Hours before a scheduled execution, the governor of Oklahoma commuted Julius Jones’ death sentence. President Joe Biden said he’s considering a diplomatic boycott of …
Hours before a scheduled execution, the governor of Oklahoma commuted Julius Jones’ death sentence. President Joe Biden said he’s considering a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics. And tonight’s the night: a partial lunar eclipse is happening. ???? Hey! Laura here. Thanksgiving is a week away. Here’s Thursday’s news! The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here. Gov. Kevin Stitt has spared the life of high-profile death row inmate Julius Jones. Following a recommendation from the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, Stitt on Thursday granted clemency to Jones, reducing the inmate’s sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The 41-year-old has been incarcerated for nearly 20 years after being convicted for the fatal shooting of Paul Howell during a 1999 carjacking. He was sentenced to death at the age of 22 but has maintained his innocence throughout. As a condition of granting clemency, Stitt ordered that Jones shall never be eligible to apply for or be considered for a commutation, pardon, or parole for the rest of his life. The man seen on video fatally shooting Ahmaud Arbery acknowledged Thursday that Arbery did not threaten him during the chase and that he could’ve stopped following him before the fatal shooting. Travis McMichael also told prosecutors that he did not tell police some of the details about the pursuit that he shared in court on Wednesday.
