"Alabama's First Nitrogen Gas Execution Sets Precedent for More to Follow"

Alabama executed death row inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith using nitrogen gas, a controversial method that had never been used before by a US state, after struggling to administer lethal injection due to difficulties inserting an IV needle. The use of nitrogen gas in executions has withstood legal challenges, but critics argue it is an experimental and potentially painful procedure. The execution comes amid declining support for the death penalty in the US, with fewer executions and death sentences being carried out in recent years.