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The highest level of punishment for committing crimes in the United States is death. Since 1976, lethal injection, or death by poison, has been the most common way the death penalty is enforced. In recent years it has become more difficult for prison systems to get access to these lethal poisons. States are trying new drug formulas that are not always successful. Listen to learn why pharmaceutical companies are refusing to sell drugs to prisons and how this is affecting the implementation of the death penalty.
NOTE: THERE IS A DISTURBING DESCRIPTION OF A LETHAL INJECTION EXECUTION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY
Story Length: 5:01
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October 28, 2016
3:46
The Federal Bureau of Prisons can petition the court for the early release of a prisoner for extraordinary and compelling reasons, called compassionate release. It is typically granted in cases where the inmate is dying or has a debilitating medical condition. This story highlights the case of a former Massachusetts House Speaker who was sentenced for corruption in 2012. He is dying of cancer and the Federal Bureau of Prisons has filed a motion to release him early. Listen to hear more about this extraordinary type of release and debate whether sick prisoners should be released for compassionate reasons.
Update: A federal judge ruled to grant the Massachusetts House Speaker early release because of his health.
Read MoreJanuary 9, 2015
4:28
The legal drinking age in the United States is 21, but surveys show that parties with alcohol have become common for underage teens. And often, the parents know the teens are drinking. Some communities are trying to hold the parents accountable for the underage drinking. Listen to learn how one county in Southern California is cracking down on teen drinking by fining parents.
Read MoreJanuary 8, 2015
3:50
Many people use caffeine as a pick me up throughout the day. They drink coffee or tea in the morning, and maybe a soda at lunch. A new powdered form of caffeine has hit the market but it can be deadly. Listen to learn more about the health impacts of powdered caffeine and the effort by some people to ban it.
Read MoreFebruary 4, 2014
2:25
The 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing suspect could face the federal death penalty. Some victims of the bombings actively argue for capital punishment. The majority of residents in Massachusetts, where the bombing happened, do not support the penalty and it is not legal for state crimes. Listen to this story to learn what the bomber's fate might be. And then listen to this story about how a federal death penalty law trumps a state law that prevents it.
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