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In this article published by the New York Times with a hard news lead, President Biden has stated his motivation heading into the 2024 presidential elections. Stemming from a desire to defeat his 2020 opponent, Donald Trump, Biden sees this as an opportunity to hopefully win a re-election.

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For Biden, Another Trump Nomination Presents Opportunity, and Great Risk

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Some Democrats consider the former president the Republican they would have the best chance against this fall, but also the one they most fear the consequences of losing to.

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In this article published by the New York Times, the death of 90 year-old Jean Carahan is discussed. She was the first woman to represent Missouri in the U.S. Senate after being appointed to fill her husband's seat.

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2/23/24

In this hard news article published by AL.com , former president Donald Trump makes a statement regarding his support for Alabama and the fertility treatments like IVF.

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Trump calls on Alabama Legislature to protect IVF: ‘Find an immediate solution’

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Trump, in a post on his Truth Social network, said: “We want to make it easier for mothers and fathers to have babies, not harder!”

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1/25/24

In this political article with a hard news lead published by AL.com, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey's support to her Texas counterpart in the state's ongoing dispute with the Biden demonstration over immigration enforcement.

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‘Texas, you can count on Alabama,’ Ivey tells Greg Abbott in Biden razor wire border dispute

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“Texas and the states have stepped up time and time again. The White House? Purposely absent. I have had enough,” Ivey tweeted.

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2/24/24

In this soft news lead published by AL.com , a 79-year-old woman was found not guilty after a heated exchange at a small town, city-council near Birmingham. She was found not guilty of two misdemeanor charges.

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A 79-year-old woman arrested after a heated exchange at a city council meeting in a small town near Birmingham was found not guilty on Friday of two misdemeanor charges.

Novillee Williams left Tarrant City Hall holding a toddler and smiling with friends and supporters after Judge Lee Barnes acquitted her of accusations that she harassed a city employee during a fiery exchange in which she assailed the town's mayor as a corrupt leader.

"She's essentially been shushed for speaking out and she reacts accordingly. There's not a bad intent bone in her body," Tommy Spina, one of Williams' attorneys, told AL.com. "She's just speaking out against the mayor publicly at a public meeting during a public comment section of the city council meeting and she had no intent to cause anybody any harm."

Spina, who worked on the case with attorney Ben Preston, called the prosecution an overreaction and an attack on his client's First Amendment right to criticize her government.

Video footage of the council meeting on Dec. 4 showed Williams argue with Shayla Myricks, an accountant for the city of Tarrant. The trial centered around whether Williams' actions amounted to threats when she touched Myricks on the arm, called her "girl," and stood with her hands on her hips.

After hearing from five witnesses during the trial Friday, the judge said Williams' actions did not rise to the level of dangerous aggression. He found her not guilty of harassment and disorderly conduct.

"I do not find that her intention was to carry out a threat or to carry out harassment," Judge Barnes said.

The trial occurred in the same room where the Tarrant council meets in the town of about 6,000 people just northeast of Birmingham, the same room where Williams frequently speaks against the mayor, the same room where the town's officials frequently clash.

The trial was an illustration of the deep political divide in Tarrant as council members and critics of Mayor Wayman Newton arrived to support Williams, whom they said has been penalized for her political speech.

Wendell Major, the town's police chief, testified for Williams, while a police sergeant testified for Myricks. Councilwoman Veronica Bandy Freeman appeared in support of Williams as did Councilman Tommy Bryant. Over objections from the city lawyer, Williams' pastor testified as a character witness.

Mayor Newton, who was not present during the Dec. 4 exchange, nor the trial, has maintained that he had nothing to do with the prosecution. He disputed accusations that the arrest was politically motivated.

"I wasn't there. I played no part in any of that," he told AL.com in a phone interview after the trial.

In an effort to avoid a trial, the city's prosecutor offered to dismiss the charges if Williams would agree to attend anger management courses. She rejected the deal.

"She's not an angry person and she didn't act out of anger. Her anger, if it exists at all, is not with Ms. Myricks," Spina told AL.com after the acquittal. "Her anger is with the mayor and the way he conducts business in the city of Tarrant and the jaundiced eye the city of Tarrant is constantly under as a result of his conduct."

Myricks, who pressed charges against Williams, declined to comment to AL.com.

In court Myricks testified that she felt threatened by Williams, particularly when she reached over and touched her. Myricks told the judge that she did not begin the exchange with Williams, but turned around to see who was talking while Wiliams was complaining about the mayor.

"I got a lot of aggression from Ms. Williams," she said. "I was just listening. She kept addressing me, so I did respond. We had a little back and forth."

During cross examination, Spina questioned why Myricks chose to leave her seat across the room to sit in front of Williams just as remarks became heated. Myricks said she moved to be closer to a council woman she needed to talk to after the meeting. Spina scoffed at the explanation.

Footage from the Dec. 4 meeting showed Williams refer to Myricks as "girl," "honey" and finally "lady."

Sitting in front of Williams in the audience, Myricks turned around to speak in defense of the mayor during the meeting.

"Turn around honey," Williams said in response.

When Myricks again turned in her seat to face Williams, the video shows, Williams touched the accountant's arm and told her to turn around.

"Don't put your hands on me," Myricks said.

"Honey, go on," Williams responded. "I'm a citizen of Tarrant, lady, and I have a right to speak, even though you are in the mayor's corner, I can see that. I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to the city council."

Williams briefly stood up from her seat after the exchange, with her hands on her hips. The argument lasted only about three minutes in the final moments of the council meeting during public comment.

Williams in her testimony admitted to touching Myricks but said she only did so after Myricks turned around and extended her own arm.

"I am not a violent person," Williams said. "I touched her, I'm not denying that, but if you look, she could have hit me."

While the trial did not feature the drama of a Law and Order episode, the case of a senior citizen charged with harassment and disorderly conduct against the 39-year-old woman raised eyebrows locally and even nationally.

As the trial closed, Judge Barnes issued a final order to Williams and Myricks - stay away from each other.

"Y'all have got to be 10 feet from each other," he said. "I am asking that you have no contact at the meetings."

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Elderly woman found not guilty after arrest for dispute at Alabama council meeting

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Supporters of Novillee Williams said the prosecution was politically motivated because of her criticism of the mayor.

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2/2/24

In this article written by the New York Times, a new discovery by researchers tells of nearly a 15 million year gap in the fossil record. Found in a Canadian quarry, this fossilized tree is nature's newest mystery.

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A Fossilized Tree That Dr. Seuss Might Have Dreamed Up

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The toilet brushlike specimen from a Canadian quarry hints at the evolutionary experiments that occurred during a 15-million-year gap in the fossil record.

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1/17/2024

This article published by AL.com discusses how more Walmart storefronts are being shut down due to 'underperforming'. While these shutdowns are unfortunate, it also gives insight as to how their employees will be relocated to various locations.

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Last year, Walmart announced a handful of closures involving mostly what the nation's largest retailer described as "underperforming stores."

The shutdowns are continuing in 2024, according to multiple media reports.

Walmart announced it will close two stores in San Diego County, California next month. One of the stores is a Walmart Neighborhood Market on Imperial Avenue and the other is a traditional Walmart location at Fletcher Parkway in El Cajon, the San Diego Tribune reported. The stores are closing Feb. 9.

The closures come after Walmart said it was unable to reach an agreement with property owners and opted not to renew the leases.

"We are grateful to the customers who have given us the privilege of serving them at our San Diego and El Cajon stores," said Walmart Communications Director, Brian K. Little in an emailed statement to the Tribune. "We look forward to continuing to serve them at any of our many locations across the area, on walmart.com and through delivery to their home or business."

Employees at the stores will have the opportunity to relocate to another Walmart store.

Last year, Walmart closed 20 stores across 11 states, i ncluding four in Chicago, due to poor financial performance.

There are more than 4,616 Walmart stores located across the U.S.

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Walmart announces first store closings of 2024

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2/25/24

In this anecdotal lead news article published by AL.com, Mayor Randall Woodfin accuses county commission of political vendetta against Birmingham.

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Scenes of Mayor Randall Woodfin celebrating with Jefferson County Commissioners at the groundbreaking for Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham six years ago were hailed as marks of regional collaboration after years of tension and rivalry between the area's largest governments.

Those smiles have since faded, replaced by a lawsuit, political finger-pointing, and accusations from Woodfin that county officials have a political vendetta against the city.

"...Partisan politics has gotten in the way of good policies," Woodfin said. "The majority of those county commissioners are not acting in the good faith of the city."

Separated only by Linn Park, the greenspace between Birmingham City Hall and the Jefferson County Courthouse once represented a wall of political, demographic, and ideological differences between the local governments.

Until recently, Woodfin celebrated the dismantling of that wall to bring collaboration - and joint financing - for seminal projects such as Protective Stadium, the World Games, and the recruitment of the USFL football league.

But a recent fight over whether the city can house inmates at county jail has strained relations. Since then, barriers between the two governments are putting new projects in peril, Woodfin said. He accused the county of intentionally stalling projects within the city, describing the snub as "spite, wrong and evil."

Jimmie Stephens, the commission president, dismissed the notion that the county is playing politics with Birmingham. He said the commission makes decisions and investments based on the potential for economic return.

Stephens said doesn't mind taking the political jabs from Woodfin and offered a few of his own.

"He's chosen to utilize his tax dollars somewhere besides taking care of his jail and we've decided to utilize our tax dollars somewhere instead of taking care of economic development in Birmingham - same thing."

Woodfin in an interview with AL.com complained that the commission had not provided economic development incentives for two major economic projects: Consolidated Pipe's plans to build its corporate headquarters in Birmingham and R&L Carriers' plan to expand in the city.

The Birmingham City Council approved incentives for Consolidated Pipe in October of 2023 that total more than $591,000 to support 100 new jobs.

In Sept. 2022, the city approved selling 67.4 acres in the Daniel Payne Industrial Park for $3.7 million to R & L Carriers to build a 130-door transportation terminal at the site. The company closed on the property in November 2023. Birmingham also approved property tax abatements and sales and use tax abatements totaling $1.96 million to support 50 new jobs.

The county commission on Thursday approved $105,000 in incentives for R&L Carriers. The agreement for incentives would support the creation of new jobs averaging $52,000 a year over the next three years.

County officials remain in talks with Consolidated Pipe over unspecified incentives that may come before the commission in March.

Cornell Wesley, Birmingham's director of Innovation and Economic Opportunity, stressed the urgency of governmental cooperation in supporting business development.

"These projects have significant investments at stake and require the county's approval to move forward," he said. "Delaying or stalling a vote on these projects due to unrelated issues not only impacts the companies involved, but also tarnishes the reputation of the county and city in the eyes of developers."

The mayor calls it a political vendetta.

"And they are smooth with it," Woodfin said. "If they don't call it up for a vote, then you can't say it is political."

Stephens noted that the county has supported major projects in Birmingham. But he said the county has limited funds and that commissioners prioritize investments in communities with fewer resources than Birmingham.

"It's much more cost effective for us to distribute money in unincorporated Jefferson County than it is within the city of Birmingham," he said. "There are some areas that we are partnered with and will continue to partner with Birmingham on our projects. But right now we need to figure out ways to get along and work together. Instead of figuring out ways to talk at each other, we need to talk to each other."

The feud has intensified in recent weeks over the political fight surrounding the county jail.

Woodfin has accused Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway and leaders on the commission of unfairly blocking the city's use of the county jail. He sued the sheriff Feb. 2.

Woodfin is asking a judge to order the county to sign required state forms and accept inmates from the city. Stephens and other commissioners said the city had the same opportunities to upgrade its own jail but squandered the chance and is now trying to force the burden on the county.

"The only issue that we have is for them not taking care of their jail and wanting to utilize their tax dollars on something that would be contrary to what the county would need," Stephens said. "They receive the same dollars that we do, and more so, to take care of their jail. They just chose not to spend money on their jail and it has created a crisis. And now they want to transfer their crisis to Jefferson County."

The mayor's toughest criticism is reserved for the Republicans on the commission, rather than Pettway, a Democrat. Woodfin alleges the commissioners hamstring Pettway.

Pettway has declined to discuss the politics or the pending litigation between the city and his office.

"Our attorneys will present our position in court from a law enforcement perspective," said David Agee, the sheriff's deputy chief "Right now our concentration is on fighting crime in Jefferson County."

Woodfin accused Commissioner Mike Bolin, the county's chair of economic development, of leading the charge against the city.

In an interview with AL.com, Bolin denied an anti-Birmingham agenda or a plot to kill projects based in the city.

Bolin, a Vestavia Hills resident who notes his roots in Birmingham, said he was elected to represent the interests of the entire county.

"If something helps Birmingham then it helps Jefferson County," Bolin said. "I don't have any animus toward Birmingham or the mayor."

Bolin said he does not know Woodfin and the two have never officially met.

"When we do get the opportunity to talk, he's got to understand that I am only one vote," Bolin said. "I want to work with him in any way possible, but I will be firm if I think he's doing anything to the detriment of the good citizens of all of Jefferson County."

Bolin said the city is wrong in its attempt to force the county to house Birmingham inmates at the county's expense.

He also cited the county's $1.8 million support for a major YMCA project in east Birmingham, funding that the commission approved earlier this month. Jefferson County is using federal money from the American Rescue Plan to bridge the gap in funding for the residential and community engagement initiative.

"I'm not mad at anybody," Bolin said. "We're all human beings and not going to agree on everything."

Woodfin said the city has just a single friend on the commission.

"Sheila Tyson has been good to the city," Woodfin said of his longtime political ally. "She has admonished her colleagues for not acting in good faith, and they have not acted in good faith."

Tyson told AL.com that the bitter feelings between Woodfin and the commission stem from the jail dispute.

"I feel like they should have come together and gone to a space where they both could have settled on a price," Tyson said. "When you get grown men in a political fight the people suffer every time."

Tyson confirmed that Birmingham projects have slowed since the dispute.

"I don't know if it's punishment or whether or not they're trying to flex their muscles," she said. "I am trying to be the mediator between both sides and find reasons where both parties can be satisfied. I am hoping we can work this out because the people of Jefferson County mean more to me than two parties fighting."

Dustups between the city and county are nothing new, said Natalie Davis, professor emerita of political science at Birmingham-Southern College and a longtime Birmingham political observer.

"I don't think it has ever gone away," Davis said. "They see this all in zero-sum gains. 'If you win, I lose,' and then it's really hard to come up with something they all salute because at the end they're all running for reelection."

Davis said those conflicts are usually settled after both sides find a resolution that gives both sides a political win.

"When they both see it in their own self-interest, things click," she said. "You just have to know where the pressure point is."

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Mayor Randall Woodfin accuses county commission of political vendetta against Birmingham

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Mayor Randall Woodfin accused the county of intentionally stalling projects within the city, describing the snub as "spite, wrong and evil."

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2/21/24

In this summary lead news story posted by the New York Times, ChatGPT leaped up to the top of the leaderboard to judge the ability of open-sourced AI systems. Chinese companies are relying on underlying systems from the U.S.

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China’s Rush to Dominate A.I. Comes With a Twist: It Depends on U.S. Technology

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China’s tech firms were caught off guard by breakthroughs in generative artificial intelligence. Beijing’s regulations and a sagging economy aren’t helping.

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1/18/2024

This article published by AL.com highlights John Archibald's perspective of the violence occurring inside of Alabama's prisons. Due to overcrowding these environments, more inmate's paroles are starting to plummet.

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Daniel Terry Williams was 22 years old, a young father serving a one-year stint for theft in Alabama's hellhole prisons. He was almost free, almost home when, according to his lawyer and others, he was drugged, brutally raped, tortured and beaten.

He died Nov. 9 in a hospital, on the day he was to be released.

Carla Crowder, executive director of Alabama Appleseed, appeared last month before the Alabama Prison Oversight Committee to talk about rampant violence behind Alabama's bars.

Death in Alabama prisons is five times the national average, she told legislators, and provided documents she said proved it.

But she wanted to talk specifically about Williams' death at Staton Correctional Facility in Elmore County. It was a window into the brutality of Alabama's penal system.

The killing made international news.

Fox News put it this way:
Alabama dad allegedly tortured, killed in prison left eerie final Facebook post weeks before planned release.
The New York Post said this:
Alabama man beaten beyond recognition in same prison where inmate was 'rented out' and murdered.
Crowder spoke of the attack - and what preceded it - in stunning detail.

"The 38-year-old suspect in this kidnapping, rape and torture was involved in nine instances of sex assault, rape, and stabbing since 2017 in ADOC while incarcerated," Crowder, a lawyer, told the committee.

"There is no documentation that he was placed in segregation for any of these assaults," she went on. "There was no disciplinary action by ADOC."

"His classification summary showed a five-year clear record of institutional violence, which resulted in a perfect score of zero in risk assessment conducted in October, and a total score low enough for him to be placed in medium security in an open bay dorm. The psych associates signed off on this and the warden signed off on this."

"Nine days later, 22-year-old Daniel Williams ... was found, according to ADOC, unresponsive on this inmate's assigned bed."

Crowder did not use the suspect's name in her remarks, but did name him in a letter to legislators. He was also named as a suspect in a letter to prison officials from Williams' lawyer. The inmate's name appears many times in accompanying DOC documents passed to committee members.

Because that suspect has not been officially investigated or charged in many of those incidents, and because he apparently still has contact with other inmates, we will henceforth refer to him as Inmate X.

The claims are breathtaking.

That an inmate was accused nine times of heinous acts, and was still treated as if he posed no risk.

That prison officials failed even to investigate accusations against that inmate.

That failure to take violent incidents seriously allowed a dangerous inmate to have a clear record.

That incident after violent incident was reported to prison officials who in most cases did nothing to punish Inmate X, or keep him from terrorizing others.

That all this could occur in a prison system already under federal scrutiny for inhumane treatment, sexual assault and violence amounting to cruel and unusual punishment.

Crowder is not alone in rebuking the state for its failures.

Andrew Menefee, a lawyer for Williams' family, sent a letter to prison officials in mid November, contending Williams was tied up by Inmate X for at least two days, "held hostage in a corner of a housing dormitory, forced to consume drugs against his will, beaten and repeatedly raped until he was unconscious."

An ADOC spokesman responded to questions this way:

"The ADOC Law Enforcement Services Division investigation is still ongoing, and cause of death is still pending the results of a full autopsy, including toxicology report. Given that, it would be imprudent to comment on a matter pending both litigation and the outcome of a death investigation."

But how could such a series of events happen? The prison system's own records, obtained by Alabama Appleseed and passed on to legislators, provide a telling roadmap.

Inmate X's "classification summary," a series of ADOC documents that include charges, disciplinary actions and so-called "enemies reports," is filled with allegations of brutal and bloody violence that is all but ignored by guards.

In the 18-month period used by DOC to assess risk for disciplinary purposes, the system's own documents show Inmate X was accused by other inmates of:

Raping a prisoner at Fountain Correctional Facility in September 2022. The victim said he was assaulted by several inmates, taken to the middle of the dorm and gang raped. That prisoner identified Inmate X as one of the attackers.

Calling for a hit on a prisoner at Bullock Correctional Facility in October 2022. The victim said the troubles started when the two had a previous altercation at another prison.

Selling drugs and threatening a prisoner who owed him $10 at Bullock last August.

The imposing Inmate X was not disciplined for those. Instead of going to the effort to write them up as attacks, instead of sending him to disciplinary hearings or reclassification hearings or various types of secure custody to protect others, prison officials wrote them off on "enemies" reports.

Enemies reports are brief listings of disputes between inmates that are used as a reason to separate inmates or have them moved. They are not investigated or adjudicated as disciplinaries or crimes. So those incidents - and the following ones - were treated as if the issues were merely a question of two people who could not get along.

Before that, according to DOC investigations and official complaints from prisoners, Inmate X was accused of making enemies by:

Threatening a man's life in 2021 because of a debt.

Sexually assaulting a man at Bibb Correctional Facility in 2020. The victim was taken to a hospital.

In 2019 attempting to stab a man who claimed Inmate X "had been pressuring him to be in a relationship."

Repeatedly chasing a man through a dorm in November 2019, and "harassing him daily for sex."

Sexually assaulting another inmate in May of 2019.

Sexually assaulting another inmate in April of 2018.

On it goes.

In June of 2017, a guard saw Inmate X slap an inmate twice, resulting in a fight. "It was determined (Inmate X) was making sexual advances" to a man who tried to defend himself.

In February 2017, a man placed in segregation with Inmate X said he was stabbed and sexually assaulted. An investigator said the evidence corroborated his story, but ADOC did not follow up.

And in 2015 guards found an inmate slumped and unresponsive, covered in blood with stab wounds to the head, neck, chest, back and arms. An investigation found the weapon in the trash outside Inmate X's cell, and his clothes were covered in blood.

Last year, eight years after the stabbing, Inmate X was charged with attempted murder. He was convicted of assault, but ADOC took little or no action to prevent him from roaming the prison.

Inmate X had 18 disciplinary charges between 2012 and 2018, but despite the above incidents he has not faced a formal disciplinary charge since July 9, 2018, when he was cited for possession of a weapon. So he did not face restrictions that would limit his movement or put him under more observation.

On Oct. 22 of last year, according to ADOC's records, Inmate X was among those who assaulted young Daniel Williams.

"Inmate Williams was found unresponsive on (Inmate X's) assigned bed," a DOC report says. "It appeared that victim had been assaulted. (Inmate X and two others) were believed to be involved in this incident."

Alabama prison officials wrote that report on Nov. 8, the day before Williams was taken off life support, two weeks after the assault, and only after Williams' family hired a lawyer.

Williams was declared dead the next day.

The assault was not written up as a crime or disciplinary charge. Guards wrote it merely as an "enemies report."

Inmate X's story tells more about ADOC than many Alabamians want to believe. It really is a lens into the horrors too many of us would rather hold - like the inmates themselves - out of sight and mind.

"ADOC staff received numerous reports of rampant sexual violence against other incarcerated men but failed to take disciplinary measures that would have resulted in (Inmate X) being placed in segregation," Crowder told lawmakers.

Williams' death "could have been prevented by the State of Alabama," she said. "Instead, choices were made over and over again to take no investigative or corrective action in numerous cases of sexual assault at five different prisons."

Alabama prison officials knew. Alabama allowed it.

The guards, the wardens, the administration, the Legislature, the state itself does too little, even after the U.S. Justice Department sued Alabama in 2020 for ignoring the constitutional rights of inmates and failing to protect them from violence, sexual abuse, and death.

The Justice Department, beginning under Trump and continuing in the Biden administration, argued in court documents that Alabama prisons habitually encourage or allow sexual predators "to move from unit to unit without intervention."

Prison workers downplay rape and violence "and dismiss alleged sexual abuse as 'homosexual activity,' implying the sexual act is consensual."

The DOJ lawsuit, updated in 2021 and now headed toward trial, argues that ADOC is to blame for encouraging the terror, with its own acts and omissions, by:

Commingling sexual predators with victims.

Failing to properly investigate complaints.

Discouraging prisoners from reporting assaults.

Allowing prisoners to be assaulted in retaliation for reporting sexual abuse.

Punishing victims who report being sexually abused by isolating them and taking away their privileges.

Failing to stop the flow of drugs, and failing to adequately investigate sexual abuse that occurs as a result of drug debts.

Using the presence of drugs to diminish incidents of sexual assault and murder.

The Justice Department found, just as Menefee described in the case of Daniel Williams, that prisoners frequently report suffering sexual abuse after being drugged.

So a toxicology report - of the type ADOC continues to await before it classifies Williams' death - does not provide the answer. Not in that case or in others.

A dirty drug test would just be an excuse for Alabama's failures, a way to blame the dead and ignore the assailant. To assume no responsibility.

The Inmate Xes of the world know it. Alabama knows it, too.

Inmate X is far from an outlier in Alabama prisons. He is merely an example of its barbarism, of a standard in which inmates run the prisons, and guards - cowed, negligent, poorly paid, understaffed or corrupt - refuse to intervene or file the paperwork to begin disciplinary procedures.

The Justice Department compiled example after example of heinous abuse and its consequences. These are just a few, from a four-month period between December 2017 and March 2018:

A prisoner at Bibb was drugged, and awoke in the middle of being raped.

A prisoner at Bullock cut his own wrist after an attempted gang rape "because he feared being in population and needed to be placed in a single cell."

A prisoner at Donaldson cut his wrist with a razor, saying he had been sexually assaulted in a bathroom.

Doctors had to perform emergency surgery on a Donaldson inmate to remove a broomstick from his rectum.

A prisoner at Fountain reported he had been sexually assaulted every day since his arrival at the prison.

A Holman prisoner said he passed out from smoking the synthetic drug "flakka." He said he awoke to one prisoner punching him in the eye. "Then four or five prisoners put a partition around his bed and took turns raping him."

That's just a few of many. The Justice Department examples go on and on, yet says the list is in no way comprehensive, and that such cases rarely result in real punishment or action.

The prison system argued in 2021 that individual examples such as those were just anecdotal. But the DOJ suit pointed out that Alabama doesn't track or prosecute violence well, at times mistaking or misrepresenting homicides for deaths by natural causes or drug use.

So if DOJ is correct, there are no reliable stats. Just like Inmate X accusations and cases mostly lead nowhere. If no crime is recorded, there is no punishment. Nothing to see here.

It amounts to no justice.

Rep. Chris England, a Democrat from Tuscaloosa, sits on the Prison Oversight Committee. He is deeply disturbed not only by the case of Williams and Inmate X, but by an avalanche of tragedies, and the state's lack of will to change things.

"That case is awful," said England. "Unfortunately it appears to be almost a common occurrence, just another day for the Department of Corrections."

DOJ in its report repeatedly pointed to overcrowding as a cause for the mayhem. Staton, where Williams was later killed, had a 257% occupancy rate in 2021. Kilby had 201% occupancy at the time of DOJ's visit, while Bibb, Bullock, Donaldson, Easterling, and Ventress all had occupancies above 140%.

ADOC's own records indicate it hasn't changed much. In November of last year, the latest figures available, Alabama prisons held 20,403 inmates in prisons designed to hold 12,115 people. That's a 168% occupancy rate, and an overall increase from the year before.

The troubles are compounded by a parole board that has stifled paroles in recent years, often disregarding recommendations of its administrative staff. Last year fewer than 10% of eligible inmates were granted parole, down from more than 50% in 2018.

The Sentencing Project surveyed 29 states with similar parole systems and found Alabama had the nation's lowest parole rate in 2022.

England said he lacked the vocabulary to describe just how bad the prison and parole systems really are. He does not.

"At this point we're all complicit," he said. "I mean, the blood is on all of our hands."

It's true. Damning Justice Department reports and higher-than-average death rates have done nothing to change behavior. In Inmate X's case, prison officials have been less aggressive in discipline than they were before the DOJ intervened, his records show.

"I think a very good argument can be made that we're worse now than we were when we got the (Justice Department) report," England said.

Perhaps a civil suit is not enough. Alabama prisons seem more like a crime.

"I wish the FBI would go in and arrest most of the correctional officers, wardens and even higher up ADOC officials," Menefee said. "Instead of having a DOJ lawsuit investigation, there should be a DOJ criminal investigation into what's going on."

Or an Alabama Attorney General's investigation. If Steve Marshall had the will, and the respect for all life and law.

Or investigations by county sheriff's and DAs. They have the authority, if not the will.

Of course it is the rest of us in Alabama who grant them every bit of their authority.

That's the real story.

It is how we continue to label people to rationalize their deaths. It is how we know of rape, and torture, and our own state's disinterest, and find no will to demand change.

It is our story, Alabama. This is who we are.
This project was completed with the support of a grant from Columbia University's Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights in conjunction with Arnold Ventures.

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Who killed Daniel Williams? A tale of terror in Alabama prisons

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Williams' death "could have been prevented. Instead, choices were made over and over again to take no investigative or corrective action."

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1/15/2024

This article published by AL.com and written by J.D. Crowe discusses his thoughts towards Nick Saban being considered the "Grand Master GOAT". He does this by comparing Saban to 'Yoda' from the famous, classic movie series Star Wars.

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If you're gonna replace the Grand Master GOAT, you better learn from the Grand Master GOAT.

Nick Saban is to college football what Yoda is to the Star Wars universe - the oldest, most stoic and powerful Grand Master Jedi. With Saban making himself available during the transition - and beyond - the new coach, Kalen DeBoer, has an enormous opportunity to learn the ways of the Force, or in this case, the Process.

May the Process be with you.
More Nick Saban and Kalen DeBoer coverage DeBoer's Alabama staff to retain Tide coaches, add Washington ties, per reports - al.com Potential Alabama OC candidate Ryan Grubb leaving Washington. Could he follow DeBoer? - al.com Kalen DeBoer, Jalen Milroe share hug; Watch coach address team about culture, goals - al.com More Nick Saban cartoons by JD Crowe Thanks, Nick Saban. What poor slob could possibly follow the GOAT? Bill Belichick? - al.com 'Daily Affirmations' with Nick Saban: The ol' GOAT is mellowing with age - al.com Nick Saban wins 7th championship; The Bear abides - al.com 2020 Alabama Crimson Tide: Lotta love for Nick Saban's greatest team - al.com Paul Finebaum on Jimbo Fisher's Nick Saban daddy issues: 'We need to talk' - al.com Alabama Crimson Tide: Thanks for another inspiring ride - al.com Nick Saban's stand in the schoolhouse door - al.com True stories and stuff by JD Crowe The mysterious 'Bubble Guy' of Fairhope and the art of bubble Zen - al.com Robert Plant head-butted me. Thanks, David Coverdale I was ZZ Top's drummer for a night and got kidnapped by groupies
JD Crowe is the cartoonist for Alabama Media Group and AL.com. He won the RFK Human Rights Award for Editorial Cartoons in 2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Rex Babin Memorial Award for local and state cartoons by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Follow JD on Facebook, Twitter @Crowejam and Instagram @JDCrowepix. Give him a holler @jdcrowe@al.com.

Top 10 Nick Saban NIL caption winners

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JD Crowe: Nick 'Yoda' Saban passes the torch to Kalen DeBoer

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If you're gonna replace the Grand Master GOAT, you better learn from the Grand Master GOAT.

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1/17/2024

AL.com published this article discussing the drastic shift of the University of Alabama's future football team. More specifically, this 5-star commit from Enterprise, AL named Zion Grady changes his mind about playing for the Tide after Nick Sabam announced his retirement.

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Alabama football's class of 2025 has undergone a drastic shift in the last couple of months.

First, the jewel of the class, Saraland five-star Ryan Williams, reclassified to be college-eligible this year. Then, like many others, Williams changed his mind about Alabama following Nick Saban's retirement. The ensuing week has seen multiple decommitments. On Wednesday morning, the latest body blow hit.

Zion Grady, a five-star edge, has reopened his recruitment, he confirmed to AL.com. He had been pledged since November, picking UA over Auburn and Florida State, among others.

"The coaches that recruited me are no longer there. The lack of communication was ultimately the reason why my family decided to open my recruitment back up," Grady told high school reporter Ben Thomas.

The recent Enterprise transfer was rated as the 23rd-best prospect nationally per 247Sports composite. The service ranked him the top pass-rushing recruit available and No. 2 in the state to Parker defensive back Na'eem Offord.

Grady's recruiters with the Tide, former defensive assistants Coleman Hutzler and Robert Bala, both don't appear to be sticking around in Tuscaloosa on Kalen DeBoer's new coaching staff. At Charles Henderson the last two seasons, Grady has produced over 200 tackles and 30 sacks. He was named lineman of the year for AHSAA's Class 5A.

Alabama's 2025 class is now down to two verbal pledges, four-star running back Anthony Rogers and four-star athlete Myles Johnson, both with in-state ties. The group is ranked 27th per 247Sports' team ratings.

DeBoer has said that his first steps at Alabama would be to build his staff and then recruit the players who signed up for three to four years of Saban. It's been a slower-moving process, with no coaches being officially announced to his staff. Yesterday, DeBoer reportedly found his defensive coordinator in Buffalo head coach Maurice Linguist.

About an hour before Grady's announcement, star safety Caleb Downs entered the transfer portal.

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5-star Zion Grady becomes latest '25 prospect to decommit from Alabama

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The hits kept coming for Alabama in the week following Nick Saban's retirement.

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1/11/2024

This article published by the New York Times discusses scientists's early discoveries of how nanoplastics have proven to effect our negatively health. It gives insight as to how to avoid exposing ourselves to consuming these potentially harmful particles.

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Bottled Water Is Full of Plastic Particles. Can They Harm Your Health?

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Here’s what scientists know so far about the health effects of nanoplastics, and what you can do to reduce your exposure.

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2/4/24

In this article published by the New York Times, the N.F.L. is pushing to popularize from sports betting while trying to guard against the potential downfalls for its players, employees, and fans.

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N.F.L.’s Rapid Embrace of Gambling Creates Mixed Signals

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The league is pushing to popularize and benefit from sports betting while still trying to guard against the potential pitfalls for its players, employees and fans.

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1/26/24

This article published by AL.com discusses a young, high-school student from Tallapoosa County who has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Her Make-A-Wish was selflessly chosen to go towards her high school marching band's new uniforms for the upcoming season.

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Melody Jackson could have met Nick Saban or gone to the Statue of Liberty, or gotten her mom a new Christmas tree. But instead, she's giving back to her local high school.

Jackson, a Tallapoosa County 16-year-old living with a rare and aggressive form of cancer, recently received a gift from Make-A-Wish Alabama, which supports local children with critical illnesses.

But rather than spending her "wish" on herself, the Reeltown High School sophomore is putting it toward new uniforms for her school's marching band.

"Everything that that child does, before she takes that first step, she thinks about who it's going to affect and how it's going to affect them," Jackson's aunt, Jennifer Spain, told AL.com. "She doesn't do anything half-hearted."

Jackson has played alto saxophone since middle school, and "just loved it," Spain said.

"She knew that she could fulfill that need, not just for one kid but for every one of those kids in the band," she said. "She's just that way."

Make-A-Wish representatives made the announcement at a surprise graduation ceremony held for Jackson on Jan. 23 at the high school. The foundation told AL.com it was one of the most unique requests they've ever received.

"In my five years here at Make-A-Wish Alabama, I haven't ever had a give-back wish," said Amanda Dickey, the foundation's outreach manager. "So it's very unique and it really showcases Melody's heart and her love for her community."

"Her extreme altruism where she's thinking beyond her and her condition is just unbelievable," Make-A-Wish Alabama CEO Tracy Bennett Smith told AL.com.

Jackson was diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma, which affects just one in a million Americans, after experiencing some health issues at band camp last summer, Spain said. She was recently given just days to live.

"She's still just a big, sweet kid at heart, that's gone through this and that has had to grow up a lot since July," Spain said.

Spain said the school community has wrapped around Jackson ever since her diagnosis in early August. Students wore ribbons in her honor, and named her honorary homecoming queen. When her condition took a turn over the holidays, the principal and the band director were working with Make-A-Wish, almost daily, to make the donation possible, Spain said.

"There is not one person up there that has not reached out, messaged, been there, called, helped us keep Voni (Jackson's mother) afloat during all of this," she said. "I just have never seen anything like it."

Eric Thompson, the school's band director, said he was met with a flood of emotions when Jackson approached him about her plan earlier in the fall. The school's uniforms, he said, were probably about nine years old, but replacing them can cost more than a new car.

Throughout that time, Jackson, her family, and school leaders had managed to keep the plan a secret from most of the school.

"I don't know that she'll ever see it," Spain said, through tears, "but we'll know her legacy will live through that uniform."

Thompson said the school will need to raise some additional funds to finish the project, but he is currently working with uniform companies to finalize the design.

"It's just amazing that a person who is going through so much would choose to give to others," Thompson said. "And what an example set for everybody not just for the band, and our community in our school, but just for us as human beings."

Spain is collecting donations for the Jackson family's future burial expenses.

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Alabama student gives back to high school band through Make-A-Wish

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Melody Jackson has a terminal cancer diagnosis but was determined to give back to her alma mater.

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2/2/24

This article published by the New York Times, gives a helpful guide as to how to create a yummy side for your soups or other dishes. A recipe is linked in the article, along with other ideas for what to pair this cornbread with!

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A Lush, Cheesy Cornbread for All Your Soups and Stews

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Your favorite chili (or tomato soup or baked potato soup) deserves sopa paraguaya.

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2/1/24

In this article published by the New York Times, Ryan Murphy's new series titled "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans" highlights the simplicity of the fine art of getting dressed in our everyday lives.

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They Don’t Make Socialites Like They Used To

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Ryan Murphy’s new series, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans,” recalls the fine art of getting dressed.

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19. High School Sport (other than football)

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19. High School Sport (other than football)

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2/20/24

In this article published by AL.com AHSAA basketball tournaments are discussed along with their new, six day schedule. Key players from select games were highlighted with their efforts and contributions to their respective teams.

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The Alabama High School Athletic Association basketball tournaments moved into Day 6 on Monday with all four regionals in action - the Northeast at Jacksonville State University's Pete Mathews Coliseum, the Northwest at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, the Central at Birmingham's Bill Harris Arena and the South at Montgomery's Garrett Coliseum.

Each day during the regionals, the Lede will rank the key efforts that highlighted the day. Here are Monday's key performances:
7. Stephen Williams, Escambia County (boys, South)
The 6-foot-8 senior hit 6-of-8 shots for 12 points and claimed 12 rebounds in a 43-35 win over UMS-Wright in Class 4A play. Williams also blocked 6 shots for the Blue Devils.
6. Chauncey Dixon, Leroy (girls, South)

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See 7 game-changing AHSAA regional performances from Day 6

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Here are 7 game-changing performances from Monday's AHSAA regional basketball tournaments.

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2/19/24

In this article published by AL.com, a summary lead discusses Hugh Freeze, head coach of the Auburn Tigers football team, and his staff are continuing to announce additional promotions to the team.

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Hugh Freeze's staff in his second year at Auburn is continuing to take shape as the program officially announced the additions and promotions of 11 members of Auburn football's recruiting and analyst staff Monday afternoon.

The additions of Kenyatta Watson as Auburn's director of recruiting research and strategy and Maurice Harris as director of football and recruiting relations highlight Monday's announcement.

In Watson, the Tigers are getting a well-known name out of the Atlanta area as Watson spent more than a decade developing football talent there. Watson most recently spent time at Georgia Tech as the program's director of scouting and pro liaison.

Meanwhile, in coming to The Plains, Harris reunites with Freeze for the second time after the two spent five seasons together at Ole Miss, where Harris served as tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator, and four seasons together at Liberty, where Harris served as Freeze's co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. Harris' hiring at Auburn comes on the heels of him spending the 2023 season as Jackson State's offensive coordinator.

Monday's announcement also included the promotion of Auburn grad Aaron Pittard as the program's assistant director of player personnel after being a player personnel analyst last fall, as well as the addition of TJ Randall as the program's assistant director of player personnel and scouting. Randall comes to Auburn having previously worked under Freeze at Liberty.

Auburn also announced the addition of Haylee Brown as a hospitality graduate assistant. According to Brown's LinkedIn, she previously spent two years as a football recruiting assistant at Liberty, where she received her undergraduate degree last spring.

On the analyst side of things, Auburn announced the elevation of Paxton Montgomery, who is set to serve as a special teams and defensive analyst after being a special teams intern last fall, as well as Sammy Cohen, who will hold the role of defensive analyst after being a defensive intern in 2023.

New additions to Auburn's analyst staff include former Arkansas defensive back Rohan Gaines, former Maryland defensive lineman Brett Kulka and Buddy Brosky as defensive analysts, and Heath DeDeaux as an offensive graduate assistant.

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Auburn football announces slew of hires, promotions to recruiting and analyst staff

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The additions of Kenyatta Watson as Auburn's director of recruiting research and strategy and Maurice Harris as director of football and recruiting relations highlight Monday's announcement.

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2/20/24

In this soft new article with an narrative lead, Daymé Arocena discusses how her fame came to be. She shares her story with the publisher, The New York Times, and her quotes are embedded throughout the entire article.

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How Beyoncé Jolted the Cuban Singer Daymé Arocena Into a Fresh Era

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The prodigious jazz singer came to embrace her inner pop star on a new album made with Visitante from Calle 13.

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2/26/24

In this anecdotal lead, the New York Times published this article regarding the question of whether or not personal medical devices can be recycled. These devices may include but not be limited to EpiPens, home Covid or flu tests, and even mouth guards.

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Can Your Personal Medical Devices Be Recycled?

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Inhalers, EpiPens, home tests for flu or Covid, mouth guards. They accumulate in our homes, and recycling methods and advice can be tricky to pin down.

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2/12/24

In this article, a descriptive lead helps set the tone for the perfect movie night with your valentine! Published by AL.com, a list of Netflix movies are given with brief summaries of each immediately following them. This simplifies the information for readers in order to make it easier to navigate.

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21 romantic movies to stream on Netflix this Valentine’s Day

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2/3/24

In this hard news article with a summary lead, a local doctor in Morgan County is found not guilty in a harassment case brought by female patients. Published by AL.com, the article goes into detail regarding the court process and hearing.

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Alabama doctor not guilty in harassment case brought by female patients

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Decatur rheumatologist Dr. Michael Dick was acquitted in a harassment case brought by female patients who alleged they had been touched inappropriately during exams.

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2/26/24

In this article published by the New York Times, a descriptive lead introduces laws in Texas and Florida seek to limit social media companies’ ability to moderate content on their platforms and could shape the future of speech on the internet.

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Takeaways From the Supreme Court Arguments on Social Media Laws

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Laws in Texas and Florida seek to limit social media companies’ ability to moderate content on their platforms and could shape the future of speech on the internet.

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2/20/24

In this article published by the New York Times, a summary lead introduces how women outnumber men in South Korea's sports stadiums. It is a sharp contrast to other countries, where men dominate fandom. Experts have a variety of explanations, including the influence of K-pop culture.

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Women Outnumber Men in South Korea’s Sports Stadiums

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It is a sharp contrast to other countries, where men dominate fandom. Experts have a variety of explanations, including the influence of K-pop culture.