What's going on in Alabama
Major Hurricane Helene was downgraded to a tropical storm this morning as it made its way farther inland, its center of circulation splitting Georgia from south to north. Read weather stories here. Today's Alabama news report follows. Thanks for reading, Ike |
|
|
A second nitrogen execution |
|
|
Alabama carried out its second nitrogen-hypoxia execution Thursday evening, reports AL.com's Ivana Hrynkiw. 59-year-old Alan Eugene Miller used his last words to say he didn't do anything to be on Death Row. After the state began applying the nitrogen, he took deep breaths and lifted his head up several times, then shook and trembled for a couple minutes. He gasped on and off for about six minutes. The shaking is something that was also witnessed during the first nitrogen execution, but Miller didn't shake as often or as violently as the first inmate did. Later, Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said: “There’s going to be involuntary body movements as the body is depleted of oxygen, so that was nothing we did not expect.” Miller shot and killed three people in two Pelham businesses in August 1999, reportedly alleging that his current and former co-workers were spreading rumors about him. |
|
|
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin was at the White House Thursday to speak on gun violence and introduce President Biden, reports AL.com's John Sharp. The president was signing an Executive Order that creates a federal task force to analyze devices that convert semiautomatic guns into machine guns, although the devices, including so-called "Glock switches," are already banned on the federal level. The devices are inexpensive and are being confiscated by police at an increasing rate. A Glock switch was found on a firearm that was used in last weekend's Birmingham mass shooting. Which probably accounts for Woodfin's presence. Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris also spoke at the event. |
|
|
If earlier this week your significant other expressed frustration at his or her cell phone, then suddenly stopped looking at it all the time and started engaging with the family, then listen up. I'm not saying this story is necessarily related to your situation. But AL.com's Howard Koplowitz reports that the online site Pornhub has blocked access to Alabama users over a new state law here that requires adult sites to verify users' ages. Pornhub argued in a notice on its site (that someone other than me verified by the way) that complying with the law would put children and users' privacy at risk. The law requires adult websites to use "a reasonable age-verification method." It also requires warnings on their landing pages. Pornhub's parent company, Aylo, said in a statement that it prefers age verification to take place on the device being used to access the site, not the site itself. Texas has a similar law that may soon go before the Supreme Court. |
In 1927, blues harp player "Earring" George Mayweather of Montgomery. |
If you miss that feeling of sitting down with in-depth, local reporting, consider subscribing to the Huntsville Times, Birmingham News, or Mobile Press-Register. By subscribing, you’ll get a new daily digital edition in an email link, or you can use an app to download the new edition every day on your smartphone or tablet. You also get exclusive access to stories written for our subscribers. “Down in Alabama” listeners get your first month free by going to al.com/digitalsubscription/exclusive and enter the promo code DIA24. |
|
|
A listener takes the weekly Alabama news quiz. You can find “Down in Alabama” wherever you get your podcasts, including these places: |
We appreciate you for taking the time to read today. Hope you're able to check back soon. Meantime, reply to this email with any suggestions you might have. If you're so inclined, we'd love it if you'd forward to friends who might be interested in reading. (And if you're someone who's been forwarded this newsletter, we encourage you to subscribe and get this in your inbox every day.) |
|
|
|
