Alabama executes 83-year-old inmate Walter Leroy Moody
Alabama has executed the oldest U.S. inmate to be put to death in modern times, an 83-year-old man convicted of a federal judge’s mail-bomb slaying. Authorities say Walter Leroy Moody Jr. was pronounced dead at 8:42 p.m. CDT Thursday after a lethal injection. He made no final statement and did not respond when a prison official asked him if he had any last words. The non-profit Death Penalty Information Center says Moody became the oldest inmate put to death in the United States since the resumption of U.S. executions in the 1970s. Moody was convicted of killing U.S. Circuit Judge Robert S. Vance of Birmingham, who died when he opened a package mailed to his home in 1989. Prosecutors have described Moody as a meticulous planner who committed murder by mail because of his obsession with getting revenge on the legal system. He also was convicted in federal court for a bombing that killed Robert E. Robinson, a black civil rights attorney from Savannah, Georgia. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Birmingham’s Randall Woodfin needs to prioritize results, not photo ops
I really don’t like being the voice of discontent. Especially when I’m criticizing the Homecoming King. I meant to say my new ever so popular Mayor. Some will say that I’m not giving him a fair break; it is in fact quite early in his tenure but when we let up on our politicians even the ones (or maybe especially the ones) who are likable we risk setting a bad precedent. When we make excuses for them. When we turn a blind eye to their actions or inactions we are setting ourselves up for future failure. Yesterday, Alabama Today posted a story on Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin’s promises made versus promises kept for his first 100 days. If you didn’t read it – in summary most of his promises are still a work in progress. Which would be fine but I didn’t set the 100 day limit. Neither did you. He did. Which is why it’s so meaningful that someone point out that he didn’t make self imposed deadlines. We gave the mayor’s office the opportunity to respond to the status of various promises we couldn’t find kept. It took quite a while to get a response back. Hopefully the Mayor, who made transparency a cornerstone of his campaign improves on that. Many of the promises were met with messages that the results or the programs were forthcoming. Of the 15 promises we checked 6.5 were completed — so less than 50%. And that’s giving him credit for downsizing his police detail by one, instead of eliminating it altogether. More on that below. I know that Mayor Woodfin has developed quasi-celebrity status in our city since he bested former Mayor William Bell back in October. Some would say that’s part of how he won, selling himself, and his personality, as a new brand for the city. I get it too. He’s young, affable, and he united and mobilized the voters in this city in a way that shook the establishment Birmingham oldguard to its core. He was in the cover of About Town magazine recently. He received lots of attention for jumping out of an airplane last week. But if I see one more puff-piece about him or his administration, or one more gloss over his broken promises — I’m going to scream. If the rest of our city was run like the mayor’s PR shop we’d be in good shape. It’s as if they have inside men in nearly every outlet in the city. Oh wait, they do. They have some of Birmingham’s finest former journalists working for the mayor in a public relations capacity: Edward Bowser who used to work for AL.com. As well as Rick Journey, a former newscaster for WBRC FOX6 who for a while had his own pubic affairs shop and Chandra Temple from the Birmingham Times. So the city may not be seeing the results they need yet, but the mayor’s reputation and image of things getting done is certainly being well taken care of. Not necessarily the most compelling thing that could be going on in our city, but it is something. That said, I’m actually a fan of Woodfin. I’ve met him briefly twice. The first time, during his campaign I stopped him on a sidewalk outside of Urban Standard (my favorite cafe in Birmingham) because he was wearing a Woodfin sticker. I had at up to that point during his campaign cycle had two people come knock on my door for him. I also had received several phone calls from campaign volunteers and so being a veteran of the field every time I saw someone who was a Woodfin volunteer, I was stopping to tell them what a great job they were doing. Lo and behold it was the soon to be mayor himself. Needless to say at the time I wish I had paid closer attention to the photos on palm cards the door knockers left behind. He was polite and humble, and noted how proud he was of his campaign team. As he should have been. My concern with the mayor is that he and his staff focus on more than just his image and adding all his favorite people from around town to committees to study problems. We need results. We don’t need them after these committees can have a dozen meetings. We need results today. For example: the police department and crime. Yes, there should be a long term strategy for addressing our town’s violence, burglaries and other crimes. There should be public/private partnerships with churches and non-profits, but what we need right now are bodies on the street. What we need is leadership at the department that is focused on the right things. We need accountability with how detectives are handling cases and how money is being spent. My personal experience with the police department both as a resident and as a reporter have been at a D- minus level. Just yesterday, I received a Facebook message from a young lady who was a victim of a crime last month. She clearly Googled her detectives name (the same detective I had who dropped the ball and did nearly nothing…okay did nothing) after being infuriated by the lack of progress in her case and found my story where I detailed the issues I had with my break-in experience and the same lack of police response. Note: I never did receive information from the Public Information Officer over there despite numerous emails. Rather, they just flat-out ignored me because they did not like the editorial I wrote. There’s a new one there now. Alabama Today will resend and see where that gets us. While the mayor is working on replacing the previous police chief who resigned last year, it was reported yesterday his interim replacement had his own personal issues and he resigned as well. The mayor is now in the process of selecting a permanent police chief lets hope for the sake of the city that he nails the pick
Gulf Shores school board offers Huntsville superintendent Matt Akin a new job
The Gulf Shores school board extended an invitation to Huntsville school superintendent Matt Akin to become the first Gulf Shores City Schools superintendent. Gulf Shores city officials said the board of education voted unanimously on Monday to give legal counsel the go-ahead for negotiating a contract with Akin to lead their school system. The offer does not come as a surprise, Akin was the only person out of 27 candidates who was publicly interviewed for the job. Kevin Corcoran, President of the Gulf Shores board of education said they were so pleased with Akin’s interview that they were suspending their search to try and reach an agreement with Akin. “We like his passion. He has high achievement and he is highly approachable. That’s kind of a rare combination,” Corcoran told WHNT. According to WHNT Akin released a statement Monday night saying; “It is an honor to be selected and I look forward to reviewing the terms of the contract. It is an incredibly unique opportunity to be able to work with the board to develop a new school system from the ground up. Everyone I’ve spoken to has been very supportive.” “At the same time, I truly care about everyone in Huntsville, and I came to the district because I believe in the potential of the schools and the city. The foundation is in place to support greatness. With the help of the teachers, administrators and the community, I believe that Huntsville City Schools can be a model school system for the country. All of us on the Huntsville City Schools team have worked to develop strategies for personalized instruction, new resources to support literacy and math, and drafting our Indicators of Future Success.” The school split talks began in January but hit several snags including who the superintendent for the school would be. The school board is still negotiating an actual start date for the school; with city and board of education members hoping for a 2018-2019 date.
Randall Woodfin’s ambitious plan for Birmingham: a look at promises kept and works in progress
During his campaign for mayor Randall Woodfin made a bevy of promises to the people of Birmingham to revitalize the city and help restore trust in local government. Many of the promises he said he would accomplish within his first 100 days in office. Surpassing 100 days in office last month, Mayor Woodfin commemorated his first 100 days in office by presenting The Woodfin Way, his 2018 mayoral transition report, during an event at the Alabama Theatre in Birmingham, Ala. As part of our efforts to hold state leaders accountable, Alabama Today decided to look back on Woodfin’s specific 100 days campaign promises and see where he is on accomplishing them. We allowed his office the opportunity to respond to the outstanding commitments he has yet made and have included additional accomplishments. Investing in Birmingham’s Transportation Infrastructure Within my first 100 days, I would commission the Director of Planning and the City Traffic Engineer to identify priority streets, bridges and sidewalks for inclusion in a four-year capital improvement plan that will inform my Administration’s infrastructure investment priorities. Done Within the first 100 days, I would work with the City Council to adopt a Complete Streets Ordinance to guide all future road projects in Birmingham. Done. In my first 100 days, I would expedite the adoption and implementation of the Sidewalk Master Plan ensuring that our sidewalks are safe and walkable. Done. An Opportunity Agenda for Birmingham Residents and Businesses Within my first 100 days, I would convene a Small Business Task Force of city agencies and Birmingham small businesses to develop a proposal that would automate all of the City processes to obtain licenses and permits, increase transparency in the permitting and procurement process, identify and repeal or reform any city regulations or processes that are unduly burdensome for Birmingham’s small businesses, and create a “one stop shop” for Birmingham’s small businesses that would offer free consultative sessions to small business owners on the City regulatory process. Via the mayor’s office: The Small Business Task Force is scheduled to be launched in the coming weeks. Revitalizing Our Neighborhoods Within the first 100 days, I would work with each City Councilor to appoint 10-member revitalization boards to convene neighborhood hearings and identify neighborhood revitalization priorities for the next four years. Via the mayor’s office: The Mayor has launched monthly town hall meetings in conjunction with each city councilor. In addition, on the matter of neighborhood revitalization, a reminder that once completed the BJCC expansion will generate an estimated $9.9 million each year in additional revenue. For the first time in Birmingham history those funds will be dedicated solely to helping revitalize our neighborhoods. An Inclusive Birmingham for all Residents Hire an LGBT liaison to serve on my executive staff within the first 100 days. Via the mayor’s office: The Mayor announced his intention to establish The Office of Social Justice during The First 100. This office will include the LGBTQ liaison. The office and liaison will be announced in the coming weeks. Restoring pride and trust in City Hall Within the first 100 days, I would identify a City Council sponsor for an ordinance establishing a “participatory budgeting” pilot program where neighborhood leadership and Birmingham residents set the priorities for development projects in their neighborhoods. Via the mayor’s office: The Mayor has publicly stated that he will launch the participatory budgeting pilot program in the next fiscal year due to the lack of time available in this fiscal year. Within the first 100 days, I would meet with each City Council member to identify key shared district priorities between them and my office and commit to resolving these concerns during my first term. Via the mayor’s office: The Mayor has met with each member of the Birmingham City Council to identify key shared priorities. Within the first 100 days, I would assign interagency rapid response teams of city agencies to each City Council member that can quickly address city services issues in their districts. Via the mayor’s office: The Mayor will announce the interagency rapid response team in May 2018. Within the first 100 days, I would commission the City Chief Information Office to make my travel schedule and expenditures easily accessible and searchable on the City website. Via the mayor’s office: The Mayor will announce a major transparency initiative in May 2018 which will include the travel schedule. Within the first 100 days, I would eliminate the funding used for Mayor Bell’s security detail and reinvest the savings into the Division of Youth Services. Half-way done. Woodfin downsized the detail by one officer, after promising to eliminate it. Banning any relatives of the Mayor from working for the City in any role that could influence procurement decisions. Via the mayor’s office: Work is pending to address this issue. Within the first 100 days, I would work with the City Council to adopt a nepotism policy that would ban any of my close relatives from working for the City in any role that involved procurement decisions. Via the mayor’s office: Work is pending to address this issue. Other promises Work with our state delegation to institute term limits so that no Mayor of Birmingham – including myself – can run for more than two consecutive four-year terms. Done. After I win on October 3, 2017, I will begin the process of appointing transition teams for each city agency, commission, and board. Done. Other milestones the Mayor’s office is touting: Launched executive search for six city department heads Held weekly mayor staff meetings and department head meetings Served 8,000+ citizens more than 11,000 meals in warming stations Reinstituted employee COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) and longevity pay Launched new city websiteLaunched customer and employee-centric initiatives Secured unanimous vote on BJCC renovation and expansion project Instituted ticket distribution fair practices Hosted Public Works Employee Engagement Addressed major facilities Issues (elevators, heating, air) Launched Operation Step Up Hosted inaugural State of the Community event
Interim Birmingham police chief stepped down amid abuse claims
The unforeseen departure of Birmingham’s interim police chief Orlando Wilson comes a week after the mother of his children filed an order of protection against him claiming child abuse. According to AL.com, “she filed the request on April 11 in Jefferson County Family Court, and the records were made public in the online court system on Tuesday.” Records indicate she filed two claims: That he sexually abused a young female at a home in Trussville, Ala. in December 2013. That he physically abused a young male at Berry Middle School back in September 2017. On Wednesday, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin made the announcement that Wilson would step down as interim police chief to undergo a medical procedure. Chief Deputy Henry Irby will take over the day-to-day operations until a permanent new hire is made. On Tuesday, Woodfin’s office announced they have narrowed the executive search for a police chief to three candidates. Those candidates are scheduled to meet Woodfin for individual interviews between April 23-25.
Alabama’s pre-k program named nation’s highest quality program
Governor Kay Ivey announced on Wednesday for the 12th year in a row, the sate’s First Class Pre-K program has been recognized as one of the nation’s highest quality state-funded pre-kindergarten programs for four-year-olds. Since 2003, the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) has released a report titled the “State of Preschool Yearbook.” It is the only national report on state-funded pre-k programs with detailed information on enrollment, teacher qualifications, funding, and other policies. In the 2017 edition of the report, Alabama is listed as one of only three states who meet all 10 of the new NIEER quality standards. The program has seen a lot of growth since 2016 with enrollment increasing by 2,700 children in the 2016-2017 school year; 14,032 total four-year-olds were enrolled in a First Class Pre-K classroom in Alabama the same year. “The most important part of a child’s learning journey is a solid educational foundation,” Ivey said. “Providing a high-quality education for all Alabamians, at every stage of life, is my goal. For the 12th consecutive year, Alabama is a national leader in this arena. I am proud of the work of our Pre-K programs and I am thankful for the dedication of Secretary Ross in leading this program.” Currently, the First Class Pre-K program is located in 941 classrooms across the state, and has been proven to increase reading and math proficiency for children in poverty. This year, NIEER added new requirements to its quality benchmarks, including a new requirement for programs to be culturally sensitive, supported, and aligned with other state standards and child assessments; supports for curriculum implementation; professional development and coaching for lead and assistant teachers; and a continuous quality improvement system. Jeana Ross, Secretary of Early Childhood Education, has overseen the large expansion of the program and has sought to maintain the same quality standards; “As Alabama continues to expand access to high-quality, voluntary pre-k for four-year-olds, the Department is committed to ensuring the highest quality early learning experiences – without compromise.” Ivey has been working with the Alabama Legislature to increase the 2019 budget for the program to $96 million, which will fund an additional 100 classrooms, increasing the number of children served to more than 32 percent, and will allow the Department of Early Childhood Education to pay pre-k teachers a balanced wage to K-12 public school educators.
Heather Hull: ‘Poop train’ finally empty; sludge gone
The last train car full of New York City sewage sludge that has stunk up a small Alabama community for more than two months has finally been emptied, the town’s mayor said this week. For more than two months, the sludge has blown an unbearable stench throughout the tiny town of Parrish, Alabama, population 982. All of the containers have now been emptied from the so-called Poop Train, Parrish Mayor Heather Hall said on social media Wednesday. Some of the containers are still at the site, awaiting shipment back to the northeast U.S., she said. The sludge is a byproduct of New Yorkers’ excrement. It was shipped to the nearby Big Sky landfill. Hall said after a public outcry, the Norfolk Southern railroad required Big Sky to hire more truck drivers so the sludge could be removed from the train cars more quickly. “Other towns and cities have been fighting this material in their towns for years,” Parrish said in announcing the end of what she described as a nightmare. “While what happened in Parrish was, to our understanding, an unprecedented event, there are still small towns like Parrish fighting this situation on a smaller scale.” Experts say some cities send their waste to Alabama and other Southern states due to low landfill fees and lax zoning laws. New York has discontinued shipments to Alabama for now. New York City has a goal of sending “zero waste” to landfills by 2030, according to its long-term strategy “One New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just City.” Environmental advocates say there’s nothing just about a city dumping waste in poor communities that lack the political clout to stop it. In Alabama, residents of tiny Parrish say they felt blindsided by the sudden horrid smells that enveloped their town in late January. “Would New York City like for us to send all our poop up there forever?” said Sherleen Pike, who lives about a half-mile from the railroad track in Parrish. She’s been dabbing peppermint oil under her nose because the smell is so bad. It has become more challenging and costly for New York City to dispose of its sewage sludge in recent years, city documents show. New York was forced to find new methods after the federal government in 1988 banned the city’s longtime practice of dumping it in the ocean. In recent years, New York City contractors had dumped the waste at landfills relatively close to the city, but those landfills have significantly reduced the amount of waste they will accept, according to a city budget document. Sending it to other communities also has prompted complaints about the smell. Two landfills in Pennsylvania, for instance, quit accepting sludge from New York City after odor complaints and violations, according to the documents. New York City projects higher disposal costs through fiscal year 2020, partly because the waste will have to be transported farther away from the city. In her Facebook post announcing that the last container of sludge had been removed, Hall remarked, “This material does not need to be in a populated area … period.” “It greatly diminishes the quality of life for those who live anywhere near it.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Will Ainsworth: Alabama must do more to thank its military veterans
The Bible verse Isaiah 6:8 reads – Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Those words from the holiest of books have always prompted me to think of the men and women who have so selflessly served in the United States military and defended the greatest of all nations. Military service is a deep commitment that demands a great deal of sacrifice from the soldiers who serve and the family members who support them. Everyone who wears our country’s uniform deserves our respect, honor, and appreciation, and those warm feelings continue even after that uniform is removed and hung in a closet. Since joining the Alabama Legislature in 2014, I have placed a deep focus on serving the needs of Alabama’s military veterans, and that commitment will continue if I am elected lieutenant governor. Most recently, I worked with State Rep. Dickie Drake (R – Leeds) and members of the House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee to pass the Parks for Patriots Act, which provides free, year-round admission to all Alabama state parks for active military personnel and veterans, including members of the National Guard and Reserves. I also joined with State Rep. Barry Moore (R – Enterprise) to pass legislation that makes it a crime for those who do not qualify to park in spaces specifically reserved for Purple Heart and medal of valor recipients, former prisoners of war, or other military veterans. More and more businesses are setting aside special parking spaces reserved for military veterans who were wounded, taken prisoner, or presented a medal for valor in defense of our country. It is unconscionable to think that someone who does not fall under these categories would park in a space reserved for our nation’s heroes, but it happens quite often. This new law will ensure that those who display such blatant disrespect will be punished appropriately. My Republican colleagues and I have also approved the Veterans Employment Act, which provides tax incentives to businesses that hire honorably discharged veterans who are currently unemployed. The law ensures that the veterans covered by this incentive program would be hired for full-time jobs and earn at least $14 per hour, and because the program is modeled after the “pay as you go” method of awarding economic incentives, it will have no negative fiscal impact on the budgets. And in order to ensure that the sacrifices and legacies of veterans of the past, present, and future are properly protected, I was proud to support the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act, a measure that prevents those with leftist agendas and politically correct notions from tearing down statues, monuments, and makers dedicated to our state’s rich military history. Some may argue that the work we have accomplished is adequate, but I believe that more should still be done to properly thank our veteran heroes for their service. That is why I plan to create the Lieutenant Governor’s Task Force on Veterans’ Needs if I am elected to serve the citizens of Alabama over the next four years. This task force will include a cross section of career military veterans, National Guard veterans, disabled veterans, combat and homefront veterans, business leaders, educators, and other citizens. The task force will be responsible for recommending need laws, programs, and initiatives that will ensure Alabama’s veterans and their families are skilled, educated, employed, and provided the comforts necessary to understand the thanks of a grateful state. As lieutenant governor, I will take the most worthy recommendations of the task force to the members of the Senate and work to enact them into law. And because the needs of veterans continue to evolve with a changing economy, emerging technologies, and shifting military responsibilities, the task force will continue to meet on an annual basis and provide new input and ideas. George Washington, our nation’s first president and one of its greatest generals, stressed the importance of treating our veterans well when he said, “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.” Those are wise words spoken by a great man, and I pledge to live by them as your lieutenant governor. ••• Guntersville-Republican, State Rep. Will Ainsworth is a candidate for lieutenant governor. Elected to the Legislature in 2014, Ainsworth currently represents Alabama’s House District 27, which includes portions of Marshall, DeKalb, and Blount counties.
Babies of senators now welcome in Senate chamber
Who doesn’t like babies? No one in the Senate, apparently — at least not enough to block a historic rules change that passed Wednesday allowing the newborns of members into the chamber. Its passage without objection came despite plenty of concern, some privately aired, among senators of both parties about the threat the tiny humans pose to the Senate’s cherished decorum. “I’m not going to object to anything like that, not in this day and age,” said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., father of three and grandfather of six. He then noted that a person can stand in the door of the cloakroom, a lounge just off the chamber, and vote. “I’ve done it,” he said. Allowing babies on the Senate floor, he said, “I don’t think is necessary.” Sen. Orrin Hatch, the father of six, grandfather of 14 and great-grandfather of 23, said he had “no problem” with such a rules change. “But what if there are 10 babies on the floor of the Senate?” he asked. The inspiration for the new rule is a small bundle named Maile Pearl, born April 9 to Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth —the only sitting senator in U.S. history to give birth. In a statement, Duckworth thanked her colleagues for “helping bring the Senate into the 21st Century by recognizing that sometimes new parents also have responsibilities at work.” Their concerns and more were shared by Republicans and Democrats, according to interviews Wednesday. “It is a big change,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in a telephone interview, as leaders of both parties sought to clear the new rule without objection, or public discussion. The private reassurances to members of both parties, she said, have “been going on for weeks.” Teleworking is not an option in the Senate, which requires members to vote in person. So Duckworth raised a rare question that split her colleagues more along generational lines than well-worn partisan ones. Duckworth proposed changing the rules to allow senators with newborns — not just Duckworth, and not just women — to bring their babies onto the floor of the Senate. This, recalled Klobuchar, did not go entirely smoothly for the two months she privately took questions about the idea and its potential consequences — diaper changes, fussing and, notably, nursing. Sen. Tom Cotton, father of two, said he has no problem with the rule change. But the Arkansas Republican acknowledged that some of his colleagues do, “so the cloakroom might be a good compromise.” Klobuchar’s answer to that suggestion noted that Duckworth lost both legs and partial use of an arm in Iraq, and mostly gets around by wheelchair. “Yes, you can vote from the doorway of the cloakroom, but how is she going to get to the cloakroom when it’s not wheelchair accessible?” she asked. Some senators proposed making an exception for Duckworth. But her allies said the Senate should make work easier for new parents. “We believe strongly, and she did, that it should be a permanent rules change.” Having 10 babies on the Senate floor, as Hatch suggested, “would be a delight,” Klobuchar said. “We could only wish we had 10 babies on the floor. That would be a delight,” retorted Klobuchar, noting that such a conflagration would probably mean more young senators had been elected in a body where the average age of members tops 60. There was more, voiced privately, Klobuchar said — including whether Duckworth intended to change Maile’s diaper or nurse her new baby on the Senate floor. Most senators, though, were supportive, Klobuchar said. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Rules Committee Chairman Roy Blunt, R-Mo., both fathers, helped or did not stand in the way. McConnell did not answer a reporter’s question Wednesday about whether he had any concerns about babies on the Senate floor. Several others were happy to voice support for the rules change, and could not resist taking a jab at their colleagues. “Why would I object to it? We have plenty of babies on the floor,” joked Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. But there still was some confusion. Just after the unanimous vote, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said it would do the tradition-bound Senate some good to see “a diaper bag next to one of these brass spittoons, which sit on the floor, thank goodness, never used.” Oklahoma Republican James Inhofe took issue with that, saying: “They don’t use diaper bags anymore. They’re disposable diapers.” Diaper bags are generally used to carry clean diapers and other supplies when parents and babies go out. Sometimes, they hold dirty naps until they can be disposed of. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Donald Trump leaves possibility of bailing on meeting with Kim open
President Donald Trump said that although he’s looking ahead optimistically to a historic summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un he could still pull out if he feels it’s “not going to be fruitful.” Trump said that CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Kim “got along really well” in their recent secret meeting, and he declared, “We’ve never been in a position like this” to address worldwide concerns over North Korea’s nuclear weapons. But speaking alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday, after the allies met at Trump’s Florida resort, he made clear that he’d still be ready to pull the plug on what is being billed as an extraordinary meeting between the leaders of longtime adversaries. “If I think that if it’s a meeting that is not going to be fruitful we’re not going to go. If the meeting when I’m there is not fruitful I will respectfully leave the meeting,” Trump told a news conference. He also said that a U.S.-led “maximum pressure” campaign of tough economic sanctions on North Korea would continue until the isolated nation “denuclearizes.” Abe echoed the sentiment. “Just because North Korea is responding to dialogue, there should be no reward. Maximum pressure should be maintained,” he said. Trump has said his summit with Kim, with whom he traded bitter insults and threats last year as North Korea conducted nuclear and missile tests, could take place by early June, although the venue has yet to be decided. It would be the first such leadership summit between the two nations after six decades of hostility following the Korean War. Other than the threat posed to by North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction, another issue overhanging the summit plans is the fate of three Americans detained there. Trump said that was under negotiation and there was a “good chance” of winning their release, but he wouldn’t say whether that was a precondition for sitting down with Kim. Pompeo raised the question of the three Americans in his meeting with Kim, a U.S. official said. Trump also said he had promised Abe he would work hard for the return of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea. Tokyo says at least a dozen Japanese said to have been taken in the 1970s and 1980s remain unaccounted for. News of Pompeo’s trip to North Korea, which took place more than two weeks ago, emerged on Tuesday, as lawmakers weighed whether he should be confirmed to become secretary of state. Trump and Republican senators held up his highly unusual, secret mission as sign of Pompeo’s diplomatic ability. But the prospect of his confirmation hung in the balance as Democrats lined up against him. Sen. Robert Menendez, top-ranking Democrat on the committee that will have the first vote on confirmation, expressed frustration that the CIA chief had not briefed him on the visit that took place more than a week before Pompeo’s public hearing last Thursday. He is the most senior U.S. official to meet with a North Korean leader since Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met with Kim’s father in Pyongyang in 2000. “Now I don’t expect diplomacy to be negotiated out in the open, but I do expect for someone who is the nominee to be secretary of state, when he speaks with committee leadership and is asked specific questions about North Korea, to share some insights about such a visit,” Menendez said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to vote on the nomination next week. Pompeo, whose hawkish foreign policy views and comments about minorities have raised Democratic hackles, would replace Rex Tillerson, who was pushed out by Trump last month. In the U.S. Senate, Republicans have a single-vote advantage on the 21-member panel that will have the first say on Pompeo’s nomination. With nine of the 10 Democrats already declaring they will oppose Pompeo, and at least one Republican, Rand Paul of Kentucky, also opposed, the panel could be forced to take the unusual step of sending the nomination to the full Senate without a favorable recommendation. Trump said Wednesday he expects Paul to come through on Pompeo. The president called Paul and the senator agreed to meet with Pompeo, but Paul’s spokesman said, “Nothing else has changed.” As for opposition by Democrats, Republican Cory Gardner, who chairs an Asia subcommittee, said in an interview that they “want to play partisan politics.” Despite meeting Pompeo on Tuesday, Gardner said he hadn’t been briefed on the trip and was awaiting more information about it. Still, he said the fact that the meeting happened gave weight to Pompeo’s testimony last week that the administration was committed to the “complete and verifiable denuclearization” of North Korea and sustaining sanctions pressure. It is not unprecedented for U.S. intelligence officials to serve as conduits for communication with Pyongyang. In 2014, the then-director of U.S. national intelligence, James Clapper, secretly visited North Korea to bring back two American detainees. Clapper did not, however, meet with Kim, who has only in recent weeks emerged from international seclusion after taking power six years ago and super-charging North Korea’s push to become a nuclear power. Kim met last month with China’s president and is to meet South Korea’s leader April 27. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Trade issues expose the limits of Donald Trump-Shinzo Abe ‘bromance’
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe courted the new American president with a golden driver not long after Donald Trump won the White House. He’s met with the billionaire businessman more than any other world leader, and he is Trump’s second-most frequent caller. Yet the “bromance” between Trump and Abe has its limits. Trump appeared to be successful Tuesday in reassuring Abe that he would take Japan’s concerns to heart during his upcoming meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. But Wednesday brought public disagreements, as Trump spurned his guest’s top economic and trade priorities. Principal among them: allowing Japan an exemption from new U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs and persuading Trump to re-join the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. During a roughly 40-minute joint news conference Wednesday evening, Abe tried to put on a good face, emphasizing their close relationship and their areas of accord on North Korea policy. He effusively thanked Trump for pledging to raise the issue of Japanese abductees held by North Korea in his meeting with Kim. But when pressed on the economic disagreements, Abe repeatedly consulted notes as he tried to sidestep questions on the contentious issues, instead returning to Trump’s favored call for developing a “reciprocal” trade relationship with the U.S. It marked a stark departure from Abe’s pre-summit hopes of coaxing the U.S. back into the TPP. And Japan remains the only major U.S. ally not to be exempted from the tariffs announced last month. World leaders have quickly learned that flattery is an easy way into Trump’s graces, and throughout the two-day summit, Abe appeared keen to praise the president at every opportunity. He applauded Trump’s courage for agreeing to meet with Kim and marveled at Mar-a-Lago, calling Trump’s estate “a gorgeous place.” Abe drew laughs before a dinner with the joint delegations in a baroque dining room when he recounted the strength of their relationship over food, which included a cheeseburger on the golf course and a working luncheon Wednesday. “We already had two lunches in the same day,” he said. “And now we are going to have our dinner.” “Prime Minister Abe and I have spent a lot of time today, and we really spent a lot of time since I got elected. And right from the beginning we hit it off. The relationship is a very good one,” Trump said as the pair sat down for the working lunch on economic issues. That was the session Trump suggested he was most looking forward to. “I love the world of finance and the world of economics, and probably, it’s where I do the best. But we will be able to work things out,” he said. Except it didn’t turn out that way. The session on trade and economic issues quickly turned tense and tough, according to two U.S. officials, as the leaders found themselves at an impasse on the tariffs. And Trump refused to budge on his opposition to the TPP, from which he withdrew the U.S. last year. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private talks. Still, several officials said publicly the personal connection between the leaders is robust enough to withstand the tensions. The summit was hastily put together after Trump accepted Kim’s invitation for a meeting in the next two months, and as the president prepared to implement the metals tariffs. Trump said the invitation to his private club was a sign of how much he liked Abe. “Many of the world’s great leaders request to come to Mar-a-Lago and Palm Beach. They like it; I like it. We’re comfortable. We have great relationships,’” the president said, boosting the private club, which collects dues that enrich Trump. Trump’s most frequent caller is the president of France, Emmanuel Macron. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Conspiracy case: State Rep. Jack Williams, ex-GOP chair Marty Connors plead ‘not guilty’
Both Vestavia Hills-Republican, longtime State Rep. Jack Williams and former Alabama GOP chairman Marty Connors pleaded not guilty in federal court on Wednesday in Montgomery, Ala. The two, along with a California-based health care executive G. Ford Gilbert were arrested on federal bribery and conspiracy charges earlier this month. According to the Department of Justice, Gilbert is the owner of a California company that operates diabetes treatment centers throughout the world—Trina Health, LLC (Trina Health). In 2014 and 2015, Trina Health opened three clinics in Alabama. Soon thereafter, the state’s largest health insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama (a.k.a. Blue Cross), informed Trina Health that it would not cover the treatments provided by them. Gilbert then schemed to force Blue Cross to change its position. He came up with a plan to push a bill through the Alabama Legislature’s 2016 session that would require Blue Cross to cover the treatments. Gilbert then made payments to State of Alabama House Majority Leader Micky Hammonin exchange for his efforts on behalf of the bill. Gilbert also hired Defendant Connors to act as a lobbyist on behalf of the bill. Connors knew of Gilbert’s payments to Majority Leader Hammon. Hammon and Connors then recruited Defendant Williams, the chairman of the Commerce and Small Business Committee of the Alabama House of Representatives, to hold a public hearing on the bill. Williams also knew of the payments to Hammon and acted in part to help Hammon, who, as everyone in the scheme knew, was experiencing grave financial problems. The indictment does not include charges against Hammon since he has already been convicted in federal court of other offenses related to mail fraud and misusing campaign funds. Following the arraignment, Connors released a statement claiming his innocence. “I am innocent of the charges that have been made against me. I have worked hard to conduct myself in the most honorable way possible, in a way that my family, friends and colleagues can be proud of,” Connors said in the statement. “I built not only a life here, but a reputation. The charges against me are totally unfounded, and will be vigorously defended.” A trial has been set for Sept. 4.
