August 3 Morning Newscast
August 3, 2012 Morning Edition News
A Jefferson County judge is extending two temporary injunctions forbidding the Birmingham Board of Education from taking any administrative moves to fire school superintendent Craig Witherspoon (above). After two days of sometime fiery testimony, Judge Houston Brown told the school board not to take any action on Witherspoon’s contract and not to interfere with the state takeover of the school system. Tom Stewart is the attorney for the Birmingham board of Education.
On the other side of the fight, attorney David Boyd represents the State Department of Education.
If the local board doesn’t submit a balanced, approved budget to the state by September 1st, the state – legally speaking – has no choice but to withhold funding, which in itself would shut down the system. That could also trigger a loss of federal funding. Judge Brown gave both sides till next Wednesday to turn in more briefs or evidence. He could issue a ruling on permanent injunctions very soon after. Brown has tried to move things along, since school is set to start August 20. We’ve got extensive coverage of this week’s court proceedings here.
Alabama education officials say they’ll ask the U.S. Department of Education for a waiver from one provision of the No Child Left Behind law. Deputy State Superintendent Sherrill Parris says they will ask the feds to wave the provision that requires all students perform at a proficient level in math and reading by 2014. Thirty-three other states have already received waivers. Alabama’s waiver request will be based on implementing a state-developed plan that calls for all high school graduates to be prepared to get a job or pass first-year courses in a university, community college or technical school without remediation.
A judge is delaying the last sentencing in Alabama’s gambling corruption case. Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins granted a request from former Country Crossing casino lobbyist Jennifer Pouncy to delay her sentencing from Aug. 29 to Sept. 26. She sought the delay to allow more time to study a presentencing report that’s due from federal probation officers by August 22. Pouncy has admitted offering bribes to legislators to support pro-gambling legislation. Country Crossing’s developer also pleaded guilty and received seven years. Another lobbyist and a state lawmakers were sentenced to five year.
The Alabama Department of Revenue says taxpayers should be on the lookout for an email scam that is using the department’s name. The emails say the taxpayer has been awarded gift cards or other prizes from the Department of Revenue. Revenue Commissioner Julie Magee says the department does not initiate communications with taxpayers through email.
Despite its lopsided loss to Alabama in last January’s BCS national title game, LSU will open the 2012 season ranked No. 1 in at least one poll. LSU sits atop the USA Today Top 25 coach’s poll released yesterday. Alabama is second and Southern California is third.
For those with addiction, going into and coming out of prison can be a minefield.
Many jails and prisons around the country don't provide medication treatment for opioid use disorder. Studies show that medication makes recovery more likely and reduces the risk of overdose death.
Trump struck deals with 16 drug companies. But they’re still raising prices this year
All 16 drug companies that inked deals with the Trump administration over the past few months still raised some of their prices for 2026.
This hospice has a bold new mission: saving lives
A hospice in Uganda asked itself: Can we do more than ease the pain of dying? Can we actually prevent deaths from cervical and breast cancer?
Ivey releases proposed state budgets
Lawmakers are often running in Montgomery having finished the first week of this year's legislative session. It's a week that saw the announcement of Gov. Kay Ivey's budget proposal, along with the first bills starting to make their way through the legislative process. We talk about that with Todd Stacy, host of Capital Journal on Alabama Public Television.
Canada agrees to cut tariff on Chinese EVs in return for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products
Breaking with the United States, Canada has agreed to cut its 100% tariff on Chinese electric cars in return for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday.
What do eggs, Grok and Greenland have in common? They’re all quiz-worthy! Are you?
See if you can get a perfect score for once.
