What's going on in Alabama
Late last summer we expanded and redesigned this newsletter. Since then, many new readers have joined us, so we'd like to open this back up for your feedback. Are there topics or kinds of features you'd like to see more of? Less of? Any kind of Alabama news we're missing? If you'd like to share any thoughts, just reply to this email. Thanks, Ike Morgan |
|
|
TikTok: How our reps voted |
|
|
The United States House of Representatives Wednesday morning overwhelmingly passed the bill that would effectively either force the sale of TikTok or ban it in the U.S. Alabama's delegation was almost unanimous on the issue, reports AL.com's Howard Koplowitz. As you probably know by now, at issue is the Chinese company ByteDance's ownership of the social-media giant and worries over whether Chinese Communist access to the personal data of more than 150 million Americans is a security threat. Support for the bill has grown as the Biden Administration has warmed up to it, but it'll be a tougher road in the Senate than the 325-65 vote in the House. Six members of Alabama's House delegation, five Republicans and one Democrat, voted in favor. Only Rep. Barry Moore, the Republican who currently represents District 2 but just won the GOP nomination for re-mapped District 1, voted against. Moore explained that he voted as he did because he believes a ban would violate the free-speech rights of all those Americans who are choosing to use the platform. Instead, he'd like to see a different approach. “We need to protect Americans’ data from bulk exports by foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party, but targeting a singular company is not the right way to do it,” He said on an entirely different social-media platform, X. “Congress should restrict data transfers, not companies.” |
|
|
There have been some real buyers real-estate markets over the past few years. But it seems to be getting next-level when a property valued at $79,000 goes for nearly half a million dollars. AL.com's Joseph D. Bryant reports that Birmingham Water Works paid $450,000 for a cabin on a Blount County Lake. Its plans for the cabin? Not a thing. The Water works has been buying and demolishing structures built on Inland Lake for 20 years now. Inland Lake is one of its drinking-water sources for the Birmingham-Hoover metro area. Water Works officials have said they are reclaiming the property to protect the lake from septic systems. Numerous people own the buildings and long-term lease land that was inherited by the Water Works back in the 1990s. When those land-lease contracts are put up for sale, the Water Works has first option to buy. And they go by asking price. Apparently, there are some bold askers out there. |
|
|
Bo Jackson was a such a phenomenon during the late 80s and early 90s that, even though that hip injury ended his football career and certainly slowed his baseball career, accolades are still coming in. The first Major League Baseball team Jackson played for -- the Kansas City Royals -- is inducting him into the team's hall of fame, reports AL.com's Mark Inabinett. Jackson spent five seasons with the Royals, from 1986 through 1990, before he was released after his football injury in January '91. He later played with the White Sox and Angels. His biggest season with the Royals was in 1989, when he hit 32 home runs, drove in 105 runs and became the first player to homer and steal a base in the same All-Star game. Jackson, of course, had legendary baseball and football careers at Auburn, and he was already a star coming out of McAdory High School. His Royals Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled for June 29 at Kauffman Stadium. |
“A bingo card of 2024 for Katie Britt, I did not have this on it, right? And certainly didn’t have Scarlett Johansson on it." |
In 1954, Congressman Gary Palmer of Hackleburg. In 1972, former Buffalo Bills running back Antowain Smith of Millbrook. |
|
|
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.) |
|
|
The “Down in Alabama” podcast is short and free. Listen to it by clicking on the player above or subscribe by looking for “Down in Alabama” on the device of your choosing. You can find “Down in Alabama” wherever you get your podcasts, including these places: |
|
|
|
