SUMMARY: Stephen Stanko, 57, was executed by lethal injection in South Carolina for two 2005 murders: he shot a friend in Horry County and killed his girlfriend in Georgetown County after raping her daughter, who survived a throat-slashing. Stanko apologized in a final statement and asked not to be judged by his worst day. His execution, South Carolina’s sixth in nine months, followed a brief halt due to drug availability. He declined the firing squad after concerns arose from a prior execution. Appeals and a clemency request were denied. Victims’ families and his lawyer witnessed the execution. He died 28 minutes after it began.

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SUMMARY: In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, disc golfers witnessed a baby hammerhead shark fall from the sky during a game at Splinter City Disc Golf Course. Jonathan Marlowe and friends saw an osprey carrying prey before it dropped the baby shark, about one foot long, after being chased by crows. The group was stunned by the rare sight, as hammerhead sharks are not commonly seen on land. Located near Myrtle Beach State Park and close to the ocean, the group debated helping the shark but doubted it would survive the trip back. Local wildlife, including snakes and raccoons, is frequently seen at the course.

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SUMMARY: A surge in arrests of asylum-seekers at U.S. immigration courtrooms, initiated in May 2025, has sparked fear and uncertainty. Many, like a transgender Mexican woman and others from Venezuela and Haiti, were detained immediately after judges granted government requests to dismiss their cases, fast-tracking deportation. This practice, expanded under the Trump administration’s January fast-track deportation authority, pressures immigrants to risk attending hearings or forfeit their cases. Legal advocates say the tactic aims to intimidate and cause people to give up their claims. Some judges, like in Atlanta, have resisted dismissals, but ICE officers often arrest individuals right outside courtrooms.

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