In Other News · United States · Politics

Source: Axios

Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike's attorneys said she was "in critical condition" and "receiving life-saving care" Thursday, a day after she survived an execution attempt during which the state administered two doses of the lethal injection drug.A death penalty expert told the Associated Press that Pike's survival after receiving the execution drug was unprecedented.The latest: State and federal elected officials are pressing for public accountability after the second failed execution this year. Gov. Bill Lee halted further executions for the rest of the year and ordered a independent review of the Pike execution attempt.On Thursday morning, he told reporters there were "very few answers" about what had gone wrong.U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the frontrunner to succeed Lee as governor next year, blasted the "botched process" in a statement and pushed for the state to "bring back the electric chair."Pike's attorneys told reporters Thursday that Lee's pledge to launch an investigation did not go far enough. They urged him to commute her death sentence.What they're saying: Attorney Randy Spivey, who was inside the prison during the execution attempt, said prison officials spent about an hour trying to establish IV access. He counted at least seven needles used in Pike's left...