Southeast
Figures and Dobson to face off in closely watched race for Alabama’s new 2nd Congressional District
- The race for Representative of Alabama’s newly redrawn 2nd Congressional District is closely watched following a federal court’s ruling that the previous map was racially gerrymandered.
- Attorney Caroleene Dobson defeated former state Sen. Dick Brewbaker to win the Republican nomination.
- Shomari Figures, a former top aide to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, defeated state House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels to win the Democratic nomination.
Alabama voters decided primary runoffs on Tuesday for the state’s newly redrawn 2nd Congressional District, setting up a potentially historic November race that could play a part in the battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Shomari Figures, a former top aide to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, defeated state House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels to win the Democratic nomination. Attorney and political newcomer Caroleene Dobson defeated former state Sen. Dick Brewbaker to win the Republican nomination. Dobson and Figures will face off in November in the closely watched general election.
Democrats are aiming to flip the seat after the district was redrawn by a federal court to boost the voting power of Black residents. If Figures is elected, it will be the first time in history that Alabama, which is about 27% Black, has two Black members in its congressional delegation.
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“I’m enormously grateful for the confidence and the trust and the faith that the voters of this newly drawn district have placed in me to represent the Democratic Party in November,” Figures said as he addressed supporters Tuesday night. “That is something that I do not take lightly.”
Figures, an attorney, also served as an aide to former President Barack Obama, serving as domestic director of the Presidential Personnel Office. He is the son of two prominent Alabama legislators: longtime state Sen. Vivian Davis Figures and the late Senate President Pro Tem Michael Figures. He moved home to Mobile from Washington D.C. to run for the congressional seat.
The non-partisan Cook Political Report rated the district as “likely Democrat,” meaning that it favors the Democratic candidate in November but isn’t considered a sure thing. Republicans believe they will be competitive in November and have a chance to keep the seat under GOP control.
Dobson, a real estate attorney and member of the Alabama Forestry Commission, harnessed support in rural areas to defeat Brewbaker, who had led in the March 5 primary. Dobson was raised in Monroe County and lived and practiced law in Texas before returning to Alabama and joining the Maynard Nexsen law firm in 2019.
“Thank you to each and every Republican voter in the Second District of Alabama. I am humbled by your outpouring of support and eagerness to join us in fighting for Alabama families,” Dobson said in a written statement. “Because you believed in me and in my vision for our district, we are one step closer to saving our country.”
The new district came after a lengthy court battle in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Black Alabamians who had challenged the state’s existing congressional districts.
Federal judges approved new district lines in October after ruling that Alabama’s previous map — which had only one majority-Black district out of seven — was racially gerrymandered to limit the influence of the state’s Black voters. The three-judge panel said Alabama should have a second district where Black voters make up a substantial portion of the voting age population and have a reasonable opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice.
“Following tonight’s runoff election, Alabama voters now stand on the cusp of making history in November, when Black Alabamians could — for the first time — elect two members of Congress who truly reflect their political desires,” former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said.
The new district spans the width of the state and includes Montgomery, parts of Mobile and rural counties in the state’s Black Belt.
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Southeast
Kentucky inmate who killed 3 children, raped their mother dies awaiting execution
A western Kentucky man on death row for killing three children, raping their mother and setting their home ablaze has died, officials said Tuesday.
Kevin Wayne Dunlap, 51, died Sunday after being transported to a hospital from the Kentucky Penitentiary in Eddyville, Kentucky Department of Corrections spokeswoman Lisa Lamb said. She said federal regulations prevented her from releasing any further information.
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Dunlap pleaded guilty in 2010 to attacking the woman in 2008 and killing her children at the home in Roaring Springs before burning it to the ground. A jury recommended a death sentence.
Dunlap approached the victim as she worked in the yard and asked to see the house, which was for sale, on Oct. 15, 2008. Once inside, he pulled a gun and zip-tied her hands and ankles. When the children came home, he tied them up and put them in a different part of the house.
The children killed in the attack were ages 5, 14 and 17. A medical examiner determined each of the children died from multiple stab wounds.
After being raped and stabbed, the mother faked her own death and escaped the burning home.
Defense attorneys sought to have the death sentence vacated, but the Kentucky Supreme Court upheld it. Justices found that a judge committed no errors in allowing Dunlap to admit to the killings and have a jury decide only if he would be condemned to death or face a lesser sentence.
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Southeast
Riley Gaines slams new Title IX protections as the 'most anti-woman' pursuit of the Biden administration
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines called President Joe Biden’s overhaul of Title IX the “most anti-woman” pursuit of this administration as six other states filed a lawsuit challenging the new provisions on Tuesday.
Speaking at a virtual press conference attended by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, Gaines spoke at length about the overhaul which aims at safeguarding LGBTQ+ students and changing the ways in which sexual harassment and assault claims are adjudicated on campus.
“This is the most anti-woman, anti-reality pursuit we have seen from this administration thus far,” Gaines, an OutKick contributor who hosts the “Gaines for Girls” podcast, said.
“Across the country and in various sports, males are entering women’s athletic competitions, being given spots on women’s teams, and being granted entry into our locker rooms. To date, males have stolen over 943 trophies, medals and titles from women and girls across 458 different competitions and in over 31 different sports. But the harm they cause is exponential, as every time a man even competes in an event or makes a team, a female athlete loses an opportunity to race, a spot on that team or playing time on the field.”
Gaines also expressed concern over women’s spaces, including in locker rooms.
“Allowing males to compete in women’s sports is risky, it is unfair, it is discriminatory, and it is regressive. And it must stop. Which is exactly why we have been so tenacious in this pursuit for sex-based protections. I know that the six attorney generals, including General Skrmetti and General Morrisey, will not quit until women and girls sports, spaces and opportunities are for women and girls only.”
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While the administration’s new rules broadly protect against discrimination based on sex, they do not offer guidance around transgender athletes, but many Republican states argue that they could be interpreted as such.
Tuesday’s filing, co-led by Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky and joined by Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana, also challenges the authority of the rewrite.
“The new rules expand the definition of Title IX sex discrimination to include gender identity, which is something that’s just not consistent with the text of the statute,” Skrmetti said Tuesday.
“In our system, Congress makes the law. Our elected representatives are the ones who are given the authority and the ability to create laws for the country. The federal agencies are not able to rewrite those laws. And so we’re saying that the attempt by the Department of Education to expand the definition of sex discrimination runs afoul of our separation of powers, the fundamental principle of American government.”
“There are a group of states that are stepping up today that are saying that’s not acceptable,” Morrisey added. “It alienates women’s privacy. It implicates women’s security. It puts them in jeopardy of having fairness and justice in terms of participation in sports. Obviously, it also opens up the door to significant First Amendment and federalism issues. And those are just some of the reasons why you have these six states stepping together and fighting against this very radical policy.”
Skrmetti said despite the risk of not receiving federal education funding, states should “push back.”
“I would say that every state across America needs to say no to this radical rewrite of Title IX. And if the federal government is going to try to impose unlawful interpretations on the states, it’s critical that the states push back. I’m always hopeful that it doesn’t come to the federal government taking away some of the economic opportunities for women and for some of these schools. But I also think it’s critical that we say no to these radical rewrites, because at the end of the day, the states play a very critical role in our system of constitutional governance, and we cannot allow the federal government to just run roughshod over states rights.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Southeast
First look at Charlotte house where shootout left 4 officers dead, 4 others injured
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — New photos taken by Fox News Digital show the devastation left in the wake of the deadly shootout in Charlotte, North Carolina, that left four law enforcement officers dead and four others injured.
The brick home was badly damaged in the gunfight. Photos show the entire front of the home busted open, exposing the inside. Debris is scattered all throughout the front yard.
The shootout happened Monday afternoon. It began when a U.S. Marshals Task Force attempted to serve a warrant for firearm possession by a convicted felon. Police said suspect Terry Clark Hughes Jr., 39, opened fire on officers from the second floor of the Galway Drive home. He also fired at officers from the front and back of the house. Hughes died at the scene, police said.
Officials said more than 100 rounds were fired in the shootout. Law enforcement, including 12 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) officers returned fire at the house.
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Investigators told Fox News Digital that they are still sorting through evidence at the scene.
So far, investigators have discovered an AR-15 rifle, a 40-caliber handgun, ammo and magazines in the residence after they responded to the scene.
The four fallen officers have been identified as Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas M. Weeks Jr; North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) Officers Sam Poloche and William “Alden” Elliot, who were members of a USMS Fugitive Task Force; and CMPD Officer Joshua Eyer.
Officer Christopher Tolley, an 18-year CMPD veteran, underwent surgery. He was in stable condition, CMPD said.
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Officer Michael Giglio, a 3-year CMPD veteran, was treated for gunshot wound injuries at the hospital and released Monday.
Officer Jack Blowers has been with CMPD for one year. He was also treated for gunshot wound injuries at the hospital and was discharged Monday.
Officer Justin Campbell has been with CMPD since 2023. He was treated for a broken foot and was released Monday, CMPD said.
During a press conference on Tuesday, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings gave an emotional update.
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“What I’ll say is that our system is not completely where it needs to be, but… I really think we’re overwhelmed. We’re overwhelmed in the court system. Our district attorney is overwhelmed with the docket that we see within Charlotte-Mecklenburg, and I don’t have an answer for that,” Jennings said.
Jennings said it is unclear if the gunshots came from more than one suspect, and police are still working to determine if there was a second shooter and whether any additional charges will be filed.
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Two female persons of interest — including one 17-year-old juvenile — who were in the house at the time of the shooting were taken into custody Monday afternoon and are fully cooperating with police.
“As more and more comes out about this incident, not only when you see how brave they were,” USMS Director Ron Davis said Tuesday. “You will see examples of their courage and bravery. Let there be no mistake. They represent the best of us. They are truly America’s finest, and it’s just an honor to serve with them.”
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