [and] hip-hop in mainstream media,” she said. “He was a literal example of paving the way and showing that U.K. rap can take up space in music.”

Dasafo is survived by his two sons, Jalil and Ammar-Joseph, and twin daughters, Queen-Inaya and Queen-Imara.

A number of passengers needed medical treatment after the accident near the Sumidero Canyon in Chiapas, south-eastern Mexico

A group of backpackers including several Brits cheated death when their Mexican tour bus was stopped by a single bollard – as it rolled towards a terrifying 1,000m drop. They paid for a tour of the Sumidero Canyon in Chiapas, south-eastern Mexico, in July and, after walking around to take in the view, boarded their tour bus at the top of a steep drop – when it started rolling backwards.

The group say they feared they were headed for the canyon and many of them started diving off the bus headfirst to save themselves. Luckily, the bus hit a bollard and came to a stop before going over the edge.

But many of the passengers have been left traumatised by the near-death ordeal, with some suffering physical injuries and needing hospital treatment. James Gamble, 30, from Portsmouth, said: “I honestly thought I was going to die. It was hands-down the most terrifying experience of my life.

“Everyone was diving off the bus headfirst, thinking we were headed for the canyon. I just imagined the bus tilting backwards with nothing I could do.

“It was horrific. I didn’t stop shaking for an hour afterwards; people who weren’t even on the bus were crying and having panic attacks.”

James says that one passenger, Madeleine Glen, had tried to grab the handbrake as the bus was rolling, but it was already up. Several passengers were hospitalised following the terrifying incident after injuring themselves fleeing the bus.

Sophie Badelt, 22, from Switzerland, hit her head on a parked car as she dove from the moving bus and was bleeding profusely. A British nurse from another tour of the canyon helped to bandage her head while they waited for an ambulance.

Brit Hugo Evans, 20, was also injured in the ordeal and bandaged at the scene by paramedics. He said: “I dove out of the van, headfirst – that was the only option. I was in a blind panic. I thought we were going to die for sure.

“I hit my head on the floor and there was a lot of blood. I thought we were headed for the cliff. Everyone was freaking out when Sophie was screaming… She was drenched in blood. It was terrifying.”

The tour left on July 9 and cost 600 Mexican Pesos (£25.66) per person. All the passengers have since been refunded, and Sophie says that she has been compensated for her medical bills after weeks of back-and-forth.

There were three Dutch passengers – Britt van Engelen, 28, Yesol Sihn 29, and Floris van Neer, 30. Also onboard was Belgian tourist Hanne, 23, and Australian pair Garrison Hamlin, 28, and Brodie Hampson, 28.

James, a former journalist, says he stayed on the bus until it came to a halt and that he has been left shaken by the ordeal. He added: “We took some photos of the canyon at the viewpoint and were told to get back on the bus. The van was parked on a hill and I was sat near the back.

“We all piled back on the bus and, as the last people were getting on, we started rolling backwards. Maddy tried the handbrake, but it was already up and panic set in within seconds.

“Then there was an almighty crash as we hit the bollard and the five of us still on darted off the bus. The first thing we saw was Sophie lying on the floor, crying desperately for help and with blood seeping out of her head.”

The tour operator was approached for comment.

50,000 frontline staff to receive a jab for a different Ebola strain, with 20,000 enrolled in a one-year clinical trial.

Health workers in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have begun to receive a vaccine that many hope will provide a level of protection against the Ebola virus.

The vaccine rollout started on Saturday in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in the northeastern DRC. Ituri is the epicentre of the fastest-growing outbreak of Ebola in history.

The provincial governor, Major-General Gaby Kasongo Mulumba, said health workers there “are particularly exposed and deeply involved in the response”.

The operation, backed by the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, will also target North Kivu, where cases have been rising sharply, health authorities said.

Some 50,000 health and other frontline workers will be injected with the Ervebo vaccine, which was developed for use against the more common Zaire strain.

Its effectiveness against the current Ebola strain caused by the Bundibugyo virus will be monitored in 20,000 recipients for up to one year.

Clinical trials are ongoing to find a licensed vaccine for the latest outbreak, which has no licensed vaccine or proven treatment.

“We don’t know to what degree it might be effective against the Bundibugyo strain,” Steve Ahuka, a Congolese official who is part of the health task force against the Ebola outbreak, said.

Dr Jeannot Elua said at a health facility in Bunia the vaccine was “beneficial”.

“We healthcare workers don’t really have a choice. We are going to receive it,” he told the Associated Press news agency. “Some people here had already received the previous vaccine. I received it myself, because it was mandatory.”

WHO experts have said that early data on the Ervebo vaccine, notably from animal trials, suggested it could offer some protection in the current outbreak.

The virus has killed at least 3,639 and infected some 7,541 people since May. Some 1,823 people have recovered, according to the latest figures from local authorities.

The WHO said in August that 70,000 doses of Ervebo were approved for use in the DRC.

The vaccine is being used under a compassionate-use programme, which allows a medical product to be used in a serious disease situation even though it has not been specifically approved for that particular use.

While WHO officials have cited “encouraging signs” that transmission may be slowing, MSF warned on Friday that there is no clear evidence the epidemic is coming under control.

Death in Paradise has announced that a beloved detective will be returning as the BBC airs some classic repeat episodes

Death in Paradise has confirmed that DI Humphrey Goodman will be back on screens very soon.

In an Instagram post that has sent fans into a meltdown, the popular BBC series confirmed it would air two repeat episodes featuring Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman.

Sharing a picture of Kris and his former co-star Josephine Jobert, who played DS Florence Cassell, the show’s Instagram wrote, “Time to reveal what we’re watching next Thursday! Yep, it’s the London episodes: #DeathInParadise series 6 episodes 5 and 6. Watch along with us from 7pm on 24 September on BBC iPlayer, BritBox, or on DVD!”

Fans were thrilled by the announcement, with one writing, “Humphrey was truly the best. I adore them all, but he was really the best and I’m so glad he got his own show. Kris Marshall is a great actor! Hopefully, the entire franchise, all three shows, will continue for quite a long time because they are all phenomenal!”

Another shared, “Florence, JP, Dwayne, and Mooney/Humphrey were the best time,” while a third added, “Yessssss one of the best two parters!!”

The plot for series six episode five reads, ” DI Humphrey Goodman and his team investigate the death of a sailing boat captain who was supposedly killed by the boat’s boom. Humphrey suspects foul play, and the clues lead them to a group of suspects who quickly catch a flight back to London.”

This leads them to London, where they continue the investigation on UK soil, marking a major change of scenery for the Caribbean-set show. It also introduces Humphrey Goodman’s replacement, DI Jack Mooney, who was played by Ardal O’Hanlon.

Episode six continues the story, “Working against the clock in a chilly and unfamiliar London, the team tries to solve the case, only to find their prime suspect murdered. They must solve two interconnected murders.”

Not only will fans see the return of Humphrey and Florence, but other characters include Danny John-Jules’ Dwayne Myers and Sally Bretton’s character, Martha Lloyd.

The episodes also see the exit of Di Humphrey Goodman after he decides to stay in London to be with his love, Martha. Despite the heartbreaking exit, fans can watch Humphrey and Martha’s love story unfold in the Death in Paradise spin-off, Beyond Paradise.

The cast, who are currently filming the upcoming series, have been spotted in Devon and Cornwall, where the show is set.

Death in Paradise returns on Thursday at 7pm on BBC One.

Tone Capone, the Bay Area producer whose smash hit “I Got 5 On It” for Luniz defined his region’s hip-hop sound, has died. He was 59.

The producer’s death was first reported by KQED. Capone had most recently lived in Las Vegas. No cause of death was given.

Capone, born Anthony Douglas Gilmour in Berkeley, learned to DJ while attending Berkeley High School. He often performed at college and house parties with his close friend Nick Peace, who became an accomplished hip-hop producer as well. While Bay Area hip-hop was famously independent and insular, Capone produced singles for major-label groups like the R&B combo SWV and the Oakland group Capital Tax, rooted in his love of ‘70s soul and hard-edged funk.

His sound — soulful yet martial, with a distinct, emphatic downbeat — yielded some of the region’s most beloved and distinct hip-hop hits, including Mac Dre’s “Fire” and “Not My Job,” E-40’s “Ring It,” 3xKrazy’s “Keep It on the Real” and cuts by Celly Cel, Andre Nickatina and countless others.

He’ll be best known for Luniz’ 1995 hit “I Got 5 On It,” a slinky, spooky track riffing on the Club Nouveau song “Why You Treat Me So Bad,” which entered the canon of ageless west coast hip-hop. The song hit the Billboard top ten, and recently resurfaced in a slow, eerie remix for Jordan Peele’s 2019 horror film “Us.”

Capone’s slow-rolling sound also traveled well to Houston, he worked with Scarface, Devin the Dude and more. His productions on Scarface’s 1997’s “The Untouchable” helped it go platinum, with “Smile” sporting one of the last verses recorded by Tupac Shakur.

MINNEAPOLIS — The man who sprayed vinegar at Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during a Minneapolis town hall was sentenced Thursday to 14 months in prison after reaching a deal with prosecutors.

Anthony Kazmierczak, 56, was sentenced nearly eight months after the Jan. 27 assault. At the time, Minneapolis-St. Paul was subject to an immigration crackdown that led to angry protests, arrests and the deaths of two U.S. citizens. Prosecutors had recommended a 14-month prison term.

He also was sentenced to three years of supervised release, which includes no contact with Omar. U.S. marshals escorted him from the courtroom after the hearing.

During an earlier hearing, Kazmierczak was unable to explain his actions.

“It’s fuzzy,” he told U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen when asked what he remembered.

Witnesses saw Kazmierczak jump up from the audience during the meeting, spraying liquid from a syringe at Omar and saying she was “splitting Minnesota apart.” Omar’s security officers quickly tackled Kazmierczak to the ground, then took him to police officers who placed him under arrest.

Omar was not injured and continued with the town hall after the arrest.

“I’m sorry if I scared you,” he wrote to Omar later, accepting responsibility for what he’d done.

Authorities later determined he’d sprayed her with a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar. He was charged with assaulting a U.S. officer.

The government sentencing memorandum, submitted to the court by prosecutors, said he had texted at least three people indicating he planned to do something at the meeting involving Omar “but would not answer their questions about his intent.”

He also sent messages to a neighbor to arrange for dog care and contacts for a bail bond company.

The sentencing memo said Kazmierczak had long struggled with alcohol abuse, had “a history of mental and emotional health concerns” and also had a string of health issues tied to a 2022 diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.

Omar, a refugee from Somalia, has long been a target of President Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. After she was elected seven years ago, Trump said she should “go back” to her home country. He has described her as “garbage” and said she should be investigated.

In social media posts, Kazmierczak had criticized former President Biden and referred to Democrats as “angry and liars.” Trump wants the U.S. to be “stronger and more prosperous,” he wrote.

The attack on Omar came amid Operation Metro Surge, when more than 2,000 immigration officers swept through the Twin Cities in a dramatic crackdown that led to angry protests, arrests and the deaths of two U.S. citizens.

Sullivan writes for the Associated Press.

TUNIS: Amnesty International urged Algeria’s government on Tuesday to abandon plans to resume executions after it pledged to give the death penalty to those responsible for wildfires following deadly blazes last month.

Algeria struggled to put out fires that swept through its northeast and killed 12 people last month, according to an official tally, while witnesses spoke of dozens of deaths.

The North African country has not carried out executions since 1993 but has handed down the death sentence in some instances, including terror-related cases, without carrying it out.

Last month President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered the justice minister to amend the penal code to impose the death penalty for people who start wildfires after the deadly blazes.

“Algeria’s authorities must immediately abandon any plans to expand the scope of the death penalty or resume executions after more than three decades without carrying one out,” Amnesty said in a statement.

It also called for the country to impose an official moratorium “as a first step toward fully abolishing the death penalty.”

Tebboune also said that people sentenced to death should be executed right after exhausting their right to appeal.

The government began looking at draft penal code amendments this month.

Tebboune said “child abductors and abusers” would also be included in the expanded death penalty plans.

Forest fires occur regularly in northern Algeria during the summer, but climate change is amplifying their impact by causing increasingly frequent droughts and intense heat.

But Tebboune alleged that there was “something criminal” about the recent blazes.

Amnesty also said “credible sources have since reported significantly higher casualties” than the official tally in the latest wildfires, “including over 70 deaths in a single municipality.”

More than 30 people were killed in July 2023 when fires tore through thousands of hectares of forests and farmland in Algeria, as well as hundreds of homes.

In 2023, Algeria handed the death penalty to more than 50 people — some in absentia — over the lynching of a 38-year-old man who was falsely accused of starting deadly forest fires two years earlier.

Evelina Fernández’s “Antigone: In the Language of Kings” receives a theatrically entrancing staging at the Getty Villa’s Outdoor Theater in a production co-produced with Latino Theater Company.

The adaptation resets Sophocles’ tragedy to Aztec culture in a transposition that is both visually and musically enlivening. If the drama is oversimplified, it nonetheless makes for a gripping spectacle.

It’s not easy to find analogies that can reanimate the importance of burial rites to a modern audience. The production’s creative team, led by the inexhaustibly inventive director José Luis Valenzuela, returns us to a world where the dead are owed sacred duties and the living are fearful to renege on this basic human responsibility.

The incense-filled production — conducted in English, Spanish and Nahuatl (the language of the Aztecs), with English and Spanish supertitles — proceeds like a pageant. Headdress-clad warriors clash on the battlefield. A masked chorus, moving with the coordination of a Broadway musical ensemble, gives voice to the anxiety and grief of the collective. A statuesque figure of death, trailing black fabric, sweeps up the casualties of war with the efficiency of a human vacuum.

In Sophocles, Antigone, Oedipus’ headstrong daughter, defies the edict issued by her uncle Creon, the newly deputized king, declaring that her slain brother Polynices is an enemy of the state and therefore ineligible for burial. For Antigone this is an imposition of political power over divine law, and she puts her life on the line to uphold her obligation to her family and faith.

The ensemble of “Antigone: In the Language of Kings” at the Getty Villa Museum Outdoor Classical Theater.

(Cassia Davis / © 2026 J. Paul Getty Trust)

The German philosopher Hegel considered Sophocles’ “Antigone” the high-water mark of tragedy for the way it dramatizes the collision between two equally justified moral positions. Creon, representing the claims of the polis over the clan, cannot be dismissed outright. Nor can Antigone, whose all-consuming identification with her cause renders her indifferent to other obligations, be adopted as a user-friendly hero.

Tragedy arises from the one-sidedness of their claims. Antigone loses her life and Creon, for all intents and purposes, destroys his own, suffering the deaths of his most cherished loved ones.

Hegel’s reading of “Antigone” illustrates his thesis-antithesis-synthesis view of dialectical progress. Sophocles, it can be surmised from the other plays in his Oedipus cycle, likely conceived “Antigone” with a larger metaphysical design. But even if Hegel’s interpretation would have seemed off the mark to him, Antigone and Creon are too complex to reduce to a schematic argument.

Fernández simplifies these antagonists. Her Antíkona (a formidable Esperanza América) reveals her softer side even when rejecting her sister, Ixmene (Alexis B. Santiago), for not having the courage to zealously join her fight.

Tlahtoani Klion (Cástulo Guerra), Emperor of Tenochtitlan, is a ruler so intoxicated with his own authority that he’s clearly courting rebuke from the gods. It’s only a matter of time before his hubris is slapped down.

The acting is theatrically robust, though not always subtle. I wondered if ambiguity had been outlawed along with the funeral rites of Antíkona’s warrior brother Polynices. The bold clarity of the performances was energizing, but the wailing sometimes sounded like parody grief.

The outsize nature of the production invites overacting. And Ric Salinas, who plays Chachalacani, humorously obliges, bringing his Culture Clash vaudeville skills to the role of the sentry who’s caught between the rock of Klion’s tyranny and his fellow feeling for Antíkona’s sympathetic cause.

Strong performances are elicited from José Eduardo Moreno, who plays Klion’s son Hemon, Antíkona’s fiancé, and Zilah Mendoza, who plays Cihuatlahtoani Euridice, Klion’s wife. Their portrayals, mixing ferocious strength with stark vulnerability, make the tragedy’s pileup of bodies at the end all the more piercing.

The ensemble of “Antigone: In the Language of Kings” at the Getty Villa Museum Outdoor Classical Theater.

(Cassia Davis / © 2026 J. Paul Getty Trust)

América’s Antíkona is as unyielding as any Antigone I’ve seen. It’s a commanding portrayal, but I wish the production didn’t shrink from its protagonist’s fierceness. The obdurate side of the character is lessened with a gesture Antíkona bestows on Ixmene — a reassurance that even though she’s a revolutionary, she’s still an affectionate sister.

Sophocles is made of harsher stuff. Fernández’s adaptation is anxious to turn tragedy into a sermon, offering theatergoers moral solace where Sophocles leaves his audience in a contemplative state of stunned silence.

But the staging makes up for the dramatic shortfall. Valenzuela masterly orchestrates the mise-en-scène. The majestic costumes of Catarina Copelli, invoking a rich brocaded world on the brink of disappearance, might be the real superstar.

François-Pierre Couture’s scenic design is mesmerizing without ever being overbearing. “Lee” Xinyuan Li’s lighting heightens the sense of theatrical foreboding. Yee Eun Nam’s projections inject into this transient world a welcome subtlety.

Urbanie Lucero’s choreography and movement direction maintain the production’s graceful poise. The musicians, discreetly performing at the back of the stage under the guidance of Mesoamerican instruments director Christopher García, charge the air with percussive Indigenous wonder.

“Antigone: In the Language of Kings” marks the Getty Villa’s 20th anniversary of reinventing classical tragedy for our time. This gorgeous staging makes me ardently wish that the theater extends the tradition for at least another 20 years.

Federal authorities probing the death of actor Hayden Panettiere are focusing on where the drugs and medications that played a role in her death came from, echoing similar probes that resulted in charges for suppliers in the deaths of Matthew Perry and Mac Miller.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents and local investigators have questioned several people about the circumstances of her Aug. 16 death, focusing on potential controlled substances and medications tied to her demise inside a Greenville, S.C., apartment, according to sources familiar with the probe.

Paramedics and police found Panettiere in cardiac arrest, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. Dispatch audio recordings from Broadcastify.com reference a possible overdose and CPR in progress. Narcan was reportedly administered by paramedics who arrived, and after efforts to resuscitate her, she was declared dead at 2:31 p.m.

Her death echoes that of actor Matthew Perry and rapper Mac Miller, both of whom succumbed to overdoses. In their respective cases, prosecutors secured convictions for the people who supplied Perry with ketamine and Miller with cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. Perry’s demise in his hot tub led to his assistant, two doctors, a producer and a woman dubbed the “Ketamine Queen” pleading guilty.

The Greenville County coroner, in the wake of Panettiere’s death, conducted an autopsy but has not made a formal finding on the cause of death and toxicology results are pending.

Panettiere lived in Los Angeles, but her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, is a Greenville native, according to authorities. A police report outlined the initial response from police who arrived at the scene. The report states that Hickerson and his brother Zach Hickerson were with Panettiere inside an apartment when the 36-year-old actor died.

According to the police report, Brian Hickerson showed an officer “a bag of medications HAYDEN is currently on.”

Several areas of the report were redacted, including statements from the brothers about what transpired as they called 911.

The officer who authored the report, Matthew Bryan, wrote that he recorded an interview with Brian Hickerson on his body-worn camera, and observed Zach Hickerson being “very emotional” while first responders tried to revive the actor. Brian Hickerson became emotional after she was declared dead, Officer Matthew Bryan wrote.

Later, he said that authorities obtained video of three individuals coming and going from the apartment from the complex’s security, which helped detectives with a search warrant.

Sloan Ellis, a South Carolina attorney for Hickerson hired in the wake of Panettiere’s death, said in a statement, “Hayden’s death remains under investigation, and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed. As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”

Sources familiar with the probe have met with DEA agents about the actor‘s death, according to People magazine and TMZ.

Hickerson was arrested multiple times on suspicion of domestic violence against Panettiere, beginning in May 2019 in Los Angeles, though the charges were later dismissed when prosecutors couldn’t secure a material witness.

Following an eight-count criminal indictment in 2020 that covered multiple violent incidents over the previous year, Hickerson pleaded no contest in April 2021 to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend.

He was sentenced to 45 days in county jail along with four years of formal probation, ordered to attend mandatory domestic violence classes, and received a five-year protective order.

Alanis Morissette is getting candid about the terror she experienced with what she calls “postpartum activity.”

Although terms like postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis may not have dominated trending topics in the 2010s when the singer-songwriter was having her three babies, Ever Imre, now 15; Onyx Solace, 10; and Winter Mercy, 7, it’s an especially hot-button issue today. And Morissette knows a thing or two about grappling with the condition.

On Wednesday, Morissette appeared on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast and told host Alex Cooper that she experienced postpartum depression after giving birth to each of children, and that the condition worsened each time.

“Basically, I became another person,” she said, adding that her hormones felt out of whack. “There’s some version of menopausal flux combined with … invasive thoughts that are so harrowing — terrible, ceaseless, invasive thoughts, anxiety, depression, rage, off the charts. I felt completely out of control, and yet I was touring … and being a boss and being someone taking care of money and finances and everything, and that is the part where, when I’m quiet and alone, I might weep a little bit.”

In recent months, attitudes around postpartum depression have shifted, and the condition has been discussed more urgently than perhaps ever before. Hayden Panettiere’s death sparked renewed scrutiny of society’s treatment of women suffering from the condition. And the polarizing trial of Lindsay Clancy, a labor-and-delivery nurse who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity after killing her three children in 2023, has captivated the country since July.

Back in 2019, Morissette discussed her experience with the illness, but the topic hadn’t yet garnered the public’s attention like it has today. Morissette told Cooper that when she first experienced symptoms, she reached out to multiple therapists, who didn’t seem to know how to treat the issue, no matter how well-meaning they were.

The “You Learn” singer said that the “invisible load” that mothers often carry — which the Institute of Child Psychology describes as the mental and emotional weight involved in running a home and tending to children — should no longer be invisible.

“We’re making it visible,” she said. “I’m going to tell you the 37 things that we do an hour … let’s name it. Even us calling it ‘invisible load’ keeps it invisible.”

The Grammy winner told Cooper that she went on tour while suffering from postpartum depression during the pandemic and that it became so severe, she “dipped into psychosis.”

“The depression piece inside PPD, unfortunately, I was familiar with it,” she said. “It was all the other stuff. It was the invasive thoughts and the terror. All I could picture was death and terrible things. … The bummer for me inside PPD was that I was losing people’s trust in my sanity. That’s a bummer. When I have spent my whole life attempting to establish to people I love that I’m safe, and that I’m predictable, and then all of a sudden I wasn’t. That was a loss, because people looked at me differently. They looked at me like I maybe couldn’t be trusted.”

The singer said she’d recovered since the struggle. “I feel so happy that I’m back.”

Stella Parton has released a public plea as the family continues to mourn her sister Dolly Parton’s death last month at the age of 80.

Late last week in an Instagram statement, Stella Parton thanked fans for the “genuine” support, urging them to use her sister’s life as an “example for tolerance and respect towards others.”

At the same time, she asked them to “show more compassion and wisdom.”

The 77-year-old singer-songwriter says the family has been subjected to “pressure” and “insensitivity” from strangers following the death of Dolly, who died on Aug. 25 after a private battle with cancer.

“There is a tremendous amount of [artificial intelligence] and endless garbage being posted everyday and it’s been challenging to absorb and or ignore,” Stella wrote in her Sept. 4 statement. “As time passes, those who are in the business of exploiting the loss and tragedies of others on a daily basis will move on to the next stampede of endless misinformation.”

While it is not clear what AI content Stella was referring to, AI-generated images of Dolly surged online following her death.

On Aug. 27, President Trump uploaded a fake image on Truth Social of the two walking around the White House . Another online user created an AI song that has amassed over 1.5 million views since its upload on Aug. 25. The song was falsely credited to pop singer Miley Cyrus, Dolly’s goddaughter..

“She loved her fans and the public in general. That is the reason she chose not to express her opinions on a lot of things like politics, religion and individuals in the public eye,” Stella wrote in the Instagram post. “She knew as well as anyone what a negative vortex that could turn into which is nothing but a huge waste of positive energy.”

Last year, Dolly critiqued AI content when clearing rumors surrounding her health, which swirled online after sister Freida Parton asked the public for prayers in a Facebook post on Oct. 7, 2025, in which she stated that the singer “hasn’t been feeling her best lately.”

“Did you see that AI picture of Reba and me? Oh lordy, I mean, they had Reba at my death bed and we both looked like we need to be buried,” Dolly said on Instagram on Oct. 8, 2025.

Toward the end of her Instagram statement, Stella said her plea is less about the “fake AI garbage” or “snarky tweets,” and more about encouraging the community to look within: “How will you feel about yourself? It’s not about what other individuals you will never meet think of you!”

Stella Parton is best known for her 1975 hit “I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight” and a country and gospel discography that spans 21 studio albums. Also known for her acting in “The Dukes of Hazzard” and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” Stella made the distinction between her and her older sister clear at the end of her statement: “I’ve always embraced my own personality and will continue to be myself and express my opinions as I deem appropriate regardless of what anyone thinks of me.”

“Dolly loved the world and everyone in it,” Stella wrote on Aug. 27 on Instagram in her first statement after her sister’s death. “I would criticize and complain about it and she would laugh and say; ‘shoot Tedda, we’ve got more important things to do than worry about their silly a—.’ She was right, and she proved it every day.”

SACRAMENTO — Democrat Xavier Becerra defended the death penalty while serving as California’s attorney general, a punishment his office actively sought in the case of a gunman convicted of an Orange County mass shooting, but as the front-running candidate for governor he has vowed to block executions if elected in November.

Becerra said he will extend the blanket reprieve for all death row inmates that Gov. Gavin Newsom enacted by executive order in 2019, saying he supported “moving our state away from a costly, flawed system that disproportionately impacts Black and brown communities and too often gets it wrong.”

Those comments have reassured anti-death penalty advocates wary of Becerra, who has stated throughout his career that capital punishment should be an option for victims seeking justice. He reiterated that stance just a decade ago during his confirmation hearing for attorney general, though he also expressed concerns about the unjust application of the punishment.

“I support the death penalty, but I hate the way it’s being executed,” Becerra told state lawmakers in 2017.

“If you commit some heinous crime where you have taken the life of someone else, and you knew that there was a death penalty in place in that place where you committed that crime, then you should face the punishment for what you’ve done,” he explained. “It doesn’t give me pleasure to say that, but I simply do believe there’s a simple justice in that.”

Becerra’s challenger in the Nov. 3 election, former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton, opposes the death penalty but said he would rescind Newsom’s moratorium because it defies the will of voters.

Becerra has said he is concerned by how death sentences historically have been applied, including a highly disproportionate number of condemned inmates who are Black or Latino men and cases in which they later have been exonerated of crimes.

He repeated similar positions last year during a gubernatorial forum in Los Angeles.

“I do not believe every Californian has gotten a fair verdict in these fights,” he said in response to a question about extending Newsom’s moratorium. “But here is what I will tell you: We have to be aggressive in going after crime, especially the most heinous crime. … I will make sure that we have a judiciary system and a prosecution system that takes into account that we must show fairness.”

Though California has not performed an execution since 2006, prosecutors in some areas of the state continue to seek and win death sentences. As of early August, there were 565 condemned inmates in California prisons, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Newsom’s moratorium stops the state from carrying out those sentences.

In California, county district attorneys are responsible for prosecuting the vast majority of accused murderers when they go to trial and also deciding whether to seek the death penalty. The office of the state attorney general is responsible for defending death penalty convictions on appeal.

Becerra sought the death penalty in a murder case his office prosecuted early in his tenure, though unsuccessfully. Scott Dekraai, who was convicted of killing his ex-wife and seven others in a shooting at a Seal Beach beauty salon, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a prosecution scandal involving his case.

Some death penalty opponents criticized Becerra for fighting to uphold the death sentence of Robert Lewis Jr., who was deemed by the California Supreme Court in 2018 to have an intellectual disability that made him ineligible for execution.

“I find that reprehensible,” said Mike Farrell, president of Death Penalty Focus, an advocacy group. A longtime anti-death penalty activist, Farrell is better-known for starring as B.J. Hunnicutt in the TV show “M*A*S*H.”

“It may not have been his idea, but he was part of that process,” he said of Becerra.

Others said Becerra cannot be blamed for doing his job. Former Vice President Kamala Harris faced the same dilemma when she served as state attorney general, as does Rob Bonta, who currently holds the office.

“The AG is in a different position because it’s just inherent in their role to defend convictions and sentences,” said Natasha Minsker of the California Anti-Death Penalty Coalition. “For example, Kamala Harris is very strongly personally opposed to the death penalty and still, while she was AG, the office defended hundreds of death sentences. Same with Rob Bonta. He’s very clearly personally against the death penalty, and his office continues to defend death sentences.”

Becerra’s campaign declined an interview on the subject and referred to his statement in support of extending Newsom’s freeze on executions.

Hilton, his Republican opponent in the race, holds starkly different views.

“If you’re arguing that taking a life is such a serious crime, then I don’t think responding by taking a life actually makes that argument,” he said in an interview last month.

But he said California voters spoke clearly by voting twice — in 2012 and 2016 — against ballot measures that would have repealed the death penalty. “I don’t think it’s OK for a governor to just substitute their personal opinion on an issue where the voters had an explicit and direct say,” he said.

“I strongly believe in holding people accountable for what they do,” Hilton said. “But my sort of fundamental belief is that if we’re saying it’s wrong to kill someone, then the state shouldn’t be doing it, either.”

Hilton also would roll back Democratic-led reforms that have shortened many inmates’ prison sentences by allowing them to seek parole sooner.

End or extend? It’s not that simple

Even if a governor rescinds the moratorium, resuming executions would be a long and complicated process because the state has no approved protocol or facilities to carry out death sentences.

Newsom ordered the dismantling of San Quentin’s death row and execution chamber. Even before he took office, the state’s use of lethal injection drugs was part of a long-running and now-dormant legal battle. And a dwindling number of attorneys who specialize in death penalty cases meant 70% of condemned inmates did not have a lawyer at the end of last year, according to a state report.

California’s death penalty also faces a new legal challenge from groups arguing that capital punishment cases have been administered in a way that is racially discriminatory. In May, the California Supreme Court ordered the attorney general’s office to respond to the arguments and assigned the case to a superior court.

The shifts in California’s criminal justice system are reflected in legal battles waged by the pro-death penalty Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, a nonprofit that supports victims of crime and their families in court.

“We used to do a lot of work in the capital punishment area because that was the area where justice and the sentences were under the greatest attack,” said Kent Scheidegger, the group’s legal director.

But as California’s Democratic-controlled Legislature, governor and, at times, voters adopted measures aimed at reducing the prison population, Scheidegger said the foundation’s efforts increasingly are focused on preserving “the finality of sentences.”

Many capital cases were negotiated as “plea bargains to life without parole on the express promise that this will provide the finality that the victims need most,” he said. “Life without possibility of parole, until recently, meant life without possibility of parole. And now we’ve got one action after another coming out of the government to break down that finality and give people sentenced to life without parole opportunities to get out.”

The group has challenged attempts to expand early release for violent offenders under 2016’s Proposition 57 and new regulations that would allow people sentenced to life without the possibility of parole to seek release.

Twenty-seven states allow the death penalty, but governors in four of them — California, Ohio, Oregon and Pennsylvania — have paused executions.

Slow shifts in public opinion

Attitudes about capital punishment have shifted over time. A 2025 Gallup poll showed 52% of Americans favor the death penalty for people convicted of murder, down from its peak of 80% in 1994.

In a 2023 survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, 62% of adults in the state said they “strongly favor” or “somewhat favor” the death penalty in murder cases. When asked which punishment they prefer for a first-degree murder case, 55% said life without parole and 43% chose the death penalty. More than three-quarters believe there “is some risk that an innocent person will be put to death.”

Despite the changing opinions, Minsker, of the California Anti-Death Penalty Coalition, said there’s little appetite for another repeal attempt because of how expensive ballot measure campaigns have become.

“I am personally one of the strongest proponents of ending the death penalty, and I am not sure I would spend $30 million on that right now, given all the other needs that California has,” said Minsker, a former attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union who ran the unsuccessful 2012 death penalty repeal measure.

Putting an anti-death penalty measure on the statewide ballot also could have put Newsom in an precarious political position. If it failed, Californians would be sending a stinging rebuke to the Democratic governor’s executive decision to grant a blanket reprieve to all condemned inmates.

Minsker is leading a group of criminal justice advocates, faith organizations, prosecutors, murder victim family members and others urging Newsom to commute every death sentence in California before he leaves office.

But advocates are unsure whether Newsom, who is considering a run for president in 2028, would risk the backlash a mass commutation would probably bring. The California Supreme Court also must review executive clemency actions for inmates with more than one felony charge.

Commuting all death sentences to life in prison “would be the coup de grâce,” Farrell said. “However, politically, I’m sure those who are advising him are urging him to have caution in that regard.”