Tony Gonzalez

The protocol was rewritten, and the state has since executed three men.

For NPR News, I'm Tony Gonzalez in Nashville.

Federal public defenders are pushing for a moratorium on lethal injections in Tennessee to allow legal challenges to be heard.

They also want to probe into the protocol and qualifications of those involved.

Last week, witnesses described more than an hour of painful attempts as a doctor failed to access a vein for the lethal injection of Tony Carruthers.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee gave Carruthers a reprieve for the rest of the year.

Lee halted executions in 2022.

An investigation found the state failed to test its lethal drugs or follow its own rules.

The protocol was rewritten, and the state has since executed three men.

For NPR News, I'm Tony Gonzalez in Nashville.

Tennesseans have been waiting and hoping for this assistance.

Now survivors in 29 counties can get individual aid that can reimburse people for temporary lodging, living expenses, and home repairs.

The ice storm's impacts were vast, with unprecedented damage to trees and utility lines.

More than 300,000 households lost power, some for nearly two weeks, forcing residents to stay in shelters and hotels.

Governor Bill Lee sought federal help, and he said early on that he hoped it would come quickly because the impacts were so evident.

But disaster declarations have been taking longer under the current administration, and it was 72 days between the governor's ask and the approval.

For NPR News, I'm Tony Gonzalez in Nashville.

You know, very, very direct, Pag.

I made a mistake.

And I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith.