West
Idaho fails to execute five-time murder convict Thomas Eugene Creech
The state of Idaho on Wednesday was unable to execute Thomas Eugene Creech, one of the longest-serving death row inmates in the U.S.
Medical personnel administering the lethal injection failed to establish an IV line despite trying for roughly an hour. The U.S. Supreme Court had denied all motions to block the process on Wednesday morning, allowing the execution to move forward. The death warrant is now being allowed to expire and will need to be renewed for a later attempt.
Prior to the failed execution, Creech was allowed to spend time with his wife the night before. He asked for fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and ice cream as his final meal.
The execution would have been Idaho’s first instance of capital punishment in 12 years.
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The state of Idaho failed to execute Thomas Eugene Creech on Thursday, one of the longest-serving death row inmates in the U.S. (Associated Press)
Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed legislation last year authorizing the use of a firing squad as a method of execution if lethal injection is deemed unavailable. It is unclear whether Wednesday’s failure would meet that standard.
Creech has been convicted of five murders spanning three states, and he is suspected of committing a number of others. He has been in prison since 1974.
He was originally sentenced to death for fatally shooting John Wayne Bradford and Edward Thomas Arnold, who picked him up while he was hitchhiking. That punishment, however, was changed to life in prison after the state’s sentencing law was found unconstitutional.
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The execution chamber at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution is shown as Security Institution Warden Randy Blades looks on in Boise, Idaho, on Oct. 20, 2011. (Associated Press)
Then, in 1983, he was sentenced to death for the murder of fellow inmate David Dale Jensen. Jensen was 22, disabled and serving time for a car theft when Creech attacked him with a battery-filled sock on May 13, 1981.
Creech requested the presence of an Episcopal bishop the morning of his execution. Creech was allowed to wear a crucifix during the procedure, and the bishop was allowed to rest his hand on his shoulder throughout the process.
It is unclear exactly how long state personnel attempted to administer the lethal injection.
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The U.S. Supreme Court denied all motions to block Creech’s execution on Wednesday, allowing the procedure to move forward. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
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Creech’s wife was also allowed to sit in the witness area within his view. The state’s witnesses sent to the execution included Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts; Dodds Hayden of the Board of Corrections; Jared Larsen of the Governor’s office; Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford; Attorney General Raul Labrador; and Phil Skinner, the AG’s chief of staff.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Ever since his 2024 diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, much of three-year-old Caleb Seidl’s life has been rooted in uncertainty.
“We’ve been through some really intense treatments,” Caleb’s father Reuben Seidl said. “It’s amazing, his resilience and his energy and just the fight that he’s shown, not even realizing that he’s been fighting, but just trying to be a kid and be himself.”
One way Caleb and his family have found to help him be himself has been embracing his love of hockey.
“As anyone that has a toddler knows, it’s hard to get them to sit on one idea or one want,” Reuben Seidl said. “But Caleb has always loved sports. He’s always loved watching hockey games even before his diagnosis.”
He’s joined a Alaska All-Stars Hockey Association team that’s usually meant for kids six and older. But it made an exception to accommodate the fast-learning Caleb.
“It’s a real privilege to get to support a kid like Caleb that’s out here fighting a battle you don’t wish on your worst enemies,” All-Stars coach Nic Cohen said. “The kid started off with a pusher and now he’s flying around out there having a blast every night.”
That’s why, when the Make-A-Wish Foundation approached the Seidl family with news that Caleb qualified for a wish, he made himself abundantly clear.
“He always landed on wanting to be a hockey team,” his dad remembered. “So we passed that on and we worked with the wish coordinators, and they were like, ‘Man, it’s pretty unusual for a three-year-old to want to be a hockey team.’ But it’s amazing. They’re making it work.”
All it took was slightly adjusting the syntax of Caleb’s wish – and enlisting the help of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken – to put a plan together.
“We got to meet [mascot] Buoy from the Kraken in June,” Reuben Seidl recalled. “And we got to meet John Hayden, who played with the Kraken last season.”
The second phase of that wish gets going Monday when the Seidl’s head to Seattle to watch the Kraken take on the Pittsburgh Penguins with a group of family and friends tagging along.
“The Kraken and Make-a-Wish were so blown away by the support,” Reuben Seidl said. “They ended up helping everybody find an amazing seat.”
Caleb will also get to participate in a Kraken practice the next day.
“Every single person we’ve talked to has just been incredibly generous, and kind, and supportive,” Reuben Seidl said. “Just making sure that the family, and Caleb especially, feel special.”
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Arizona is a fast-growing state. Here’s what to know
Arizona may not be one of the oldest states, but it still has a long history. Here’s what to know about the 48th state in the nation.
The Republic
Consider the license plate.
No, seriously, think about it. Just sitting there, stuck on the back of your car, an identification device that attracts little or no notice unless you get pulled over for speeding or something.
Unless …
For some people, a license plate can be something more. It’s a way for some drivers to express themselves, whether through witty (and not so witty) words and names and such, or through a speciality plate. You have doubtless seen both. I broke up laughing while stuck behind a car with an Idaho plate, detailed with the slogan, “Famous Potatoes.”
Arizona’s plate has a slogan, too: “Grand Canyon State.” It has a little silhouette of a saguaro cactus, too. Fitting, though “Famous Political Scandals” would work, too.
What you may not know about license plates in Arizona, and why would you, is that you have a staggering number of options when it comes to expressing yourself through speciality plates. The state offers 109, ranging from the standard (“Grand Canyon State”) to “In God We Trust” to Verde Valley Wine Trail to, of course, the state’s universities, as well as many, many more.
This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we answer the question, “Why does Arizona have so many specialty plates?” And we have just the person to answer it: Bill Lamoreaux, the assistant communications director for the Arizona Department of Transportation, specifically the Motor Vehicle Division. He knows a lot about Arizona license plates. And if you tune into the episode, you will, too.
Listen to the episode:
The best way to listen is to subscribe to Valley 101 in your favorite podcast app, but you can also stream the full episode below.
Note: Valley 101 is intended to be heard, but we offer an AI transcript of the episode script. There may be slight deviations from the podcast audio.
Submit your questions to us about metro Phoenix and Arizona for a chance to be chosen for the podcast.
Catch up on previous Valley 101 episodes here
Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Subscribe to the weekly Watchlist newsletter.
This episode was produced by Amanda Luberto. You can reach Amanda at amanda.luberto@arizonarepublic.com or follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @amandaluberto.
California
As California’s schools struggle, governor hopefuls clash over who’s to blame — and who should fix it
Education is California’s largest state expense, consuming more than a third of the state budget through K-12 schools alone. Yet as voters prepare to choose a successor to outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom, candidates across the political spectrum agree the system is falling short.
Reading and math scores among California’s 5.8 million K-12 students trail national averages, and more than half of students are reading below grade level. Meanwhile, declining enrollment, chronic absenteeism and the end of pandemic recovery dollars have forced school leaders to close campuses or issue widespread layoffs to plug multimillion-dollar budget holes.
Those pressures have turned public education into one of the sharpest dividing lines in the race for governor.
Democrats and Republicans largely agree California’s schools are struggling — but they offer starkly different explanations for why, and competing visions for how much power, money and control the state should exert over classrooms, teachers and parents.
The debate unfolds as California faces an escalating clash with President Donald Trump over education policy, with federal funding increasingly at risk amid disputes over transgender athletes’ participation in sports and immigration enforcement on school campuses.
Newsom’s two-term legacy looms over the race.
As governor, Newsom has provided universal free school meals, added transitional kindergarten for all preschool-aged children, pushed to restrict cellphone use on campuses, and launched initiatives aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ students’ mental health and well-being.
At the same time, he has faced criticism for extensive school closures during the pandemic, budget maneuvers that educators say have threatened funding, legislation preventing schools from being required to notify parents if a student changes their gender identity, and new laws and guidance aimed at addressing antisemitism in schools.
Polling shows a wide-open race ahead of the June primary, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the November general election regardless of party affiliation. Democrats are heavily favored in a state where the party holds a roughly 2-to-1 registration advantage over Republicans, who hope voters are ready for a change
Democrats
Most Democratic candidates share broad agreement on increasing school funding, addressing workforce shortages and improving equity — but diverge on how much control the state should exert over districts and how education should be funded.
Among the candidates is the current state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who argues California does not have an achievement gap, but rather an opportunity gap for low-income, minority and homeless students.
Thurmond said schools are chronically underfunded and supports shifting California to an enrollment-based funding model, rather than the state’s current system, which ties funding to daily attendance. Advocates say the move could deliver more money to nine in 10 schools statewide.
He also backs taxing billionaires to boost education revenue, increasing teacher pay and improving working conditions to address persistent shortages — despite California having the nation’s highest average teacher salary — and using underutilized district land for workforce housing.
Like several other Democrats, Thurmond said he would continue California’s legal and political battles with the Trump administration over threats to withhold federal funding tied to transgender student policies and immigration enforcement on campuses.
Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, also a Democrat, said she would focus on investing in the education workforce, addressing the teacher shortage, and making school funding more equitable and reliable.
Porter said the state has a responsibility to guide districts and create conditions where students can learn and thrive, including through universal before- and after-school care, free school buses, fully funding and expanding universal school meals, and continued legal challenges to Trump administration policies.
“As a proud public school parent, I understand firsthand the value of investing in public education and protecting it from Donald Trump’s attacks,” Porter said in a statement to this news organization. “As Governor … I’ll take on Donald Trump when he cuts funding for education, including for second-language learners and students with disabilities.”
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, another Democrat, said the system is “broken” and partly blamed what he called a top-down approach and bureaucracy within districts.
Villaraigosa said his role as governor would be to lead “with a light touch,” arguing districts and teachers need more control over education decisions.
He pointed to gains in graduation rates and efforts to turn around struggling schools during his tenure as mayor, though critics have questioned how much progress was sustained.
Villaraigosa opposes school vouchers but supports switching to an enrollment-based funding formula. He said while California has a revenue problem, it also must address spending and grow its economy.
“We are not educating our kids in the way that we should,” Villaraigosa said. “Information is the currency of our economy, and yet we have too many kids who can’t read and write. And when you look at who those kids are, they’re disproportionately poor, they’re disproportionately of color, and it’s unacceptable in a state this rich that we have that situation.”
Ian Calderon, a former Democratic Assembly member and the youngest candidate at 40, said California’s education system is failing because of a one-size-fits-all approach across its 1,015 school districts.
Calderon said educators need a greater role in decision-making, parents must be more involved, and student success depends on broader stability, including access to secure housing.
He also called for tax reform to create alternative sources of education funding.
“We cannot continue to base the future of our funding on a volatile income tax system,” Calderon said.
Former State Controller Betty Yee, also a Democrat, agreed the state must move away from a one-size-fits-all model, arguing California’s economic health is inseparable from student achievement.
Yee said the state’s current school funding formula is too rigid and needs reform, and pledged to veto legislation that imposes new mandates without providing funding.
She attributed the teacher shortage partly to high housing and health care costs, but said districts should not be responsible for developing workforce housing.
“I do not want school districts to be landlords,” Yee said.
East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat who entered the race in November, did not respond to multiple requests for comment about his education platform.
Republicans
Republican candidates, by contrast, largely argue that California’s education problems stem from centralized control, cultural priorities and excessive state mandates.
Among them is Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who has campaigned on increased funding for teachers and schools, expanded mental health counseling for students, support for career-technical education and stronger parental rights.
Bianco has argued for returning control to local school districts, a stance that contrasts with Newsom’s proposal to restructure the state’s Department of Education by placing it under the governor’s office and the State Board of Education.
Bianco also supports expanding charter schools and school vouchers, which allow public funds to be used for private school tuition. He is a vocal critic of a state law that bars districts from being forced to notify parents if a student changes pronouns or gender identity at school.
“It is no secret that California has failed an entire generation — if not two — of our students,” Bianco said.
Also running as a Republican is former Fox News host Steve Hilton, who says his priority is ensuring students meet reading and math standards while removing what he calls “social and political indoctrination” from classrooms.
Hilton supports expanding school choice, enforcing parental rights, removing underperforming teachers, and allowing students to attend schools outside their neighborhoods, often using public education funds to do so. He also opposes allowing transgender students to compete in women’s sports.
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