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Political Cornflakes: The Supreme Court halts an execution for religious discrimination — a turnabout from just last month

Religious discrimination on death row was highlighted Thursday night when the Supreme Court halted the execution of a condemned killer in Texas because prison officials wouldn’t allow a Buddhist spiritual adviser in the death chamber with him. That was a 180 reversal from last month when the high court declined to block the execution of a Muslim man in Alabama for that state’s refusal to allow him to be accompanied at the time of death by an imam. The justices gave no reason for their decision in the Texas case, but Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for himself, said the denial of Patrick Murphy’s request to have a Buddhist reverend present was discriminatory.