Digital Alabama News

NY OFFICIAL SUES TRUMP FOR FRAUD LAWSUIT SAYS FORMER PRESIDENT EXAGGERATED HIS PROPERTY VALUES https://digitalalabamanews.com/ny-official-sues-trump-for-fraudlawsuit-says-former-president-exaggerated-his-property-values/ – attorney general sued former President and his company for fraud on Wednesday, alleging they padded his net worth by billions of dollars by lying about the value of prized assets including golf courses, hotels and his homes at and Mar-a-Lago. Attorney General lawsuit, filed in state court in , is the culmination of the Democrat’s three-year civil investigation into Trump and the . Trump’s three eldest children, ., Ivanka and , were also named as defendants, along with two longtime company executives. In its 222 pages, the suit struck at the core of what made Trump famous, taking a black light to the image of wealth and opulence he’s embraced throughout his career – first as a real estate developer, then as a reality TV host on “The Apprentice” and later as president. It details dozens of instances of alleged fraud, many involving claims made on annual financial statements that Trump would give to banks, business associates and financial magazines as proof of his riches as he sought loans and deals. For example, according to the lawsuit, Trump claimed his apartment – a three-story penthouse replete with gold-plated fixtures – was nearly three times its actual size and valued the property at . No apartment in has ever sold for close to that amount, James said. Trump applied similar fuzzy math to his Mar-a-Lago estate in , the lawsuit alleged, by valuing the private club and residence as high as – more than 10 times a more reasonable estimate of its worth. Trump’s figure is based on the idea that the property could be developed for residential use, but deed terms prohibit that. “This investigation revealed that engaged in years of illegal conduct to inflate his net worth, to deceive banks and the people of the great state of ,” James, a Democrat, said at a news conference. “Claiming you have money that you do not have does not amount to the art of the deal. It’s the art of the steal,” she said, referring to the title of Trump’s 1987 memoir, “The Art of the Deal.” James said her investigation uncovered potential criminal violations, including falsifying business records, issuing false financial statements, insurance fraud, conspiracy and bank fraud. She said her office will refer those findings to federal prosecutors and the . Trump lawyer said the lawsuit “is neither focused on the facts nor the law – rather, it is solely focused on advancing the Attorney General’s political agenda.” James seeks to remove the Trumps from businesses engaged in the alleged fraud and wants an independent monitor appointed for no less than five years to oversee the compliance, financial reporting, valuations and disclosures to lenders, insurers and tax authorities. She also seeks to permanently bar Weisselberg and McConney from serving in the financial control function of any corporation or similar business entity registered and/or licensed in . James’ lawsuit comes amid a swirl of unprecedented legal challenges for the former president, including an FBI investigation into Trump’s handling of classified records and inquiries into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. is scheduled to go on trial in October in a criminal case alleging that it schemed to give untaxed perks to senior executives, including its longtime finance chief Weisselberg, who alone took more than in extras. Weisselberg, 75, pleaded guilty . His plea agreement requires him to testify at the company’s trial before he starts a five-month jail sentence. If convicted, the Trump Organization could face a fine of double the amount of unpaid taxes. While James’ lawsuit is being pursued in civil court, District Attorney has been working with James’ office on a parallel criminal investigation. Trump cited fear of prosecution in August when he refused to answer questions in a deposition with James, invoking his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination more than 400 times. The odds of a criminal prosecution have been seen as falling in recent months after Bragg allowed a grand jury to disband without bringing charges. Bragg said again Wednesday, though, that the criminal investigation was “active and ongoing.” State law allows a broad range of civil remedies against companies committing commercial fraud, including revoking licenses to conduct business in the state, removing company officers and forcing the payment of restitution or disgorgement of ill-gotten gains. James’ office could also seek to ban Trump from being involved in certain types of businesses, as happened in January when a judge barred ex-drug company CEO from the pharmaceutical industry for life. Read More…

Trump Warns Of World War III https://digitalalabamanews.com/trump-warns-of-world-war-iii/ The Ukraine conflict could end in a world war, but would not be happening if he were in power, the former US president claims The conflict in Ukraine could spiral into World War III, former US President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday, after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would use all means necessary to defend itself in the face of a threat to its territorial integrity. Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, the ex-president said the Ukraine conflict, which began after Russia launched its military offensive in late February, “should have never happened.” Trump claimed that if he had still been in the White House, hostilities would have never broken out between Moscow and Kiev. “As I have made clear for quite some time, this could end up being World War III,” he added. On Wednesday, Putin announced a partial military mobilization of around 300,000 reservists to be called up for active service. The Russian leader also warned that Moscow “would use all the means to protect our people,” including nuclear weapons if necessary. “This is not a bluff,” Putin insisted, saying Russia would use “all available means” to protect its independence and security. This is not the first time Trump has sounded the alarm over the repercussions from the Ukraine crisis. In June, he criticized his successor, President Joe Biden, for the way his administration has handled the crisis, slamming the incumbent for sending tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Kiev, which, he said, only adds fuel to the conflict. “And we’re in serious danger with what’s going on in Ukraine and with Russia. You could end up with a world war the way they’re handling it. It’s crazy what they’re doing,” he said at the time. Read More…

Fiona Grounded Dozens Of Flights. A JetBlue Plane Flew Right Over It. https://digitalalabamanews.com/fiona-grounded-dozens-of-flights-a-jetblue-plane-flew-right-over-it/ As Hurricane Fiona pulled away from the Dominican Republic, eventually strengthening into the year’s first Category 3 major storm, more than two-dozen flights out of the country’s biggest airport were canceled. But one made it out. The flight, headed from Punta Cana to Newark via JetBlue late Monday, took off nearly five hours late, just after 7 p.m. It appeared on flight trackers as a lone craft in the middle of a swirling hurricane. It sparked alarm among some weather and aviation observers and prompted a question: Can you fly over a hurricane? “I have seen the JetBlue flight that apparently went over Fiona and I will say that depending on cloud top heights you CAN fly over a hurricane,” tweeted Nick Underwood, an aerospace engineer who flies into the heart of storms as a member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunters to collect vital data. But, he added, “it is still not something I would recommend.” It is not unprecedented for pilots to steer close to or over storms, and it can be done safely, meteorologists and aviation experts said. Pilots can make decisions based on weather in consultation with the Federal Aviation Administration and with their airlines’ own experts — as was the case Monday evening, a JetBlue spokesman said. The JetBlue flight landed safely at Newark International Airport just before 11 p.m. Monday. Flight trackers show multiple other JetBlue flights passed through Fiona late Monday into Tuesday. While the FAA provides some advisory information, it is ultimately up to the airlines and their team of meteorologists to determine whether a flight is safe enough for passengers. The airline had been monitoring Fiona to determine routes to safely navigate around or above the system, spokesman Derek Dombrowski said, adding that the airline had canceled many flights that could not depart safely. “Each flight is planned by a team of experts who then monitor progress of the flight and weather continuously,” Dombrowski said in an email. “It is important to understand that when routing a flight both the direction and the height of the weather system are factored into our decision-making.” The main dangers in flying near or through hurricanes involve lightning, hail and winds, which are strongest near the center of a storm and vary in direction around it. There’s also concern about updrafts — strong vertically oriented blasts of wind present in any type of thunderstorm. One FAA report from 2011 warns of the possibility of “violent turbulence anywhere within 20 miles of very strong thunderstorms.” “An aircraft when sufficiently high enough can fly safely above a hurricane as long as they avoid the individual thunderstorms that sometimes are adjacent to the hurricane,” a spokesman for the Professional Pilots Association, a nonprofit group through which pilots discuss safety, told The Washington Post. Still, such conditions nearby would probably not make for a pleasant flight, said Randy Bass, a certified consulting meteorologist who runs Bass Weather Services. “I wouldn’t have wanted to be on that flight,” Bass said. Fiona was a Category 2 hurricane with maximum wind speeds of 110 mph at its core Monday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center. Data shows the height of its clouds would have made it difficult for any aircraft to avoid. At the time of the flight, clouds around the hurricane’s eye were as high as 45,000 feet, while on the outer fringes of the storm they were between about 33,000 and 39,000 feet, according to satellite data. In general, Category 2 hurricane clouds reach altitudes from about 33,000 to 46,000 feet. A mapped track of JetBlue Flight 1016 from Flightradar24 shows the Airbus A320 flew at altitudes between about 30,000 feet and 34,000 feet when it passed near Fiona. Even for the NOAA Hurricane Hunters, safety is a top consideration when planning routes into and around hurricanes. The team, which gathers data used to better understand and forecast hurricanes, flies its Lockheed WP-3D Orion planes into the heart of storms at altitudes of 8,000 to 10,000 feet. To explore conditions above and around hurricanes, it flies its Gulfstream IV-SP aircraft at between 41,000 to 45,000 feet, spokesman Jonathan Shannon said. Shannon said it would be difficult to estimate how high any aircraft would need to be above a storm to avoid turbulence, noting, “every storm can be different.” Hurricane Fiona battered Puerto Rico Sunday, leaving almost 600,000 residents without power before moving toward neighboring Dominican Republic. Hours before the flight, up to 20 inches of rain was reported on the eastern side of the Dominican Republic, where the Punta Cana airport is stationed, according to the National Hurricane Center. The center also warned of life-threatening flash and urban flooding in the region. Read More…

It’s Common To Charge Electric Vehicles At Night. That Will Be A Problem. https://digitalalabamanews.com/its-common-to-charge-electric-vehicles-at-night-that-will-be-a-problem/ As electric vehicles hit the road around the country, hundreds of thousands of Americans are beginning to learn the ins and outs of car charging: how to install home chargers, where to find public charging stations, and how to avoid the dreaded “range anxiety.” But as EV owners plug in their cars, there is a looming problem: pressures on the electricity grid if most drivers continue to charge their electric cars at night. According to a new study from researchers at Stanford University, if EV sales grow rapidly over the next decade — and most drivers continue to charge their electric cars at home — vehicle charging could strain the electricity grid in the Western United States, increasing net demand at peak times by 25 percent. That could be a problem as the West struggles to keep the lights on amid heat waves and rising electricity demand. The first thing to know about EV charging is that it’s nothing like filling a car with gasoline. Charging an electric car takes time — while the fastest chargers can charge an EV battery by 80 percent in 20 to 30 minutes, most chargers are slower, taking somewhere between two and 22 hours to get to a full charge. That means that around 80 percent of EV charging happens at the owner’s home, overnight — when the driver doesn’t need the car and can leave plenty of time for a charge. But that charging pattern is at odds with how electricity is increasingly being generated. The largest demand for electricity happens in the evening, between about 5 to 9 p.m. People come home from work, turn the lights on, watch TV and do other activities that suck up power. Solar panels, meanwhile, produce their energy during the middle of the day. The highest electricity demand, then, happens just when solar has begun to shut off for the day. In the Stanford study, researchers modeled charging behavior of residents of 11 Western states, and then analyzed how that behavior would impact an electricity grid that is switching increasingly to renewables and other clean energy sources. “Once 30 or 40 percent of cars are EVs, it’s going to start significantly impacting what we do with the grid,” said Ram Rajagopal, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University and one of the study’s authors. Even if drivers wait until after peak hours and set their cars to charge at 11 p.m. or later, they will be using electricity at exactly the time when renewable energy is not readily available. That could lead to increased carbon emissions and a need for more batteries and storage in the electricity grid. One solution, the researchers say, is if more EV owners shift to daytime charging, charging their cars at work or at public chargers. If electric cars are charged in the late morning and early afternoon, when the grid has excess solar capacity that’s not being used, there will be less pressure on the electricity system and less need for storage. According to the study, under a scenario where 50 percent of cars are electric, a shift from mostly home to a mix of home and work charging could almost halve the amount of storage needed on the grid. Adding workplace and public chargers has an added benefit of also helping renters or those who don’t own homes access EVs. Siobhan Powell, a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zürich in Switzerland and the study’s lead author, says that the time to plan for expanding public and workplace charging is now. “We’re not saying, ‘Don’t have any more home charging’ or ‘limit home charging,’ ” she said. “We don’t want to discourage any charging because that’s really important for adoption. But there’s a lot of money going into charging, and we could make it as convenient to charge at work or in public as it is at home.” The authors also recommend shifting electricity price structures to better incentivize charging in the middle of the day. At the moment, some utilities offer super-low electricity rates to consumers for charging their cars overnight. PG&E, for example, a California utility, offers EV owners electricity for 25 cents overnight between midnight and 7 a.m. and 36 cents between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Ideally, Rajagopal and Powell say, the cheapest rates should be in the middle of the day to incentivize charging when the sun is out. Gil Tal, the director of an electric vehicle research center at the University of California at Davis, who was not involved in the paper, said that current EV owners don’t need to worry about their charging patterns. “We don’t need to tap the brakes on adoption of electric cars,” he said. As more clean energy and storage is added to the grid, he argues, many of these issues will be resolved. But he agrees that one of the benefits of EVs is the flexibility of when they can charge. Shifting to day charging will be helpful, whether that is through charging at home during the day (for those who work from home) or providing workplace chargers. Policymakers need to “put the chargers where the cars are during the day,” he said. Read More…

Satsuma Woman Steals $200K From Employer, Sentenced To 2 Years In Prison https://digitalalabamanews.com/satsuma-woman-steals-200k-from-employer-sentenced-to-2-years-in-prison/ SATSUMA, Ala. (WKRG) — A Satsuma woman was sentenced to two years in prison for “stealing money from her employer,” defrauding the business of more than $200K in money and personal items, according to a release from the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Alabama. Angela Clifton, 43, plead guilty to three counts of wire fraud. Clifton was the chief financial officer for a manufacturing company in Satsuma where she had authorization to use “multiple corporate credit cards for legitimate business expenses, and she was also in charge of the company’s payroll and 401k plan.” The company Clifton worked for “discovered that Clifton, then the company’s Controller, had made over $25,000 worth of Amazon purchases for personal using corporate credit cards.” According to the release, none of the purchases were “legitimate business expenses.” Clifton paid some of the money back to the company following her resignation. Further investigation and an audit showed Clifton was also “fraudulently receiving 401K matches from the company when she [Clifton] was not contributing to her plan. Clifton was issuing to herself unauthorized paychecks and bonuses, according to the release. Clifton “abused her role” as Controller and obtained over $200,000 in money and personal items between 2012 and 2018. Clifton pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and “testified and contested the restitution amount claimed by the company,” at her sentencing. The current Director of Finance also testified as to the restitution amount. According to the release, the company CEO told the Court that Clifton’s actions “not only damaged the company financially, but also severely damaged the culture of trust that once existed in his small business.” Clifton will serve 24 months in federal prison. Following her release, Clifton will serve three years of supervised release. Clifton will also pay full restitution to the company. Stay ahead of the biggest stories, breaking news and weather in Mobile, Pensacola and across the Gulf Coast and Alabama. Download the WKRG News 5 news app and be sure to turn on push alerts. Read More…

Huntsville Hospital For Women & Children Goes ‘extra Mile’ For Child Car Safety https://digitalalabamanews.com/huntsville-hospital-for-women-children-goes-extra-mile-for-child-car-safety/ September is Child Passenger Safety Awareness Month, and Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children is going the extra mile to make children’s car seat safety a top priority. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, a generous partner of Huntsville Hospital Foundation, recently connected Huntsville Hospital with the national Buckle Up for Life program to help secure grant opportunities and annual car seat donations. More importantly, it is helping provide more exposure to Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children’s car seat fitting program. “Our fitting station provides education and hands-on car seat checks for anyone in the community to make sure their car seats are safely installed for maximum protection for their children,” said Elizabeth Sanders, vice president of Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. Buckle Up for Life Proper car seat installation is one less thing for expectant parents to worry about with help from Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. An appointment with a car seat fitting expert at the hospital only takes about 20 minutes and leads to life-saving information and hands-on practice for safely installing a car seat. The average appointment includes: Installation of the car seat and education on how to install Correct harness height and fitting recommendations Education on future steps for the child and the specific child seat installed, such as when to move to forward facing or to a booster seat or how to rethread or adjust harness height and tightness Check for recalls on seats brought to the appointment Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children provides free car seats through the Alabama State Department of Health for mothers who qualify for government assistance. Buckle Up for Life also gave 50 new car seats to the hospital, to distribute at the hospital’s discretion. Hospital administrators hope to provide them to mothers who are not eligible for government assistance, but clearly need the financial burden of obtaining a car seat reduced. “As a partner hospital, we hope to receive donated car seats annually as they are available for distribution from Buckle Up for Life,” said Sanders. Keeping kids safe According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, three out of four car seats in the U.S. are installed incorrectly. In Alabama, motor vehicle crashes are the single largest category of accidental child deaths. Child safety seats are extremely effective when correctly installed and used in motor vehicles, decreasing the risk of death by 71% for infants (birth to one year) and 54% for children ages 1-4. They also reduce the need for hospitalization by 69% for children ages 4 and under. If the statistics related to child death and serious injury due to improperly restraining young passengers aren’t enough to persuade some drivers, Lt. Stephen Anderson of the Huntsville Police Department said the fines, court costs and points against their licenses should make people think twice. All drivers and passengers in moving vehicles, including pickup trucks, are required to wear seat belts, but Alabama law specifically requires all children 14 and younger to be properly restrained. The difference, explained Anderson, is that unrestrained adults are simply fined $25. However, such violations for children can be fined and assessed court costs, which usually total more than $175 per violation. “The driver can get a ticket for every unrestrained child in the car, so if you have multiple kids unbuckled, that is multiple violations,” Anderson said. Law enforcement officers have seen it all when it comes to unrestrained or improperly restrained children in vehicles, and many times they see firsthand the deadly consequences. “I’ve seen passengers – and even drivers – with kids in their laps, and you just think, ‘What if that air bag deploys?’” Anderson said. “It’s going to cause significant injury to the child sitting in the lap of the driver. We’ve seen it all.” Helpful tips In addition to general misconceptions about age and weight requirements for children in car and booster seats, Sanders listed a few other common issues about child car safety: You do not need to use the seatbelt and LATCH system together when installing a car seat. They are equally safe when used correctly, and only one system should be used at a time. Car seat fitting technicians at Huntsville Hospital have found many people either don’t lock the seatbelt or the LATCH is too loose. They provide instruction on how to correct this issue. Whether you are using the seatbelt or the LATCH to secure the car seat, the top tether should be used when the car seat is in the forward position. Drivers should not turn a baby’s car seat to forward facing too soon. The best practice is to remain rear facing until the child reaches the maximum height or weight for the seat as defined by the manufacturer. Car seat technicians are available at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children on Mondays at 11 a.m. and every other Saturday. Appointments are free to the public. To schedule an appointment, call 256-265-7296. Read More…

‘I’m Not Sure He’s Going To Escape Jail’: Could Trump’s Legal Woes Prevent A 2024 Run? https://digitalalabamanews.com/im-not-sure-hes-going-to-escape-jail-could-trumps-legal-woes-prevent-a-2024-run/ Donald Trump’s legal perils have become insurmountable and could snuff out the former US president’s hopes of an election-winning comeback, according to political analysts and legal experts. On Wednesday, Trump and three of his adult children were accused of lying to tax collectors, lenders and insurers in a “staggering” fraud scheme that routinely misstated the value of his properties to enrich themselves. The civil lawsuit, filed by New York’s attorney general, came as the FBI investigates Trump’s holding of sensitive government documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and a special grand jury in Georgia considers whether he and others attempted to influence state election officials after his defeat there by Joe Biden. The former US president has repeatedly hinted that he intends to run for the White House again in 2024. But the cascade of criminal, civil and congressional investigations could yet derail that bid. “He’s done,” said Allan Lichtman, a history professor at American University, in Washington, who has accurately predicted every presidential election since 1984. “He’s got too many burdens, too much baggage to be able to run again even presuming he escapes jail, he escapes bankruptcy. I’m not sure he’s going to escape jail.” After a three-year investigation, Letitia James, the New York attorney general, alleged that Trump provided fraudulent statements of his net worth and false asset valuations to obtain and satisfy loans, get insurance benefits and pay lower taxes. Offspring Don Jr, Ivanka and Eric were also named as defendants. At a press conference, James riffed on the title of Trump’s 1987 memoir and business how-to book, The Art of the Deal. “This investigation revealed that Donald Trump engaged in years of illegal conduct to inflate his net worth, to deceive banks and the people of the great state of New York. Claiming you have money that you do not have does not amount to ‘the art of the deal’. It’s the art of the steal,” she said. Her office requested that the former president pay at least $250m in penalties and that his family be banned from running businesses in the state. James cannot bring criminal charges against Trump in this civil investigation but she said she was referring allegations of criminal fraud to federal prosecutors in Manhattan as well as the Internal Revenue Service. Trump repeated his go-to defence that the suit is “another witch hunt” against him and again referred to James, who is Black, as racist, via his Truth Social platform, also calling her “a fraud who campaigned on a ‘get Trump’ platform, despite the fact that the city is one of the crime and murder disasters of the world under her watch!” But critics said the suit strikes at the heart of Trump’s self-portrayal as a successful property developer who made billions, hosted the reality TV show The Apprentice and promised to apply that business acumen to the presidency. Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law professor at Harvard University, noted that the civil component “involves things of particular significance to Trump and his family and his organisation, namely their ability to defraud the public, to defraud banks, to defraud insurance companies, and to continue to subsist through corruption. Without all of that corruption, the entire Trump empire is involved in something like meltdown.” Tribe added: “Trump is probably more concerned with things of this kind than he is with having to wear an orange jumpsuit and maybe answer a criminal indictment … As a practical matter, this is probably going to cause more sleepless nights for Mr Trump than almost anything else.” No previous former president has faced investigations so numerous and so serious. Last month FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago and seized official documents marked Top Secret, Secret and Confidential. Trump faces possible indictment for violating the Espionage Act, obstruction of a federal investigation or mishandling sensitive government records. As so often during his business career, Trump sought to throw sand in the legal gears. He bought time by persuading a court to appoint a judge, Raymond Dearie, as a special master to review the documents. But so far Dearie appears to be far from a yes-man. On Tuesday he warned Trump’s lawyers: “My view is you can’t have your cake and eat it too.” The ex-president also faces a state grand jury investigation in Georgia over efforts to subvert that state’s election result in 2020. The justice department is investigating his role in the deadly January 6 attack on the US Capitol by a mob of his supporters intent on preventing the certification of Biden’s election victory. Its efforts have been boosted by the parallel investigation by a House of Representatives committee, whose hearings are set to resume next week. In addition, the Trump Organization – which manages hotels, golf courses and other properties around the world – is set to go on trial next month in a criminal case alleging that it schemed to give untaxed perks to senior executives, including its longtime finance chief Allen Weisselberg, who alone took more than $1.7m in extras. In a further setback on Wednesday, arguably Trump’s worst-ever day of legal defeats, a federal appeals court permitted the justice department to resume its review of classified records seized from Mar-a-Lago as part of its criminal investigation. The former president, meanwhile, insisted that he did nothing wrong in retaining the documents. “There doesn’t have to be a process, as I understand it,” he told the Fox News host Sean Hannity. “If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying: ‘It’s declassified’.” “Even by thinking about it, because you’re sending it to Mar-a-Lago or to wherever you’re sending it … There can be a process, but there doesn’t have to be.” Despite it all, Trump has been laying the groundwork for a potential comeback campaign and has accused Biden’s administration of targeting him to undermine his political prospects. Asked by a conservative radio host what would happen if he was indicted over the classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, Trump replied: “I think you’d have problems in this country the likes of which perhaps we’ve never seen before. I don’t think the people of the United States would stand for it.” Kurt Bardella, an adviser to the Democratic National Committee, said: “If the best defence you have for your conduct is: if you hold me accountable, there will be violence, that sounds like someone who has no business being either in public service or being outside of jail.” Bardella expressed hope that, at long last, Trump would be held to account. “Everything about Donald Trump has always been about the grift. It’s always been about the con. And now his unmasking is at hand.” Read More…

Birmingham Mayor Woodfin On What Public Transit Should Be: ‘embrace’ It https://digitalalabamanews.com/birmingham-mayor-woodfin-on-what-public-transit-should-be-embrace-it/ Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said this morning that the new Birmingham Xpress bus line, an express route between the CrossPlex and Woodlawn High School that started today, marks a transformative moment for public transit in the city. “Today marks a major step in public transportation for the City of Birmingham,” Woodfin said. In a speech at the opening ceremony, Woodfin outlined his expectations of public transit. “The City of Birmingham is in the service business,” Woodfin said. “In partnership with the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority, it’s quite simple: we need to get people from Point A to B on time, we need to get people from their home to their doctor medical appointment on time, from home to school on time, from home to work on time, and vice versa. That’s the business service we’re in. That should be non-negotiable.” Woodfin said the system will make bus service faster in the city, with seven rapid transit buses running during peak travel times between the Western Terminus near CrossPlex and the Eastern Terminus Station near Woodlawn High School, at 57th Street North in Woodlawn. The BJCTA’s Metro Area Express, or MAX buses, provide a transportation network that will be augmented by the new Birmingham Xpress rapid transit line. “The connection provides access to the things I just mentioned earlier: jobs, healthcare, and education,” Woodfin said. “It also provides access to retail, services and entertainment on that stretch east to west of those 10 miles.” The buses also include some technical upgrades. “While people are taking public transportation, they still need access to Wi-Fi, which these buses will provide,” Woodfin said. The buses will make quick stops at 32 locations in 25 neighborhoods, running from Five Points West to Woodlawn with a fast-boarding system meant to operate like a subway. The City of Birmingham contributed $44 million (including $18 million from its federal American Rescue Act funds) to the cost of the $64 million project; other funding includes a $20 million federal “Tiger” grant from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program. Now, people need to take advantage of it, Woodfin said. “You’ve got to use it,” Woodfin said. “We have to use public transportation, we have to embrace public transportation, we have to make sure that it works for everybody. The Birmingham Xpress service will be free for the first 30 days, then will cost $1.50 one way or $3 for unlimited use for a day. “Learn how to use it, and tell a friend,” Woodfin said. Charlotte Shaw, executive director of the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority, said the first 30 days will be a chance to get the system running smoothly. “If we’re 16 minutes late, don’t go calling the mayor,” Shaw said. “It takes time to work out the kinks.” See also: Birmingham Xpress bus line starts; free rides for 30 days Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Father Of T.J. Finley Criticizes 2-QB System, Discusses Son's Injury https://digitalalabamanews.com/father-of-t-j-finley-criticizes-2-qb-system-discusses-sons-injury/ The father of Auburn starting quarterback T.J. Finley voiced his frustration with the Tigers’ two-quarterback system and play-calling this week in the aftermath of a humbling loss to Penn State in which his son injured his shoulder. David Finley made an appearance on the Locked On Auburn podcast Thursday morning and discussed his son’s shoulder injury, his issue with how the quarterback situation has been handled and his expectations for his son upon his eventual return to the field. David Finley was candid during his appearance on the show but also cautious; he did not mention any coaches by name while airing out his criticisms, noted he has nothing against any of Auburn’s other quarterbacks and added that he was not speaking on behalf of his son, only himself. “Neither quarterback has been able to get into a rhythm,” David Finley said of Auburn’s two-quarterback system through the first three games. “Whether they want to admit it or not, I feel it affect both of them. That’s the point. I don’t think (T.J.’s) been able to really settle in and get a full game behind him…. A quarterback looking over your shoulder—I don’t care if you’re a manager at your job and going for a director’s position, and you got another manager going for it with you, you’re looking over your shoulder…. You need to be embraced as QB1, so you’re not looking over your shoulder, and I’m going to ride with you.” Read more Auburn football: Auburn defense falling well short of lofty sack goal so far “That’s our identity”: Can Auburn reestablish run game in SEC opener? What to make of Auburn’s “lack of focus” in first big game of season Auburn has relied on a two-quarterback system with Finley and Robby Ashford so far this season, despite the former being named the team’s starting quarterback last month, six days before the opener against Mercer. While Finley has started all three games against Mercer, San Jose State and Penn State, the two have rotated in and out of the lineup at various points each week. Finley has played 133 snaps through three games, while Ashford has received 73 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. The two have been on the field together at the same time once during that span. The most even split came in last week’s 41-12 loss to Penn State, in which Finley was pulled from the game early in the third quarter after committing three turnovers and sustaining a shoulder injury that will keep him out of Auburn’s SEC opener against Missouri this weekend. Finley finished the game 11-of-19 passing for 152 yards, an interception and two lost fumbles. Ashford was 10-of-19 for 144 yards, a touchdown and an interception. David Finley, who had six pages of prepared notes for his interview, believes the two-quarterback system “wasn’t productive at all” against Penn State and pondered whose fault that was. While he was admittedly disappointed with his son’s play—and believes he’s T.J.’s staunchest critic—upon rewatching the game he felt better about his performance but felt the gameplan didn’t do either quarterback any favors. He also noted that this Auburn offense isn’t what he expected when his son transferred to the Plains, saying that he thought they would be passing the ball more. “Everything goes into play here,” David Finley said. “Now, do his turnovers help? No. But why did he turn it over?” Finley lost two fumbles on strip-sacks by Penn State, as the Nittany Lions finished the day with seven sacks — the most allowed by Auburn in a game since Clemson had 11 in the teams’ 2017 meeting. He also threw an interception, his fourth of the season, on a play in which a receiver ran the wrong route. Finley’s play was also impacted by the injury he sustained late in the first half. David Finley confirmed his son hurt his right shoulder on a 13-yard run in which he dragged a couple of Penn State defenders for extra yardage to pick up a first down (the play was called back due to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against left guard Brandon Council) but remained in the game after halftime. “Looking back Sunday morning, I don’t know how he went back out there,” David Finley said. “Must’ve been adrenaline.” His son’s day ended two drives into the second half: Auburn opened the third quarter with a three-and-out, and then Finley committed his third turnover of the day on the team’s next possession. After the game, coach Bryan Harsin said Finley’s shoulder injury didn’t impact the decision to remove him from the game, implying the Tigers’ starter was benched in favor of Ashford to see if the former Oregon transfer could provide a spark with an extended opportunity. David Finley expressed disappointment over Harsin’s postgame comments on the situation. “On TV they saw it,” he said of the shoulder injury. “They talked about it all over TV when it happened…. Bench both of them, then. You named him QB1; shouldn’t he have a full opportunity to prove he wasn’t QB1?” Finley earned the starting job after an offseason-long competition among him, Ashford and Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada. Finley separated himself from the pack with his understanding and command of the offense, while Ashford made a push during fall camp as he continued to progress within the system and provided alluring potential as a dual-threat option. Although Finley was named the starter heading into the first game, it was apparent Ashford would also be given an opportunity to see the field. David Finley was asked during his appearance on the podcast if he was surprised the two-quarterback experiment has lasted as long as it has. “I was surprised it started in the beginning,” he said. “If you say I’m QB1, then I’m QB1. You tell me what system, from your whole time watching football, had a two-quarterback system that actually worked?… I’m just calling a spade a spade.” Harsin has used two-quarterback systems in the past and has experienced some success with it, most notably during the 2017 season at Boise State with Brett Rypien and Montell Cozart. That situation was comparable to Auburn’s current setup in that Rypien was the team’s starter while Cozart was a more mobile, change-of-pace quarterback who saw the field in certain situations. Auburn’s second-year coach has said the team would use both quarterbacks so long as it was benefitting the offense. Through three games, Auburn’s offense has struggled. The Tigers are 91st nationally in scoring at 26 points per game, and they have committed eight turnovers, which is 114th among FBS teams. Finley has completed 33-of-55 passes (62.3 percent) for 431 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. He has also run for a touchdown. Ashford has completed 15-of-29 passes (51.7 percent) for 245 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Ashford will likely have more opportunity, at least this week, with Finley sidelined due to his shoulder injury. Harsin has been noncommittal about Auburn’s quarterback situation entering SEC play, but David Finley confirmed earlier reports about his son’s availability against Missouri. He will miss Saturday’s SEC opener, and his status beyond that is uncertain. According to David Finley, his son was “banged up pretty bad” before he and his wife, Shannon, left town Sunday. Finley needed help putting his shirt on and had to eat with his left hand because of the pain in his right shoulder. Finley previously injured his left shoulder during Auburn’s win against San Jose State but managed to play through it. David Finley added that he doesn’t believe there’s structural damage to Finley’s throwing shoulder, but the family is waiting to find out more, and there’s a chance his son could be sidelined beyond this weekend. “He thinks he’s Superman sometimes, but I tell him, if you’re not 100 percent and ain’t able to do certain things, don’t go look worse,” David Finley said. Regardless of how much time Finley misses due to the injury, his dad is hopeful that upon his return, he’ll be right back in the mix at quarterback. “He was named QB1,” David Finley said. “I would hope, being that he was QB1 and it was pretty much a 50-50 split, I would hope that when he comes back, he’ll assume his position of where he was at, which I don’t see who has done what to lose what.” Until then, Auburn (2-1) will try to rebound as it enters SEC play. The team hosts Missouri this week and then finishes its five-game season-opening homestand next weekend against LSU (6 p.m. on ESPN). Then things really pick up: Auburn hits the road for the first time this season with a trip to defending national champion and top-ranked Georgia, followed by a game at No. 16 Ole Miss before the bye week. All that as pressure continues to mount on Harsin, who entered the season on the hot seat and did little to cool it with last weekend’s lopsided defeat against Penn State. David Finley said that when it comes to outside noise, “you try to block it out, but when you have so much that’s happening, and then some people throw some people under the bust, and… want to blame this,” it makes it difficult. Still, from his perspective, David Finley believes the team will have no issue rallying after last weekend’s setback. “These kids are hungry,” he said. “…Not everybody gets NIL (money). These guys are playing for their careers and trying to get to the league, so they’re going to rally themselves, if nothing else. They have to go out and perform.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

AP News Summary At 11:46 A.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1146-a-m-edt/ US: Security Council must tell Russia to stop nuke threats UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is calling on every U.N. Security Council member to “send a clear message” to Russia that it must stop its nuclear threats in its war in Ukraine. Blinken is addressing a council session Thursday about the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this week that his nuclear-armed country “certainly use all means available to us” if its territory is threatened and to defend the country and its people. Missile strikes keep hitting Ukraine despite prisoner swap ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Russian and Ukrainian forces have exchanged missile and artillery barrages that killed at least seven people. The fighting on Thursday indicated that neither side is ready to concede any ground despite recent military setbacks for Moscow and the toll on the invaded country after almost seven months of war. The exchange of fire came hours after the two sides made a major prisoner swap and the day after Russian President Vladimir Putin called up reserve troops to supplement his forces. The Kremlin’s spokesman says the mobilization is needed because Russia is “de facto facing all of NATO” in Ukraine. Another senior Kremlin official repeated Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons if Russian territory is attacked. Trump docs probe: Court lifts hold on Mar-a-Lago records WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court is allowing the Justice Department to resume its use of classified records seized from Donald Trump’s Florida estate in its ongoing criminal investigation. The ruling Wednesday clears the way for investigators to continue scrutinizing the documents as they evaluate whether to bring criminal charges over the storage of top-secret government records at Mar-a-Lago. The appeals court note that Trump presented no evidence that he had declassified the records. Trump claimed in a Fox News Interview Wednesday that “If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify” material just by saying “It’s declassified” and “even by thinking about it.” At least 9 killed as Iran protests spread over woman’s death DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Clashes between Iranian security forces and protesters angry over the death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody have killed at least nine people since the violence erupted over the weekend. That’s according to a tally on Thursday by The Associated Press, based on statements from Iran’s state-run and semiofficial media. An anchor on state television suggested the death toll from the mass protests could be as high as 17, but did not provide details or attribution. Widespread outages of Instagram and WhatsApp have continued. The demonstrations in Iran began as an outpouring over the death last week of Mahsa Amini, a young woman held by the country’s morality police for allegedly violating its strictly enforced dress code. Bank of England raises rates but avoids bolder hike like Fed LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England has raised its key interest rate by another half-percentage point. Despite facing inflation that outpaces other major economies, the Bank of England avoided more aggressive hikes made by the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks. The U.K. bank on Thursday raised its benchmark rate to the highest level in 14 years. It’s the seventh straight move to increase borrowing costs as rising food and energy prices fuel a cost-of-living crisis that’s considered the worst in a generation. Despite facing a slumping currency, tight labor market and inflation near its highest in four decades, officials held off on acting more boldly as they predicted a second consecutive drop in economic output this quarter. Judge blocks Indiana abortion ban week after it took effect INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana judge has blocked the state’s abortion ban from being enforced, putting the new law on hold as abortion clinic operators argue that it violates the state constitution. Owen County Judge Kelsey Hanlon issued a preliminary injunction Thursday against the ban that took effect one week ago. The injunction was sought by abortion clinic operators who argued in a lawsuit that the state constitution protects access to the medical procedure. The judge wrote “there is reasonable likelihood that this significant restriction of personal autonomy offends the liberty guarantees of the Indiana Constitution” and that the clinics will prevail in the lawsuit. AP PHOTOS: Backbreaking work for kids in Afghan brick kilns KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Aid agencies say the number of children working in Afghanistan is growing ever since the economy collapsed following the Taliban takeover more than a year ago. Nowhere is it clearer than in the brick factories outside of the capital, Kabul. Children as young as four or five labor alongside their parents from early in the morning until late at night, doing backbreaking tasks like hauling wheelbarrows full of bricks. Their families say they have no choice, the work is needed to put food on the table. A recent survey by Save The Children estimated that half of Afghanistan’s families have had to put their children to work. Palestinian strife highlights lost hopes of armed youths NABLUS, West Bank (AP) — The rare eruption of deadly clashes this week between Palestinians and their own security forces has cast a spotlight on the growing ranks of disenfranchised, impoverished young men taking up arms. Many have spent their entire lives in a territory occupied by Israel, scarred by infighting and segmented by checkpoints. They have not seen a national election since 2006. They have no hope in the long-stalemated peace process. Their aging president, Mahmoud Abbas, is in his 18th year of what was supposed to be a four-year term. Experts also attribute the surge in West Bank violence to a leadership vacuum and looming succession crisis. The occupied territories have seen the deadliest violence this year since 2016. Constitution stops Charles becoming Britain’s ‘green’ king LONDON (AP) — Now that he’s monarch, King Charles III — one of Britain’s most prominent environmental voices — will have to be more careful with his words. In line with his role as Britain’s new head of state, he’ll have to remain apolitical. That may be particularly difficult as his accession to the throne coincides with the formation of a new U.K. government that has already pressed ahead with fossil fuel-friendly policies. Many think the king is unlikely to stop talking about the climate completely, although it’s believed the next in line Prince William, who is also an impassioned supporter of the environment, will take up much of his father’s advocacy work. Fugitive in massive Navy bribery case caught in Venezuela SAN DIEGO (AP) — A Malaysian defense contractor nicknamed “Fat Leonard” who orchestrated one of the largest bribery scandals in U.S. military history has been arrested in Venezuela. The U.S. Marshals Service says Leonard Glenn Francis was arrested Tuesday as he was about to board a plane in Caracas. Francis was under home arrest in San Diego when he cut off his GPS ankle bracelet and escaped on Sept. 4, prompting an international manhunt. Francis was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in 2015 to bribing Navy officers to help his ship servicing company, then overcharging the military at least $35 million. Dozens of Navy officers were convicted for the scheme. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read More…

Andy McCarthy Rips Letitia James' Lawsuit Against Trump, Doubts It Will Ever Go To Trial https://digitalalabamanews.com/andy-mccarthy-rips-letitia-james-lawsuit-against-trump-doubts-it-will-ever-go-to-trial/ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy McCarthy tore into New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit filed against former President Trump on The Brian Kilmeade Show Thursday, noting that prosecutors have already pored over Trump’s financial records with little success at finding serious wrongoing.  “This is not exactly the Bernie Madoff case. There’s no victims here,” McCarthy said. “Every prosecutor and prosecutors crawled through Trump’s financial records for three years. Federal prosecutors.” McCarthy went on to criticize James’ statement that she would refer her complaint to the Justice Department, saying the agency initially had the case. NEW YORK AG ANNOUNCES CIVIL LAWSUIT AGAINST TRUMP New York Attorney General Letitia James, center, accompanied by Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, left, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, right, and other officials, speaks with members of the media during a news conference near the scene of a shooting at a supermarket, in Buffalo, N.Y., Sunday, May 15, 2022.  ((AP Photo/Matt Rourke)) “They looked at it very hard. They decided that Michael Cohen was not a promising foundation to build a fraud case on,” he added.  “The Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus Vance, did a kind of Captain Ahab quest for Trump’s financial records, went up to the Supreme Court twice to finally get them, and when they got them, they realized there wasn’t a case there.” McCarthy then pointed to Allen Weisselberg, former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, who pled guilty to 15 counts of tax fraud last month. McCarthy claims the Trump affiliate will not see much jail time for the offenses. NEW YORK AG TRUMP LAWSUIT A ‘POLITICAL HIT JOB’ DRIVEN BY LEFT’S DESIRE TO ‘PUNISH’ HIM: BILL BARR Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Hilton Anatole on August 06, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. CPAC began in 1974, and is a conference that brings together and hosts conservative organizations, activists, and world leaders in discussing current events and future political agendas.  (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) “What they don’t tell you is he’s going to do all of 100 days in jail. It’s penny ante stuff, and it’s the same stuff that they’re using next month to have a trial against the Trump Organization on the same minor tax stuff… “Again, they were really trying to make a case on Trump and his children, and they couldn’t,” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP McCarthy said he believes the case will never go to trial, pointing to James’ record of allegedly frivolous legal pursuits. “Letitia James does this all the time. She did the same thing with Cuomo. She does this long investigation, she figures out a way to dump the investigation into the public record because she’s got her eyes on his job [and] she dumps out a bunch of stuff that she was never able to prove…” he added. Taylor Penley is a production assistant with Fox News. Read More…

Trump Documents Probe: Court Lifts Hold On Mar-A-Lago Records https://digitalalabamanews.com/trump-documents-probe-court-lifts-hold-on-mar-a-lago-records/ WASHINGTON — In a stark repudiation of Donald Trump’s legal arguments, a federal appeals court on Wednesday permitted the Justice Department to resume its use of classified records seized from the former president’s Florida estate as part of its ongoing criminal investigation. The ruling from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit amounts to an overwhelming victory for the Justice Department, clearing the way for investigators to continue scrutinizing the documents as they consider whether to bring criminal charges over the storage of of top-secret records at Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House. In lifting a hold on a core aspect of the department’s probe, the court removed an obstacle that could have delayed the investigation by weeks. The appeals court also pointedly noted that Trump had presented no evidence that he had declassified the sensitive records, as he maintained as recently as Wednesday, and rejected the possibility that Trump could have an “individual interest in or need for” the roughly 100 documents with classification markings that were seized by the FBI in its Aug. 8 search of the Palm Beach property. “If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying ‘It’s declassified.’ Even by thinking about it…You’re the president, you make that decision,” Trump claimed in a Fox News Channel interview recorded Wednesday before the appeals court ruling. The government had argued that its investigation had been impeded, and national security concerns swept aside, by an order from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon that temporarily barred investigators from continuing to use the documents in its inquiry. Cannon, a Trump appointee, had said the hold would remain in place pending a separate review by an independent arbiter she had appointed at the Trump team’s request to review the records. The appeals panel agreed with the Justice Department’s concerns. “It is self-evident that the public has a strong interest in ensuring that the storage of the classified records did not result in ‘exceptionally grave damage to the national security,’” they wrote. “Ascertaining that,” they added, “necessarily involves reviewing the documents, determining who had access to them and when, and deciding which (if any) sources or methods are compromised.” An injunction that delayed or prevented the criminal investigation “from using classified materials risks imposing real and significant harm on the United States and the public,” they wrote. Two of the three judges who issued Wednesday’s ruling — Britt Grant and Andrew Brasher — were nominated to the 11th Circuit by Trump. Judge Robin Rosenbaum was nominated by former President Barack Obama. Lawyers for Trump did not return an email seeking comment on whether they would appeal the ruling. The Justice Department did not have an immediate comment. The FBI last month seized roughly 11,000 documents, including about 100 with classification markings, during a court-authorized search of the Palm Beach club. It has launched a criminal investigation into whether the records were mishandled or compromised, though is not clear whether Trump or anyone else will be charged. Cannon ruled on Sept. 5 that she would name an independent arbiter, or special master, to do an independent review of those records and segregate any that may be covered by claims of attorney-client privilege or executive privilege and to determine whether any of the materials should be returned to Trump. Raymond Dearie, the former chief judge of the federal court based in Brooklyn, has been named to the role and held his first meeting on Tuesday with lawyers for both sides. The appeals court ruling appears to substantially narrow the special master’s job description, enabling the Justice Department to avoid providing him with classified documents to review. Instead, Dearie would review the much larger tranche of non-classified government documents. The Justice Department had argued that a special master review of the classified documents was not necessary. It said Trump had no plausible basis to invoke executive privilege over the documents, nor could the records be covered by attorney-client privilege because they do not involve communications between Trump and his lawyers. It had also contested Cannon’s order requiring it to provide Dearie and Trump’s lawyers with access to the classified material. The court sided with the Justice Department on Wednesday, saying “courts should order review of such materials in only the most extraordinary circumstances. The record does not allow for the conclusion that this is such a circumstance.” Though Trump’s lawyers have said a president has absolute authority to declassify information, they have notably stopped short of asserting that the records were declassified. The Trump team this week resisted providing Dearie with any information to support the idea that the records might have been declassified, saying the issue could be part of their defense in the event of an indictment. The Justice Department has said there is no indication that Trump took any steps to declassify the documents and even included a photo in one court filing of some of the seized documents with colored cover sheets indicating their classified status. The appeals court, too, made the same point. “Plaintiff suggests that he may have declassified these documents when he was President. But the record contains no evidence that any of these records were declassified,” the judges wrote. “In any event, at least for these purposes, the declassification argument is a red herring because declassifying an official document would not change its content or render it personal.” Colvin reported from New York. Read More…

DeSantis Migrant Flight Funding Revealed – Live https://digitalalabamanews.com/desantis-migrant-flight-funding-revealed-live/ Related video: More Migrants Arrive In D.C. As White House Slams Republican Governors A group of 48 mostly Venezeulan migrants who the state of Florida transported in a surprise flight to Martha’s Vineyard last week have sued governor Ron DeSantis for the “fraudulent and discriminatory scheme.” The class- action lawsuit comes as at least two law enforcement agencies are also investigating the actions of Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott for potential illegality. A new report has revelaed the funding for Mr DeSantis’s migrant flights. The contractor hired by the governor is a longtime GOP donor. Meanwhile, a plane reportedly full of asylum-seekers heading from Texas to Delaware so far hasn’t materialised, even as officials there worried they’d be the latest to be surprised with Florida’s highly controversial scheme of flying migrants unannounced to liberal jurisdictions. Governor DeSantis and his aides have defended sending migrants to Democratic-leading states and cities in protest of what they characterise as the president’s “open border” policy. Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists Email Please enter a valid email Please enter a valid email Password Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number First name Please enter your first name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters Last name Please enter your last name Special characters aren’t allowed Please enter a name between 1 and 40 characters You must be over 18 years old to register You must be over 18 years old to register Year of birth I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.  Read our Privacy notice You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Each email has a link to unsubscribe. Already have an account? sign in Read More…

Huntsville’s Carlin Long Carrying Load For Improving Panthers https://digitalalabamanews.com/huntsvilles-carlin-long-carrying-load-for-improving-panthers/ Huntsville High junior Carlin Long has run for 76 percent of the Panthers’ rushing yards this season, but he said he thinks he can do more. The 6-foot, 195-pound Long has 548 of Huntsville’s 718 yards on the ground as the 2-2 Panthers take on city rival Mae Jemison (0-5) on Friday night at 7 at Milton Frank Stadium. He has scored seven of the team’s nine touchdowns on the ground. “We’re headed in a good direction,” said Long, who ran for 197 yards and three touchdowns last week, “but we don’t want to get our hopes up and don’t want to think we’re too good. We just want to get the job done every Friday night. “Our offense is doing good. We have had some nicks and still have a lot to figure out. We could be way more explosive and we can score way more points. We just have to figure it out.” Coach Mark Fleetwood’s squad has scored 19.5 points a game, including a season-best in last week’s 28-24 win over Bob Jones to run its Class 7A, Region 4 record to 2-1. The Panthers have allowed 23.25 points a game. “Last year, we were so close,” Fleetwood said of his team’s 3-7 finish in 2021. “We lost three region games by a total of 7 points on a team with 18 players who were going to be returning. We were playing, roughly, 11 sophomores. When you do that, you’re going to go through some growing pains. I thought that if we went about the offseason the right way and kept going and not get caught up in the moment, things would be better. “Carlin has started since the ninth grade, when he started off and on. He was our workhorse last year (with 1,094 yards). He’s gotten in the weight room since the ninth grade and gotten bigger and stronger and improved his running game. He’s improved as a player without the ball in his hands. “Carlin has a dream and he wants to be something special,” Fleetwood said. “He’s learning how now in his junior year. He’s a wonderful kid. He’s learning how to practice – everybody is understanding the importance of practice, and what that means to performance on Friday night.” Long and Fleetwood agreed on the guys up front who are leading the way for the offense. Huntsville head football coach Mark Fleetwood. Huntsville vs. Bob Jones High School football at Madison City Stadium in Madison, Ala. Thursday Sept. 15, 2022. (Bob Gathany | preps@al.com)Al.com “I’m proud of a couple of areas that are really important, the offensive and defensive lines,” Fleetwood said. “The offensive line is led by two seniors, Alex Gray and Seth Lawson, and they have been getting better and better. Another senior is Jorge Rosales, our starting left guard, and it’s great to see where he’s come from since the ninth grade. “We’re moving Gray Cochran, Brennan Willcutt and Joel Bowen around and playing them and getting a little bit of depth. Coach Josh Bailey is doing a wonderful job developing them. That’s the backbone of our offense.” RELATED: 5 Huntsville-area games to watch Long declared, “The whole line is amazing. They are well coached. I wouldn’t want to run behind anybody else. They are the best O-line ever.” Junior quarterback Jacks McClung has thrown for 610 yards, completing 64-of-102 passes with four TDs and four interceptions. His favorite targets are Huck Hensley (19 catches for 240 yards), Amaree Jabbar (24-142) and Kameron White (10-121), who missed one game with turf toe. “These kids continue to get better and better,” Fleetwood said. “Alex Moore is our tight end who is about 6-5, 6-6, and he’s caught some balls. We’re throwing to different guys and trying not to be so one-dimensional. To me, that’s growth. We’ve got a lot of weapons and these kids are continuing to get better and better.” Fleetwood said building depth on the defensive front has paid off this season as well. “We’re anchored by Todd Whitmire and Mike Adams, our two defensive ends,” he said. “They are both returning players and seniors. Those guys are really playing good football. Another defensive end, Jamari Holden, has played really well. “On the inside, Tyric Hinton, Billy Roby, Cam Burruss-McCroskey are really offering some depth. “Jerrell Goodlow, last week, I think he had 16 tackles at linebacker,” Fleetwood said. “Malik Woods is our Mike linebacker and Clements Langford, who we moved from wide receiver to outside linebacker last year, has played really well. We’ve got some depth with Jody Drake and Jordan Wimberly.” Fleetwood also praised defensive backs Rodarrius Hardy, Josh Whitt, Ramon White, Justin Whitaker, Alec Huskey and Darren Jones. “We did give up 200-something yards rushing last week,” Fleetwood said, “but after three games we had given up 80 yards a game. We’re better stopping the run this year and at running the ball.” The improvement in his game, Long said, is coming from his added work. “I’m ready for whatever,” he said. “I worked hard all offseason and I’m ready to do whatever it takes to win. I enjoy being in the weight room, but I’m not one of those weight-room warriors. “When you watch us this year, you can really tell we want it more than last year. We’re going harder in practice and that’s where it really starts. Everybody is trying to lead and everybody wants to do the right thing. I feel like it’s all in my hands. I have to step up every day. I can’t pick and choose when I want to step up. I have to, every day.” Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

7 Weekend Events In Birmingham, Sept. 23-25, Including Races For Great Causes https://digitalalabamanews.com/7-weekend-events-in-birmingham-sept-23-25-including-races-for-great-causes/ alert@bhamnow.com | Want to advertise? Send to hello@bhamnow.com All you need to know for Saturday’s kickoff Auburn University vs University of Missouri When: Saturday, September 24 | 11AM Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium Samford University vs Western Carolina University When: Saturday, September 24 | 2PM Where: Bobby Bowden Field The University of Alabama vs Vanderbilt University When: Saturday, September 24 | 6:30PM Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium Bite-sized news Calling all coffee lovers: Grab your next cup at these new Bham coffee shops—Red Bike Coffee Roasters and Modern House Coffee Shop. Shop ’til you drop: Stop by one of these stores for coastal grandmother-inspired fashion, interiors and more. 7 weekend events in Birmingham Lifeline Children’s Services R(un) for One Fun Run & 5K Why go: Help raise money for Lifeline Children’s Services adoption partners in Ukraine When: Saturday, September 24 | 8AM Where: Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, 1114 Oxmoor Rd, Birmingham, AL 35209 Cost: 5K – $35 | 1 Mile Fun Run – $20 Register 2. Head Over Teal 5K & 10K Fall Festival Why go: This annual event helps raise money to provide GYN cancer programs to women, patients and caregivers When: Saturday, September 24 | 8AM (Shuttles will run from Prince of Peace Catholic Church starting at 6:30AM to take you to/from the event.) Where: The Preserve, 616 Preserve Pkwy, Hoover, AL 35226 Cost: 10K – $40 | 10K Team – $35 | 5K – $35 | 5K Team – $35 Register 3. Camp Bow Wow Fall Adoption Event with Greater Birmingham Humane Society Why go: Find your new furry friend + get a preview of the all-new Camp Bow Wow facility When: Saturday, September 24 | 9AM-12PM Where: Camp Bow Wow, 2153 Clearbrook Road Hoover, AL 35226 RSVP 4. Birmingham Children’s Theatre Amelia Earhart Why go: Bring out your whole family to learn more about this American pilot in a creative, fun play When: Saturday, September 24, 11AM | Saturday, October 1, 11AM | Saturday, October 22, 11AM Where: Birmingham Children’s Theatre, 2130 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N, Birmingham, AL 35203 Cost: $22 for adults | $15 for seniors | $10 for children (kids under two are free) Buy tickets 5. UAB’s Alice’s Even Bigger Tea Party Why go: Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland comes off the pages during this family-friendly play When: Saturday, September 24, 2PM | Sunday, September 25, 2PM Where: Odess Theatre, 1200 10th Ave S., Birmingham, AL 35294 Cost: $15 for adults | $10 for children (kids 3 and under are free) Buy tickets 6. Cahaba River Canoe Clean-Up Why go: Help the Cahaba River thrive + get a Cahaba Brewing Pint Glass, Cahaba River Society T-shirt and an invite back to the brewery for a volunteer-only after-party When: Sunday, September 25 | 9AM-2PM Where: 2171 Grants Mill Rd, Birmingham, AL 35210 7. Mozart and Friends Why go: Listen to classic music from this all-star group of performers, including a Broadway musician When: Sunday, September 25 | 2PM Where: Clubhouse On Highland, 2908 Highland Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35205 Cost: $30 general admission | $10 for students Buy tickets Looking Ahead Shop Save & Share with the Junior League of Birmingham When: Wednesday, September 28-Sunday, October 9 Where: Participating Birmingham retailers Cost: $40 for a Shop Save & Share Card to save up to a 20% discount at participating retailers during the event Buy card Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Antiques at the Gardens When: Thursday, September 29-Sunday, October 2 Where: Birmingham Botanical Gardens, 2612 Lane Park Rd, Birmingham, AL 35223 Cost: $15-350 Buy tickets Vintage Market Days When: Thursday, September 29, 4-8PM | Friday, September 30, 9AM-5PM | Sunday, October 1, 10AM-4PM Where: The Finley Center, 5508 Stadium Trace Parkway, Hoover, AL 35244 Cost: $12 general admission | $17 VIP Buy tickets Birmingham Museum of Art’s ReFRAME Party When: Thursday, September 29, 5-9PM Where: Birmingham Museum of Art, 2000 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr. Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35203 Cost: Free admission Register Discover Shelby Fest When: Saturday, October 1 | 11AM-7PM Where: Old Mill Square Park, 105 West College Street, Columbiana, AL 35051 Cost: Free admission | $15 for a festival wine glass and wristband Oktoberfest at The Birmingham Zoo When: Saturday, October 1 | 5-10PM Where: The Birmingham Zoo, 2630 Cahaba Rd, Birmingham, AL 35223 Cost: $48 general admission | $40 members Buy tickets Birmingham Children’s Theatre An Enchanted Evening When: Thursday, October 13 | 5:30PM Where: The Fennec, 1630 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233 Cost: $150-1,000 Buy tickets Deal of the Week Cheers to this deal! Use discount code BHAMNOW for 20% off retail and free shipping of 12 or more bottles from Southern Roots Wines. Find more deals + add your own to our Small Business Guide. For more upcoming events around Birmingham, follow Bham Now on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok + LinkedIn.  Read More…

A Recession Is Now Likely In 2023. Here https://digitalalabamanews.com/a-recession-is-now-likely-in-2023-here/ The economy appears to be on solid footing, with strong job growth. But warnings signs are mounting. Economists surveyed by Wolters Kluwer Blue Chip Economic Indicators say there’s a 54% chance of recession next year. When it’s still sunny and mild, it’s tough to imagine a winter storm brewing in the distance. But it’s probably coming. The economy is still on seemingly sturdy footing. Job growth remains solid. Consumer and business spending have held up despite historically high inflation and sharply rising interest rates. And yet there are mounting warning signs. Employment gains are slowing. Savings cushions are wearing thin. Price increases remain high and  corporate profits, which had stayed strong, appear to have softened, underscored by a bleak FedEx warning last week that contributed to a massive stock market sell-off. Perhaps the darkest cloud over the economy, economists say, is that aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate hikes designed to tame inflation are likely to take a bigger toll on growth in the months ahead. “The seeds of recession have been sown,” says economist Troy Ludtka of research firm Natixis. In an interview, Oxford Economics’ chief U.S. economist, Kathy Bostjancic, said the Fed is “on a mission…They’re raising interest rates (sharply) until inflation slows down” even if it triggers a downturn. The odds of a slump are growing. Economists surveyed this month by Wolters Kluwer Blue Chip Economic Indicators say there’s a 54% chance of recession next year, according to their average estimate, up from 39% in a June survey. A recession is a “significant decline in economic activity,” including jobs, retail sales, consumer spending and industrial production, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, which declares the beginning and end of downturns.  Still, not all experts foresee a slump in in the next 18 months. Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, believes the U.S. will dodge a slide unless the Fed hikes its key interest rate even more aggressively than planned if inflation doesn’t come down quickly enough or “there’s a shock.” Such a trauma could include the reemergence of a more virulent pandemic or an overseas crisis that drives up gasoline prices again, he says. Older Americans and poverty: Seniors are the only age group with more poverty. Here’s why Antidote for high home prices?: To ‘fixer-upper’ or not? That’s the question for many Americans in a pricey housing market Barring such events, Zandi believes low household debt and abundant savings should allow the nation to withstand the effects of high inflation and rising borrowing costs. In other words, economic activity should grow more slowly, cooling inflation but not decline.   Here’s how some top economists say a recession could play out within a few months: Consumer spending keeps losing steam Consumer spending was resilient earlier this year but the savings that fueled it are dwindling. A core measure of retail sales was flat in August and the economists surveyed by Wolters Kluwer expect consumption to rise just 1% next year. While wages are increasing, yearly inflation, at  8.3% in August, is climbing faster. As a result, Americans are drawing from the $2.6 trillion in savings they built up from government aid and hunkering down during the health crisis. Zandi says the figure is now down to $2.5 trillion. The checking account deposits of low-income households dipped below their pre-COVID-19 levels in the final months of 2021 and were about 25% below that threshold this spring, according to Moody’s and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.. Those households are important to the economy because they tend to spend, rather than save, most of their income. Oxford’s Bostjancic still expects consumer spending to grow 2.5% this year but fall 0.5% in the first half of 2023. Earlier in 2022, most Americans spent more on discretionary purchases than they did a year prior but now a slight majority are spending less, according to August figures from Visa’s Spending Momentum Index. While lower-income households are drawing down their savings amid soaring prices, higher-income people largely have exhausted their pent-up demand after returning to dining out, traveling and other activities, according to Visa. Wealth effects turn negative When stock and home prices increase significantly, Americans feel wealthier and spend more, and when values fall, they dial back. The S&P 500 index is down about 18% this year as the Fed has sharply raised rates.. Since it takes six to nine months for falling asset values to affect spending, Zandi says, stock investors could start moderating their purchases this fall. Every $1 drop in wealth decreases spending by 3 cents, Ludtka says. But he notes the impact could be larger now because households have a near-record 40% of their financial assets in stocks, up from about 30% in 2015. Corporate profit growth slows Companies have maintained fat profit margins even though they’ve had to pay more for materials and hike wages to deal with worker shortages. That’s because they’ve enjoyed “robust revenue growth and unusually high pricing power,” Bostjancic says in a research note. Yet, she says, that’s about to change as consumers temper their spending. FactSet estimates earnings of S&P 500 companies grew 3.5% in the third quarter, which would be the slowest pace since 2020. As result, Bostjancic says, companies will reduce hiring and capital spending. Job growth comes off a boom Employers added a solid 315,000 jobs in August but that’s down from an average of 455,000 the first seven months of the year. Less job creation means less income and spending. Also, average weekly overtime hours for factory workers has dropped 11% since February to the lowest level since 2020. That’s worrisome, Ludtka says, because the amount of overtime logged by existing workers can foreshadow future hiring. Bostjancic expects hiring to slow and layoffs to spread, leading to about 500,000 net job losses in the spring of next year as the unemployment rate rises from the current 3.7% to 4.8%. Consumer borrowing pulls back Higher Fed interest rates already have hammered home sales and the construction of new housing, with the 30-year fixed mortgage rate nearly double the rate in early January. Initially, as rates rise, lenders offset the impact by easing lending standards, Zandi says. But as the Fed lifts rates further, Zandi expects a bigger impact on consumer borrowing through credit cards, auto and personal loans. The average credit card rate is 21.6%, up from 19.55% early this year, according to LendingTree. Business investment falls Business investment was flat in the second quarter while a measure of capital spending rose at a healthy 7.7% annual rate from May through July, according to a Pantheon analysis of government figures. But with borrowing costs rising due to higher Fed rates, big companies could be discouraged from borrowing to buy new equipment, build factories and other projects, Bostjancic says. She expects business investment to drop in the first half of 2023. Yield curve stays inverted, an ominous signal Normally, interest rates are higher for longer-term bonds than shorter-term ones because investors need to be rewarded for risking their money for a longer period. Yet the yield on the 2-year Treasury bond edged above the 10-year Treasury for the second time this year in July and remains about four-tenths of a percentage point higher. Such an “inversion of the yield curve” has been a reliable signal of a coming recession because investors move money into safer longer-term assets – pushing their prices up and their yields down – when the economic outlook grows dimmer.  A yield curve inversion also can contribute to a recession by squeezing banks’ profit margins, leading to reduced lending. Banks generally make a profit by borrowing money at lower short-term rates, such as on customers’ savings deposits, and lending it out at higher yields and longer terms, such as for home and auto loans. Europe goes into a recession The euro area is now expected to enter a deep, prolonged recession later this year because of high inflation, soaring energy prices tied to Russia’s war with Ukraine, sharp central bank interest rate hikes and weak demand from other countries, Barclays says. S&P 500 companies generate about 14% of their revenue from sales in Europe, according to FactSet. Bostjancic expects a downturn in the region to further dampen the confidence of U.S. corporate leaders, delivering another blow to their hiring and investment plans. Industrial production slows Industrial production fell 0.2% in August and Oxford expects it to “remain subdued” because of high inflation and interest rates, lower profits and investment, and the weakening global economy. Read More…

Pegasus And Other Spyware Threatens UN Human Rights Work, Chief Warns https://digitalalabamanews.com/pegasus-and-other-spyware-threatens-un-human-rights-work-chief-warns/ United Nations secretary-general says digital surveillance has stopped human rights defenders from submitting information and made them more vulnerable to reprisal UN Secretary-General António Guterres speaks at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City this week (AFP) Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, has warned of the serious threat spyware programmes like Pegasus pose to the UN’s work on human rights in a damning report set to be debated next week. Expanding digital surveillance by states and non-state actors has impacted the ability of civil society actors to submit information to the UN and has made them more vulnerable to intimidation and reprisal, Guterres cautions. “United Nations actors have pointed to growing and concerning evidence of online surveillance, privacy intrusion, and cyberattacks by state and non-state actors of victims and civil society communications and activities,” the UN chief writes. ‘I feel deep pain in knowing that malicious spyware has now been used against me’ – Ebtisam al-Saegh, Bahraini activist “The lack of trust in the digital sphere among those sharing information and testimony with the United Nations on sensitive issues can discourage future cooperation.” His findings are part of an annual report that monitors the challenges faced by those seeking to cooperate with the organisation and focuses on April 2021 to May 2022. During this period, much of the UN’s work was conducted digitally in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, making threats of surveillance and spyware especially concerning. In particular, he singles out the potential repercussions that Pegasus, the military-grade spyware made by the Israel-based NSO Group, has had for Palestinian, Bahraini, and Moroccan organisations and human rights defenders who have cooperated with the UN. He notes that staff at three prominent Palestinian NGOs – Addameer, Al-Haq, and Bisan Center for Research and Development – were surveilled and had their phones hacked with Pegasus in 2021. The hacking came two weeks after the Israeli government had designated the organisations and three others as “terrorist associations”. Israel did not respond to the allegations highlighted in the report. Repercussions for cooperating with UN In Bahrain, the report highlights two human rights defenders, Ebtisam al-Saegh and Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, in relation to spyware. This January, investigators found that al-Saegh’s mobile phone had been hacked at least eight times between August and November 2019 with Pegasus. Alwadaei’s mobile number was discovered on a leaked list of numbers identified as targets by NSO Group’s government clients between 2017 and 2019.  Both have allegedly experienced earlier repercussions for their cooperation with the UN, Guterres notes. ‘The UN should follow up by calling for greater scrutiny of surveillance technology and its misuse by states, coupled with improved regulation’ – Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Bird As Middle East Eye has previously reported, al-Saegh, who is based in Bahrain, was detained in March 2017 for seven hours at Bahrain International Airport on her return from the UN Human Rights Council, where she spoke out about violations in the kingdom. She was interrogated for five hours and had her passport and mobile phone confiscated. A couple of months later, interrogators from Bahrain’s National Security Agency abused her physically and verbally, and sexually assaulted her at Muharraq police station. She was told that if she did not cease her activism she would be raped.  “As someone who has been unable to heal from the torture and sexual assault experienced by Bahraini security due to the culture of impunity that allows my abusers to walk free, I feel deep pain in knowing that malicious spyware has now been used against me,” al-Saegh told MEE. Alwadaei, director of advocacy for the UK-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird), who lives in exile in London, and several of his relatives have faced reprisal, including arbitrary arrest and removal of citizenship, as a result of his continuous engagement with the UN, Guterres notes. The Bahraini government, in response to the report, said that neither al-Saegh, nor Alwadaei and his family had been targeted because of their human rights activity or cooperation with the UN, but did not respond to the spyware allegations. Pegasus spyware: Western Sahara activist Aminatou Haidar targeted Read More » In Morocco, Guterres reports on the case of veteran Sahrawi human rights defender Aminatou Haidar, who has allegedly faced threats, physical attacks, constant police monitoring, legal action, and online surveillance for her ongoing cooperation with the UN. In March 2022, forensic evidence from an investigation reportedly showed that Haidar’s mobile phones were targeted and intercepted by Pegasus in October and November 2021. “I also blame the NSO Group, which I consider to be a company that profits from human rights violations with espionage technology provided to authoritarian countries such as Morocco,” Haidar told MEE in March. Guterres also writes that the UN received information that Claude Mangin-Asfari, the wife of imprisoned Sahrawi human rights defender Ennaama Asfari, and her husband’s lawyer were targeted with Pegasus in 2021.     ‘The price human rights defenders pay’ In a response to the report’s allegations, Moroccan authorities categorically denied that Haidar, Mangin-Asfari, or her husband’s lawyer were hacked with Pegasus, and also said that they categorically rejected that Haidar had been subject to constant police surveillance or physical violence during the reporting period. Alwadaei said the report reveals “the price human rights defenders pay for cooperating with the UN” and the extent to which repressive goverments will go to intimidate activists. “This important recognition by the UN secretary-general on governments’ misuse of Pegasus spyware is an important step. The UN should follow up by calling for greater scrutiny of surveillance technology and its misuse by states, coupled with improved regulation,” he said. “As someone named in this report who has been targeted by the Bahraini government, the state’s response fails to even acknowledge their use of surveillance technology against human rights activists. This should not go unchallenged by the UN.” The report is scheduled to be debated on 29 September at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Read More…

House Passes Election Law Overhaul In Response To Jan. 6 – Wilmington News Journal https://digitalalabamanews.com/house-passes-election-law-overhaul-in-response-to-jan-6-wilmington-news-journal/ WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed legislation to overhaul the rules for certifying the results of a presidential election as lawmakers accelerate their response to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and Donald Trump’s failed attempt to remain in power. The bill, which is similar to bipartisan legislation moving through the Senate, would overhaul an arcane 1800s-era statute known as the Electoral Count Act that governs, along with the U.S. Constitution, how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential election winners. While that process has long been routine and ceremonial, Trump and a group of his aides and lawyers unsuccessfully tried to exploit loopholes in the law in an attempt to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Democrats are pushing to pass the bill before the end of the year and ahead of the 2024 election cycle as Trump is considering another run. While at least 10 GOP senators have signed on to the Senate version, the House vote fell mostly along party lines. House Republicans — most of whom are still aligned with Trump — argued that the legislation shouldn’t be a priority and that it is a political vehicle for Democrats ahead of November’s midterm elections. The final vote was 229-203, with nine Republicans joining all Democrats in voting for the bill. None of the nine Republicans is returning to Congress next year. The legislation would set new parameters around the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress that happens every four years after a presidential election. The day turned violent last year after hundreds of Trump’s supporters interrupted the proceedings, broke into the building and threatened the lives of then-Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress. The rioters echoed Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud and wanted Pence to block Biden’s victory as he presided over the joint session. The legislation intends to ensure that future Jan. 6 sessions are “as the constitution envisioned, a ministerial day,” said Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican who co-sponsored the legislation with House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. Both Cheney and Lofgren are also members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. Ahead of the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the legislation is necessary as there have been attempts in states across the country to change election laws to make it easier to nullify future results. “Now we have a solemn duty to ensure that future efforts to undermine our elections cannot succeed,” Pelosi said. The bill would clarify in the law that the vice president’s role presiding over the count is only ceremonial and that he or she cannot change the results. It also sets out that each state can only send one certified set of electors after Trump’s allies had unsuccessfully tried to put together alternate slates of illegitimate pro-Trump electors in swing states where Biden won. “This bill will make it harder to convince people that they have the right to overthrow an election,” Lofgren said. The legislation would increase the threshold for individual lawmakers’ objections to any state’s electoral votes, requiring a third of the House and a third of the Senate to object to trigger votes on the results in both chambers. Currently, only one lawmaker in the House and one lawmaker in the Senate has to object. The House bill would set out very narrow grounds for those objections, an attempt to thwart baseless or politically motivated challenges. In addition, the bill would require courts to get involved if state or local officials want to delay a presidential vote or refuse to certify the results. The House vote comes as the Senate is moving on a similar track with enough Republican support to virtually ensure passage before the end of the year. After months of talks, House Democrats introduced their legislation Monday and held the quick vote two days later in order to send the bill across the Capitol and start to resolve differences. A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation this summer and a Senate committee is expected to vote on it next week. While the House bill is more expansive than the Senate version, the two bills cover similar ground and members in both chambers are optimistic that they can work out the differences. And despite the mostly party-line vote in the House, supporters are encouraged by the bipartisan effort in the Senate. “Both sides have an incentive to want a set of clear rules, and this is an antiquated law that no one understands,” said Benjamin Ginsburg, a longtime GOP lawyer who consulted with lawmakers as they wrote the bill. “All parties benefit from clarity.” House GOP leaders encouraged their members to vote against the legislation. They said the involvement of courts could drag out elections and said the bill would take rights away from states. The bill is an “attempt to federalize our elections,” Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., said on the House floor. He argued that voters are more focused on the economy and other issues than elections law. “In my area of Pennsylvania, nobody is talking about this,” Reschenthaler said. Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis, Lofgren’s GOP counterpart on the House Administration Committee, said Democrats are “desperately trying to talk about their favorite topic, and that is former President Donald Trump.” Democrats said the bill was not only a response to Trump, but also a way to prevent objections and mischief from all candidates in the future. “If you think that this legislation is an attack on President Trump, you simply haven’t read the legislation because there’s nothing in there attacking President Trump,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., another member of the Jan. 6 panel. “This is about reforming the Electoral Count Act so it works for the American people.” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., was blunter. He criticized Republicans who have defended Trump’s actions that day and who have downplayed the seriousness of the former president’s attempts to overturn the results of the election. Hoyer called the Republican opposition a “rationalization of what I believe is treason. … It was rationalized then, and sadly it is being rationalized now.” The nine Republicans who voted in support of the legislation are all either retiring or were defeated for reelection in their GOP primaries this year. Eight of the nine voted for Trump’s impeachment immediately after the insurrection. The nine Republicans are Cheney and Reps. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Fred Upton of Michigan, Peter Meijer of Michigan, Tom Rice of South Carolina, Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, John Katko of New York and Chris Jacobs of New York. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. This image from House Television shows House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., presiding as the House passes H.R. 8873 on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, at the Capitol in Washington. The House passed legislation to overhaul the rules for certifying the results of a presidential election as lawmakers accelerate their response to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and Donald Trump’s failed attempt to remain in power. (House Television via AP) FILE – Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., listens as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, July 12, 2022. The central idea behind House and Senate bills to reform an arcane federal election law is simple: Congress should not decide presidential elections.  The bills are a direct response to the Jan. 6 insurrection and former President Trump’s efforts in the weeks beforehand to find a way around the Electoral Count Act, an 1800s-era law that governs how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential election winners, along with the U.S. Constitution. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) FILE – Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on domestic terrorism, June 7, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The central idea behind House and Senate bills to reform an arcane federal election law is simple: Congress should not decide presidential elections.  The bills are a direct response to the Jan. 6 insurrection and former President Trump’s efforts in the weeks beforehand to find a way around the Electoral Count Act, an 1800s-era law that governs how states and Congress certify electors and declare presidential election winners, along with the U.S. Constitution. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Read More…

AP News Summary At 10:46 A.m. EDT https://digitalalabamanews.com/ap-news-summary-at-1046-a-m-edt/ No let-up in hostilities in Ukraine despite prisoner swap KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian and Ukrainian forces have exchanged missile and artillery barrages that killed at least six people. The fighting on Thursday indicated that neither side is ready to concede any ground despite recent military setbacks for Moscow and the toll on the invaded country after almost seven months of war. The exchange of fire came hours after the two sides made a major prisoner swap and the day after Russian President Vladimir Putin called up reserve troops to supplement his forces. The Kremlin’s spokesman says the mobilization is needed because Russia is “de facto facing all of NATO” in Ukraine. Another senior Kremlin official repeated Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons if Russian territory is attacked. Ukraine’s Zelenskyy lays out his case against Russia to UN UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Ukraine’s president has laid out his case against Russia’s invasion at the United Nations and demanded punishment from world leaders. Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speech was delivered just hours after Moscow made an extraordinary announcement that it would mobilize some reservists for the war effort. Buoyed by a counteroffensive that has retaken swaths of territory that the Russians had seized, Zelenskyy vowed in a video address that his forces would not stop until they had reclaimed all of Ukraine. Video addresses by Zelenskyy in an olive green T-shirt have become almost commonplace. But this speech was one of the most keenly anticipated at the U.N. General Assembly, where the war has dominated. Trump docs probe: Court lifts hold on Mar-a-Lago records WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court has lifted a judge’s hold on the Justice Department’s ability to use classified records seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate in its ongoing criminal investigation. The ruling Wednesday from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta clears the way for investigators to continue scrutinizing the documents as they evaluate whether to bring criminal charges over the storage of top-secret government records at Mar-a-Lago. The court notes that Trump presented no evidence that he had declassified the sensitive records. And it is rejecting the possibility that Trump could have an “individual interest in or need for” the roughly 100 documents marked as classified. Powell’s stark message: Inflation fight may cause recession Read More…

TikTok Announces Changes To Political Accounts Ahead Of Midterms https://digitalalabamanews.com/tiktok-announces-changes-to-political-accounts-ahead-of-midterms/ TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media platform, announced Wednesday that it will be restricting monetization and campaign financing features for political accounts as part of a new policy update. The app will also require verification for the accounts of governments, politicians and political parties in the U.S. until the November midterm elections. In a post on the company’s website, Blake Chandlee, TikTok’s president of global business solutions, said the changes are meant to ensure that the short-form video platform “remains a fun, positive and joyful experience.” The platform, which has already banned political advertising, now says it will also remove advertising features from accounts belonging to candidates and political parties. Some exceptions will apply, including for public health campaigns, like those calling on people to get their COVID-19 booster shots. “We will continue to allow government organizations to advertise in limited circumstances, and they will be required to be working with a TikTok representative,” Chandlee wrote. The app will also be removing access to “monetization features,” including e-commerce capabilities, from those accounts. Chandlee said the company will target “solicitation for campaign fundraising” in the coming weeks by blocking videos where candidates and politicians ask for money, as well as content through which a political party invites people to donate on a campaign website. The TikTok executive added that the verification requirement for political accounts is part of a trial the company is running in the U.S. Verified accounts display a blue badge with a check mark next to their account names on the platform. “By prohibiting campaign fundraising and limiting access to our monetization features and verifying accounts, we’re aiming to strike a balance between enabling people to discuss the issues that are relevant to their lives while also protecting the creative, entertaining platform that our community wants,” Chandlee wrote. TikTok, which was reportedly the most downloaded app during the first quarter of this year, has long faced questions over its connections to China and the Chinese Communist Party. Last year, Beijing acquired a 1% stake and board seat on Tiktok’s parent company, Bytedance, according to Reuters. Vanessa Pappas, the company’s chief operating officer, appeared last week before a Senate hearing about social media’s effects on homeland security. She told lawmakers that no one who “makes a strategic decision at this platform” is a CPP member, according to Forbes. She later said the company does not select staff members based on their political affiliations. Former President Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok and another Chinese-owned app, WeChat, in the U.S. via executive orders in 2020. President Joe Biden dropped the orders when he took office, according to The Associated Press. Read More…

Bryan Harsin Watch: War Eagle? Auburn’s Battle Cry Should Be ‘War Buzzard’ https://digitalalabamanews.com/bryan-harsin-watch-war-eagle-auburns-battle-cry-should-be-war-buzzard/ The big ol’ birds circling Bryan Harsin’s head aren’t golden eagles. They’re buzzards. Auburn spends a lot of money and time hiring and firing head football coaches who don’t quite fit. Looks like Harsin – who barely survived his first season on the Plains – is next in line to get paid a boatload of money to leave. R E L A T E D: How Bruce Pearl can solve Auburn’s Bryan Harsin problem – al.com R E L A T E D: Joseph Goodman: Auburn’s Bryan Harsin critical of players but not himself – al.com R E L A T E D: Paul Finebaum on Auburn: ‘The next coach will understand the SEC, unlike Bryan Harsin’ – al.com R E L A T E D: Goodman: Auburn’s Bryan Harsin said ‘just watch’ but what’s to see? – al.com R E L A T E D: Kevin Scarbinsky: Who’s the best at paying people not to coach? You’ll recognize the leaders in buyout madness. – al.com Maybe it’s time to retire Auburn’s traditional ‘War Eagle’ battle cry. Don’t get me wrong. Eagles are awesome. Majestic, fearless, iconic symbols of strength and loyalty. But when it comes to Auburn football, the big birds that make all the noise – excitedly hiring and expensively firing – are the buzzards. Not saying firing Harsin is the wrong thing to do. The dude is in over his head in the SEC. The Auburn buy-in and Auburn buy-out thing has become its own tradition. It’s the Auburn thing to do. #WarDamnBuzzards True stories and stuff: How I met Dr. Seuss – al.com Robert Plant head-butted me. Thanks, David Coverdale – al.com I was ZZ Top’s drummer for a night and got kidnapped by groupies – al.com Check out more cartoons and stuff by JD Crowe How Bruce Pearl can solve Auburn’s Bryan Harsin problem – al.com Welcome to Speed Trap, Alabama: Where small towns turn into ‘little monsters’ – al.com Witnessing an Alabama execution? Wear a strong set of underwear, ladies – al.com ‘Rainbow fentanyl’ targets kids with candy-colored pills that kill – al.com Birmingham gun violence: How do we stop the bleeding? – al.com Horns Down. Texas, don’t mess with Alabama’s Million Dollar Band – al.com MAGA Republicans and AL GOP: Backstabbing the Blue – al.com Birmingham’s getting hosed by water works board – al.com ‘Bad Ass’ politics: Is Alabama beach city mayor anti-donkey? – al.com ‘The Bill Russell I knew for 60 years’: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s touching tribute to his idol – al.com JD Crowe is the cartoonist for Alabama Media Group and AL.com. He won the RFK Human Rights Award for Editorial Cartoons in 2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Rex Babin Memorial Award for local and state cartoons by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Follow JD on Facebook, Twitter @Crowejam and Instagram @JDCrowepix. Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Court Lifts Mar-A-Lago Records Hold; 6.8 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Mexico; House Passes Election Law Overhaul | Hot Off The Wire Podcast https://digitalalabamanews.com/court-lifts-mar-a-lago-records-hold-6-8-magnitude-earthquake-shakes-mexico-house-passes-election-law-overhaul-hot-off-the-wire-podcast/ ALSO: Fascinated by the weather? Listen to the Across the Sky podcast Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | Omny Studio A federal appeals court has lifted a judge’s hold on the Justice Department’s ability to use classified records seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate in its ongoing criminal investigation. The ruling Wednesday from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta clears the way for investigators to continue scrutinizing the documents as they evaluate whether to bring criminal charges over the storage of top-secret government records at Mar-a-Lago. An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 has caused buildings to sway in Mexico’s capital and left at least one person dead. The earthquake struck early Thursday, just three days after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake shook western and central Mexico, killing two people. Intensifying its fight against high inflation, the Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by a substantial three-quarters of a point for a third straight time and signaled more large rate hikes to come — an aggressive pace that will heighten the risk of an eventual recession. Ukraine has completed a high-profile prisoner swap with Russia, the culmination of months of efforts to free many of the Ukrainian fighters who defended a steel plant in the port of Mariupol during a months-long Russian siege. In exchange, Ukraine gave up an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin it was holding. Britain’s government has confirmed it is lifting a ban on fracking in England, arguing that the move will help boost the country’s energy security following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. New Prime Minister Liz Truss announced within days of taking office earlier September that she will reverse a 2019 ban on hydraulic fracturing, a controversial technique used to extract oil and gas from shale rock. The wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, conservative activist Virginia Thomas, has agreed to participate in a voluntary interview with the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. The House has passed legislation to overhaul the rules for certifying the results of a presidential election as lawmakers accelerate their response to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and Donald Trump’s failed attempt to remain in power. The bill is similar to bipartisan legislation moving through the Senate. In sports, Aaron Judge went homerless but his Yankees hit three homers, the Mets took a beating from the Brewers, the Guardians closed in on the AL Central title and a tennis legend will end his career playing with, not against, his top rival. New York’s attorney general has sued former President Donald Trump and his company, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit was filed Wednesday in state court in New York. President Joe Biden has declared that Russia has “shamelessly violated the core tenets” of the United Nations charter with its “brutal, needless war” in Ukraine. Biden on Wednesday delivered a forceful condemnation of Russia’s invasion to the international body, saying abuses against civilians in Ukraine “should make your blood run cold.” Robert Sarver says he has started the process of selling the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, a move that comes only eight days after he was suspended by the NBA over workplace misconduct including racist speech and hostile behavior toward employees. Pope Francis spoke out against the cruelty suffered by the Ukrainian people in Saint Peter’s Square. The Kansas City Royals have fired longtime general manager Dayton Moore, who took the club from a perennial 100-game loser to two World Series and the 2015 championship before its return to mediocrity. Lottery officials say two people who wish to remain anonymous have claimed a $1.337 billion Mega Millions jackpot after a single ticket was sold in a Chicago suburb for a late July drawing, opting to take a lump sum payment of $780.5 million. Firefighters have rescued a 13-year-old blind dog that fell into a hole at a California construction site. KABC-TV reports that the dog, named Cesar, lives next to the site in Pasadena with his owner. Cesar apparently wandered onto the site Tuesday night and fell into the hole, which was about 15 feet deep and 3 feet wide. Roger Federer says he is at peace with his choice to retire from professional tennis and plans to close his career with one doubles match at the Laver Cup perhaps with longtime rival Rafael Nadal by his side. The International Space Station is welcoming three new residents following a smooth Russian launch. The Soyuz capsule rocketed into orbit from Kazakhstan on Wednesday and, just three hours later, pulled up at the space station. Two Russians and one American are checking in for a six-month stay. Here’s a look at the latest news and most interesting developments today. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Read More…

World Leaders Condemn Russia https://digitalalabamanews.com/world-leaders-condemn-russia/ On today’s episode of the 5 Things podcast: World leaders condemn Russia’s invasion The war in Ukraine has been a major theme at this week’s U.N. meetings. Plus, national political correspondent Phillip Bailey explains why Arizona’s secretary of state race is in the national spotlight, a new lawsuit accuses former President Donald Trump of fraud, money reporter Medora Lee looks at the impact of Federal Reserve rate hikes and another powerful earthquake rocks Mexico. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here. Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Taylor Wilson: Good morning. I’m Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know Thursday, the 22nd of September, 2022. Today, the latest from UN meetings as much of the world condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Plus a closer look at rising interest rates and more. Here are some of the top headlines: Hurricane Fiona hit Turks and Caicos yesterday as a Category 3. Puerto Rico is still working to recover with more than a million homes and businesses still without power yesterday. A day after more than 200 whales were found stranded in Tasmania, only 35 were alive earlier today. It’s not clear what led the animals to wash up on the Australian Island. And two people have finally claimed the ticket to the third largest jackpot lottery win in US history. They came forward in Illinois, nearly two months after the mega millions $1.34 billion winning ticket was announced. President Joe Biden yesterday strongly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and for the world to stand behind efforts against the aggression. In an address to the United Nations, he also called Russian leader Vladimir Putin reckless for making veiled nuclear threats. President Joe Biden: A permanent member of the United Nations Security Council invaded its neighbor, attempted to erase the sovereign state from the map. Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenants of the United Nations Charter. No more important than the clear prohibition against countries taking the territory of their neighbor by force. Again, just today, President Putin has made overt nuclear threats against Europe and a reckless disregard for the responsibilities of the non-proliferation regime. Now, Russia’s calling up more soldiers to join the fight and the Kremlin is organizing a sham referendum to try to annex parts of Ukraine, an extremely significant violation of the UN Charter. Taylor Wilson: Biden’s comments came after Putin accused the West of nuclear blackmail. He said, “Those who are attempting to blackmail us with nuclear weapons must be aware that the prevailing winds may also turn towards their side.” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also addressed the UN yesterday. He even got a standing ovation. Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Mankind and the international law are stronger than one terrorist state. Russia will be forced to end this war. We can return the Ukrainian flag to our entire territory. We can do it with the force of arms, but we need time. Taylor Wilson: Zelenskyy said Russia has made no serious effort to negotiate an end to the war, accusations also thrown toward Ukraine. Meanwhile, a pair of Americans fighting for Ukraine have been freed in a prisoner exchange after being captured in June. Saudi Arabia brokered a swap with Russian-backed separatists featuring other prisoners too, including five British nationals. In Russia, protests have sparked this week across the country with more than 1400 arrests made in 38 cities nationwide. Activists are protesting the government’s latest plan to call some 300,000 citizens into military service. Russia passed a law in February that makes it a criminal offense punished by up to 15 years in prison to discredit the military. Russia has used the law to stamp out dissent to its invasion of Ukraine. Arizona’s Secretary of State races are usually sleepy campaigns, but this year’s contest will take the national spotlight when the two major party contenders clash in their first debate tonight. Producer PJ Elliott spoke with national political correspondent, Phillip Bailey for a preview of what’s to come. Phillip Bailey: The past two years, our country has been unusually consumed by the last election, the 2020 presidential election due to these continued and persistent lies about who won the 2020 election. Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential race. Yet we see this growth of election deniers, about more than 300 or so who are running for some pretty serious public offices here in 2022, including secretaries of state. We wrote last year, USA TODAY, about this proliferation and this coalition of “America first” secretaries of state candidates who are running in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, some really important swing states. People who have denied the outcome of the 2020 election who are now running to oversee the next election, and probably more so than any of them, Mark Finchem of Arizona is the face of that movement. PJ Elliott: So what should people be looking for in this specific debate in Arizona, which takes place tonight? Phillip Bailey: I think look, Mark Finchem, the Republican candidate for Secretary of State in Arizona, is running against the Democrat, Adrian Fontes. The Fontes campaign has leaned heavily into the election denial claims by representative Finchem, they have not shied away from it. If you notice Mr. Fontes’s first campaign ad of this race, he talks about being a Marine and he uses footage from the January 6th riots. He goes after Finchem and calls him a radical and extremist. He’s the first sort of person who’s going to have a debate here where Democrats and others are saying democracy itself is on the line. Now, obviously other issues like inflation, the economy, and abortion have taken the forefront. But in these secretaries of state races, in particular, voting rights and election denialism is going to be at the forefront. What I’m looking forward to see is how aggressive Fontes is and is he going to be sort of a rallying cry to remind Democrats and voting rights advocates around the country of what’s at stake in 2022. PJ Elliott: So how can those that are not living in Arizona watch this? Phillip Bailey: These secretary of state races, PJ, are typically very sleepy affairs. A lot of people even in state don’t necessarily pay attention to their secretary of state race, but this is going to seize national attention. Obviously, the Arizona Republic will be paying attention to this, along with USA TODAY through our websites. Obviously, the Arizona PBS is hosting the debates, so it’s going to be on their website. But for national audiences, C-SPAN is probably the best way to watch. This is going to be nationally broadcast. Like I said, usually, these races are sort of a snooze fest and they’re very anonymous. People are like, “Who’s running for secretary of state.” This year’s going to be different, not just in Arizona, but in Nevada and Michigan and many other key states. Secretary of state races are going to be at the forefront and we’re going to be watching them pretty much in the same way we watch gubernatorial or senate races. Taylor Wilson: You can find Phillip’s full story in today’s episode description. Former President Donald Trump is being accused of mass fraud in a lawsuit this week. New York Attorney General Letitia James yesterday accused him of padding his net worth by billions of dollars and misleading banks about his assets. Letitia James: We are filing a lawsuit against Donald Trump for violating the law as part of his efforts to generate profits for himself, his family, and his company. The pattern of fraud and deception that was used by Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization for their own financial benefit is astounding. Taylor Wilson: Yesterday’s lawsuit filed in state court in Manhattan is the culmination of a three-year civil investigation into Trump and the Trump Organization. His three oldest children, Donald Jr, Ivanka, and Eric, were also named as defendants along with two longtime company executives. In more than 200 pages, the suit alleges dozens of instances of fraud. They include claims made on annual financial statements as proof of his riches as he looked for loans and deals. In one example, he said to have claimed his Trump Tower apartment was nearly three times its actual size and valued the property at $327 million. The Attorney General said no New York City apartment has ever sold for close to that amount. James said the investigation also found evidence of potential criminal violations, including insurance fraud and bank fraud, but she said her office was referring those findings to outside authorities. The Federal Reserve has announced that it’s raising interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point again for the third consecutive time. So how will that hit your wallet and portfolio? PJ Elliott spoke with money reporter, Medora Lee for some answers. Medora Lee: So when the Fed raises interest rates, it doesn’t actually raise consumer rates, but it raises what is considered its Fed funds rate. It’s a benchmark, interest rate, and all other consumer rates will eventually follow in a ripple effect through the economy. When the Fed raises rates, you should expect mortgage rates to rise. If you’re already locked into a fixed mortgage rate, you probably don’t have to worry, your rate will just remain the same where you locked it in. But if you haven’t bought a home yet, you should expect those rates to be higher, so you’ll have to weigh more carefully whether you can afford this house now because your monthly payments will be bigger and wei...

Trump Argues Presidents Have The Power To Declassify Documents 'even By Thinking About It' https://digitalalabamanews.com/trump-argues-presidents-have-the-power-to-declassify-documents-even-by-thinking-about-it/ Former President Donald Trump speaking at the 2022 Student Action Summit at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida (Gage Skidmore) Former President Donald Trump recently suggested that presidents don’t necessarily have to conduct a formal process when it comes to declassifying documents. In fact, the former president claimed documents can be declassified “even by thinking about it.” During a recent interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Trump offered his take on the top-secret documents taken from the White House and transported to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. READ MORE: Team Trump refuses special master’s order to list which Mar-a-Lago documents Trump ‘declassified’ “There doesn’t have to be a process, as I understand it,” Trump told Hannity. “If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying, ‘It’s declassified.’ Even by thinking about it.” The former president went on to offer more context to his unfounded claim. According to Trump, a president has the power to make any decision he desires even without a formal process. “There can be a process, but there doesn’t have to be. You’re the president. You make that decision. So when you send it, it’s declassified,” Trump added. “I declassified everything.” However, according to The Hill, the process is a bit different than Trump explained. “Though presidents have broad power to declassify records, doing so sets off a chain of events, as the intelligence agencies that manage such records must take additional steps,” READ MORE: ‘Not the case’: Reporters dismantle Trump World’s spurious declassification arguments The former president went on to say that the General Services Administration (GSA) and other members of his White House staff were also involved in the document packing process. However, GSA has pushed back against Trump’s claim about its role. “The GSA also works with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), as necessary, to provide support to the former Presidents in the establishment and maintenance of their libraries,” the organization stated on its website. “These services are only provided in the event of a change of Administration.” READ MORE: ‘Ultimately irrelevant’: DOJ smacks down Donald Trump’s excuses for hoarding classified documents Read More…

Hurricane Center Predicts Caribbean Tropical Depression As Fiona, Gaston Churn In Atlantic https://digitalalabamanews.com/hurricane-center-predicts-caribbean-tropical-depression-as-fiona-gaston-churn-in-atlantic/ As Hurricane Fiona plows north and Tropical Storm Gaston meanders in the Atlantic, a system now in the Caribbean has the attention of long-term forecasts that could bring it close to Florida by next week. The National Hurricane Center continues to issue advisories on the two named storms including strong Category 4 Hurricane Fiona that could be a threat to Bermuda, but it also is keeping odds on three systems that could become the next tropical depression or storm. At the top of the list is a tropical wave with showers and thunderstorms already bringing heavy rainfall and gusty winds to the southern Windward Islands and soon Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, northwestern Venezuela and northeastern Colombia. “Upper-level winds are currently inhibiting development, the upper-level wind pattern ahead of the system is forecast to become a little more favorable in a couple of days, and a tropical depression is likely to form at that time,” said U.S. Navy Hurricane Specialist Dave Roberts. The system is expected to move west-northwestward and be in the central Caribbean this weekend. The NHC gives it a 70% chance of formation in the next two days, and 90% within the next five days. Long-term forecast models, often referred to as the spaghetti models, have varying paths for the system, but several expect it to travel over Cuba and threaten Florida by next week. The ECMWF model as of Thursday shows potential paths of a system that could become a tropical depression or storm. (NOAA) “It could develop into a tropical depression or tropical storm in the next couple of days,” said Jamie Rhome, acting NHC Director on Wednesday. “Now there’s a lot of speculation about the potential impacts from this system to the United States and that is way too premature to go that far.” He said the NHC is dealing with its potential into the weekend. “Beyond that we can’t say much with certainty because remember, the predictability of systems that haven’t yet formed, and this system hasn’t yet formed, is very low, and until a system forms, until a low-level circulation forms, we won’t be able to say much with certainty about impacts to the United States,” he said. The NHC is also tracking two more systems with a lower chance of formation. Closer to Florida in the central tropical Atlantic but with lower chances is a broad area of low pressure several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. It features disorganized showers and thunderstorms, but is in what the NHC says only marginal environmental conditions. “Some slow development of this system is possible over the next several days while it moves slowly northwestward or northward over the tropical Atlantic,” Roberts said. The NHC gives is a 20% chance to form in the next two days and 30% chance in the next five. The tropical outlook as of 8 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (National Hurricane Center) Farther away but more likely to form is a tropical wave off the west coast of Africa with showers and thunderstorms now over the warm waters of the far eastern Atlantic Ocean. “Environmental conditions are forecast to be conducive for some development, and a tropical depression could form by this weekend while the system moves slowly northward, between west Africa and the Cabo Verde Islands,” Roberts said. Chances are at 60% for formation in the next two to five days. Whichever system gets to sustained winds of 39 mph or more would take the name Tropical Storm Hermine with the next names on the hurricane list being Ian and Julia. Hurricane Fiona cone of uncertainty as of 8 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (National Hurricane Center) The biggest storm in the Atlantic, though, is Hurricane Fiona, now barreling north forecast to pass by Bermuda and target Canada. As of 8 a.m. the NHC puts its center about 455 miles southwest of Bermuda, currently under a hurricane warning and where weather conditions are expected to deteriorate later today. It remains a Category 4 major hurricane with 130 mph winds and stronger gusts heading north-northeast at 13 mph. Hurricane-force winds extend out 70 miles with tropical-storm-force winds extending out 205 miles. “A north-northeastward or northeastward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected today through Friday, followed by a somewhat slower northward motion beginning Friday night or Saturday,” said NHC senior hurricane specialist Daniel Brown. “On the forecast track, the center of Fiona will pass just to the west of Bermuda tonight, approach Nova Scotia on Friday, and move across Nova Scotia and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Saturday.” While not a threat to Florida, the swells from Fiona are spreading to the west and could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions on the U.S. East Coast including Florida as well as the Bahamas. It’s expected to pick up forward speed and transition to a powerful post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds when it moves over Nova Scotia this weekend. Tropical Storm Gaston cone of uncertainty as of 8 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (National Hurricane Center) Farther out in the Atlantic is Tropical Storm Gaston, which has some of the Azores islands under a tropical storm warning. As of 8 a.m., the NHC puts Gaston’s center about 340 miles west-northwest of Faial Island in the Central Azores with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph moving east-northeast at 17 mph. Its tropical-storm-force winds extend out 60 miles. “A turn to the east is expected by tonight, and a slower southeastern or southward motion is forecast by early Saturday. On the forecast track, the center of Gaston will move near or over portions of the Azores on Friday,” said NHC senior hurricane specialist John Cangialosi. The system is forecast to weaken over the next few days and then shift paths south and back east as it transitions into a post-tropical cyclone. Since Sept. 1, the tropics have begun to play catchup churning out four named storms in three weeks after nearly two months of quiet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in early August updated its season prediction that 2022 would still be above-average with 14 to 21 named storms, although not a single named storm formed in the month of August. The 2020 hurricane season set a record with 30 named systems, while 2021′s season was the third most active with 21 named systems. An average year calls for 14 named storms. Through Gaston, 2022 has produced seven named systems. Read More…

Poll: Colorado Voters Would Pick Biden Over Trump In Hypothetical 2024 Match-Up https://digitalalabamanews.com/poll-colorado-voters-would-pick-biden-over-trump-in-hypothetical-2024-match-up/ DENVER (KDVR) — Coloradans would rather have a second term with President Joe Biden than a second term with Donald Trump, according to a FOX31/Channel 2/Emerson College/The Hill poll of likely voters. Among all Colorado voters of all political persuasions, 36% said they would vote for Trump in a showdown between him and Biden. A plurality of 46%, however, said they would rather keep the incumbent Democrat. About 14% said they would rather have someone else, and 4% said they are still undecided. Biden has better chances in Colorado because of his edge with independent voters. Unaffiliated voters are Colorado’s largest voting bloc, representing 46% of the state’s registered voters. Republicans and Democrats are 24% and 27%, respectively. Among independent voters, 44% said they would vote for Biden, while only 31% would vote for Trump. Democrats and Republicans, meanwhile, would vote with either candidate’s party. About 78% of Democrats would vote for Biden, while 78% of Colorado Republicans would vote for Trump. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s search of Mar-a-Lago would drive more Republicans to vote for Trump if he runs, but that still would not swing the state in his favor. Only 31% of all Colorado voters said the Mar-a-Lago search makes them more likely to vote for Trump. About 40% said it makes them less likely, while 29% said they didn’t care one way or another. Again, independent voters swing against Trump in the Mar-a-Lago matter. Only 25% said the search makes them more likely to vote for him, while 45% said it makes them less likely to vote for Trump. The raid intensifies the feelings of Democrats and Republicans. A majority of Democrats said the raid makes them less likely to support Trump, while two-thirds of Republicans said it makes them more likely. Read More…

How AOC Inadvertently Sparked The New York Attorney General’s Trump Lawsuit https://digitalalabamanews.com/how-aoc-inadvertently-sparked-the-new-york-attorney-generals-trump-lawsuit-2/ On Wednesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced her $250m civil lawsuit against former president Donald Trump, she specifically cited former Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s testimony in 2019 where he revealed that the former president fraudulently inflated the value of his assets. “I will remind everyone that this investigation only started after Michael Cohen, the former lawyer, his former lawyer testified before Congress shed light on this misconduct,” she said. The question that triggered Mr Cohen’s response came in 2019 from Ms James’s fellow New Yorker, Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In 2019, Mr Cohen testified against his former before the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee. At the time, Ms Ocasio-Cortez, who the previous year had beaten former House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley in a primary in New York’s 14th District, asked questions about whether Mr Trump ever provided inflated assets to an insurance company. “Yes,” Mr Cohen said in response. When Ms Ocasio-Cortez asked who else knew that Mr Trump did this, he said “Allen Weisselberg, Ron Lieberman and Matthew Calamari.” The lawsuit also named Mr Lieberman, the former chief financial officer for the Trump Organization. Specifically, it said that Mr Weisselberg helped Mr Trump make fraudulent statements of financial condition regarding his properties. “Mr Trump made known through Mr. Weisselberg that he wanted his net worth on his statements to increase every year, and the statements were the vehicle by which his net worth was fraudulently inflated by billions of dollars year after year,” Ms James’s office said in a statement. “And where would the committee find more information on this, do you think we need to review his financial statements and his tax returns,” she said. “Yes, and you’d find it at the Trump Org,” Mr Cohen said. The lawsuit alleges that Mr Trump fraudulently inflated his net worth by millions of dollars so that banks could lend him and his businesses money on more favorable terms that would otherwise not be available. Read More…

Warrior Met Coal Strike Drags On After 16 Months: No Easy Path Forward, Experts Say https://digitalalabamanews.com/warrior-met-coal-strike-drags-on-after-16-months-no-easy-path-forward-experts-say/ It’s been 540 days since union members at Warrior Met Coal’s Brookwood mines went on strike. While the ongoing Tuscaloosa County work stoppage is believed to be the longest strike in Alabama history, the question of when it may finally end continues to remain murky. And historians of American labor history say its unclear what may eventually resolve the strike. “It’s unusual enough that I don’t think there’s a typical path (toward ending the strike),” said Gabriel Winant, an assistant professor of history at the University of Chicago. Winant authored “The Next Shift,” about economic activity that came after manufacturing in “Rust Belt” cities. “It’s certainly not the norm. It typically tells you the employer has really dug in their heels for one reason or another.” Members of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) began a strike against Warrior Met Coal back on April 1, 2021. About 1,100 workers took part in the initial walkout, striking for better pay and benefits that they say were part of an earlier contract negotiated under Warrior Met’s corporate predecessor. According to the union, concessions to keep the company afloat were not restored in subsequent contract offers. The union overwhelmingly voted down a tentative offer made a few weeks into the walkout, and the strike continues to this day. An estimated 900 miners are still taking part. Warrior Met earlier this year said it had put forward eight full written proposals for a new contract and offered a 10% to 12% raise. Union leaders countered that the eight proposals were virtually indistinguishable from the tentative agreement voted down. Winant said the strike has several factors that have contributed to its duration. One is the relative size of the company, and the number of workers on strike. Another is that it’s taking place in Alabama – a deeply conservative state with right-to-work laws. “It would be one thing if it were a giant company or a huge workplace,” he said. “A company like Warrior Met, it’s not obvious that it’s going to generate enough pressure on anyone, either economic or political, to generate an intervention.” Back in 1946, for example, the UMWA staged an eight-month strike involving 400,000 miners nationally. President Harry Truman eventually stepped in and placed the mines under the control of the federal government, which eventually led to its resolution. A similar national strike in 1959 involving 500,000 steel workers lasted 116 days and involved federal mediation. Perhaps the most famous state intervention into an Alabama mining strike came in 1908, when the UMWA began one that encompassed about 10,000 miners in the Birmingham area. More than a month into the strike, Gov. B.B. Comer ordered guardsmen to cut down miners’ tent encampments, on charges of race mixing. The strike broke soon after. Last year, the union called attention to the use of the Highway Patrol Division of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency along the picket line to escort workers onto the property, saying it “just looks like they’re working for the company.” ALEA said in a statement at the time that it was in response to safety concerns. Last October, a Tuscaloosa County circuit judge issued a restraining order against picket line activity at 12 different locations owned by Warrior Met Coal, after the company issued a statement saying the level of violence taking place along the picket line in Tuscaloosa County in the strike had “reached a dangerous level.” Winant said injunctions limiting picketing activity are not uncommon, but it does complicate the ability of unions to put pressure on companies during strikes. A typical counter response from a union would be to move the picket in another direction – to shareholders, for example. Three different times in the past year, UMWA members have protested at the Manhattan offices of BlackRock, the largest shareholder in Warrior Met Coal. Union members also testified before the Senate Budget Committee to bring attention to the strike. “It’s not obvious what a next step could be,” Winant said. Michael Innis-Jimenez, a professor of American Studies at the University of Alabama, said the strike is probably the longest running in Alabama history. “I haven’t seen anything that comes close to this,” he said. “The one reason I can see the company holding out is that this is not life or death for them.” A year ago, Warrior Met in the second quarter of 2021 reported a net loss of $4.7 million. But a year later, it posted a net income for the second quarter of 2022 of $297 million, its third consecutive quarter of record income. That’s against business interruption expenses of $6.3 million directly attributable to the strike during the quarter, and idle mine expenses of $1.7 million. The union won a victory of sorts this week when the National Labor Relations Board revised a previous damage assessment downward, from $13.3 million to $435,000. There’s also the pending disposition of cases against the company for bad faith bargaining and refusal to furnish information during the strike. “I’ve really been impressed by the tenacity of the workers,” Winant said. “I’m sure there are moments where they’ve felt demoralized, but to have kept it up is amazing. I hope they feel proud of themselves. I hope they understand that people do see that.” Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Furnace Fest 2022: Lineup, Tickets, Parking, Other Info For Alabama Music Festival https://digitalalabamanews.com/furnace-fest-2022-lineup-tickets-parking-other-info-for-alabama-music-festival/ Ready for Furnace Fest 2022? Fans of heavy rock, thrash, punk and metal will descend on a familiar site in Birmingham this weekend, primed for three days of hardcore entertainment. Here’s what you need to know if you go. WHEN Friday-Sunday, Sept. 23-25. WHERE Sloss Furnaces, 20 32nd St. North, Birmingham. Gates are located at First Avenue North at 32nd Street, directly underneath the overpass, and at the Sloss entry road across from its parking lot. Both gates will have GA and VIP entry lanes. TIMES Gates open at 11 a.m. for general admission, 10:30 a.m. for ticketholders with a VIP upgrade. Music begins at noon each day and ends at 11 p.m. See the full band schedule here. A total of 90 acts will perform on three stages. Thrice performs during Disrupt Festival at the Lakeview Amphitheater, Syracuse, NY, Friday, July 2, 2019. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse. FRIDAY LINEUP Highlights include Thrice, New Found Glory, Alexisonfire, the Acaia Strain, Anti-Flag, Midtown, Shadows Fall, Quicksand, Stretch Arm Strong and Fiddlehead. Foxing opening up for Manchester Orchestra at Starland Ballroom on Saturday, March 19, 2022.Al Mannarino | For NJ Advance Me SATURDAY LINEUP Highlights include Manchester Orchestra, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Ghost Inside, Elliott, Blindside, Poison the Well, Maylene & the Sons of Disaster, Pedro the Lion, the Joy Formidable and Hidden in Plain View. Brent Hinds of Mastodon performs at Welcome to Rockville at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, in Daytona Beach, Fla. Hinds is from Pelham, Alabama. (Amy Harris/Invision/AP) SUNDAY LINEUP Highlights include Mastodon, Descendents, The Story So Far, In Flames, Periphery, American Nightmare, Avail, Agnostic Front, Mom Jeans and Four Year Strong. Note: Brent Hinds, who’s originally from Pelham, is a singer-guitarist for Mastodon. TICKETS $289 for three-day general admission, plus $35.74 service fee; $109 per day GA, plus $16.68 service fee; available here. VIP upgrade costs $299.99 for three days, $149.99 daily via Sound Rink. Admission is free for children age 10 and younger. PARKING Some reserved spots are available in nearby lots via Clutch!, priced at $33.75-$40 per day. There’s also street parking; first come, first served. COMING AND GOING Exit and re-entry will be allowed on all three days of the festival. WEATHER Furnace Fest is a rain or shine event. BRING Folding chairs, cell phones, sunglasses, sunscreen, hats, personal-size umbrellas, small clutch purses, bags and fanny packs. Empty CamelBaks and water containers up to 32 ounces are allowed. See the full list of items in the festival FAQs. NOT ALLOWED Drugs, weapons, pets (except for service animals), laser pointers, large umbrellas, tents, outside food or beverages, markers, pens, spray paint, spiked jewelry, large chains, stickers, banners, posters, professional cameras with detachable lenses. OTHER EVENTS Preview events are scheduled on Sept. 22 at Black Market Bar and Grill, TrimTab Brewing, Iron City and Zydeco. See the list here. BACKGROUND Furnace Fest — a revival of a “DIY punk rock festival” that was held in Birmingham from 2000 to 2003 — made its return in 2021, with a lineup of about 90 bands that included headliners Underoath, Taking Back Sunday and Killswitch Engage. The rebooted festival originally was scheduled for September 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID pandemic. Furnace Fest is back in 2022 for its second rebooted year. Organizers are Johnny Grimes, who lives in Birmingham; Chad Johnson and Ryan Luther, both of whom are in Nashville; and Mike Ziemer of Dallas. Furnace Fest 2022 site map (Furnace Fest image) Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Read More…

Alabama Cities, Counties Voting To Support Medical Marijuana Dispensaries https://digitalalabamanews.com/alabama-cities-counties-voting-to-support-medical-marijuana-dispensaries/ Securing a license to operate a medical marijuana dispensary might not be as elusive as finding that fictitious gold ticket to tour Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. The growing number of business application requests to operate a dispensary is far outpacing the licenses that can be doled out by a state commission next year. Related stories: Despite what is shaking out to be long odds, cities and counties throughout Alabama are approving resolutions, ordinances or are revising their zoning codes in preparation of hosting a dispensary. “It will be an extremely competitive process with the limited number of licenses available,” said Brittany Peters, spokesperson with the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission. “But the commission cannot award a license to operate a facility in an unauthorized (jurisdiction).” City and town governments from the Tennessee Valley to the Wiregrass have been adopting ordinances in recent weeks backing a medical marijuana dispensary operating within their municipal boundaries. County commissions have also been voting on resolutions with similar supportive language. The ordinances and resolutions are also needed for the cities and counties to host an integrated facility that would perform multiple functions including serving as a medical marijuana dispensary. The votes are required by the 2021 state law that established Alabama as the 37th state to legalize marijuana use for medical purposes. Long odds The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission meets on Aug. 11, 2022 in Montgomery. (Mike Cason/mcason@al.com) But even after the cities and counites act, it will be a protracted process before decisions are made on whether any part of the state’s evolving medical marijuana operation will come to their jurisdiction. As of Tuesday, there were 155 businesses requesting applications to operate a dispensary or an integrated facility. That is an increase from 109 earlier this month, and Peters anticipates more applications coming before an October 17 deadline for businesses to submit their requests for applications. “We are still receiving them daily,” said Peters, referring to the businesses requesting application forms. The odds are already long because of this limitation: At a maximum, Alabama state law allow for 37 dispensaries statewide. Only the Alabama Legislature can approve an expansion of the program, but that is unlikely to happen this year. For now, businesses and local governments are preparing for several key dates: Applications to operate a dispensary or another operation related to the medical marijuana industry in Alabama will be issued to requestors on October 24. The applications then must be submitted to the commission by December 30. The commission is scheduled to vet applicants next year ahead of a vote to reward the licenses at its June 12, 2023, meeting. Cities, counties act Peters said there is no deadline for city and county governments to act. But a host of them are doing so following a recent Zoom call hosted by the Alabama League of Municipalities with representatives of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission and approximately 45 municipal officials. For the local governments, the actions are considered largely a “formality” that allows them to host a dispensary. Other operations within the medical marijuana industry – such as cultivators, processors, transporters, and laboratories – do not require an ordinance or resolution approved by a local government entity. Montgomery was the first city to adopt an ordinance in support of hosting a medical marijuana dispensary on December 7, 2021. Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox at a summit on Monday, June 28, 2021, at the Battle House Hotel in Mobile, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). The only other large city in Alabama to follow suit was Tuscaloosa, which voted on a similar ordinance in August. “It’s more than just adopting a resolution – the city supports the legislation allowing medical marijuana and believes the state has outlined a process which sets in motion a logical implementation and progression,” said Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox. He said the “small sample size” of the initial dispensary operations will allow the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission an “opportunity to evaluate and take corrective action when necessary.” Said Maddox, “If the initial rollout is proven safe and effective for consumers with no detrimental impacts to communities, the marketplace forces will create the pressures for expansion in the near future.” Birmingham has not yet addressed the issue. Huntsville and Mobile are considering options on how to move forward. Within the past week, Dothan, Daphne, and Foley have adopted ordinances to allow for the operation of a medical marijuana dispensary. Gulf Shores will take the matter to its planning commission on Tuesday in the form of a zoning text amendment that defines what is a “dispensary site.” Opelika city officials could vote on its ordinance soon, and one is expected to be introduced within the next week in Fairhope. Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich said his city simply copied the language of the Montgomery city ordinance before voting on it. He said while there is interest in having a dispensary set up in Foley, the council’s vote does nothing to guarantee that any part of the state’s medical marijuana operation will come to his Baldwin County city. “It’s extremely restrictive and there is a limit to the number of dispensaries in the state,” Hellmich said. Early actors Some of the earliest movers on the ordinances include small communities spread throughout the state. Cowarts, a Houston County city of around 2,100 residents southeast of Dothan; and Killen, a small town of 1,140 residents east of Florence; are among the first eight cities to adopt ordinances supporting a medical marijuana dispensary. “Do I think it will ever come to the town of Killen? I doubt it,” said Killen Mayor Tim Tubbs. “But if they do, there is an ordinance passed that gives them the legal right to have (a dispensary) in the town limits. We are just doing what the Legislature says we should do.” Only four counties have done so – Butler, Cullman, Houston, and Macon. “I see it as a possibility to do great things in helping us retain our people who are graduating and moving out of the economy,” said Louis Maxwell, the chairman of the Macon County Commission. “We hope to bring some of those (younger workers) back and to form a great partnership with Tuskegee University, which has a tremendous agriculture program.” Macon County, with a 28% poverty rate is among the poorest counties in Alabama’s Black Belt region, has seen its population drop in recent years. Between 2020 to 2021, the county lost nearly 600 residents, which was the second most in the state. Since 2010, Macon County’s population has declined by 9%. Maxwell said he is hopeful the county will get one OK’d for a dispensary license. He said there are three possible entities interested in applying for one and is confident they will have a positive impact on Macon County if any of them receive a dispensary license. “We will definitely support each one of them,” said Maxwell. Concerned city The council and county commission votes have produced little, if any, controversy. At least one Shelby County city wants nothing to do with the industry. The city of Pelham, in a January 24 resolution, proclaimed it “does not wish to provide for or permit” dispensing sites within its boundaries. The Pelham City Council’s proclamation outlines several reasons why they do not want to host one of the sites, linking the operation to “recreational” marijuana. “The council agrees that the state and the city of Pelham have a substantial interest in protecting residents from the dangers of recreational marijuana,” the Pelham resolution reads. Supporters of the state’s new medical marijuana program have repeatedly stressed that the state is not moving forward with the legalization or recreational marijuana, which is legal in 19 states. Under Alabama’s program, only doctors who receive training in medical marijuana will be authorized to recommend the products for certain ailments including panic disorder, Parkinson’s Disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, and other medical issues. Joe Godfrey, a consultant with the Alabama Citizen’s Action Program, an interdenominational ministry that lobbies for evangelical Christian interests in the Alabama Legislature, said his group advocated for a “medical” marijuana law only, and one that requires cities and counties to have buy-in before a dispensary was set up. “This adds a layer of protection for and local input from communities,” said Godfrey. “We encourage citizens to contact their local leaders if they want to prevent dispensaries from expanding into their communities.” Godfrey said his concern is the industry will bring about large revenues to the local communities that receive one of the licenses, bring to fruition what he says is the “age-old argument that people will drive to other cities and counties to get their marijuana, so ‘you might as well keep those dollars in your own city and/or county.’” He added, “What they fail to disclose is the increase in drug use and the social costs those communities will face.” Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. 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