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Alabama lawmakers consider legal casinos, education vouchers, criminal justice in 2024

Alabama lawmakers consider legal casinos, education vouchers, criminal justice in 2024

Alabama lawmakers return to Montgomery on Tuesday to begin the 2024 legislative session. Here are some issues to watch for as the session begins. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey will back legislation creating education savings accounts, which typically allow parents to claim public money and use it for private school tuition or other qualified expenses. Ivey will unveil her proposal in her State of the State address Tuesday night. “I’m committed to continuing to make it easier for Alabama families to send their children to the best school of their choice,” the governor said last month. While Ivey has not unveiled the size of her proposal, she said it must be a sustainable program. Legislation introduced last year, that would have given parents $6,900 per child, was criticized by opponents for estimates that it would drain more than $500 million from public education. “We’ve got to be real cognizant of making wise fiscal choices,” Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed said Monday. WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT IS ‘DEEPLY TROUBLED’ BY ALABAMA’S EXECUTION OF MAN USING NITROGEN GAS Lottery and casino legislation will again be introduced, but the bill’s outlook is unclear. A group of House members have been attempting to negotiate a proposed constitutional amendment to put before voters that would authorize a state lottery and a select number of casino sites. “I think a lot of folks in Alabama are ready to vote,” House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said of a constitutional amendment. The Republican said the proposal would close illegal gambling operations that have spread across the state. There has not been a statewide vote on gambling since Gov. Don Siegelman’s proposed lottery failed in 1999. Bills have stalled under a mix of opposition and disputes over who would get casino licenses. Republican Sen. Greg Albritton, who proposed legislation previously, said he thought the number of casino sites would be between six and eight. “If we don’t get the gambling bill done this year, it will be another generation before it’s approached,” Albritton predicted. Republican lawmakers have renewed a push to make it a crime to help non-family members vote by absentee ballot. Republican supporters say the change is needed to combat voter fraud, but opponents have called it an attempt to make it harder for people to vote. A bill by Republican Sen. Garlan Gudger of Cullman would make it a misdemeanor offense to order, prefill, request, collect or deliver an absentee ballot for someone who is not a household member or close family member. The penalty increases to a felony if the person is paid. The bill provides an exemption for election officials and for people who are blind, disabled or cannot read. The bill will be debated in committee on Wednesday. A Senate bill would replace the board that oversees the Alabama Department of Archives and History. The bill by Republican Sen. Chris Elliott would replace the current board with members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and legislative leaders. The bill, which will also be in committee Wednesday, comes after Elliott and other lawmakers expressed unhappiness that the department hosted a lecture focused on LGBTQ history. A separate bill would clarify that city and county officials who appoint library board members have the authority to remove a board member at any time. A variety of bills have been filed seeking either to reform Alabama’s criminal justice system or require stiffer penalties for certain offenses. After a kidnapping hoax in Alabama drew international attention, Republican Sen. April Weaver proposed legislation that would make it a felony offense to fake an abduction. Democratic Rep. Chris England of Tuscaloosa has proposed legislation that would allow certain prisoners serving life sentences for robbery and other crimes under Alabama’s stringent habitual offender law to have their sentences reviewed. The governor and lawmakers are expected to propose a pay raise for state teachers. Republican Sen. Arthur Orr of Decatur said legislation will be introduced to strengthen the state’s weak public records law. Bills are also expected to try and limit the power of the state health officer to order pandemic-related closures. However, the board that oversees the Department of Public Health this month is expected to finalize rules that would require the governor to sign off on such closures.

Trump crushing Biden in small dollar donations as Biden courts the wealthy

Trump crushing Biden in small dollar donations as Biden courts the wealthy

President Biden is trailing significantly behind former President Trump in the number of small dollar donations their campaigns received in 2023, according to federal data. Small dollar donations are a key indicator of overall enthusiasm for a candidate, and the Trump campaign received some 668,000 donations of less than $200 last year. Meanwhile, Biden’s campaign received 564,000, according to the New York Times. Despite the discrepancy, Biden’s campaign finished last year with more cash on hand than Trump’s, indicating a strategy of targeting wealthy Democratic donors. Trump’s small dollar lead is not just sourced from solid red states like Florida and Texas. He is also leading Biden in the metric in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada, according to the Times. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING IN THE 2024 RACE The donation report comes as Trump also took a huge lead over Biden in a national NBC News poll released Sunday. The poll showed Biden struggling to compete with Trump on top issues like immigration and the economy, with Biden trailing Trump by 23 points when voters were asked who would be a better candidate to handle the economy. HALEY EXPECTS TO HAUL IN $1.5 MILLION AT WALL STREET FUNDRAISERS TO FUEL GOP PRESIDENTIAL BID AGAINST TRUMP Those numbers come despite Biden’s recent argument that his administration’s economic policies are starting to work, telling voters in Michigan last week that “inflation is coming down” and that they had “created 800,000 manufacturing jobs.” BIDEN TOPS TRUMP IN NEW POLL, BUT LEAD SHRINKS AGAINST THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATES Trump also boasted large leads over Biden when it came to securing the border (+35 points), having the necessary mental and physical health to be president (+23), and dealing with crime and violence (+21). The former president also has double-digit leads over Biden when it comes to being competitive and effective (+16) and on improving America’s standing in the world (+11). Overall, the NBC poll showed Trump leading Biden by five percentage points, 47% to 42%, among registered voters in a hypothetical 2024 general election rematch. Fox News’ Michael Lee contributed to this report

Anger as Turkey marks anniversary of devastating earthquake

Anger as Turkey marks anniversary of devastating earthquake

One year on from disaster, mourning mixes with frustration over authorities’ response. Crowds have gathered across Turkey to mark the one-year anniversary of the earthquake that devastated the country, with many people expressing anger over the authorities’ response to the disaster. In Antakya, capital of Hatay, the worst affected of the 11 southern provinces hit by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake on February 6, 2023, crowds jostled with police, calling on city mayor Lutfu Savas to resign and booing Health Minister Fahrettin Koca. The tremor and its aftershocks left towns and cities in ruins and killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and 5,900 in Syria. Locals say the delayed response of the authorities meant that many were left to die, trapped for days under the rubble, in the freezing cold. People chanted “Can anyone hear me?”  – echoing the voices of those who lost their lives while waiting for help. “We won’t forget, we won’t forgive,” the crowd declared. After a moment of silence at 4:17am to mark the time that the quake struck, carnations were thrown into the river. People gather to mark the first anniversary of the country’s catastrophic earthquake, in the city of Antakya, southern Turkey, February 6, 2024. A banner reads, ‘Can anyone hear my voice?’ [Metin Yoksu/AP Photo] ‘The disaster of the century’ The government has organised a series of events across the country to commemorate the anniversary. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a post on X that the pain is still fresh. “The unity of the century was displayed in the face of the disaster of the century,” he said. Bir yıl önce yaşadığımız Kahramanmaraş merkezli depremlerde kaybettiğimiz canların acısı ilk günkü tazeliğiyle yüreklerimizi yakmayı sürdürüyor. Yitirdiğimiz 53 bin 537 canımızın her birine Allah’tan rahmet, yakınlarına ve milletimize başsağlığı diliyorum.… pic.twitter.com/19AufD6qMt — Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) February 6, 2024 Touring the earthquake zone, he planned to visit Kahramanmaras, marking the epicentre, to inspect the work being done to rebuild the city and rehouse thousands who remain in tents and prefabricated containers. He also will take part in handing over completed homes to survivors who are among the millions who were left homeless by the disaster. People whose homes were destroyed during the earthquake live in tents in Antakya, southern Turkey, January 12, 2024 [Khalil Hamra/AP Photo] Schools were closed for the day in many of the earthquake-affected provinces. However, authorities were also braced for anger. In Malatya province, the governor banned any marches or other public displays outside officially sanctioned events for three days. Adblock test (Why?)

Worst drought recorded hits Spain’s Catalonia, sparking fears and ingenuity

Worst drought recorded hits Spain’s Catalonia, sparking fears and ingenuity

Barcelona, Spain – The Magic Fountain is a popular tourist attraction where coloured jets of water shot up in the air as classical or pop favourites played. Not anymore. Like fountains across Barcelona, it lies dry and a little forlorn with signs reading: “Fountain turned off due to drought”. The free musical show at the water feature, which had run for nearly 100 years, is another casualty of what Catalan authorities in northern Spain have described as the “worst drought ever”. After three years without sustained rainfall, emergency measures were brought at the weekend, which include a ban on refilling swimming pools in hotels or campsites or topping them up unless recycled water is used. The Magic Foundation, once a popular tourist spot,  is closed because of the drought. The sign reads: Jets stop as a measure of savings due to drought [Courtesy: Ana Miquel] If the heavens do not open in the next few months, Spain may order two ships per day to carry water from Valencia to the Catalan capital, Barcelona port authorities said. Tourists visiting Catalonia – Spain’s most popular tourist region, which attracted 18 million visitors last year – face the prospect of swimming pool closures as experts predicted pools will inevitably run dry because of spillage and evaporation. The only exception will be swimming pools used for medical reasons. Fears for summer With the lucrative summer tourist season ahead, campsites are exploring ways to use seawater in pools. One option could be bringing seawater to top up pools, but this is expensive. Washing cars and watering public gardens were banned as part of the first stage of this emergency plan – unless the water comes from an approved recycling system. Swimming clubs with outdoor pools are exempt – for now – but are banned from using showers. Television reports showed showers being taped up so they could not be used. Beach showers were turned off. On the beach in Gava, a town south of Barcelona, Lavinia Mestre was taking advantage of unusually hot weather for February to enjoy a quick swim. “I know some people who have stopped coming to the beach because of the lack of showers. But I bring a bottle and use the seawater to get the sand off my legs,” Mestre, a 20-year-old student, told Al Jazeera. “I understand why they have turned off the showers and it is not much of a sacrifice in the middle of a drought.” ‘Worst drought ever recorded’ In Barcelona, many have been stirred into action after months without rain. As Ana Miquel waited for the water to warm in her kitchen, she collected five litres in a bottle. “We have no choice but to save the water. It is silly to waste the water when we have a chronic drought,” Miquel, 65, a retired hotel executive who lives in Barcelona, told Al Jazeera. The restrictions affect about six million people in Barcelona and 200 towns, or about 80 percent of the region’s population. Miquel Marti uses water from his shower to flush his toilet as Barcelona suffers a severe drought [Courtesy: Miquel Marti] Miquel Marti, a university lecturer in urban planning in Barcelona, believes people must change their behaviour while living in a drought. “We put a bucket in the shower to collect water then use it in the toilet. We take less water to wash up and make sure that the washing machine is not on a long cycle. We have to change the way we live,” Marti, 50, told Al Jazeera. Authorities are under no illusion about the seriousness of the drought, which has seen reservoirs in the region fall to 15.8 percent of normal levels, according to Spanish government figures. “It’s the worst drought ever recorded,” Pere Aragones, Catalonia’s regional president, told a press conference last week. The emergency measures are designed to reduce the daily amount permitted for residential uses from 210 to 200 litres (55 to 53 gallons) per person. An average 10-minute shower consumes 150-200 litres (40-53 gallons), according to the World Health Organization. Most households in Barcelona already fall well below that limit. However, hotels are using far higher amounts of water, according to a 2016 survey from Barcelona Regional, a development authority, which showed that Jacuzzis and pools in five-star establishments exceeded 540 litres (143 gallons) per guest per day. The Barcelona Hotel Guild, an industry body, hit back by publishing a report from 2022 which claimed that after years of campaigns about sustainable water use, the average daily use per person in five-star hotels had fallen to 242 litres (64 gallons). Yurbban Hotels, which has three hotels in Barcelona, has asked guests to take up the “four-minute shower challenge.” “We have decided to go a bit further and involve our guests so that they shower in four minutes,” said Javier Diaz, director of hotels and sustainability. If there are no rains before spring, the personal daily limit will be lowered to 180 litres (47 gallons), then 160 litres (42 gallons). Under the new restrictions, agricultural irrigation must be cut by 80 percent – and water use in livestock farming by half and in the industry and leisure sector by 25 percent. If triggered, a second phase of restrictions would see showers at gyms switched off. ‘Climate without rain for years’ Catalonia’s water crisis comes after Spain and other parts of Europe suffered a series of heatwaves last year that depleted reserves through evaporation while consumption increased. In Andalusia in southern Spain, a deep drought has also left authorities considering bringing in similar emergency measures. Antonio Aretxabala, a hydrology expert at the University of Zaragoza, said Spain’s water crisis was caused by a lack of rain and over-use of water for agriculture, which only accounts for 2.3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Ana Miquel, a retired hotel executive from Barcelona, collects water in her kitchen [Courtesy: Ana Miquel] “We have a climate without rain for years and exorbitant use of water for agriculture.

Former Thai PM Thaksin charged with royal insult

Former Thai PM Thaksin charged with royal insult

Jailed former leader the latest to face prosecution under Thailand’s strict laws protecting monarchy against criticism. Thai police have charged former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra with insulting the monarchy over comments he made almost a decade ago. Officials said on Tuesday that the complaint concerns a 2015 interview that Thaksin gave while in South Korea. The potential charge comes just weeks before his possible release on parole. Although it is not yet clear if the case will go ahead, the jailed billionaire is the latest political figure to face prosecution under the country’s strict lese majeste laws. The complaint was filed by the military government that ran Thailand after overthrowing a government led by Thaksin’s sister Yingluck Shinawatra in May 2014. Thaksin has repeatedly pledged loyalty to the monarchy. Prayuth Pecharakun, spokesman for the attorney general’s office, told reporters that the long delay in acting on the complaint was due to Thaksin’s previous absence from the country. Backroom deal The controversial billionaire, twice a prime minister but overthrown in a 2006 coup, returned from self-exile in August last year. He was immediately jailed on corruption and abuse-of-power charges. The 74-year-old was transferred to a police hospital almost straight away and has undergone at least two operations. Prosecutors will wait for police to complete their investigation before deciding whether to proceed with the case, Prayuth said. Thaksin denies the charge and has written to the attorney general asking for fair treatment, he added. Insulting the crown is a serious offence in Thailand, where the constitution states the king must be held in a position of “revered worship”. The lese majeste law is one of the strictest of its kind in the world, carrying a jail sentence of 15 years for each perceived insult to the monarchy. Critics say the law has been weaponised to silence dissent. There has been a surge in charges under the laws – known in Thailand as “112” after the relevant section of the criminal code – since youth-led pro-democracy street protests in 2020. At least 260 people have been prosecuted under it in recent years. Thaksin’s return to Thailand coincided with his Pheu Thai Party’s return to power in a controversial deal with promilitary parties. The timing triggered rumours of a backroom deal to help Thaksin with his legal troubles. That speculation was fuelled further when the king cut his jail sentence from eight years to one year. Loved by millions of rural Thais for his populist policies in the early 2000s, Thaksin is reviled by the country’s royalist and promilitary establishment, which spent much of the past two decades trying to keep him and his allies out of power. Adblock test (Why?)