Glenn Stephens

Sessions Criticizes School Board, Housing Authority for Cutting Ties with Church of the Highlands

When Jeff Sessions arrived at Woodlawn High School for a Wednesday morning press conference, Dr. Terrell E. Brown, the school’s principal, was waiting for him in the parking lot. The press conference couldn’t be held on school grounds, he said — but Sessions was welcome to move to a parking lot across the street. Sessions’ campaign staffers begrudgingly acquiesced. “Well, that’ll make it part of the story,” one staffer muttered as they lugged the podium across the busy street. The former U.S. attorney general and current U.S. Senate candidate was in Woodlawn to express his outrage over recent decisions by the Birmingham Board of Education and the Birmingham Housing Authority to cut ties with Church of the Highlands after founding pastor Chris Hodges “liked” several social media posts by the politically conservative group Turning Point USA. “This is a matter of real importance,” Sessions said. “It deals concretely with the right of free speech and free expression of religious values and to be able to have independent ideas outside your work environment." Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Alabama Posts Another Big Jump in COVID-19 Cases on Wednesday

The number of new COVID-19 cases in Alabama rose by almost one-third Wednesday from the increase the previous day, the Alabama Department of Public Health reported. There were 954 new confirmed cases of the disease, bringing the total to 31,624 statewide since the pandemic began in mid-March. It was one of the largest daily counts to date, just behind an increase of 1,014 reported on June 14. The daily rise had dropped to 433 on Monday, June 22, but was 639 on Tuesday before Wednesday's spurt. The department's daily report, reflecting figures from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 10 a.m. Wednesday, also showed 25 new deaths, bringing the overall total to 879. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Knight Wants Careful Consideration of the County’s Federal COVID-19 Funds

Commissioner Joe Knight gave a friendly reminder at the Jefferson County Commission Committee meeting today that financial resolutions, particularly those related to COVID-19 funds, should be submitted in a timely manner. County Manager Tony Petelos told commissioners he will bring emergency items to Thursday’s commission meeting related to the Cares Act, which provides federal funds related to the coronavirus pandemic. “I don't want to start seeing these things pop up the day before and then try to get them in as new business before we can take a really deep down look at them,” said Knight, the commission’s finance chairman. “Even though they've been through the process, we still have to set an amount, and a budget to see what's right,” Knight said. “I just don't want them to start coming in here with five or six here at the last minute, and say, ‘Hey pass these, pass these, pass these.’” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Alabama Reports 639 New Cases of COVID-19, Ending Four Days of Decline in Numbers

Alabama recorded 639 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing its total during the pandemic to 30,670 and ending four consecutive days of decline in the daily increase. The Alabama Department of Public Health also reported on its dashboard of information for the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. Tuesday that there were 23 new deaths from the disease, raising the overall total to 854. It was the greatest number of deaths for a single day since June 8, when there were 26. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Gov. Ivey Has Been Quiet On COVID-19. Does It Matter?

Some governors have spent lots of time in front of the cameras talking about the coronavirus pandemic. New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has held daily press briefings. Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has been out front almost daily as well. Meanwhile, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has been relatively quiet about COVID-19. That’s despite new cases increasing sharply around the state in June. “I think we’ve all got to do a much better job of educating people top to bottom,” U.S. Sen. Doug Jones said in a press conference last week. He said state leaders, not just the governor, should be talking about the pandemic. He added the message those leaders give should be based on science. Read more.

by Andrew Yeager, WBHM

COVID-19 Total for Alabama Tops 30,000 Mark

There was another small decline in the number of confirmed new COVID-19 cases in Alabama on Monday as the count climbed past the 30,000 mark. The Alabama Department of Public Health, in its report for the 24-hour period that ended at 10 a.m. Monday, said there were 433 new cases, pushing the statewide total to 30,031 since the pandemic began in mid-March. It was the fourth consecutive day of decline, with the count down from 472 on Sunday. The report said there are 423 additional cases believed but not yet confirmed to be from COVID-19. There were two deaths during the period, leaving the statewide overall total at 831, plus 10 believed to be from the diesease. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Execute Journalists? Don’t Think It Hasn’t Happened

President Trump’s reported statement that journalists who publish leaked information should be “executed” is a more explicit and heinous extension of his repeated “enemy of the people” trope. It’s so far beyond the pale that the only necessary reaction is ridicule, then dismissal as nothing more than Trump venting berserkly in private*. Except for the fact that it has happened. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that in the past 18 months, 14 journalists around the world have been murdered because they were journalists. UNESCO reports some that CPJ does not, including one as recently as this month. Some of the assassinations have suspected ties to government officials, others to political or criminal groups. Read more.

by Tom Arenberg

Number of COVID-19 Cases in Alabama Falls for Third Consecutive Day

The number of new COVID-19 cases in Alabama dropped for the fourth consecutive day Sunday, and only one additional death was reported by the Alabama Department of Public Health. There were 472 new confirmed cases of the disease listed in the daily report, which covered the 24-hour period ended at 10 a.m. Sunday. That brought the number of cases to 29,598 since the pandemic began in mid-March, plus 423 cases listed as probably from the virus but still under inspection. There was one death -- from Escambia County -- in the period. The state now has 829 deaths attributed to COVID-19, plus 10 shown as probably from the disease. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

COVID-19 Count Tops 29,000 in Alabama, with 828 Deaths

There were 543 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 16 deaths in Alabama during a 24-hour period, the state Department of Public Health reported Saturday in its daily assessment of the effects of the pandemic. Those figures, covering the period of 10 a.m. Friday through 10 a.m. Saturday, raised the number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 29,126 since the pandemic began in mid-March. Another 419 people are believed to have the disease but their cases are still being investigated. There have been 828 deaths, plus another 10 listed as probably resulting from the coronavirus. The Health Department's COVID dashboard said there have been 8,895 confirmed new cases over the past 14 days, for an average of 635 per day. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Another Steady Increase in COVID-19 Cases and Deaths Reported Friday

The number of new COVID-19 cases in Alabama continued its steady climb Friday, with 787 confirmed cases reported by the state Department of Public Health That brought the number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began in March to 28,583, plus another 410 cases listed as probable but not yet confirmed to have been from the disease. The agency’s report, which is updated at 10 a.m. each day, also showed 11 deaths during the period, raising the state total to 812, plus nine listed as probably from COVID-19. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch