Alabama announces 28-day recreational red snapper fishing season for 2019
Alabama fishermen, mark your calendars: the state has officially set the 2019 recreational red snapper fishing season. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on Wednesday announced the season will take place on three-day weekends (Friday-Sunday) from Saturday, June 1 through Sunday, July 28, including July 4. This will be the second year in a row, the state is operating under an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) from NOAA Fisheries, which gives the state the ability to establish fishing season start and end dates in federal waters off the state’s coast. Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, a long-time advocate for Alabama red snapper fisherman, praised the news. “Under the Red Snapper season announced today, Alabama’s fishermen and coastal communities should be thrilled,” said Byrne. “This full season will provide adequate time for recreational fishermen to take advantage of the healthy Red Snapper fishery in the Gulf while also boosting the economy in our coastal communities.” According to the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: The 2019 private angling season is based on the fishing effort and average size of fish collected during 2018. Under the EFP, Alabama is provided a percentage of the Gulf-wide recreational quota for red snapper. Alabama’s 2019 private vessel quota is 1,079,573 pounds. Under the terms of the EFP, Alabama will use Snapper Check to monitor the landings during the season and may adjust the season length to provide maximum access for fishermen while adhering to the quota. “In 2018, the first year of the EFP, Alabama’s quota was 984,291 pounds and we estimated a 47-day season,” said Marine Resources Division Director Scott Bannon. “What we did not anticipate were the ideal weather conditions and the tremendous effort by Alabama anglers, which caused us to close the season after 28 days. We were required to adhere to the quota and, for the most part, we did, as we exceeded the quota by only 0.2 percent. Although the season was shortened, a tremendous number of people took advantage of the amazing red snapper fishery off Alabama’s coast, and we have shown that Alabama can manage the season effectively and make adjustments necessary to maintain this valuable fishery.” Except for the opening weekend, which begins on a Saturday, weekends are defined as 12:01 a.m. Friday through 11:59 p.m. Sunday. This season only applies to private anglers and state-licensed Alabama commercial party boats that do not hold federal for-hire fishing permits.
5 takeaways from Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech
President Donald Trump delivered his second State of the Union speech Tuesday night, calling on Democrats and Republicans to work together and making only brief reference to the rancor that has dominated his presidency. Five key takeaways from his remarks: HE’S NOT BUDGING ON THE WALL “I will get it built,” he declared in his Tuesday evening speech. Addressing a joint session of lawmakers, Trump yet again hammered his now-familiar case for building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, insisting the situation represents a crisis that demands a physical barrier. But the president outlined no plan or new strategy for convincing Congress to approve money to build the wall. He issued a broad call for all sides to “work together, compromise, and reach a deal that will truly make America safe.” Trump notably made no reference to his continued to threat to circumvent Congress by declaring a national emergency if lawmakers refuse to give him the billions of dollars he’s demanding. The White Housed decided the speech was an inappropriate venue for such an announcement, especially after Trump said he’d allow congressional negotiators to run out a three-week clock that expires on Feb. 15 before taking any action. He has all but dismissed their efforts. THE HOUSE WAS IN ORDER Would they boo? Hiss? Jeer? With Democrats now in charge of the House and amid a bitter border wall battle that led to the longest government shutdown in the nation’s history, the White House was bracing for a less-than-friendly reception from those gathered in the House. Instead, the 82-minute speech was punctuated by lighthearted moments, including when lawmakers from both parties sang a spontaneous rendition of “Happy Birthday” to Judah Samet, a member of the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh who survived a shooting that killed 11 people in October. Trump joked that the lawmakers wouldn’t break into song for him. The president also prompted cheers from the freshmen female House Democrats when he touted the number of new jobs created that women have filled. The women — dressed in white in honor of early 20th-century suffragettes — stood on their feet, with one raising her hands in the air in a “raise the roof” motion. Trump seemed taken back by the outbursts. “You weren’t supposed to do that,” he said before congratulating all the women who hold seats in Congress. The women jumped back up and high-fived each other, chanting “U-S-A!” SHUTDOWN? WHAT SHUTDOWN? Trump made no reference to the 35-day government shutdown that rocked the nation’s capital, leaving hundreds of thousands of workers without pay and freezing many government services the first month of the year. It was a notable omission from a president who had once said that he would be proud to own the shutdown — and came just 10 days before the government is set to run out of money again. Trump did note that Congress “has 10 days left to pass a bill that will fund our government, protect our homeland, and secure our southern border.” But he didn’t mention the funding deadline. It was a different story for Stacey Abrams, the Georgia Democrat who delivered her party’s response to Trump and spoke about how she’d joined volunteers to distribute meals to furloughed federal workers during the shutdown. “Making their livelihoods a pawn for political games,” she said, “is a disgrace.” AN APPEAL TO THE BASE As he does often in his toughest political moments, Trump tried to rally the Christian conservative voters who have proven to be some of his most loyal backers. He seized upon recent controversies surrounding “late-term abortions” and warned against legislation that he claimed “would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb moments before birth.” “These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world,” he said, calling on Congress to pass legislation that would limit abortion rights. Trump also singled out embattled Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam by title, though not by name — claiming he would “execute a baby after birth.” Northam in an interview last week defended, in rare occasions, the practice of third-trimester abortions. He has since been under fire for a photograph on his medical school yearbook page featuring a person in blackface standing next to a person wearing a Ku Klux Klan outfit. He denies he’s in the photo and rejecting calls for his resignation. A FEW SWIPES AT DEMOCRATS Even as he called for a new age of bipartisanship and urged lawmakers to “govern not as two parties, but as one nation,” Trump couldn’t help but take few digs at Democrats, including the “resistance” movement in defiance of his presidency. “We must reject the politics of revenge, resistance and retribution — and embrace the boundless potential of cooperation, compromise and the common good,” Trump said at one point. Later he touted an “economic miracle” taking place across the country that he said could only be stopped by “foolish wars, politics, or ridiculous partisan investigations.” As for the new wave of socialist fervor in the Democratic Party, Trump declared, “Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country.”
Deontee Gordon of TechBirmingham sees Birmingham leading in inclusive innovation
As president of TechBirmingham, Deontee Gordon has a front-row seat to the growing innovation economy in the Magic City. He likes the view. “It’s exciting to see us going from a city and a region that did a lot of studies to a city and a region that is acting on them now,” Gordon said. “If you look at the major components of a city, of an area – the government, the public, the people, the private sector, your institutions, your philanthropic community – they are all on the same page. “When I am in these meetings, they are all represented at the table,” he continued. “They have a voice that is being heard and that is being included. I am hard-pressed to think of a time in Birmingham’s history where all of those buckets, those components were at the table and they were playing well in the sandbox together. It’s probably the most exciting time in Birmingham’s history since its inception.” Deontee Gordon likes what he sees in the inclusion and diversity of Birmingham’s tech growth from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo. That may sound like a bold statement for a place that earned the name the Magic City for its explosive growth. But it’s also a city that earned the nickname “Bombingham” for its explosive hate. Overcoming that and being seen by many as ground zero for the civil rights movement actually helps Birmingham in the new economy, Gordon believes. “You look at Birmingham, it makes sense for all of this activity to take place in an area that was known for being the battleground, for leading the entire nation and in so many ways impacting the world,” Gordon said. “I say it time and time again and I hope it’s not hackneyed at this point, but in what better city than Birmingham to do this work? While that particular lens might focus on a certain race, at the end of the day it is still inclusive, and it is inclusive of everybody.” Gordon is among the tech sector leaders in Birmingham who are pushing for the metro area to lead the nation in inclusive innovation – taking the steps to elevate everyone with the knowledge and certifications needed to participate in the tech economy. TechBirmingham has taken on part of this responsibility with its Kids Code Club and other outreach initiatives to help young people gain skills for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and computer coding jobs. TechBirmingham was also instrumental in working with the city of Birmingham, Birmingham City Schools and Lawson State Community College to bring Apple’s Everyone Can Code curriculum to create Birmingham Can Code. The Innovate Birmingham program is reaching out to young adults ready to take jobs at partner companies. They go through a certification program in partnership with UAB and Innovation Depot to try to produce nearly 1,000 job-ready graduates in the next few years. Many of the participants in its I AM BHAM coding bootcamps and Generation IT bootcamps are from underserved neighborhoods and would not have had an opportunity to pursue tech jobs without the programs. “What I love about Innovate Birmingham’s approach is that they are not forgetting that local talent base,” Gordon said. “It might be a long-term play, but it is a needed play. That’s how Birmingham separates itself from other cities because we constantly ask ourselves as part of our guiding principles, ‘How does this positively impact everybody.’” Gordon said he is also in favor of recruiting companies and talent from outside of Birmingham, but to neglect those who are here would ignore a significant asset. “If you want to look at all of the movement and activity from an historical lens and a cultural lens, the black community, in particular, I believe prides itself on doing a lot with nothing,” he said. “Ingenuity, creativity, being expressive, creating art out of movement and music – something that leaves a legacy built from thin air. To take that creativity, that sense of just unbridled passion and now use technology as a conduit to channel that through, I think it just bodes well.” For Gordon, it’s not about no longer seeing color. Instead, it is about valuing those colors and contributions you do see. “I think it is more so about appreciating what every person, what every culture and every group brings to the table,” he said. “There are common threads that bind us all. Obviously, we’re Birmingham goals as a region, we’re Alabama goals as a state. What happens in Mountain Brook will impact somebody in Midfield. What happens in Mobile will impact somebody in Fairhope and Huntsville. To the degree that we can recognize how we are all linked together and bust down those silos, we will be better for it.” When Gordon talks about inclusive innovation, it’s a matter of “you don’t have to shed who you are to be a part of it,” he said. It means not focusing on race, gender, age, sexual orientation or other factors when it comes to people’s contribution to the workforce, he said. “We have a rich tapestry,” Gordon said. “If we recognize that and what those individual groups bring to the table but also weave that in a common thread and narrative, that’s how you change it.” There are efforts underway, Gordon said, to expand education and training outreach throughout the metro area and into rural areas using existing assets like local libraries to elevate under-served populations. “Whereas a rising tide lifts all boats, we have to recognize that some people don’t have boats,” he said. “If we answer that question and make sure that it’s accessible to everybody, that’s how you change the game.” And the game is changing with Amazon setting up shop in Bessemer, Mercedes-Benz building electric vehicle batteries in Bibb County, Shipt growing its presence and jobs downtown, DC BLOX building a data center near Titusville, Joonko moving to Birmingham from Israel or companies like Fleetio and Pack Health continuing to grow. “We have a lot to celebrate, a ton of wins and what’s exciting and encouraging to me is that word is starting to get out,” Gordon said. “When you get here, everybody senses that excitement. It’s palpable. You
Donald Trump calls for end of resistance politics in State of Union
Facing a divided Congress for the first time, President Donald Trump on Tuesday called on Washington to reject “the politics of revenge, resistance and retribution.” He warned emboldened Democrats that “ridiculous partisan investigations” into his administration and businesses could hamper a surging American economy. Trump’s appeals for bipartisanship in his State of the Union address clashed with the rancorous atmosphere he has helped cultivate in the nation’s capital — as well as the desire of most Democrats to block his agenda during his next two years in office. Their opposition was on vivid display as Democratic congresswomen in the audience formed a sea of white in a nod to early 20th-century suffragettes. Trump spoke at a critical moment in his presidency, staring down a two-year stretch that will determine whether he is re-elected or leaves office in defeat. His speech sought to shore up Republican support that had eroded slightly during the recent government shutdown and previewed a fresh defense against Democrats as they ready a round of investigations into every aspect of his administration. “If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation,” he declared. Lawmakers in the cavernous House chamber sat largely silent. Looming over the president’s address was a fast-approaching Feb. 15 deadline to fund the government and avoid another shutdown. Democrats have refused to acquiesce to his demands for a border wall, and Republicans are increasingly unwilling to shut down the government to help him fulfill his signature campaign pledge. Nor does the GOP support the president’s plan to declare a national emergency if Congress won’t fund the wall. Wary of publicly highlighting those intraparty divisions, Trump made no mention of an emergency declaration in his remarks, though he did offer a lengthy defense of his call for a border wall. But he delivered no ultimatums about what it would take for him to sign legislation to keep the government open. “I am asking you to defend our very dangerous southern border out of love and devotion to our fellow citizens and to our country,” he said. Trump devoted much of his speech to foreign policy, another area where Republicans have increasingly distanced themselves from the White House. He announced details of a second meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, outlining a summit on Feb. 27 and 28 in Vietnam. The two met last summer in Singapore, though that meeting only led to a vaguely worded commitment by the North to denuclearize. As he stood before lawmakers, the president was surrounded by symbols of his emboldened political opposition. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was praised by Democrats for her hard-line negotiating during the shutdown, sat behind Trump as he spoke. And several senators running for president were also in the audience, including Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey. Another Democratic star, Stacey Abrams, will deliver the party’s response to Trump. Abrams narrowly lost her bid in November to become America’s first black female governor, and party leaders are aggressively recruiting her to run for U.S. Senate from Georgia. In excerpts released ahead of Abrams’ remarks, she calls the shutdown a political stunt that “defied every tenet of fairness and abandoned not just our people, but our values.” Trump’s address amounted to an opening argument for his re-election campaign. Polls show he has work to do, with his approval rating falling to just 34 percent after the shutdown, according to a recent survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. One bright spot for the president has been the economy, which has added jobs for 100 straight months. He said the U.S. has “the hottest economy anywhere in the world.” He said, “The only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics or ridiculous partisan investigations” an apparent swipe at the special counsel investigation into ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign, as well as the upcoming congressional investigations. The diverse Democratic caucus, which includes a bevy of women, sat silently for much of Trump’s speech. But they leapt to their feet when he noted there are “more women in the workforce than ever before.” The increase is due to population growth — and not something Trump can credit to any of his policies. Turning to foreign policy, another area where Republicans have increasingly been willing to distance themselves from the president, Trump defended his decisions to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan. “Great nations do not fight endless wars,” he said, adding that the U.S. is working with allies to “destroy the remnants” of the Islamic State group and that he has “accelerated” efforts to reach a settlement in Afghanistan. IS militants have lost territory since Trump’s surprise announcement in December that he was pulling U.S. forces out, but military officials warn the fighters could regroup within six months to a year of the Americans leaving. Several leading GOP lawmakers have sharply criticized his plans to withdraw from Syria, as well as from Afghanistan. Trump’s guests for the speech include Anna Marie Johnson, a woman whose life sentence for drug offenses was commuted by the president, and Joshua Trump, a sixth-grade student from Wilmington, Delaware, who has been bullied over his last name. They sat with first lady Melania Trump during the address. Republished with permission from the Associated Press
Alabama lawmakers, groups respond to Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech
President Donald Trump delivered his second State of the Union address Tuesday night ending with a call for unity. Here’s what Alabama lawmakers and groups had to say about the President’s address: Sen. Richard Shelby: President Trump outlined a policy agenda that both parties can work together to achieve. During his first two years in office, the President has delivered on many promises to the American people, including signing historic tax reform into law, creating one of the strongest economies I have seen in my lifetime, and focusing on vital infrastructure projects. While huge strides were made to address our nation’s most critical issues last Congress, I applaud President Trump’s dedication to solve the challenges still facing us today. It is imperative that we work to put our political disagreements aside in order to secure our borders with a comprehensive solution. As Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find common ground on this critical issue. 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne: Tonight, President Trump’s message was clear: if we stop with the political games and focus on solutions, American Greatness knows no bounds. By supporting the President’s clear and bold agenda, the American people will be stronger, safer, and more prosperous. …It is time to stop with the politics of resistance and act on these critically important issues. President Trump is right when he said that great bipartisan achievements in this Congress are possible, especially when we rally behind a commonsense agenda building American Greatness. Let’s get it done. 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby: In his second State of the Union address, President Trump highlighted the economic success hardworking Americans are experiencing thanks to the implementation of pro-growth policies, including the historic tax reform overhaul. I was also pleased to hear more about his plan to work with Congress to reinvigorate our badly aging infrastructure, strengthen our military, bolster our national security efforts, improve care for veterans, and defend the unborn. In addition, President Trump laid out his vision for our country’s future as it relates to enhancing border security and finally addressing our serious illegal immigration problem. Now, with a divided Congress, I was encouraged by his remarks about the importance of bipartisanship and working together to get our job done. I am eager to continue working with the Administration and my colleagues in Congress to deliver the results that the American people and Alabama’s Second District deserve. 3rd District U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers: Tonight, President Trump reaffirmed in his speech what makes our country great. His vision for America is attainable if we all work together and his eloquent call for unity will only make our nation stronger. I look forward to continuing to work with President Trump to build an even stronger economy, ensure our national security remains a top priority and secure our Southwest border with Mexico 4th District U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt: As the President pointed out, the state of our Union is indeed strong. The economy is growing at an all-time high and unemployment is near record lows. And on the world stage, America is once again showing its strength. President Trump is not only working to defeat ISIS, but is also working to finally end the nuclear threat from North Korea. President Trump is getting so much pushback because he has forced Washington bureaucrats out of their comfort zone. Democrats, and even some Republicans, want to stick to the status quo, but that is not how you achieve results for all Americans. 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks: President Trump did an excellent job of explaining why we must secure America’s porous southern border. Too many Americans have lost their lives and their jobs. Too many Americans have had their wages suppressed. Too many Americans are being forced to pay higher taxes to support welfare for illegal alien families. In short, President Trump laid bare for all to see the betrayal of American families by Democrats who care more about illegal aliens than Americans. Whether the focus was on economic prosperity, free enterprise versus socialism, international relations, health care, national security, or the promise of America, President Trump hit the game-winning grand slam, shot the game-winning three point shot, and scored the game-winning touchdown. In sum, President Trump reminded us of how great America is and how proud we should be to be Americans. 6th District U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer: The President’s theme tonight of choosing greatness was what I think the nation needed to hear. He made it clear that we have a choice—we can choose to continue to pursue agendas that will weaken us, or we can choose an agenda that will unite us and ensure a bright and secure future for America. … I hope my Democratic colleagues will heed President Trump’s words tonight and return to this bipartisan approach that he has encouraged. He summed it up well tonight when he said, ‘Together, we can break decades of political stalemate. We can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions, and unlock the extraordinary promise of America’s future. The decision is ours to make 7th District U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell: The President’s promises of bipartisanship and unity tonight ring hollow. Actions speak louder than words. Over and over, the Trump administration has pursued divisive and destructive policies that have failed the middle class. The President has attacked people with pre-existing conditions and American’s right to health care. He has put corporate interests above those of working families by passing the GOP tax scam and denying federal workers their hard-earned paychecks during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Day in and day out, the President has sowed a culture of fear and falsehoods and put his own personal interests above those of the American people. Alabama Republican Party | Chairman Terry Lathan: President Trump showed true leadership through his incredible State of the Union Address. In calling for a renewal
States ask US Supreme Court to hear Alabama abortion case
Twenty-one states are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to let Alabama ban a commonly used second trimester abortion procedure. The states filed a brief with the high court Monday asking justices to review the constitutionality of the Alabama law that was blocked by lower courts. Justices haven’t said if they’ll hear the case. The 2016 law banned the procedure known as dilation and evacuation abortions, in which the fetus is removed in pieces with forceps. State politicians used the nonmedical term “dismemberment abortion” to describe the procedure. A federal judge ruled the procedure ban was an unconstitutional restriction on abortion access. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision. Several states supporting Alabama, including Kansas, Louisiana and Texas, have tried to enact similar restrictions. Republished with permission from the Associated Press
