Pandemic-delayed World Games open in Birmingham a year late
Delayed a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Games open Thursday in Alabama featuring more than 3,600 athletes participating in non-Olympic events including sumo wrestling, gymnastics, martial arts, and tug of war. The opening ceremony, set for Thursday night at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, includes performances by Nelly and the band Alabama. It will kick off 10 days of competition around the metro area in nearly 40 sports with participants from about 100 nations. Organizers said more than 350,000 tickets have been sold, and events will be available for viewing by livestream. CBS Sports will televise 12 hours of coverage. Some competitions already have been held. Hundreds of people turned out in Oxford, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Birmingham, for exhibition games between the USA Softball Women’s National Team, Team Australia, and Team Japan. Some streets in downtown Birmingham have been shut down for security, but the city also has added new features, including a park constructed beneath the rebuilt Interstate 20/59. Most athletes are being housed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham or Birmingham-Southern College. “Yesterday, the Egyptian karate team arrived at Birmingham-Southern. Today I was getting reports of the Canadian lacrosse team and others,” World Games chief executive Nick Sellers said Tuesday. Initially scheduled for 2021, the World Games were delayed a year because of the pandemic. Cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations are again on the rise, but state hospitals are far below capacities that stretched staff and intensive care units at the worst of the crisis. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Floating abortion clinic proposed in Gulf to bypass bans
A California doctor is proposing a floating abortion clinic in the Gulf of Mexico as a way to maintain access for people in southern states where abortion bans have been enacted. The idea is to provide a clinic aboard a ship in federal waters, and out of reach of state laws, that would offer first-trimester surgical abortions, contraception, and other care, said Dr. Meg Autry, an obstetrician and gynecologist and a professor at the University of California San Francisco. “There’s been an assault on reproductive rights in our country and I’m a lifelong advocate for reproductive health and choice. We have to create options and be thoughtful and creative to help people in restrictive states get the health care they deserve,” she told The Associated Press. Autry said the idea is only in the fundraising stage through the non-profit, “PRROWESS” — short for “Protecting Reproductive Rights Of Women Endangered by State Statutes.” The proposal comes as abortion access in the southern United States has been swiftly curtailed after the U.S. Supreme Court turned the issue of abortion back to the states. Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas have had abortion bans take effect. A Florida law, which is in effect after a legal back-and-forth, prohibits abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions if the procedure is necessary to save a life, prevent serious injury or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. Autry said their legal team believes there is a swath of federal water where licensed providers could safely and legally provide abortions out of reach of state laws. For women in southern states with abortion bans, going to the coast and boarding a boat may be closer and easier than trying to travel to a state where abortion remains legal, she said. “This is closer and faster access for some people, particularly for working people that live in the southernmost part of these states,” she said. Autry said they are still trying to work out many of the details such as where the boat will launch and how women would get to the ship. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Joe Biden says he’s mulling health emergency for abortion access
President Joe Biden said Sunday he is considering declaring a public health emergency to free up federal resources to promote abortion access even though the White House has said it doesn’t seem like “a great option.” He also offered a message to people enraged by the Supreme Court’s ruling last month that ended a constitutional right to abortion and who have been demonstrating across the country: “Keep protesting. Keep making your point. It’s critically important.” The president, in remarks to reporters during a stop on a bike ride near his family’s Delaware beach house, said he lacks the power to force the dozen-plus states with strict restrictions or outright bans on abortion to allow the procedure. “I don’t have the authority to say that we’re going to reinstate Roe v. Wade as the law of the land,” he said, referring to the Supreme Court’s decision from 1973 that had established a national right to abortion. Biden said Congress would have to codify that right and for that to have a better chance in the future, voters would have to elect more lawmakers who support abortion access. Biden said his administration is trying to do a “lot of things to accommodate the rights of women” after the ruling, including considering declaring a public health emergency to free up federal resources. Such a move has been pushed by advocates, but White House officials have questioned both its legality and effectiveness and noted it would almost certainly face legal challenges. The president said he has asked officials “to look at whether I have the authority to do that and what impact that would have.” On Friday, Jen Klein, the director of the White House Gender Policy Council, said it “didn’t seem like a great option.” “When we looked at the public health emergency, we learned a couple things: One is that it doesn’t free very many resources,” she told reporters. “It’s what’s in the public health emergency fund, and there’s very little money — tens of thousands of dollars in it. So that didn’t seem like a great option. And it also doesn’t release a significant amount of legal authority. And so that’s why we haven’t taken that action yet.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Terri Sewell announces $2.5 Million in grant funding to preserve Alabama HBCUs
Rep. Terri Sewell announced that the National Park Service (NPS) will award $2.5 million to five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Alabama. The funding will be used to preserve historic structures on the campuses of Alabama State University, Miles College, Selma University, Alabama A&M University, and Stillman College. Sewell serves as Vice-Chair of the Congressional HBCU Caucus. The funding is part of a $9.7 million investment by NPS in HBCUs nationwide. Since the 1990s, the NPS has awarded more than $87 million in grants to over 85 of the remaining active HBCUs. Congress gives funding for the program through the Historic Preservation Fund which uses revenue from federal oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf, providing assistance for a broad range of preservation projects without expending tax dollars. The following Alabama HBCUs will receive funding: Alabama State University – $500,000 for the G.W. Trenholm Hall Preservation Project Miles College – $500,000 for the Williams Hall Historic Preservation Project Selma University – $500,000 to preserve the Historic Dinkins Memorial Hall Alabama A&M University – $500,000 for restoration and renovation of Carnegie Hall Library Stillman College – $500,000 to transform Sheppard Library into a Civil Rights museum “I’m thrilled to announce that the National Park Service is investing $2.5 million to preserve historic structures on the campuses of Alabama’s HBCUs. This is a big win for Alabama!” stated Sewell. “Alabama’s HBCUs have played such a pivotal role in shaping the history of our nation, and I was so proud to help make this funding available which will be used to preserve these cherished institutions. As Vice-Chair of the Congressional HBCU Caucus, I remain committed to ensuring the vitality of Alabama’s HBCUs. Fighting for funding like this will continue to be one of my top legislative priorities!” Selma University President Stanford E. Angion, Ed.D. stated, “On behalf of everyone at Selma University, we are elated to receive the grant award. We are so appreciative of Congresswoman Sewell’s support of the university. This funding will go a long way in helping our students at Selma University and the entire community of Selma, Alabama.” “For more than 180 years, Historically Black Colleges and Universities have provided high-level academics, opportunities, and community for generations of students,” said NPS Director Chuck Sams. “These grants enable HBCUs to preserve the noteworthy structures that honor the past and tell the ongoing story of these historic institutions.” Accredited HBCUs are eligible to apply for this grant program. HBCU grants can fund pre-preservation studies, architectural plans and specifications, historic structure reports, campus preservation plans, and National Register nominations.
Joe Biden awards Medal of Freedom to Fred Gray, John McCain, Gabby Giffords
President Joe Biden on Thursday presented the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 people, including gymnast Simone Biles, the late John McCain, the Arizona Republican whom Biden served with in the Senate, and gun-control advocate Gabby Giffords. “Today, she adds to her medal count,” Biden said as he introduced Biles, a former foster child whose 32 Olympic and World Championship medals make her the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history. “I don’t know how you’re going to find room,” for another medal, Biden joked. The 25-year-old is an advocate for athletes’ mental health, foster care children, and sexual assault victims. She’s also the youngest person to ever receive the medal, Biden said. The Democratic president, who took office at a critical point during the coronavirus pandemic, also honored Sandra Lindsay, the Queens, New York, nurse who was the first person to be vaccinated against COVID-19 outside of clinical trials during a live television appearance in December 2020. It was the first time Biden had awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His recipient list included both living and deceased honorees, some of them representing various stages of the president’s life, from the Catholic nuns who taught him as a boy growing up in Claymont, Delaware, to Republican lawmakers he served with in the Senate to a college professor like his wife, Jill, to advocates of tightening access to firearms. Biden introduced Giffords as “one of the most courageous people I have ever known.” The former Arizona congresswoman founded the organization named Giffords to campaign for an end to gun violence and restrictions on access to guns. The Democrat almost died after she was shot in the head in January 2011 during a constituent event in Tucson. Biden noted that he recently signed the most sweeping gun-control legislation in decades — though he and others would like even more restrictions — and credited Giffords and families like her own whose lives have been altered by gun violence for helping to make it happen. “She’s the embodiment of a single signature American trait: never, ever give up,” Biden said. Biden also recognized former Republican Sens. Alan Simpson of Wyoming and John McCain of Arizona, recalling a less partisan era of Washington in which members of different parties would argue over issues during the day and then meet over dinner at night. McCain died of brain cancer in 2018. He spent more than five years in captivity in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Navy. He later represented Arizona in the House and Senate and was the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, competing against Democrats Barack Obama and Biden. Biden said he didn’t appreciate the political competition, but “I never stopped admiring John … I knew his honor, his courage, and commitment.” The 17 people receiving honors “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities, and across the world, while blazing trails for generations to come,” the White House said. Biden himself knows what it’s like to receive the medal. Then-President Obama honored Biden’s decades of public service by awarding him a Presidential Medal of Freedom “with distinction” during a ceremony shortly before they left office in January 2017. Biden closed the ceremony by declaring, “This is America.” The other 13 medal recipients are: — Sister Simone Campbell, a member of the Sister of Social Service and a former executive director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice organization. — Julieta Garcia, a former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville. Garcia was the first Latina to become a college president, the White House said. — Fred Gray, one of the first Black members of the Alabama Legislature after Reconstruction. He was a prominent civil rights attorney who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP, and Martin Luther King Jr. and, at age 91, continues to practice law. — Steve Jobs, the co-founder, chief executive and chair of Apple Inc. He died in 2011. — Father Alexander Karloutsos, the assistant to Archbishop Demetrios of America. Karloutsos has counseled several U.S. presidents, the White House said. Biden said he is “one of my dear friends.”ADVERTISEMENT — Khizr Khan, an immigrant from Pakistan, Khan’s Army officer son was killed in Iraq. Khan gained national prominence, and became a target of Donald Trump’s wrath, after speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. — Diane Nash, a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee who organized some of the most important 20th-century civil rights campaigns and worked with King. — Megan Rapinoe. The Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup soccer champion captains the OL Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League. She is a prominent advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice, and LGBTQI+ rights. Biden said she is the first soccer player to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. — Alan Simpson, who served in the Senate with Biden and has been a prominent advocate for campaign finance reform, responsible governance, and marriage equality. Biden called Simpson the “real deal” and joked that “he never takes himself too seriously nor takes me seriously.” — Richard Trumka, who had been president of the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO for more than a decade at the time of his August 2021 death. He was a past president of the United Mine Workers. — Wilma Vaught. A brigadier general, Vaught is one of the most decorated women in U.S. military history, breaking gender barriers as she has risen through the ranks. When Vaught retired in 1985, she was one of only seven female generals in the Armed Forces. — Denzel Washington, a double Oscar-winning actor, director, and producer. He also has a Tony award, two Golden Globes, and the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a longtime spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Washington could not attend Thursday’s ceremony after testing positive for COVID-19, the White House said. Biden said Washington
Clotilda descendants mark anniversary of last slave ship
Descendants of the last African people abducted into slavery and brought to America’s shores gathered over the weekend on the banks of an Alabama river to pay tribute to their ancestors. The descendants of the 110 people aboard the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to bring enslaved African people to the United States, held a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the vessel’s arrival. Dressed in white and walking slowly to the beat of an African drum, the descendants made their way to the banks of the Mobile River near Alabama’s coast. A wreath of white, yellow, and red flowers was carried into the river by a kayaker and released into the waters. In 1860, the Clotilda illegally transported 110 people from what is now the west African nation of Benin to Mobile, Alabama. The voyage happened decades after the law banning the importation of slaves had taken effect when a wealthy plantation owner made a bet he could smuggle a shipload of enslaved people across the ocean. “Today is the day that, 162 years ago, 110 enslaved Africans were brought to this country against their will for the purpose of satisfying a bet,” said Darron Patterson, president of the Clotilda Descendants Association, told al.com. The discovery of the remnants of the Clotilda sparked renewed interest in its saga. But Patterson said the focus should be on the people it carried. “The ship was pure evil. It was a vessel of evil. The real story was the people inside that cargo hold. Very soon, we’re going to stop talking about the ship as much as we talk about the people. Because the stories of the people are what matter,” he told al.com. The “landing” ceremony was held near the bridge to the Africatown community founded by Clotilda survivors after the Civil War. “Proud of my heritage. I’d like to say even more so proud of the resilience and the legacy that they left behind,” descendant Ronald Ellis Jr told FOX10.
Fire veteran Joe Mansell honored as Alabama’s chief of the year
Joe Mansell has had a number of opportunities to leave Russellville and take a job elsewhere. Each time he’s been offered, the response has been the same. No thanks. “This is where I started as a firefighter, and I hope this is where I will finish,” said Russellville’s fire chief of 20 years. “This is my home.” Mansell, 50, began his firefighting career as a volunteer in 1990. He became a paid firefighter in 1992. Six years later he was promoted to lieutenant and then in 2002 he was named fire chief. He’s been there ever since. A few weeks ago, Mansell and his family went to the Southeast Association of Fire Chiefs and Alabama Fire Chiefs Association Leadership Conference in Mobile. Mansell met a number of fire chiefs from around the state and the Southeast. One night, during the conference, the Alabama Fire Chiefs Association held its annual awards banquet, so, of course, Mansell attended. There have been numerous fire chiefs from around the state walk to the stage to be named Fire Chief of the Year. Mansell now knows what that walk feels like when your name is called. “It’s a big deal to walk up and get that trophy in front of a group of people like them,” he said. “I came into a great department when I took over as chief at Russellville. I just took the baton and kept moving forward.” Russellville Capt. Randy Seal said he’s seen the department steadily grow under Mansell. “He’s done a real good job. At the time (he was promoted), we had just gone to a two-station department and had a minimum staffing of four men per shift. Now we’re up to six men per shift,” said Seal, who will be in his 25th year with the department today. “Now, we’ve got some of the best equipment to work with. “He’s pretty easy to work for,” Seal said of Mansell. “He expects you to do your job, but he’s there when you need to talk to him and open to suggestions or ideas to make the department better. I look at him as a brother who’s in charge.” Mansell, who said he still enjoys jumping right in and fighting fires with his colleagues, said he’s slowed down a little, and he knows that retirement isn’t too far off. “I have been blessed to work with a bunch of guys who live to serve and protect the people of this community every shift,” he said. “If I do decide to retire soon, I couldn’t think of a better way than after being named Alabama’s Fire Chief of the Year.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
