Tuscaloosa auto supplier laying off 118
A Tuscaloosa County auto supplier is laying off more than 100 of its employees. According to federal WARN notices filed with the Alabama Department of Commerce, Faurecia Seating is laying off 118 employees at its plant in Cottondale. The company filed its report on Monday. The layoffs will begin May 31. Back in 2015, Faurecia announced it was laying off 132 people. Two years ago, the seating plant listed about 600 employees. – AL.com
Feds say Alabama’s prisons see frequent rapes, murder
The Department of Justice released a letter on Wednesday detailing severe violence and sexual abuse inside Alabama prisons. The government said the Alabama Department of Corrections violated the eighth amendment. Former prisoners said the report barely scratches the surface of the horrors behind bars. – WBRC
Legalized sports betting proposed in Legislature
Alabama is the latest state in the region to work towards legal gaming by introducing HB 315, known as the Alabama Sports Wagering Act. The bill, sponsored by Rep. John Rogers (D-Birmingham), will allow wagering on ‘certain professional or collegiate sports or athletic events.’ The wording makes it appear that the government will restrict the state’s sportsbooks from allowing bets to be placed on sporting events that involve Alabama-based colleges or professional sporting events taking place in the state. – Card Player
‘Whole flipping auto industry’ at risk if border closes
The wall between the U.S. and Mexico has been something the President Donald Trump has been running on since day one, and without it, he’s now threatening to close the border entirely. It’s unclear if or how he plans to actually do it, but what is pretty clear is that such a move would be calamitous to the car industry. “The whole flipping auto industry could be shut down in a matter of days if we close the US-Mexico border,” tweeted Kristin Dziczek, vice president of industry, labor and economics at the Michigan-based Center for Automotive Research. – Jalopnik
Birmingham financial services firm acquires Dallas company
A Birmingham financial services firm has acquired a Dallas-based advisory company. Everett Advisory Partners will combine with Birmingham’s Workplace Advisors, the company founded by Lisa Narrell-Mead. She will serve as CEO of the firm, which will continue under the Everett Advisory Partners’ name. Stephen Curry founded Everett, a consulting firm specializing in the banking and financial services sector, in 2009. – AL.com
RJ Young completes acquisition of Business Electronics
RJ Young announced today it has completed the acquisition of Business Electronics, a privately owned office technology and solutions provider in Birmingham. Founded in 1988, Business Electronics has serviced the greater Birmingham area providing products and services including: document management solutions, IT solutions, digital interactive whiteboards and displays, AV, imaging and unified communications systems. – Virtual Strategy
