Donald Trump reverses stance on torture and targeting civilians
Donald Trump retreated Friday from his promise that if elected president he would order the military to kill family members of militants who threaten the United States. Trump’s campaign issued a statement quoting him as saying he would not order the military to take actions contrary to international or U.S. law. But fewer than 24 hours earlier, in Thursday’s GOP debate, Trump stuck to his position on targeting family members of militants and on an expansive use of torture against captured militants. When a debate moderator asked him what he would do if the military refused to carry out such orders, Trump replied: “They’re not going to refuse me. Believe me.” The use of torture and the killing of civilians are barred by the Geneva Conventions, to which the United States is a signatory. Congress outlawed waterboarding and any so-called enhanced interrogation techniques after the administration of George W. Bush carried out such acts against suspected al-Qaida fighters. Members of the U.S. military are bound by duty and tradition to refuse orders they know to be illegal. This includes intentionally targeting civilian noncombatants. The issue drew additional attention this week when more than 100 Republican defense and national security figures, including former senior Pentagon officials, issued a statement blasting Trump’s foreign policy positions and calling his embrace of the expansive use of torture “inexcusable.” Defining when aggressive interrogation techniques such as waterboarding amount to torture is a matter of debate, but Trump had made clear that as president he would not hesitate to go beyond waterboarding. “We should go for waterboarding and we should go tougher than waterboarding,” he said at Thursday’s debate. He also had defended his position on targeting the family of militants, which he first raised in a “FOX and Friends” interview last December. “The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families. When you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don’t kid yourself. When they say they don’t care about their lives, you have to take out their families.” On Friday, however, Trump reversed course. “I will use every legal power that I have to stop these terrorist enemies,” the statement issued by his campaign said. “I do, however, understand that the United States is bound by laws and treaties and I will not order our military or other officials to violate those laws and will seek their advice on such matters. I will not order a military officer to disobey the law. It is clear that as president I will be bound by laws just like all Americans and I will meet those responsibilities.” The Trump campaign also has announced that Sen. Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is Trump’s adviser on national security matters during the campaign. Sen. Lindsey Graham, an early contender for the Republican presidential nomination, said Friday he wrote to Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, asking his views on whether the intentional targeting of noncombatant family members of militants, including children, is legal under the laws of war. Graham, a former military lawyer, also asked Dunford what advice he would give troops if ordered to target such civilians. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Paul Ryan not interested in presidential run this year
Amid extraordinary Republican infighting over Donald Trump, the word from House Speaker Paul Ryan is nope, he’s not running for president. The professed lack of interest from Ryan, R-Wis., came Friday in a letter from a lawyer representing him to the Federal Election Commission. The note by Timothy E. Kronquist disavows the Committee to Draft Speaker Ryan, a political action committee that filed papers with the FEC on Thursday. “The speaker has not, and does not, explicitly or implicitly, authorize, endorse, or otherwise approve of the organization’s formation or activities, and he is not involved with the organization in any way,” the letter says. “Speaker Ryan has repeatedly announced publicly that he is not running for president in 2016.” Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong added in an emailed comment, “He is flattered, but not interested.” The GOP has been knotted in turmoil since Trump took a big lead in convention delegates Tuesday by winning seven state primaries. GOP 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney and other leading Republicans have talked publicly about blocking the billionaire businessman from winning the nomination, and talk has turned to alternative GOP figures. The letter does not specifically address what Ryan would do if Republicans, tied in knots at their July convention in Cleveland, begged him to accept the nomination. Ryan was Romney’s vice presidential running mate and has deep respect across the GOP. Last fall, he rose to the speaker post when he was pressured to take the job after the abrupt resignation of his predecessor, John Boehner, R-Ohio. The letter said Ryan hopes “donors and supporters are not confused by, or misled into supporting, this organization.” David Satterfield, listed as treasurer of the committee, did not immediately return an email seeking comment. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Barack Obama touts success of Affordable Care Act, Alabama enrollment grows
President Barack Obama celebrated his landmark Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as “Obamacare”, Thursday, which now boasts an enrollment of 20 million, according to a story in the New York Times. Nearly 200,000 Alabamians have signed up for insurance under the ACA as of the most recent open enrollment period, an increase of roughly 25,000 over the same period last year. According to the most recent numbers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), many Alabamians have seen immense benefits from the program. 89 percent of Alabamians receiving coverage under the ACA are receiving average tax savings of $266 and 70 percent of Alabama consumers are getting health insurance for $100 or less. A Gallup poll referenced in the HHS study showed that Alabama’s uninsured rate had dropped from 17.7 percent to 14.5 percent, but noted that the state could insure another 235,000 with the expansion of Medicaid. Jim Carnes, Policy Director for Alabama noted that the expansion of Medicaid in the state would be a boon for healthcare and have a significant economic impact as well. “We have a lot of folks in the lower income level who aren’t able to apple for coverage,” Carnes said, noting he is hopeful that Alabama will follow the lead of other red states, such as Kentucky and Arkansas, which have already expanded Medicaid. Further, Carnes noted the federal funds available for expanding Medicaid, which pay 100 percent of the cost of doing so for the first three years, would go along way in stabilizing Alabama’s rural hospitals and ensuring that doctors are staying in those areas. An estimate of insurance costs through the ACA can be calculated at www.healthcare.gov – the calculated cost for a family of four, with two parents around 30 years old with no other healthcare access and no prior health issues, plans range between $214 and $391 a month after a tax credit of just over $240. There are 12 plans available from either Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama or UnitedHealthcare. The Alabama Department of Public Health did not respond to requests for comment regarding the impact the ACA has had on Alabama citizens.
UAB provides first results of ‘Carly’s Law’ study
The University of Alabama at Birmingham released results from its Cannabidiol Program study, which was created to test the efficacy and tolerability of CBD oil, a marijuana-derived medicine with only trace amounts of the high-inducing chemical THC meant to assist in the quelling of seizures. According to the results, half of the 51 patients saw sustained improvement of seizure control – specifically a 32 to 45 percent decline in seizures depending on the dose. Two patients were seizure-free at the end of the study and nine others were forced to drop out due to side effects or ineffectiveness. Currently, 49 children and 30 adults are enrolled in the studies. “The studies are ongoing, and we have a lot more to learn; but these preliminary findings are encouraging,” Jerzy Szaflarski, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Neurology and principal investigator of the adult study said in a press release. “Among our goals was to determine the safety of CBD oil therapy, and it appears that, in many cases, patients tolerate the oil quite well. The evidence of seizure reduction gives us hope that, the more we learn about CBD oil, the better we will be able to tailor this therapy to provide relief for those with severe epilepsy.” The study began in April of 2015 after the legislature unanimously passed “Carly’s Law” the year before. While the legislation approved the study of the CBD oil on patients with intractable seizures, it has drawn the ire of many CBD supporters who complain that the studies aren’t inclusive enough. “Leni’s Law,” sponsored by Rep. Mike Ball (R-Madison), seeks to decriminalize the oil at the center of the UAB studies in order to make it more readily available to desperate citizens throughout the state. The law’s namesake, Leni Young, and her family fled Alabama to seek relief in Oregon. Despite having been on the front lines of the push to pass “Carly’s Law,” Leni was left out of the initial study. While the medication that Leni receives is slightly different from CBD oil, or more specifically the epidiolex being given to patients in the “Carly’s Law” studies, she has improved by leaps and bounds since moving to Oregon. UAB’s results will be described at the annual American Academy of Neurology meeting in Vancouver, Canada, which takes place April 15 through 21.
Alabama Supreme Court rules against same-sex marriage ban
Suits filed in Alabama opposing an earlier U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which called same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional, were struck down Friday by the Alabama Supreme Court. The Alabama Citizens Action Program (ALCAP) and the Alabama Policy Institute, along with Elmore County Probate Judge John Enslen, challenged the Supreme Court’s Obergfell v Hodges ruling, which stated that the “fundamental right” to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples via the Fourteenth Amendment, the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause. Chief Justice Roy Moore, a long-time outspoken critic of same-sex marriage, was out-voted by five other justices on the bench. Moore protested the decision and contended that, despite the lawsuits being dismissed, Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriage still holds up. Richard Cohen, President of the Southern Poverty Law Center, celebrated the decision and specifically the words of Justice Greg Shaw, who called the opinions of Moore and Justice Tom Parker “silly” and his public comments “unethical.” “I think the state should thank Justice Shaw for his brave opinion,” Cohen said, calling Moore and Parker’s comments “bizarre and disheartening” because they “bring dishonor to the Alabama judiciary.” “People like Justice Moore and Justice Parker should resign from the bench and perhaps offer an amendment to ban same-sex marriage, that’s their right to do” Cohen added. “But it’s shameful for them to pretend they can ignore the ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States.” Cohen added that Moore’s edict to local probate judges not to issue same-sex marriage licenses had long been ignored across the state. However, Joe Godfrey, Executive Director for ALCAP, decried the ruling as an assault on religious liberties. “We certainly are concerned,” Godfrey said. “This is a religious liberty issue and I see it as an infringement on religious liberties.” Godfrey noted that he is currently in talks with ALCAP’s lawyers on a path forward and is planning to approach lawmakers about proposing legislation which would protect Alabama judges and citizens from acting against their religious convictions.
Fox gets 16.9 million viewers for GOP debate
The 16.9 million people who saw Fox News Channel’s coverage of the Republican presidential debate on Thursday have made it the fourth most-watched debate in a primary season ever. The Nielsen company said Friday that’s also the fourth most-watched Republican debate of the 2016 campaign cycle, a testament to the extraordinary interest these events have had for television viewers. The debate stages are getting less crowded, with the Detroit debate featuring Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich. It was the 11th Republican debate so far; the Democrats have had six. The two previous debates on Fox News Channel reached 24 million viewers last August and 12.5 million in January. The next Democratic debate is Sunday. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will debate at 8 p.m. Sunday in Flint, Mich. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
2 inducted in Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame
The Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame (AWHF), founded in 1970 and housed on the campus of Judson College in Marion, honored two new inductees this week. In a ceremony Thursday, Sarah Haynsworth Gayle and Ann Mae Beddow joined the ranks of such AWHF elites as Rosa Parks, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Lurleen B. Wallace. Gayle became first lady of Alabama when her husband, John Gayle, was elected the seventh governor of the state. With only an elementary education, Sarah Gayle wrote detailed accounts of early life in Alabama she kept in a personal journal from 1827 to 1835. Her plaque featured only an outline, since no portrait is available. Beddow was inducted for a variety of accomplishments. Born at the turn of the 20th century, she was inducted into the Army Nurse Corps and became a lieutenant. She won a Victory Medal for her work as a nurse anesthetist during World War I, and she pioneered the method of intravenously providing pentothal sodium for major surgeries. Further, Beddow was elected president of the Alabama Nurses Association in 1926 and, shortly thereafter, became a founding member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Women being inducted into the AWHF can be nominated via the group’s website. Nominees must have been deceased for two years and have lived in, or been associated with, the state of Alabama. Nominees are approved by a unanimous vote from AWHF’s Board of Directors.
John Merrill details process for filling Mobile judicial vacancy
A vacancy created in Mobile’s 13th Judicial Circuit has created the need to establish new rules regarding how the vacancy will be filled. Despite the vacancy having been already filled by a Republican appointee, the position will appear on the General Election ballot in November. The issue is a convoluted one: Before a law change two years ago, judges who resigned midterm were replaced by a governor-picked appointee who would finish the judge’s term. The new law requires that the new appointee must run for the seat being filled in the nearest election. However, the 13th Judicial Circuit vacancy occurred after the November qualifying deadline, leaving other political parties unable to put forth their candidates for the seat for the primaries. For that reason, Secretary of State John Merrill has established new guidelines to add more candidates to the November ballot. A statement from Merrill’s office details the process: Each major political party (i.e., the Alabama Democratic Party and the Alabama Republican Party) interested in nominating a candidate for this seat shall file the name of its certified candidate with the Secretary of State’s Office not later than noon April 27, 2016. A minor political party interested in nominating a candidate for this seat shall file its petition for ballot access along with the name of its certified candidate with the Secretary of State’s Office not later than noon April 27, 2016. An individual interested in running as an independent candidate for this seat shall file his or her petition for ballot access with the Secretary of State’s Office not later than noon April 27, 2016.
Uber to launch in Huntsville Friday
Uber, the ride-hailing service based out of San Fransisco, is set to launch operations in Huntsville Friday at 4 p.m. Not only will the service be a boon for roving residents, there are already more than 20 jobs listed on www.simplyhired.com. The company received its business license in the city Thursday and, though a few last minute issues may stall the launch, it is set to begin zipping through town just as workers are heading home for the weekend. The Huntsville City Council approved a business license last week for Uber affiliate Raiser and last month passed two ordinances to allow Uber and similar services to operate in the city. “We were very excited to bring Uber here,” said Kelly Schrimsher, communications director for the city of Huntsville. “Uber has become quite the standard for people coming into town.” Schrimsher noted that Huntsville is an “international city,” which hosts scores of out-of-towners needing to get around. While she noted that it’s “too early to tell” what kind of effect the company will have on jobs or revenue, Schrimsher said it’s an excellent opportunity for people looking to make some extra money. Schrimsher commented that the city had worked with local taxi companies concerned about Uber’s presence in the city and added that there is nothing stopping local cab companies from offering similar services to consumers in the area. “It’s about consumer choice,” Schrimsher said. “And we don’t believe the government needs to get in the way of consumer choice.” Uber has come under scrutiny of late for its business model of employing private contractors to operate its pastiche tax service, which fails to provide health insurance or other benefits. Further, consumers have complained that rates may fluctuate enormously for seemingly short car rides. Despite that, the company has garnered wild success in cities across the country and may fair well in Alabama’s metropolitan areas, which generally lack adequate taxi services. Uber launched in Birmingham two months ago and in Montgomery January. “We’re looking forward to having the service here,” Schrimsher said, adding that the city encourages similar operations, like Lyft, to follow suit. New to Uber? Sign up and your first ride is on them (up to $15).
Fact check: Claims from Thursday night’s GOP debate in Detroit
On taxes, trade and drug prices, viewers of the latest Republican debate didn’t get a straight story. And Donald Trump spun fiction about 9/11. A look at some of the claims Thursday night and how they compare with the facts: • • • DONALD TRUMP: Families of the 9/11 hijackers were allowed to leave the U.S. around the time of the attacks, even though “they knew what was happening. The wife knew exactly what was happening. They left two days early … and they watched their husband on television flying into the World Trade Center, flying into the Pentagon.” THE FACTS: No relatives of the hijackers were known to be in the U.S. before or after the attacks. Trump appears to be confusing relatives of the hijackers with relatives of Osama bin Laden who were in the U.S. at the time. They left the U.S. nine days after the attacks, not two days before. After bin Laden became the prime suspect in the attacks, Saudi Arabia organized the evacuation of more than 20 members of his family – mostly nieces and nephews – from the United States because some feared reprisals from Americans. The Bush administration came under harsh criticism for the action. • • • TED CRUZ on his proposal to abolish the IRS: “Now, at the end of that there will still be an office in the Treasury Department to receive the postcards but it will be dramatically simpler.” THE FACTS: Cruz dodged the question of how the tax system will be enforced if he abolishes the IRS and has people pay taxes on simple postcard-like forms. No matter how simple taxes might become, the government still has to make sure people are paying their share, and that takes a large workforce. It’s not just a matter of receiving postcards. Cruz’s flat tax would consolidate seven tax brackets into one at 10 percent. It’s almost certain that this level would give the wealthy huge tax breaks and cause budget deficits to soar. • • • TRUMP: “Because of the fact that the pharmaceutical companies are not mandated to bid properly, they have hundreds of billions of dollars in waste.” THE FACTS: This relates to Trump’s unachievable promise to save $300 billion by allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices. That’s impossible because the entire country – Medicare, private insurance, individuals and other government programs – spends about $300 billion on drugs ($297.7 billion in 2014). Trump’s promise could only be fulfilled, in essence, if drugs were free. Savings estimates from Medicare-negotiated drug prices have not been nearly as huge as Trump supposes. A study last year by the advocacy group Public Citizen and a professor at Carleton University in Ottawa estimated that Medicare’s prescription program would save $15.2 billion to $16 billion a year if it were able to get the same discounted prices for brand name drugs that state Medicaid programs and the Veterans Health Administration receive. That’s far from a $300 billion savings. • • • MARCO RUBIO dismissed Trump’s business record, saying he “inherited over $100 million.” THE FACTS: That’s hard to pin down. Trump’s father, Fred Trump, died in 1999, and left behind an estate publicly estimated at between $200 million to $250 million. But no firm numbers are available – and the estate was to be split among Trump and two of his siblings. If Rubio’s estimate is high, however, Trump’s insistence that he only received a “small loan” from his father is even harder to justify. Fred Trump not only gave his son an initial stake, but also guaranteed loans on the Grand Hyatt project that first made Trump’s name. Fred Trump also let his son borrow against his future inheritance – and, in 1991, one of Trump’s casinos admitted it had broken New Jersey law by accepting an illicit $3.5 million loan from Fred Trump. • • • TRUMP: “We are getting absolutely crushed on trade. … With China we’re going to lose $505 billion in terms of trades. You just can’t do it. Mexico, $58 billion. Japan, probably about, they don’t know it yet, but about $109 billion.” THE FACTS: Trump is way off on the U.S. merchandise trade deficit with China. It was $365.7 billion in 2015 – indeed, a record and the largest deficit the United States had with any country. But the U.S. deficit with all countries last year was $531.5 billion, up from $508.3 billion in 2014, close to the $505 billion deficit that Trump assigned just to one country, China. Trump did get the deficit with Mexico correct. But not Japan. His estimate of a $109 billion trade deficit with Japan compares with the actual deficit of $68.6 billion last year. • • • TRUMP: Repeating his advocacy of harsh interrogation of terrorism suspects, “We should go for waterboarding and we should go tougher than waterboarding. That’s my opinion.” Asked what he’d do if the military refuses to go along with the order because it’s against U.S. law, “They don’t refuse. They’re not going to refuse me. Believe me.” THE FACTS: Members of the military are obligated to refuse to follow an order that is illegal under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. If they follow unlawful ones, they risk punishment. • • • CRUZ: Obamacare is “the biggest job killer in America.” THE FACTS: That evergreen assertion flies in the face of an unemployment rate that has fallen to 4.9 percent from 9.9 percent in March 2010, when President Barack Obama signed the health care law. The economy has added more than 13.4 million jobs during that period. While the health care law doesn’t seem to have had a major impact on jobs, some lesser consequences are likely. The Congressional Budget Office projected that the availability of government subsidized health insurance will prompt some people to drop out of the labor market, since they can get coverage without holding down a job. • • • TRUMP: “I beat Hillary Clinton in many polls.
