Alabama
GOP seeks to distance itself from consequences of Alabama frozen embryo decision
The Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are children is putting Republicans in a bind, forcing them to distance themselves from some of the decision’s sweeping consequences.
Three fertility clinics in Alabama, including the state’s largest health system, have paused in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments in the wake of the shock ruling.
It has put GOP politicians who oppose abortion rights but back IVF in a complicated position, forcing them to awkwardly explain why they may disagree with a ruling even as some of them say they believe embryos are babies.
And it all comes as the GOP has largely been playing defense on the political field since the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision, which led a number of states to impose severe restrictions on access to an abortion.
Republicans have repeatedly been on the losing side of elections with abortion on the ballot ever since. President Biden’s campaign is expected to make abortion a central part of its messaging this fall, an approach likely to be copied by Senate and House candidates around the country.
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley reflected the awkward position for Republicans on Wednesday when she told NBC she supported the decision and thought that frozen embryos made using IVF are “babies.”
A few hours later, Haley seemed to walk back her initial comment.
“I didn’t say that I agreed with the Alabama ruling,” Haley told CNN, but she added she still believes “an embryo is an unborn baby.”
On Thursday Haley told CNN she believed the court ruled correctly under state law, but “Alabama needs to go back and look at the law.”
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who is being talked about as a potential running mate for former President Trump, evaded the question.
“Well, I haven’t studied the issue,” Scott told reporters Thursday in South Carolina before taking a jab at Haley.
“I’m gonna let Nikki Haley continue to go back and forth on that,” Scott told reporters.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland on Thursday, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said he thinks an embryo is a child, but he also seemed confused as to what the decision even was.
“We need more kids,” he said. “We need people to have an opportunity to have kids.”
Veteran GOP strategist and former Republican National Committee spokesperson Doug Heye said hard-line conservatives found themselves “in a box,” just like after the ruling overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked.
“If people haven’t gone through [IVF], they don’t understand it. Most United States Senators haven’t, and if you’re a Republican one — Tuberville is obviously a good example — they just shoot from the hip with their answers, and that gets them in trouble,” Heye said.
In an attempt to wrest control of the narrative, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) on Friday told candidates to express their support for IVF, oppose restrictions on the treatment and campaign on expanding access to it.
“It is imperative that our candidates align with the public’s overwhelming support for IVF and fertility treatments,” the NRSC said, calling the ruling “fodder for Democrats hoping to manipulate the abortion issue for electoral gain.”
After the statement, several GOP candidates and congressional Republicans issued public statements in favor of IVF.
“IVF is extremely important for helping countless families experience the joy of parenthood. I oppose restrictions,” said Kari Lake, a Trump-endorsed Republican running for Senate in Arizona.
Dave McCormick, a GOP Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that “IVF is a ray of hope for millions of Americans seeking the blessing of children,” adding he opposes “any effort to restrict it.”
Bernie Moreno, a Trump-backed candidate in Ohio, said as recently as Thursday that he thinks life begins at conception. On Friday, he said that IVF aligns with his “pro-life” views but stopped short of saying the Alabama decision was wrong or opposing efforts to restrict IVF.
“My goal is to promote a culture of life. IVF is a vital tool for families that struggle with infertility. I’m in favor of anything that promotes people having more babies & strong families,” Moreno wrote on X.
Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), who previously co-sponsored a “fetal personhood” House bill that said life begins at conception, said on X that he would oppose efforts to restrict IVF. “IVF is a valuable and important tool for many Arizona families,” Schweikert wrote.
Many Republican candidates, including former President Trump and Haley, have tried to walk a tightrope on abortion and convince voters they support a moderate position that imposes some restrictions but won’t completely ban the procedure.
Trump on Friday voiced support for preserving access to IVF treatments.
“Under my leadership, the Republican Party will always support the creation of strong, thriving, healthy American families. We want to make it easier for mothers and fathers to have babies, not harder! That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatments like IVF in every State in America,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
“Today, I am calling on the Alabama Legislature to act quickly to find an immediate solution to preserve the availability of IVF in Alabama,” he added.
Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) in January introduced legislation to provide a federal right to IVF. No Republicans have signed on to the Senate version.
The House bill has one GOP co-sponsor, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.). She joined Tuesday.
Eric Johnston, president of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition and author of several of the state’s anti-abortion bills, said the state high court decision highlights the need for more regulation on IVF in Alabama.
“I think IVF has a place in medicine. I think it’s a good thing. It helps couples who can’t have children otherwise,” he said.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Alabama
16-year-old 'Baby Driver' actor dies after fall from moving vehicle in Alabama
ATLANTA – Hudson Meek, a rising teen actor best known for his role as “Young Baby” in the 2017 Atlanta-filmed blockbuster Baby Driver, has tragically passed away at the age of 16.
Meek died on Saturday from injuries sustained after falling from a moving vehicle in his hometown of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, according to multiple sources. The Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that he suffered blunt force injuries in the incident, which occurred last Thursday on the 1900 block of Canyon Road. The circumstances surrounding the accident remain under investigation by the Vestavia Hills Police Department.
Meek’s family shared the heartbreaking news on his Instagram account, writing, “Our hearts are broken to share that Hudson Meek went home to be with Jesus tonight.”
Hudson Meek was a graduate of Vestavia Hills High School and had a blossoming career in the entertainment industry. In Baby Driver, filmed and set in Atlanta, he portrayed the younger version of Ansel Elgort’s main character in the Edgar Wright-directed action film. His talents extended to appearances in NBC’s Found, the MacGyver reboot, and voice acting roles. Alongside his brother, Tucker Meek, he also appeared in the 2014 Lifetime movie The Santa Con.
Meek’s obituary highlighted his passion for acting and his love for working on set, saying, “He absolutely loved spending time on set and having the chance to learn the names and stories of every member of the cast and crew.” Several of his projects are set to be released in 2025.
READ THE OBIT
J Pervis Talent Agency, which represented Meek, paid tribute on Instagram: “Hudson was an extraordinary young talent, whose dedication, passion, and promise shone brightly within our industry. Over the past 10 years, he contributed so much to the spirit of our agency, and his loss leaves a void that will be deeply felt by all of us.”
Baby Driver (2017) is a stylish action-crime film directed by Edgar Wright. The movie revolves around Baby, a young and talented getaway driver with a passion for music. Played by Ansel Elgort, Baby uses his carefully curated playlists to drown out the tinnitus he developed from a childhood car accident and to synchronize his driving, making him one of the best in the business.
Baby works for Doc, a mysterious crime boss played by Kevin Spacey, who organizes heists with rotating crews of criminals. Baby is reluctantly tied to Doc due to a debt, but he dreams of leaving the criminal world behind. His plans are further solidified when he meets Debora, a kind-hearted waitress played by Lily James, and the two begin to imagine a future free from crime.
However, Baby’s path to freedom is complicated by a dangerous heist crew and escalating tensions with volatile criminals like Bats (Jamie Foxx) and Buddy (Jon Hamm). As the stakes rise, Baby must use his driving skills, quick thinking, and determination to protect Debora and escape the life of crime once and for all.
Alabama
Alabama quadruplets out of NICU and home for Christmas
AUBURN, Ala. (WSFA) – When Becca Bryant found out she was pregnant, she was excited to add a fourth child to her family. What the family didn’t expect is it wouldn’t just be adding a fourth kid, but also a fifth, sixth and seventh.
The quadruplets – Kali, Koen, Laney and Lennon – were born premature at 23 weeks and four days.
Because of their early birth, they had to spend five to six months in the neonatal intensive care unit. The last one was brought home on Dec. 10, just weeks before Christmas.
“We get closer to Christmas and our last one’s still in the NICU, and I’m like come on, come on, come on, let’s go home, let’s go home,” Bryant said. “So now that we’re all here, I’m so excited. I cannot wait to get all of them in front of the tree and take a picture.”
Having three more kids than you’re expecting is sure to put a financial strain on any family, but the community has made sure the Bryant family has all of its needs covered.
“We are very blessed to say that we have not bought a single diaper yet, and we’ve had people send gift cards, and we’ve had people send cash,” she said. “We wouldn’t make it without that.”
The parents are also getting much-needed help from their older kids.
“Once they started trickling home, they were all excited, and they just couldn’t wait. They wanted to hold them, they wanted to help, they wanted to get their clothes, they wanted to do their bottles, and they still want to do all that stuff,” said Bryant.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 148 sets of quadruplets or higher-order births in 2023. That’s the lowest number since it started collecting data in 1998.
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Copyright 2024 WSFA. All rights reserved.
Alabama
South Alabama adds Samford wide receiver transfer Brendan Jenkins for 2025
South Alabama on Wednesday picked up its first transfer portal commitment of the current cycle, from former Samford wide receiver Brendan Jenkins.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Jenkins caught 89 passes for 888 yards and seven touchdowns in two seasons with the Bulldogs, and was Southern Conference Freshman of the Year in 2023. A native of Hochston, Ga., he has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
South Alabama has a major need at receiver, with four seniors among its top five pass-catchers in 2024. First-team All-Sun Belt selection Jamaal Pritchett has used up his eligibility, as have Salute to Veterans Bowl Most Valuable Player Jeremiah Webb, tight end DJ Thomas-Jones and No. 4 receiver Shamar Sandgren (though it’s now possible Sandgren could return next season after a recent NCAA ruling involving former junior-college transfers).
Devin Voisin, who caught 34 passes this past season, is expected to return for a seventh year at South Alabama in 2025 after receiving a medical redshirt following an early-season knee injury in 2023. Also eligible to return are Anthony Eager (10 catches, 2 TDs as a redshirt freshman in 2024), program veteran Keyshawn Woodyard and a host of less-experienced receivers including Micah Woods, Noah Toster, Jeremy Scott and Jerrian Graham.
South Alabama is expected to add a number of other portal transfers before spring semester classes begin on Jan. 13. The transfer portal closes for new entries on Dec. 28, though a player already in the portal by then may commit to or sign with his new school at any time.
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