Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail voted best in the nation
USA Today announced that readers have voted the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail as the best recreational trail in the country. The Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail is at Gulf State Park in Baldwin County. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said on Twitter Tuesday. “Congratulations to the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail for being voted the best recreational trail in the nation! From our rolling hills to our sandy shores, Alabama’s natural beauty holds a multitude of recreational opportunities for Alabamians and our visitors near and far.” Innovate Alabama tweeted, “We are excited to see Alabama’s very own Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail voted as the #1 recreational trail in the country by @USATODAY’s 10Best. We want the world to know about the natural beauty and recreational opportunities they can find in Alabama.” The trail was voted as the top recreational trail in the country in the 2023 USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The south Alabama trail took first place over nine other trails located throughout the U.S., including Missouri’s 240-mile Katy Bike Trail – one of the longest Rails-to-Trails projects in the country – and the Great Allegheny Passage that connects Cumberland, Maryland, to downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The awards were announced on Friday. Greg Lein, Director of the Alabama State Parks, stated, “We are excited for the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail to receive this award,” said Director Lein. “We’ve worked together with our partners in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores to offer access to some of the most unique habitats and recreational opportunities along the Gulf Coast. Thank you to everyone who voted for the Backcountry Trail as the best recreational trail in the country.” The Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail was established in 2003 as a multi-use recreational trail connecting Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Gulf State Park. The trail is a system of paved and unpaved paths and boardwalks providing trail users with access to several distinct ecosystems and outdoor recreational opportunities. The trail was named in honor of Hugh Branyon, who served as superintendent of Gulf State Park for more than 30 years. The Backcountry Trail system features 29 miles of trails that are located within the park. Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), stated, “This recognition from USA Today puts a spotlight on just how important recreational trails are to our communities. Trails like the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail help connect cities and residents with the natural environment and provide recreational opportunities that are important to our well-being and economy.” Bobcats, alligators, sea turtles, ospreys, and dozens of species of birds are just some of the wildlife trail users might see along the trail. An estimated 44 million people use hiking trails each year in the U.S. each year. For more information about the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail at Gulf State Park, visit The Alabama State Parks website. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Gun rights activists hold conference
Bamacarry, a statewide pro-second amendment group, held their annual firearms conference in Prattville Saturday, ahead of the 2023 Legislative session. Kris Anne Hall, a Christian constitutional attorney, author, and professor, was the featured speaker. Hall said that guns and the second amendment are “very important, but sometimes we need to take a step back and get reacquainted with the principles on which our constitutional republic was founded.” Hall implored people to read and be better informed on U.S. history and the Constitution. “I have studied and taught on the constitutions of all fifty states,” Hall said. “I have presented in 49 of the 50 states – Hawaii is the one I haven’t got to. Every single time I teach a state constitution, I have people who come up to me and whisper in my ear. ‘Thank you for coming and teaching us about our state constitution. I did not even know we had a state constitution.’” Hall argued that history education has become “watered down.” “We have online classes that teach American history back to 1660,” Hall explained. “The American education system has so watered down the teaching of our American history that it is no longer recognizable.” “There is not a single solitary person you are going to send to Washington DC to fix what is wrong with America,” said Hall continued. “Our hope does not rest with the President of the United States.” Hall called for Americans to understand the U.S. Constitution. “We don’t need to rewrite our Constitution. We just need to read it,” Hall said. “To pursue liberty, we must pursue knowledge. Knowledge is not watching what they tell you on television. I have had a podcast for nine years. Let me be clear, watching a podcast is not pursuing knowledge.” “If the constitution can give rights you can amend the constitution to take them away,” Hall explained. Rights come from natural law, which comes from our Creator.” Hall spoke out against executive mandates ordering the closing of churches and businesses during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. “Power without legislative consent is null and void,” Hall said. “We have an obligation to our children to non-comply with any order that is outside of the constitution.” Many of Bamacarry’s county groups have grown inactive due to COVID fears and restaurants and venues closing during the global pandemic. Johnny Moore Jr. is the Bamacarry Coordinator tasked with reversing that trend. “I am the coordinator, and I want to get all 67 counties going,” Moore told the estimated 165 people in attendance. Former State Sen. Scott Beason is a talk radio show host in Birmingham on 92.5 FM. Beason announced that his show will soon expand to Montgomery on 93.1 FM. “We live in a weird world now,” Beason said. “We live in a strange time. Most of us are older. Most of us can remember some of the things from 15 years ago. Remember when we thought we are never going to have two guys getting married? Now we don’t even know that they are guys. Adam and Steve got married, and now they are women. How did we get here?” “Bamacarry has made a huge difference in gun laws in Alabama,” Beason continued. “I was the sponsor of the first constitutional carry bill back in 2010.” “Maybe we watch our phone too much; maybe we watch TV too much; maybe we pay too much attention to what the Los Angeles Dodger or the Atlanta Braves and what their stats are,” Beason argued. “The right to bear arms is in the Constitution. It has also been in the State Constitution since 1819. Every citizen has a fundamental right to bear arms.” Beason was the sponsor of the 2013 Omnibus Gun bill. “Why in 2013 did we need an omnibus gun law?” Beason said. “The reason is that somewhere along the way, we forgot, and we forgot what was given to us by our forbearers. The courts forgot. Judges forgot. Law enforcement forgot. Legislators forgot. Sometimes we need to remember what is there. Y’all have reminded legislators what our rights are.” Beason believes prayer should be allowed in school. “We used to teach prayer in school – I am for that,” Beason said. “There is right and wrong, and someday you are going to have to answer to God for what you did in this life.” “Students meet in Bible classes and prayer services after school,” Beason continued. “In Arkansas, the left has decided that they are going to have a Satanist Club after school. Freedom of religion is freedom of religion, after all. Do you think that George Washington would be for it? Satanists are now claiming that abortion is one of their religious rights.” Stephen Willeford spoke at the meeting as well. Willeford, a ‘good guy with a gun,’ shot and ultimately killed mass shooter Devin Patrick Kelly after Kelly killed two dozen people in the Baptist Church in his neighborhood in Texas. Willeford, a plumber who worked for a hospital, was on call that weekend. He was resting in his bed when he heard shots. Willeford’s daughter rushed in to tell him that a shooter in body armor was attacking the Church next door. “I ran to my safe and grabbed an AR-15 (a semi-automatic rifle),” Willeford said. “I got behind a truck. I hit him in the chest. I hit him in the abdomen. Both were stopped by the body armor.” When Kelly turned to get in his vehicle – that gave Willeford his opportunity. “I put one in his side where it was not covered by the armored plate,” Willeford said. “I put another one in his waste.” Willeford then flagged down a motorist, and the two drove after Kelly in hot pursuit of the gray Ford Escape – the driver talking to police dispatchers and Willeford shooting. “My shots must have mattered,” Willeford said because Kelly eventually ran off the road dead. “Nobody is coming to rescue you,” Willeford said. “I have the highest respect for law enforcement, but they are
Mike Rogers calls for more resources for missile defense after North Korea test fires missile
On Monday, Congressman Mike Rogers, the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, called for the United States to increase missile defense assets after North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). “The recent North Korean ICBM test is a stark reminder that Kim Jong Un is an unstable dictator with a growing nuclear arsenal capable of ranging the U.S. homeland,” Rep. Rogers said. “Protecting the U.S. homeland must be paramount as we develop our 2024 budget, and this includes fully-funding homeland missile defense assets. What has to be done is clear – we must accelerate our missile defense development to outpace the DPRK threat. This includes speeding up the Next Generation Interceptor, putting more interceptors in the ground, and looking to space-based missile defenses.” North Korea test-launched a missile on Saturday with a stated goal of demonstrating the country’s ability to use nuclear force against South Korea, Japan, and the USA. North Korea claims its nuclear forces can destroy South Korea and even American cities. Many western experts are skeptical of North Korea’s actual capability. No one doubts that North Korea has nuclear bombs or that it has missiles that could hit South Korea, Japan, or the U.S. mainland. What is not known is whether or not the North Koreans have the ability to load their nuclear bombs on their missiles. North Korea has three ICBMs in its growing arsenal. Saturday’s test was the Hwasong-15. It also has the Hwasong-14 and Hwasong-17. Korea claims that all three are nuclear-capable. North Korean state media claimed that the missile reached a maximum altitude of about 3,585 miles and flew 615 miles. The North Korean state-controlled media claimed the missile could travel 8,080 miles or beyond if launched on a normal trajectory. North Korea’s Yongbyon complex has facilities to produce both plutonium and highly enriched uranium, the two main ingredients for building nuclear weapons. North Korea has been a problem for the U.S. since Kim Jong Un’s grandfather invaded South Korea in 1950, sparking the Korean War. The peace treaty that ended the war left the two Koreas divided. South Korea has grown increasingly prosperous and a member of the global community, while North Korea has grown totalitarian and Stalinist. The country has developed nuclear weapons to stay relevant on the global stage and extract concessions from the global community. President Donald Trump attempted peaceful negotiations to convince Kim to give up his nuclear weapons and to tone down the rhetoric, but those talks with North Korea ultimately failed in 2019. The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is headquartered at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. Thousands of Alabamians work in missile defense both for the military and its many civilian contractors in the state. Mike Rogers is in his eleventh term representing Alabama’s Third Congressional District. Rogers is an attorney who previously served in the Alabama House of Representatives and on the Calhoun County Commission. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Joe Biden makes surprise visit to Ukraine
President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday as the nation nears its one-year anniversary of repelling the invasion of Russian troops. Biden met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and held a joint press conference to “reaffirm our unwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.” “That dark night one year ago, the world was literally at the time bracing for the fall of Kyiv,” Biden said at a news conference with the Ukrainian leader. The U.S. has sent well over $100 billion in aid to Ukraine. “I will announce another delivery of critical equipment, including artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems, and air surveillance radars to help protect the Ukrainian people from aerial bombardments,” Biden said in a statement Monday morning. “And I will share that later this week, we will announce additional sanctions against elites and companies that are trying to evade or backfill Russia’s war machine.” Biden is also visiting Poland during his trip to the region. “I also look forward to traveling on to Poland to meet President Duda and the leaders of our Eastern Flank Allies, as well as deliver remarks on how the United States will continue to rally the world to support the people of Ukraine and the core values of human rights and dignity in the UN Charter that unite us worldwide,” the president said in a statement. Biden took fire for traveling overseas to Ukraine before visiting East Palestine, Ohio, where a train carrying dangerous materials derailed on February 3. The subsequent handling of those materials has sparked controversy and raised ecological and health concerns in the area. “If you want to understand why so many Americans are frustrated right now: Biden is in Ukraine before Ohio,” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., wrote on Twitter. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Foreign investment accelerates with new growth projects in Alabama
With new growth projects underway in key industries such as automotive and aviation, foreign direct investment continues to be a powerful catalyst in Alabama’s economy, casting a wave of job creation and triggering positive ripple effects. Since 2018, foreign companies have launched investment projects valued at more than $13 billion across Alabama, generating nearly 17,000 job commitments, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce. While final figures aren’t tallied for 2022, foreign direct investment (FDI) projects topping $2.6 billion were announced and will bring at least 2,600 new jobs to the state, according to a preliminary estimate from the Department of Commerce. Those figures exceed the FDI totals for 2021 when $1.1 billion of new investment generated 1,700 job commitments. “The success of the companies operating in Alabama is a story that’s being told around the world, and that’s helped us recruit many important global companies to our state,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “Here at home, that’s meant much-needed new investment and lucrative jobs for communities across the state,” he said. Major FDI projects launched in 2022 include: After a $300 million investment, Hyundai is building the hybrid version of its Santa Fe SUV and the first electrified Genesis GV70 SUV at its Montgomery plant. (Hal Yeager / Governor’s Office) Global gateway Foreign investment has long been a major economic driver for Alabama. Select USA, a government initiative that facilitates foreign business investment across the nation, estimates that more than 120,000 jobs in Alabama are tied to FDI projects in industries, led by automotive, plastics, metals, and chemicals. Top sources for foreign investment in Alabama are Germany (23%), Japan (16%), and South Korea (13%), according to Select USA. Christina Stimpson, director of the Commerce Department’s Office of International Trade, said FDI accounts for a substantial share of the new and expanding industry activity in Alabama each year. Her office supports FDI attraction efforts to heighten awareness that Alabama represents a global gateway to the U.S. “Clearly, facilitating foreign investment is a huge priority for us as a state, and we’re fortunate to have a diverse base of industries, along with a highly skilled workforce, to attract and retain these commitments from global companies year after year,” Stimpson said. “We know that FDI adds vitality to local economies seeking strong industries and job-creation potential because we can point to many examples in Alabama where this has had a huge impact,” she said. Mercedes-Benz opened a battery factory on the automaker’s Bibb County campus a few months before starting production of electric vehicles in Alabama in 2022. (Hal Yeager / Governor’s Office) Rural spark Foreign direct investment has spurred economic growth in recent years in rural parts of the state. Between 2015 and 2021, Alabama’s 40 “targeted” counties attracted almost $1.9 billion in FDI through growth projects, with more than 4,200 job commitments, according to Alabama Department of Commerce data. This investment has primarily flowed from South Korea, Canada, Japan, and Germany. Brenda Tuck, Rural Development manager for the Alabama Department of Commerce, said rural Alabama locations such as Chambers County, Selma, and Fayette are among those that have seen job creation through foreign investment. The Scott G. Davis Industrial Park in rural Bibb County illustrates the power of FDI. The 564-acre park is home to a Mercedes-Benz EV battery plant and other operations, along with a factory run by auto supplier MöllerTech. Together, the German companies have invested more than $600 million in the park, creating 1,200 jobs. “The high level of FDI activity shows decision-makers around the world that rural Alabama is an ideal location for doing business, and the companies locating there often expand their operations because they are getting the critical support they need to be successful,” Tuck said. This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website. Republished with the permission of The Alabama NewsCenter.
20 AGs join Bishops in condemning FBI memo profiling ‘Latin Mass’ Catholics
Missouri Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey and 19 other attorneys general joined Catholic Bishops protesting religious profiling in a leaked Federal Bureau of Investigation memo. Last week, an FBI internal memorandum dated January 23 was published by Undercover DC, an investigative journalism organization. It mentioned Virginia Catholics, specifically traditional Catholics, some of whom are not in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, according to information from the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. The attorneys general seven-page letter of complaint was addressed to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray. The letter states the FBI memo “identifies ‘radical-traditionalist Catholics’ as a potential’ racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists.’… Among those beliefs which distinguish the bad Catholics from the good ones are a preference for ‘the Traditional Latin Mass and pre-Vatican II teachings,’ and adherence to traditional Catholic teachings on sex and marriage (which the memorandum describes as ‘anti-LGBTQ’).” In 2021, Pope Francis ended pre-Vatican II Traditional Latin Masses, stating the liturgies were dividing the Catholic Church. Last week, New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Religious Liberty Chairman of the U.S. Catholic Council of Bishops, criticized the FBI memorandum. Dolan agreed with a statement made a day earlier by Bishop Barry Knestout of the Diocese of Richmond. “Let me first be clear: anyone who espouses racism or promotes violence is rejecting Catholic teaching on the inherent dignity of each and every person,” Dolan’s statement said. “The USCCB roundly condemns such extremism and fully supports the work of law enforcement officials to keep our communities safe. “I agree with my brother Bishop Barry Knestout that the leaked memorandum was nonetheless ‘troubling and offensive’ in several respects – such as in its religious profiling and reliance on dubious sourcing – and am glad it has been rescinded. We encourage federal law enforcement authorities to take appropriate measures to ensure the problematic aspects of the memo do not recur in any of their agencies’ work going forward.” The Catholic News Agency received a response from the FBI confirming the document came from the Richmond office, and it was being removed. “While our standard practice is to not comment on specific intelligence products, this particular field office product – disseminated only within the FBI – regarding racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism does not meet the exacting standards of the FBI,” according to the FBI statement published by the Catholic News Agency. Bailey said the FBI action was another attack on the First Amendment by President Joe Biden, who is a practicing Catholic. “We already knew that President Biden was launching an attack on the First Amendment rights of Americans, as evidenced by our landmark free speech case Missouri v. Biden, but now it’s clear that he’ll weaponize unelected federal bureaucrats to go after any American who doesn’t worship the ‘right way,’” Bailey said in a statement. “The First Amendment includes both the right to free speech and religious liberty for a reason, and my office will use any tool necessary to defend the rights of all Missourians to worship as they please.” On Saturday, Bishop David O’Connell, 69, of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was found shot to death inside his Hacienda Heights home. Several media outlets reported law enforcement agencies were treating the case as a homicide and didn’t know of a motive. Several media outlets reported an arrest was made today in the case. Joining Bailey were AGs from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville reintroduce bill to limit immigration paroles
U.S. Senator Katie Britt announced on Thursday that she joined Sens. Chuck Grassley, Tommy Tuberville, and six of their Republican colleagues in reintroducing the Immigration Parole Reform Act of 2023, limiting the executive branch’s flexibility in choosing to offer immigration parole. “There is no doubt that there is an unprecedented humanitarian and national security crisis at the border, and it’s devastating families and communities across America,” said Sen. Britt. “In addition to the Biden Administration’s weak border agenda, the President’s continued abuse of our immigration system is only compounding the problem. The chaotic combination of lawless catch-and-release and expansive parole practices must end.” Senator Britt is the Ranking member of the Homeland Security subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, “The executive branch’s abuse of immigration parole is unacceptable and totally out of line with congressional intent,” said Sen. Grassley. “I’m proud to lead the fight to curb the abuse of immigration parole and restore order to our immigration system.” “The Biden administration is using dangerous loopholes to let more illegal immigrants into the country,” said Sen. Tuberville. “Giving parole to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants artificially decreases the number of apprehensions at the border and instead allows them right into the country. The American people are smarter than President [Joe] Biden thinks and can see through this abuse of power. I am proud to join this legislation that clarifies executive parole authority to ensure the Department of Homeland Security enforces our immigration laws. We shouldn’t have to pass a law requiring DHS to do its job, but I’m committed to doing what it takes to secure our southern border and hold our leaders accountable.” Immigration parole was first established in 1952. It allows the executive branch to temporarily grant individuals entry into the United States on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. Sen. Britt and her colleagues said that several presidential administrations have abused this authority to admit entire categories of individuals in circumvention of congressionally-established pathways to allow foreign nationals to enter the United States. Some of these parole programs were created even after Congress repeatedly rejected or failed to consider and enact legislative proposals that would have created an immigration pathway for those covered by the programs. This bill would make several reforms to ensure the executive branch complies with the original, long-standing congressional intent for the immigration parole authority. It would, among other changes, clarify that parole may not be granted according to criteria that describes entire categories of potential parolees and very clearly define what qualifies as an “urgent humanitarian reason” or “significant public benefit.” It would also provide clarity on the timing and extension of immigration parole, among other reforms. Sens. Britt, Grassley, and Tuberville were joined by Sens. Tom Cotton, Bill Cassidy, J.D. Vance, James Lankford, Mike Lee, and Joni Ernst in cosponsoring this legislation. Britt was elected to the Senate in her first run for public office. She is an attorney, former President and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama (BCA), and former Chief of Staff for former U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby. She and her husband, Wesley, live in Montgomery with their children. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
