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SPLC report: Despite COVID-19 deaths, Alabama isn’t releasing older, at-risk inmates

A report by the Southern Poverty Law Center published Tuesday found that almost 200 older state inmates, at greater risk from COVID-19, were eligible for parole, but either had no hearing or were denied parole over the summer.  Alabama’s three-member Board of Pardons and Paroles denied parole for 44 people who were 65 and older … Continued
September 23, 2020

CDC director: Vaccine won’t be available to general public until mid-2021

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during testimony Wednesday before a U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee said a vaccine won’t be widely available to the public until mid-2021.  Wearing a mask is the most important public health tool we currently have in the fight against the deadly disease, he said. “I might … Continued
September 17, 2020

Jones: Trump, Senate GOP leadership not serious about another round of COVID-19 relief

Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama, on Friday said it’s unclear whether Senate Republican leadership or the White House will work with Democrats to draft another round of meaningful COVID-19 relief for a country in need. Jones, speaking to reporters during a Facebook Live press briefing, said Sen. Mitch McConnell’s paired-down bill, which he and all other … Continued
September 11, 2020

Alabama Arise: Republican COVID-19 relief bill was “wholly inadequate”

The scaled-back COVID-19 relief plan offered by Senate Republicans that failed to pass on Thursday didn’t do nearly enough to address real needs of everyday Americans, said U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama.  His sentiments on the failed bill were backed by the nonprofit poverty advocacy group, Alabama Arise, whose executive director, Robyn Hyden, in a … Continued
September 11, 2020

Web series pushing for Medicaid expansion spotlights uninsured Alabamians

A coalition of Medicaid expansion advocates from eight Southern states launched an online storytelling series on Thursday to share the stories of people who say they’ve been harmed by those states’ denials of expanded access. The Cover Alabama Coalition is a member of Southerners for Medicaid Expansion, which was formed by advocates in Alabama, Florida, … Continued
September 11, 2020

Gov. Kay Ivey awards $72 million for remote learning tech in state colleges

Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday awarded $72.34 million in federal coronavirus aid to the state’s higher education institutions for remote learning technology.  “Since July, the state of Alabama has awarded $432,753,000 to various levels of education to ensure that we have a safe and smart continuation of educational instruction,” Ivey said in a statement. “COVID-19 … Continued
September 10, 2020

COVID cases back at late June levels but could worsen again

The Alabama Department of Public Health data shows just 633 new cases of COVID-19 reported Tuesday, and 811 cases Wednesday. Rather than being a statistical anomaly, the numbers reflect an ongoing September decline in the number of new cases reported. The seven-day average of new cases per day — a measure that smooths out daily … Continued
September 9, 2020