Tennessee Tried to Execute Christa Pike — Then Rushed Her to the Hospital (Ep 854)

Just the Truth Podcast with Joey Hudson How do you go from the execution chamber to the emergency room? That's exactly what happened in Tennessee after the state attempted to execute convicted murderer Christa Pike. Pike was sentenced to death for the brutal 1995 torture and murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Wednesday night, Tennessee attempted to carry out that sentence using its one-drug lethal injection protocol. But something went terribly wrong. Pike received two doses of pentobarbital. And she didn't die. Witnesses reported that Pike continued breathing and could be heard snoring long after the drugs were administered. Her attorneys say the execution team had difficulty accessing her veins, and Pike reportedly complained that her arm hurt during the procedure. Eventually, the state could go no further under its execution protocol. And then came the extraordinary scene: The woman the state had just attempted to execute was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to a hospital. Her attorneys say she was in critical condition and receiving life-saving medical care. Think about that sentence. The state tried to end her life. Then medical personnel had to try to save it. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has now halted the state's remaining executions for the year and ordered a comprehensive independent review of what happened. The Tennessee Department of Correction says its execution team followed the state's established protocol. Pike's attorneys strongly disagree and are raising serious constitutional questions about what happened inside that execution chamber. We'll walk you through the timeline, explain how the execution failed and look at what happens next in one of the strangest death-penalty cases we've ever seen. ✝️ CHRISTIAN GROUPS SUE VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY Two Christian student ministries are suing Virginia State University over a new campus ministry policy they say discriminates against Christian organizations. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Women of Victory and Bethel Campus Fellowship. The groups allege that Virginia State stripped them of their status as registered student organizations and subjected Christian ministries to oversight by a university-appointed campus minister and advisory board. The lawsuit also alleges that Christian ministries are prohibited from maintaining the same kind of relationship with their national parent organizations that they previously enjoyed. Here's where the constitutional argument gets interesting. The plaintiffs say non-Christian religious organizations—including Muslim student groups—aren't subjected to the same requirements. Their attorneys argue that a public university cannot impose one set of rules on Christian organizations and another set of rules on other religious groups. Virginia State University had not publicly responded to the allegations when the lawsuit was initially reported. And that's important. These are allegations in a federal lawsuit, not a court finding that Virginia State violated the Constitution. We'll explain exactly what the Christian organizations say happened, what the disputed policy requires and why they believe their First Amendment rights were violated. 👶 IS MS. RACHEL GETTING TOO POLITICAL FOR TODDLERS? Millions of parents know Ms. Rachel. Her real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, and she built an enormous following with videos designed to help babies and toddlers learn language, songs and early childhood skills. She now has more than 21 million YouTube subscribers. But Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich says parents should understand that Ms. Rachel has also become an outspoken political activist. Accurso has publicly advocated on issues including Gaza and Palestinian children, immigration detention and LGBTQ issues. Descovich argues that parents who put on a Ms. Rachel video expecting songs and early-learning content may not realize how politically active the person behind the children's programming has become. Ms. Rachel and her supporters see it differently. Accurso has said her advocacy is motivated by concern for children and has defended speaking publicly about humanitarian and social issues. So here's the question for parents: Does a children's entertainer's political activism matter if that activism isn't necessarily part of every educational video your child watches? And how much should parents know about the people and organizations producing the content their toddlers consume? This isn't about telling parents what their children should or shouldn't watch. It's about knowing what's behind the screen and making that decision for yourself. We'll give you the background and let you decide. 🚨 MASSIVE I-95 PILEUP OVER LAKE MARION And finally, an incredible scene on Interstate 95 in South Carolina. What was initially reported as a pileup involving more than 30 vehicles turned out to be much larger. Officials now say nearly 70 vehicles were involved in the crashes along I-95 over Lake Marion. Dense fog blanketed the bridge Thursday morning when cars and tractor-trailers began colliding. Vehicles were scattered across the interstate. At least one vehicle caught fire. Dozens of people were taken to area hospitals. And Interstate 95—the major north-south artery along the East Coast—was shut down for hours. The scene stretched across the bridge between Clarendon and Orangeburg counties. We'll have the latest numbers, what authorities believe contributed to the crashes and an update on the people who were injured. 📩 Join our mailing list at JoeyHudson.com 📱 Firmin Ford Text Line: 864-477-JOEY (5639) Your texts are always welcome, and you can also leave a voice message that could be aired on a future podcast. Subscribe for daily national news, South Carolina stories, politics, faith, culture and conversations about the issues affecting American families. Facebook: facebook.com/joeyhudsononline X: @joeyhudson #ChristaPike #Tennessee #DeathPenalty #BreakingNews #VirginiaStateUniversity #ReligiousFreedom #FirstAmendment #ChristianStudents #MsRachel #MomsForLiberty #Parents #SouthCarolina #I95 #LakeMarion #SCNews #JustTheTruth