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Nebraska became the first state to use fentanyl as part of a lethal injection cocktail on Tuesday, executing a 60-year-old inmate who was convicted for double homicide in 1979, reports WashPost.
Why it matters: Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the CDC. With 20,000 deaths from fentanyl and related compounds in 2016 alone, the drug has driven the opioid epidemic in the U.S. to new heights.
A building at the Meadowood Napa Valley luxury resort burns after the Glass Fire moved through the area on September 28, 2020 in St. Helena, California. Photo: by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Three people have died in a wildfire in Northern California and tens of thousands were evacuated across the state, as firefighters contended with strong winds and dry conditions that saw blazes explode across the state on Monday.
Driving the news: Shasta County Sheriff Eric Magrini confirmed the deaths occurred as the Zogg Fire spread across 15,000 acres, forcing the evacuation of 1,200 people. More than for 5o,000 people, per AP.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
The global toll of confirmed deaths from COVID-19 crossed 1 million on Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins.
By the numbers: More than half of those deaths have come in four countries: the U.S. (204,762), Brazil (141,741), India (95,542) and Mexico (76,430). The true global death toll is likely far higher.