Author: Virginia Martin
Mississippi’s Plan to Stop Alabama From Stealing Its Teachers? Pay Them Thousands More
WBHM
As Mississippi lawmakers plot how to keep more teachers in the state, educators warn the state’s bill targeting critical race theory could drive them away. Read more.
Applications Close Soon for Flood Damage Relief in Central Alabama
Jefferson and Shelby counties experienced flooding in October 2021. The federal applications for flooding relief close soon. Read more.
JeffCo Commissioners Discuss Laws to Stop “Poop Trains” From Hauling Waste Into the County
In the race to attract businesses from the North, the Jefferson County Commission made it clear that it would rather not be in the race, and it certainly doesn’t want to win the race.
At least when it comes to “poop trains.”
During its committee meeting today, commissioners discussed a couple of matters they hope will address a renewed effort by companies in New York and New Jersey to ship solid waste to Jefferson County by rail.
So-called “poop trains” made a literal and figurative stink in 2017 as solid waste was brought into the area by rail. A resolution that was moved to the agenda of Thursday’s commission meeting would establish solid waste officers who would help enforce ordinances put in place concerning illegal littering and, more specifically, the poop trains that are coming into Jefferson County from up north. Read more.
Mahogany Club Given Stay of Execution, New Birmingham Council Hearing Set
Once again, the Birmingham City Council is considering the closure of a nightclub due to several instances of gun violence and other crimes.
This time, the club is Mahogany Social Bar and Lounge, at 1709 Third St. W in the city’s Rising-West Princeton neighborhood.
Temple’s attempt to obtain a new liquor license and dance permit for Mahogany was met with open skepticism by many city councilors based on claims by police that the nightclub is a threat to public safety. But one councilor said neighborhood officers had written a letter supporting the club and its owner, who they said had responded to previous complaints. Read more.
Alabama Republicans Pass Bill to Hike Penalties for Removing Confederate Monuments
Republicans also advanced a bill that would require jail time for those who participate in a riot, plus another banning certain therapies for transgender youth. Read more.
Jewish Family Faces Death Threats After Complaining About Nazi Salute Performed in Class
A teacher at Mountain Brook High School allegedly led students in a salute that mimics how Nazis raised their arms in World War II.The one Jewish student in the class complained and his family says they’re now receiving death and arson threats. Read more.
Travel nurse salaries are rising due to demand. Some hospitals say it’s price gouging.
Demand for well-paid travel nurses has quadrupled since the pandemic began. Some nurses have even left their hospital jobs to become travel nurses because of the difference in pay, but that has left hospitals struggling even more with staffing issues and rising costs. Read more.
Repeating Pattern on Steroids: Spikes in Omicron Numbers Similar to Earlier COVID-19 Surges but Dropping Much More Quickly
The big spike in new daily cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 is now being followed with an equally fast drop, while death numbers are rising roughly four two six weeks after cases reached new heights.
To those who have been following the rise and fall of numbers during the pandemic, this should sound familiar. Omicron data is following much of the same patterns established when the original version of COVID, sometimes referred to as the alpha variant, spread throughout the world in late 2020 and early 2021. That pattern repeated during the summer as the delta variant spiked, as well.
The omicron surge reached its peak Jan. 22, when the 7-day moving average of new cases topped out at 13,410 cases per day. That’s more than 2½ times the previous record of 5,538 set by delta reached on Sept. 1, 2021, and more than triple the highest average during the original surge on Jan. 10 of last year.
In both of the earlier surges, the averages made steady declines over the following 10 to 13 weeks. After the alpha surge peak, 7-day averages fell by more than 90% and were down to 121 per day just after Independence Day. For delta, the averages sank by 95% just after Thanksgiving Day, then the case numbers started to increase again as omicron became the prevalent strain.
The rise of omicron cases has been about the same in duration as the previous surges, but the decline is quicker. From the peak just 18 days ago, the 7-day average had dropped to 3,533 as of Wednesday, a fall of almost three-fourths. Read more.
School Choice and Permitless Carry Bills Face Rocky Road in the Alabama Legislature
Beijing Olympics: Media Can’t Ignore the Elephant in the Room
The pageantry and inspiring athletic accomplishments of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, will captivate many of us for the next two weeks.
It will be easy to forget that outside the TV cameras’ frame, the host country is abusing and killing some of its people.
Human rights groups around the world have called on countries, companies and media to boycott the Beijing Games in protest of an array of documented oppression by the Chinese government, primarily the forced detention and labor of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region. These groups and the United States, which announced a boycott by diplomats, say China is committing genocide.
But a little genocide isn’t enough to keep corporate sponsors and NBC away when China is such a huge potential economic market and the Olympics are a TV ratings magnet. Read more.
