Apr 24, 2024

Welcome back. There's plenty to keep up with in Washington and Montgomery this week. Also, U.S. News and World Report has released its high schools rankings, and an unflattering report is out on the Mobile Police Department.

Thanks for reading.

Ike Morgan

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The U.S. Senate easily passed the $95 billion package that'll send war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as well as humanitarian efforts, reports the Associated Press.

It's already been through the House of Representatives. Senators passed it 79-18, and President Joe Biden is expected to sign it today.

Sen. Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican, voted to pass the bill. The most contentious part of the bill among some on the right was the aid to Ukraine. Britt's vocal support of the package leaned into the money for Israel, the part of the spending that will go toward missile production in our state, and an addition bill in the package that forces a Chinese company to sell TikTok in order to keep it from being banned in the States.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, also an Alabama Republican, did not vote. He said through social media that "I haven’t voted for a dime of Ukraine funding -- and I’m not going to start now."

We'll mention three pieces of legislation making a move in Alabama's Legislature:

First, AL.com's Mike Cason reports that the Alabama House of Reprentatives passed a bill that would make an exception to a 2011 state law keeping those in the country illegally from enrolling in state community colleges or public four-year colleges. Such non-citizens could enroll if either they attended attended an Alabama high school for at least three years and graduated, earned a GED or completed other equivalent education, or they have applied for lawful presence in the U.S. That bill is from Reed Ingram, a Pike Road Republican, and is moving to the Senate.

The House also passed a bill that would expand through eighth grade the state's ban on teachers leading classroom discussion on sexual orientation or gender identity that the state's standards do not consider age or developmentally appropriate. That one's from Mack Butler, a Rainbow City Republican.

And one more: The bill to move back the deadline for political parties to certify nominees for president and vice president has unanimously passed the Senate and is heading to the House. That's the bill that would clear the way for President Biden to legally be on Alabama's ballot this November. The bill is from Merika Coleman, a Pleasant Grove Democrat.

A driver was killed this week on I-65 in Gardendale when an object hit his windshield, reports AL.com's Carol Robinson.

The object is being described as a small metal beam, and authorities think it came off or out of another vehicle. They're asking anyone with information on where the beam came from or what kind of vehicle it fell from to call state troopers at 205-322-4691.

Although we can't say at this point what caused the fatality, this could also serve as a cautionary tale to make sure everything is secured on and in your vehicle. I've seen a heavy duty metal rake that was stored vertically in the back of a truck lift up out of its rack like an umbrella and come down like a spear right between my truck and another.

Again, we don't know for sure that this tragedy went down like that.

The victim in Monday's I-65 incident was driving a Ford Bronco. Jason H. Fields was 41 years old.

U.S. News & World Report has released its 2024 rankings of public high schools, reports AL.com's Williesha Morris. We're going to give you Alabama's top 10 here:

1. Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School (Montgomery Public Schools): Repeated as the state's No. 1 and is Alabama's only public high school among the top 100 in the nation at No. 21.

2. New Century Technology High School (Huntsville City Schools): Another magnet school; up from No. 4 a year ago.

3. Homewood High School (Homewood City Schools): The top traditional high school in the state.

4. Mountain Brook High School (Mountain Brook City Schools): The highest-ranked Alabama STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) school and 87th in the nation.

5. Vestavia Hills High School (Vestavia Hills City Schools)

6. James Clemens High School (Madison City Schools)

7. Spain Park High School (Hoover City Schools)

8. Hewitt-Trussville High School (Trussville City Schools)

9. Brewbaker Tech Magnet High School (Montgomery Public Schools)

10. Oak Mountain High School (Shelby County)

As criticism mounts between suspended Mobile Police Chief Paul Prine and Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, an investigation led by former U.S. Attorney Kenyen Brown resulted in a very unflattering report for the Department.

AL.com's John Sharp reports that the investigation was critical of unnecessary deaths of Black men, the beating of a handcuffed suspects, detainment of families, inability to de-escalate hostile situations with Black suspects, and even the use of bad language.

“Whether it’s done today or three months from today, I’m a short termer. But the idea that somehow or another everyone is waiting for me to retire and this all goes away. It doesn’t go away.”

Mobile’s suspended police chief Paul Prine, who has called for an investigation into Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson's administration.

286

That's the number of arrests Gulf Shores reported during Spring Break. Orange Beach, meanwhile, reported 61.

In 1947, The Hues Corporation singer Ann Kelly of Fairfield. (Remember "Rock the Boat"?)

In 1994, actor/singer/dancer Jordan Fisher of Birmingham.

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