Tennessee prison officials abruptly stopped the execution of a death row inmate yesterday after difficulties finding a vein for the lethal injection.

The latest: Gov. Bill Lee gave inmate Tony Von Carruthers a one-year reprieve following the failed attempt to execute him.

The big picture: Critics of the death penalty quickly seized on the news as evidence that lethal injections are unconstitutional and unreliable.

Driving the news: The state was moving forward with Carruthers' planned execution at 10am before trouble was apparent. Media witnesses had been escorted into Riverbend Maximum Security Institution and were waiting in a room adjoining the death chamber.

• Witnesses were supposed to see medical personnel set the IV lines for the execution, but the blinds over a window into the death chamber never raised, the Tennessean reported.

The Tennessee Department of Correction said in a statement that medical personnel "quickly established a primary IV line; however, the team was unable to immediately establish a backup line pursuant to the lethal injection execution protocol."

• "The team continued to follow the protocol, but could not find another suitable vein. The team attempted to insert a central line pursuant to the protocol, but the procedure was unsuccessful."
• "The execution was then called off."

Zoom in: Carruthers' attorney, federal public defender Amy Harwell, said the process was torturous and bloody. The ACLU reported Carruthers "groaned in pain" as personnel used a needle for more than an hour to find a suitable vein.

• Maria DeLiberato, senior counsel at the ACLU's Capital Punishment Project, blasted the "botched execution" as "outright barbaric."

Carruthers was convicted and sent to death row on three counts of first-degree murder for the 1994 deaths of Marcellos Anderson; his mother, Delois Anderson; and Frederick Taylor.

• Following Carruthers' erratic behavior during the trial, the court forced him to represent himself.
• Carruthers got representation from the federal public defenders after his conviction. They point to DNA and fingerprints from the crime scene that do not match Carruthers' but could point toward another suspect.

What they're saying: "Tennessee has effectively made the case against the death penalty," Laura Porter, executive director of the U.S. Campaign to End the Death Penalty, said in a statement.

• "They forced Tony Carruthers to represent himself at his own capital trial, failed to test DNA and fingerprint evidence and now they have failed to execute him."

Share this story

If AI were a candidate for political office, it would be losing in a landslide.

Why it matters: The AI hype cycle would have you believe the technology is inevitable. But AI backlash is growing.

State of play: A commencement address went viral this month after Florida real estate executive Gloria Caulfield said "artificial intelligence is the next Industrial Revolution," sparking a chorus of boos from the crowd.

• The disdain spans generations and political parties. An Economist/YouGov poll released this week showed over 70% of Americans think AI is advancing too quickly, with 68% of Republicans and 77% of Democrats saying it's moving too fast.

Zoom in: A Vanderbilt Unity Poll released in March found 61% of Republicans and 56% of Democrats nationwide favor regulating AI.

• About 37% said they were worried about job security due to AI. Young people were much more worried than retirement-age respondents.

Read the full story

🗺️ A three-judge panel considered the NAACP's lawsuit against Tennessee's newly gerrymandered congressional map. They sent mixed signals during a Thursday hearing. (Tennessean)

📂 The Tennessee Supreme Court sided with the media in a new ruling that a lower court must unseal records related to former Judge Cheryl Blackburn's competence. (Nashville Banner)

✅ Tennessee officials approved $30 million in incentives for Starbucks tied to the company's corporate expansion in downtown Nashville. (Tennessee Lookout)

If you're one of the 950,000 Tennesseans hitting the road for the long weekend, you might want to leave soon.

• This afternoon is forecasted to be one of the worst times to be on the road. But this morning might make for an easier departure time.

Why it matters: AAA predicts this will be the busiest Memorial Day ever for travel — meaning your travel schedule could make or break your trip.

Zoom in: Sunday is a good driving day, it estimates.

What we're watching: Aggressive Monday-morning drivers.

• AAA clocked a 29% spike in Memorial Day speeding compared to other Mondays, with speeding peaking 7am–9am.