Author

Micah Danney

Micah Danney is a former reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter.

Alabama Arise calls Trump unemployment order “Band-Aid over a gaping economic wound”

An Alabama nonprofit that advocates for low-income residents says that President Donald Trump’s executive actions to extend federal aid to Americans affected by the pandemic falls far short of what is needed. “These executive actions put a Band-Aid over a gaping economic wound,” Chris Sanders, communications director for Alabama Arise, said in a statement on … Continued

Micah Danney

August 11, 2020

Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program gets more national attention

The article analyzed a recent study that found that students who attended the program were “statistically significantly more likely” to be proficient in both math and reading than those who did not.

Micah Danney

August 7, 2020

Voting rights activist calls for federal Department of Democracy

LaTosha Brown, a Selma native who co-founded Black Voters Matter, issued a statement saying that it is time to reimagine American democracy.

Micah Danney

August 7, 2020

New unemployment claims continue to drop

There were 11,692 unemployment claims filed in Alabama last week, down from 17,439 the previous week, according to the Alabama Department of Labor. Seventy-six percent of the claims from July 26 to Aug. 1 were related to COVID-19, according to the Alabama Department of Labor. That compares to 89 percent the week before. New claims … Continued

Micah Danney

August 6, 2020

Selma residents will discuss renaming Edmund Pettus Bridge at Aug. 7 virtual event

A group of Selma residents, in response to the latest push to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge, has organized and will host a virtual town hall meeting to discuss the proposal. The forum can be viewed live on the Facebook page of the Selma Matters Campaign on Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. The group encouraged … Continued

Micah Danney

August 4, 2020

Exposure notification app for college students launches pilot phase

College students across Alabama and anyone with a .edu email address are being invited to participate in an anonymous Exposure Notification System app for iPhone and Android users. The app launched in a closed pilot phase on Monday that will allow up to 10,000 downloads for each phone type. The app is part of the … Continued

Micah Danney

August 3, 2020

State’s unemployment claims slowed last week

Last week saw the lowest number of new claims since the week-to-week number first spiked from 1,824 to 10,982 when the lockdown started in mid-March.

Micah Danney

July 31, 2020

Huntsville police advisory council feeling the pressure as testimonies pour in

Hundreds of Huntsville residents have sent written comments to the group tasked with reviewing police actions against protesters in June, with a week left to submit through the online community input portal. The 10-member Huntsville Police Citizens Advisory Council has received almost 650 form submissions and more than 200 emails since the portal opened on … Continued

Micah Danney

July 31, 2020

Alabama voter outreach project receives SPLC grant money

The grants are part of a $30-million voter mobilization initiative called Vote Your Voice that seeks to aid Black- and brown-led outreach efforts in communities of color in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Micah Danney

July 29, 2020

Alabama lawmaker faces sharp criticism over celebration of former KKK leader

State Rep. Will Dismukes, R-Prattville, is again facing calls to resign over a social media post he made about his participation in an event honoring Confederate heritage. Dismukes posted a photo of himself on Sunday speaking at Fort Dixie the day before, where a yearly event was held celebrating the birthday of Nathan Bedford Forrest, … Continued

Micah Danney

July 27, 2020