Texas ‘shaken baby syndrome’ execution and One Direction’s Liam Payne dies: Morning Rundown

A Texas inmate is set to die in what would be the nation’s first execution involving “shaken baby syndrome.” One Direction member Liam Payne dies at the age of 31. And some meteorologists say they’re receiving hatred despite giving accurate forecasts.

Here’s what to know today.

Texas inmate set to die in first execution tied to ‘shaken baby syndrome’ 

Texas is prepared to put an inmate to death in what would be the nation’s first execution involving a case of “shaken baby syndrome,” a diagnosis that has been re-evaluated in recent years and has led to the overturning of similar convictions. 

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles yesterday unanimously declined to recommend clemency to Gov. Greg Abbott, who has the authority to commute death sentences. However, Robert Roberson’s scheduled execution could be delayed if Abbott grants Roberson’s legal team’s request for a 30-day reprieve or if the Supreme Court intervenes.  

Roberson has maintained his innocence after the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki, in 2002. Prosecutors argued that Nikki must have been shaken to death. Since Roberson’s conviction in 2003, the science behind shaken baby syndrome’s diagnosis has come under intense scrutiny. 

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A bipartisan coalition of state lawmakers has rallied to support Roberson. They held a hearing yesterday that included testimony from medical experts and a retired lead detective in the case who has since become an advocate for his release. Also yesterday, a petition with more than 116,000 signatures asking Abbott to stop the execution was delivered to his office.

In an interview from prison with NBC News anchor Lester Holt earlier this month, Roberson, 57, urged Abbott to pardon him. “Look at the support I’ve got, Mr. Governor,” he said, “and I’m just hoping, praying that you do the right thing.” 

Read the full story here.

One Direction member Liam Payne dies at 31

Liam Payne, a member of the British pop band One Direction, died at the age of 31 after he fell from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina, local authorities said. Payne fell from the balcony, the country’s emergency health service said in a statement to Telemundo. Police “were directed to the hotel by a 911 call reporting an aggressive man,” said the emergency services agency. 

Payne was one of five original members of One Direction, which formed in 2010 after it appeared on the TV show “The X Factor.” The group is on hiatus. Payne said he went to rehab in 2022. In recent weeks, his ex-fiancée Maya Henry alleged that he repeatedly contacted her and her relatives. 

Hours after his death was announced, those who knew Payne expressed shock and sadness. 

How Russian propaganda reaches and influences the U.S.

A small but prolific group that researchers call Storm-1516 has produced some of the country’s most far-reaching and influential disinformation. The Storm-1516 campaigns rely on fake primary sources — audio, video, photos, documents — presented as evidence of the claims’ veracity. They are then laundered through international news sources and influencers to reach their ultimate target: a mainstream Western audience. 

At least 50 false narratives have been launched this way since last fall, according to a count NBC News assembled with researchers. The narratives aim to diminish Western support for military aid to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, back the re-election of Donald Trump and attack Vice President Kamala Harris. 

The claims peddled by the actors and false primary sources in the videos fall apart upon basic inspection. Still, some of the stories spread anyway, from small-time right-wing influencers all the way up to members of Congress, including Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance. 

The dozens of Storm-1516 storylines examined by NBC News’ Brandy Zadrozny offer a window into the disinformation pipeline: where the most successful false claims originate and how they spread. Read the full story.

Democrats call out flaws in Harris’ final-stretch campaign strategy

Vice President Kamala Harris has been sitting for far more interviews over the past few weeks. In fact, a contentious Fox News interview aired yesterday (more on that below) and she is scheduled for a CNN town hall next week. The pace of these new media engagements appears to show she is addressing misgivings from Democrats who felt her campaign was too insular.

But now, there are more criticisms. First, there’s a formulaic quality to Harris’ appearances, a Democratic member of Congress said. “Donald Trump is crazy, but he’s real,” the lawmaker said. “She’s got to show people she’s real, and people need to believe she’s fighting for this job.” Second, Harris needs to pick up the pace of her rallies, some strategists say, considering her poll numbers have been stagnant for a few weeks. 

More election coverage: 

➡️ In a combative Fox News interview, Kamala Harris insisted that if she wins the election, her presidency wouldn’t be a continuation of Biden’s. During a town hall for the network, Harris also said she found it “quite bizarre” that Trump called himself the “father of IVF.”

➡️ Former President Donald Trump shrugged off the idea that his conduct before the Jan. 6 riot should cost him the backing of GOP voters after a former supporter confronted him at a Univision town hall.

➡️ JD Vance gave his most direct answer yet about whether he thought Trump lost the 2020 election. 

➡️ Early voting begins today in North Carolina, a pivotal swing state still reeling from Hurricane Helene’s crushing aftermath.

➡️ Here’s what weeks of early-voting data reveals about how Democrats and Republicans are turning out (so far) in 2024.

➡️ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and allies in his administration are using state agencies to build opposition to a ballot measure that would enshrine abortion rights into the state’s constitution. 

➡️ Democrats have long tried to oust Rep. Scott Perry, a Trump ally and former Freedom Caucus leader who represents a Pennsylvania swing district. This time, they think they have a real chance. 

Politics in Brief

Trump on trial: The Fulton County District Attorney asked a Georgia appeals court to restore six charges against Donald Trump that were tossed in his indictment over attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. In Trump’s federal election interference case, Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected most of his requests for additional evidence and also rejected his claim that he was actually concerned about foreign influence and interference, rather than domestic voter fraud, in the 2020 election.

Climate change: The Supreme Court allowed the Biden administration, at least in the short term, to enforce a rule requiring “carbon capture” to curb harmful emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants. 

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Read All About It

• The parents of a Massachusetts high school student sued his history teacher after he was punished for using AI to complete academic work.
• U.S. B-2 bombers and other aircraft struck five underground Houthi weapons storage locations in Yemen, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, marking the first time the U.S. has used B-2 bombers against the Iran-backed group in Yemen.
• The recent FDA approval of a heart stent specifically for infants and young children could help many avoid a series of open heart surgeries over the course of their childhoods.
• Disney Parks announced a new top-tier, line-skipping ticket upgrade costing up to $449 per person on top of park admission. Here’s what to know about the pilot program.
• The Archdiocese of Los Angeles reached a historic $880 million settlement over 1,354 child sex abuse claims, the plaintiffs’ attorney said.

Staff Pick: Meteorologists say they’re facing pushback like never before

Hurricane forecasts are more accurate than ever. Five days before Hurricane Milton hit Florida, National Hurricane Center forecasters predicted its track within just 12 miles of where the storm later made landfall. And yet, some meteorologists say they’ve never faced so much skepticism, hatred and conspiracy-minded pushback. The recent wave of vitriol is forcing some to reckon with a growing disconnect among their audiences.

“There are people who think we’re able to steer hurricanes into red states,” said Matthew Cappucci, meteorologist with MyRadar Weather and The Washington Post. He added: “If people are turned to the wrong channel or an app, or Bubba’s website, or conspiracy theories on Twitter, it doesn’t matter.”

— Evan Bush, science reporter

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