Ivana Trump, first wife of former president Donald Trump, dies at 73
Ivana Trump, a skier-turned-businesswoman who formed half of a publicity power couple in the 1980s as the first wife of former President Donald Trump and mother of his oldest children, has died in New York City, her family announced Thursday. She was 73. The former president posted on his social media app that she died at her Manhattan home. “She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life,” he wrote on Truth Social. The couple shared three children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric. “She was so proud of them, as we were all so proud of her,” he wrote. “Rest In Peace, Ivana!” Two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that police are investigating whether Ivana Trump fell down the stairs and believe her death was accidental. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Mo Brooks lands Donald Trump Jr. endorsement
Congressman Mo Brooks now has the endorsement of Donald Trump Jr. for his Senate race. This is an important endorsement for Brooks for two reasons. Brooks now has more Trump endorsements than any other candidate, and it also puts to rest the rumor that former President Donald Trump might rescind his endorsement. The former president endorsed Mo Brooks early in 2021, before many candidates had even announced their campaigns. In April 2021, Trump stated, “Mo Brooks has my Complete and Total Endorsement for the U.S. Senate representing the Great State of Alabama. He will never let you down!” Trump Jr. said in a fundraising letter, “There’s a reason that my father, Donald Trump, has endorsed Mo Brooks for U.S. Senate. And there’s a reason that I endorsed him too: Mo is a rock solid conservative, who has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us as we move the America First mission forward.” The letter also noted other Brooks’s willingness to protect Americans. “He defends families, protects the unborn, stands up for our military, and Anthony… maybe most importantly… Mo Brooks has fought about as hard as anyone I’ve ever seen to finally secure our border.” The letter concluded, “Mo Brooks is truly one of those and there’s no doubt in my mind: he belongs in the U.S. Senate.”
Winners and Losers of the 2021 session
Every session wraps up with winners and losers. This year, there’s no doubt that the people of Alabama were the biggest loser, but there were some stand-out wins and losses too. Overall I was incredibly disappointed in this legislative session, mainly for the opportunities lost. On the other hand, there were some notable successes that need to be acknowledged. Winners #1: Senator Tim Melson & Representative Mike Ball “Pleasantly surprised!” There’s no other way to describe the feeling when the bill sponsors of the medical marijuana bill got it passed and signed by Governor Kay Ivey. After all the hours of irrational ranting and raving and mindless huffing and puffing (no pun intended) by those acting like allowing a small number of patients to have access to a limited amount of medicinal marijuana was going to lead to the fall of civilization, I was worried. The good guys won out, though. The very real, heartwarming stories of those who would benefit overcame the idea that the Pot Man has been sitting at home longingly considering getting high but just waiting for it to be available in a non-smokable, non-vape, non-flavored medicinal way. Winner #2: The anti-gaming coalition I debated putting the Porch Creek Indians on the losing list, but truly I think the bigger point is that this was a big win against big spending and a bad bill. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly who stopped the gaming bill. It was quite a group effort. If a finger has to be pointed, I’d join Senator Del Marsh in his assessment to say Speaker Mac McCutcheon can take credit for killing the bill with a shout-out to Rules Chairman Mike Jones for the assist. Of course, the Donald Trump Jr. tweet didn’t hurt either; kudos to whoever got that done. House leadership was certainly as responsible as all the other gaming interests in the state, the religious/moral opponents (API, Eagle Forum & others), and the democrats all combined in killing the bill. While the democrats thought they’d negotiate their way into a jackpot of their own with a wishlist a mile long to come on board in the end, it was the fact the speaker left the bill off the agenda so long that ended up being the favor to those who wanted to see the current proposal dead. His actual reasons and efforts (or lack of efforts) are still a mystery, with hemming and hawing about not having the votes but not bringing anything to the floor and not taking it up while a day was wasted on vaccine passports is curious. Winner #3: Wes Allen Wes Allen has always been a strong and influential member. Using his time as a probate court judge to help his perspective as a house member has served him well, but with his ban on curbside voting passing just after he announced he was running for Secretary of State, he’s looking like he’s going to be the man to beat for that open seat. Beyond the election bill Allen also passed HB 460 the Farm and Forest Products Tag Bill. AFLA describes that bill as a legislative victory. They summarized it saying, “The bill would lift limits on the purchase of F4 farm tags for larger trucks. It also would allow log trucks to purchase L tags and be exempt from the International Registration Plan. Currently, forest product haulers over 42,000 pounds must carry a commercial license plate. Existing rules put Alabama farmers and loggers at a competitive disadvantage with their counterparts in neighboring states.” Allen covering his basics with a lot of his priorities over the year showing his conservative and business friendly bona fides. Winner #4: Female athletes In what should be considered a win for common sense, feminists, and girls/women everywhere, the legislature secured in statute the current guidelines being used by the Alabama High School Athletic Association (Bylaws: Section 6, Page 48). The irony of this is media outlet after media out, and activists decried the protection as unnecessary because it would affect very few people while in the same breath saying that a ban on puberty blockers and hormone treatments (aimed to protect those this would potentially impact) would affect hundreds if not a thousand school-age kids. Which is it? This bill isn’t about hate or bigotry; it’s about fairness. Here’s a column I wrote explaining my perspective when Representative Chris Pringle first introduced the bill. Winner #5: Teachers & Students During the legislative session this year, teachers were a big winner, with multiple bills adding to their salaries, enhancing their retirement, and supporting schools in a post-pandemic world. Among the non-traditional incentives are efforts to expand broadband services. Students were also winners when Ivey vetoed SB 94, the shameful efforts to delay the literacy promotion requirement. The so-called conservatives who voted for this bill need to be asked tough questions about their vote when reelection comes up. Winner # 6: Wine and spirit drinkers Two bills passed this year that gets the government out of the way of legislating morality or even convenience for wine and alcohol drinkers. The first bill allows Alabama residents to receive wine shipments from Wine Producers. The second allows delivery services such as Shipt to deliver alcohol. Losers #1: Jokes on us, the voters; we are the biggest losers. Legislators failed us in too many ways to list and count. Look, don’t get me wrong, my feeling is if you can’t do something right, don’t do it at all. So I’d rather have no gaming/lottery bill than a bad one, but the negotiating was done without a healthy public debate on the nuances of a significant bill and hardly a public peep into what the Democrat’s last minute pot sweeteners were. There has never been a year so ripe for discussion about school choice, which is why over two dozen states sought to expand their school choice opportunities this year. Imagine my surprise that Alabama didn’t
House leaders try to break stalemate on casino, lottery bill
The fate of an Alabama lottery and casino bill remained in limbo on Thursday as the House of Representatives delayed a vote amid a flurry of last-minute negotiations to try to obtain the needed support. House leaders of both parties met multiple times through the day for negotiations on the bill, trying to work out a compromise that could muster the 63 votes needed to pass the 105-member House. The chamber moved on to other bills Thursday night as the discussions continued. “There’s been a lot of work on it. Right now, we are looking at the differences in the House and the Senate, the majority caucus and the minority caucus. They are sitting in there now at the table working through it,” House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said Thursday evening. McCutcheon said he was unclear if the bill would get to the floor Thursday night. “I don’t know. That is the safest answer I can give you right now. I don’t know,” McCutcheon said. The proposed constitutional amendment, which would have to be approved by both lawmakers and state voters, would establish a state lottery to fund college scholarships and nine casinos locations that would be located primarily at existing state dog tracks and sites owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The gambling bill faces opposition from a mix of Republicans opposed to legalized gambling and lawmakers arguing the bill picks winners and losers by naming casino locations. Supporters argue Alabama is one of five states without a lottery, and it is time to give Alabama voters the opportunity to vote on gambling for the first time in two decades. Alabamians last voted on a state lottery in 1999 when voters rejected a lottery proposed by then-Gov. Don Siegelman. “It’s time to let the citizens vote again,” said Republican Rep. Chris Blackshear of Phenix City, who is handling the Senate-passed bill in the Alabama House. The proposed constitutional amendment needs 63 votes to pass the 105-member House of Representatives. “We have been trending in the right direction,” Blackshear said but added there is a degree of uncertainty. The Alabama Senate last month voted 23-9 for the bill. However, the measure is facing a tough vote and a ticking legislative clock with one-day meeting in the session. If approved by lawmakers, the measure would go before voters in November 2022. The major sticking point, as it has been in previous debates over casino gambling, is which sites would be given an advantage in trying to win a casino license. The proposal would name the sites for the casinos, but the license would be put up for bid. Casinos and sports betting locations would be at Greenetrack in Greene County, the Crossing at Big Creek in Houston County, the Birmingham Race Course in Jefferson County, VictoryLand in Macon County, the Mobile County Greyhound Racing facility in Mobile County, and a sixth site negotiated between the governor and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to be located in DeKalb County or Jackson County, Additionally, it would open up the Poarch Band’s three tribal sites for casino games. Some opponents argued it is unfair to exclude existing electronic bingo locations in Greene and Lowndes county operating under current constitutional amendments. The state has been a long-running legal battle over the legality of the slot machine lookalikes. Rep. Kelvin Lawrence, R-Hayneville, said the proposal as written would close an existing electronic bingo hall in Lowndes County, one of the poorest counties in the state while allowing a new casino location in north Alabama. Donald Trump, Jr., the son of former President Donald Trump, wrote a tweet criticizing the Alabama legislation as a “bad bill” and that it would give a monopoly to a small group of casino operators while excluding “world’s best gaming operators” from coming to Alabama. While the former president won over 60% of the vote in Alabama, Blackshear said he did not think the tweet would have a large effect on GOP votes. “I’m here trying to figure out a way to do what is best for the citizens of Alabama,” Blackshear said. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on Wednesday spoke out against arguments from some supporters that the state should make gambling operations legal because state laws against gambling are not being enforced. “Individuals who make this argument are either ignorant or are purposely trying to mislead legislators. My office has over 30 cases currently pending against gambling operators, some with trial dates set for this summer, and we expect to win them all,” Marshall said in a statement. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Donald Trump Jr. opposes giving monopoly to special interest casino groups
On Wednesday, Donald Trump Jr. posted his take on the current push to legalize casinos and gambling in Alabama. He posted on Twitter, “Bad bill. If you are gonna legalize gambling, actually legalize it, but giving a monopoly to a small group of casino bosses is just a special interest giveaway. This bill would stop the world’s best gaming operators from opening world-class Resorts & Casinos in Alabama!” Bad bill. If you’re gonna legalize gambling, actually legalize it, but giving a monopoly to a small group of casino bosses is just a special interest giveaway. This bill would stop the world’s best gaming operators from opening world-class Resorts & Casinos in Alabama! https://t.co/RrT6Nm7kpo — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 5, 2021 Lottery and casino legislation will be decided in the last two days of the legislative session and was advanced Tuesday by the House Economic Development and Tourism Committee. The committee voted to send the bill to the floor of the House of Representatives.
Records show fervent Donald Trump fans fueled US Capitol takeover
They came from across America, summoned by President Donald Trump to march on Washington in support of his false claim that the November election was stolen and to stop the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden as the victor. “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th,” Trump tweeted a week before Christmas. “Be there, will be wild!” The resulting takeover and looting of the U.S. Capitol building by an armed mob of Trump supporters shook the foundations of American democracy and resulted in five deaths. Trump could become the first president in history to face impeachment for a second time. But within hours of Wednesday’s violent attack, some of Trump’s most ardent supporters sought to shift blame to left-wing Antifa thugs they claimed without evidence had disguised themselves with red MAGA hats and Trump flags. “If the reports are true,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said on the House floor Wednesday night, “some of the people who breached the Capitol today were not Trump supporters. They were masquerading as Trump supporters and, in fact, were members of the violent terrorist group antifa.” Gaetz’s assertion, which he said was based on a story in the conservative Washington Times newspaper that was later retracted as false, was met with a chorus of jeers and boos. But in the following days, several pro-Trump politicians and Fox News hosts repeated the conspiracy theory. The Associated Press reviewed social media posts, voter registrations, court files, and other public records for more than 120 people either facing criminal charges related to the Jan. 6 unrest or who, going maskless amid the pandemic, were later identified through photographs and videos taken during the melee. That evidence shows the mob was overwhelmingly made up of longtime Trump supporters, including Republican Party officials, GOP political donors, far-right militants, white supremacists, and adherents of the QAnon myth that the government is secretly controlled by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophile cannibals. Records show the rowdy crowd also included convicted criminals, including a Florida man recently released from prison for attempted murder. Many had taken to social media after the November election to retweet and parrot false claims by Trump that the vote had been stolen in a vast international conspiracy. Several had openly threatened violence against Democrats and Republicans they considered insufficiently loyal to the president. As the mob smashed through doors and windows to invade the Capitol, a loud chant went up calling for the hanging of Vice President Mike Pence, the recent target of a Trump Twitter tirade for not subverting the Constitution and overturning the legitimate vote tally. Outside, a wooden scaffold had been erected on the National Mall, a rope noose dangling at the ready. So far, at least 90 people have been arrested on charges ranging from misdemeanor curfew violations to felonies related to assaults on police officers, possessing illegal weapons, and making death threats against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi D-Calif. Among them was Lonnie Leroy Coffman, 70, an Alabama grandfather who drove to Washington to attend Trump’s “Save America Rally” in a red GMC Sierra pickup packed with an M4 assault rifle, multiple loaded magazines, three handguns, and 11 Mason jars filled with homemade napalm, according to court filings. The truck was found during a security sweep involving explosives-sniffing dogs after two pipe bombs were found and disarmed Wednesday near the national headquarters of the Republican and Democratic parties. Coffman was arrested that evening when he returned to the truck carrying a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun and a .22-caliber derringer pistol in his pockets. Federal officials said Coffman is not suspected of planting the pipe bombs, though he was charged with having Molotov cocktails in the bed of his truck. His grandson, Brandon Coffman, told the AP on Friday his grandfather was a Republican who had expressed admiration for Trump at holiday gatherings. He said he had no idea why Coffman would show up in the nation’s capital armed for civil war. Also facing federal charges is Cleveland Gover Meredith Jr., a Georgia man who in the wake of the election had protested outside the home of Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, whom Trump had publicly blamed for his loss in the state. Meredith drove to Washington last week for the “Save America” rally but arrived late because of a problem with the lights on his trailer, according to court filings that include expletive-laden texts. “Headed to DC with a (s—-) ton of 5.56 armor-piercing ammo,” he texted friends and relatives on Jan. 6, adding a purple devil emoji, according to court filings. The following day, he texted to the group: “Thinking about heading over to Pelosi (C——’s) speech and putting a bullet in her noggin on Live TV.” He once again added a purple devil emoji, and wrote he might hit her with his truck instead. “I’m gonna run that (C—-) Pelosi over while she chews on her gums. … Dead (B——) Walking. I predict that within 12 days, many in our country will die.” Meredith, who is white, then texted a photo of himself in blackface. “I’m gonna walk around DC FKG with people by yelling ‘Allahu ak Bar’ randomly.” A participant in the text exchange provided screenshots to the FBI, who tracked Meredith to a Holiday Inn a short walk from the Capitol. They found a compact Tavor X95 assault rifle, a 9mm Glock 19 handgun, and about 100 rounds of ammunition, according to court filings. The agents also seized a stash of THC edibles and a vial of injectable testosterone. Meredith is charged with transmitting a threat, as well as felony counts for possession of firearms and ammunition. Michael Thomas Curzio was arrested in relation to the riots less than two years after he was released from a Florida prison in 2019 after serving an eight-year sentence for attempted murder. Court records from Florida show that he shot the boyfriend of his former girlfriend in a fight at her home. Federal law enforcement officials vowed Friday to bring additional charges against those who carried
Big turnout as early in-person voting starts in Georgia
The chance to cast ballots on Georgia’s first day of in-person early voting Monday had thousands of people waiting for hours to make their voices heard. Eager voters endured waits of six hours or more in Cobb County, which was once solidly Republican but has voted for Democrats in recent elections, and joined lines that wrapped around polling places in solidly Democratic DeKalb County. They also turned out in big numbers in north Georgia’s Floyd County, where support for President Donald Trump is strong. With record turnout expected for this year’s presidential election and fears about exposure to the coronavirus, election officials and advocacy groups have been encouraging people to vote early, either in person or by absentee ballot. Many answered the call on Monday, showing up in numbers that overwhelmed some locations. Kai Uchimura, 25, waited more than two hours to cast his ballot at a DeKalb County election site in metro Atlanta, but he said he was heartened by the turnout and didn’t mind the line. “If it’s just volume, the amount of people voting, then I think that’s democracy working,” he said. Cobb County Elections and Registration Director Janine Eveler said the county had prepared as much as much as it could, “but there’s only so much space in the rooms and parking in the parking lot.” “We’re maxing out both of those,” she said. “People are double parking, we have gridlock pretty much in our parking lot,” she added. Hundreds of people slowly moved along a line that snaked back and forth outside Cobb’s main elections office in a suburban area northwest of Atlanta. Good moods seemed to prevail, even though some people said at 1 p.m. that they’d been waiting for six hours. A brief cheer went up when a pizza deliverer handed a pie to someone in line. At least two counties briefly had problems with the electronic pollbooks used to check in voters. The issue ground voting to a halt for a while at State Farm Arena, where the Atlanta Hawks NBA team plays. On-site technicians resolved the problem and the lines soon cleared at the arena, which is Georgia’s largest early voting site, with 300 voting machines. “We’re disappointed that it happened,” Hawks CEO Steve Koonin told reporters, but he noted that there are still plenty of days left. Early in-person voting runs through Oct. 30 in Georgia. Problems with the electronic pollbooks — along with high turnout, the consolidation of polling places, and shortages of poll workers — bedeviled Georgia’s primary in June. The dysfunction renewed questions about Georgia’s ability to conduct fair elections, two years after the state drew heavy scrutiny during a closely watched gubernatorial election that also saw long waits and other problems. While voters must vote at their assigned polling place on Election Day, they can vote at any voting site in their county during early voting. Some people lined up before dawn Monday to be among the first to vote. Turnout also may have also been boosted because Monday is a federal holiday, so more people are off work. Natalie Rawlings, 49, had prepared to vote absentee but didn’t trust the postal service, so she turned in the blank absentee ballot to poll workers before voting in person Monday. She went first to a library in Atlanta, but there was no parking and a long line, so she went to State Farm Arena, where the line didn’t move for 45 minutes. A handful of people left after someone announced that there was a “known software issue” they were hoping to work through. But most stayed. In the end, it took her about an hour and a half to vote. “I’m outside. It’s a nice day. They’re giving water away. There are worse things. And everybody is appropriately socially distanced,” Rawlings said. Rawlings, a Democrat, said she was motivated by the “coarseness” of President Donald Trump’s language and his seeming lack of respect for other branches of government and world leaders: “It’s gotta end.” Election officials also reported long lines in Floyd County, which also had a problem with the electronic pollbooks. That slowed things initially at the county’s two open voting locations, but it was resolved within about an hour, said Robert Brady, the county’s chief election clerk. “Typically in Floyd County, you have a line that lasts five minutes. Today it’s taking up to 30 minutes,” Brady said. “It’s because of the huge — and I’m talking about huge — turnout.” In Macon, Seth Clark arrived to vote at the main election office at about 9:30 a.m. Monday and found a U-shaped line wrapping around the parking lot. It ended up taking him three hours to vote. “I’ve never seen this many people on the first day of early voting,” said Clark, who won the election over the summer to a nonpartisan seat on the Macon-Bibb County commission. The long line was in part caused by coronavirus precautions. People stood six feet apart and wore masks, Clark said. Some brought along folding chairs and books. “It seems to be going smoothly,” Clark said. “It’s just a lot.” With Georgia emerging as a potential battleground, both the Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns sent surrogates to the state Monday. Jill Biden, wife of former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, planned to appear in DeKalb County with prominent state Democrats before traveling to Columbus to meet with military and veteran families. Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr. was set to rally Republican voters in Savannah near the coast and Kennesaw, just outside Atlanta. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Republicans, with exception of Donald Trump, now push mask-wearing
GOP officials are pushing back against the notion that masks are about politics, as President Donald Trump suggests, and telling Americans they can help save lives.
Birmingham agencies drop Church of the Highlands over pastor’s social media
The Birmingham City Schools Board of Education voted Tuesday to terminate its leases with the Church of the Highlands, just one agency cutting ties.
Sidelined by pandemic, Trump campaign turns to digital shows
Trump’s reelection team is airing live programming online to replace his trademark rallies made impossible for now by the coronavirus pandemic.
Donald Trump looks to ‘shake up the Dems’ with New Hampshire rally
Donald Trump’s rally comes a day before New Hampshire Democrats head to the polls.
Donald Trump Jr. on Capitol Hill for closed-door Senate interview
President Donald Trump’s eldest son told reporters he has “nothing to correct” as he arrived on Capitol Hill Wednesday for a second closed-door interview with the Senate intelligence committee. Donald Trump Jr. made the brief comments in response to a reporter who asked if he had come to correct his testimony. Senators want to discuss answers Trump Jr. gave the panel’s staff in a 2017 interview, as well as answers he gave to the Senate Judiciary Committee in a separate interview behind closed doors that year. He is appearing in response to a subpoena from the panel’s Republican chairman, North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr. President Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen , told a House committee in February that he had briefed Trump Jr. approximately 10 times about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow before the presidential election. But Trump Jr. told the Judiciary panel he was only “peripherally aware” of the real estate proposal. The panel is interested in talking to Trump Jr. about other topics as well, including a campaign meeting in Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer that captured the interest of special counsel Robert Mueller. Emails leading up to the meeting promised dirt on Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump’s opponent. Mueller’s report, released in April, examined the meeting but found insufficient evidence to charge anyone with a crime. Trump Jr.’s testimony comes as the intelligence panel continues its two-year investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Some Republicans are becoming restless with the topic, and Burr received considerable blowback from colleagues over the subpoena. But he told fellow senators that Trump Jr. had backed out of an interview twice, forcing the committee to act. The president said in May he believed that his son was being treated poorly.“It’s really a tough situation because my son spent, I guess, over 20 hours testifying about something that Mueller said was 100 percent OK and now they want him to testify again,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I don’t know why. I have no idea why. But it seems very unfair to me.” It was the first known subpoena of a member of the president’s immediate family, and some Republicans went so far as to suggest Trump Jr. shouldn’t comply. Burr’s home state colleague, Sen. Thom Tillis, Republican-North Carolina, tweeted, “It’s time to move on & start focusing on issues that matter to Americans.” Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a GOP member of the panel, said he understood Trump Jr.’s frustration. Cornyn’s Texas colleague, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, said there was “no need” for the subpoena. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has defended Burr, saying “none of us tell Chairman Burr how to run his committee.” Still, McConnell made it clear that he is eager to be finished with the probe, which has now gone on for more than two years. It’s uncertain when the intelligence panel will issue a final report. Burr told The Associated Press last month that he hopes to be finished with the investigation by the end of the year. By Mary Clare Jalonick and Padmananda Rama Associated Press Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
