Election Fear…Over the Candidates
Surveys show voters are anxious this election cycle. NPR’s Mara Liasson reported earlier this week that issues such as stalled economic progress, terrorism and demographic shifts have people on edge.
Seems the candidates themselves could be added to the list.
In WBHM’s small, unscientific survey via social media this week several people expressed their concerns over the field of candidates.
“Very anxious. Petrified by our choices,” wrote Riva Bard of Birmingham on the WBHM Facebook page.
This year’s election features candidates ranging from the self-described Democratic-Socialist Bernie Sanders to Republicans Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, who have positioned themselves as outsiders to the conservative establishment.
Homewood resident Samantha Lalak suggests those extremes contribute to the anxiety.
“I think when people grasp onto fears…then they grasp onto their particular parties be it very Democratic or very Republican,” said Lalak. “I think that we are forgetting there is a middle ground.”
The Pew Research Center has been tracking voters’ satisfaction with presidential candidates in the general election. Voter satisfaction rose from 1992 to 2008 before taking a dive 2012. There are many caucus and primary votes yet to be cast to determine if 2016 continues that trend.
Photo by Theresa Thompson, FLICKR 
Trump names former Florida AG Pam Bondi as his new pick for U.S. attorney general
After former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration, President-elect Donald Trump named Pam Bondi, a former attorney general of Florida, as his next pick for U.S. attorney general.
Police report gives details, timeline of the sexual assault claim against Pete Hegseth
The woman who accused then-Fox News host of sexual assault in 2017 said that she "remembered saying 'no' a lot," according to a police report. Hegseth is President-elect Donald Trump's choice for Secretary of Defense.
Alabama Black Belt’s sewer crisis a tougher fix for residents in manufactured homes
Poor sanitation has long plagued residents in Alabama’s Black Belt. For people with manufactured houses, finding a solution has been more challenging.
In Birmingham, Black men’s groups work to save young men from the cycle of gun violence
As the city inches closer to its homicide record, community members are trying to address a sense of fatalism and lack of opportunity felt by some young men.
What is the ICC and can it really arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?
The ICC also issued warrants for Yoav Gallant, former Israeli defense minister, and Hamas leader Muhammad Deif. But it doesn't have an enforcement mechanism and relies on states to make the arrests.
Former Brazilian president indicted over alleged coup plot
Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro and several others have been charged with attempting to overthrow incoming government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022.
