Florida on Tuesday put to death a man convicted of abducting a woman from an insurance office and fatally stabbing her.Kayle Bates, 67, was pronounced dead at 6:17 p.m. after a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. His death sentence was handed down after his conviction on first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and attempted sexual battery charges in the June 14, 1982, killing of Janet White in Florida's Panhandle.White's husband, Randy White, witnessed Tuesday's execution.FLORIDA SCHEDULES EXECUTION FOR MAN WHO KILLED ESTRANGED WIFE'S FAMILY, SET HOUSE ON FIREAs Bates was strapped to a gurney, he replied "no" when asked if he had any last words.At a news briefing following the execution, Randy White thanked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing off on the execution.I am truly humbled by the outpouring of love and support from so many who didnt know either one of us. I thank you from my heart. It means more than you will ever know," he said.Bates abducted Janet White from the insurance office where she worked and took her into a wooded area behind the building, where prosecutors said he attempted to rape her.He fatally stabbed her and tore a diamond ring from one of her fingers, authorities said.FLORIDA BREAKS 50-YEAR EXECUTION RECORD WITH NINTH DEATH SENTENCE CARRIED OUT THIS YEARBates' lawyers appealed his conviction and filed a lawsuit claiming DeSantis process for signing death warrants was discriminatory. The lawsuit was recently dismissed by a judge.Bates' claim that organic brain damage had not been properly considered during his second penalty phase was also denied by the Florida Supreme Court.Tuesday's execution was the state's 10th this year, a record. Across the United States, 29 men have died by court-ordered execution as of Tuesday.At least nine other people were scheduled to be put to death in seven states for the remainder of 2025.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A federal appeals court on Tuesday halted New Mexicos seven-day waiting period for gun purchases, ruling that it likely infringes on citizens Second Amendment rights.The 2-1 ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals leaves the law on hold pending a legal challenge and returns the case to a lower court.The waiting period went into effect in May of last year and included violators being subject to a misdemeanor, but it does have an exception for concealed permit holders. Democrats had enacted the measure in an effort to allow for more time for federal background checks on gun buyers to be completed."Cooling-off periods do not fit into any historically grounded exceptions to the right to keep and bear arms, and burden conduct within the Second Amendments scope," Judge Timothy Tymkovich wrote for the majority. "We conclude that New Mexico's Waiting Period Act is likely an unconstitutional burden on the Second Amendment rights of its citizens."NRA AND CONSERVATIVE LEGAL GROUP SUE DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR OVER 7-DAY WAITING PERIOD TO BUY GUNSThe Mountain States Legal Foundation and National Rifle Association filed the lawsuit on behalf of two New Mexico residents, arguing that the law was unconstitutional and delayed access to firearms for victims of domestic violence and other citizens.The lawsuit referenced the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 2022 decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen in which a new standard to determine whether a gun restriction is unconstitutional was established. To meet that standard, the government must show there is a "historical tradition of firearm regulation" that supports the law.Michael McCoy, director of the Mountain States Legal Foundations Center to Keep and Bear Arms, celebrated the ruling."The court found that there was no analogous law from that era that would support the modern day law thats at issue," McCoy said. "For now, it means New Mexicans can go buy their firearms without an arbitrary delay imposed."FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES CALIFORNIA AMMUNITION BACKGROUND CHECKS UNCONSTITUTIONALJohn Commerford, executive director of the National Rifle Associations Institute for Legislative Action, also praised the court's decision, saying it "serves as a key piece in dismantling similar gun control laws across the country."In a dissent, Judge Scott Matheson argued that New Mexico's waiting period "establishes a condition or qualification on the commercial sale of arms that does not serve abusive ends."Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, said she was disappointed with the ruling and claimed it would likely cost lives."New Mexicos waiting period law was carefully crafted to minimize gun violence while respecting Second Amendment rights," Lujan Grisham said in a statement, pointing to other exceptions for gun purchases by law enforcement officers and transactions between immediate family members."Waiting periods prevent impulsive acts of violence and suicide, giving people time to step back and reassess their emotions during moments of crisis," she added.Since she was sworn in as governor in 2019, Lujan Grisham has signed several gun control measures, including a "red flag" law allowing a court to temporarily remove guns from people suspected of being at risk of hurting themselves or others and restrictions on firearms near polling places.In 2023, the governor suspended the right to carry guns in public parks and playgrounds in Albuquerque in response to shootings across the state that killed children.Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in Albuquerque earlier this year, saying that a significant uptick in crime warranted the help of the state's National Guard. She also declared a state of emergency last week over violent crime and drug trafficking across parts of northern New Mexico.Legal experts have said the ruling could have wider consequences because other states, including California, Hawaii and Illinois, have imposed similar restrictions on gun purchases. In New Mexico, the waiting period applies to all licensed dealer firearm sales for handguns and long guns. The only exception applies to concealed carry permit holders, law enforcement and immediate family transfers. Those in support of the waiting period laws argue that research links the law to reduced suicides and crimes of passion limiting impulsive behavior. Officials in New Mexico have not said if they will seek review from the full 10th Circuit or appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

"Pod Save America" host Jon Lovett, who served as a speechwriter for former President Barack Obama, said Monday that voters don't know what the Democratic Party stands for a problem he argued is preventing them from capitalizing on Donald Trumps vulnerabilities.Speaking with MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace on her podcast "The Best People," Lovett argued that the biggest challenge facing Democrats is defining what they stand for, and suggested that the primaries will not only shape the partys direction but also show voters what the party actually represents."The debates that happen in the upcoming primaries will be, not just the way we figure out where we want to go, but the debate itself will be instructive to people watching it about what the Democratic Party stands for," Lovett said. "How do we figure out what we stand for."EX-OBAMA AIDE ADMITS HE HELD BACK ON CRITICIZING BIDEN'S DECLINE BECAUSE HE 'WANTED HIM TO F------ WIN'Lovett acknowledged former President Joe Bidens age and declining communication skills made matters worse, saying, "I didn't appreciate how much we paid for having the bully pulpit basically open and unmanaged because he was a poor communicator and getting worse all the time.""But it's not just Joe Biden. The American people have were saying through this election, beyond it, that, yes, Joe Biden is too old. They worry he's not up for the job, but they have deeper questions about what the Democratic Party stands for. They just don't know," Lovett said.He noted that voters know that Democrats oppose Trump, but don't know what they support. He also blamed Trump for sucking up a lot of oxygen, which makes it difficult for Democrats to get their message out.The "Pod Save America" host also discussed Trump's strong connection with his base, but "Democrats just don't have that."He noted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani do have an authentic connection with their base, but the party still needs to articulate their values clearly so they "don't lose people."EX-OBAMA POD SAVE AMERICA AIDES GIVE SARCASTIC RESPONSE TO HUNTER BIDEN TIRADELovett and his "Pod Save America" co-hosts recently called out Hunter Biden for blaming Obama White House officials and other Democratic leaders for pushing his father out of the 2024 presidential race one year ago.The former president's son took aim at the "Pod Save America" hosts specifically, calling them "junior f---ing speechwriters" who have been cashing in on their association with former President Obama.The hosts responded during a July episode of their podcast and insisted Biden had no right to criticize.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURECLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"You know, it must be just so hard for Hunter Biden to watch all these people dining out on somebody's name," Lovett said sarcastically."Mostly it is three hours of Hunter playing the victim," co-host Tommy Vietor said of the interview. "And he rages at us, and he rages at [David] Axelrod and [George] Clooney, but the problem was the voters, and they never addressed that. The voters thought Joe Biden was too old."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expanding detention centers with a new facility in southwest Nebraska and nicknaming it the "Cornhusker Clink."As part of President Donald Trumps push to add thousands of new beds nationwide for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), just like "Alligator Alcatraz" and "Speedway Slammer," the facility increases ICE detention space for illegal aliens awaiting deportation or in deportation proceedings in the region.At the same time, Cornhusker Clinks name recognizes the regions heritage and is located around 200 miles from the state capital, Lincoln.ICE DEPORTATION EFFORTS COULD BE DERAILED IF CONGRESS DOESN'T ACT SOONWith ICE arrests down and data showing removals are up, the new venue combines 200 beds with the 280 already in place at the Work Ethic Camp in McCook, which opened in 2001 as a prison.Acknowledging the facility as part of an agreement between Nebraska and the federal government, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem warned that illegal aliens in the region could find themselves at Cornhusker Clink."To help remove the worst of the worst out of our country, if you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Nebraskas Cornhusker Clink," she said. "Avoid arrest and self-deport now using the CBP Home App."TRUMP ADMIN SLAMS ACLU FOR COMPARING ICE CENTER TO JAPANESE INTERNMENT CAMP: 'DERANGED AND LAZY'Trumps "One Big Beautiful Bill" provided funding for 80,000 new beds for ICE to use, which has contributed to an increase in facilities across the country."Alligator Alcatraz," one of the better-known facilities, was opened in the Florida Everglades and can house up to 3,000 migrants, while the East Montana Detention Center at Fort Bliss outside El Paso, which opened on Sunday, will be able to hold up to 5,000.FLORIDA BUILDING 'ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ' WHERE ICE DETAINEES FACE NATURE'S OWN SECURITY SYSTEM"Speedway Slammer" in Indiana will also hold up to 1,000 migrants.Back in Nebraska, the National Guard is also helping ICE officials enforce immigration laws, involving 20 or so soldiers.In a statement supporting Trumps immigration crackdown, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said he was "pleased that our facility and team in McCook can be tasked with helping our federal partners protect our homeland by housing criminal illegal aliens roaming our countrys communities today."