Washington state abolishes death penalty

Washington has become the 20th US state to ban the death penalty, after its Supreme Court ruled the punishment was applied in an "arbitrary and racially biased manner.” The eight people currently on death row in the north-western state immediately had their sentences commuted to life. A total of 23 people were executed in the US last year, but Washington has not carried out the death penalty since 2010. Judges sitting on the Washington state Supreme Court unanimously backed Thursday's decision, made during an appeal by death row inmate Allen Gregory, who raped and murdered a woman in 1996. The appeal had included a study which showed black convicts were 4.5 times more likely to be sentenced to death in Washington state than white inmates. Advocates for capital punishment argue it should be available for those who commit the worst crimes.

In Other News Selena Gomez is receiving treatment for an undisclosed medical condition. "Selena is receiving treatment and has the full support of her friends and family," a source said. "She was recently hospitalized after complications from her kidney transplant, and she's committed to focusing on her health.“ Gomez, who has more than 144 million followers on Instagram, announced last month that she would be taking a break from social media. Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the embattled archbishop of Washington, ending weeks of mounting speculation and rising anger over Wuerl's role in two clergy sexual abuse scandals. The Eagles DESTROYED the Giants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Turkish government has told U.S. officials that it has audio and video recordings that prove Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul this month. The recordings show that a Saudi security team detained Khashoggi in the consulate after he walked in Oct. 2 to obtain an official document before his upcoming wedding, then killed him and dismembered his body. The journalist has had long-standing ties to the Saudi royal family, but has written critically of the current government and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The existence of such evidence would explain why Turkish officials were quick to accuse Saudi Arabia of killing Khashoggi. But Turkish officials are wary of releasing the recordings, fearing they could divulge how the Turks spy on foreign entities in their country. Saudi officials have denied any involvement in the disappearance of Khashoggi. Within the White House, on Capitol Hill and among U.S. intelligence officials there is a growing belief that Khashoggi is dead and that Saudi Arabia is to blame.

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