Month: March 2026

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey commuted the death sentence of 75-year-old Charles “Sonny” Burton, thus halting his execution that had been scheduled for Thursday. The state has carried out 83 executions since 1976, and Ivey has overseen 25 of them during her time as governor. The decision on Tuesday marks only the second time since taking office in 2017 that Ivey has granted clemency to someone on the state’s death row.

Burton had been sentenced to death for his role in a 1991 robbery at an AutoZone store in Talladega that ended with the killing of customer Doug Battle. Although Burton admitted he participated in the armed robbery and took money from the store’s safe, prosecutors acknowledged that another participant, Derrick DeBruce, was the person who shot Battle in the back. Court testimony showed Burton and other accomplices had already left the store when Battle walked in and exchanged words with DeBruce, who then fired the fatal shot. DeBruce was initially sentenced to death as well, but his punishment was later reduced on appeal to life without parole.

Explaining her decision, Ivey said the imbalance in sentencing made the execution difficult to justify. “Doug Battle was brutally murdered by Derrick DeBruce while shopping in an auto parts store. But DeBruce was ultimately sentenced to life without parole. Charles Burton did not shoot the victim, did not direct the triggerman to shoot the victim and had already left the store by the time the shooting occurred. Yet Mr. Burton was set to be executed while DeBruce was allowed to live out his life in prison,” she said.

Although Ivey said she continues to support capital punishment as “just punishment for society’s most heinous offenders,” she concluded the circumstances in Burton’s case were different. “I cannot proceed in good conscience with the execution of Mr. Burton under such disparate circumstances. I believe it would be unjust for one participant in this crime to be executed while the participant who pulled the trigger was not,” she said.

Burton’s death sentence stemmed from the legal doctrine known as felony murder, which allows people involved in certain serious crimes—such as robbery—to be held responsible for a death that occurs during the offense, even if they did not carry out the killing themselves. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, 27 states permit such prosecutions.

Burton, who sometimes uses a wheelchair and has spent decades behind bars, had been slated to become the ninth person executed by nitrogen gas in Alabama—a method the state first used in 2024. In the weeks leading up to the planned execution, supporters, family members, and even some jurors from Burton’s 1992 trial urged the governor to intervene. One juror later wrote that prosecutors had portrayed Burton as the “ring leader,” shaping how the case was viewed and influencing the jury’s recommendation for a death sentence. Battle’s daughter also appealed for mercy in a letter to the governor, asking “how does it legally make sense” to execute Burton when the man who fired the gun would remain in prison for life.

Speaking from Holman Correctional Facility before the decision, Burton maintained that violence was never intended during the robbery. “I didn’t know anything about nobody getting hurt until we were on the way back. No, nobody supposed to get hurt,” he said, and expressed remorse for the victim’s family, saying, “I’m so sorry. If I had the power to bring him back, I would. I’m so sorry.”

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Artificial intelligence company Anthropic filed lawsuits Monday against the United States Department of Defense and several other federal agencies after the government moved to block the company’s technology from being used for defense-related work. The lawsuit names several departments and officials as defendants, including the Treasury, State and Commerce Departments along with figures such as Scott Bessent, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Kristi Noem.

The legal fight follows a decision by the Pentagon to classify the firm as a national security supply-chain risk. Shortly afterward, Pres. Trump announced that federal agencies should stop using the company’s AI systems altogether. Anthropic responded by launching two separate court actions—one in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and another with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The company argues the government’s actions are not a routine contract disagreement but an attempt to punish the firm for its stance on how its technology should be used.

The filing said in part that “the Constitution does not allow the government to wield its enormous power to punish a company for its protected speech. No federal statute authorizes the actions taken here. Anthropic turns to the judiciary as a last resort to vindicate its rights and halt the Executive’s unlawful campaign of retaliation.”

At the center of the dispute is Anthropic’s flagship AI system, Claude, which has been deployed on classified government networks to assist with intelligence analysis, targeting suggestions and battlefield simulations. The technology has also supported data analysis and administrative tasks across several agencies, often through partnerships with firms such as Palantir Technologies. Tensions grew as Anthropic pushed for stronger limits on how the military could deploy its AI. The company sought guarantees that Claude would not be used to power lethal autonomous weapons or conduct mass surveillance on Americans. Defense officials, however, insisted the system should be available for “all lawful use.”

Negotiations between the two sides ultimately stalled ahead of a Feb. 27 deadline set by the Pentagon. After talks broke down, Trump ordered federal agencies “to IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic’s technology.” Soon after, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon would formally classify the company as a “Supply-Chain Risk to National Security,” cutting it off from defense contracts.

Anthropic argues the move is unprecedented for a U.S. company and claims the designation—typically reserved for foreign adversaries—was applied without proper procedure: “Anthropic’s contracts with the federal government are already being canceled. Current and future contracts with private parties are also in doubt, jeopardizing hundreds of millions of dollars in the near-term,” the company’s lawsuit said.

The legal complaint further claims the government’s actions threaten the company’s reputation and free-speech protections while damaging broader discussions about the responsible use of artificial intelligence in warfare and surveillance. Anthropic is asking the courts to block the Pentagon’s order and rule that the president lacked the authority to force agencies across the federal government to sever ties with the company.

Anthropic says it remains open to discussions with federal officials, but believed that court intervention was necessary to stop the bans from taking effect until the dispute is resolved.

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Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, has reached a major settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve a federal antitrust lawsuit accusing the company of dominating the live entertainment industry and limiting competition.

The lawsuit was originally filed in 2024 by federal prosecutors and dozens of state attorneys general, with the case seeking to dismantle Live Nation’s control over the live music ecosystem, which critics say stretches from artist management and concert promotion to venue ownership and ticket sales. The company has consistently denied wrongdoing, maintaining that artists ultimately set ticket prices and decide how tickets are distributed.

The settlement requires Live Nation to overhaul several of its business practices while paying hundreds of millions of dollars to states that joined the case. As part of the deal, Live Nation will pay roughly $200 million to $280 million in penalties and damages to the 40 states involved in the case. The company must also sell at least 13 amphitheaters—more than 10% of its holdings—to reduce its influence over concert venues. Investigators had previously alleged the company controlled about 78% of major amphitheaters across the country.

The deal also introduces several changes aimed at opening the ticket marketplace to competitors. Ticketmaster will be required to allow other companies to access its technology so they can sell tickets through its platform. Third-party sellers such as SeatGeek and Eventbrite will now be able to list tickets directly within the system.

In addition, venues will no longer be locked into exclusive long-term agreements with Ticketmaster. They will be able to work with multiple ticketing providers, and artists will no longer be required to sell tickets solely through the platform. The settlement also caps service fees for amphitheater tickets at 15% of the ticket’s face value and prohibits Live Nation from retaliating against venues that choose other ticketing partners.

A senior Justice Department official said the changes should create meaningful competition in an industry that has long been criticized by fans and performers: “we’re very excited about this settlement, because it basically opens up markets for other competitors, which will allow for competition that previously didn’t exist in primary ticketing and in the live entertainment space,” the official said, adding the reforms should “have a direct impact on prices coming down.”

However, the agreement has not been universally accepted. More than two dozen states have expressed concerns and plan to continue pursuing the lawsuit, arguing the settlement does not go far enough to break the company’s dominance. New York Attorney General Letitia James said the deal “fails to address the monopoly at the center of this case.” In a separate statement, she added, “The settlement recently announced with the U.S. Department of Justice fails to address the monopoly at the center of this case, and would benefit Live Nation at the expense of consumers. We cannot agree to it.”

While the settlement allows Live Nation to keep Ticketmaster, regulators say the new restrictions and required asset sales are intended to loosen the company’s grip on the live entertainment marketplace and give competitors a greater chance to operate.

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Police in Los Angeles have arrested a woman accused of firing multiple gunshots at the home of singer Rihanna on Sunday afternoon.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the suspect—identified as 35-year-old Ivanna Lisette Ortiz—was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of attempted murder. Bail has been set at $10.225 million.

Officers responded around 1:15 p.m. to reports of gunfire at the singer’s residence in the Beverly Crest neighborhood near Beverly Hills. Investigators believe Ortiz stopped her vehicle outside the property and fired several rounds—reportedly between five and seven shots—from what police described as an AR-style rifle. Some of the bullets struck the home’s front gate, a wall, and a vehicle parked outside, though none penetrated the interior of the house. Authorities recovered seven “assault rifle casings” at the scene. No injuries were reported.

Police tracked the suspect’s white Tesla with the help of a helicopter. The vehicle was followed roughly eight miles away to the Sherman Oaks Galleria, where officers pulled Ortiz over and arrested her in a parking garage. LAPD spokesperson Armen Arias said, “When they pulled her over and took her into custody, they searched the vehicle and located an assault rifle and seven casings.”

According to law-enforcement sources Rihanna—whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty—was inside the house along with her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky, and their children at the time of the incident.

A motive for the shooting has not yet been determined, and the investigation remains ongoing.

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Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen as the new supreme leader of Iran, according to state media reports released Sunday. His selection by the Assembly of Experts — the clerical body tasked under Iranian law with appointing the country’s highest authority — makes him the third leader of the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.

The decision follows the death of Ali Khamenei during recent U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran that also reportedly killed several members of his family, including Mojtaba’s wife.  Despite never holding elected office, Mojtaba Khamenei has spent years operating inside his father’s inner circle, quietly building influence within Iran’s political and security institutions — particularly the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. After the strikes, it was reported that he was alive and had taken on a leadership role in the aftermath, “overseeing matters related to the martyrs of the family, managing affairs, and providing consultation and review on important national issues.”

Within Iran, the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei may prove controversial as he is believed to wield significant influence among government officials and security leaders, but he lacks the high-level clerical credentials traditionally associated with the position. Additionally, a father-to-son transition is sensitive in Iran, where hereditary rule is widely viewed with suspicion after the 1979 overthrow of the U.S.-backed monarchy led by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

President Trump told Axios last week that the prospect of Mojtaba Khamenei becoming Iran’s leader would be “unacceptable.” Trump added: “They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment. Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me.” Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces warned Sunday that any successor to Ali Khamenei could be considered a potential target.

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Earlier on Sunday, U.S. Central Command confirmed that another U.S. service member had died from injuries sustained during the early wave of Iranian attacks in the Middle East, bringing the number of American troops killed in the conflict to seven. The deaths come amid escalating tensions across the region following Iran’s retaliatory strikes tied to the ongoing conflict, known by the U.S. military as Operation Epic Fury. The president has previously warned that additional American casualties may occur as the fighting continues. Asked whether he expected to attend more transfer ceremonies, Trump said, “I’m sure. I hate to … but it’s a part of war.”

Officials said the service member was critically wounded during a March 1 attack targeting U.S. forces stationed in Saudi Arabia and died Saturday from those injuries. The military has not yet released the individual’s name, following the standard practice of waiting until at least 24 hours after relatives have been notified. US Central Command said on X: “Last night, a U.S. service member passed away from injuries received during the Iranian regime’s initial attacks across the Middle East. The service member was seriously wounded at the scene of an attack on U.S. troops in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on March 1.”

The latest death follows the loss of six U.S. Army reservists who were killed the same day in a separate Iranian strike on a command center at a Kuwaiti port. The fallen troops — Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor of Minnesota; Capt. Cody Khork of Florida; Sgt. Declan Coady of Iowa; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan of California; Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien of Iowa; and Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens of Nebraska — were all members of the 103rd Sustainment Command headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa.

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Two men were taken into custody after explosive devices were ignited during opposing demonstrations outside Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City’s mayor.

According to the New York Police Department, tensions escalated Saturday when a small anti-Islam rally organized by right-wing influencer Jake Lang gathered outside the mansion while a much larger counterprotest formed nearby. Police said roughly 20 people attended Lang’s event, titled “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer,” while about 120–125 counterprotesters rallied across the street. Authorities said the situation intensified shortly after noon. One participant from Lang’s group allegedly sprayed pepper spray at a counterprotester and was arrested. Minutes later, police say an 18-year-old counterprotester lit and hurled a device toward the protest area.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said witnesses saw the device smoking as it flew through the air before landing near a barrier close to officers. “Witnesses reported seeing flames and smoke as it traveled through the air before it struck a barrier and extinguished itself a few feet from police officers,” she said. Investigators later recovered a second device. Both were described as jars wrapped in black tape containing nuts, bolts and screws and fitted with hobby fuses. Initially, officials were unsure whether the items were functional explosives.

Tisch said at the time, “We do not yet know whether the devices were functional improvised explosive devices or hoax devices, because we don’t yet know if there was energetic material contained in them;” however after further analysis, the NYPD bomb squad concluded one device was real. Tisch said it “has determined that it is not a hoax device or a smoke bomb. It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death. Further analysis will be conducted, including on a second device.”

Both suspects, ages 18 and 19 and from Pennsylvania, were detained at the scene after police said one handed a device to the other, who then lit it. They were later taken into federal custody for questioning by the FBI and NYPD as part of a Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation. Authorities are also examining whether the men may have been influenced by ISIS, and searches of their homes and electronic devices are expected.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim mayor, was inside Gracie Mansion at the time. His office confirmed he and his wife were safe. Mamdani strongly criticized the protest that prompted the confrontation: “Yesterday, white supremacist Jake Lang organized a protest outside Gracie Mansion rooted in bigotry and racism. Such hate has no place in New York City. It is an affront to our city’s values and the unity that defines who we are. What followed was even more disturbing. Violence at a protest is never acceptable. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.” He also praised officers who responded to the threat: “I want to thank the brave men and women of the NYPD who acted quickly to keep New Yorkers safe. Our officers ran toward danger without hesitation, demonstrating once again the courage and dedication it takes to protect this city every single day.” 

Police reported no injuries. In total, six people were arrested during the demonstrations, including three others accused of disorderly conduct and blocking traffic.  Meanwhile, ,the FBI confirmed its New York field office is assisting the investigation, stating: “During a rally earlier this afternoon, two suspicious items were recovered from the property of Gracie Mansion. The FBI New York’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the New York City Police Department quickly responded and are actively investigating this matter.”

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