Trump

Jones bill would require Department of Defense to justify “national security tariffs”

A bill proposed by Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama, and a group of bipartisan senators would require the Department of Defense, rather than the Commerce Department, to justify national security tariffs. Congress would also be able to kill the tariffs by passing a motion of disapproval. Jones is sponsoring the bill with Ohio Republican Sen. Rob … Continued

Chip Brownlee

February 7, 2019

Opinion

Give Richard Shelby credit, he’s at least trying to do his job

I appreciate Richard Shelby. No, that is not sarcasm or the setup for a surprise turn to a scathing column. I mean it. I appreciate the way the Alabama senator has represented this state during the ongoing debate over President Donald Trump’s ridiculous big, beautiful wall that Mexico apparently isn’t paying for. Shelby, a Republican, … Continued

Josh Moon

February 4, 2019

Report: Trump EPA won’t limit cancer causing chemicals found in Alabama water

Drink at your own risk. That is essentially the message that the Trump EPA is planning for citizens who might consume drinking water contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals. Politico reported Thursday that the EPA doesn’t plan to set limits on the amount of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) found in drinking water. That would … Continued

Josh Moon

February 1, 2019

House of Representatives passes measure to reverse federal employee salary freeze

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday giving federal workers a 2.6 percent pay increase, nullifying President Donald Trump’s administration’s December 2018 decision to freeze federal employee salary rates. This pay increase will put executive branch employees at an equal level with military members in terms of pay raises. The measure reverses … Continued

Gabby Dance

January 31, 2019

Opinion

Stop eating the cake

Just get a loan. All the whining and moaning from federal workers who are being forced to work without pay was stifled by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, he of the $500 custom-made slippers. Just get a loan, Ross suggested upon hearing that federal workers were going to homeless shelters and food banks to get food … Continued

Josh Moon

January 25, 2019

Jones votes with Democrats, six Republicans to re-open government

Two bills that would have reopened the government after nearly six weeks failed to pass the Senate Thursday. One, a Republican-backed plan supported by President Donald Trump, included $5.7 billion for a border wall. Another, backed largely by Democrats, was a clean funding measure that included no funding for a wall. Both plans died, but … Continued

Chip Brownlee

January 25, 2019

Lawsuit alleges migrant children being used as “bait” to arrest sponsors

A lawsuit filed by the Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center alleges that the Trump administration has weaponized the Office of Refugee Resettlement and is using detained immigrant children as “bait” to arrest possible sponsors and, in the process, is keeping kids in shelters for prolonged periods of time. There are at least 10,000 children who … Continued

Chip Brownlee

January 25, 2019

Facade of US Supreme court in Washington DC on sunny day

Supreme Court allows Trump administration’s transgender military ban

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court made a dramatic decision to temporarily allow the Trump administration’s ban on transgender military members as legal battles over the issue continue in lower courts. The court stuck to partisan lines in a 5-to-4 vote to lift two injunctions blocking the policy. The court’s five Republican-appointed justices were in … Continued

Gabby Dance

January 25, 2019

Opinion

Boysplaining bad behavior

Here’s what’s substantially missing in most of the talk surrounding the young white teens from Northern Kentucky’s Covington Catholic High School accused of mocking a Native American leader in Washington, D.C., this week after they attended a pro-life march: The red MAGA hats. It is true — these are really only boys, albeit, privileged white … Continued

Joey Kennedy

January 24, 2019

Opinion

Vengeance or mercy: Let’s kick ’em while they are down!

A true economic, moral, social and constitutional conservative; DOES NOT RAISE TAXES. Rumblings are emerging at every intersection that our Alabama Legislature, led by Republicans are discussing raising our gas tax. You heard it, Republicans are talking about raising taxes. There are generally three common denominators associated with the discussion of raising taxes. As a … Continued

John W. Giles

January 21, 2019