Kay Ivey signs ethics exemption into law
Praising it as a job recruitment tool, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has signed legislation to exempt economic developers from the state ethics law. Ivey’s office announced Friday that she signed the bill approved by lawmakers this session after contentious debate. Opponents of the bill argued it opens up a wide loophole in the state ethics law. Economic developers would not be considered lobbyists and would not register with the state or disclose their employers and activity as lobbyists do. Supporters said developers do not currently register, but the law needed to be clarified because of recent questions over whether they should. Ivey in an interview with The Associated Press this week said she believed there was misinformation about the bill she said ensures that developers are welcome in the state. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Alabama to review Guard resources if sought for border duty
Alabama’s governor says she’ll work with military leaders to determine whether the state National Guard has spare troops to send to the Mexican border if requested by the White House. President Donald Trump wants to send as many as 4,000 Guard members to the border, and some governors are opposing the request. But Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey says she will consult with the head of the Alabama Guard to see what resources are available should state forces be needed. A statement issued Friday by Ivey’s office cites the need not to impede Guard missions in the state. It also quotes Ivey as saying Alabama has a “long history” of supporting the military and nation in times of need. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
2018 gubernatorial ad roundup: April 6 edition
The June 5 Republican and Democrat primaries are right around the corner, and Alabama’s gubernatorial candidates have taken to the internet and the airwaves with campaign ads in hopes of swaying Yellowhammer State voters to their side. This week only Democratic candidates Sue Bell Cobb and Walt Maddox have released ads, with Maddox taking an untraditional approach to a “campaign ad.” Here are the ads the candidates have released this week: Sue Bell Cobb: Title: SBC NYC2AL VIDEO Published: April 2, 2018 Tone: Playful Walt Maddox: Title: Where’s Walt: Episode 5 Published: April 2, 2018 Tone: Inviting
U.S. approves $1.3 billion sale of artillery to Saudi Arabia
The Trump administration signed off Thursday on selling more than $1.3 billion in artillery to Saudi Arabia, giving a vote of confidence to the Saudi military as young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman concludes a marathon tour of the United States. Since Prince Mohammed arrived in the U.S. two weeks ago, the administration has green-lighted more than $2.3 billion in arms sales to the kingdom, including more than $1 billion in missiles while the crown prince was in Washington. The latest deal includes about 180 Paladin howitzer systems, artillery-firing vehicles on tracks. The vehicles look like a combination of a tank and a cannon, and launch 155mm shells. The Trump administration told Congress on Thursday that it plans to approve the sale, the State Department said, triggering a 30-day window in which lawmakers could act to try to stop it. Typically, the administration obtains informal approval for such deals from key lawmakers before making them public, indicating that Congress is unlikely to act to block the sale. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, part of the U.S. military, said the sale would “contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States” by boosting the capabilities of a key U.S. partner that contributes to “political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.” The agency said the artillery would help the Saudis modernize their military and improve their ability to cooperate with the U.S. military. Yet the sale comes amid continuing concerns in Congress and by humanitarian groups about alarming rates of civilian casualties inflicted by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. Even President Donald Trump has raised his concerns about that in the past, and for a while, the U.S. stopped selling certain munitions to the Saudis while demanding that they improve their targeting. The U.S. is not engaged in the Saudis’ bombing campaign in Yemen, but has supported the coalition with refueling, targeting information and other logistics. The Trump administration and the United States more broadly have laid out the red carpet for Prince Mohammed, the 32-year-old heir to the throne, who is on an ambitious mission to modernize Saudi Arabia and improve its image in the West. After stops in Washington, New York and Boston, the crown prince has spent this week on the West Coast meeting with prominent business and entertainment leaders. He plans a final stop in the energy hub of Houston on Saturday before returning to Saudi Arabia. During Trump’s visit to Riyadh last year — the first stop on his inaugural foreign trip — the two nations announced that the U.S. would sell $110 billion in military equipment to Saudi Arabia. They said the deal could grow to $350 billion over a decade and include tanks, combat ships, missile defense systems, radar and communications, and cybersecurity technology. Tens of thousands of U.S. jobs could be created, the State Department said at the time. But no details were announced then, owing in part to the fact that the individual sales require approval from Congress that Trump by himself could not guarantee. Officials said the $1.3 billion in artillery and $1 billion in missiles announced during Prince Mohammed’s visit are both part of that broader package. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
China vows ‘counterattack’ on Trump administration tariffs
The Latest on a U.S. trade dispute with China (all times local): 9:45 a.m. China’s government says it will “counterattack with great strength” if President Donald Trump goes ahead with plans to raise U.S. tariffs on an additional $100 billion worth of Chinese goods. A Commerce Ministry spokesman said Friday that negotiations were impossible after Trump responded to Beijing’s protests about his earlier plan to raise duties on $50 billion of Chinese goods by announcing still more possible tariff hikes. The spokesman, Gao Feng, said at a news conference: “If the U.S. side announces the list of products for $100 billion in tariffs, the Chinese side has fully prepared and will without hesitation counterattack with great strength.” Gao gave no details of what measures Beijing might take. Gao said, “under these circumstances, the two sides cannot possibly conduct any negotiations about this issue.” 8:45 a.m. President Donald Trump is pleased that that aluminum prices are down after he imposed new tariffs. He tweets, “People are surprised, I’m not!” Trump tweeted Friday: “Despite the Aluminum Tariffs, Aluminum prices are DOWN 4%. People are surprised, I’m not! Lots of money coming into U.S. coffers and Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!” In March, Trump imposed tariffs on imported steel and aluminum but exempted most major countries except China and Japan. The trade dispute between the U.S. and China has escalated in recent days. Trump spoke about the clash in an interview with the “Bernie and Sid” radio show on 77 WABC Radio that was taped Thursday and aired Friday. He said there “could be a little pain.” But he added, “We’re going to have a much stronger country when we’re finished.” 1:30 a.m. China’s commerce ministry says Beijing is prepared to fight the U.S. “at any cost” as a trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies escalated with President Donald Trump ordering the U.S. trade representative to consider slapping an additional $100 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods. The ministry said in a statement Friday that if Washington persisted in what Beijing describes as protectionism, China would “dedicate itself to the end and at any cost and will definitely fight back firmly.” Trump’s surprise directive Thursday came a day after Beijing announced plans to tax $50 billion in American products, including soybeans and small aircraft, in response to a U.S. move this week to slap tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports. 1 a.m. President Donald Trump has instructed the U.S. trade representative to consider slapping $100 billion in additional tariffs on Chinese goods. The move comes a day after China issued a $50 billion list of U.S. goods including soybeans and small aircraft for possible tariff hikes in an escalating and potentially damaging dispute. The White House says Trump has instructed the Office of the United States Trade Representative to consider whether $100 billion of additional tariffs would be appropriate under section 301 and, if so, to identify which products they should apply to. He’s also instructed his secretary of agriculture “to implement a plan to protect our farmers and agricultural interests.” Trump argues China’s trade practices have led to the closure of American factories and the loss of millions of American jobs. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
