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Articles from the July 1, 2024 edition


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  • Can electric cars be powered with solar panels?

    Stacker, Kyle Hyatt|Jul 1, 2024

    There are several electric cars with solar panels available today — some recharge the smaller 12-volt battery that runs your air conditioning, while others can top you up with a few miles of electric range — but at this time, no commercially available solar panels are capable of fully powering an electric vehicle (EV). That said, reports Edmunds, this concept isn't as far away as it might've been 20 years ago. Here's why. In theory, the dream of solar energy is an exciting one. You put a few...

  • Kelvin Datcher wins Democratic primary runoff

    Brandon Moseley|Jul 1, 2024

    On Tuesday, Kelvin Datcher won the special Democratic primary runoff over Frank Woodson in House District 52. "Thank you District 52!! WE DID IT!!!!" Datcher said on social media after the win. Datcher received 55% of the votes cast (831 votes); while Woodson received 45% (675 votes). Only 1,506 votes were cast. Datcher is the deputy director of community development for the City of Birmingham. He previously worked as a policy analyst at the Jefferson County Health Department, as Chief of Staff...

  • My interview with Congressman Mo Brooks regarding the attempted assassination of President Trump

    Christopher Peeks|Jul 1, 2024

    July 16, 2024 I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing former Congressman Mo Brooks yesterday to gain his insights regarding the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Mr. Brooks, the target of a would-be assassin in 2017, told me in great detail about the ordeal. While practicing for the congressional baseball game, Brooks and his colleagues came under a withering barrage of gunfire that lasted ten minutes. With bullets whizzing through the air, Brooks, with no thoughts...

  • Hillbilly Elegy – Book Review

    Luisa Reyes|Jul 1, 2024

    The memoir by J. D. Vance, now President Trump's Vice-Presidential nominee, stands at 264 pages long but it is an easy and comfortable read. It centers around Vance's early years growing up in a fractured Appalachian family that lived in Ohio but had roots in the hills of rural Kentucky. At times it is spiced with "F" bombs that seem to be included in a nonchalant fashion. With the driving force behind the memoir being the internal conflict, J.D. Vance feels as he navigates entering the...

  • Bye Bye, Biden

    Dr. Bill Chitwood|Jul 1, 2024

    I had such high hopes that we’d make it through all four days of the Republican Convention without some kind of Joe Biden-related drama popping up. Silly me. I should have known better. Had you asked me a week ago, I would’ve bet good money that sometime during the Republican convention Biden would have stepped down, cackling Kamala would’ve been sworn in as the new Resident of the Oval Office and the fight to be Kamala’s Veep would be on like Donkey Kong. Indeed, that’s how things stood as of l...

  • Steve Marshall announces arrest of Montgomery County man for human trafficking

    Staff Writer|Jul 1, 2024

    On Friday, Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) announced the arrest of a Montgomery County man on a charge of Human Trafficking in the First Degree for commercial sex acts involving a juvenile. Terrell Bailey, age 27, of Montgomery, was arrested on Thursday by Special Agents of the Attorney General's Office with assistance from the United States Marshals Service and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and taken to the Montgomery County Jail. Bailey was arrested on a complaint and warrant...

  • Top Democrats are attempting to force Biden out of the race

    Brandon Moseley|Jul 1, 2024

    ***UPDATED July 21 - President Biden has withdrawn from the race but will remain on as President for now at least. He has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for POTUS. President Joseph R. Biden slammed "elites" who were plotting against his getting the Democratic nomination for President and vowed to stay in the race. That did not stop the effort by top Democrats to retire the oldest President in American history. "I'm not going anywhere," Biden told Mika and Joe Scarborough on a televised...

  • The Legislature has Prioritized Public Safety, It's Time for Some Cities to Do the Same

    Rep. Allen Treadaway, Chairman, House Public Safety Homeland Security Committee|Jul 1, 2024

    We've all seen the headlines coming out of Montgomery in the last few months. Someone gets killed or seriously injured, the mayor holds a press conference blaming everyone but himself, until the next violent incident, where it just repeats itself. We're only halfway through 2024, and there have already been at least 35 homicides and hundreds of shootings in Montgomery. Mayor Steven Reed wants you to believe that there just isn't anything he can do. According to him, the violence Alabama's...

  • New report shows that international automakers contribute $14.5 billion to Alabama economy

    Guest Writer, Blair Gremillion Director LSG|Jul 1, 2024

    Autos Drive America and the American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) have unveiled their 2024 Economic Impact Report, highlighting the financial commitment and contributions made by international automakers and nameplate dealers across Alabama. Investments in manufacturing facilities from Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota have cultivated economic growth and career opportunities for communities throughout the state and country. The annual report shows that...

  • State ponders takeover of the Bessemer School System

    Brandon Moseley|Jul 1, 2024

    Alabama allows towns to form their own school systems. In the case of some wealthy suburbs the city system has the best facilities, some of the highest test scores in the state, and the best teachers and principals available in Alabama. In the case of Bessemer, however, the city school system has been historically bad for decades and it has gotten so bad that Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey is considering the possibility of a state takeover. On Wednesday Bessemer school board members me...

  • J.D. Vance the Perfect Pick

    Perry O Hooper Jr|Jul 1, 2024

    Like President Trump, J. D. Vance arrived in politics as an outsider. J.D. gained national recognition when he captured hearts and minds with his bestselling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” and the Academy Award-winning movie adaptation. With searing eloquence, he describes the challenges facing working-class America, especially heartland communities decimated by economic decline and cultural decay brought on by global elitist policies. Vance shares his rare perspective as someone who rose from a tro...

  • Secretary of State Wes Allen Signs Joint Statement on Election Integrity at the RNC

    Staff Writer|Jul 1, 2024

    On Wednesday Secretary of State Wes Allen (R), along with five other conservative Secretaries of State, signed a joint statement on election integrity and opposing the federalization of state election processes at the Republican National Convention yesterday. "I am always proud to stand alongside other conservative election officials to publicly call for strong, common sense election integrity measures," said Secretary Allen. "This statement emphasizes several areas of concern in election...

  • Alabama executes Keith Gavin

    Staff Writer|Jul 1, 2024

    On Thursday, the state of Alabama executed twice-convicted murder, Keith Gavin, at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama: "Tonight, Keith Gavin was executed by lethal injection after having been convicted by a jury of his peers for the murder of William Clinton Clayton, Jr. in Centre, Alabama," said Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall. "There is no doubt about Gavin's guilt for this heinous offense. In 1998, Gavin was identified by four witnesses, including his own...

  • Senator Katie Britt to Join Bipartisan Congressional Delegation at Farnborough Air Show

    Staff Writer|Jul 1, 2024

    On Friday, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) announced that she will join a bipartisan Congressional delegation, led by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) at the Farnborough Air Show in the United Kingdom. Farnborough is the largest biennial trade show in the world and will showcase aerospace manufacturers and suppliers from Alabama and across the globe. Last year, Alabama exports of aerospace products and parts jumped 23% to $2.1 billion. The industry...

  • Marshall leads a 22-state brief supporting Florida's law regulating sex-modification procedures

    Staff Writer|Jul 1, 2024

    On Frida, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) filed a 22-state amicus brief in support of Florida's request to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals to allow the state to enforce its law regulating sex-modification procedures while the district court's order enjoining the law is heard on appeal. The case is Doe v. Surgeon General, State of Florida. Like half the states in the country and many European nations, Florida puts age limits on sex-change procedures, prohibiting the...

  • UAH Regional Autism Network offers workshop for primary care providers, caregivers on Aug. 2

    Anne Marie Martin, University Writer Editor

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (JUL 19, 2024) – The University of Alabama in Huntsville Regional Autism Network (UAH RAN) will offer a two-part workshop to provide important information to primary care providers and caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on Aug. 2 at the Jackson Center. The program is one of five scheduled across the state this summer through The University of Alabama Office for Academic Affairs Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning. UAH is a part of The University o...

  • The Convention We Almost Had

    Dr. Bill Chitwood|Jul 1, 2024

    Monday, the Republican National Convention kicked off with a bang. Even before the convention formally opened that morning, there were already celebrations being held over U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s tossing of unlawfully-appointed special counsel Jack Straw’s classified document case against President Trump. Even though everyone expects Straw to appeal—the DoJ has already given him permission to do so—this was a major win for Trump, and it set the tone for the day. From the announc...

  • Alabama has moved from 47th in connectivity to 24th

    Brandon Moseley|Jul 1, 2024

    The state of Alabama has made tremendous strides in getting broadband deeper into the interior of the state. Alabama's politicians liked to talk about rural broadband; but it was progressing at a snail's pace until the state got involved in an effort led by Governor Kay Ivey, former State Senator Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville), and Rep. Randall Shedd (R-Fairview). That effort – bolstered by hundreds of millions of federal dollars – is really starting to make progress as Alabama has gone fro...

  • Praying for the President

    Michael J. Brooks|Jul 1, 2024

    In an old biography of William McKinley, the author noted the president’s assassination was on Friday, Sept. 14, 1901, “as were the two previous assassinations on Friday.” It was Good Friday, April 14, 1865, when Lincoln was shot in Washington, and Friday, July 2, 1880, when President Garfield was shot in D.C. Then it struck me that the terrible event that traumatized my generation--the assassination of President Kennedy--was on an awful Friday in Dallas, Nov. 22, 1963. This is one of the inexp...

  • Alabama Republicans comment on Biden dropping out of Presidential Race

    Brandon Moseley|Jul 1, 2024

    On Sunday, President Joseph R. Biden (D) finally acknowledged what most Americans already knew and that he was increasingly a drag on the Democratic ticket and that they would have a better chance of winning the White House in November if someone else ran as the Democratic nominee. Republican Executive Committee member former State. Rep. Perry O. Hooper Jr. told the Alabama Gazette that everyone already knew that Biden was experiencing a sharp mental decline. "Joe Biden's decision not to run...

  • Republican Carlos Crum drops out of House District 52 race

    Brandon Moseley|Jul 1, 2024

    Democratic nominee Kelvin Datcher appears to be the winner in the House District 52 election after his Republican opponent – Carlos Crus – dropped out of the race. Datcher recently won the Democratic primary runoff over Frank Woodson. The Alabama GOP had an extremely short qualifying period in HD52 (ostensibly to avoid Crum having to face a primary opponent); so Crum won the Republican nomination without having to talk to voters as there was no need for a primary. Datcher, on the other han...

  • "Fly Me To The Moon" - a movie review.

    Luisa Reyes|Jul 1, 2024

    "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Fifty-five years ago those words were first entered into the annals of history by Neil Armstrong as he became the first man to step on the moon. And while Hollywood didn't commemorate the occasion with a dramatic biopic of the moon landing, Hollywood has provided us with a delightful romantic comedy centered around the Apollo 11 mission with "Fly Me To The Moon". A surprise treat of the summer movie season, "Fly Me To The Moon"...

  • Sewell says that Biden will go down as one of the most consequential and transformational leaders America has ever had: endorses Kamala Harris

    Brandon Moseley|Jul 1, 2024

    On Sunday, President Joseph R. Biden (D) released a written statement announcing that he is suspending his campaign to be reelected immediately. Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (D-Selma), a longtime Biden supporter, released the following statement expressing her admiration for Biden and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the successor to Biden. "President Joe Biden will go down in history as one of the most consequential and transformational leaders America has ever seen," Sewell wrote....

  • Biden Out

    Dr. Bill Chitwood|Jul 1, 2024

    “I love it when a plan comes together.“ – Col. John “Hannibal” Smith. Someone’s plan came together on Sunday in a big way. In a one page letter, Joe Biden said he would “stand down,” removing himself from consideration for the Democratic nomination for President. He thanked his Vice President for being an “extraordinary partner” but did not endorse Kamala Harris as his successor in the letter. He did endorse her a hour later in a post on X, and claimed to have donated to her through the Biden/Ha...

  • No improvement in Alabama's Labor Force Participation Rate still just 57.5%

    Brandon Moseley|Jul 1, 2024

    On Friday, Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced that Alabama's chronically low labor force participation rate for June was just 57.5%. Washington did point out that did amount to an increase of four-tenths of a percentage point from where we were a year ago in June 2023. The percentage of prime-age workers however did increased by 1.4 percentage points to 79.2% over the year. Prime-age workers are those aged 25-54 years. "The number of prime age workers increased...

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