Columbus
Alabama Reflector
Lawyers apologize for alleged judge-shopping in gender-affirming care case
Two lawyers accused of judge-shopping in a gender-affirming care lawsuit Friday apologized for potentially offending U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke for withdrawing and refiling their original complaint. Facing questions from Burke, Melody Eagan and Jeffrey Doss, attorneys for families challenging a ban on medical gender-affirming care for transgender youth, acknowledged that they had concerns […] The post Lawyers apologize for alleged judge-shopping in gender-affirming care case appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Democrats reel from ‘terrible’ Biden debate performance as he defends candidacy
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden touched on a flood of criticism of his debate performance during a rally on Friday, while Democrats interviewed on Capitol Hill said the party must figure out a way to reassure voters after what they described as a “terrible” showing and a “bad night.” Biden, speaking from Raleigh, North Carolina, […] The post Democrats reel from ‘terrible’ Biden debate performance as he defends candidacy appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
U.S. Supreme Court sides with Oregon city, allows ban on homeless people sleeping outdoors
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court Friday sided with a local ordinance in Oregon that bans homeless people from sleeping outdoors, and local governments will be allowed to enforce those laws. In a 6-3 decision, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the opinion that the enforcement of those local laws that regulate camping on public property […] The post U.S. Supreme Court sides with Oregon city, allows ban on homeless people sleeping outdoors appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Despite what some politicians say, crime rates are decreasing
Violent crime in the United States dropped significantly in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the same period last year, according to the FBI’s Quarterly Uniform Crime Report released earlier this month. The FBI’s data, collected from nearly 12,000 law enforcement agencies representing about 77% of the country’s population, suggests violent crime dropped by […] The post Despite what some politicians say, crime rates are decreasing appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
U.S. Supreme Court flips precedent that empowered federal agencies
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a precedent Friday that had for decades limited judicial power to strike executive branch regulations, in a decision immediately criticized for potentially undermining decisions by scientists and agency experts. The 6-3 and 6-2 decisions in two cases brought by fishing operators in New Jersey and Rhode Island challenged a […] The post U.S. Supreme Court flips precedent that empowered federal agencies appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Legislation would allow Alabama governor, attorney general to appoint local police chiefs
An Alabama senator has prefiled a bill that would allow the Alabama attorney general or governor to appoint local police chiefs if they believe there is a public safety threat in the town. SB 3, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, would allow the attorney general or […] The post Legislation would allow Alabama governor, attorney general to appoint local police chiefs appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Procedural dispute dominates hearing over alleged judge shopping
A federal judge and an attorney for lawyers accused of judge shopping in a gender-affirming care lawsuit argued at length Thursday over whether the lawyers could withdraw an original filing in the case. The crux of the allegations involve the attorneys moving to dismiss their original suit, which sought to overturn Alabama’s ban on gender-affirming […] The post Procedural dispute dominates hearing over alleged judge shopping appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Biden and Trump trade insults, accusations of lying in acrimonious presidential debate
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump pitched to undecided voters Thursday night during the first debate of the presidential campaign — trading insults over their policy differences, immigration and who represents a threat to democracy. During the debate from CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta, the two men argued over who can do better for […] The post Biden and Trump trade insults, accusations of lying in acrimonious presidential debate appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
House Speaker Johnson, Betsy DeVos lead attack on Title IX rule that protects LGBTQ+ kids
WASHINGTON — Prominent members of the GOP on Wednesday strongly criticized the Biden administration’s final rule for Title IX, including U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. As the fate of a key Biden administration effort to protect LGBTQ+ students from […] The post House Speaker Johnson, Betsy DeVos lead attack on Title IX rule that protects LGBTQ+ kids appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
13 states with Republican governors opt out of summer food program for kids
This story originally appeared on Stateline. A new, permanent summer grocery program will help nearly 21 million kids across 37 states get enough to eat this year while school’s out. But 13 states with Republican governors have opted out of the federal program, citing their opposition to what they deride as “welfare” and their unwillingness […] The post 13 states with Republican governors opt out of summer food program for kids appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
U.S. Supreme Court sends Idaho abortion case back down to lower courts
As expected after the court said it inadvertently uploaded the opinion prematurely on Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision Thursday remanding a case about emergency abortions in Idaho back to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for now. The decision was 6-3, with conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissenting. […] The post U.S. Supreme Court sends Idaho abortion case back down to lower courts appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
From Roe to Dobbs and Beyond: A resurrection in New Mexico
Diane Derzis bought a clinic in Jackson, Mississippi, in 2010. It was the state’s only abortion provider. She’d been doing this work for decades. First in Birmingham, then around the country. She’d navigated many crises in her career — protesters, threats, even the awful aftermath of a clinic bombing. But now, in late June 2022, […] The post From Roe to Dobbs and Beyond: A resurrection in New Mexico appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama’s voter records must be disclosed, but digital format not required, court says
A three-judge panel of the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday ruled that while Alabama must disclose certain voter records upon request, the state is not required to provide them in electronic format. The ruling involves Greater Birmingham Ministries (GBM) and the Alabama Secretary of State. In 2021, GBM requested voter registration records to […] The post Alabama’s voter records must be disclosed, but digital format not required, court says appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama lawmakers considering bills limiting children’s access to technology
Some Alabama lawmakers are considering legislation for the 2025 legislative session that would limit children’s access to technology. At the most recent State Board of Education work session, State Superintendent Eric Mackey brought up potential laws around cell phone restrictions, which board members have expressed support for in the past, as well as potential age […] The post Alabama lawmakers considering bills limiting children’s access to technology appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
After an abortion for fetal anomalies, she hoped IVF would build her family. Now that’s in doubt.
Editor’s note: This is the fifth installment of an occasional States Newsroom series called When and Where: Abortion Access in America, profiling individuals who have needed abortion care in the U.S. before and after Dobbs. The first installment can be found here, the second installment is here, the third is here, and the fourth is […] The post After an abortion for fetal anomalies, she hoped IVF would build her family. Now that’s in doubt. appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Document indicates Supreme Court will punt Idaho emergency abortion case for now
A document inadvertently uploaded to the U.S. Supreme Court’s website on Wednesday appears to indicate the court will send a case regarding emergency abortion care in Idaho back to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rather than make a decision, according to reporting from Bloomberg Law. Rather than rule on the merits, the unofficial opinion, […] The post Document indicates Supreme Court will punt Idaho emergency abortion case for now appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
SCOTUS rejects Missouri lawsuit alleging feds bullied social media into censoring content
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected arguments by Missouri and Louisiana that the federal government violated the First Amendment in its efforts to combat false, misleading and dangerous information online. In a 6-3 decision written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the court held that neither the states nor seven individuals who were co-plaintiffs in […] The post SCOTUS rejects Missouri lawsuit alleging feds bullied social media into censoring content appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Plaintiffs join in requesting stay in district court proceedings over gender affirming care
Plaintiffs in a case challenging Alabama’s ban on medical gender-affirming care for people under 19 Tuesday joined a call to stay the proceedings while the U.S. Supreme Court considers a separate case. The plaintiffs cited a filing from the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday, which also asked U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke Monday […] The post Plaintiffs join in requesting stay in district court proceedings over gender affirming care appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Biden to pardon vets discharged for same-sex relationships
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will pardon U.S. military veterans who were discharged or convicted under military law for consensual same-sex relations, the administration announced Wednesday. The White House could not provide an exact number of veterans who will be pardoned, but the administration estimates thousands were convicted over several decades and may be eligible. […] The post Biden to pardon vets discharged for same-sex relationships appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
From Roe to Dobbs and Beyond: The last clinic in Mississippi
Not a single employee of the New Woman All Women Clinic in Birmingham quit after it was bombed in 1998. It would always be the abortion clinic that got bombed — the place where security guard and police officer Robert Sanderson died, and head nurse Emily Lyons was severely injured. Those facts weren’t ever going […] The post From Roe to Dobbs and Beyond: The last clinic in Mississippi appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama Reflector
2K+
Posts
19M+
Views
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.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.