Uber stoking support in Birmingham with new in-app “future view”
The ride-hailing app Uber has gotten creative in its months-long push to open up shop in Birmingham. Starting Friday, when you open up the app in the Magic City, instead of a car-less road map symbolizing the lack of progress in the City Council users will see a view of the future as supporters see it, in which Ubers are zipping up and down Second Avenue North. You’ll also get a little background on the firm’s regulatory battle with city officials and an option to help out the cause. “Make Uber a reality in B’ham!” a new dialogue in the app implores Birmingham. “This is how easy getting a safe ride could be if City Council pass draft regulations proposed at the meeting on Nov. 17 Committee of the Whole meeting. “Email City Council, urge them to PASS these smart ridesharing regulations this Tuesday,” reads the appeal, along with an option email your councilor. Earlier City Council meetings scheduled to take up the pro-ridesharing rules didn’t exactly live up to expectations. Five councilors failed to show up for a meeting in November, where Uber’s favored ordinance was on the docket. Council President Johnathan Austin, Councilman Steven Hoyt, Councilwoman Sheila Tyson, Councilwoman Lashunda Scales and Councilman Marcus Lundy did not attend the meeting, requiring members to adjourn for lack of a quorum. “There was no quorum. There was no consideration. There was no class,” said one AL.com editorial. “It’s all about petty politics, about fights over contractors and lobbyists.” Austin ascribed the absences to the meeting’s close proximity to the Thanksgiving holiday. Either way, Uber state General Manager Tom Maguire said Friday he is hopeful Tuesday’s meeting will be more productive. “Since August, Birmingham City Council has been working to revise regulations so that Uber can operate in the Magic City, and there’s no reason to delay any further,” said Maguire. “With this app view, Birmingham residents and visitors can see for themselves how easy it could be to get a ride in Birmingham, and what reality could look like in just a few weeks if the City Council passes the draft regulations from the November 17 Committee of the Whole meeting,” Maguire said. See below for screenshots of the new appeal:
FDP calls “unconscionable” Marco Rubio’s vote against wider gun background checks
The FBI is now treating the San Bernardino shooting by a husband and wife that killed 14 and wounded 21 as an act of terrorism, a spokesman said on Friday. The announcement comes two days after the horrific attack, and a day after the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly voted down a gun control measure that would have extended FBI background checks on every firearms purchase. Four Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the measure but Marco Rubio was not one of them, a decision that the Florida Democratic Party is criticizing. “Yesterday, Floridians were profoundly disappointed to learn that their absentee senator finally showed up to work to vote to allow suspected terrorists to purchase firearms. It is simply unconscionable,” FDP Chairwoman Allison Tant said in a prepared statement. The FDP chairwoman used the opportunity to bash the Florida senator’s attendance record in the Senate of late, which has been an ongoing story for several months. He has missed more votes than any other current senator as he travels across the country campaigning and fundraising for president. She also said the vote was out of touch with the American people. “Currently, 91 percent of gun purchases by suspected terrorists are approved,” Tant said. “While we’re used to Republicans like Marco Rubio burying their heads in the sand when it comes to modest, common-sense reforms to our gun laws supported by more than 80 percent of gun owners, this dereliction of duty represents a terrible new low.” Appearing on “CBS This Morning” earlier on Friday, Rubio told host Charlie Rose that the San Bernardino attack would not have been prevented by expanded background checks. “The fact of the matter is these individuals would have passed expanded background check, these individuals in California,” he said. “This terrorist that was able to access these weapons is not someone that would have wound up in any database and this is one of the risks of homegrown violent extremism. These are not people that have done anything before who suddenly become radicalized and within months are taking action.” Rubio was asked by co-host Norah O’Donnell that since background checks are commonplace now, why wouldn’t he support them for online gun sales and gun shows? “Because you’re putting an incredible burden on people” he said. “The gun show thing, it’s not a gun show loophole. People keep saying that. It is an individual. I decide I want to sell my gun to a friend of mine, so now you have put an extraordinary burden on me to go out and conduct a background check and I’m liable if I get it wrong. As an individual, it’s very difficult to implement, almost impossible to enforce and it ignores the fact that despite the background checks that we are seeing now, people are still getting access to these weapons.” The FBI had resisted calling the San Bernardino massacre a terrorist act, but that shifted on Friday after it was learned that the woman who helped carry out the shootings, Tashfeen Malik, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in a Facebook posting. However, there is still no evidence that the Islamic state directed Malik or her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, to stage the attacks. But officials now say that the Facebook posting shows that the couple were “inspired” by the group. Farook was a U.S. citizen. His parents came from Pakistan. The New York Times reports that F.B.I. officials came up with no hits when they searched agency databases for his names. However, the paper reports that the agency has uncovered evidence that Farook had contact with five individuals on whom the F.B.I. had previously opened investigations for possible terrorist activities. Four Republicans in the Senate — Arizona’s John McCain, Maine’s Susan Collins, Illinois’ Mark Kirk and Pennsylvania’s Pat Toomey — joined Democrats in supporting the gun control measure.
Bob Sparks: Mainstream media not the only Trump enablers
Our country has some serious issues to deal with. The next president must finally confront terrorism both overseas and within our borders. The latest tragic example came on Wednesday in San Bernardino, California. We cannot get this choice wrong. For those of us who believe the best candidates are on the Republican side, GOP voters are far from settled on who they want to face Hillary Clinton. Those tuning in to television political news hear things like “Donald Trump is flying high” or “Trump’s message resonates with frustrated Republicans.” As if they are casual bystanders, commentators proclaim “Trump is dominating nearly every news cycle.” At least until Wednesday. That pretty well describes what poses for analysis on the GOP side. Every day is like the movie “Groundhog Day.” This is how it works: A new day dawns and Trump has a rally or he gives a reporter or personality an audience at Trump Tower. He skillfully exercises his free speech rights to say something brash about someone or something. To end the day, talking heads or a panel then discuss what Trump did and said earlier. A new day dawns and Trump has a rally … You get the picture. Jeb Bush summed it up perfectly when he said Trump is playing the media “like a fiddle.” The differences come on the few occasions when he fudges the truth. The best example came when Trump said Bush was uttering a falsehood by pointing out Trump had personally lobbied for casinos in Florida. The Bush version was proven to be undeniably true. Honesty does not matter to far too many of those truly committed to Trump. An example from talk radio is useful. Preston Scott hosts a local Tallahassee program called “The Morning Show.” Scott, a bona fide conservative, informed his audience after Trump’s false statement that he could not support someone who lies. Trump and Clinton were disqualified for that reason. Scott then took listeners’ calls and one in particular stood out. When Scott prompted the caller to reveal whom he supports, the caller proudly said “Donald Trump.” He was asked why. “Because he tells it like it is,” the caller said proudly. When Scott reminded him of Trump’s false statement, the caller said it did not matter to him, then repeated his affinity for Trump because he “tells it like it is.” How do you discuss facts and policy with someone whose favorite philosopher is probably Yogi Berra? For those of us who thought Trump would have faded by now, we must admit we were wrong. This leaves us to ponder how he has managed to maintain a plurality. Most of us do not equate bombast with leadership. It is always easy to blame the “mainstream” media, but this time they deserve their fair share of it. Trump, the quote factory/fiddler, makes it too easy for them. Perhaps a bigger reason he continues to be relevant is his treatment from the conservative media, even Fox News commentators. Listen to Eric Bolling of “The Five” defend Trump some time. Rush Limbaugh, perhaps the most trusted voice among conservatives, has basically been an enabler for the charade. He has not officially endorsed Trump, but has not called him out for his shortcomings, either. Trump routinely disparages those who disagree with him in a manner similar to that of President Obama. Trump is telegraphing how he would govern. Conservative media, and in some cases the mainstream, has rightfully criticized the divisive rhetoric coming from our president during the past seven years. Why the silence now? Limbaugh is far from alone among enablers, but he carries the most clout with GOP primary voters. With conservative media demanding precious little accountability, who is there to speak to the huge majority of those who do not support Trump? Perhaps the Trump act will finally wear thin and those chronicling the election of the next leader of the free world will take things more seriously. We get it that left-leaning media celebrates every day Trump is on top, but the events of Wednesday reaffirm that we must focus on real issues. How many sensational headlines or “did you hear what Trump said” blogs or stand-ups from Trump Tower will finally be enough? Hopefully, those deciding what news is will not wait until March before becoming bored with the circus. Did you hear that Trump, registered 27 percent in the Quinnipiac poll this week? It’s true. He is ahead, but three out of four voters either don’t care or want someone else, but one would be hard pressed to hear that reality described in the analysis. “Trump soars … in latest Quinnipiac poll” reads one headline from a Florida paper. “Trump builds his lead” declares a mainstream national publication. Enablers to the right of us; enablers to the left of us. Bob Sparks is a business and political consultant based in Tallahassee.
Survey says Donald Trump would make best Santa – and we’re not joking
Of all the presidential candidates Americans think Donald Trump would make the best Santa. That’s according to a semi-scientific poll that, for some reason, asked participants which presidential hopeful would make the best Good Ole St. Nick. Trump commanded the poll with 23 percent of people indicating he’d make the best Santa. Nevermind Trump just demanded CNN pay him $5 million to participate in a presidential debate, he’s clearly the most fit to be the world’s biggest giver of gifts. Maybe people thought Trump fit the bill because he’s the most likely to mutter the words, “HO HO HO” in a real life setting? Trump likely won this meaningless little race because 54 percent of the respondents in the Ebates survey indicated they based their pick on who would be the most generous. Sure, Trump has a lot of money — like HUUUUUUUUGE amounts — as he loves to point out over and over. And over and over. And over. You get the point. But does that necessarily mean he’s willing to give it up? My guess is no considering his hatred of literally anyone who isn’t him. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that Bernie Sanders came in second as best Santa. First of all, he actually has white hair. Second of all, he’s a socialist, right? Those dudes love to give sh*t away! Hillary Clinton was voted at the bottom of the list as best Santa. While the study (if you can call something this ridiculous that) doesn’t specifically mention it, my guess is it’s because she’s, you know, not a dude. The Democratic front-runner, however, was ranked as second most generous behind (sigh) Trump. This little exercise in nonsense begs several questions, the top of which is, what in the living hell is wrong with people? First, who thought this was a good use of money. Does anyone give an actual flying you know what which presidential candidate would make a good Santa? And Donald Trump people. Really? That’s basically an unspoken statement that Santa is actually a real a$$hat. If Donald Trump makes the best Santa than kids should expect the jolly fat guy to come barreling down the chimney making fun of disabled people, women, immigrants, people from other countries and basically, everyone. They should expect him also to proclaim something about China at least three times and then build a wall around their house and send the bill to the family. Merry effing Christmas, peasants. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go wall off my own chimney so Donald Trump doesn’t come down it later this month with Hitler-inspired musings about requiring Muslims to carry special IDs. This survey was conducted online within the United States by Insant.ly on behalf of Ebates.com in October 2015 among 1,128 adults ages 18 and older and 516 teens ages 13-16. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
