Many Unknowns Around Governor’s Call for a Lottery

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/07/lottery_money.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1024;s:6:"height";i:685;s:4:"file";s:25:"2016/07/lottery_money.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-336x225.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:225;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-771x516.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:516;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-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:25:"lottery_money-768x514.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:514;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:23:"lottery_money-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:25:"lottery_money-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:25:"lottery_money-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:25:"lottery_money-465x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:465;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-396x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:396;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"lottery_money-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:25:"lottery_money-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:25:"lottery_money-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] => Lisa Brewster
        )

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

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

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:461500;s:14:"optimized_size";i:234147;s:7:"percent";d:49.259999999999998;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:53:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:257347;s:14:"optimized_size";i:110700;s:7:"percent";d:56.979999999999997;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:7040;s:14:"optimized_size";i:5117;s:7:"percent";d:27.32;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-336x225.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:17013;s:14:"optimized_size";i:11126;s:7:"percent";d:34.600000000000001;}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-771x516.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:65671;s:14:"optimized_size";i:36532;s:7:"percent";d:44.369999999999997;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:37180;s:14:"optimized_size";i:21488;s:7:"percent";d:42.210000000000001;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:20921;s:14:"optimized_size";i:13586;s:7:"percent";d:35.060000000000002;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-465x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:28421;s:14:"optimized_size";i:16916;s:7:"percent";d:40.479999999999997;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-396x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:21949;s:14:"optimized_size";i:14317;s:7:"percent";d:34.770000000000003;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:61:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/07/lottery_money-125x125.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:5958;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4365;s:7:"percent";d:26.739999999999998;}}}
        )

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

)
1670335115 
1469691757

Proponents of a lottery in Alabama received a notable boost this week after Governor Robert Bentley announced he would call a special session on that issue. He wants lawmakers to pass a measure to create a lottery which would then have to be approved by voters. Bentley says it’s up to voters to decide but calls a lottery the best remaining way to deal with persistent budget crises. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald offers his take on the proposal.

Photo by Lisa Brewster

 

‘The Abandons’ is a sudsy soap opera dressed up in spurs and a cowboy hat

On the surface it's a gorgeous, hardscrabble Western, awash in stark landscapes, grubby faces, bar fights and banditry. But scratch away the grime, and you expose the pure, glitzy soap opera beneath.

Sudanese paramilitary drone attack kills 50, including 33 children, doctor group says

Thursday's attack is the latest in the fighting between the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, also known as the RSF, and the Sudanese military, who have been at war for over two years.

Russia unleashes drone and missile attack on Ukraine as diplomatic talks continue

Russia unleashed a major missile and drone barrage on Ukraine overnight into Saturday, after U.S. and Ukrainian officials said they'll meet on Saturday for talks aimed at ending the war.

Takeaways from the latest special election and what it means for control of the House

There was yet another sign this week of a potential 2026 wave that could hand control of the House of Representatives to Democrats.

West Virginians question National Guard deployments after attack on 2 of their own

Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom was fatally shot in Washington, D.C., while Air Force Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe was seriously wounded. Trump says the deployments are necessary to fight crime, but others disagree.

Trump official signals potential rollback of changes to census racial categories

Trump officials are reviewing changes to racial and ethnic categories that the Biden administration approved for the 2030 census and other federal government forms, a White House agency official says.

More Front Page Coverage