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Groups decry US election official acting on citizenship rule, Retirement and Alabama

Advocacy groups representing three states, including Alabama want changes to a national form regarding proof of Citizenship to register to vote.

The 30 groups want a federal elections official to throw out the rule in Alabama, Georgia and Kansas

The groups sent a letter to the new executive director of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, arguing the impact would be particularly significant because 2016 is a presidential election year when people typically register in greater numbers.

Among those signing the letter were nonprofits Common Cause and Public Citizen and the NAACP.

Valentine’s Day is this Sunday. For some couples, it’s a time for exchanging cards and chocolates. For others whose relationships aren’t working out, APR student reporter Jessica Hryn reports on the costs for untying the knot…

The financial advice website gobanking rates-dot-com did a state by state break down of the costs for getting a divorce in the U.S. 

The study looked at factors like divorce fees in each state and the average cost of hiring an attorney to end a relationship. Alabama ranked in the bottom half in the U.S., including the District of Columbia.

The divorce filing fee in our state is two hundred and eight dollars, which is just under the national average of two hundred and fifteen dollars. The study says hiring a divorce attorney in Alabama costs two hundred and ninety four dollars. That’s just two dollars over the national average. The minimum divorce processing time to two hundred and ten days. The fees in top ranked California are almost double the cost in Alabama.

A new study on places to retire has good things to say about Alabama, but some problems as well.

The financial website WalletHub ranked the fifty states and the District of Columbia as retirement destinations. Alabama was in the lower half, coming in at number thirty five. The study zeroed in on twenty four factors like affordability in a certain state, along with quality of life, and availability of health care.

Wallethub Analyst Jill Gonzalez says affordability was given weight for several reasons…

“When we were talking to both academic experts and retirees in general, they really seem to think that affordability is a huge factor here. I mean you’re retired, you’re on a fixed income, so the cost of living is really going to play a huge and major role in this.”

 Gonzales says Alabama did well on affordability. She says the availability of quality healthcare is where the state falls short.

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