Major Hurricane Helene was downgraded to a tropical storm this morning as it made its way farther inland, its center of circulation splitting Georgia from south to north. Read weather stories here.
Today’s Alabama news report follows. Thanks for reading,
Ike
A second nitrogen execution
Alabama carried out its second nitrogen-hypoxia execution Thursday evening, reports AL.com’s Ivana Hrynkiw.
59-year-old Alan Eugene Miller used his last words to say he didn’t do anything to be on Death Row. After the state began applying the nitrogen, he took deep breaths and lifted his head up several times, then shook and trembled for a couple minutes. He gasped on and off for about six minutes.
The shaking is something that was also witnessed during the first nitrogen execution, but Miller didn’t shake as often or as violently as the first inmate did. Later, Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said: “There’s going to be involuntary body movements as the body is depleted of oxygen, so that was nothing we did not expect.”
Miller shot and killed three people in two Pelham businesses in August 1999, reportedly alleging that his current and former co-workers were spreading rumors about him.
The latest from D.C.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin was at the White House Thursday to speak on gun violence and introduce President Biden, reports AL.com’s John Sharp.
The president was signing an Executive Order that creates a federal task force to analyze devices that convert semiautomatic guns into machine guns, although the devices, including so-called “Glock switches,” are already banned on the federal level. The devices are inexpensive and are being confiscated by police at an increasing rate.
A Glock switch was found on a firearm that was used in last weekend’s Birmingham mass shooting. Which probably accounts for Woodfin’s presence.
Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris also spoke at the event.
Adult stuff
If earlier this week your significant other expressed frustration at his or her cell phone, then suddenly stopped looking at it all the time and started engaging with the family, then listen up.
I’m not saying this story is necessarily related to your situation.
But AL.com’s Howard Koplowitz reports that the online site Pornhub has blocked access to Alabama users over a new state law here that requires adult sites to verify users’ ages. Pornhub argued in a notice on its site (that someone other than me verified by the way) that complying with the law would put children and users’ privacy at risk.
The law requires adult websites to use “a reasonable age-verification method.” It also requires warnings on their landing pages.
Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, said in a statement that it prefers age verification to take place on the device being used to access the site, not the site itself.
Texas has a similar law that may soon go before the Supreme Court.
More Alabama News
Born on This Date
In 1927, blues harp player “Earring” George Mayweather of Montgomery.
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