Gavin Newsom, a man in a black button-down shirt, speaks and gestures with a raised fist near a microphone as he speaks outside
Gavin Newsom speaks during an event at the Bridge Yard Facility in Oakland, California, on 7 August 2026. Photograph: Tayfun Coşkun/Anadolu/Getty Images
Gavin Newsom speaks during an event at the Bridge Yard Facility in Oakland, California, on 7 August 2026. Photograph: Tayfun Coşkun/Anadolu/Getty Images
Gavin Newsom commutes more than 500 death sentences in California

Democrat’s move prevents these people from executions under future governors, after Christa Pike’s failed execution

Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, has commuted the death sentences of more than 500 people on the state’s death row on Thursday, a move that ensures they can never be executed under future administrations.