TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalHouse votes to name new Nashville courthouse after Fred Thompson
WASHINGTON — A bill naming the new federal courthouse in Nashville after former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson has cleared its first hurdle in Congress.
The House approved on a voice vote Tuesday the legislation formally naming the $194 million structure the Fred D. Thompson Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood. A companion bill by Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, both Tennessee Republicans, is pending in the Senate and could get a vote before the end of the year.
Thompson, who died last fall at age 73, represented Tennessee in the U.S. Senate from 1994 to 2003. He mounted an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for president in 2007, but dropped out of the race after failing to draw much interest in the early primaries.
Read more: http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/politics/2016/11/29/house-votes-name-new-nashville-courthouse-after-fred-thompson/94629628/
Six tornadoes confirmed in Mississippi
The National Weather Service in Jackson said late Tuesday that it had counted six confirmed tornadoes so far in the areas of the state it monitors.
Eric Carpenter, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Jackson office responsible for central Mississippi, said the office would send out teams Wednesday to survey the damage.
He said one tornado extended from eastern Rankin to Scott County. One stretched from Winston to Noxubee County. Others touched down in Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Lowndes and Clay counties.
He said some major roof damage was reported to homes, but so far that appeared to be the worst of the damage.
Read more: http://www.clarionledger.com/story/weather/2016/11/29/mississippi-severe-weather/94605544/
Browns Ferry nuke plant fined 140K for safety violations
ATHENS — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has cited the Tennessee Valley Authority over fire-safety violations at its Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant, according to NRC and TVA officials.
It's the second time this month the NRC has issued citations against the Limestone County plant.
The NRC, which proposed a $140,000 civil penalty over the most recent violations, found on “numerous occasions” in May 2015 that contract workers at the plant “deliberately failed” to conduct roving fire watches.
The fire watches were required at the time because fire protection equipment was temporarily out of service, according to the NRC.
Read more: http://www.decaturdaily.com/news/limestone_county/browns-ferry-nuke-plant-fined-k-for-safety-violations/article_8f235676-19b3-55fc-83f4-99a91964a5c1.html
Governors office uncertain if staff salaries paid by federal anti-terror money
State officials are looking into allegations that members of Gov. Robert Bentley’s staff were paid with federal money meant for anti-terrorist efforts, the governor’s spokeswoman said Tuesday.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency “is researching this question and will provide a response,” Bentley spokeswoman Yasamie August wrote in an email to The Anniston Star.
In a lawsuit filed last week, former Bentley bodyguard Ray Lewis alleged that Bentley used federal money to pay his staff in an attempt to hide his spending and look more fiscally responsible.
The Lewis lawsuit is the latest twist in Bentley’s ongoing troubles with staff issues — troubles that have led Bentley to the threshold of possible impeachment.
Read more: http://www.annistonstar.com/news/state/governor-s-office-uncertain-if-staff-salaries-paid-by-federal/article_170905ac-b685-11e6-b139-33c53c3341fd.html
11,000 more Alabamians need to be employed in order for Gov. Robert Bentley to get a paycheck.
MONTGOMERY — About 11,000 more Alabamians need to be employed in order for Gov. Robert Bentley to get a paycheck.
In October, the state’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent — up from 5.4 percent in September. Bentley was first elected in 2010 but has never drawn a salary, pledging not to until the state gets to full employment.
“As it stands right now, 5.2 percent is what he considers full employment and when he’ll start taking a salary,” spokeswoman Yasamie August said recently.
The Alabama Department of Labor estimates 11,000 more people need to be working to drop that unemployment number from 5.7 percent to 5.2 percent. The 5.7 percent represents 123,892 unemployed people, according to the department.
Read more: http://www.timesdaily.com/news/state-capital/capital-notebook-more-workers-needed/article_34bc7558-6d41-5a05-8aa6-4e55792648ee.html
Hillary Clinton makes surprise appearance at UNICEF gala
NEW YORK (AP) — Katy Perry was the night's big honoree, but Hillary Clinton got the biggest ovation as the former presidential candidate presented the pop star with an award from UNICEF at Tuesday's Snowflake Ball.
Clinton, who lost the recent election to Donald Trump, gave Perry the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award for her charitable efforts with the organization. Her appearance at the event was a surprise, and Clinton got a sustained standing ovation from the cheering crowd.
She described Perry as someone who has "the spirit and the energy and the compassion that Audrey Hepburn brought to her work from UNICEF."
She added that Perry had the most Twitter followers, then jokingly added that she "might have some competition" — an apparent reference to the ever-tweeting president-elect.
Read more: http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/ap/entertainment/hillary-clinton-makes-surprise-appearance-at-unicef-gala/article_ac2c2ddd-dce7-5579-b3b4-4f490007f1df.html
Hillary Clinton makes surprise appearance at UNICEF gala
Source: AP
NEW YORK (AP) — Katy Perry was the night's big honoree, but Hillary Clinton got the biggest ovation as the former presidential candidate presented the pop star with an award from UNICEF at Tuesday's Snowflake Ball.
Clinton, who lost the recent election to Donald Trump, gave Perry the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award for her charitable efforts with the organization. Her appearance at the event was a surprise, and Clinton got a sustained standing ovation from the cheering crowd.
She described Perry as someone who has "the spirit and the energy and the compassion that Audrey Hepburn brought to her work from UNICEF."
She added that Perry had the most Twitter followers, then jokingly added that she "might have some competition" — an apparent reference to the ever-tweeting president-elect.
Read more: http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/ap/entertainment/hillary-clinton-makes-surprise-appearance-at-unicef-gala/article_ac2c2ddd-dce7-5579-b3b4-4f490007f1df.html
U.S. Navy being sued in Littoral Combat Ship patent case
Lockheed were made aware of Giles's ideas and entered into a partnership with him in 2002, beginning a routine exchange of data between the two. Even though Giles's general idea was welcomed by Navy designers, Navy planners decided they needed something half the size and up to 10 knots extra.
But suddenly in January 2003, the Navy decided it needed something more robust and a lot bigger. Giles's designs suddenly become relevant once again. Despite the good news, Giles was dropped from the team a year later and the Navy steamed ahead with using his designs, claims Giles. In 2008, Giles wrote to the Navy accusing them of breaking patent law by using his designs. The Navy rejected the claims. Then in 2010, Giles's patents expired and the Navy became free to use it as it saw fit.
Giles argued that Navy LCS had similar design, displacement and speed as his designs. The Navy countered by saying that the designs were not unique and any person with basic ship-building knowledge could up with similar designs.
The complete article is at http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/11/us_navy_being_sued_in_littoral.html .
Airbus claims victory over Boeing after historic global trade ruling
Billions of dollars in illegal subsidies paid by Washington State to Boeing have dealt as much as $50 billion of damage to its rival Airbus, claimed a press release from European-based aircraft manufacturer Monday.
The company was responding to a historic World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling that Airbus claimed outlines how the United States ignored international trade rules by allowing Boeing to receive illegal subsidies from Washington State, enabling the Chicago-based company to gain a competitive advantage over rivals. The claim was first filed by Airbus in December 2014.
The ruling relates to $9 billion in subsidies given to Boeing in exchange for manufacturing the company's 777X aircraft in Washington State, due for release in 2020. An Airbus statement welcomed the WTO ruling, claiming that such a subsidy was enough to cover Boeing's cost of design, development, and production and bringing the aircraft to market. Airbus, which described the subsidy as "corporate welfare," said that because the subsidy was given through grants and tax breaks, the money won't ever have to be paid back and has effectively hurt Washington state and federal taxpayers.
"The United States and Boeing picked this fight at the WTO, and today's ruling is yet another blow for that strategy," said Tom Enders, Chief Executive Officer, Airbus Group. "Those prohibited subsidies must be withdrawn immediately following today's historic ruling, meaning that Boeing must give up these massive tax subsidies."
Read more: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/11/airbus_claims_victory_over_boe.html
Charles Barkley pledges 1 million to Alabama college, but it's not Auburn
Auburn legend Charles Barkley is giving back to his home state.
Barkely, the Auburn basketball All-American who went on to NBA stardom, announced today on WJOX radio in Birmingham that he's giving $1 million apiece to Alabama A&M University in Huntsville and another $1 million to Clark Atlanta, another historically black university.
Barkley played at Auburn from 1981-84 and averaged 14.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game during his career.
He played in the NBA and played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets over a 16-year professional career in which he averaged 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Barkley was an 11-time NBA All-Star and the MVP of the league in 1993. Auburn retired his No. 34 jersey in 2001.
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/11/charles_barkely_giving_1_millo.html
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