Sep 12, 2023

Because of circumstances, we've probably had more than a few people in the state use Internet television for the first time over the past couple weeks. I understand those who yearn for the simpler times of cable television, when packages rarely changed, you didn't have to deal with different kinds of app homepages, and there was no waiting for channels to load.

Some of us could roll it way back. We're talking three channels on a clear day, you used Pledge to polish your TV set, and "remote control" meant telling a young'n to get up and go change channels manually with a pair of pliers because the knob had broken off during a Reagan-Carter debate.

We might be a little spoiled these days, is what I'm saying. But we do celebrate some good, and more modern, television news in today's newsletter.

Ike Morgan

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Some Republicans are beginning to speak out against U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville's blockade on military promotions over the Defense Department's policy of reimbursing service members and their families who travel for an abortion.

The Dallas Morning News reported that Texas Congressman Michael McCaul, the House Foreign Affairs Chairman, said that the hold is paralyzing the Defense Department. He called it a national-security problem and said he wishes Tuberville would reconsider.

Similarly, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley told CNN she disagrees with the hold. She said the Defense Department shouldn't have instituted the abortion policy in the first place, and that she would change it if she were president, but that "we don’t need to be using military families as political pawns. That’s a mistake. The military members and families, they sacrifice enough. They don’t need to be a pawn in Congress.”

Tuberville has said he'll stand by his promise that he made to block promotions if the abortion policy were put into place and that the Senate could still put individual promotions on the Senate floor to be voted on.

A guilty plea has been entered by one of the suspects in the August 2022 robbery and shooting death at Cheaha State Park, reports AL.com's Carol Robinson.

You may remember this one. The 22-year-old Adam Simjee and his 20-year-old girlfriend, Mikayla Paulus were hiking in the park when two women reportedly living off the grid said they had car trouble. After Simjee tried to help, one of the women, Yasmine Marie Adel Hider of Oklahoma, pulled a gun and attempted to rob the couple. At some point Simjee pulled his own firearm and they exchange fire. Simjee was killed and Hider was injured badly enough she couldn't leave.

On Monday, Hider pled guilty to second-degree murder, kidnapping of a victim not resulting in death, and robbery.

The other woman is also under federal indictment.

In the debate over what kinds of books, particularly with gay and transgender themes, are appropriate for the children's sections of libraries, the executive director of the Alabama Public Library Service has weighed in, reports AL.com's Savannah Tryens-Fernandes.

Nancy Pack was on an episode of Capitol Journal recently and said it's ultimately up to local libraries and policy. She also said parental guidance is needed in determining what is appropriate for a child -- and that there are children who want to see their own alternative families reflected in literature.

Last week Gov. Kay Ivey sent a letter to the state library agency to point out books she felt were inappropriate for the age range they were in. Those included "Who are You?: The Kid's Guide to Gender Identity" in the Foley Public Library and "The Pronoun Book" in the Prattville Public Library.

You Charter Spectrum cable subscribers who enjoy your college football will enjoy this news, especially if you and streaming apps haven't become close friends yet.

AL.com's William Thornton reports that Charter Communications and The Walt Disney Company have reached an agreement that'll allow ESPN and other Disney-controlled networks to be shown on Spectrum.

Charter said that Spectrum will have what it calls a "more curated" set of Disney's channels. It said it'll continue to carry ABC-owned TV stations, Disney Channel, FX, Nat Geo and the ESPN networks.

So if you've been getting by with a free trial of a streaming app, don't forget to cancel it, if that's you're decision.

“Understanding that we don’t use game film anymore, I would still burn the game film."

The SEC Network's Paul Finebaum, on Auburn's offensive performance during Saturday's 14-10 win over Cal.

In 1913, four-time Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens was born in Oakville.

In 1979, Hurricane Frederic made landfall over Dauphin Island.

With all the debating over the University of Alabama's football dynasty, in yesterday's newsletter we gave y'all a chance to weigh in. Here's what you said:

What's the state of the Crimson Tide/Nick Saban dynasty?

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