Mayor Langford Arrested
Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford is free on bond after being arrested today on a 101 count federal indictment alleging conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns. He pleaded not guilty to what U-S Attorney Alice Martin says was a “classic pay to play scheme”. Langford allegedly accepted $235,000 in exchange for funneling millions of dollars of Jefferson County bond deals to Montgomery investment banker William Blount. Blount and lobbyist Al LaPierre also face charges. Birmingham City Councilwoman Valerie Abbott tells WBHM’s Tanya Ott it’s a sad day for the city.
Abbott says race could become a factor in Langford’s prosecution.
Lawsuit challenges USDA demand for food stamp data as some states prepare to comply
The suit claims that efforts to get sensitive information about food aid recipients from states violates federal privacy laws.
Proposed Muslim development in Texas brings inquiries by DOJ and state officials
The project, known as EPIC City, has yet to break ground, but members of this Muslim community feel stereotyped.
Voice of America’s prospects appear grim after appeals court order
A federal appeals court said it would not intervene — at least for now — to thwart the Trump administration's plans for the near-total dismantlement of Voice of America.
Hate groups in the US decline but their influence grows, report shows
In its annual Year in Hate and Extremism report, released Thursday, the Southern Poverty Law Center said it counted 1,371 hate and extremist groups, a 5% decline. The nonprofit group attributes this to a lesser sense of urgency to organize because their beliefs have infiltrated politics, education and society in general.
The U.K. hands Chagos Islands over to Mauritius but says it will secure a U.S. base
The Chagos Islands are in the middle of the Indian Ocean and home to a strategic military base on Diego Garcia.
White House agrees to keep migrants in Djibouti for now, blasts federal judge’s ruling
The judge says the administration "unquestionably" violated his earlier order, which stated migrants cannot be deported to a country other than their own without having adequate notice and a chance to object.
