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☆ Opinion: Alabama Republicans’ defiance keeps an ugly history alive
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Opinion Nicole Hemmer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Nicole Hemmer Courtesy Nicole HemmerTheir new map is out, and it makes clear that the Republican-controlled legislature in Alabama has flouted the court order. That started to change in 1938, when the court began to lay the groundwork for the civil rights jurisprudence of the mid- 20th century. APAs the court came to embrace civil rights, racial conservatives began to defy it. Join us on Twitter and FacebookThe courts historically have faced White resistance whenever they have sided with Black civil rights. That tells us less about the court and more about the political power — and impunity — still wielded by pro-discrimination forces, decades after the Civil Rights Movement.

Persons: Nicole Hemmer, Carolyn T, Robert M, “, Who, Kay Ivey, ”, Dred Scott, Sandford, Plessy, Ferguson, Harlan Stone, Brown, White, — Organizations: Rogers Center, Vanderbilt University, “ Partisans, Conservative, CNN, Black, Republican, Republican Gov, Alabama Republicans, Civil, Graymont Elementary School, AP, National Guard, Twitter, Civil Rights Movement, Trump Republicans Locations: Alabama, “, United States, Birmingham , Alabama, In Massachusetts

☆ Alabama's redrawing of its congressional map defies US Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —It was a legitimate surprise when the conservative-dominated US Supreme Court ordered Alabama’s conservative-dominated state government last month to redraw its congressional map and include either a second majority-Black congressional district or something quite close to it. CNN’s Dianne Gallagher noted in her report that the old congressional map was invalidated by a three-judge federal district court panel that included two judges nominated to the bench by former President Donald Trump. “Outright defiance of the Supreme Court’s order,” is how Janai Nelson, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, described the new map to CNN’s Dana Bash Monday. The Supreme Court’s unexpected decisionAlabama had asked the Supreme Court to essentially nullify Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, something many court watchers thought the conservative majority was primed to execute. The Supreme Court also rejected out of hand the idea that the Gulf Coast area represents a community of interest on par with the Black Belt.

Persons: Milligan, Terri Sewell, Kay Ivey, “, ”, CNN’s Dianne Gallagher, Donald Trump, Alabamians, Gallagher, CNN’s Tierney Sneed, Allen, Janai Nelson, CNN’s Dana Bash, Joe Biden, Nelson, John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Sewell Organizations: CNN, Supreme Court, Democratic, Alabama, Republican, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Black, Civil Rights Movement, National Heritage Area, Democrat Locations: Alabama, Allen, New York, Gulf

☆ Pelosi says McCarthy is ‘playing politics’ with impeachment expungement
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Aileen Graef | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Nancy Pelosi said on Sunday that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was “playing politics” with the idea of expunging former President Donald Trump’s two impeachments. “Kevin is, you know, playing politics. McCarthy called Trump to apologize after the interview, claiming he misspoke on CNBC, sources told CNN. A member of the House of Representatives since 1987, Pelosi would not say whether she plans to run for reelection. Pelosi separately called it “completely, totally ridiculous” that Alabama GOP Gov.

Persons: CNN — Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, ”, Donald Trump’s, Kevin, ” Pelosi, CNN’s Dana, ” McCarthy, McCarthy, Trump, Donald Trump, Pelosi, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, Joe Biden’s, “, “ He’s, Kay Ivey Organizations: CNN, Union, Trump, California Republican, CNBC, Federal Government, GOP, Republicans, Consumer, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, Alabama GOP, Republican Party Locations: “ State, California, Alabama, Black

July 21 (Reuters) - Alabama executed a man early on Friday for beating an elderly woman to death two decades ago, the state's first execution since Governor Kay Ivey lifted a suspension on capital punishment in February following a review. Barber argued to the United States Court of Appeals that his execution should be halted because he is at substantial risk of serious harm and "torture" under current protocols. Legal and ethical questions have swirled around capital punishment in the United States after several lethal injections have been botched in recent years. The number of executions in the United States has drastically fallen since 1999, when a record 98 executions were carried out. Capital punishment was reinstated in the United States in 1976.

Persons: Kay Ivey, James Barber, William Holman, Barber, Dorothy Epps, Ivey, Brendan O'Brien, Daniel Trotta, Gursimran Kaur, Bharat Govind Gautam, Sandra Maler, Andrew Heavens Organizations: William, William Holman Correctional, U.S, Supreme, Republican, Department of Corrections, United States, of Appeals, Thomson Locations: Alabama, . U.S, Atmore , Alabama, Harvest , Alabama, United States, Chicago

☆ Alabama to put inmate to death, state's first execution since suspension
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Barber argued to the United States Court of Appeals that his execution should be halted because he is at substantial risk of serious harm and "torture" under current protocols. Legal and ethical questions have swirled around capital punishment in the United States after several lethal injections have been botched in recent years. The number of executions in the United States has drastically fallen since 1999, when a record 98 executions were carried out. Capital punishment was reinstated in the United States in 1976. Over the last five years, a total of 78 death row inmates have been executed, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Persons: Kay Ivey, James Barber, William Holman, Dorothy Epps, Ivey, Barber, Brendan O'Brien, Sandra Maler Organizations: William, William Holman Correctional, Republican, Department of Corrections, United States, of Appeals, Thomson Locations: Alabama, Atmore , Alabama, Harvest , Alabama, United States, Chicago

☆ U.S. Supreme Court allows death row inmate's lawsuit after failed execution
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Andrew Chung | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A majority of the justices in November cleared the way for the execution of Smith, sentenced to death for his role in a 1988 murder-for-hire plot. The method in Alabama posed an "intolerable risk of torture, cruelty or substantial pain," Smith's lawsuit stated. A judge dismissed Smith's lawsuit, but on Nov. 17, the day of his scheduled execution, the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. The 11th Circuit also in a separate decision stayed his execution, but after the state appealed to the Supreme Court, the justices allowed it to proceed. Smith's case is not a challenge to the death penalty itself.

☆ Four killed, multiple injuries in Alabama shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Law enforcement officers walk through the crime scene, a day after a shooting at a teenager's birthday party in a dance studio, in Dadeville, Alabama, U.S., April 16, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney OrrApril 16 (Reuters) - Four people were killed and multiple others injured in a shooting on Saturday night that was tied to a birthday party in the small town of Dadeville, Alabama, the state law enforcement agency said at a news conference on Sunday morning. The state agency declined to answer questions or provide further detail during the news conference. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said in a Twitter post on Sunday morning that she was staying "closely updated" by law enforcement as details emerged. The nonprofit group defines a mass shooting as four or more shot or killed, not including the shooter.

☆ Storms in US South kill at least 7, head to Northeast
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Brad Brooks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The National Weather Service said the powerful storm was moving to the Northeast and would cause heavy snow and sleet from southeastern Michigan east to New York state. Parts of central New York and southern New England may see over a foot (30 cm) of snow by Saturday afternoon. The governor said on social media that at least two people were killed in the severe weather, though he did not provide any more details. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said on social media that three people were killed in the storm in her state, though she provided no details. In Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves said on social media on Friday that overnight storms producing high winds had resulted in one person's death, though he gave no more details.

"We share Congresswoman Sewell's view that the use of child labor is unacceptable," Hyundai said. Sewell's comments are the first from a high-ranking Alabama official on child labor problems in Hyundai's supply chain. The new actions by Hyundai and its discussions with regulators and lawmakers come after Reuters documented child labor in various Alabama auto plants making parts for Hyundai or Kia. The child labor reports have put a spotlight on Hyundai's growing operations in the United States. Regulatory fines for child labor, by contrast, can be relatively small.

☆ Auburn University blocked TikTok on campus WiFi. Journalism professors say they're looking for workarounds so they can still teach multimedia skills.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Auburn University has blocked TikTok on campus WiFi following a directive by Alabama's governor. One Auburn student told Insider that he'd already deleted the TikTok app because it was distracting him from work. "TikTok has never shared US data with the Chinese government, nor would we if asked," a TikTok spokesperson told Insider. Auburn students say the restrictions could affect their downtime, but professors worry it could have educational impacts, too. Auburn students are able to get around the restrictions by not connecting to the campus WiFi.

☆ Alabama’s Weekslong Landfill Fire Prompts Locals to Report Illnesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A blaze ignited in the landfill near Moody, Ala., in late November for reasons that authorities say remain unclear. A fire that has been burning for nearly two months in a landfill northeast of Birmingham, Ala., has drawn complaints of headaches and nosebleeds from many residents, some of whom say they have moved away temporarily. The Environmental Protection Agency stepped in last week at the request of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, or ADEM, to try to extinguish it. Kay Ivey declared a limited state of emergency on Wednesday.

☆ The biggest universities in Texas are blocking students from accessing TikTok on campus WiFi
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin have blocked TikTok from campus WiFi. Texas A&M University — thought to be the state's biggest university with close to 70,000 students — is blocking TikTok from its IT network under a directive by Governor Greg Abbott, local news outlets reported on Tuesday. Lamar University and the University of Texas at Dallas told students that TikTok would continue to work at its residence halls. Even then, access would only be granted on devices connected to cellular services, not to the university's WiFi or wired network. Do you study or work at a US university that has banned the use of TikTok on campus WiFi?

Bills to block the app on state devices in California, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont have also been proposed. University of IdahoSchool’s policy: TikTok must be removed from university equipment "regardless of funding source," according to the school's help page. South Dakota University SystemSchool’s policy: The South Dakota Board of Regents, which governs six universities including Black Hills State University, University of South Dakota, Northern State University, Dakota State University, South Dakota State University and South Dakota Mines, told employees they could not use, download or access TikTok on university devices. University of Texas — AustinSchool’s policy: On Dec. 16, university officials announced that TikTok would be banned on state-issued devices. Texas Tech UniversitySchool’s policy: University employees are prohibited from using TikTok on school-issued devices and official university TikTok accounts must be deactivated.

☆ Tornadoes Rip Through Southeast U.S., Killing at Least Seven
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Talal Ansari | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Several people have been killed in Alabama and Georgia as severe storms and tornadoes destroyed homes and uprooted trees across the Southeast U.S.A series of tornadoes ripped through central Alabama on Thursday, killing six, Gov. Kay Ivey said. In Autauga County, Ala., 41 miles northeast of Selma, at least six fatalities were confirmed and an estimated 40 homes were damaged or destroyed by a tornado, according to the Associated Press.

☆ At least 6 killed as Tornado, thunderstorms strike central Alabama
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Larry Fondren sorts through the rubble of his mobile home, which was destroyed when a tree fell on it as a tornado heavily damaged homes and destroyed mobile homes near Akron in Hale County, Alabama, U.S. January 12, 2023. Gary Cosby Jr./USA Today Network via REUTERSJan 12 (Reuters) - At least six people were killed in central Alabama on Thursday as thunderstorms and at least one tornado swept through the region, local officials said. Autauga County Coroner Buster Barber said that at least four people had been killed by flying debris hurled by the tornado. Ivey on Thursday declared a state of emergency for six Alabama counties hit hardest by the storm: Autauga, Chambers, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore and Tallapoosa. More than 250 flights were canceled or delayed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

☆ Eight dead, more casualties expected after tornadoes rip through U.S. Southeast
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows damage after a tornado ripped through Selma, Alabama, U.S. January 12, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. Seven deaths have been reported in Alabama's Autauga County, emergency management director Ernie Baggett said on MSNBC. The National Weather Service confirmed that at least five tornadoes touched down in the central Alabama region on Thursday, according to meteorologist Jessica Laws. On Friday, the weather service said it had dispatched multiple damage survey teams to the field. As many as 50 properties were damaged by the storms in Autauga County, according to the local sheriff's office.

☆ Alabama's attorney general threatened to prosecute people seeking abortion pills. A day later, he walked it back.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Yelena Dzhanova | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said he'd prosecute people who take abortion pills. A day later, Marshall walked back his remarks and said only abortion providers would be prosecuted. Prosecuting people for taking abortion pills would not have been legal in the state of Alabama, civil-rights experts told Insider. The FDA authorized brick-and-mortar pharmacies across the country to pursue certification to carry abortion pills, a move that could expand abortion access nationwide. Kay Ivey in 2019, specifically says abortion providers can be held criminally liable, but people who get abortions cannot be.

☆ The start of 2023 means carrying a gun without a license is now legal in half of US states: 'Lipstick, an iPhone, maybe a little Smith & Wesson .38'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Alabama's permitless carry law went into effect with the start of the new year. Over the past two decades, gun control laws have weakened at the state and federal levels. The law signaled a gun rights landmark for the US: Now, half of the 50 states allow people to carry handguns without permits. More than 600 mass shootings transpired in the US in 2022, making it the second-highest annual total for mass shootings on record, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit tracking gun violence. There were more mass shootings in the last half decade than in any other five-year period going back to 1966, the Marshall Project found last year.

☆ Their colleges banned TikTok over security fears. These students vow it won't stop them from scrolling.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Daysia Tolentino | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kahlan-Rosenblatt.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

But a handful of students at the affected universities who spoke with NBC News say the newly enacted policies won’t stop them from scrolling their For You pages. Kay Ivey banned TikTok on state-owned devices and networks on Dec. 12, citing cybersecurity issues and fears over Chinese spying. Lawmakers in the U.S. House and the Senate also proposed a bipartisan bill to ban TikTok federally on Dec. 13. A University of Oklahoma spokesperson said the school is complying with Stitt’s executive order. Texada said he felt that TikTok, beyond helping with marketing, has also been a resource for the university community, particularly international students.

☆ Some universities are now restricting TikTok access on campus
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A small but growing number of universities are now blocking access to TikTok on school-owned devices or WiFi networks, in the latest sign of a widening crackdown on the popular short-form video app. The 26 universities and colleges in the University System of Georgia are also reportedly taking a similar step. Auburn University in Alabama started restricting access to TikTok on school-owned devices or Wi-Fi networks last week, in accordance with Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s recent executive order for state-owned networks and devices to block access to and from the TikTok social media application. But an Auburn University spokesperson told CNN the decision is “not a ban on campus.” TikTok users will still be able to access the app on personal devices via their own mobile data.

☆ Executions in U.S. continue decline but many ‘botched,' report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Kate Brown commuted the sentences of all 17 of the state’s death row inmates to life in prison without parole. There have been no federal executions since January 2021 following a historic use of capital punishment by the Trump administration. Dunham said he believes ongoing issues with botched executions or reviews of execution protocols by states is helping to erode public support of capital punishment. In 2000, Texas executions reached a high of 40, according to this year’s annual report by the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Dunham said he believes the number of botched executions has contributed significantly to the movement among lawmakers, particularly conservatives, to express doubts about the death penalty.

☆ How Republicans are 'playing to the Fox News crowd' with attacks on TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Republicans are escalating their attacks on TikTok. “It’s playing to the Fox News crowd,” a person close to TikTok, who requested anonymity because they were not publicly authorized to speak on the matter, said on Tuesday. The posturing comes at a pivotal moment in the years-long negotiations between TikTok and the US government on a potential deal that aims to address national security concerns and allow the app’s continued use in the US. But, as The WSJ recently reported, the national security talks have hit a snag as pressure mounts on the company. But the type of action being taken by Republicans seems more geared toward playing to their base than anything else.

A 19-year-old Missouri woman can't be a witness to her father's execution after a judge ruled Friday that a state law barring her from being present because of her age is constitutional. Kevin Johnson, 37, has been in prison since Ramey was 2 for the 2005 killing of William McEntee, a police officer in Kirkwood, Missouri. But Missouri law says that no person younger than 21 can witness an execution. Johnson's fate remains unclear after a motion asking for his execution to be halted was filed by a special prosecutor, Edward Keenan. The Missouri Attorney General's Office, however, believes Johnson's execution should go on and that "the surviving victims of Johnson's crimes have waited long enough for justice."

☆ Alabama pauses executions after third failed lethal injection attempt
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Kay Ivey sought a pause in executions and ordered a “top-to-bottom” review of the state’s capital punishment system Monday after an unprecedented third failed lethal injection. Ivey also requested that Marshall not seek additional execution dates for any other death row inmates until the review is complete. In September, the state called off the scheduled execution of Alan Eugene Miller because of difficulty accessing his veins. Alabama in 2018 called off the execution of Doyle Hamm because of problems getting the intravenous line connected. Alabama should have imposed an execution moratorium after Hamm’s failed execution for the benefit of everyone, said Bernard Harcourt, an attorney who represented Hamm for years.

☆ Alabama calls off execution of man convicted in murder-for-hire after problem with IV access
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

It is the second execution since September that the state has canceled because of difficulties with establishing an IV. Because the death warrant expired at midnight, the state must go back to court to seek a new execution date. Some three decades ago, a promise was made to Elizabeth’s family that justice would be served through a lawfully imposed death sentence. Smith was initially convicted in 1989, and a jury voted 10-2 to recommend a death sentence, which a judge imposed. The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday denied Smith’s request to review the constitutionality of his death sentence on those grounds.

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