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Alabama Reflector
When ‘universal’ pre-K really isn’t: Barriers to participating abound
When Tanya Gillespie-Lambert goes to an event in a local park in Camden, New Jersey, she takes a handful of brochures about free preschool with her. She has no hesitation about approaching strangers — moms with kids especially — to plug the service in the local public school district, where she’s director of community and […] The post When ‘universal’ pre-K really isn’t: Barriers to participating abound appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Federal judge stays potential trial over Alabama’s gender-affirming medical care ban
A federal judge overseeing a trial over Alabama’s ban on medical gender-affirming care for transgender minors stayed proceedings on Tuesday after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up a lawsuit over a similar ban in Tennessee. In a three-page order, U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke ordered a stay of a potential trial […] The post Federal judge stays potential trial over Alabama’s gender-affirming medical care ban appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama judge extends hold on medical cannabis licensing
An Alabama judge Tuesday said he would enter another temporary restraining order on the stalled licensing process for medical cannabis licenses. Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Anderson directed companies denied a license and the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) to provide a jointly proposed order that would allow investigative hearings on awarded licenses to continue […] The post Alabama judge extends hold on medical cannabis licensing appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
As bird flu spreads on dairy farms, an ‘abysmal’ few workers are tested
Public health officials are concerned about bird flu, which so far has been detected in three dairy farmworkers — two in Michigan and one in Texas — as well as in cattle in a dozen states. The farmworkers’ symptoms were mild, and researchers have not found that the H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, […] The post As bird flu spreads on dairy farms, an ‘abysmal’ few workers are tested appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Texas U.S. House member calls for Biden to withdraw amid debate fallout
WASHINGTON — Texas U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett called for President Joe Biden to withdraw as the Democratic nominee Tuesday, becoming the first congressional Democrat to do so after Biden’s poor performance in last week’s presidential debate that has sent the party reeling four months before the November presidential election. Biden has acknowledged a shaky debate […] The post Texas U.S. House member calls for Biden to withdraw amid debate fallout appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Trump NY sentencing delayed after U.S. Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling
WASHINGTON — A New York judge agreed Tuesday to delay the criminal sentencing of former President Donald Trump in the state hush money case after Trump claimed the U.S. Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision absolves him. New York Justice Juan Merchan, who oversaw the case, ordered the delay until Sept. 18 so the court could […] The post Trump NY sentencing delayed after U.S. Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
DOJ, families of transgender youth oppose summary judgment in lawsuit over care ban
The United States Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and private plaintiffs – transgender youth and their families – accused the Alabama attorney general’s office Monday of using “disputed facts” in moving for summary judgment in a lawsuit against the state’s 2022 youth gender-affirming care ban. In briefs opposing the state’s motion for […] The post DOJ, families of transgender youth oppose summary judgment in lawsuit over care ban appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Biden administration announces new rule to protect workers from heat-related illnesses
WASHINGTON – Senior Biden administration officials announced a proposed rule Tuesday to prevent heat-related illness in the workplace, as climate change brings hotter temperatures around the nation. In a call to reporters Monday, officials spoke on background about the new rule, which the administration sent to the Federal Register Tuesday for review. Depending on the […] The post Biden administration announces new rule to protect workers from heat-related illnesses appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
370,000 Alabamians removed from Medicaid after COVID restrictions lifted
About 370,000 Alabamians were removed from Medicaid in the 10 months after federal restrictions on disenrollment expired earlier this year. While in line with national trends, the number in Alabama is significantly higher than an April 2023 estimate by KFF, a health policy research and news organization, which projected 170,000 total disenrollments in Alabama during […] The post 370,000 Alabamians removed from Medicaid after COVID restrictions lifted appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Autauga-Prattville Library Board approves book removal policy as controversy continues
The Autauga-Prattville Public Library Board of Trustees last week approved a resolution giving themselves the power to remove any materials they believe inappropriate, whatever a library director may decide. The move is the latest in an ongoing controversy over access to books at the library, one that has led in the last year to the […] The post Autauga-Prattville Library Board approves book removal policy as controversy continues appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
‘No kings in America’: Biden slams U.S. Supreme Court ruling granting Trump immunity
Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision granting the presumption of criminal immunity for official actions taken by a president fundamentally altered U.S. democracy, President Joe Biden said from the White House Monday evening. Speaking for less than five minutes, Biden said the 6-3 decision contradicted the spirit of the country’s founding — set to be celebrated […] The post ‘No kings in America’: Biden slams U.S. Supreme Court ruling granting Trump immunity appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
U.S. House Judiciary files suit to obtain audio tapes of Biden special counsel interview
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Judiciary Committee Monday filed suit against Attorney General Merrick Garland, in an ongoing effort to obtain audio recordings from President Joe Biden’s interview with a special counsel during an investigation of the president’s handling of classified documents. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, […] The post U.S. House Judiciary files suit to obtain audio tapes of Biden special counsel interview appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Parties in Alabama abortion aid lawsuit aim to resolve case without trial
The parties on the opposite sides of a lawsuit aimed at stopping Alabama from potentially prosecuting those who help Alabamians seek out-of-state abortion care want a federal judge to rule on the case without a trial. Plaintiffs Yellowhammer Fund; Alabama Women’s Center and West Alabama Women’s Center and the Alabama attorney general’s office said in […] The post Parties in Alabama abortion aid lawsuit aim to resolve case without trial appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
More states consider voter ID laws amid conflicting research on their impact
This story originally appeared on Stateline. Nevada voters may decide in November whether they should join three dozen other states in requiring voters to present valid identification before casting a ballot. And Maine may not be far behind, as the push for voter ID requirements grows nationwide despite conflicting studies over their effects. Conservative organizers […] The post More states consider voter ID laws amid conflicting research on their impact appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Presidential immunity extends to some official acts, Supreme Court rules in Trump case
WASHINGTON — U.S. presidents enjoy full immunity from criminal charges for their official “core constitutional” acts, but no immunity for unofficial acts, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, sending former President Donald Trump’s election interference case back to the lower courts. The justices left open the question of how far the boundaries of such official acts […] The post Presidential immunity extends to some official acts, Supreme Court rules in Trump case appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Old cases regulating Ten Commandments displays may be on ‘shaky ground’
What would happen if Alabama passed a Ten Commandments law similar to Louisiana’s? It’s unclear. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry on June 19 signed HB 71, a law requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in schools. HB 71 requires any school that accepts state money, including institutions of higher education, to display a poster or framed […] The post Old cases regulating Ten Commandments displays may be on ‘shaky ground’ appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Freedom isn’t free
You can’t understand the scope of 122,000 names until you see them on a wall. Stand at the foot of the National Monument to Freedom, recently dedicated by the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, and you’ll see all of them, soaring three or four stories above your head. Each name, taken from the 1870 census, […] The post Freedom isn’t free appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Modern-day ‘Comstocks’ look to police travel, information as another strategy to end abortion
Mark Lee Dickson says he’s been home maybe once in the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court vanished federal abortion rights in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The 38-year-old director of Right to Life of East Texas in Longview has been on an endless road trip trying to set legal traps for people […] The post Modern-day ‘Comstocks’ look to police travel, information as another strategy to end abortion appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Federal regulators approve controversial Louisiana gas terminal project
A massive and contentious liquefied natural gas export project in coastal Louisiana and an associated pipeline got a key approval from federal regulators Thursday. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued an order granting permission for Venture Global to build and operate the CP2 terminal in Cameron Parish along the Gulf Coast and construct and operate […] The post Federal regulators approve controversial Louisiana gas terminal project appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
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The Alabama Reflector is an independent nonprofit website covering politics and policy in our state. We look at the problems affecting Alabamians, and search for solutions. We connect readers with the decisions made in the hallways of the State House and try to give a voice to those outside it. We write stories about people in power and men and women on the margins. We hope to reflect what our home is, and what it could be. Alabama Reflector is an affiliate of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. The Reflector retains full editorial independence.
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