California governor commutes death sentences for all 548 people on death row

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California Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted the death sentences of all 548 people on death row in the state, changing them instead to life in prison without parole. According to the BBC, Newsom stated in a letter that he is exercising his constitutional clemency authority, arguing that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California values and undermines the legal system. California historically has had the largest population of death row inmates in the US, though the state has not carried out an execution since 2006. The decision has drawn mixed reactions, with civil rights groups praising the move while prosecutors and critics noted that California voters have previously chosen to keep the death penalty for the most serious crimes on ballot initiatives.