Author

Eddie Burkhalter

Eddie Burkhalter is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter. You can email him at [email protected] or reach him via Twitter.

Expanding Medicaid would cover more than 13,000 Alabama veterans, their family members

More than 13,000 low-income veterans in Alabama and their adult family members who do not have medical insurance would gain access to medical care if the state were to expand Medicaid. Jim Carnes, director of the Montgomery-based nonprofit Alabama Arise, told APR on Friday that it’s a common misconception that veterans in the U.S. have access … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

November 12, 2019

More than 11,000 scientists worldwide warn of “climate emergency”

In strongly worded new report signed by more than 11,000 scientists in 153 countries the authors lay bare a “climate emergency” they say requires rapid changes in the way humans live to prevent the worst predictions from coming true. Titled the “World scientists’ warning of a climate emergency” the report, published Tuesday in the journal … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

November 8, 2019

Alabama transgender women of color selected for fellowship

A new fellowship program aimed at developing black and Latinx transgender women into leaders in public health kicked off in Washington D.C. last weekend and included three participants from Alabama. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation hosted the first class of ten fellows in the program Elevate: A Fellowship Advancing Public Health Leadership for Transgender Women … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

November 7, 2019

Criminal justice reform advocates urge state officials to act

Dena Dickerson is worried that Alabama officials won’t make the hard decisions needed to fix the state’s broken prison system, and that the people who can help inform those decisions aren’t being listened to. People like herself. In 2002 at the age of 23 Dickerson was sentenced to serve 114 years in Alabama prisons, convicted … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

November 6, 2019

Alabama white supremacist group’s visit to Emmett Till memorial sparks donations

If an Alabama-headquartered white supremacist group’s visit to the Emmett Till memorial sign in Mississippi on Saturday was meant to divide people through racial hatred, it’s having the opposite effect, said the director of the Emmett Till Interpretive Center. “We’ve seen an outpouring of support from across the country, from people of all stripes, who … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

November 5, 2019

Boeing’s Starliner passes critical safety test

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner’s crew module floated safely to earth Monday morning, passing a critical safety test for the commercial spacecraft. The unmanned capsule’s safe landing marked an end to the two-minute test at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, during which the craft blasted away from the test stand and flew for almost … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

November 5, 2019

Inmate dies at Bullock prison, fourth inmate death in October

Investigators are trying to determine how an inmate at the Bullock County Correctional Facility in Union Springs died on Oct. 6. His death is the fourth inmate death in state prisons during October. Marcus Green, 34, of Birmingham was found by correctional officers lying in his bed and unresponsive, according to a press release from … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

November 1, 2019

Red heart shape and medical stethoscope on blue background top view. Health care, medicare and cardiology concept.

Senate advances three health care bills introduced by Doug Jones

The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Thursday voted unanimously to advance three public health care bills introduced by Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama. Speaking in a conference call with reporters Thursday morning Jones said the week has been busy for himself and his staff but that the work was paying off. … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

November 1, 2019

White House abandons House bill to reduce prescription drug costs, favors Senate bill

Any hopes that President Trump might support a House bill to lower prescription drug prices by negotiating those prices with drug makers were dashed Thursday after a White House official said the administration supports a Senate version instead. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, wrote a provision into the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

November 1, 2019

Doug Jones introduces bill to protect pensions, Social Security and Medicare

U.S. Senator Doug Jones, D-Alabama, joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in introducing a bill to restore funding for pensions, Social Security and Medicare. The Rescue United States’ Trusts Act introduced Tuesday would create individual congressional committees for each endangered trust fund, which would be tasked with drafting legislation to bring those funds back into … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

October 31, 2019