The Greene County Democrat

Category: World News

  • Newswire : Alabama’s Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos are ‘children’. Touching off national controversy

    From Reuters, BBC and wire reports

    The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos created and stored for in vitro fertilization (IVF) are children under a state law allowing parents to sue for wrongful death of their minor children. The ruling revived three families’ lawsuits accusing a Mobile, Alabama fertility clinic, Center for Reproductive Medicine, and the hospital where it is located, Mobile Infirmary, of failing to properly safeguard frozen embryos, resulting in their destruction.

    The 8-1 majority of the court found that it was a long-established precedent that “unborn children” are “children” for the purpose of the 1872 wrongful death law at issue in the case. It said that any doubt about that was removed by a 2018 amendment to the state’s constitution, which declared that it was “the public policy of this state to recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life and the rights of unborn children.”

    The court, whose members are all elected Republicans or appointed by a Republican governor, further found that there was no “unwritten exception” for frozen embryos outside of a woman’s uterus. Chief Justice Tom Parker drew widespread attention for his overtly religious concurring opinion, in which he wrote that the state constitution includes the “theologically based view” that “human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God.”

    It is not yet clear, but IVF providers are very concerned about the implications of the ruling. IVF treatment typically involves the creation of multiple embryos in order to maximize the chance of a successful pregnancy, leaving some unused. At least three providers – the defendant in the case, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System and Alabama Fertility – have said they are pausing IVF treatments, citing potential civil and criminal liability in the wake of the decision.

    The ruling left open the question of whether destroying a frozen embryo could result in criminal homicide charges. It also left it to the legislature to determine whether and how IVF could continue in the state.

    When the US Supreme Court struck down a nationwide right to abortion in 2022, in the Dobbs decision, it opened the door for states to make their own laws on the issue.

    Since the decision, Democratic-controlled states have expanded access while Republican-controlled states have restricted it. Alabama already has a total ban on abortion, at all stages of pregnancy.

    It is unclear how the Alabama court decision will affect other states. It has opened a debate between “Pro-Life, anti-Abortion forces” and “Pro-Women’s Right to Choose forces”. The Anti-abortion forces support the concept that “life begins at conception” and all abortion is “baby killing” so they support the court decision which calls into question the IVF process.

    The Biden White House called the Alabama ruling “exactly the type of chaos that we expected when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade and paved the way for politicians to dictate some of the most personal decisions families can make”.
    Some Republican politicians who support and have used IVF themselves are caught in the middle of this debate, which is a consequence of the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion. This issue will be a major factor in the national elections in November and may persuade many women to come out to the polls, to assert their rights to control their bodies and healthcare.

  • Tens of Thousands Expected to Attend The 2024 Bridge Crossing Jubilee: The Jubilee has Something for Everyone!

     

    The Bridge Crossing Commemoration and Jubilee’s 2024 Theme is Return to the Bridge: Democracy and the Vote are at Stake. In 2023, President Joe Biden was a special guest at the Bridge Crossing Commemoration in Selma, addressing the thousands of attendees at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, prior to the annual bridge crossing. The previous year, Vice President Kamala Harris was the special guest. According to Jubilee organizers, plans are still in the works to attract noteworthy presenters to address the theme in these critical times in the nation when Democracy and voting rights are at stake.
    The Annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee features dozens and dozens of events beginning on Monday, February 26th and running through Sunday, March 3rd. There is something for everyone at this year’s Jubilee! The working kickoff of the Jubilee are Kingian Nonviolence Seminars at the Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth & Reconciliation led by Civil Rights Legend Dr. Bernard Lafayette. These seminars are open to the public and run from Monday, February 26th, through Thursday, March 1st, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.
    The ceremonial kickoff of the Jubilee is the Old Fashioned Mass Meeting at Tabernacle Baptist Church on Thursday, February 29th, at 7:00 p.m. Dr. David Peoples, President of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, is the keynote speaker at the Mass Meeting at Tabernacle, the site of the original Mass Meetings. Dr. Peoples will also be participating with other ministers at the Ministers of Justice Roundtable earlier that day at Tabernacle at 1:00 p.m. The Voting Rights History Bowl takes place at Tipton Middle School from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. that same day.
    There will be Education Summits on Thursday, March 1st, and on Friday, March 2nd, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day at Wallace Community College Selma. These and most other events are also free to the public. The Mock Trial at the Dallas County Courthouse, an annual favorite for many, is Friday, March 2nd, from 4:00 to 6;00 p.m. Each year the public participates on juries.
    The Original Foot Soldiers share their stories at the Annual Foot Soldier Breakfast on Saturday, March 2nd. at 8:00 a.m. at Selma High School. This is a truly special event with living history being shared and the public encouraged to attend. This year’s Freedom Flame Awards take place later that day at 7:00 p.m. at Selma High School. One of the award recipients is one of “The Tennessee Three,” Tennessee State Representative Gloria Johnson.
    The Martin & Coretta King Unity Breakfast kicks off the events of Bloody Sunday on March 3rd. The Unity Breakfast is from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. at Wallace Community College Selma. There will be numerous national Civil Rights Speakers. Those receiving Unity Awards this year include four of the original Freedom Singers and Maria Diarra Keita of Mali, West Africa as well as Hosea Williams, whose daughter will be accepting the award for him posthumously. More information will be released as it develops.

  • Newswire: U.S. forgives nearly $137 Billion of student loans – teachers, social workers, public servants among those to benefit

    By Charlene Crowell

    (TriceEdneyWire.com) – Teachers, social workers, and other public servants are among those expected to benefit from recent Biden Administration efforts to expand eligibility for federal student loan forgiveness.
    Collectively, these borrowers will be relieved of $4.9 billion debt in return for their service to communities that earned them forgiveness under Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and Income-Driven Repayment (IDR).
    “The Biden-Harris Administration has worked relentlessly to fix our country’s broken student loan system and address the needless hurdles and administrative inaccuracies that, in the past, kept borrowers from getting the student debt forgiveness they deserved,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
    James Kvaal, U.S. Under Secretary of Education added, “The Biden-Harris Administration is not going to stop until we’ve helped all of those harmed by the broken student loan system.”
    Announced by the federal Department of Education  in January, this latest expansion boosts the Biden Administration’ s total student loan forgiveness to $136.6 billion for more than 3.7 million borrowers. Here’s how this unprecedented loan relief was accomplished:
    $56.7 billion for 793,400 borrowers enrolled in PSLF since October 2021. Prior to the Biden-Harris Administration’s fixes to PSLF, only about 7,000 borrowers had ever received forgiveness;
    $45.7 billion in IDR relief for 930,500 borrowers;
    $11.7 billion for almost 513,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability; and
    $22.5 billion for more than 1.3 million borrowers who were cheated by their schools, saw their institutions precipitously close, or are covered by related court settlements.
    In late 2023, the Federal Reserve determined that although most consumers pay $400 or less in monthly loan payments, 19 percent of borrowers pay far more. As reported by Motley Fool, payments between $500 and $999 are made by 14 percent of borrowers, while payments of $1,000 or more are paid by five percent of borrowers.
    “Outstanding student loan debt exceeds outstanding auto loan debt and credit card debt,” recently noted Rohit Chopra, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). “If student loan borrowers are unable to successfully enroll in payment plans or obtain accurate information about their accounts, this can have a domino effect on the rest of their financial lives.”
    In December 2023, CFPB issued a new report entitled, Making Ends Meet in 2023. Two findings in this report highlight the heavy and disproportionate financial effects for borrowers of color:
    “Consumers who currently have student debt were 10 percentage points more likely to have difficulty paying bills than consumers who had student debt at some point in the last 10 years but no longer do and consumers who have not had student debt for at least 10 years if ever.”
    “Nearly 58 percent of Black consumers and 54 percent of Hispanic households could not cover expenses for more than a month in February 2023,” continued the CFPB report, “while this was the case for only 34 percent of non-Hispanic white households and 32 percent of households of another race. These differences among groups were largely unchanged since 2022.”
    Secretary Cardona said the Education Department’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan will deliver even greater debt relief and help put more borrowers on a faster track to loan forgiveness. Borrowers who originally took out $12,000 or less for college and are enrolled in the SAVE Plan will see forgiveness after as few as 10 years of payments. Those who are enrolled in SAVE and are eligible for early forgiveness will have their debts automatically cancelled starting next month, months ahead of schedule, with no action needed.
    The Department and its partners are reaching out to encourage eligible but unenrolled borrowers to sign up for SAVE. Borrowers can find additional resources at StudentAid.gov and sign up for the SAVE plan at StudentAid.gov/save.
    Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

  • Newswire : Trump and associates ordered to pay $354 Million in damages in fraud trial

    New York AG, Leticia James


    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


    When she assumed the role of New York Attorney General, Letitia James made little bones about her desire to take down Donald Trump for what she said was the massive business fraud his organization had committed in the Empire State.  She also took aim at his politics, filing numerous lawsuits related to immigration and environmental policies during Trump’s White House tenure. James also inherited an ongoing state lawsuit against Trump’s charitable foundation, initiated before her term, successfully steering it towards a settlement that included a substantial $2 million fine.
    Demonstrating her commitment, she filed another civil lawsuit against Trump the following year, accusing his company of deceiving banks, insurers, and others by artificially inflating the value of assets and his net worth on financial documents. In a clever twist, when announcing the case against Trump, James quipped, “It’s the art of the steal,” playing on the title of Trump’s book, “The Art of the Deal.”
    On Friday, Feb. 16, James nailed the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former president as Judge Arthur Engoron ruled in a civil business fraud trial against the MAGA leader, his sons, business associates, and the Trump Organization, ordering him to pay over $354 million in damages. Engoron also slapped Trump and his company with temporary restrictions on conducting business in New York.
    The verdict comes after a prolonged trial where James sought $370 million, alleging “repeated and persistent fraud,” including the falsification of business records and financial statements. And, in a clear-cut victory for James, Engoron dismissed attempts by Trump to shift blame to accountants. “The buck for being truthful in the supporting data valuations stopped with the Trump Organization, not the accountants,” the judge determined.
    The judgment imposes a three-year ban on Trump from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation, along with the appointment of an independent monitor and a directive to install an independent director of compliance for the Trump Organization.
    The judge highlighted Trump’s lack of remorse, stating it “borders on pathological” and necessitates external oversight. This marks the second financial setback for Trump this year, following an $83.3 million defamation verdict he was ordered to pay for sexually assaulting a journalist. He also faces four criminal trials later this year, with the first scheduled for March 25 in New York State Court. By the time the November election arrives, Trump could also be a convicted felon.
    During the New York civil trial, Trump and his executives, including his sons attempted to downplay the significance of exaggerated financial statements. Examples of fraud included inflating property values, such as at Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago, by significant amounts. Trump, who claimed his innocence, asserted that the case was politically motivated.
    The judgment cancels Trump’s business certificates in New York, a decision he is appealing. Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, naturally denounced the ruling as a “manifest injustice” and expressed confidence in overturning the verdict through the Appellate Division.
    Los Angeles-based trial attorney V. James DeSimone, of V. James DeSimone Law, added that Trump found out exactly how powerful New York’s civil fraud law is. DeSimone opined that Engeron’s detailed opinion provides ample basis for the $354 million in penalties he assessed against the Republican presidential frontrunner and his family. “When it comes to anything involving Donald Trump’s court cases, it’s best to figure that he’ll appeal any ruling that finds him in the wrong, and he’ll appeal until the end of time, or he runs out of lawyers. At some point, the findings of fraud against a presidential candidate should matter to the voting public.”
     

  • Newswire : Patient advocacy groups call on governor to close the coverage gap

    By: Alabama Health Advocates
    From Alabama Political Reporters

    Here’s the startling reality: in Alabama, a couple with one child earning $5,000 a year would make too much to be eligible for Medicaid.
    We represent the patients, families and advocates served by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association, American Heart Association and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  We advocate of behalf of people facing serious and often life-threatening medical conditions. We know about the healthcare plight of patients and workers in Alabama because we see it every day.
    We also stand up for hard-working Alabamians who want to stay healthy, like the construction worker with high blood pressure who can’t afford medication, the hairstylist with a family history of breast cancer who wants a screening mammogram and the truck driver who previously smoked and knows he should have his lungs checked. These Alabamians deserve to take care of themselves but often they fall into the coverage gap where they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford health insurance.
    For our neighbors with risk factors for cardiovascular disease or recovering from a heart attack or stroke, or those who are battling cancer, access to affordable and adequate health insurance is a matter of life and death. By closing the coverage gap, hundreds of thousands of working families, veterans, and small business owners would be able to have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare and get the medications and treatments they need to stay healthy.
    In fact, recent studies show nearly half of Alabama workers do not get employer-sponsored health insurance. On behalf of these patients and hard-working Alabamians, we want to see a solution to close the coverage gap and take action to address the healthcare crisis in Alabama.
    When workers can’t stay healthy, they leave the workforce, which puts a strain on their families as well as on businesses. And it strains the healthcare system when uninsured patients only have access to emergency care. We have seen rural hospitals close, leaving people vulnerable to more health challenges in those areas. The resistance to closing the coverage gap in Alabama is costing us all. Patients have worse outcomes that still require care and our federal tax dollars currently fund coverage in other states without any of it benefitting Alabama.
    As we head into this year’s legislative session, it is more important than ever for our state’s leaders to take Alabama’s health crisis seriously. Gov. Ivey and Alabama legislators, we’re calling on you to expand healthcare access in Alabama and close the coverage gap as soon as possible. It’s time to shift from talking to action. We need to implement solutions to solve the health system and workforce problems that impact Alabamians every day. Give us and all our friends and neighbors a fighting chance to get healthy, stay healthy and continue working.

  • Newswire: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization reignites controversy over transparency amid health concerns

    Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III official portrait session, July 6, 2023. (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)

    Lloyd Austin, Defense Secretary

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin found himself back in the spotlight as he was urgently admitted to an emergency hospital on Sunday afternoon for symptoms related to a bladder issue, just weeks after his previous hospitalization. The 70-year-old cabinet official’s decision to withhold information from the White House about his earlier health episode has triggered a renewed wave of criticism and scrutiny.
    The latest incident, detailed in a report by USA Today, saw Secretary Austin move to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment—the announcement, made by Pentagon press secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder disclosed that Austin is undergoing treatment for symptoms indicating a severe bladder issue, raising concerns about the gravity of his health condition.
    This recurrence comes on the heels of Austin’s earlier hospitalization, a matter that was not promptly disclosed to the White House, Congress, and other Pentagon officials. The deliberate delay in communication has intensified scrutiny and fueled outrage among right-leaning media pundits and lawmakers.
    During his prior hospitalization, Austin delegated his duties to his deputy, but the decision to withhold pertinent information from key stakeholders has ignited widespread criticism. Shortly before 5 o’clock, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced that Kathleen Hicks had taken over as deputy secretary of defense.
    The Pentagon’s statement emphasized the urgency of Austin’s hospitalization for symptoms related to a bladder issue. The White House, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Congress have all been informed about the unfolding situation.
    The controversy surrounding the delayed disclosure raises fundamental questions about transparency within the Defense Department and the communication protocols governing the health status of high-ranking officials.

  • 325 people died in custody of Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) in 2023

    There have now been more than 1,000 deaths in Alabama prisons since a 2019 DOJ investigation found Alabama’s prisons unconstitutional.

    By: Patrick Darrington, Alabama Political Reporter
    Published on February 2, 2024

    At least 325 individuals died while incarcerated in the Alabama Department of Corrections in 2023, marking the highest number of deaths recorded, according to data obtained by Alabama Appleseed.
    “In the weeks after we started tracking prison deaths starting January 1 of last year, we quickly realized we’d very likely see another record year of deaths, and we were correct,” Eddie Burkhalter, a researcher with Alabama Appleseed, said.
    According to a report by Burkhalter, since 2019, there have now been over 1,000 deaths in Alabama prisons following an investigation by the Department of Justice that found Alabama’s prisons unconstitutional. The DOJ also filed a lawsuit against Alabama in 2020 because of the alleged unconstitutionality of its prisons, and that case is set to begin in November 2024.
    The deaths of hundreds of individuals in ADOC facilities underscore a multitude of issues ranging from unchecked violence to the proliferation of drugs, both often a result of the correctional officers supposedly tasked with maintaining the peace.
    Multiple times, APR has reported instances of correctional officers being involved in assaults, getting caught possessing drugs, or former officers being sentenced for assaults.
    Another issue is the problem of overcrowding and lack of parole for older individuals or those who are in minimum custody, meaning they pose little threat to the public and work in communities in the free world.
    ADOC’s statistics often indicate that many individuals die from “natural” causes, which may be true for older individuals. This then raises the question of why many of them are not released.

    However, these statistics should also be viewed skeptically because ADOC has a history of misclassifying deaths to mask how many individuals died from violence, as Burkhalter also indicates.
    APR has heard from sources that both overcrowding and lack of parole increase the violence within the prisons. The lack of parole, in particular, enables individuals to adopt an attitude of believing they have nothing to lose, resulting in acts of violence because there is no longer a fear of consequence.
    “Until the Alabama Department of Corrections takes the steps necessary to rid our prisons of the drugs that drive the violence and death, and hold those who prey on the weaker inside our prisons accountable, we’ll continue to see records like this broken every year. State lawmakers and the public need to press ADOC to act so that we don’t continue to see more MaKayla Mounts, who at the age of 17 feel they must stand in front of a room full of strangers and speak about losing their father at such a young age.”
    In December, Mount was one of over a dozen individuals who spoke during a public hearing at a Joint Prison Oversight Committee Meeting. Mount detailed how her father, Christopher Mount, was strangled in prison and expressed what it was like to have to wait 10 years to see her dad.
    “You know, when you see your dad for the first time in 10 years and half of his face is gone because he was beaten, it does something to you,” Mount said. “… The [correctional officers] are corrupt, the prisons are corrupt. It’s in the name; it’s a correctional facility. It’s meant for correction. It’s not a death sentence; it’s not supposed to be a death sentence, and yet, it is. So many people are dying for no reason.”
    Despite Mount and other families begging for change, the violence has only escalated according to the final death total.
    Patrick Darrington is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter. You can reach him at pdarrington@alreporter.com.

  • Newswire: U. S. provides millions in aid for Angola but not so much for famine in Ethopia

    Doctor measures arm of child in Ethopia


    Feb. 5, 2024 (GIN) – Winding up his four nation tour of Africa, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced a super generous gift of close to a billion dollars for our new ally, Angola, to fund a solar energy project and upgrade a rail corridor.
     
    These major new U.S. investments were seen as sweeteners to help counter China’s influence on the continent.
     
    U.S.-Angola relations are at their strongest point in history said Blinken as he and Angolan foreign minister Tete Antonio posed for pictures before their country’s flags.
     
    New American investments include more than $900 million for solar energy projects and $250 million to upgrade a rail corridor that carries critical minerals, including cobalt and copper, from central Africa to Angola’s Atlantic port of Lobito.
     
    The $900 million Sun Africa solar energy project will get financing from the U.S. Export Import Bank (EXIM) and was approved in October. With the money, Sun Africa is expected to construct two utility-scale solar photovoltaic parks that will provide more than 500 MW of renewable power.  
     
    U.S. funding will also cover $363 million financing of Acrow Bridge’s 186 prefabricated bridges. This promises to support critical infrastructure and thousands of Angolan and American jobs.
     
    EXIM declared the Sun Africa program its “Deal of the Year” for 2023.
     
    The transportation project is expected to further President Biden’s goal of diversifying American supply chains – in part to reduce U.S. dependence on Chinese control of the vital ingredients for a modern economy. It stretches from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Atlantic Ocean.
     
    Not long ago, Angola concluded a civil war in which as many as one million people died. During that war, the Soviet Union provided military training and equipment to the Marxist MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) which ousted the U.S. supported rebels  with help from the Soviets and Cuba.
     
    While Angola reaps monetary and other benefits, as many as 20.4 million people across Ethiopia require food support, according to the World Food Program. It is one of four countries in East Africa where Oxfam is responding to extreme hunger.
    According to the British Red Cross, soaring food prices, conflict and climate change are plunging parts of Africa into a severe and enduring food crisis, with millions of people in Africa facing extreme hunger.
    Nearly 400 people have died of starvation in Ethiopia’s Tigray and Amhara regions in recent months, according to the national ombudsman. It’s a rare admission of hunger-related deaths by a federal body – the government normally dismisses famine warnings as “politicking”.
     

  • Newswire : Dexter Scott King, champion of civil rights and son of MLK Jr., succumbs to prostate cancer at 62

    By Stacy M. Brown
    NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has died at 62. The King Center, along with statements from the family, confirmed Dexter’s death on Monday, January 22, just one week after the nation observed his father’s holiday. King’s family said he died after a valiant battle against prostate cancer.
    Family members claimed that King, a tenacious civil rights activist in his own right, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his Malibu home while spending time with his loved ones. Leah Weber King, Dexter’s wife since 2013, shared the news through a statement from the King Center. “He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu,” she said. “He gave it everything and battled this terrible disease until the end. As with all the challenges in his life, he faced this hurdle with bravery and might.”
    Martin Luther King III, Dexter’s older brother, also expressed deep sorrow, urging everyone to keep the entire King family, especially Dexter’s wife, Leah Weber, in their thoughts and prayers.
    Reverend Al Sharpton, a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, later shared his condolences. “I am heartbroken to hear that Dexter King left us this morning, but I was comforted by the knowledge that he is reunited with his parents and sister,” Sharpton stated.
    Dexter’s mother, Coretta Scott King, died in 2006, and his sister, Yolanda Denise King, died in 2007. Dexter, born on January 30, 1961, carried his father’s legacy forward. According to a King Center bio, he attended Morehouse College, majoring in business administration, and in 2005, he took on the roles of chairman, president, and chief executive officer of the King Center.
    Dexter’s vision for his father’s legacy was clear: to educate the public about and perpetuate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of nonviolence globally. Beyond his activism, Dexter made significant contributions to media and entertainment. He starred in and produced films, records, and television specials focused on the civil rights movement. His animated movie, “Our Friend Martin,” received an Emmy Award nomination, and he authored the intimate memoir “Growing Up King” in 2003.
    Recognized as one of Ebony magazine’s “100 Most Influential Black Americans,” Dexter Scott King worked along with his family to keep his parents’ legacy alive.
    “On behalf of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), representing the Black Press of America, we pause to mourn and to celebrate the life of Dexter King, who in his own way strived to exemplify the outstanding legacy of his father, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” said NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., a civil rights legend who worked under Dr. King in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. “We express our sympathy to the King family, and we rededicate the Black Press to keep Dr. King’s dream alive, not only for all Americans but for people throughout the world