Trump administration moves to detain migrant families longer
The Trump administration on Thursday moved to abandon a longstanding court settlement that limits how long immigrant children can be kept locked up, proposing new regulations that would allow the government to detain families until their immigration cases are decided. Homeland Security officials said that ending the so-called Flores agreement of 1997 will speed up the handling of asylum requests while also deterring people from illegally crossing the Mexican border. The move angered immigrant rights advocates and is all but certain to trigger a court battle. “It is sickening to see the United States government looking for ways to jail more children for longer,” said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project. “And it’s yet another example of the Trump administration’s hostility toward immigrants resulting in a policy incompatible with the most basic human values.” Vehicles leave the Port Isabel Detention Center, June 26, 2018, which holds detainees of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Fresnos, Texas. [Photo Credit: AP Photo/David J. Phillip, file] The Flores agreement requires the government to keep children in the least restrictive setting possible and to release them generally after 20 days in detention. For decades, because of those restrictions, many parents and children caught trying to slip into the country have been released into the U.S. while their asylum requests wind their way through the courts — a practice President Donald Trump has decried as “catch-and-release.” Such cases can drag on for years, and some immigrants stop showing up to court when it becomes clear their asylum requests are going to be denied. The newly proposed rules would allow the government to hold families in detention until their cases are completed. Homeland Security did not say how long it expects families to be kept locked up. But immigration officials say asylum cases involving detained families move much more quickly, taking months instead of years to resolve, in part because there are none of the delays that result when immigrants set free in the U.S. fail to show up for a hearing. “Today, legal loopholes significantly hinder the department’s ability to appropriately detain and promptly remove family units that have no legal basis to remain in the country,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. “This rule addresses one of the primary pull factors for illegal immigration and allows the federal government to enforce immigration laws as passed by Congress.” Earlier this summer, a federal judge in California rejected a request by the administration to modify Flores to allow for longer family detention. Administration officials say they have the authority to terminate the agreement, but that is likely to be tested in court. “They’re essentially trying to accomplish through regulation what the court has not permitted,” said Peter Schey, an attorney representing immigrant children under the settlement and president of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law. Schey said he will oppose any effort to end Flores unless the government proposes acceptable regulations for the safe and humane treatment of youngsters. “Refugee children should not be made to suffer inhumane treatment and prolonged and unnecessary detention just to satisfy President Trump’s zero-tolerance approach to refugees seeking safety in the United States from the violence and lawlessness spreading throughout Central America,” Schey said. The Flores agreement became an issue last spring when the Trump administration adopted a policy of prosecuting anyone caught crossing illegally. More than 2,900 children were separated from their parents, prompting international outrage. Trump eventually backed down and stopped the separation of families. A federal judge ordered parents and children reunited; the government has said it has done so in as many cases as it could. But hundreds of parents were deported without their children, while others had criminal records or were not parents as they claimed to be, officials said. Because under Flores children cannot be kept in criminal custody with their parents or held for an extended period in immigration detention, the administration has limited options when dealing with families. The government operates three family detention centers that can hold a total of about 3,000 people, and they are at or near capacity. Homeland Security and the Pentagon have been working to line up as many as 12,000 beds for family members at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Another request for up to 20,000 beds for youngsters who arrive without parents is also pending. The ACLU’s Jadwat accused the administration of “trying to expand the trauma it is inflicting on these children in order to deter other people from coming to the country.” Rachel Prandini, staff attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, said the erosion of Flores’ protections would subject children to worsening conditions. “The Trump administration’s decision to exacerbate the suffering of kids, by imposing the cruel policy of family separation earlier this summer and now with this rule change to vastly expand detention of children, is horrifying,” she said. The regulations will be published in the Federal Register and will be subject to a 60-day public comment period starting Friday. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Bradley Byrne ‘seriously considering’ challenging Doug Jones in 2020 Senate run
Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne confirmed on Wednesday he is “actively looking” at a 2020 U.S. Senate bid against Democratic U.S. Senator Doug Jones. Byrne has been mulling the possibility since July, but confirmed in an interview with WPMI that he is seriously considering the matter. “I know Senator Doug Jones, I have nothing personal bad to say about him, I like him personally and admire his work as a prosecutor,” Byrne said in the interview according to C2C Sinclair on Twitter. “I don’t think his political philosophy lines up with the average person in Alabama.” .@RepByrne on possible 2020 Senate run: “I know @SenDougJones, I have nothing personal bad to say about him, I like him personally and admire his work as a prosecutor. I don’t think his political philosophy lines up with the average person in Alabama” @mynbc15 pic.twitter.com/mj78dABSOw — C2C Sinclair (@SBGC2C) September 5, 2018 “I love what I’m doing, I’m not unhappy being in the house,” Byrne continued. “But we in Alabama have become accustom to having very strong U.S. Senators; going back decades. And we’re very fortunate to Senator Shelby right now. I just don’t think, and I don’t mean this in any way personal, I don’t think Senator Jones fits into that mold. And I need someone who fits into that mold in the Senate to be a partner with me along with Senator Shelby and if there’s not anybody else to do it…then yes I’m happy to do it.” Jones beat out former Chief Justice Roy Moore in the December 2017 special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat previously occupied by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Since then, he’s caused a few controversies within the Alabama Legislature, to the point that the Alabama State Senate passed a resolution condemning his January vote against legislation banning late term abortions. Byrne himself is a conservative through and through. He was awarded the ACUF’s Award for Conservative Excellence based on his 92.15 percent conservative voting record and successfully led an effort in Washington in June to express opposition to housing up to 10,000 illegal immigrants at Naval Outlying Field Silverhill and Naval Outlying Field Wolf in south Baldwin County.
How ALDOT and John Cooper are exploiting the weaknesses of the open records law
The Alabama Public Records Law is a series of laws designed to guarantee that the public has access to the records of government bodies at all levels across the state. But just because the law exists, doesn’t mean it’s easy to navigate, or even helpful for that matter. Alabama’s law, which can be found at statutes 36.12.40-41 and 41.13.1 – 41.13.44 of the Code of Alabama, has some glaring weaknesses that agencies have been exploiting, to hide facts from concerned Alabamians and lawmakers. Just this year we’ve seen the law fail both reporters and a state official. AL.com‘s Kyle Whitmire ran into problems when requesting information from Attorney General Steve Marshall‘s office. He was told his request was not public information: “State law provides that any such records as you request are not subject to disclosure,” Marshall’s public information officer, Mike Lewis wrote. “Section 12-21-3.1-3.1(b) of the Code of Alabama states that ‘Law enforcement investigative reports and related investigative material are not public records. Law enforcement investigative reports, records, field notes, witness statements, and other investigative writings or recordings are privileged communications protected from disclosure.’ Ala. Code SS 12-21-3.1(b) (2012).” Meanwhile State Auditor Jim Zeigler has run into this own issues when requesting public information from the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT). In April, Zeigler sent a first letter to ALDOT Transportation Director John Cooper and ALDOT Chief Counsel William Patty requesting further information about an $87 million state-funded bridge projectin Baldwin County — which would be a second bridge to Orange Beach. Despite the fact he was elected to statewide office, his request went altogether ignored. In July, Zeigler doubled-down on his fact-finding efforts ands sent a second letter to Cooper and Patty requesting the information, giving them a deadline to respond of August 17. Yet, as of Sept. 6, Zeigler’s heard only one thing: crickets. Alabama Today has run it its own share of problems in dealing with ALDOT and information requests. We first reached out to Tony Harris, spokesman for ALDOT, on May 18 with our own questions about the bridge project. He called back that afternoon and promised a response the following week. Flash-forward to May 25 then again June 12, more empty promises of information that never came. Finally on Aug. 24, after previously asking Alabama Today to avoid submitting an official public records request, he tells us that is what we have to do if we want the information. That there are issues being held up in the courts (by the way, they’ve all been resolved) and he’s unable to answer otherwise. Which has left us scratching our heads — Alabama officials are clearly exploiting holes in the Public Records Law and giving Alabamians the run-around as they see fit. Defining public records The Code of Alabama takes the time to define what public records are: As used in this article, the term “public records” shall include all written, typed or printed books, papers, letters, documents and maps made or received in pursuance of law by the public officers of the state, counties, municipalities and other subdivisions of government in the transactions of public business and shall also include any record authorized to be made by any law of this state belonging or pertaining to any court of record or any other public record authorized by law or any paper, pleading, exhibit or other writing filed with, in or by any such court, office or officer. (Ala Code § 41.13.44) Despite a clear definition, the law fails to set specific parameters to make the law work for the good of the people. What the law’s lacking There is no language that states how long the state has to respond to a public records request. Fees are not stipulated by law. One department may charge one fee, while another may charge something entirely different. The Department of Corrections, for example, requires a flat $25 fee for them to begin to process a request. Meanwhile the Secretary of State’s office requires $1.00 per copied page, rather than a flat fee. Not all agencies have a clear employee in charge of requests, thus making tracking down the correct person difficult. There is no defined appeals process when a requestor does not get what they were asking for. This is the first in a series of stories about this issue. Check back frequently for more information.
Randall Woodfin responds to Bimingham weekend shootings: ‘we must double down’
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin released a statement on Monday regarding several acts of violence against teenagers in Birmingham over the Labor day weekend. “We as a city must wrap our arms around our children,” Woodfin said in the statement. “We must double down on conflict resolution efforts for our youth. If they won’t come to us, we must go to them. Relationships matter. We must all take responsibility for being the source of wisdom, guidance, restraint and compassion that our children need. Accountability is what will heal our city.” 16-year old William Edwards, a junior at Woodlawn High School, and captain of the school’s football team was shot and killed from outside his east Birmingham home on Saturday. According to AL.com, the Birmingham Police have no suspect information. On Sunday night, seven teenagers were shot and injured outside Workplay, of one of Birmingham’s many music venues. Lady Woo, a local radio host told WBRC that the scene outside the venue sounded like a “war zone,” and the she wasn’t shocked by the violence. “In a perfect world, you would love to be able to party and enjoy life with young people and show them how you can have a good time, and not really be violent, and not have any issues. But once we got out here, it brought everything to the forefront of what we face now. We face a lot of division, no self control, no respect, nothing. It was just like a war zone,” Woo continued. Read Woodfin’s full statement below: This past weekend, Birmingham was stricken by violence against young people. The death of William Edwards in North East Lake and the seven young people injured by violence at WorkPlay are a devastating blow to our community. Our law enforcement officers have been dedicated in their response, but as a city we must realize that this goes deeper than arrests. We as a city must wrap our arms around our children. We must double down on conflict resolution efforts for our youth. If they won’t come to us, we must go to them. Relationships matter. We must all take responsibility for being the source of wisdom, guidance, restraint and compassion that our children need. Accountability is what will heal our city. Lives were changed this past weekend, and those lives are too valuable – too precious – to be labeled as statistics. No longer can we grieve and then go about our days – not when the lives of our neighbors have been changed forever. Know that your mayor and law enforcement are working fervently for a safer Birmingham, but we cannot do it alone. I ask that you – parents, family members, mentors, community leaders and friends – connect with the young people in your lives. Listen to them. Help them. Let them know that their life matters. Only then can healing begin.
On NYT op-ed: A White House “resistance” shouldn’t be all that surprising
The story of the day is about the anonymously posted opinion column by the New York Times (NYT) written by a “senior staffer within the Trump White House.” It seems the world is going mad about the whole thing. I’m going to narrow my thoughts on this whole ordeal to four points (in no particular order): 1. If you did not realize there are good, disciplined staffers working in the Trump White House, curbing his less than professional and diplomatic faults and weaknesses, then you haven’t been paying attention. The author called it a resistance and everyone is freaking out about that but what is wrong with resisting the impulses of a man who has almost no impulse control? The chaos around Trump comes from him bringing in people with no loyalty or experience like Omarosa Manigault-Newman or the insanity that was Anthony Scaramucci. Should we fear or condemn those who would want to protect the president from his own bad decisions? Chaos comes from the problems they have finding and retaining experienced professionals and so misfits run the halls and talk out of turn to reporters and friends and anyone who will listen to their tales of misadventures in a White House that is constantly turned on its ear. The steadiness of the ship comes from good-hearted, principled people likes Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders or those who have served our nation and consider their role to serve the office of the president more so than the man like General John Kelly. It comes from the professionals whose names you never hear because they have their nose to the grindstone working. It comes from those spread out not just throughout the White House but the entire administration. Of course, there are factions within the White House there aways has been but in this administration there is no doubt that it’s worse than ever. There’s no doubt that it’s encouraged from Trump himself and his style of management (or mismanagement at time). There’s the do nothings vs. the do gooders. The loyal to Trump vs those loyal to the nation vs. those seeing their own 15-minutes of fame and/or access to power and later money. Of the first two groups there may be some cross-over but I suspect there’s not many who don’t tolerate Trump to get the job done or who don’t like the man but dislike the way he communicates or “rules.” 2. The anonymous source is likely to be outed, and there’s very little chance that they stay anonymous for even the next week. They knew that going into this. This has already turned into an all-out witch hunt in which everybody wants to know who is responsible to penning this op-ed. From reporters to those within the White House who agree or even disagree with the sentiments, to opponents on the Hill — it’s only a matter of time before people know who this is. Secrets do not keep well in DC. Secrets do not keep well within Trump Administration. Thus it would be premature to speculate as to this person’s motives and agenda until we know what their role inside the White House is. This is a chance the author took and they had to know what they were doing and what the costs would be when they were found out. 3. The President has called writing this op-ed “treasonous.” The First Lady just put out a response saying and I’m paraphrasing here, if you’re not here to do right by the administration, you need to leave. I wouldn’t agree that it was treasonous to the nation to write the op-ed but I agree that it was unprofessional and disloyal. Politics is a world in which loyalty and honoring the team you’re a part of are of the utmost importance. From day one people in this administration have bad mouthed and back-stabbed one another and you don’t have to look much further than the Trump vs. Jeff Sessions tweets or remarks to see that it’s welcome and encouraged behavior. If Trump wants more loyalty he should lead by example. That said, see #1. There are good people in the administration and that is obvious by the fact things haven’t totally hit the fan. Yet. 4. On the NYT printing an anonymous op-ed I must say I’ve had individuals approach me since I first began Alabama Today, who wanted to pen columns anonymously. This is a very tricky part of media: You want to get the story out but you have to consider many factors including maintaining the integrity of your publication and reputation for truth and honesty. There are a lot of things than can, and probably should be said in the world and in politics, if it weren’t for fear of making people angry, burning bridges and even retaliation I feel like we’d have a lot more of these types of stories. On the Hill people know and speak in hushed tones of improprieties for months sometimes years before a reporter has enough to go on to print something. Welcoming anonymity in these cases would open up the flood gates for those with bad motives. The question here is what was the movitves of the author of the story at hand? It reads as sincere and not politically motivated in the way in which a lot of attacks are. This is why I agree that the NYT was correct in publishing the article. If everything that the staffer said that they knew and experienced is actually true. Finally, what do I think about this as a whole? The Trump Administration has done something that has not been talked about before. Which is they’ve shined a spotlight on those working behind the man. Generally when you’re looking at a President, or Governor, or even Member of Congress, there are only one or two people in their sphere that world is able to identify — the Karl Rove‘s, Dana Perino‘s, the Tony Snow‘s, David Axelrod’s, Rahm Emanuel‘s of
Alabama Power has restored all Tropical Storm Gordon outages in the state
Alabama Power has restored electricity to all customers who lost power due to Tropical Storm Gordon. The company said as of 11 a.m. Thursday, no customers who lost power due to the storm were still without power. Throughout the course of the storm, nearly 75,000 customers were affected, though there were never more than 31,000 customers without power at any given time due to the weather system. Close to 1,000 Mobile-area linemen, evaluators, contractors and other crew members were involved in the restoration. Additional support from the central part of the state was mobilized Wednesday, with crews traveling to the Mobile area to assist in restoration efforts. Alabama Power established a staging area at the Mobile Greyhound Park in Theodore, serving food to workers and refueling and resupplying trucks as needed. Alabama Power employees eat dinner at a staging area for Tropical Storm Gordon established at Mobile Greyhound Park in Theodore. [Photo Credit: Mike Kittrell / Alabama NewsCenter] Republished with the permission of the Alabama Newscenter.
Donald Trump fumes over NYT op-ed; top officials swiftly deny role
Pushing back against explosive reports his own administration is conspiring against him, President Donald Trump lashed out against the anonymous senior official who wrote a New York Times opinion piece claiming to be part of a “resistance” working “from within” to thwart his most dangerous impulses. Perhaps as striking as the essay was the recognition of the long list of administration officials who plausibly could have been its author. Many have privately shared some of the same concerns expressed about the president with colleagues, friends and reporters. Washington was consumed by a wild guessing game as to the identity of the writer, and swift denials of involvement in the op-ed came Thursday from top administration officials, including from Vice President Mike Pence’s office, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Dan Coats, director of national intelligence, and other Cabinet members. Trump was furious, tweeting Thursday morning that “The Deep State and the Left, and their vehicle, the Fake News Media, are going Crazy – & they don’t know what to do.” The Deep State and the Left, and their vehicle, the Fake News Media, are going Crazy – & they don’t know what to do. The Economy is booming like never before, Jobs are at Historic Highs, soon TWO Supreme Court Justices & maybe Declassification to find Additional Corruption. Wow! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2018 On Wednesday night, Trump tweeted a demand that if “the GUTLESS anonymous person does indeed exist, the Times must, for National Security purposes, turn him/her over to government at once!” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called on the “coward” who wrote the piece to “do the right thing and resign.” White House officials did not immediately respond to a request to elaborate on Trump’s call for the writer to be turned over to the government or the unsupported national security ground of his demand. To some observers, the ultimatum appeared to play into the very concerns about the president’s impulses raised by the essay’s author. Trump has demanded that aides identify the leaker, according to two people familiar with the matter, though it was unclear how they might go about doing so. The two were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. In a “House of Cards”-style plot twist in an already over-the-top administration, Trump allies and political insiders scrambled to unmask the writer. But the op-ed also brought to light questions that have been whispered in Washington for more than a year: Is Trump truly in charge? And could a divided executive branch pose a danger to the country? Former CIA Director John Brennan, a fierce Trump critic, called the op-ed “active insubordination … born out of loyalty to the country.” “This is not sustainable to have an executive branch where individuals are not following the orders of the chief executive,” Brennan told NBC’s “Today” show. “I do think things will get worse before they get better. I don’t know how Donald Trump is going to react to this. A wounded lion is a very dangerous animal, and I think Donald Trump is wounded.” The anonymous author, claiming to be part of the “resistance” to Trump “working diligently from within” his administration, said, “Many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr. Trump’s more misguided impulses until he is out of office.” “It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room,” the author continued. “We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what’s right even when Donald Trump won’t.” Trump raged about the piece in the White House, calling around to confidants to vent about the disloyalty of the author and fuming that the so-called Deep State within the federal government had conspired against him, according to a person familiar with the president’s views but not authorized to discuss them publicly. The text of the op-ed was pulled apart for clues: The writer is identified as an “administration official”; does that mean a person who works outside the White House? The references to Russia and the late Sen. John McCain — do they suggest someone working in national security? Does the writing style sound like someone who worked at a think tank? In a tweet, the Times used the pronoun “he” to refer to the writer; does that rule out all women? The newspaper later said the tweet referring to “he” had been “drafted by someone who is not aware of the author’s identity, including the gender, so the use of ‘he’ was an error.” The Beltway guessing game seeped into the White House, as current and former staffers alike traded calls and texts trying to figure out who could have written the piece, some turning to reporters and asking them for clues. For many in Trump’s orbit, it was stunning to realize just how many people could have been the op-ed’s author. And some of the most senior members of the Trump administration were forced to deny they were the author of the attack on their boss. Hotly debated on Twitter was the author’s use of the word “lodestar,” which pops up frequently in speeches by Pence. Could the anonymous figure be someone in Pence’s orbit? Others argued that the word “lodestar” could have been included to throw people off. In a rare step, Pence’s communications director Jarrod Agen tweeted early Thursday that “The Vice President puts his name on his Op-Eds. The @nytimes should be ashamed and so should the person who wrote the false, illogical, and gutless op-ed. Our office is above such amateur acts.” Pompeo, who was in India, denied writing the anonymous opinion piece, saying, “It’s not mine.” He accused the media of trying to undermine the Trump administration and said he found that “incredibly disturbing.” Coats later issued his own denial, followed by Housing Secretary Ben Carson, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, budget director Mick
Mike Pence breaks from Donald Trump: ‘I hold Jeff Sessions in the highest regard’
Vice President Mike Pence praised Attorney General Jeff Sessions Wednesday, breaking away from President Donald Trump who has criticized the attorney general on multiple occasions. When asked by CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins if he had confidence in Sessions, he replied “I hold Jeff Sessions in the highest regard. I appreciate his service to the nation.” Wow. Asked if he has confidence in Jeff Sessions, Vice President Mike Pence says, “I hold Jeff Sessions in the highest regard. I appreciate his service to the nation.” — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) September 5, 2018 Pence’s defense of Sessions follows that of other GOP lawmakers, including Alabama’s own U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby who earlier this week said, “I think Sessions is a very smart man and a man of integrity. I would disagree with the president on that.” Trump has come under fire in recent days as news surfaced Tuesday about the details of a new book on the Trump White House to be released Sept 11 by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Bob Woodward, of the Washington Post, that claims Trump has called Sessions “mentally retarded” and said, “He’s this dumb Southerner.” Tuesday evening, the president denied that account saying Woodward “made this up to divide!” By Wednesday morning,Trump accused Woodward of forming a “picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact.” “Isn’t it a shame that someone can write an article or book, totally make up stories and form a picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact, and get away with it without retribution or cost. Don’t know why Washington politicians don’t change libel laws?,” Trump tweeted. Isn’t it a shame that someone can write an article or book, totally make up stories and form a picture of a person that is literally the exact opposite of the fact, and get away with it without retribution or cost. Don’t know why Washington politicians don’t change libel laws? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018 Nevertheless the rift between Sessions and Trump appears to continue to widen.
Judge voids apartment complex: Fairhope ‘did not adhere to its own regulations’
Opponents of Fairhope’s Fly Creek apartment complex rejoiced on Tuesday as Baldwin County Circuit Court Judge Clark Stankoski effectively stopped work on the project, deeming its approval from the Planning Commission last year void. According to the Lagniappe Mobile, Judge Stankoski stopped the building of the complex “because the city did not adhere to its own regulations when green-lighting the project.” In April of 2016, Fairhope City Council members voted to change zoning ordinances in order to add a new 240-unit luxury apartment complex off of U.S. 98., and along Fly Creek. Many residents, and environmental groups opposed the project, “I am very mad,” long-time Realtor Dot Yeager told AL.com. “Apartments are not neighborhoods. Neighborhoods are what Fairhope has always wanted. We wanted families that come here who want backyards and fences.” The Fly Creek Watershed Preservation Association, a resident’s group opposing the project brought a lawsuit against the project, claimed the project violated the city’s ordinance by using inadequate storm water management techniques. Judge Stankoski agreed, saying “it does not comply with the governing ordinance’s requirements. The requirements were fairly specific, unique and required the use of a non-point discharge system utilizing a gabion wall that ran the entire of the wetland boundary near Fly Creek,” Stankoski noted in his ruling, according to the Lagniappe Mobile. “The ordinance’s drainage plan’s purpose was ‘to help protect the adjacent Fly Creek.’” The Fly Creek, and its preservation had been one of the main concerns of the group, and other groups like it; even Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne has weighed in on protecting the creek. Adam Milam, represented the plantiffs, and told the Lagniappe Mobile they were “very happy” with the ruling. “It’s a simple, correct ruling, and it finally it feels like [Mobile and Baldwin counties] are getting big enough where we have to look at the law and everyone has to comply,” Milam continued.
Alabama is the third-most sexist state, researchers say
Alabama is the third-most sexist state in the nation, following behind only Arkansas and Utah, according to a new index of sexist attitudes developed by economists at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and National University Singapore. Sexism, as Merriam-Webster defines it, is “prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.” To measure the prevalence of sexist beliefs, Kerwin Kofi Charles and his colleague focused on responses from only eight questions on attitudes toward gender issues that have been part of the survey since the 1970s, ranging from whether or not they agreed with the statement that “Women should take care of running their home and leave running the country up to men” to “A working mother can establish just as warm and secure a relationship with her children as a mother who does not work.” They even asked if the respondent would ever vote for a female president, and whether or not they believe men are “better suited emotionally” for politics. They mapped the responses to create a geographic overview of sexism in America. Sexist attitudes are highest in Arkansas, followed by Utah, then Alabama, West Virginia and Tennessee. Meanwhile New Hampshire, Alaska, Wyoming, Vermont and Connecticut residents display the lowest levels of sexism in the country. “Sexism is highest in the Southeast and least extreme in New England and the West,” wrote Charles and his colleagues. “The figure shows that there is substantial variation in mean sexism across states within each geographic region of the country.”
Brett Kavanaugh faces final round of questioning without missteps
Senators will launch a final round of questioning of Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday, but after a marathon 12-hour session, President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court appears to have avoided any major missteps that could trip his confirmation. So far, Kavanaugh does not seem to have changed minds on the Judiciary Committee, which is split along partisan lines. The judge left unanswered questions over how he would handle investigations of the executive branch and whether he would recuse himself if cases involving Trump under special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe end up at the court. His credibility may face new tests by senators who are seeking to make public some emails and documents from his Bush White House years that are being withheld by the committee as confidential. Trump says he’s pleased with his nominee’s televised performance, and Republicans are united behind him, eager to add a conservative judge to the court. The questioning of Kavanaugh has carried strong political overtones ahead of the November congressional elections. Democrats lack the votes to block confirmation, but have been pressing Kavanaugh for his views on abortion rights, gun control and other issues. Protesters have added to the challenges for Kavanaugh, repeatedly interrupting proceedings. “You’re more than halfway done,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Kavanaugh as he gaveled the hearing closed late Wednesday. Pressured by Democrats with Trump on their minds during Wednesday’s grueling session, the judge insisted that he fully embraced the importance of judicial independence. But he refused to provide direct answers to Democrats who wanted him to say whether there are limits on a president’s power to issue pardons, including to himself or in exchange for a bribe. He also would not say whether he believes the president can be subpoenaed to testify. Still, he began his long day in the witness chair by declaring that “no one is above the law.” When Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., asked what constraints exist on executive power, the judge cited existing laws but also norms. “Norms are important. Historical practice is relevant to judicial decision-making,” he said. Democrats are concerned that Kavanaugh will push the court to the right and that he will side with Trump in cases stemming from Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible ties to the Trump campaign. The 53-year-old appellate judge answered cautiously when asked about most of those matters, refusing an invitation from Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut to pledge to step aside from any Supreme Court cases dealing with Trump and Mueller’s investigation. Under questioning by Republicans, Kavanaugh stressed the importance of judicial independence, “not being swayed by political or public pressure.” On abortion, Kavanaugh said the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that ensures access to abortion has been affirmed “many times.” He defended his dissenting opinion last year in the case of a pregnant immigrant teen in federal custody. Kavanaugh would have denied her immediate access to an abortion, even after she received permission from a Texas judge. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, praised Kavanaugh for hiring female lawyers as clerks as a judge on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and then posed questions about whether Kavanaugh was aware of sexual harassment allegations against retired circuit court Judge Alex Kozinski in California. Kavanaugh, who considered the judge a friend and mentor, said he had known nothing about the allegations until they were disclosed last year. “It was a gut punch for me,” he said, and he was “shocked, disappointed, angry.” Kavanaugh also told Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, he was unaware of the domestic violence allegations against Rob Porter, who was Trump’s staff secretary. Journalist Bob Woodward’s new book about Trump says Kavanaugh recommended Porter for the job. Kavanaugh had served as staff secretary to George W. Bush and his work in the White House has figured in the hearing. Democratic senators have fought for access to documents from his three years as staff secretary, saying those could shed light on his views about policies from that era, including the detention and interrogation of terror suspects. Republicans have declined to seek the papers, and instead have gathered documents from his work as White House counsel to Bush. When questioned about the honesty of his 2006 testimony during his nomination for the appellate court when he said he was not involved in some Bush-era policies, Kavanaugh said he was “100 percent accurate.” Late Wednesday, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., drew a rare partnership with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to release of some of the Bush-era documents. Lee complained that Booker was relying on an unreleased email to question Kavanaugh’s openness to racial profiling by police, but then agreed to work for its release. Republicans hope to confirm Kavanaugh in time for the first day of the new Supreme Court term, Oct. 1. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Roy Moore sues Sacha Baron Cohen $95M for defamation over TV prank
Former Alabama Chief Justice and failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore has made good on his threat to sue Sacha Baron Cohen after he was fooled into appearing on Cohen’s Showtime series, “Who Is America?” Moore’s lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., is against Cohen, CBS and Showtime for fraud, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He’s seeking $95 million in punitive and compensatory damages for a July 29 episode of the series. In the episode, Cohen pranked Moore by posing as an Israeli intelligence officer with an electronic device he said could detect pedophiles. In the clip, Cohen waves the device over himself and nothing happens, then near Moore, and a loud beep is heard. Cohen repeats the demonstration several times showing that the devices is detecting that Moore is a pedophile. Ultimately, Moore ended the interview. “I am simply cutting this conversation right now,” he said. “Good night. I support Israel. I don’t support this kind of stuff.” The viral video clip, which was posted in July has since been viewed over four million times. Now Moore is saying he “suffered extreme emotional distress” for “being falsely portrayed as a sex offender and pedophile.” Moore says he and his wife Kayla never would have agreed to fly to Washington had they known the true reason for the trip — they were lured under the premise he was receiving an award for his “strong support of Israel” on an Israeli television network. Kayla, is also named as a plaintiff in the case. “Defendant Cohen’s character falsely and fraudulently introduced a false and fraudulent ‘device’ supposedly invented by the Israeli Army to detect pedophiles,” read the complaint. “During the segment, Defendant Cohen’s ‘device’ — as part of the false and fraudulent routine — purports to detect Judge Moore as a sex offender, thus defaming him.” Moore’s lawyer, Larry Klayman, in a prepared statement released Wednesday said said Moore is a man of “great faith, morality and intellect.” “Judge Moore, a man of great faith, morality and intellect, is one of the finest people I have ever known. Sasha Baron Cohen, who is not only low class but also a fraudster, will now, along with Showtime and CBS, be held accountable for his outrageous and false, fraudulent and defamatory conduct which callously did great emotional and other damage to his great man and his wife and family,” Klayman said. Representatives for Cohen have not responded to any requests for comment. Showtime has told several outlets the network does not comment on pending litigation and isn’t aware of having been served with a lawsuit. “The press has been sent copies of an alleged complaint, yet to our knowledge SHOWTIME has not been served. With that said, we do not comment on pending litigation,” Showtime said in a statement. Moore has filed several defamation lawsuits this year including one against the Highway 31 Super PAC accusing them of running widespread defamatory and misleading ads during the 2017 race, and another suit against several women for “irrevocable damage” to his reputation. Moore came first came under fire in November 2017 when the Washington Post published a bombshell report that accused Moore of pursuing a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl in 1979. In the wake of that accusation, several other women stepped forward making similar claims. Moore has denied the allegations. View the full complaint below:
