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Cullman man pleads guilty to threatening Arizona election workers
A Cullman man pleaded guilty on Friday to sending threatening messages to Arizona election workers in Maricopa County during the 2022 Arizona primary elections. Brian Jerry Ogstad, 60, admitted to sending multiple threatening messages over social media, including explicit threats of violence and execution against election workers. He faces a maximum sentence of five years […]
Law school grads could earn license through work rather than bar exam in some states
This story originally appeared on Stateline. PORTLAND, Ore. — Before Bailey McQueeny-Rose attended law school at the University of Oregon, she worked in reproductive health care, first as a medical assistant and then as a trainer, teaching others to do the same job. The work opened her eyes to how access to health care differed […]
Newbern to swear in new mayor after four-year legal battle
Patrick Braxton is officially the mayor-elect of Newbern, Alabama and will be sworn in as mayor in a ceremony next month. U.S. District Court Judge Kristi K. DuBose accepted a memorandum of understanding Tuesday arranged between Braxton; those he appointed to the town council and former town officials, formally designating him as mayor of the […]
Alabama child care centers see improved staffing levels with federal aid
An infusion of federal funding may have alleviated an ongoing staffing shortage in Alabama’s child care centers. Under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), enacted in March 2021, Alabama received $732.9 million for child care, with $451.3 million to maintain child care market stability and $281.6 million to subsidize child care. As such, the state […]
VP Harris tells teachers union she’s ‘fighting for the future,’ blasts Project 2025
Vice President Kamala Harris — the likely 2024 Democratic presidential nominee — outlined on Thursday some of her “vision of the future” while touting the administration’s education record in her keynote address to the American Federation of Teachers national convention in Houston. Harris has quickly drawn the support of major unions like the AFT in […]
25 states file emergency appeal to U.S. Supreme Court to halt EPA’s carbon rule
This story originally appeared on Daily Montanan. Attorneys general in 25 states, including Alabama’s Steve Marshall, have sent an emergency appeal to the United States Supreme Court asking it to immediately halt a Biden administration rule that they say threatens to shutter the country’s remaining fleet of coal-fired power plants. The emergency appeal to stay […]
Colorado judge temporarily blocks Kroger-Albertsons grocery ‘megamerger’
This story originally appeared on Colorado Newsline. A Colorado judge has issued an order temporarily blocking the proposed $24.6 billion merger between the nation’s two largest supermarket chains ahead of an antitrust trial in state court set to begin in September. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser in February sued to block the merger between grocery […]
‘One of our own’: How Kamala Harris is leaning into the power of Black sororities
This story was originally published by The 19th. INDIANAPOLIS — Amid a sea of dark blue dresses and white blazers, Kamala Harris took the stage on Wednesday to deliver the keynote at Zeta Phi Beta sorority’s Grand Boulé — a six-day gathering held in Indianapolis this year. “You helped elect Joe Biden president and me […]
‘He didn’t make it:’ Family, friends tell lawmakers of loved ones’ deaths in Alabama’s prisons
Tim Mathis had two conversations with his son Chase, incarcerated at Elmore Correctional Facility, on June 4. The last one ended around 8:30 p.m. that evening. “Last thing he told me was he was going to bed,” Tim Mathis said. “He was going to get on his bunk, he loved me, and he would call […]
Efforts to release prisoners from long sentences draw new interest
This story originally appeared on Stateline. Lawmakers across the country have considered legislation this year that would allow courts or parole boards to reevaluate a person’s long prison sentence and decide whether they can be safely released into society. The bills, known as “second look” legislation, often focus on older populations, people sentenced as minors, […]
How a region responded to Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ with their own book
This story originally appeared on Ohio Capital Journal. As a tenth generation Appalachian, Ivy Brashear sees J.D. Vance’s 2016 memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” as a “really one-sided and simple view of the region.” In an effort to help broaden people’s view of Appalachia, she decided to share her own narrative as part of a collection of writings […]
Former Rep. John Rogers seeks hearing on allegations he broke plea agreement
Attorney for former Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, requested a hearing Tuesday to determine whether Rogers broke a plea agreement, as prosecutors allege. Rogers’ attorneys filed an objection to a portion of the plea agreement in June, which federal prosecutors voided the agreement. In filings on Friday and Tuesday, Rogers claimed that he was not aware […]
Federal judge could rule soon on Alabama lawsuit over threats of prosecution to abortion aid
A lawsuit aimed at stopping Alabama from potentially prosecuting those who help Alabamians seek out-of-state abortion care could soon reach a resolution. A round of briefing concluded on Monday, with plaintiffs — who include Yellowhammer Fund; Alabama Women’s Center and WAWC, formerly West Alabama Women’s Center — reiterating an argument that Alabama Attorney General Steve […]
State police warned Secret Service about Trump shooter, Pennsylvania chief says
WASHINGTON — Pennsylvania’s top police officer faced questions Tuesday from lawmakers who wanted details on how the U.S. Secret Service and state and local law enforcement communicated when a gunman attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump, killed one rallygoer and injured two others in Butler, Pennsylvania. Lawmakers were aghast to learn state police relayed […]
University of Alabama system schools to replace DEI offices with access, opportunity offices
The University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Alabama in Huntsville said Tuesday they planned to eliminate their DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) offices while launching new offices that seem to aim to address similar goals. The changes come after the Alabama Legislature last spring approved a bill that limited the […] The post University of Alabama system schools to replace DEI offices with access, opportunity offices appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Lawsuit: Alabama law to protect election workers could cost people their right to vote
A lawsuit filed Wednesday by two Alabamians alleges that a law meant to protect campaign officials ended up expanding a list of crimes that could cause people to lose their right to vote. The suit, filed on behalf of Jai Gregory Clarke and Robert Crowley, who live in Jefferson and Blount counties respectively, by the […] The post Lawsuit: Alabama law to protect election workers could cost people their right to vote appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Political rhetoric about third trimester abortion is misleading, experts say
It’s an oft-repeated talking point of anti-abortion rights groups and Republican politicians, before and after the June 2022 Dobbs decision — that those who are supportive of abortion rights also must be in favor of abortions that happen during the last weeks of pregnancy, or even “after birth.” Former President Donald Trump brought it up […] The post Political rhetoric about third trimester abortion is misleading, experts say appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
VP Harris cites Biden’s ‘legacy of accomplishment’ as endorsements pile up for her bid
WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris’ path to the Democratic nomination cleared Monday as she secured endorsements from potential rivals and other high-profile party members the day after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid. A swarm of Democratic legislative leaders, governors — including some thought to harbor presidential ambitions of their own — and […] The post VP Harris cites Biden’s ‘legacy of accomplishment’ as endorsements pile up for her bid appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
In the 10 states that didn’t expand Medicaid, 1.6M can’t afford health insurance
Nearly 1 of every 5 uninsured working-age adults across the 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act are, according to a new analysis, stuck in a health care limbo known as a “coverage gap.” That means they earn too much money to receive Medicaid but not enough to qualify for […] The post In the 10 states that didn’t expand Medicaid, 1.6M can’t afford health insurance appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Alabama House Republicans re-file bill that could expose librarians to criminal penalties
Republicans in the Alabama House of Representatives have refiled a bill that would attach criminal penalties for having some materials in libraries that are accessible to children. HB 4, sponsored by Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Indian Springs, would apply certain criminal obscenity laws to public libraries, public school libraries and “employees or agents acting on behalf of […] The post Alabama House Republicans re-file bill that could expose librarians to criminal penalties 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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