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Biden Death Row Clemency, Long COVID Research, Lebanon Antiquities Damaged
Mon, 23 Dec 2024
President Biden uses his clemency authority to commute the sentences of 37 of the 40 men on federal death row to life without parole. The National Institutes of Health recently announced it's investing $300 million dollars to research treatments for long COVID. Antiquities in Lebanon were destroyed during the Israel-Hezbollah war despite protections for cultural sites under the laws of war. Join the new NPR Plus Bundle to support our work and get perks like sponsor-free listening and bonus episodes across more than 25 NPR podcasts. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Dana Farrington, Carrie Feibel, Denice Rios, Lisa Thomson and Ally Schweitzer. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Ana Perez. We get engineering support from Nisha Heinis. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
What clemency action did President Biden take regarding death row inmates?
Good morning, it's Asma Khalid. Before we dive into today's show, I want to give you all a quick look behind the scenes of Up First. Here at NPR, our staff work round the clock to bring you the latest news. They coordinate with reporters and editors across the country and around the world to make sure you start your day with analysis and news from the biggest stories of the moment.
You can sign up for NPR Plus today at plus.npr.org. That's plus.npr.org. Now, on to the news. President Biden is using his presidential authority to commute the sentences of dozens of men on federal death row. With just a few weeks left in office, what's behind the president's decision? I'm Asma Khalid, and this is Up First from NPR News.
For those living with long COVID, it can come with extreme fatigue, brain fog and heart problems.
Millions of Americans can't keep waiting and keeping their lives on pause or even dying, you know, with this condition.
Will new investment in research bring patients suffering with these symptoms any closer to reliable treatments? And a number of cultural heritage sites in Lebanon were damaged during the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Will they be rebuilt? Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.
Today, President Biden is using his clemency powers to commute the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row. The 37 individuals who are all men will now serve life in prison without parole. It's one of the most significant moves against capital punishment in recent presidential history. And here to talk through the news is NPR White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram.
Good morning, Deepa. Hey, good morning. So what has President Biden said about this decision?
Well, the president put out a statement this morning and he laid out a couple of points. He was clear in saying that he condemns the people convicted of murder who are on federal death row and he grieves with the victims who have suffered because of them. But he says his decision to commute the sentences for the 37 men.
was guided by his conscience, his experience as a public defender, his time as a senator, vice president, and president. And Biden said, quote, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level. And just a couple things to keep in mind here, Asma. Biden commuted the sentences of these 37 men to life in prison.
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