Proposed US banking fix for marijuana may not open all doors
Associated Press – June 15
A proposal in Congress to ease the U.S. ban on marijuana could encourage more banks to do business with cannabis companies, but it appears to fall short of a cure-all for an industry that must operate mainly as a cash business in a credit card world. Marijuana is legal in some form in about 30 states, but companies that grow or sell it often are locked out at banks. Their money isn’t wanted because the drug is illegal under federal law and transactions tied to pot proceeds could expose financial institutions to money-laundering charges. . . . Even then, risk remains as banks face a range of compliance rules by accepting marijuana-linked money. The Bank Secrecy Act requires that banks know their customers well enough to ensure they are not engaging in money laundering, said Julie A. Hill, a professor at the University of Alabama School of Law. “This likely means that a bank accepting marijuana money would have to do enough research to know that their customers are complying with state law regarding the sale of marijuana,” Hill said. “The bank would likely have to confirm that the marijuana is not sold to minors or sold for transport to states where it is illegal.”
STL News – June 15
ATT.net – June 15
Daily Hampshire Gazette – June 15
China Post – June 15
The Tribune (Greeley, Colorado) – June 15
Las Vegas Sun – June 15
Tuscaloosa kids learning to swim through Swim To the Top program
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – June 14
Swim instructors with the University of Alabama, the Tuscaloosa County Parks and Recreation Authority, and others are working with kids who attend the Benjamin Barnes YMCA by using the Swim To the Top program. Four days a week, they’re teaching 125 kids how to feel safe in the water and become better swimmers.
WTVM (Columbus, Georgia) – June 14
Capstone Village veterans celebrate Flag Day
Tuscaloosa News – June 15
Veterans who live at Capstone Village gathered Wednesday to raise the flag outside the Tuscaloosa retirement community. The ceremony was conducted in honor of Flag Day, which recognizes the day the U.S. flag was officially recognized. On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the United States.
Medgar Evers’s civil rights mentor: T.R.M. Howard
The Hill – June 15
When an assassin struck down Medgar Evers on June 12, 1963, the national outrage spurred on a civil rights movement that was already getting more attention. A month before Medgar’s demise Bull Connor’s police had turned fire hoses with full force on men, women, and children in Birmingham, Alabama. Just over two months after Medgar’s death a record crowd turned out for Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech.”Within two years the momentum led to both the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. These events are well known, but few are aware of the instrumental role played by Medgar’s former employer and mentor, T.R.M. Howard, in making these events possible. . . . David T. Beito is a research fellow at the Independent Institute and a professor of history at the University of Alabama. Linda Royster Beito is a research fellow at the Independent Institute and professor and director of cybersecurity at Stillman College. Together they wrote T. R. M. Howard: Doctor, Entrepreneur, Civil Rights Pioneer.
“All of Us” research program looks to diversify research pool
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – June 14
New medical research efforts happening in Tuscaloosa to diversify the pool of people involved in studies. The “All of Us” research program looks to quadruple diversity for bio-medical research across the board. Two University of Alabama professors leading the project in Tuscaloosa said African-Americans die twice as often of heart disease, however they account for only about 5 percent of clinical participants nationwide in bio-medical research.
Happy campers, healthy economy
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – June 14
During the summer months, the UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA hosts a variety of summer camps for young people, everything from competitive dance teams to stem students. All those students, counselors and other happy campers translate to healthy sales for stores and restaurants along ua )s strip, and in downtown Tuscaloosa.
As 64,000 of Montgomery’s workers drive in, the city’s money drives out
Montgomery Advertiser – June 15
The majority of Montgomery’s workforce commutes from outside the city, according to U.S. Census Bureau data and an Envision Montgomery 2040 study. In 2015, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that there were about 123,000 jobs in Montgomery. Each day, more than 64,000 people commute into the city, according to the Envision study, meaning that 52 percent of the jobs in the city are worked by nonresidents. . . . Viktoria Riiman, a socioeconomic analyst at the University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research, said Montgomery and many other major cities in Alabama, excluding Huntsville, have seen a decline in population over several years. Census data estimates that the city population has dipped below 200,000 for the first time since 1999.
Five things to do this weekend in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa News – June 15
No. 1: Moundville Archaeological Park will host an exhibition of hoop dancing during its Saturday in the Park series. Lyndon Alec is a member of the Alabama-Coushatta tribe and has demonstrated hoop dancing at events all over the world, including the annual Native American Festival at Moundville. He’ll demonstrate hoop dancing and talk about the traditions and meaning behind it. The event will be from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., free with admission to the park, general $8, seniors $7, students and children $6, under five free. The park is at 634 Mound State Parkway. For more information, go to www.moundville.ua.edu.
Apple announces digital IDs for some universities
KOKI-Fox (Tulsa, OK) – June 14
Duke university and the UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA will also start using digital IDs.