# US death row inmate survives execution attempt - Show: Global News Podcast - Published: 2026-10-02 - Canonical: https://podc.club/en/episode/135067274_52b9108f94ba.html - Audio: http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download-rss-low/proto/http/vpid/p0pdgqz9.mp3 - Source: Edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. Not an official summary. A Tennessee prison made two failed attempts to execute death row inmate Krista Pike by lethal injection, after which the state governor suspended all executions through the end of 2026. US Treasury yields reached their highest level since 2002, spreading pressure across global bond markets including those of the UK and France. The episode aired alongside reports of renewed fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region and plans by wealthy Cuban-Americans in Florida for a post-communist Cuba. ## What this episode answers ### Why did the execution of Tennessee death row inmate Krista Pike fail twice? Pike's thin veins are the likely cause — she reported a burning, explosive sensation in her arm, strongly suggesting the lethal drug pentobarbital was not properly delivered into her vein. Her legal team had warned in advance that thin veins could make intravenous injection difficult, and prison authorities maintained they followed all prescribed procedures. ### How did Tennessee and the international community respond to the failed execution? The Tennessee governor announced a suspension of all executions through the end of 2026; UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also called on the state not to attempt another execution. A precedent exists from May, when a similar failure led Tony Carruthers to be granted a one-year reprieve. ### What caused US Treasury yields to reach their highest level since 2002, and what are the effects on ordinary people? A 'perfect storm' of overlapping factors drove yields to their highest since 2002: the Middle East conflict, fears of an AI bubble collapsing, anxiety over accumulated government debt, and uncertainty about the future path of inflation and interest rates. Rising yields increase government borrowing costs — putting pressure on public services and taxes — and push up fixed-rate mortgage costs for households. ### What are the background and current situation of the renewed conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region? Fighting resumed on September 23 in Tigray, Amhara, and Afar after the Pretoria peace agreement signed in South Africa in November 2022 stalled due to non-compliance by both the federal government and the TPLF. Federal forces have seized the strategic town of Al-Amatsza, with more than 50 civilians reported killed, and on September 27 a drone strike knocked Tigray TV off air. ### What plans are Cuban-Americans in Florida making for Cuba's future? Wealthy Cuban-Americans in Miami have formed an organisation to plan investment and reconstruction in Cuba for the day the communist regime falls, holding regular meetings to work out their vision for 'the day after.' President Trump's call at the UN for Cuba's 'fundamental transformation' has buoyed their expectations. ## Article ## Tennessee execution fails twice; governor halts all executions Authorities at a Nashville prison made two attempts to execute death row inmate Krista Pike by lethal injection, both of which failed. Pike was subsequently taken to hospital. Convicted of murdering a classmate in 1996, she would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years. John North, a producer at WBIR television in Knoxville who was present as a witness, told reporters the execution "did not go as planned." As late as 8:05 p.m. — when the second injection was administered — Pike was still breathing, at times regularly and at times with a snoring sound. Prison authorities maintained they had followed every step required by state protocol. BBC correspondent Stephanie Hegarty reported that Pike said she felt a burning, explosive sensation in her arm, strongly suggesting the lethal drug pentobarbital was not properly delivered into her vein. Pike's legal team had warned beforehand that her thin veins could make intravenous injection difficult. Legal challenges continued until moments before the execution. A procedure scheduled for 10 a.m. was delayed when a court of appeals issued a stay roughly one hour before it was due to begin. The state appealed to the Supreme Court, which overturned the stay, and the execution proceeded at 6:30 p.m. The appeals court stay had been based on defence arguments that the jury had not given adequate weight to Pike's history of severe physical, sexual, and psychological abuse in childhood — an argument the Supreme Court rejected. The Tennessee governor announced a suspension of all executions through the end of 2026. A similar failure occurred in May, when attempts to secure venous access for Tony Carruthers were abandoned and he was granted a one-year reprieve. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also called on Tennessee not to attempt another execution. ## Global bond markets rattled as US long-term yields hit a 20-year high US Treasury yields have reached their highest level since 2002, putting pressure on bond markets around the world. BBC economics editor Dharshini David described the situation as a "perfect storm" — a convergence of the Middle East conflict, fears of an AI bubble bursting, anxiety over accumulated government debt, and uncertainty about the future path of inflation and interest rates. Similar pressure is being felt across European bond markets, including those of the UK and France. Rising yields translate directly into higher borrowing costs for governments. In the UK, debt interest payments have grown so large that, were they counted as a single government department, they would consume more budget than any ministry apart from Health. This squeezes spending on public services and adds to pressure for tax increases. Mortgage rates also track government bond yields, meaning the rising cost of borrowing will hit households with five- and ten-year fixed-rate deals. France has announced plans to cut its fiscal deficit as governments work to maintain market confidence. David nonetheless cautioned that "ultimately, the answer that will calm markets is peace in the Middle East." ## Ethiopia's Tigray conflict reignites Federal forces and rebel factions affiliated with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) have returned to full-scale fighting in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region. The trigger was the breakdown of the Pretoria peace agreement — signed in South Africa in November 2022 — after both the federal government and the TPLF failed to implement its terms, leading to the resumption of hostilities on September 23 across Tigray, Amhara, and Afar. According to BBC Monitoring correspondent Duratu Gubena, based in Nairobi, civilian casualties are rising daily. Federal forces have seized the strategically important town of Al-Amatsza, where more than 50 residents are reported to have been killed. The government has not disclosed its own troop casualties, though rebel forces continue to claim battlefield gains. On September 27, Tigray TV — the region's main broadcaster — was knocked off air by a drone strike, resuming from a makeshift studio the following day but without returning to normal operations. The conflict has roots stretching back more than 40 years, and since the 2020–2022 civil war each side has blamed the other for failing to implement the peace deal. ## Cuban-Americans in Florida plan for a post-revolutionary Cuba Following President Trump's call last week at the UN for Cuba's "fundamental transformation," a group of wealthy Cuban-Americans in Miami has formed an organisation to plan investment and rebuilding in Cuba for the day the communist regime collapses. Meeting at homes overlooking Biscayne Bay, they are working out their vision for "the day after." Since the 1959 revolution, Cuban exiles have awaited the fall of Havana, and the Trump administration's hard-line stance has renewed those expectations. ## Takeaways - Tennessee's lethal injection execution of Krista Pike failed twice — likely due to her thin veins — prompting the governor to suspend all executions through the end of 2026 and reigniting debate over capital punishment. - US Treasury yields hit their highest level since 2002, driven by a 'perfect storm' of the Middle East conflict, AI bubble fears, government debt concerns, and rate uncertainty, with ripple effects hitting UK and French bond markets and threatening to raise household mortgage costs. - Fighting resumed in Ethiopia's Tigray region in September after the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement broke down, with federal forces capturing a key town, more than 50 civilians killed, and a drone strike silencing the region's main TV broadcaster.