Alabama executes Kenneth Eugene Smith with nitrogen gas and viral deepfake photos of Taylor Swift: Morning Rundown

GOP infighting erupts over pressure from Trump to kill a key border security bill. The U.N.’s top court rules this morning on whether Israel should halt its Gaza offensive. And explicit deepfake photos of Taylor Swift spark outrage. Here’s what to know today.

GOP Infighting Erupts as Trump Urges Senators to Kill a Border Security Bill

Donald Trump’s opposition to a Senate deal to tighten immigration laws while unlocking aid for Ukraine and Israel is nothing new. However, with Trump headed toward a Republican presidential nomination, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is casting doubt on whether such a deal could pass. McConnell told his fellow Republicans during a closed-door meeting this week that “the politics on this have changed.” This shift has triggered infighting within the GOP, with some pushing back on colleagues who want to bow to the former president’s wishes and kill the deal. Republican Senator Thom Tillis stated, “I didn’t come here to have the president as a boss or a candidate as a boss… I came here to pass good, solid policy.” Among those opposed to the deal are Senators Ron Johnson, Ted Cruz, and Rick Scott. The deal has not been finalized yet. The belief among some conservatives is that preventing an agreement will be good for their party in the polls, leading voters to blame President Joe Biden for a chaotic situation at the border, even though he has endorsed the negotiations. Democrats were quick to call “bull-loney” on the GOP push to sink the deal. Even if the deal passes in the Senate, its fate in the House is far less certain. Read the full story here.

U.N.’s Top Court to Rule on Ordering Israel to Halt its Gaza Offensive

The International Court of Justice will rule today on South Africa’s request that it issue emergency measures ordering Israel to halt its military campaign in Gaza while the United Nations’ top court hears a full case accusing Israel of genocide. The U.S. and Israel have dismissed the accusations, and the ICJ has no power to enforce its rulings, though it could have far-reaching consequences. Nasser Hospital, the main health facility in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, has reportedly run out of anesthesia and food. The IDF said it was intensifying operations in the area and has alleged Hamas is operating from within the hospital complex, but did not present evidence for the claim. The U.N. has raised the alarm for hundreds of patients and thousands of displaced civilians trapped inside.

Nikki Haley Changes Her Tone on Trump: ‘Bring It, Donald’

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is turning her attention to her home state of South Carolina, where she’s digging into a month of campaigning before the state’s Feb. 24 primary. Her attacks on Donald Trump have increased over the course of her campaign, but she took a new tone this week. At a rally Wednesday, she ditched her usual stump speech introduction and went directly after the former president, calling his victory speech in New Hampshire a “temper tantrum.” The next day, she fundraised off of Trump’s attacks for the first time.

Closing Arguments Begin in E. Jean Carroll Case

Donald Trump is planning to attend writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation damages trial today for the beginning of closing arguments, his campaign spokesperson said. Yesterday, the former president gave a dramatic but brief testimony in his own defense, claiming he lashed out at Carroll after she went public with her allegations in 2019 because he wanted to “defend myself, my family, and frankly the presidency.” U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered the comment stricken from the record because it didn’t respond to the question he was asked. Carroll is seeking at least $10 million in compensatory damages for “injury to her reputation” in addition to an unspecified amount in punitive damages. Trump’s team has argued Carroll should get at most a “nominal” amount in damages because Trump is not to blame for the online vitriol and death threats that followed his posts about her.

Alabama Administers the First Nitrogen Gas Execution

Death row inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith became the first person to be put to death using nitrogen gas at a correctional facility in Atmore, Alabama. It was his second execution attempt, after an attempt to put the convicted murderer to death by lethal injection in 2022 failed. The execution was allowed to proceed yesterday evening after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request by Smith’s lawyers to block it. The execution started at 7:53 p.m. local time, with Smith strapped to a gurney and made to breathe nitrogen gas through a mask apparatus, depriving him of oxygen. Media witnesses said Smith appeared conscious for several minutes into the execution, and then he appeared to shake and writhe on the gurney for two minutes. That was followed by several minutes of deep breaths until his breathing slowed and was no longer perceptible. His time of death was 8:25 p.m., according to corrections officials. Now, the first-of-its-kind execution could influence states in pursuit of a viable alternative to lethal injection.

Viral AI-Generated Images of Taylor Swift Point to a Problem

Sexually explicit deepfakes of Taylor Swift went viral on the internet, amassing over 27 million views and more than 260,000 likes in 19 hours. Despite the original poster’s account being taken down after a mass-reporting campaign by the singer’s fans, images portraying Swift nude and in sexual scenarios continued to spread. These deepfakes are generated with artificial intelligence technology that develops entirely new, fake images or takes a real image and “undresses” it using AI tools. Swift’s situation shines a light on the alarming spread of AI-generated content and misinformation, an issue that has escalated in recent months. Still, tech platforms have yet to deploy or discuss tools to tackle the problem. And it’s not the first time this has happened to a celebrity.

The U.S. Just Sold its Helium Stockpile, Worrying Doctors

Many in the medical world have their eyes on the Federal Helium Reserve — a massive underground stockpile based in Amarillo, Texas, that supplies up to 30% of the country’s helium and was sold this week. Once a deal is finalized, the reserve will be privately owned. Hospital supply chain experts fear a shutdown as the new owner works out regulatory and logistical issues. Helium is crucial in the medical field. It is the only element on Earth cold enough to make an MRI machine work. A shutdown wouldn’t mean that MRIs would suddenly power down across the country, but “MRI machines are the No. 1 concern,” an expert said. Then there’s research to consider, as well as the ballooning cost of helium itself.

Today’s Talker: Your 401(k) is Probably…

…faring better than you would expect, as the U.S. economy continues to defy pessimistic expectations. New federal data shows the economy grew by an estimated 2.5% over the course of 2023, much higher than the anticipated 0.7%. And with stock markets reaching record highs, 401(k) savings are seeing growth. By the third quarter of 2023, the average balance rose to $107,000, up 11% from the year before, according to an update from Fidelity Investments. Consumer spending and personal savings are also climbing.

Politics in Brief

• Jan. 6 criticism: A Reagan-appointed federal judge slammed prominent Republican politicians for their attempts to “rewrite history” about the U.S. Capitol attack.
• Controlled substances: The White House Medical Unit improperly distributed controlled substances during previous administrations, a new report from the Pentagon’s internal watchdog says.
• National security: Bipartisan legislation introduced in both the House and Senate seeks to ban China’s largest genomics company from doing business in the U.S., after years of warnings that Beijing is gathering genetic information about Americans, posing a threat to national security.

Staff Pick: A Question About Hair Sets Off an Online Debate

Will, a new father to an adopted baby named Zoë, asked “Black TikTok” in a since-deleted video for help caring for his infant daughter’s hair. Some gave advice, but most commenters accused Will of adopting a Black child for social media content. Reporter Char Adams dives into the ethics of transracial adoption and talks to both white adoptive parents and Black adoptees about their experiences.

In Case You Missed It

Ricardo, the bull that rose to fame and captured hearts when he ran wild along New Jersey Transit tracks, has been fighting an infection since Christmas.

Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

If you’re shopping for products to alleviate an itchy scalp, experts recommend considering your hair type — curly, wavy, straight, dry, oily, etc. — and your hair’s needs. Here are 15 products they recommend.

Thank you for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up here.