Sometime around 2004, Rivers Cuomo went to see a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. As he flipped through the night’s program, he saw a picture of Wilson Phillips, the all-female pop group that had some massive hit singles over the previous decade.

All the members of the group were daughters of famous and rich musicians. For reasons he can’t explain, Rivers started thinking about how cool it would have been to be married to someone like that, an “established” celebrity with a home in the best part of town with all that money. He was genuinely wistful.

But when the resulting song finally came out, it turned out sarcastic and funny, which wasn’t the original intent. Just as well because “Beverly Hills” became a major single from Weezer’s Make Believe album.

 

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

When REM started work on their 1992 album, Automatic for the People, drummer Bill Berry brought in a song that had a definite country twang to it. He wrote it after hearing a story about adolescent suicide, which was turning into a full-blown mental health crisis.

His version was about a minute long. There were no chorus and no bridge, just a looping guitar part. It had potential, but no one was sure where it should go. Four different approaches were tried. In the end, they took cues from the hit “Love Hurts” by Nazareth. Bill didn’t play live drums but programmed the drum machine. And John Paul Jones was brought in to arrange the string section.

The result was “Everybody Hurts,” which became one of REM’s biggest singles ever.

 

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Steven Stamkos remembers being a rookie without a point through his first seven NHL games.

It didn’t take long for him to figure it out, and some 19 seasons later, the 36-year-old is still filling the net for the Nashville Predators.

Stamkos scored twice in Tuesday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, breaking a tie with Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla for 17th on the league’s all-time list with the 626th goal of his career before also bagging his 627th.

The Markham, Ont., product has no intention of slowing down, but can also hear the clock ticking on his career as he continues to pass some of the game’s greats.

“A lot of those players are guys I looked up to and idolized,” said Stamkos, who sits 13 goals back of Dave Andreychuk for No. 16 on the goal list. “Joe Sakic was a reason why I wore No. 19 as a kid growing up. It’s just so hard to comprehend it when you’re in the middle of it.

“You never thought you’d be there.”

Drafted first overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2008, the centre scored 51 goals in his second NHL season, climbed to 60 in 2011-12, and has had six other campaigns with at least 40, including 42 with the Predators in 2025-26.

And despite his pedigree, the numbers and names still make Stamkos shake his head.

“It’s pretty surreal,” said the two-time Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy winner as the NHL’s top goal-getter. “But when you’re in the moment, you’re just trying to do your thing and help your team win.”

The move to Nashville in the summer of 2024, however, was a challenging one after 16 years and a pair of Stanley Cup victories, plus another trip to the final, with Tampa Bay.

“He’s added to his game, and that’s hard to do,” Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. “It’s hard to do with the amount of success he had as an older player, to be able to adapt to your new team instead of your new team completely adapting to him.

“He’s found a way to score … he always has and he always will. Those scorers always find a way.”

Stamkos, who has 1,260 points across 1,249 games, said he only truly felt comfortable in Music City after arriving for his second training camp last September.

“Night and day compared to the first,” he said. “You know what to do, who to talk to if you have questions, where to go. It’s seamless now and just trying to help some of the newer guys that were in your shoes not too long ago. We’ve got a great group of guys in here. You want to build on something.”

The architect behind the scenes is general manager and president of hockey operations Chris MacFarland, who replaced Barry Trotz in June.

The former Colorado Avalanche executive went to work over the summer by infusing some younger options — including forwards Mavrik Bourque, Jack Drury and Nils Hoglander — into a veteran roster that missed the playoffs three of the last four seasons.

“He has a vision and the guys in this room trust that vision,” Stamkos, who has 50 goals and 51 assists in 128 playoff contests, said of MacFarland. “He’s been around the game for so long. He’s had a lot of success.

“We’ve added some really good NHL players. Not necessarily young guys that have no experience, but younger guys that have that experience at this level.”

It’s a level Stamkos has no intention of leaving any time soon with his 19th season underway.

“I still love coming to the rink, and I still love working to get better,” he said. “But certainly when you see a lot more guys that I grew up with retired or retiring, it starts to sink in a little bit.”

PETEY’S PUSH

Vancouver Canucks centre Elias Pettersson hasn’t lived up to the big-money deal he signed in 2024, but there are signs of life early in 2026-27.

The 27-year-old has two goals and four assists in four games after combining for just 96 points across 138 contests over his last two seasons. He is also leading the Canucks in hits with 19.

PRAISING OVIE

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin — the NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer — announced Monday that this season will be his last in the league.

“His consistency is unmatched,” Stamkos said of the 41-year-old winger. “He was almost unstoppable, just physically unstoppable. His shot, his speed, his physicality. He had it all. You were almost scared to run into him on the ice. He was that intimidating in his prime.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Dyed diesel has now been cleared for general use in the U.S. as gas prices soar, but Canadians could still face fines if caught using it on roads and highways.

Red-dyed diesel is essentially the same as regular diesel fuel, but is coloured a reddish brown in order to identify it for use off-road, like with farming, construction vehicles and other off-road uses.

U.S. President Donald Trump, on Monday, signed an executive order directing secretaries of the U.S. Treasury as well as the departments of transportation and agriculture to waive the off-road requirement for this tax-free diesel.

The move followed similar changes at the state level, including in Texas, as Americans struggle to pay for diesel and other fuels as a result of soaring prices from the U.S. war on Iran.

The changes mean if someone like a U.S. farmer has red-dyed diesel in bulk, which would have been exclusively used for their farming and other equipment, they can now use the same fuel in their trucks to drive on the roads without facing any penalties or taxes.

Canada’s agriculture industry is heavily reliant on diesel to power its equipment and trucks, and at a time when diesel prices have been soaring, industry leaders say similar changes would be welcomed here.

“Canadian farmers have always had access to dyed diesel on-farm for the equipment that runs on diesel engines, combines, tractors, self-propelled vehicles in general that are used on the farm,” says Keith Currie, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

“There’s constantly additional surcharge put on because of increased diesel prices, and so if they had an opportunity to run dyed diesel and not have the road tax, that would certainly stabilize some of the pricing of diesel fuel, which has gotten extremely expensive now.“

As it stands, using red-dyed diesel to fuel road and highway vehicles is illegal in Canada, and is enforced mostly at the provincial and territorial level through specific fuel tax legislation.

Although the federal government has waived the excise fuel tax on regular and diesel fuel in Canada, certain road taxes are still applied to diesel cleared for use on roads and highways in some provinces and territories.

“Federal fuel excise tax rules do not include special treatment associated with coloured or dyed diesel fuel,” said the Department of Finance in a statement.

“Provinces and territories may have their own tax rules, restrictions and enforcement requirements governing coloured fuel, including its use in on-road vehicles.”

Global News has sent requests to all provincial and territorial finance ministries to ask if any changes to red-dyed diesel laws are being considered, but none confirmed any changes to the laws were being considered.

Saskatchewan said doing so would mean a significant loss in revenue needed to maintain infrastructure.

“100 per cent of Saskatchewan’s fuel tax revenue is legislated to be used to maintain and improve Saskatchewan’s highways and transportation infrastructure,” said a spokesperson for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Finance in a statement.

“Expanding the Farm Fuel Program to allow all on-road uses of diesel fuel would amount to cutting the highways budget. This would impact the safety of motorists as well as the transportation of the exports that our economy relies on.”

The short answer is yes, but there are important distinctions and requirements that must be followed in order to avoid fines.

Rob Kreklewetz is a lawyer and managing director at Millar Kreklewetz LLP, which specializes in tax customs and trade law.

“The dye is what identifies whether it’s tax paid or tax unpaid. So if it’s red dye, no taxes have been paid on that fuel, and the local ministry of finance officials are going to be hunting for that if used on highway,” says Kreklewetz.

“I’m free to go to the U.S., and load that fuel onto my diesel pickup if I want, and Trump is allowing people in the U.S. to do that. The question is, how do I bring it across the border?”

He explains that it is technically legal to bring most types of fuel from the U.S. into Canada, including red-dyed diesel, but it comes down to declaring it if it is in a container, and if it is being used to fuel a road vehicle.

“You’re bringing in a jerry can of red diesel, it’s just like bringing in the Louis Vuitton purse. Do you want to take the chance of not declaring that Louis Vuitton purse? Well, it could be subject to seizure and then a whole bunch of really bad consequences at the border,” says Kreklewetz.

Once the red-dyed fuel is placed in the fuel tank of a road vehicle, that’s where things change.

“I am potentially susceptible there to a bit of a problem. Somebody pulls me over, I go through an administrative finance checkpoint, they put a little dipstick into my fuel tank, it comes out red,” says Kreklewetz.

“Technically, they would say, I have contravened the Fuel Tax Act.”

Kreklewetz says it is not necessarily a criminal offence at this point, but if caught, road users could be subject to fines, which differ depending on the jurisdiction.

In Ontario, motorists can be fined between $200-$1000 per offence, according to the Fuel Tax Act.

“Every operator of a motor vehicle to which a number plate is attached as required under the Highway Traffic Act and that is found to contain coloured fuel in a fuel tank of the motor vehicle is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not less than $200 and not more than $1,000,” the legislation says.

In Saskatchewan, contravening the Fuel Tax and Road Use Charge Act, which describes the regulated use of red-dyed diesel in the province, carries a fine of up to $10,000 for an individual and $50,000 for a corporation.

Although red-dyed diesel fuel may be comparably cheaper than clear diesel used for regular roads, the cost savings may not be worth the risk.

“It could be tempting to save a few bucks on fuel taxes by filling up with that red-fuel in the states and using it in Canada, but it’s a slightly more complicated situation than just your regular gas fuel up,” says Kreklewetz.

“It may not be worth the price that you’re saving in the U.S. to be running with red diesel on the roads in Canada.”

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Federal Defence Minister David McGuinty is reminding Albertans of billions of dollars in military spending and that a strong Canada includes a strong Alberta.

His comments come as Albertans prepare to vote on Confederation in the Oct. 19 referendum.

McGuinty, with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith standing beside him at CFB Edmonton, says the province is a national reminder on how to think big and build big.

He also says Confederation is a national bargain renewed through generations by what Canadians do for one another — particularly in wartime.

McGuinty repeated that Alberta is receiving $8 billion in ongoing spending, including $550 million to establish the western operating base for the Air Force’s CC-33- Husky fleet.

Smith says the funding puts Alberta at the forefront of air defence but agrees the announcement is also about showing Canada and Ottawa can work together.

There are 10 questions on the referendum ballot, including whether the province should stay in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on leaving the country.

— More to come…

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A California couple with 21 children was charged with the abuse of at least 14 surrogate-born children, including one as young as two months old, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office announced.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Guojun Xuan, 66, and Silvia Zhang, 39, face several counts of child abuse as well as conspiracy to commit child abuse, accessory after the fact and dissuading a witness.

“The number of children who were subjected to this alleged horrific abuse is unprecedented,” Hochman said on Tuesday. “The alleged corporal abuse of these children is appalling and revolting, especially at the hands of those who were supposed to protect them.”

“This was not a home where these children were loved and nurtured. This was a home where these young children were systematically beaten and punished if they did not do what they were told,” he continued.

“These alleged abusers will now face the full force of the law as we hold them accountable for their despicable actions,” Hochman added.

Xuan and Zhang were arrested at their mansion in Arcadia, Calif. and both charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit child abuse.

Xuan also faces one felony count of child abuse, one felony count of accessory after the fact and five felony counts of dissuading a witness, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.

Zhang also faces one count of accessory after the fact and four counts of dissuading a witness.

The children in the couple’s home suffered daily beatings from nannies as the couple watched over a network of surveillance cameras and laughed, according to prosecutors.

The couple allegedly recruited women across the country to serve as surrogates, promising them that they were just looking for another child to grow their family.

“Over an 11-day period, between April 27 and May 7, 2025, some of the nannies were caught on video spanking, slapping or hitting the children. In one instance, a nanny struck a child with a shoe and Zhang and Li laughed as they watched the footage,” the criminal complaint said.

The couple pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations during a court appearance on Tuesday near Pasadena.

Prosecutors sought US$100 million bail per person because of the serious nature of the charges and because they are flight risks.

The couple have over 200 personal and 70 corporate bank accounts with annual transfers of $250 million, Deputy District Attorney MacKenzie Teymouri said.

Both were said to have U.S., Mexican and Chinese passports, though investigators have not determined if they are all legitimate; prosecutors said they used fake passports to create some of the bank accounts.

LA County Superior Court Judge Kerry White set bail at $20 million each with home detention and a protective order against visiting their children.

Xuan and Zhang are accused of conspiring to subject 15 of the 16 children living in their Arcadia home to repeated physical abuse.

The pair ran their own surrogacy company and allegedly made false statements to at least two women who became their surrogates, indicating that Zhang was struggling to conceive, according to the criminal complaint.

“On April 30, 2025, Xuan entered one of the classrooms and allegedly told a nanny to strike the child harder. Xuan is then accused of repeatedly spanking the child, delivering open-handed blows to the child’s head and lifting the child up by one arm while continuing to hit the child,” the news release from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said.

The alleged abuse was discovered after police responded to a report about one of the children, a two-month-old boy, suffering from an injury, according to authorities.

Chunmei Li, a nanny who worked for Xuan and Zhang at their Arcadia home, is accused of hitting the boy on May 4.

Xuan and Zhang allegedly did not seek medical treatment until two days later when they claimed the baby had fallen from a bed, according to the criminal complaint.

Li has previously been charged with one felony count of child abuse under conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said.

A $105,000 warrant for Li’s arrest remains outstanding.

If convicted as charged, Xuan faces a possible maximum sentence of 17 years and four months in state prison, while Zhang faces up to 11 years and eight months in prison. Li faces up to 12 years in prison, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.

—With files from The Associated Press

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Dolly Parton’s estate has accused her nephew Bryan Seaver of using barbed wire, yellow caution tape and “no trespassing” signs to barricade his property in an attempt to evade being served with a lawsuit.

The lawsuit, viewed by The Associated Press, the New York Times and People, accuses Seaver of threatening to commit violence and destroy his late aunt’s legacy and business empire, while asking a judge to keep him away from its employees and business dealings.

In a new court filing, viewed by NBC News and People, lawyers for Parton’s estate included images showing the “no trespassing sign” in Seaver’s front yard, barbed wire and caution tape wrapped around the handrails leading to his front door.

Global News has not independently viewed the court filing.

The photos were part of a court filing urging the judge overseeing the case to deny Seaver’s request for additional time to retain a lawyer ahead of a temporary injunction hearing that was set take place on Friday, NBC News reports.

Seaver, who announced the country singer’s death in August in a social media video, had filed a motion on Oct. 2 in a Tennessee court asking for the hearing to be delayed 10 days because he was representing himself.

Seaver’s motion, viewed by The Associated Press, said “the defendants lack any legal knowledge or skills to proceed in this matter without retained counsel or what, if any, challenges can or should be raised.”

It claimed the delay is necessary because the lawyer Seaver wanted to represent him could not meet with him until Oct. 5, and said he won’t object to the restraining order being extended until a new hearing date.

Seaver’s request was granted by a judge on Oct. 6 and the hearing was pushed to Oct. 20, People reports.

Parton’s estate, She’s Alive LLC, had reportedly asked the court to deny Seaver’s motion, claiming that Seaver “attempted to evade service of process, and this court should not reward that behavior.”

She’s Alive, run by Parton’s longtime manager Danny Nozell, also claimed that they’d attempted to serve Seaver his summons three different times.

Last month, She’s Alive terminated Seaver and his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, saying his “terrorizing conduct made their continued retention untenable,” according to court documents, viewed by The Associated Press.

“Mr. Seaver began his campaign of threats, intimidation, and coercion a few weeks prior to Ms. Parton’s passing…. In writing, he vowed to ‘destroy the entire brand’ and also told her entertainment attorney: ‘I’m not an entertainment person. I’m a killer,'” the filing alleged.

The Associated Press reports that Seaver sent text messages and emails to She’s Alive revelling in his newfound fame and calling himself an “international arms dealer.”

In one message written on Sept. 1 and included in the court documents, he said: “I’m going to set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships and telling the violations these people have done on us. It’s going to be great. Or f——- pay me,” The Associated Press reports.

Seaver reportedly claimed that he worked for private military contractors overseas during the Iraq War and used that experience as part of the threats against She’s Alive, according to the complaint.

Seaver’s alleged messages have resulted in Parton’s trusts and estates lawyer leaving and employees of She’s Alive resigning, according to The Associated Press.

In another alleged message, Seaver said that Nozell had been his longtime confidant and “best friend.”

“I trusted Danny,” Seaver wrote, according to The New York Times, “And that’s what those messages were, two friends and brothers commiserating on the people that have screwed Dolly over for many many years.”

In a statement shared with TMZ on Sept. 21, Seaver said he and his teams were “dismayed by the unexpected and, so far, unexplained actions” since Parton’s death.

“We remain unshakably resolved to fulfill her final directive to protect her family, and we refuse to be intimidated by those whose actions we believe are being taken in bad faith and with the intent to profit from the life of someone who willingly gave so much,” Seaver and his team said in the statement.

After the legal battle between Seaver and Parton’s estate began, the country icon’s sister, Freida Parton, took to Instagram, writing, “I’ll say this and this only: There is no feud within our family.”

“No one among the Parton/Owens family is fighting over Dolly’s estate. We all love Bryan, just as we all love each other,” she wrote on Sept. 23.

On Aug. 25, Seaver announced Parton’s death in a video, saying, “I am representing the Parton and Owens family today, announcing the passing of my Aunt Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean. Sister, sis, Aunt Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next. This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.”

“As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment, but haven’t truly felt it until now. It is an honour, an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.”

“I first went on the road with Dolly as a kid, getting a taste of the road life in the early 1980s. Dolly opened doors, not just for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible. Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent,” he said.

“Our family and the team she has entrusted with her legacy will work diligently to ensure her spirit will live with us forever,” Seaver added.

View this post on Instagram

—With files from The Associated Press

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A central Ontario public health unit says seniors waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine may have to wait a bit longer due to a delay in getting doses to administer.

Lakelands Public Health, which serves areas including the Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough, Haliburton and Hiawatha First Nations, said in an email it received its vaccine supply last week.

“While adults aged 65 and older became eligible beginning the week of September 28, vaccine distribution takes time, and vaccine is continuing to arrive at pharmacies and health care providers in the region,” said Marianne Rock, manager of the vaccine preventable disease program for Lakelands Public Health.

“The current delay reflects the time required to distribute vaccine across the province,” Rock said in the emailed statement.

The vaccines were received by the health unit’s Lindsay, Peterborough and Port Hope offices.

Rock added that pharmacies in the region would begin receiving their supply this week and that there were “no concerns” about seniors not being able to get immunized against COVID-19.

The first vaccine shipments to pharmacies are expected to be delivered between Sept. 29 and Oct. 9 for COVID-19 vaccines, the Ontario Pharmacists Association said in an email. The reordering period then begins Oct. 26, it added.

“Technically it’s possible some pharmacies are still waiting for the COVID vaccine but there is no shortage of vaccine,” said Justin Bates, chief executive officer of the association.

On Sept. 25, the province issued a news release that the initial supply of COVID-19 and flu vaccines would be available for high-risk and priority groups who live, work and study in Ontario starting the week of Sept. 28.

The groups listed as eligible include hospitalized patients, hospital staff, residents and staff in long-term care homes, retirement homes and other congregate settings. Ontarians 65 and older were also included.

An official with the province told Global News on background that eligible high-risk people could start receiving the vaccine the week of Sept. 28, but added initial doses were prioritized to specific high-risk settings, like hospitals and long-term care homes.

In her statement, Rock added that while eligibility for seniors began on Sept. 28, vaccine supply “was not pre-positioned with local providers.” She said this was why it was taking time for doses to reach pharmacies and health-care providers.

Lakelands Public Health is not the only health unit reporting some delays.

The Northwestern Health Unit, Ottawa Public Health (OPH), the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) and Toronto Public Health each told Global News they have also received their initial vaccines.

Northwestern, OPH and WECHU said they are prioritizing getting the vaccine to high-risk facilities such as hospitals and long-term care homes. Northwestern and OPH said health-care providers and pharmacies in their regions that serve seniors are expected to receive supply throughout October.

Toronto Public Health said seniors in the city can contact their primary care provider or pharmacy to book their shot.

Northwestern also told Global News that seniors can currently book appointments for health unit-run clinics to be held next week.

According to the province, more than 620,000 COVID-19 doses had been distributed to pharmacies and public health units as of the end of Oct. 2.

“Hospitals, long term care homes, and other providers order directly from their public health unit, and public health units and pharmacies order vaccines through a pharmaceutical distributor,” said Lily Barnes, a spokesperson for Health Minister Sylvia Jones.

Barnes added the province had a “large supply” of vaccines available and more doses continue to be distributed as orders are placed.

Ontarians should check with their local pharmacy or public health unit to confirm availability, the province said.

The vaccine will be available to the general public starting Oct. 26.

Of the 620,330 vaccines distributed last week, a government official said on background, 501,940 doses had been delivered to pharmacies. Public health units receiving 118,390.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

• To read more on the latest updates in Pike’s case, click here

Christa Pike regaining consciousness and speaking a week after receiving two doses of execution drugs in Tennessee has left a stunning question: How did she survive?

Lawyers for Pike, 50, called her recovery “medically unprecedented” after she was placed on a ventilator following the bungled Sept. 30 attempt to make her the first woman put to death in Tennessee in 200 years. On Tuesday, they said her prognosis is uncertain and they expect a long recovery.

Many details of the execution process remain secretive and Tennessee officials say they are investigating what went wrong.

Still, medical experts raised a few possibilities that could explain how Pike was able to survive the injections, including the potential drug quality and the placement of IV lines. Tennessee’s executioners had difficulties earlier this year with IV lines for another execution, leading to it being called off.

Only a small amount of the drug may have entered her bloodstream

The 5-gram dose of pentobarbital used in executions is many more times the amount than what should put someone in a medical coma, said Dr. Jonathan I. Groner, a retired pediatric general surgeon at Ohio State University College of Medicine who has studied lethal injections.

“The fact that she woke, on one hand, says she got really little of it into her system. So that’s kind of shocking,” Groner said. “It says how badly they botched the execution.”

At high doses, the potent barbiturate should make a person lose consciousness, stop breathing and stop their heart.

Groner said the IV might have been placed improperly, or Pike’s veins could have been fragile and burst, causing the drug to seep into the surrounding tissue instead of flowing through the bloodstream. Pike’s lawyers have said she was poked with needles at least seven times in the state’s death chamber and that she has a lifelong blood disorder that makes it tough to get needles into her veins.

Sourcing of drugs for executions is shrouded in secrecy

Another possible problem could be the drug quality, said Michaela Almgren, a South Carolina pharmacist and educator who has consulted on several lethal injection cases.

Many major pharmaceutical companies refuse to supply drugs for lethal injections, which has raised questions about how states get them. Court orders have revealed that some states have turned to compounding pharmacies, which create custom drugs from raw ingredients and operate with less regulatory oversight.

Tennessee does not disclose its drug supplier and has not said where Pike’s supply came from. Almgren said that makes it difficult to track if a drug was prepared, tested, handled and administered properly.

That also means the public may never know exactly what happened in Pike’s case.

Pike’s lawyers are seeking a court order requiring the Tennessee Department of Correction to preserve evidence, including drug lot numbers, records and other information from the attempted execution.

Outgoing Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee paused executions and ordered a “comprehensive, third-party review to determine exactly what occurred” with Pike.

Hospital treatment likely involved flushing the drug from her body

Before the execution attempt, Pike’s lawyer told courts and prison officials that she had medical conditions that could complicate a lethal injection and make it agonizing.

Dr. Joel Zivot, a professor of anesthesiology and surgery in Atlanta who consulted as an expert for Pike’s legal team, said Pike has a blood-clotting disorder that causes her body to produce an excess of platelets. Her lawyers had argued that the condition could cause clotting at injection sites or bleeding that could affect her lungs.

State protocol calls for a second dose of pentobarbital if the first doesn’t result in death, but it doesn’t spell out what to do if an inmate survives the second injection.

The attempted execution got underway around 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 30 when Pike was given a chance to make a final statement. About five minutes later, Pike raised her head and said her arm was hurting. At some point she appeared to lose consciousness, but she could be heard audibly breathing until media were escorted from the witness room at 8:53 p.m. An ambulance arrived at the prison at 9:14 p.m. to take Pike to a hospital.

When Pike arrived at the hospital, doctors likely tried to stabilize her breathing, checked how much pentobarbital was in her system and worked to quickly flush it out, said Dr. Michael Baden, the former chief medical examiner of New York City.

Doctors may have also been dealing with muscle damage, both from the effects of the pentobarbital and because some may have entered muscle tissue near the injection site, he said.

Pike’s lawyers said her arms were left burned and blistered from the failed attempt. She was unconscious and on a ventilator for several days.

“She was very fortunate that there was enough (pentobarbital) to put her into a deep sleep, but they were able to keep her breathing going and they were able to start flushing it out,” Zivot said.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

New Brunswick’s public utility is proposing to raise electricity rates by an average of 5.5 per cent for each of the next three years.

NB Power says the proposed hike works out to an increase of $13.25 a month for a home using 1,350 kilowatt hours.

The utility says the rate hike is needed to cover the costs of maintaining and modernizing its aging system.

Utility executives say it is proposing three years of rates hikes in its submission — a first for NB Power — to allow households and businesses to plan ahead.

The new rates could come into force next April following a review by New Brunswick’s power regulator.

Last year, NB Power proposed a 4.75 per cent increase and the final number approved by the board was 4.29 per cent for the current fiscal year.

NB Power indicated that its proposal could push local rates higher than some other provinces.

An independent review of NB Power by three experts earlier this year detailed how the utility is struggling to cope with challenges such as its aging infrastructure and a $6-billion debt.

Officials say the new plan slows the increase of its debt, but does not decrease it.

© 2026 The Canadian Press