Education Budget Cuts
“We have almost two new infections in Alabama every single day. And about half of the new infections are young people,” she says. “I shudder to think what the infection rates are going to go to if we don’t provide this education in the public schools.”
Hiers says public money is down. And the fact that lawmakers are in no hurry to restore the funding for non-state agencies “scares” her.
The East Alabama Child Development Centers is a conglomerate of about 21 non-profit daycares in 17 counties. The cuts mean a net loss of more than 262-thousand dollars for the agencies. WBHM’s Rosemary Pennington spoke with Mary Davis, the Executive Director of the Childcare Resource Network. She says two daycares have already been forced to shut down and she wouldn’t be surprised if more closed their doors.
“The loss of this money just means there are more young children who will not have an opportunity to take advantage of good early childhood education,” she says. “These monies are kind of the make or break thing that can allow many of these programs to stay open where otherwise families don’t have that opportunity for care.”
Davis says the centers serve rural, poor Alabamians. If more daycares close it could force some of these folks to choose between their jobs and staying home with their children. She says there just aren’t many other options out there for them.
Preliminary report says fuel switches were cut off before Air India Boeing 787 crash
Indian investigators determined the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was properly configured and lifted off normally. But three seconds after takeoff, the engines' fuel switches were cut off.
2 years ago, Amanda Anisimova put down her racket. Now she’s in the Wimbledon final
Anisimova was a teenage tennis prodigy. But by 2023, tournaments had become "unbearable" for her mental health, and she stepped away. Now, she is a win away from her first Grand Slam title.
Guantánamo plea deals for accused 9/11 plotters are canceled by federal appeals court
A federal appeals court has canceled plea deals with three men accused of orchestrating the 9/11 attacks, deepening the legal morass surrounding the long-stalled case.
Nigeria says it won’t accept U.S. deportees: “We have enough problems of our own”
Nigeria's government is pushing back against U.S. efforts to send them migrants and foreign prisoners, with Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar quoting Public Enemy to drive home his point.
Judges to weigh request to put Alabama under preclearance for a future congressional map
Black voters and civil rights organizations, who successfully challenged Alabama’s congressional map, are asking a three-judge panel to require any new congressional maps drawn by state lawmakers to go through federal review before being implemented. The Alabama attorney general and the U.S. Department of Justice oppose the request.
Sumy, a center of Ukrainian culture, lives in the crosshairs of a new Russian offensive
The northern regional capital has become a frequent target of Russian drones, missiles and guided bombs. Now, Ukraine's top general says at least 50,000 Russian troops have massed across the border.
