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GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues
WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers are taking turns supporting former president and presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in his trial in Manhattan criminal court, where he is charged with covering up payments intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Dressed alike in navy blue suits and red ties, North […] The post GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
The number of births continues to fall, despite abortion bans
Births continued a historic slide in all but two states last year, making it clear that a brief post-pandemic uptick in the nation’s birth numbers was all about planned pregnancies that had been delayed temporarily by COVID-19. Only Tennessee and North Dakota had small increases in births from 2022 to 2023, according to a Stateline […] The post The number of births continues to fall, despite abortion bans appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Sculptor unveils model of Helen Keller statue for Alabama State Capitol
A sculptor Tuesday unveiled a working model of a statue of disability rights advocate Helen Keller planned for the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol. Jay Warren, an Oregon-based sculptor, showed the statue at a meeting of the Women’s Tribute Statue Commission. The life-size monument features Keller sitting on a bench, holding a book written […] The post Sculptor unveils model of Helen Keller statue for Alabama State Capitol appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Analysis: Alabama’s Katie Britt least bipartisan U.S. senator
WASHINGTON — Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick were the most bipartisan members of Congress last year, according to a newly released analysis from the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. The least bipartisan House lawmaker was Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, while Alabama’s Katie […] The post Analysis: Alabama’s Katie Britt least bipartisan U.S. senator appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
At Montgomery rally, Hyundai workers describe difficult working conditions
Workers at Montgomery’s Hyundai plant described difficult working conditions and arbitrary scheduling at a rally Monday evening led by clergy and faith leaders. The rally came amid a campaign led by the United Auto Workers to unionize the factory and an ongoing vote this week at Mercedes-Benz’s plant in Vance on whether to organize under […] The post At Montgomery rally, Hyundai workers describe difficult working conditions appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
As Alabama’s legislative efforts over medical cannabis fall short, litigation continues
Medical cannabis, approved by the Alabama Legislature three years ago, remains ensnared in legal disputes over the state’s licensing process. The litigation is likely to continue after several bills aimed at addressing the impasse died in the legislative session. And the relationship of the various lawsuits against the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission was the focus […] The post As Alabama’s legislative efforts over medical cannabis fall short, litigation continues appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Tariffs to be sharply hiked by Biden administration on Chinese-made products
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is doubling and in some cases tripling tariffs on Chinese-made products, like steel and electric vehicles, in a move aimed at easing economic pain in battleground states, though senior administration officials say it isn’t political. National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard told reporters on a call Monday ahead of the announcement […] The post Tariffs to be sharply hiked by Biden administration on Chinese-made products appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Star witness in Trump trial tells of plot to conceal porn star hush money payments
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s former fixer took the stand in a Manhattan courtroom Monday and told jurors that Trump was well aware of a scheme to hide the repayment of money intended to silence porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Michael Cohen, the prosecution’s star witness, told the jury that he […] The post Star witness in Trump trial tells of plot to conceal porn star hush money payments appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Five years in, more than 100,000 Arkansans sign up for medical cannabis
This story originally appeared on Arkansas Advocate. Since the launch of medical marijuana in Arkansas in 2019, more than three dozen storefronts have opened, at least 102,000 residents have registered for patient cards and revenue has topped $1.1 billion. The industry doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. The latest report from the Arkansas […] The post Five years in, more than 100,000 Arkansans sign up for medical cannabis appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Union vote at Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance underway
Workers at Mercedes-Benz’s plant in Vance began voting Monday on whether to organize a union under the United Auto Workers (UAW). Voting will run through Friday. The National Labor Relations Board announced that it plans to count the votes and announce the totals on May 17. The vote comes after months of organizing at the […] The post Union vote at Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance underway appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Undergrads are unionizing, in a sign of labor’s resurgence
This story originally appeared on Stateline. Junior psychology major Erin Green works part time at the children’s preschool at Sonoma State University, caring for university employees’ kids ages 1 to 5. Some of the non-student workers in her center belong to a union. But she didn’t, until just a few weeks ago. Green, a 49-year-old […] The post Undergrads are unionizing, in a sign of labor’s resurgence appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Expansion of Alabama’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law dies on final day of legislative session
A bill that would have expanded Alabama’s “Don’t Say Gay” law died on the final day of the 2024 regular session. HB 130, sponsored by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, would have extended Alabama’s prohibition on discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten to fifth grade to kindergarten to eighth grade. It also […] The post Expansion of Alabama’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law dies on final day of legislative session appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
The Alabama gambling debate, stuck in reruns
The gambling debate comes back to the Alabama Legislature every year or two, like a 40- or 50-year-old rerun of a sitcom. The characters, all performing on a tiny, windowless set, return from the previous adventure to perform a variation on the story we’ve seen countless times before. A plan is made. The plan goes […] The post The Alabama gambling debate, stuck in reruns appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
New Alabama law will require state agencies to respond to open records requests
Gov. Kay Ivey Thursday signed legislation requiring state agencies to acknowledge and respond to public records requests within set time frames. SB 270, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, sets two standards for two types of requests, based on time intensity and effort needed by the government agency. The law goes into effect on Oct. […] The post New Alabama law will require state agencies to respond to open records requests appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Religious views on abortion more diverse than they may appear in U.S. political debate
Lawmakers who oppose abortion often invoke their faith — many identify as Christian — while debating policy. The anti-abortion movement’s use of Christianity in arguments might create the impression that broad swaths of religious Americans don’t support abortion rights. But a recent report shows that Americans of various faiths and denominations believe abortion should be […] The post Religious views on abortion more diverse than they may appear in U.S. political debate appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Even as interest in women’s college sports rises, report finds big gap in participation
WASHINGTON — A congressional watchdog in a new report called on the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to improve its enforcement of Title IX compliance in college athletics. The U.S. Government Accountability Office in the report issued Thursday appeared critical of the OCR’s oversight in expanding opportunities for women in college athletics, […] The post Even as interest in women’s college sports rises, report finds big gap in participation appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
What passed in the Alabama Legislature: May 7-9, 2024
Here is a list of the bills that passed the Alabama Legislature this week. House HB 484, sponsored by Rep. Kelvin Lawrence, D-Hayneville, allows the Wilcox County Commission to establish a fee of up to $10 for requests to receive a license plate or decal by priority mail. It would also allow the probate judge […] The post What passed in the Alabama Legislature: May 7-9, 2024 appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Groups look to bail out Black mothers, caregivers in pretrial detention for Mother’s Day
Yolanda Johnson’s nightmare began in the summer of 2021. As she recalls, a former boyfriend pushed her around, hitting an area on her body where there were previous burns. She threw hot water at him and brandished a knife to get him to back away. “He was much bigger than I was, and I was […] The post Groups look to bail out Black mothers, caregivers in pretrial detention for Mother’s Day appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama House and Senate clash over bills, gaming as 2024 session concludes
When asked Thursday what to expect on the final day of the 2024 Alabama legislative session, House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, said “I don’t know if I could tell you with both noses on the ground.” And several hours later, the answers were clear: the passage of an education budget; sniping between the House and […] The post Alabama House and Senate clash over bills, gaming as 2024 session concludes 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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