Special Session Ends with No Lottery and 2-year Fix for Medicaid

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/09/Alabama-Capitol-Building.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:300;s:4:"file";s:36:"2015/09/Alabama-Capitol-Building.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:5:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"Alabama-Capitol-Building-336x168.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:168;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"Alabama-Capitol-Building-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"Alabama-Capitol-Building-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"Alabama-Capitol-Building-470x235.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:235;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"Alabama-Capitol-Building-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:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Carol M. Highsmith
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] =>  Library of Congress
        )

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

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

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:232579;s:14:"optimized_size";i:96570;s:7:"percent";d:58.479999999999997;}s:5:"sizes";a:8:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:64:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/09/Alabama-Capitol-Building.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:228580;s:14:"optimized_size";i:92607;s:7:"percent";d:59.490000000000002;}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:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/09/Alabama-Capitol-Building-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3999;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3963;s:7:"percent";d:0.90000000000000002;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}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
        )

    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1581971443:113
        )

    [_edit_last] => Array
        (
            [0] => 113
        )

)
1664638650 
1473352248

Alabama lawmakers are home again after wrapping up a special session on Wednesday. It’s a special session that began with Governor Robert Bentley wanting legislators to set up a lottery with the proceeds benefiting Medicaid and other general fund agencies. It ended with two lottery proposals dead and lawmakers using money from the BP oil spill settlement to fill financial gaps. To help us review the special session is Don Dailey. He’s host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television.

 

PEN America warns of rise in books ‘systematically removed from school libraries’

A new report says that the number of books being challenged or removed from public schools across the country has risen exponentially in the past two years. A Clockwork Orange tops their list.

Greetings from Kyiv, where you might stumble across Zelenskyy taking a stroll

Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.

Where things stand with Trump’s National Guard deployments

The Trump administration has deployed or threatened to deploy National Guard troops in more than half a dozen American cities that it says are crime ridden.

Kimmel and Colbert appear as guests on each other’s shows

On Tuesday night, in New York City, they united in a special talk show crossover of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS.

A GOP push to restrict voting by overseas U.S. citizens continues before 2026 midterms

Republican officials are pushing for more voting restrictions on U.S. citizens who were born abroad and have never lived in the country, after unsuccessfully challenging their ballots in 2024.

Poll: Agreement that political violence may be necessary to right the country grows

On hot button issues, a majority say children should be vaccinated; controlling gun violence is more important than gun rights; and Epstein files should be released, in a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll.

More Capitol Journal Coverage