Good Tuesday morning to you…
Weather: Rain goes away. We will have clearing skies later today as the rain ends by lunchtime. Highs will stay in the lower 50s, with lows tonight near freezing. That forecast will stay the same through the rest of the work week, with precipitation returning Friday night — perhaps in the form of snow showers, says the National Weather Service.
Three days to fiscal Armageddon? That depends on who you talk to. With the clock ticking toward Friday’s sequestration — the imposition of mandatory cuts in federal funding across many departments — the Obama administration continues to issue dire warnings about the effects such cutbacks will have on everyday citizens. But Republicans in the House of Representatives, led by Speaker John Boehner, are standing firm. They claim that they have passed a bill that would do away with sequestration, though the Democrat-controlled Senate refuses to take the bill up. Moreover, a report at Politico.com now claims that many of the effects of the cutbacks would be phased in so slowly that there effects would be much less drastic than Obama claims — or that the claims are so vague that it’s hard to gauge their effects.
Fultondale council aids schools. In their annual session at Fultondale High School — staged to show students first-hand part of how government works — the City Council voted to make donations to both local schools. The donations amount to $35 for each student; an additional $10,000 gift was given to the athletic program.
School flexibility act heads for State Senate. The Republican-led upper chamber of the state legislature will take up the bill today, which would allow individual school districts to have some leeway in complying with certain laws and regulations, such as yearly schedules and teacher tenure.
Sports: Yellow Jackets take down Indians. Corner only had one base hit in the third inning, but it scored three runs thanks to a hit-by-pitch and an outfield error as the Jackets defeated Pinson Valley 3-1 in Monday softball. Madison McCormack struck out 11 Indians batters, as Corner won its first completed game of the season; last week’s opener with Gardendale was halted by rain in the first inning. Pinson goes to 1-1, and plays at Locust Fork this afternoon… Hockey: The remarkable streak by the Chicago Blackhawks keeps going. The Hawks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 in overtime Monday night, running their points streak to the first 19 games of the season. The Hawks have either won each game, worth two points in the standings, or lost in overtime, worth one point, in every game of this stroke-shortened season. It’s a new NHL record for such a streak to open a season.
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Emma Watson Goes Pantless
IRS scandal: Republicans seek to tie Obama to agency's woes
Play of the Day: Flipping to Safety
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Top Videos of the Week: Angry Taco Bell Guy, Glacier Moves on House, Dog Hates Baths
