All posts tagged: Alabama

Tennessee Lawmakers to Vote on New US House Map Sought by Trump That Carves up Memphis

Tennessee Lawmakers to Vote on New US House Map Sought by Trump That Carves up Memphis

Published by Sam Flores

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Tennessee forged ahead with a plan Thursday that could carve up a majority-Black congressional district, reshaping it to the GOP’s advantage as part of President Donald Trump’s strategy to try to hold on to a slim House majority in the November midterm elections. Protesters shouted “No Jim Crow” outside the House and Senate chambers as lawmakers convened to consider the legislation. Some protesters later were cleared out of the House chamber after interrupting debate with chants of “Who’s House? Our House!” The redistricting effort in Tennessee is one of several rapidly advancing plans in Southern states as Republicans try to leverage a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the federal Voting Rights Act. The court ruled that Louisiana relied too heavily on race when creating a second Black-majority House district as it attempted to comply with the federal law. The high court’s decision altered a decades-old understanding of the law, giving Republicans grounds to try to eliminate majority-Black districts that have elected Democrats. Louisiana has postponed its congressional …

Redistricting Is Rampant Ahead of the US House Midterm Elections. What States Are Taking Action?

Redistricting Is Rampant Ahead of the US House Midterm Elections. What States Are Taking Action?

Published by Sam Flores

A partisan redistricting battle among states has accelerated ahead of the November midterm elections following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the federal Voting Rights Act and opened the way for states to try to eliminate voting districts drawn for racial minorities. Legislative voting districts typically are redrawn based on census data after the start of each decade. But an unusual spate of mid-decade redistricting broke out after President Donald Trump urged Texas Republicans last year to reshape U.S. House districts to give the party an edge in the midterm elections. Democrats in California countered with their own political gerrymandering. More states followed. Eight states have already adopted new House maps, and several more are considering it. So far, Republicans believe they could win up to 13 additional seats from new districts in Texas, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio. Democrats, meanwhile, think they could gain up to 10 seats from new districts in California, Utah and Virginia. But those tallies presume past voting patterns hold in November. Historically, the president’s party tends to …

What to Know About the Ten Commandments Going up in Public School Classrooms

What to Know About the Ten Commandments Going up in Public School Classrooms

Published by Sam Flores

DALLAS (AP) — Court rulings are bolstering mandates to display the Ten Commandments in public schools in the U.S. as supporters push to expand the role of religion in classrooms, including making Bible stories required reading for students. The biggest drive yet to put the Ten Commandments in every classroom began last year in Texas, where a challenge to the law was batted down Tuesday by a U.S. appeals court. While the issue remains far from settled, the ruling was a victory for conservatives who reject arguments that the displays proselytize to students or step on the rights of parents, including families of other faiths. The law has been met with a mix of enthusiasm and alarm, animating school board meetings and prompting the handing down of guidance to teachers about what to say when students ask questions. Some teachers have resigned instead of hanging the Ten Commandments in their classrooms. Here are some things to know about the issue: States pushing the Ten Commandments The latest is Alabama, where this month Republican Gov. Kay …

Alabama and West Virginia reach settlements with Roblox over child safety

Alabama and West Virginia reach settlements with Roblox over child safety

Published by Sam Flores

Alabama and West Virginia became the latest states Tuesday to announce a settlement with Roblox over child safety protections on the gaming platform. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. The company will pay Alabama $12.2 million, state Attorney General Steve Marshall said, calling the settlement a victory for children and their parents. “Platforms that host child consumers must do their part to give parents a fighting chance to shield their children from harm,” he said in a statement. “While parents will always play the primary role in protecting their children online, we are raising the bar on what we expect from gaming platforms—parents need a partner, not a black box.” The settlement funds will be used to finance school resource officers across the state. The news comes as Roblox, a social gaming platform with more than 151 million users, finds itself embroiled in legal hot water over alleged child safety issues in its user-made games, including sexual predators who prey on children, and sexually explicit or …

‘Radiant’ Mother From Kentucky Among 6 US Service Members Who Died in Air Crash in Iraq

‘Radiant’ Mother From Kentucky Among 6 US Service Members Who Died in Air Crash in Iraq

Published by Sam Flores

A woman raising two children was among the six U.S. service members killed last week when a refueling plane involved in the war with Iran crashed in western Iraq. Tech Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, hailed from a large family in Bardstown, Kentucky, and was “very, very” proud of her military career, her husband Gregory Pruitt said Sunday. “I’ll give you something brief -– in a word, radiant,” he said on a phone interview, trying to hold back tears. “If there was a light in the room, she was it.” Survivors include the couple’s 3-year-old daughter and Sgt. Pruitt’s stepson. Most recently, she had served with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron from Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham, Alabama. She was an assistant flight chief of operations and was an instructor in operating the boom of a KC-135. Pruitt joined the military nine years ago and had previously deployed overseas three times. She had nearly 900 combat flight hours and two associate degrees from the Community College of the Air Force. Crash in …

Crew of Fatal US Military Crash Included Alabama Father Recently Deployed and Several From Ohio

Crew of Fatal US Military Crash Included Alabama Father Recently Deployed and Several From Ohio

Published by Sam Flores

A pilot from Alabama had just been promoted to major in January and had been deployed less than a week when the refueling aircraft he was aboard crashed in Iraq this week, killing him and five others, his brother-in-law said Saturday. Alex Klinner, 33, leaves behind three small children: 7-month-old twins and a 2-year-old son, his brother-in-law, James Harrill, said Saturday while confirming his death. “It’s kind of heartbreaking to say: He was just a really good dad and really loved his family a lot — like a lot,” Harrill said. Klinner was one of three people killed in the Thursday crash who the U.S. government said were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida and who Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said were stationed in Birmingham. On Saturday, the U.S. government identified the other two as Capt. Ariana Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington, and Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky. Three additional deceased service members on the aircraft were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing …

Alabama Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over a 2023 Taser Death as Bodycam Video Is Unsealed

Alabama Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over a 2023 Taser Death as Bodycam Video Is Unsealed

Published by Sam Flores

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the family of an Alabama man who died after police shocked him with a Taser multiple times in 2023. U.S. District Court Judge Kristi K. DuBose on Tuesday dismissed a wrongful death and excessive force lawsuit filed against the city of Mobile and two police officers. At the conclusion of the case, the federal court unsealed the body camera footage, which had not been previously released to the public. Jawan Dallas, 36, died on July 2, 2023, after he was shocked while police were trying to detain him. His death prompted protests in Mobile. Dubose wrote that a medical examiner found that Dallas primarily died from “acute myocardial ischemia and cardiorespiratory failure caused by mixed drug toxicity – including toxicity from the presence of methamphetamine.” “Unfortunately, Mr. Dallas died from a heart attack approximately twenty minutes after he was handcuffed,” DuBose wrote. She wrote that the use of force against Dallas was objectively reasonable. Lawyers for his family disagreed with the decision …

Alabama Governor Commutes Death Sentence of Man Whose Accomplice Fired Fatal Shot

Alabama Governor Commutes Death Sentence of Man Whose Accomplice Fired Fatal Shot

Published by Sam Flores

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday commuted the death sentence of a 75-year-old inmate who was set to be executed this week even though he was not in the building when the victim was killed during a 1991 robbery. Ivey reduced Charles “Sonny” Burton’s sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole, marking just the second time the Republican governor has granted clemency to a death row inmate since taking office in 2017. Burton was sentenced to death for the shooting death of a customer, Doug Battle, during the robbery of an AutoZone auto parts store in Talladega. Though he had left the store before another man, Derrick DeBruce, killed Battle, Burton was convicted as an accomplice, with prosecutors portraying Burton as a leader of the robbery. Both DeBruce and Burton were convicted of capital murder, but DeBruce’s sentence was overturned on appeal. DeBruce was resentenced to life in prison and died in prison. Ivey, who has presided over 25 executions, said she firmly believes in the death penalty …

Winn-Dixie closing last two stores in Alabama amid restructuring

Winn-Dixie closing last two stores in Alabama amid restructuring

Published by Daniella Wilson

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US The last two Winn-Dixie grocery stores in the United States are set to close by the end of this month. The grocery store chain is closing locations across the country as it rebrands to “The Winn-Dixie Company,” and two more will be closed in Birmingham, Alabama. After more than 60 years serving the city, one location will close on March 21 and the other on March 22, as the company shifts its focus to Florida. The grocer has already acquired three Hitchcock’s Markets in the Sunshine State and plans to open them later this year. Ahead of the store closures, shoppers will be able to save anywhere from 20 percent to 40 percent off in their closing-down sales. Winn-Dixie’s parent company, Southeastern Grocers, has already closed stores in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi and sold them off to competing …

Alabama Man, on Death Row Since 1990, to Get New Trial

Alabama Man, on Death Row Since 1990, to Get New Trial

Published by Sam Flores

MONTGOMERY, Ala, (AP) — One of Alabama’s longest-serving death row inmates could soon receive a new trial after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the state’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling that prosecutors violated his rights by intentionally rejecting potential Black jurors. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the summer ruling from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision paves the way for Michael Sockwell, 63, to receive a new trial. “We appreciate the Supreme Court’s decision. Michael has been denied his right to a fair trial for more than 35 years. We’ll continue to fight for his freedom,” Michael Rayfield, one of Sockwell’s lawyers, said in a statement. Sockwell was convicted in 1990 of killing Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy Isaiah Harris. Harris was shot in the face in 1988 on his way to work in what prosecutors described as a murder-for-hire arranged by Harris’ wife. The appellate court in June issued a 2-1 opinion finding Alabama prosecutors violated Sockwell’s 14th Amendment rights by intentionally rejecting potential Black jurors believed …