"Controversy Surrounds Alabama's First Nitrogen Gas Execution"

Alabama executed Kenneth Eugene Smith using nitrogen gas, marking the first American execution of its kind, but the method has not resolved the legal, moral, and technical challenges surrounding the death penalty. Witnesses reported that Smith "shook and writhed" for at least two minutes before breathing heavily, contrary to the state's claim that he would lose consciousness within seconds. Alabama's attorney general hailed the execution as a "historic" breakthrough, criticizing opponents of the death penalty for pressuring those involved in the process.