AL Political Reporter: “Daily, grocers witness hardworking Alabamians unable to purchase the food that they need. Despite wages increasing significantly over the last several years, the rising cost of food has outpaced all other household expenses except transportation. Factors including the labor shortage, supply chain disruptions, energy prices, severe weather events, and the war in…
“Bill Filed to Eliminate Jefferson Davis Holiday [in AL]”
AL Political Reporter: “Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, has filed a bill seeking to replace the Jefferson Davis holiday recognized by the state with an appreciation day for state employees. England has filed a bill to this effect multiple times in the past without gaining traction, as well as a bill to eliminate another state holiday…
NC State Senator Files Potentially Legacy Defining Bill to Ban Participation Trophies
Watauga Watch: “NC Senator Tim Moffitt has the solution for keeping our school children safe: Ban participation trophies. Not making this up. Yesterday, Moffitt filed S430, “Eliminate Participation Trophies,” which would actually prohibit local governments from petting their un-athletic kids … because the NCGOP is all about small government. Not an April Fool’s joke.Samantha Campbell tweeted:…
“Asa Hutchinson Announces White House Bid”
Political Wire: “Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) is running for president in 2024, Politico reports. Said Hutchinson: “I am going to be running. And the reason, as I’ve traveled the country for six months, I hear people talk about the leadership of our country, and I’m convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best…
“Federal judge temporarily blocks Tennessee drag ban”
The Tennessean: “A federal judge in Tennessee has issued a temporary restraining order against the impending “drag ban” after siding with Friends of George’s, a Memphis-based LGBTQ theatre group that filed suit against the state. Friends of George’s filed the lawsuit on March 27; the case advanced rapidly through federal court. Judge Thomas Parker heard three…
Congressman Gaetz Hires War Criminal Convicted by US Military of Executing Man During Interrogation Then Throwing Body Into Latrine
The Intercept: “DERRICK MILLER, a former U.S. Army National Guard sergeant who spent eight years in prison for murdering an Afghan civilian in 2010, now serves as a legislative assistant covering military policy for Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz. While on a combat mission in Afghanistan’s Laghman province on September 26, 2010, Miller shot 27-year-old Atta Mohammed in…
“An Open Letter to Governor Lee on the Slaughter of Our Children”
NY Times: “Dear Gov. Bill Lee, For more than 24 hours, I waited for you to speak to the people of Tennessee about the massacre of Nashville schoolchildren and the adults who gave their lives trying to keep them safe. These were your citizens. These children were your children. This shattered faith community is exactly…
“Jimmy Carter’s relationship with the Allman Brothers Band helped him become president”
NPR: “ALAN PAUL: This is Alan Paul. I’m biographer of The Allman Brothers Band. When Jimmy Carter began his campaign for president – and it was a real long shot – he had virtually no money at the start. What he did have was really good relationships with Phil Walden, who was the manager of…
“North Carolina Scraps Pistol Permits”
Political Wire: ““North Carolina legislators repealed the state’s requirement that someone obtain a permit from a local sheriff before buying a pistol, as the Republican-controlled legislature on Wednesday successfully overrode one of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes for the first time since 2018,” the AP reports.”
“How Florida uses a little-known law to punish abortion clinics”
Politico: “Florida regulators over the last year punished more than a dozen abortion providers for violating a nearly decade-old law that requires pregnant patients wait 24 hours before getting the procedure. Florida legislators approved the law in 2015, but it remained in limbo after the American Civil Liberties Union challenged it. After a judge upheld…