According to , 15 countries used the death penalty in 2024. The United States was one of those countries. Capital punishment where it is legal. But the United States still .
奥别鈥檝别 already in 2025.
Capital punishment can be a contentious topic. And it鈥檚 a debate that has been reignited in recent weeks 鈥� President Donald Trump has said .
But amidst all the statistics and lofty arguments for and against, it鈥檚 important to remember that capital punishment affects real people. It impacts both the people sentenced to death, and the families who鈥檝e lost loved ones to violence.
This hour, we鈥檙e talking about what the death penalty means to the human beings impacted by it.
Staff Writer at and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist , has seen the impact of the death penalty firsthand. She鈥檚 also lost a family member to violence. While many journalists cover capital punishment, fewer are applying to attend the executions of people on death row.
In a deeply personal conversation, Khalilah Brown-Dean talks with Bruenig about her coverage of capital punishment. Her recent cover story in The Atlantic is, '.'
Bruenig describes her own family tragedy, the realities of death by lethal injection, and why her feelings about capital punishment have changed over time. Plus, the pair describe the complex emotions victims鈥� families grapple with in the aftermath of tragedy.
GUEST:
- Elizabeth Bruenig: Staff writer at The Atlantic
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