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Justices reject appeal from Alabama death row inmate, Alabama's relationship with Cuba

The Supreme Court is refusing to intervene in the case of an Alabama man who is facing execution for throwing four children off a bridge to their deaths.

The justices did not comment Monday in rejecting an appeal from Lam Luong. He argued that pretrial publicity prevented him from having a fair trial.

Luong was sentenced to death in 2009 for driving the four children to the Dauphin Island Bridge in Mobile County and throwing them into the Mississippi Sound about 100 feet below. Three of the four children were Luong's and the other was his wife's from a previous relationship.

The Alabama Supreme Court reinstated his convictions in the four deaths after a lower court had ruled in Luong's favor.

Alabama might be able to rekindle their relationship with Cuba if Governor Bentley signs some recently passed legislation.

Alabama Joint Resolution 43 plans to lift the embargo between Cuba and Alabama. This would allow Cleber LLC, an Alabama tractor manufacturer, to be first U.S. company to build a factory in Cuba since 1959.

Addie Bryant is the chief of staff at Engage Cuba. She says that the embargo has hurt Alabama businesses.

“The fact that we decided to completely exit the market I think negatively hurt a lot of U.S. businesses and certainly hurt the average Cuban, and the embargo is a failed policy and after 55 years it’s very obvious that it didn’t hurt anybody except the Cuban people and American business, and it’s time to end it.”

The resolution has passed both the Alabama Senate and House of Representatives and is waiting on Governor Bentley’s signature.

AARP Foundation is once again aiding tax payers with low- to moderate-income with free tax assistance.

Now in its 48th year, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is the nation's largest free tax assistance and preparation service and focuses on service to taxpayers who are 50 and older.

Lynnette Lee-Villanueva* is Vice President National Director of the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Program. She talks about what is needed in order to participate in the service.

“We ask that they bring a photo ID, we do need to prove that they are the person on the return, and we ask that every person that will be listed on that return needs to have a social security number, so they need to bring that with them and they need to bring whatever their income documents are for the past year.”

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers are ready to collaborate with taxpayers free of charge through a hectic tax season.

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