Colon Cancer Awareness Month: My scary diagnosis and what you can do
Let me start by saying that I’m A-Okay and am planning on staying that way for a long time. Think of Sophia from Golden Girls old or Betty White that’s how long I plan to live: old enough for my crankiness to be attributed to age and suddenly be socially acceptable. Several weeks ago I had a scare. After attending my first Mardi Gras in Mobile then scooting up to Montgomery to join Baron Coleman on the radio I rushed home and had a colonoscopy the next morning. It was a last minute thing after seeing a specialist earlier in the week. At 37, I put it off even probably a little longer than I should have. I was having some troubling symptoms of which I’m glad for because otherwise I wouldn’t have found out I had pre-cancerious polyps growing inside of me. Colon cancer and polyps at my age? Nope didn’t see it coming. You guys, I’m not close to 50 (the age after which most people are diagnosed) and I don’t know what I thought someone who gets colon cancer looks like (okay old looking, no I mean old) but I was pretty sure she wouldn’t be young enough to still be wearing 5 inch heels and have three young kids but alas I am now what I want you to envision when you think colon polyps (not colon cancer and not just about colons because that would just be weird). Here’s what I’ve learned in the last week: March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month. Early detection is key. Listen to your body. Make the appointment. Drink the gross drink and make sure your friends and family who are at high risk are doing the same. Cancer is scary. In fact it’s downright terrifying. Talking about colonoscopies and any symptoms related to that area of the body is generally speaking considered impolite, but we must do it. Since I’m not known for sticking to “just polite” conversation, I hope I’ll inspire someone to speak up and get tested too. Together we can beat this awful disease. Signs and symptoms Local symptoms. According to CancerCenter.com, local symptoms are those that affect only the colon and/or rectum and have not spread to distant organs. Common local symptoms include: Constipation Diarrhea Alternating diarrhea and constipation, or other changes in bowel habits Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool Abdominal bloating, cramps or discomfort A feeling that the bowel doesn’t empty completely Stools that are thinner than normal If you experience these possible symptoms of colorectal cancer for an extended period of time, it is important that you visit a health care professional. Systemic symptoms. According to CancerCenter.com, systemic colorectal cancer symptoms may impact more than the digestive tract and affect your entire body. Common systemic symptoms of colorectal cancer include: Unexplained loss of appetite Unexplained weight loss Nausea Vomiting Jaundice Anemia Weakness Fatigue More signs and symptoms to watch out for.
Vestavia Hills City Council to consider Red Mountain Park gun range
The City of Vestavia Hills may soon have its own gun range in Red Mountain Park for law enforcement training purposes. The Vestavia Hills City Council on Monday will consider a Memorandum of Understanding facilitating the development of a gun range in the park that would be used exclusively for law enforcement training purposes for the Red Mountain Park Police Department and the Vestavia Hills Police Department (VHPD). According to the council agenda, the range would span 285 acres. Some of the ideas that have been discussed are: A pistol range would be developed for the exclusive use of Red Mountain Park Police Department and VHPD; and A rifle range would be constructed for the exclusive use of the Red Mountain Park Police Department and VHPD; and No invitees would be permitted on the pistol range or the rifle range; and Both the Commission and the City would provide, maintain and pay the premiums on general comprehensive liability insurance policies to cover any and all liability issues. A Memorandum of Understanding has been drafted to authorize the development of a conceptual plan and an estimated cost of a firearms training facility. The Vestavia Hills City Council meets at 6 p.m. on March 18.
High-profile firing adds to troubles for Montgomery’s SPLC
The high-profile firing of the co-founder of a liberal group best known for monitoring hate organizations is only the latest trouble for the nonprofit, which got its start handling civil rights cases in the Deep South. At least three lawsuits filed by U.S. conservatives are pending against the Southern Poverty Law Center over its public labeling of groups it considers extremist, and a separate claim by a British organization resulted in a multimillion-dollar settlement and an unusual public apology less than a year ago. The Montgomery, Alabama-based law center announced Thursday it had dismissed its 82-year-old founder, Morris Dees. A statement from the group’s president, Richard Cohen, didn’t specify the reason for Dees’ dismissal but said the organization must act when staff conduct doesn’t meet its standards. “The SPLC is deeply committed to having a workplace that reflects the values it espouses – truth, justice, equity and inclusion, and we believe the steps we have taken today reaffirm that commitment,” Cohen said. The firing could be a blow to the organization where Dees gained fame during a career that included winning multimillion-dollar verdicts against the Ku Klux Klan and the Aryan Nations. He is arguably its best-known public face with thousands of donors who helped the organization build assets totaling $450 million. In a message on the law center’s website, Cohen praised Dees’ “incredible contributions to the fight against racial injustice in our country” and added: “But our work is about the cause, not the person.” Dees said his dismissal involved a personnel issue but would not elaborate. He also didn’t criticize the organization he helped found nearly 50 years ago. “I think the Southern Poverty Law Center is a very fine group and I devoted nearly 50 years of my life to it and I’m proud of its work,” Dees said. Board members contacted by The Associated Press either declined comment or referred questions of the law center. Dees’ dismissal came nine months after the law center agreed to a $3.4 million settlement after wrongly labeling a British organization and its founder as extremists. The law center issued statements saying it was wrong to include the London-based Quilliam and Maajid Nawaz in a “Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists.” Meanwhile, the law center or its staffers face three similar lawsuits from conservative groups. Most recently, the founder of a far-right men’s group called the Proud Boys, Gavin McInnes, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center last month for labeling the organization a hate group. The lawsuit contends the designation is false and damaged McInnes’ career. The conservative Center for Immigration Studies sued Richard Cohen, the law center’s president, and Heidi Beirich, the director of its intelligence unit, in January in federal court claiming the organization had wrongly labeled it as an anti-immigrant hate group. And a Maryland attorney, Glen K. Allen, sued the law center, Beirich and a former staffer in December saying it wrongly called him a “neo-Nazi lawyer.” The lawsuits opened a new front for the law center, which has long been a target of the groups it monitors. Three Klansmen pleaded guilty to firebombing the organization’s office in Montgomery in 1983; Dees helped sort through charred papers outside the building the morning after the attack. Dees got his start in sales, founding a direct mail marketing company that specialized in publishing while he was a student at the University of Alabama. A company the Alabama native started with the late Millard Fuller, who went on to begin Habitat for Humanity, which constructs homes for the needy, grew into a major regional publishing company. Eleven years after earning his law degree, Dees and partner Joseph J. Levin Jr. formed the Southern Poverty Law Center in 1971 to handle civil rights cases and represent clients including the poor, minorities and prisoners. Dees was finance director for President Jimmy Carter’s campaign in 1976. After a career that included near-constant court fights against right-wing extremists, Dees was honored with the American Bar Association’s highest honor in 2012. In his acceptance speech, Dees praised the tenacity of the law center, which now has more than 350 employees in five states. “None of our lawyers have ever backed down or quit; or any of our staff has ever backed down or quit because of the trials and tribulations we’ve had to face,” he said. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Message to legislators: ‘The jig is up’
It’s official, the jig is up. We now know that the Alabama Legislature has the ability to fast-track legislation that’s important to them. The question is, why haven’t they passed meaningful ethics reform? You know, closing the gaps that caused trouble for former House Speaker Mike Hubbard and strengthening it? Why haven’t they addressed holes in gapping holes in our states transparency laws? Why are the things that matter most sitting on the back-burner, meanwhile taxes were rushed through like the bridges and roads were literally falling down around us and a few more weeks of discussion would mean hundreds of thousands would die. That’s the sense of urgency in which they took on the tax bill. I am writing this post to say, you’ve shown you have the ability to fast-track things when you so desire, let’s use that power for good instead of evil. First, when you get back next week how about looking for some offsets to make amends in a small way for the increases you just passed. Alabama Policy Institute has a few if you’re looking for somewhere to start: Grocery taxes. Here’s a list of priorities, just in case you missed them last time: Offset the tax increase you just passed and do it quickly Increased transparency and give teeth to current open records laws Pass meaningful ethics reform with no loopholes and no room for misinterpretation or claims of it Fiscal accountability. And not just some watered-down version of some legislation that says we’ll hold you accountable. But rather legislation that limits what you can spend money on and includes cost-savings measure that provide. Let’s get creative and spend what we have better. Let’s get rid of the red-tape and the regulations that cost Alabamians jobs. Let’s look at cutting cumbersome occupational licensing and fees. You’ve shown that you can get things done in a hurry. Show us that you still have a pulse on the conservative principles you talked about during your campaigns.
Martha Roby: Sharing Ag community appreciation
On Thursday, March 14, our country celebrated National Agriculture Day. Members of Congress from all corners of the nation took this opportunity to thank the farmers and producers in their respective states and districts, and President Donald Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation acknowledging the immeasurable value farmers, ranchers, growers, producers, and foresters contribute to our country and the world. Agriculture has a significant impact on our economy. Our agriculture exports are valued at more than $141 billion and are critical to our country’s job market. It’s estimated that every $1 billion in agriculture exports supports roughly 8,400 American jobs. So, you see, agriculture and related industries are absolutely vital to this country’s economic success. Here in Alabama, agriculture continues to be our largest revenue-producing industry, contributing more than $70 billion in economic impact annually. With over 9 million acres of farmland and more than 48,500 farms, our state is a national leader in food production and a global competitor in many industries, including poultry, catfish, timber, cotton, peanuts, and livestock. In the Second District alone, agriculture is our largest employer, responsible for more than 93,000 jobs and $11 billion in economic impact. At the end of last year, Congress passed and the President signed into law the new farm bill to provide certainty to the American families who work tirelessly to provide the food and fiber we all depend on. In Congress, my goal with agriculture policy is always to create a responsible framework of laws and programs that promote a sustainable and profitable agriculture industry in Alabama while enabling our farmers to do their important work. I was proud to vote in favor of this bill to accomplish just that. During this time of celebrating our country’s agriculture industry, I feel it is also important to acknowledge the communities in the Wiregrass that are still trying to recover after Hurricane Michael devastated lands and crops during harvest last October. Earlier this month, our neighbors in Lee County experienced severe devastation when tornadoes ripped through the southern part of the county, taking innocent lives and destroying homes and property. In the wake of this tragic devastation, I firmly believe Congress should make agriculture disaster recovery funds available for these people who were hit the hardest. I remain hopeful that we will get this done soon, and in the meantime, I encourage those who need assistance to contact my offices. At the end of the day, life as we know it wouldn’t exist without the hard work of farmers and producers across this country. Our agriculture community provides the sustenance that feeds America and the world, and we owe it to these men and women to recognize the critical role they play in our daily lives. So, to all the outstanding individuals in Alabama and across the country who work in agriculture, thank you. You feed us, clothe us, fuel our economy, and set a strong example of hard work and perseverance. I will always be a vocal advocate for you in Congress. Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband Riley and their two children.
Terri Sewell introduces legislation to tackle growing doctor shortages
It’s no secret, the demand for health care services has never been higher. But here in Alabama, and across the country, hospitals are struggling to recruit enough physicians to meet the growing health care demands. Which is why Alabama 7th District U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, and her Republican colleague New York 24th District U.S. Rep. John Katko, on Thursday introduced legislation that would take critical steps towards reducing nationwide physician shortages by boosting the number of Medicare-supported residency positions. The details The Resident Physician Shortage Act (H.R. 1763) would support an additional 3,000 positions each year for the next five years, for a total of 15,000 residency positions. “This week, medical students across the country will celebrate their match into physician residency programs, but many of their peers will be left without a residency due to the gap between students applying and the number of funded positions. At the same time, the United States faces a projected shortage of up to 120,000 physicians by 2030. We need to act now to train more qualified doctors,” Sewell said. Sewell continued, “Increasing the number of Medicare-supported residency positions means increasing the number of trained doctors to meet growing demand. It also means giving hospitals and health centers the tools they need to increase access, lower wait times for patients and create a pipeline of qualified medical professionals to serve Americans’ health needs.” To become a practicing doctor in the U.S., medical school graduates must complete a residency program. However, for the past two decades, an artificial cap on the number of residents funded by Medicare – which is the primary source of payment for residents – has limited the expansion of training programs and the number of trainees. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States will face a physician shortage of between 42,600 and 121,300 physicians by 2030. As the American population grows older, the demand for physicians and other medical professionals will increase. Support from the medical community Alabama’s own UAB Health System has come out in support of the legislation. “UAB Medicine is supportive and thankful for Representatives Sewell (D-Ala.) and Katko’s (R-N.Y.) support of increasing the training programs for physicians with the reintroduction of the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019,”said Dr. Will Ferniany, CEO of the UAB Health System. “Alabama and many states have critical shortages of physicians that this act will significantly address. Without this additional support UAB Hospital and other hospitals in Alabama will be unable to meet our physician needs.” Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., President and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges, believes the Resident Physician Shortage Act would also also improve access to critical physician services “as it requires half of all the new positions be dedicated to shortage specialties.” This bipartisan legislation recognizes that physicians are a critical element of our health care infrastructure, and would make a strategic investment in the health care workforce by providing a measured increase in federal support for physician training. The legislation would also improve access to critical physician services as it requires half of all the new positions be dedicated to shortage specialties, as well as incentivizes training in VA medical centers, community and outpatient settings, and rural hospitals. We are committed to working with Reps. Sewell and Katko, and all members of Congress, to alleviate the doctor shortage for the benefit of all Americans,” Kirch explained.
Admissions scandal unfolds amid cynicism about moral values
In some ways, the college-admissions bribery scheme newly revealed by federal prosecutors seemed almost inevitable. Ethics experts say Americans these days are barraged with accounts of corruption, greed and amoral behavior to the point that many likely wonder, “Why should I play by the rules?” Whether it’s gaming the system to secure entry to an elite college, or circumventing laws and ethical norms to evade taxes, swindle customers or pocket illicit gains, unethical behavior has always been among America’s national pastimes. Yet a strong case can be made that this moment is distinctive, with its constant stream of high-profile scandals entangling bankers, drug companies, sports organizations, government officials and others. “There’s a rawer pursuit of opportunities and benefits than there once was,” said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University. “It was always there, but now it’s broader, and there are elements of society that once responded to social and professional restraints that no longer do so.” The admissions scandal, as outlined this week by federal authorities, is the biggest such scam ever prosecuted by the Justice Department. Fifty people were charged in a scheme in which wealthy parents allegedly paid an estimated $25 million in bribes to college coaches and other insiders to get their children into elite schools. “I don’t think anyone is shocked that children of the wealthy have an easier time getting into top schools,” said Nick Smith, a philosophy professor at the University of New Hampshire. “The deck is stacked in their favor, even if they can’t quite directly buy their way in.” “What is new here is that all of those considerable advantages apparently aren’t enough for some and they will go to any length to directly buy their way in,” Smith said. “It’s like the veneer of fairness is cracking all around us, and corruption is increasingly on the surface of our most esteemed institutions.” Some rule-breakers get caught, of course. Martin Shkreli, who provoked outrage with a 5,000 percent hike in the price of a vital drug, is serving a seven-year sentence in federal prison for securities fraud. Paul Manafort, Donald Trump‘s former campaign chairman, faces prison time for concealing his foreign lobbying work, laundering millions of dollars, and coaching witnesses to lie on his behalf. However, public cynicism about America’s moral standards is high, as evidenced in the annual Values and Morals poll conducted by Gallup since 2002. In the latest poll, released last June, a record high 49 percent of respondents rated moral values in the U.S. as poor, and only 14 percent rated them excellent or good. The perception that unethical behavior is increasingly commonplace could have a snowball effect, says Andrew Cullison, a philosophy professor who heads DePauw University’s Prindle Institute for Ethics. “People think that if moral standards have eroded, why should they play by the rules,” he said. “If they’ve lost trust in some entity or institution, then that organization has lost the right to their compliance with the rules.” Cullison said President Trump and his administration may be contributing to those perceptions with their departure from some longstanding ethical norms. Trump, for example, has refused to release his tax returns, as other recent presidents did, and has neither divested his business holdings or placed them in a blind trust. “It’s the objective truth that norms of conduct are being violated,” Cullison said. “Where people differ is how outraged they are. If you’re getting what you want (in terms of policy), you’ll be more willing to look the other way.” Jordan Libowitz, a spokesman for the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, noted that several of Trump’s Cabinet appointees have been the subject of ethics investigations “We’re seeing a pattern of not caring about ethics that we’ve not seen before,” Libowitz said. “It sets a dangerous precedent for future administrations, that once ethical norms are pushed aside and nothing is done about it, this might become the new normal.” Libowitz said Congress could take new steps to tighten ethical standards for the executive branch, updating and strengthening some of the reforms enacted in the post-Watergate era of the late 1970s. Congress has its own image problems. A Gallup poll in December asked respondents in the U.S. to rank 20 different occupations in terms of their ethical standards — members of Congress ranked the lowest, below car salespeople and telemarketers. Nurses were at the top. College administrators, teachers and coaches weren’t part of the Gallup poll. But Robert M. Franklin, a professor of moral leadership at Emory University in Atlanta, said the admissions scandal should be a catalyst for substantive reforms throughout higher education, including auditing of admissions procedures by outside accreditation agencies. “This is revealed as hardworking, bright students of color, women and immigrants are benefiting from smart affirmative action policies that correct past injustice and exclusion,” Franklin said in an email. “Now, we must all question whether the scions of affluent white parents gamed the system to ensure admission for their average offspring.” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Senate votes against Donald Trump border emergency
In a stunning rebuke, a dozen defecting Republicans joined Senate Democrats to block the national emergency that President Donald Trump declared so he could build his border wall with Mexico. The rejection capped a week of confrontation with the White House as both parties in Congress strained to exert their power in new ways. The 59-41 tally Thursday, following the Senate’s vote a day earlier to end U.S. involvement in the war in Yemen, promised to force Trump into the first vetoes of his presidency. Trump had warned against both actions. Moments after Thursday’s vote, the president tweeted a single word of warning: “VETO!” Two years into the Trump era, a defecting dozen Republicans, pushed along by Democrats, showed a willingness to take that political risk. Twelve GOP senators, including the party’s 2012 presidential nominee, Mitt Romney of Utah, joined the dissent over the emergency declaration order that would enable the president to seize for the wall billions of dollars Congress intended elsewhere. “The Senate’s waking up a little bit to our responsibilities,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who said the chamber had become “a little lazy” as an equal branch of government. “I think the value of these last few weeks is to remind the Senate of our constitutional place.” Many senators said the vote was not necessarily a rejection of the president or the wall, but protections against future presidents — namely a Democrat who might want to declare an emergency on climate change, gun control or any number of other issues. “This is constitutional question, it’s a question about the balance of power that is core to our constitution,” Romney said. “This is not about the president,” he added. “The president can certainly express his views as he has and individual senators can express theirs.” Thursday’s vote was the first direct challenge to the 1976 National Emergencies Act, just as Wednesday’s on Yemen was the first time Congress invoked the decades-old War Powers Act to try to rein in a president. Seven Republicans joined Democrats in halting U.S. backing for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in the aftermath of the kingdom’s role in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Even though there’s not likely to be enough numbers to override a veto, the votes nevertheless sent a message from Capitol Hill. “Today’s votes cap a week of something the American people haven’t seen enough of in the last two years,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, “both parties in the United States Congress standing up to Donald Trump.” The result is a role-reversal for Republicans who have been reluctant to take on Trump, bracing against his high-profile tweets and public attacks of reprimand. But now they are facing challenges from voters — in some states where senators face stiff elections — who are expecting more from Congress. Centrist Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins, who’s among those most vulnerable in 2020, said she’s sure the president “will not be happy with my vote. But I’m a United States senator and I feel my job is to stand up for the Constitution, so let the chips fall where they may.” Trump’s grip on the party, though, remains strong and the White House made it clear that Republicans resisting Trump could face political consequences. Ahead of the voting, Trump framed the issue as with-him-or-against-him on border security, a powerful argument with many. “A vote for today’s resolution by Republican Senators is a vote for Nancy Pelosi, Crime, and the Open Border Democrats!” Trump tweeted. “Don’t vote with Pelosi!” he said in another, referring to the speaker of the House. A White House official said Trump won’t forget when senators who oppose him want him to attend fundraisers or provide other help. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on internal deliberations. “I don’t think anybody’s sending the president a message,” said Jim Risch of Idaho, the GOP chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He blamed the media for “reaching” to view every action “through the prism of the presidency, and that isn’t necessarily the way it works here.” Trump brought on the challenge months ago when he all but dared Congress not to give him the $5.7 billion he was demanding to build the U.S.-Mexico wall or risk a federal government shutdown. Congress declined and the result was the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Against the advice of GOP leaders, Trump invoked the national emergency declaration last month, allowing him to try to tap some $3.6 billion for the wall by shuffling money from military projects, and that drew outrage from many lawmakers. Trump had campaigned for president promising Mexico would pay for the wall. The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse, and lawmakers seethed as they worried about losing money for military projects that had already been approved for bases at home and abroad. The Democratic-led House swiftly voted to terminate Trump’s order. Senate Republicans spent weeks trying to avoid this outcome, up until the night before the vote, in a script that was familiar — up until the gavel. The most promising was an effort from Sen. Mike Lee of Utah for legislation that would impose limits on future presidential actions. That would give senators some solace as they allowed Trump’s order to stand. GOP senators huddled with Vice President Mike Pence and seemed optimistic the White House might support their plan. Then Trump called Lee in the middle of a private Republican lunch meeting and, in the time it took the senator to step out of the room to take the call, it was over. Trump was opposed. Lee and other senators were peeling off against the president. In a last-ditch effort the night before the vote, Lindsey Graham and other senators dashed to the White House to try once again for Trump’s support to broker an alternative plan. Trump was frustrated by their arrival. They mostly failed. Trump did tweet ahead of the vote that
