Doug Jones defends record against Donald Trump, Roy Moore in Huntsville
Alabama Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Doug Jones spent his day Tuesday refuting claims made against him by President Donald Trump and his Republican opponent Roy Moore. “My record speaks for itself, I know my record on crime and criminal justice issues, I know my record on everything else,” Jones said during a news conference in Huntsville. Jones defended himself after President Donald Trump broke his silence and avowed his support for Moore for first time since Moore was accused of sexually pursuing at least nine women when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens. “I can tell you one thing for sure: We don’t need a liberal person in there, a Democrat,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “Jones, I’ve looked at his record. It’s terrible on crime. It’s terrible on the border. It’s terrible on the military. I can tell you for a fact we do not need somebody that’s going to be bad on crime, bad on borders, bad with the military, bad for the Second Amendment.” According to a report from WHNT, Jones also countered claims by the Moore campaign that he would be weak on national defense. “Use the same old same old, blah blah blah, that he’s weak on defense, bologna! I’ve got a family, I’ve got granddaughters, and I’m going to protect them folks,” Jones said according to WHNT. Jones faces Moore in the special election on Dec. 12.
Alabama state Christmas tree lighting ceremony set for Dec. 1
Governor Kay Ivey will light the State’s official Christmas tree during a special ceremony Friday, Dec. 1 on the front steps of the State Capitol. The event officially begins at 5:30 p.m., but Christmas music will be performed by 151st Army Band of the Alabama National Guard and by Will and Janet McFarlane, a husband and wife singing and songwriting duo from Muscle Shoals, Ala. at 5:00 p.m. This year’s tree is a 35-foot Eastern red cedar grown in Bullock County that was donated by Ray Allen owner of Feather’s Properties. It will be adorned with more than 35,000 LED lights and 67 stars representing each of Alabama’s counties.
Alabama infant mortality rate increases in 2016, highest since 2008
Alabama’s infant mortality rate in 2016 was the highest it’s been since 2008 according to new figures from the Alabama Department of Public Health. State health officials announced on Friday that the infant mortality rate was 9.1 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2016. In other words, nine of every 1,000 infants died in their first year of life. “Our infant mortality rate is troubling and disheartening and trending in the wrong direction,” said acting state health officer Dr. Scott Harris. “Challenges include ensuring mothers have access to healthcare before, during, and after pregnancy, reducing premature births, the opioid epidemic, and addressing persistent racial disparities.” For reasons not fully understood, disparities in infant mortality by race continue to persist in the Yellowhammer State. One major predictor of a woman’s likelihood of delivering a baby preterm is her race. The infant mortality rate for black infants was more than twice that of white infants. The 2016 black infant mortality rate was 15.1 per 1,000, a slight decrease from the 2015 infant mortality rate of 15.3. The top three leading causes of infant death are congenital malformation, premature births, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The state does have strategies they plan to implement to reduce those the infant mortality rate in the future, including: Increase the use of progesterone to women with a history of prior preterm birth. Reduce tobacco use among women of childbearing age. Encourage women to wait at least 18 months between giving birth and becoming pregnant again. Expand the Well Woman Preventive visit to provide pre-conception and interconception care. Continue safe sleep education efforts. Continue collaborative efforts to address the opioid epidemic. Expand the Fetal and Infant Mortality Review activities at the community level. According to the ADPH, the state additionally plans to establish a Maternal Mortality Review Committee to analyze the maternal deaths that occur within the state so as to improve maternal health outcomes.
Asteroid named after Auburn faculty member for contributions to planetary science
An Auburn University faculty member has joined an elite group of scientists and engineers whose contributions to planetary science have warranted an asteroid naming. Masatoshi Hirabayashi, assistant professor of aerospace engineering, was honored with the asteroid naming at the “Asteroids, Comets, Meteors 2017” conference in Montevideo, Uruguay, earlier this year. Hirabayashi’s asteroid, 11471 Toshihirabayashi, was discovered on March 6, 1981, at the Siding Spring observatory in Australia by astronomer Schelte Bus. After the discovery of an asteroid, it is given a temporary name and then a catalog number when its orbit is more accurately determined. The International Astronomical Union’s committee on small body nomenclature is in charge of selecting asteroid names based on contributions to planetary science. “Having an asteroid name is a rare and tremendous honor for scientists and engineers,” Hirabayashi said. “I am humbled that the committee placed such great value on my work, and I aim to continue producing influential research results in this area.” Hirabayashi’s work focuses on astronautics and geophysical modeling for small planetary bodies and planetary surface processes, specifically the dynamics and structure of these small bodies. He believes his study on the comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, which was published in Nature, was a large factor in the selection of his asteroid name. Hirabayashi plans to travel to Israel in February to observe his asteroid with a colleague who is an astronomer. Hirabayashi’s Space Technology Application Research, or STAR, lab is collaborating with NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency on missions that involve asteroids and other small bodies, such as the DART mission and the Hayabusa 2 mission. “In space missions, a better understanding of natural phenomena in space will help us develop innovative technologies and solve challenging problems,” Hirabayashi said. “I would like to conduct interdisciplinary research for critical space missions, such as asteroid mining and deflection.” Hirabayashi joined the Auburn Engineering faculty in August after spending two years as a postdoctoral associate at Purdue University. He earned his doctorate in aerospace engineering sciences from the University of Colorado Boulder. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
Phil Kerpen: Why Congress should pass tax reform before Christmas
Unemployment is low, stocks are booming, and business confidence is soaring to record highs. Yet wages for too many Americans are still barely increasing after eight long, flat years of the Obama presidency. The American people deserve a raise, and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will deliver one. Middle class families would see a significant boost in take-home pay if the proposed tax changes take effect in 2018. Under the Senate version, the standard deduction jumps from $13,000 to $24,000 for a married couple and from $6,500 to $12,000 for a single filer. Above the much more generous deduction amount, the rate would be cut to 12 percent all the way up to $77,400 for married couples and $38,700 for singles. The rest of the rates would also be cut, providing tax cuts at every income level – while the share of all federal income taxes paid by millionaires would tick up from 19.2 percent of all revenues to 19.7 percent. The bill doubles the child credit to $2,000 per child and makes it nearly universal. That has been a top priority of Senators Mike Lee of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida, who argue that making the tax code less punitive toward investment requires recognizing the enormous capital required to raise children. Perhaps more significant than these direct tax cuts is the impact of the bill’s business tax cuts on wage growth. The U.S. is presently uncompetitive internationally, with the highest corporate tax rate in the world and a perverse system that penalizes companies for bringing home the profits of their foreign subsidiaries. An analysis by Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Kevin Hassett finds that fixing these problems will raise household incomes $4,000 to $9,000, with around two-thirds of the benefits of business tax reform flowing to labor. While other economists disagree about how much wages will jump if the business tax system is fixed, there is overwhelming empirical and theoretical evidence that wages will rise considerably. While a lot of attention has focused on the Senate bill fully repealing the deduction for state and local taxes (the House version retained it for property taxes up to $10,000 per year), the vast majority of taxpayers are unaffected by the provision because they either already claim the standard deduction or will at its new much higher levels. For taxpayers who still itemize, the repeal of the alternative minimum tax largely offsets the loss of the state and local deduction, and the other features of the bill likely put them ahead overall. For most taxpayers, ending the deduction is an implicit tax cut, because it will stop high tax states from exporting their tax burden to the rest of us. A recent example is in New Jersey, where State Senate President Steve Sweeney reacted to the election of a Democratic governor by saying the state’s first order of business would be to enact a millionaires tax – only to backtrack, explaining that if federal tax reform passes he would reconsider because New Jersey millionaires would not be able to write off the new tax on their federal returns. The Senate also added two new crown jewels to the House version: repeal of the Obamacare individual mandate tax and oil drilling in the ANWR area of Alaska. The individual mandate is the corrupt, hated, beating heart of Obamacare – the idea that people should be required to buy overpriced insurance products they don’t want or pay a penalty tax. Obama himself campaigned against it in 2008, saying a mandate would mean “people are being fined for not having purchased healthcare but choose to accept the fine because they still can’t afford it even with the subsidies. They are then worse off. They then have no health care and are paying a fine above and beyond that.” IRS data show that 79 percent of taxpayers who pay the mandate tax make less than $50,000 and 37 percent make less than $25,000. The best argument mandate supporters can muster is that if people are not taxed for opting out of Obamacare, more people will opt out. But it’s hard to see how people who might sign up solely to avoid the mandate tax are hurt by having the option to say no. And removing the mandate will set the stage for more sweeping health care changes to lower premiums and give Americans more health care choices next year. The ANWR provision would be a big boost to American energy production and would help realize a vision of an America that is energy dominant. It would also represent a victory over a multi-decade spin campaign in which the environmental left turned a nearly desolate tundra into the key symbolic battleground for stopping energy development in the name of environmentalism. It is not often that a piece of legislation holds the promise of slashing the taxes on families, growing their wages, freeing them from a burdensome health care regime, and expanding American energy dominance. It’s time to stop handwringing about its minor flaws, see the big picture, and put this bill on President Trump’s desk in time to make this a very merry Christmas for American families. ••• Phil Kerpen, a leading free-market policy analyst and advocate in Washington, leads American Commitment. Prior to joining American Commitment, Kerpen was the principal policy and legislative strategist at Americans for Prosperity for over five years.
Winston County’s sole hospital to close by end of year
The sole hospital in Winston County, Ala. is scheduled to close by the year’s end. The Lakeland Community Hospital in Haleyville announced Friday it will cease operations, leaving roughly 87 employees without jobs during the holidays. “Our team explored every viable option to avoid closing the hospital. Unfortunately, as with many other rural healthcare facilities in the Southeast, we are unable to continue operations due to such drastic reductions in reimbursement,” said Debbie Pace, CEO of Lakeland Community Hospital. “I want to thank the Lakeland hospital staff, physicians and board for their dedication and service to the community. Alabama 4th District U.S. Congressman Robert Aderholt, who represents the county, said he was saddened by the news. “I am deeply saddened to learn of the closing of Lakeland Hospital,” said Aderholt. “As the only hospital in Winston County, its closure will be felt far outside of Haleyville. In addition to the Haleyville community, and the entire area being impacted, dozens of people will lose their jobs at what should be a joyous time of year. Aderholt pledged to reach out to local leaders to find a solution for this rural area of Alabama. “I am reaching out to the mayor and other local leaders to see how my office can best help find a solution to this closure,” Aderholt continued, “Obamacare continues to lead to fewer choices and fewer hospitals, particularly in rural America. This makes the fact the House passed a repeal plan this year only to see it fail in the Senate, all the more disappointing and devastating.”
Witnesses discredit details in Beverly Nelson’s sexual assault claim
Several witnesses have come forward to discredit key details in Beverly Nelson’s claim against Roy Moore. Nelson alleged Moore sexually assaulted her when she was only 16 years old in the parking lot of a restaurant where she claims to have worked. Monday night, the Moore campaign emailed a detailed list to Moore’s supporters explaining via bullet points how Nelson’s allegations don’t match up to key witnesses. The Moore campaign says it “completely bust[s] the story.” The campaign looked to Rhonda Ledbetter, a retired public school teacher who is currently the senior choir director at a Baptist church and teaches children at a local, church-sponsored day care center, as one of its witnesses to discredit Nelson. “When I heard Beverly Nelson’s story, there were several details that were different from what I remember. I was nervous at coming forward because of all the attention this story has gotten, but as a moral and ethical person I had to speak up about what I know to be true,” Ledbetter recounted. “I was a waitress at Olde Hickory for almost three years from 1977-1979, and I never saw Roy Moore come in to the restaurant. Not one time.” Moore is running to fill the Alabama U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jeff Sessions when he became attorney general, has vehemently denied allegations. He faces democrat Doug Jones on Dec. 12. Read the witness statements below: NELSON STORY BUSTED: LIBERAL MEDIA FAILS TO REPORT THE TRUTH GADSDEN, Ala. – On Monday evening, the Moore Campaign unveiled statements from key witnesses that completely bust the story of Beverly Nelson and Gloria Allred and further reveal an unconscionable bias on the part of state and national press to hide the truth from Alabama voters who will undoubtedly see through the “fake news” and elect Judge Moore for the man that they have always known him to be. According to a former waitress, Olde Hickory House required employees to be 16 years old. Nelson claims she was 15 when she started. According to two former employees, the dumpsters were on the side of the building. Nelson claimed that they were in the back. Olde Hickory House sat right off of the four-lane highway and had a wrap-around porch with lights all around it. Nelson claimed that the surroundings were “dark and isolated.” Rhonda Ledbetter, who worked at Olde Hickory House for almost 3 years, states that the earliest it closed was at 11 p.m. but she believes it was open until midnight. She is certain it did not close at 10:00 because Goodyear was next door, and employees came to eat when their shift ended at 10 p.m. Nelson claims her story occurred after the restaurant closed at 10 p.m. It is unlikely that there was an entrance from the back of the parking lot, which Nelson claimed existed. Multiple sources have claimed that everyone parked on the sides of the building because there wasn’t much room behind the restaurant, according to Rhonda not enough room to turn around. Renee Schivera stated that a neighborhood backed up to the parking lot and it was adjacent to the backyards of people’s houses, so she did not see how there would have been a back entrance as it would have gone through someone’s yard. Nelson claimed that Judge Roy Moore came in almost every night and sat at the counter, but former employees state that customers at the counter were served by the bartender or short order cook – not served by the waitresses and had no reason to interact with the wait staff. Additionally, two former waitresses and two former patrons state they never saw Judge Moore come into the restaurant. These witnesses have shared their testimony with multiple news outlets. The outlets have failed to report. Rhonda Ledbetter, a retired public school teacher who is currently the senior choir director at a Baptist church and teaches children at a local, church-sponsored day care center, was a waitress at Olde Hickory House for almost three years from 1977-1979. She was a college student at Jacksonville State University at the time and worked varying shifts at different times of day, multiple days a week during the time of her employment. She said in a statement: “When I heard Beverly Nelson’s story, there were several details that were different from what I remember. I was nervous at coming forward because of all the attention this story has gotten, but as a moral and ethical person I had to speak up about what I know to be true. I was a waitress at Olde Hickory for almost three years from 1977-1979, and I never saw Roy Moore come in to the restaurant. Not one time. And I would have noticed because most of our customers weren’t wearing suits, especially not at night. Many customers worked at Goodyear next door and would stop in on their way to and from work, and I don’t remember anyone from the courthouse coming in at all. That just wasn’t our crowd. “A few things stuck out to me. First, Nelson said she was 15 years old when she started working there but you had to be 16. I don’t remember her from my time there, and I don’t remember any 15 year olds working there at all. “Second, Nelson said the restaurant closed at 10 p.m. but I know the earliest it closed was 11, though I believe it was midnight. I’m certain of that because Goodyear employees came in to eat after their shift ended at 10:00 p.m., so there’s no way we would have closed at that time. “Third, the area wasn’t dark and isolated as she described. Rather, the building was right off the busy four-lane highway and people and cars were always around. The restaurant had a wrap-around porch, like the ones at Cracker Barrel restaurants, and there were lights all around the sides of the building. So it wasn’t dark and anyone in the parking lot was visible from the road. “Fourth, the dumpsters were to the
GE Aviation readies unique materials factories in Alabama
GE Aviation said initial personnel and special processing equipment are in place at a new $200 million factory complex in Alabama that will be America’s first production center for unique materials used to manufacture ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). CMCs are poised to revolutionize aerospace manufacturing because of their ultra-lightweight properties and their ability to withstand extremely high temperatures. The center in Huntsville comprises two adjacent factories standing on 100 acres, where silicon carbide (SiC) materials will be mass produced. The plants are critical in enabling GE Aviation to produce CMC components in large volume. “The equipment coming into our Huntsville factories is unique,” said Jon Lyford, plant manager for GE Aviation’s Huntsville operations. To staff the facility, GE Aviation has been hiring engineers outside the traditional areas of aerospace engineering. “We are hiring experts in the area of process-based manufacturing found in the oil and gas, chemical and the consumer packaged goods industries,” Lyford said. “Managing the production of CMC materials requires a special skill set. We have several key leadership positions in place, and we begin hiring hourly workers toward the end of the year.” GE Aviation, which announced plans for the center in 2015, expects to deliver its first CMC materials from Huntsville by mid-2018. Growth plans The company’s growing Huntsville team today numbers 40 employees. It anticipates about 150 employees in the plants by the end of 2018. About 300 employees are expected to run the operation at peak production. At the Huntsville plant complex, one factory will produce SiC ceramic fiber, the raw material used to make the unidirectional CMC tape being produced in the neighboring factory. The CMC tape will be used to fabricate CMC components for jet engines and land-based gas turbines. The fiber plant is modeled after the SiC fiber factory of NGS Advanced Fibers in Japan, a joint company of Nippon Carbon, GE and Safran of France. The expanding NGS operation is the only plant in the world today producing CMC fiber on a large scale. Surging demand Demand for CMCs is expected to grow tenfold over the next decade driven by rising jet engine production rates. Each new LEAP engine, produced by CFM International (a joint venture between GE and Safran) has 18 CMC turbine shrouds, which are stationary parts in the high-pressure turbine that direct air and ensure turbine blade efficiency. CFM is expected to deliver about 500 LEAP engines this year, 1,200 in 2018 and 1,800 in 2019. The use of lightweight, heat-resistant CMCs in the hot section of GE jet engines is a breakthrough for the jet propulsion industry. With one-third the density of metal alloys, these ultra-lightweight CMCs reduce the overall engine weight. Further, their high-temperature properties greatly enhance engine performance, durability and fuel economy. GE Aviation also produces fuel nozzles for LEAP engines using additive manufacturing at a facility in Auburn. This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
