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Judge pauses deadline for federal workers to accept Trump's resignation offer; CA state lawmakers take action to enact safeguards against federal immigration enforcement; Study shows air quality disparities from industrial ag in NC.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Alabama takes action against human trafficking

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Tuesday, January 21, 2025   

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, spotlighting efforts to combat the crime.

Human trafficking, the world's second-largest illicit trade, exploits people for sex or labor through force, fraud or coercion. In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey signed the Sound of Freedom Act, which took effect in October, making the state's anti human-trafficking measures the toughest in the nation by mandating life imprisonment for first-degree trafficking involving minors.

Lindsey Mattson, director of industry engagement for the group TAT, formerly known as Truckers Against Trafficking, emphasized the importance of training transportation and energy workers, who are often in positions to identify and disrupt trafficking activities.

"We can mobilize millions of people to move from passive bystanders to active disrupters," Mattson explained. "That is really our goal is to train as many people as possible throughout all transportation industries to truly have an impact on fighting this crime."

In 2020, Alabama implemented a law requiring all new commercial driver's license students to complete a human trafficking awareness training course, with Truckers Against Trafficking partnering with training programs and trade schools to facilitate the initiative.

TAT has trained more than two million people in Alabama and across the nation. Mattson stressed transportation and energy workers are crucial eyes and ears on the ground, as they frequent the same gas stations and hotels as traffickers, and workers themselves are often targeted because they're stationed in one place.

"They look for concentrations of men housed away from home with purchasing power," Mattson pointed out. "For the energy industry, something like a work camp or project location."

Other efforts to combat human trafficking in Alabama include the initiative Alabama Anti-Human-Trafficking Alliance. It's funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and provides investigative resources to prosecute traffickers and support victims through a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach.


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