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Joey Kennedy

Joey Kennedy

Joey Kennedy, a Pulitzer Prize winner, writes a column each week for the Alabama Political Reporter. You can email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter.

News

Arming teachers is a terrible idea

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter The email from the dean of UAB’s College of Arts and Sciences arrived in my in-box while I was drinking coffee and reading my Kindle between my two composition classes this past Wednesday morning. In a way, some part of me was expecting it. Dreading it. Accepting it. The … Continued
February 23, 2018

Shots fired. We do not care

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter Well, it’s happened again. And soon, we’ll be saying: “Well, it’s happened again.” And not long after that: “Well, it’s happened again.” We do not learn. We do not act. We do not care enough to do something constructive about the gun culture in this cruel nation. Multiple deaths … Continued
February 15, 2018

Once again, we dare defend our wrongs

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter How many times is Alabama going to go down this well-traveled road? We’re like a Twilight Zone episode. Or many of them. Our state is beautiful; the people generally are wonderful. We smile and say hi as we pass each other on the street. Alabama is a great place … Continued
February 8, 2018

The politics of deflection, distraction

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter With everything going on in Washington, D.C., it’s difficult to predict the result of the midterm 2018 elections. All indications are that Democrats will have a good year, perhaps even taking over the House of Representatives or the Senate or both. Let’s learn our lesson, though. Predictions during this … Continued
February 2, 2018

Alabama “corrupt?” Well, it does add up

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter Hello, from one of the most corrupt states in the nation. That’s according to a variety of studies – Harvard University among them — on both illegal corruption and legal corruption. Like the University of Alabama in college football, the state Alabama is a national Top 10 in corruption; … Continued
January 25, 2018

This is why women don’t come forward

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter Alabama Political Reporter Editor in Chief Bill Britt and reporter/columnist Josh Moon have done a fine job exposing state Attorney General Steve Marshall’s lack of action when a woman who worked in his office was aggressively sexually assaulted by an assistant district attorney who also worked there. Men who … Continued
January 18, 2018

The real State of the State

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter The State of the State in Alabama? As always, it’s great. Gov. Kay Ivey gave her first State of the State address Tuesday night. As one would expect, all is well. We’re doing great. Nothing to worry about here. Nothing. We do this every year. When has a governor … Continued
January 11, 2018

Exposing Spanky and the gang

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter When my wife, Veronica, publicly told about the brutal spanking she endured from former Anniston Star Publisher H. Brandt Ayers in the Star newsroom in 1975, I didn’t realize how the story would spread nationally and internationally. I knew it would be big in Alabama; I just didn’t realize … Continued
January 5, 2018

Journalist Eddie Burkhalter’s principles are intact; the Anniston Star’s, not so much

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter Journalist Eddie Burkhalter did what few in our business will ever do. Burkhalter quit his job on at The Anniston Star in November on principle because the newspaper wouldn’t allow him to pursue a story about allegations that former Star Publisher H. Brandt Ayers spanked some of his women … Continued
January 1, 2018

What we missed, and what we must not

By Joey Kennedy Alabama Political Reporter When one is talking about the biggest stories we didn’t cover in 2017, it’s difficult. C’mon. If the big stories weren’t covered, how do we know? But we do, somehow, understand there were big stories we missed. Perhaps the biggest story is disgraced former state Supreme Court Chief Justice … Continued
December 28, 2017