Bentley Scandal: In Pursuit of Wanda’s Desk

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/05/bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1200;s:6:"height";i:600;s:4:"file";s:49:"2016/05/bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-336x168.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:168;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-771x386.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:386;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-768x384.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:384;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:47:"bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-622x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:622;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-470x235.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:235;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:49:"bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => al.com
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:368954;s:14:"optimized_size";i:238522;s:7:"percent";d:35.350000000000001;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:77:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/05/bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:144663;s:14:"optimized_size";i:82196;s:7:"percent";d:43.18;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:85:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/05/bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-336x168.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:19750;s:14:"optimized_size";i:14670;s:7:"percent";d:25.719999999999999;}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:85:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/05/bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-771x386.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:70386;s:14:"optimized_size";i:46111;s:7:"percent";d:34.490000000000002;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:85:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/05/bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:51018;s:14:"optimized_size";i:33696;s:7:"percent";d:33.950000000000003;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:98:"Unknown error occurred (100 - Operation timed out after 45001 milliseconds with 0 bytes received) ";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:85:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/05/bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-622x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:50361;s:14:"optimized_size";i:37281;s:7:"percent";d:25.969999999999999;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:85:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/05/bentleythenandnowjpg-f65da7835754b2aa-470x235.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:32776;s:14:"optimized_size";i:24568;s:7:"percent";d:25.039999999999999;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1662452261 
1462437781

The 2016 legislative session came to a close last night, but much of the action of the last few months was overshadowed by the ongoing scandal involving Governor Robert Bentley and his alleged affair with a former adviser, Rebekah Mason. Bentley has admitted making inappropriate comments to Mason, but continues to deny the two had a physical affair. Republican Rep. Ed Henry, of Hartselle, is spearheading an effort to impeach the governor.

Recordings leaked to the press capture Bentley allegedly having a sexually charged conversation with Mason, saying “if were going to do what we did the other day” they’d need to move Wanda’s desk. Wanda Kelly was Governor Bentley’s executive assistant, who has since retired.

This week, Rep. Ed Henry and Red Bay Democratic Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow tried to get inside the governor’s office and find Wanda’s infamous deskJohn Archibald, columnist for al.com and The Birmingham News, was there, and he tells WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley what happened.

 

 

Judge blocks Trump administration’s ending of protections for Venezuelans and Haitians

A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary legal protections for more than 1 million people from Haiti and Venezuela who live in the United States.

Alcaraz beats Djokovic at the U.S. Open and will meet Sinner for Grand Slam final

Sinner is trying to become the first repeat men's champion in New York since Roger Federer won the tournament five years in a row. Alcaraz hasn't dropped a set as he pursues his second U.S. Open title.

Anthropic settles with authors in first-of-its-kind AI copyright infringement lawsuit

A U.S. district court is scheduled to consider whether to approve the settlement next week, in a case that marked the first substantive decision on how fair use applies to generative AI systems.

Under Trump, the Federal Trade Commission is abandoning its ban on noncompetes

Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson has called his agency's rule banning noncompetes unconstitutional. Still, he says protecting workers against noncompetes remains a priority.

Anthropic to pay authors $1.5B to settle lawsuit over pirated chatbot training material

The artificial intelligence company Anthropic has agreed to pay authors $3,000 per book in a landmark settlement over pirated chatbot training material.

You can trust the jobs report, Labor Department workers urge public

A strongly-worded statement from Bureau of Labor Statistics workers comes a month after President Trump attacked the integrity of the jobs numbers they release monthly.

More Front Page Coverage