Alabama plans to put an industrial-grade respirator mask over Mr. Smith’s face and replace his breathing air with pure nitrogen gas, causing him to die from lack of oxygen. He will not be rendered unconscious before the procedure begins.

From a Catholic point of view, there is good reason to look askance at some of the “false promises” coming out of Davos, including the idea that better technology and the economic system as it is can deal with global poverty, inequality and care of creation.

As many as 295 people were killed in a series of apparently coordinated raids on some 30 villages in Nigeria’s Plateau State that began on Dec. 23 and continued through Christmas Day.