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Biden thinks he could have beaten Trump, but could he have served? ‘Who the hell knows?’

President Biden insisted in an interview published Wednesday that he could have beaten President-elect Donald Trump in the 2024 election.

In a sit down with USA Today, Biden claimed that polls suggested he could have won a second term if he had not dropped out of the race amid concerns about his age following a shaky summer debate with Trump.

“It’s presumptuous to say that, but I think yes, based on the polling,” Biden told journalist Susan Page in an Oval Office interview conducted last weekend.

Biden admitted he couldn’t be sure he would have had been fit to serve effectively for another four years if he had won reelection.

“I don’t know. Who the hell knows? So far, so good,” Biden said. “But who knows what I’m going to be when I’m 86 years old?”

Biden ended his campaign in July and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take the Democratic baton. His historic move came amid a growing chorus from allies and critics alike demanding for him to step down following the shaky debate that put a renewed focus on his age and fitness to serve.

Public polls at the time showed Biden badly trailing Trump. Harris enjoyed a bounce in public support after she launched her campaign but eventually lost both the Electoral College and popular vote to Trump.

Some Democrats believe Biden should have put the kibosh on a run for a second term much earlier in his presidency, perhaps after the 2022 midterm elections, to clear the way for a contested presidential primary battle.

But the president insisted that he acted in the best interests of the party, starting with his decision to come out of retirement to successfully oust Trump from the White House in 2020.

“When Trump was running … for reelection, I really thought I had the best chance of beating him,” the president said. “But I also wasn’t looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old. And so I did talk about passing the baton.”

Biden also claimed that Trump praised his record behind closed doors during the two rivals’ cordial White House meeting in November, a very stark contrast to the derisive attacks the president-elect has launched in public.

“He was very complimentary about some of the economic things I had done,” Biden said. “And he talked about … he thought I was leaving with a good record.”

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General

Spurs-Bucks free livestream: How to watch NBA game tonight, TV, time

The San Antonio Spurs play against the Milwaukee Bucks in an NBA game tonight. The matchup will begin at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

The Spurs enter this matchup with an 18-18 record, but they have lost back-to-back games. In their most recent game, the Spurs lost 114-110 against Chicago.

During the loss, Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio offense. He ended the game with 23 points, but he struggled to shoot efficiently from the field. Wembanyama shot 4-11 from beyond the arc, so he will try to bounce back tonight.

The Bucks enter this matchup with an 18-16 record, and they are coming off a 128-104 win against Toronto. During the victory, Damian Lillard led the Milwaukee offense. The star guard scored 25 points and shot 7-12 from the field. Notably, Lillard is averaging nearly 25 points per game, so he will try to continue his offensive success tonight.

Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

General

Miss Manners: I watched in horror as a birthday host denied food to children

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I attended a children’s birthday party at a well-known pizza place where tables are reserved for a few hours and the children can play games. My group arrived 10 minutes late to find that the other guests, including the parents of the other kids, were already being served. I didn’t really mind, because my party did not include kids.

However, another group that arrived 20 minutes after the start time did include children, and they didn’t get any pizza: The host refused to order for them because they were late. The poor kids were devastated.

Should the host have ordered more food for the latecomers, especially since the other parents were eating food meant for the children?

GENTLE READER: Put another way, was the host correct to publicly chastise the parents and punish them, and their children, by withholding food? Miss Manners is confident you already know the answer is no.

A more interesting question is how the group that arrived after you should have responded. Many adults will think that the host’s rudeness justifies an angry response — and of course, that would vastly entertain the children. But that would be wrong. They should order their own food and be charming to the birthday child — and icily proper with the host.

If the children are of an age to understand, one can take satisfaction in explaining the lesson in the car on the way home — namely, that one’s behavior demonstrates one’s character. We behave well because we are good, decent people. Johnny’s mom was rude because … she is not.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at missmanners.com, by email to [email protected], or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

General

Miss Manners: I’m fed up with the “we’re pregnant” trend – it’s biologically inaccurate

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Lately it has seemed that the phrases “We’re pregnant” and “They’re pregnant” have been subsumed into acceptable usage.

Although I’m not a doctor, last time I checked, only women get pregnant. There is no biological reality where a woman and her partner are both pregnant with the same baby. Hence, “My partner is pregnant” or “They’re expecting” are more accurate.

I understand that society is ablaze with inclusive pronouns, but this is beyond the pale. Only one person will be wrangling the actual pregnancy. There is no “we” when she’s vomiting, being painfully kicked from inside her body, or going through the trials of labor and delivery. Her risk of severe problems from pregnancy and childbirth should at least allow her to own the condition.

GENTLE READER: Although Miss Manners believes that those you condemn likely grasp basic biology, and are referring to their shared commitment, she finds herself more interested in a fundamental question of our time.

That is: When is it right to be angry about others’ harmless choices? And its corollary: When does the correctness of one’s position justify gagging etiquette and locking her in the closet?

Contrary to popular opinion, the answer to both questions is “almost never.”

You are clearly not going to use plural pronouns for your own or your partner’s possible pregnancies. But please refrain from accosting couples who do.

General

Student information system used by every Alabama public school attacked in data breach

The student information system used by every public school in the state fell victim to a data breach that may have put Alabama students’ medical and grade information at risk, according to the state Department of Education.

Dr. Michael Sibley, communications director for the Education Department, said the agency’s student information system vendor, PowerSchool, notified the department Tuesday afternoon that it “identified a cybersecurity incident where unauthorized access occurred via its community support portal, PowerSource.”

The breach “was traced to a compromised credential granting access to certain customer data in the PowerSchool-managed student information system,” Sibley said.

“This data breach was a direct attack on PowerSchool internationally,” he continued, “and was not a cyberattack directed at the ALSDE or any Alabama school system.”

Sensitive personal information like Social Security numbers for Alabama students and teachers could not have been accessed in the attack because the department does not collect that information, Sibley said.

However, “some medical and grade information for students may have been impacted,” he said.

California-based PowerSchool is used by every public school in the state as a virtual notification and grade system.

The company claimed the data involved in the breach was deleted and not shared or made public, “with reasonable assurances from the threat actor confirming its deletion,” according to Sibley.

In an email to parents, PowerSchool said it “became aware of a potential cybersecurity incident” on Dec. 28.

While the company is offering credit monitoring and identity protection services to those whose sensitive data was compromised, its unclear whether those offers will be extended to Alabama customers because sensitive personal data is not collected or stored in the system.

General

Nation’s biggest landlords used algorithm to overcharge renters in two Alabama cities, feds claim

An expanded federal antitrust lawsuit alleges renters in parts of two of Alabama’s largest cities may have been paying too much due to illegal scheming between some of the nation’s biggest landlords.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week it was expanding an antitrust complaint against RealPage Inc., maker of the software that 80% of landlords use to price apartments, to include six landlords that collectively operate 1.3 million rental units in 43 states.

In August, the Justice Department and eight states sued RealPage, based in Richardson, Texas, alleging the company contracts with competing landlords for nonpublic, competitively sensitive information about apartment rental rates and other lease terms to train and run RealPage’s algorithmic pricing software.

On Tuesday, Justice added six landlords to the complaint, along with two more states. The complaint alleges RealPage’s software platform includes data from rental applications, executed leases and lease renewals shared by the landlords, which is used to generate pricing recommendations back to them, though they are ostensibly in competition to attract and retain renters.

Alabama is not a party to the suit, yet some of the companies named in the complaint manage or own properties in Alabama, primarily in Birmingham and Mobile. The complaint does not specify by name the apartment complexes in Alabama.

The six landlords are: Greystar Real Estate Partners LLC; Blackstone’s LivCor LLC; Camden Property Trust; Cushman & Wakefield Inc. and Pinnacle Property Management Services LLC; Willow Bridge Property Company LLC; and Cortland Management LLC.

“While Americans across the country struggled to afford housing, the landlords named in today’s lawsuit shared sensitive information about rental prices and used algorithms to coordinate to keep the price of rent high,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division said in a news release.

The suit against RealPage and the landlords, “seeks to end their practice of putting profits over people and make housing more affordable for millions of people across the country,” Mekki said.

The federal complaint identifies markets in which RealPage and the landlords allegedly made agreements to share competitively sensitive, nonpublic information to set rental pricing that was likely to limit competition, and thus, cost renters more money. In southeast Birmingham and north Mobile, according to the complaint, up to 80% of both 1- and 2-bedroom apartment units managed by the companies were covered by RealPages’ software.

That market penetration would have allowed landlords to align pricing in those parts of Birmingham and Mobile in ways that, “have harmed, or are likely to harm, competition, and thus renters,” the complaint states.

According to the Justice Department complaint, RealPage’s software generates recommendations for rental pricing to participating landlords based on their and their rivals’ competitively sensitive information. In a free market, it states, renters would have a better chance of finding better rental terms because the landlords would be competing to attract them through pricing, discounts and concessions.

The nation’s largest apartment manager, Charleston, S.C.-based Greystar, said in a statement it was “disappointed” in the Justice Department’s action.

“Greystar has and will conduct its business with the utmost integrity,” it stated in a news release. “At no time did Greystar engage in any anti-competitive practices. We will vigorously defend ourselves in this lawsuit.”

The Justice Department further claims RealPage uses collusion with landlords and its data trove to maintain a monopoly in the market for commercial revenue management software. RealPage’s platform is the market leader, according to the complaint.

The department is asking the court to order the companies to stop anticompetitive collusion and take any steps necessary to restore fair market conditions in the affected areas.

General

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Former Birmingham doctor to serve 60 days in Hoover jail in Homewood ‘peeping Tom’ case

A former Birmingham-area physician has pleaded guilty on a “peeping Tom” charge and has been sentenced to serve 60 days in the Hoover City Jail.

Paul Douglas Roller, 59, was indicted last year on one count of criminal surveillance and two counts of aggravated criminal surveillance/invasion of privacy.

Roller, who lives in Birmingham, was initially arrested by Homewood police on two of the charges in July 2020. His medical license was permanently revoked after that arrest.

Roller specialized in geriatric medicine.

Roller pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of misdemeanor criminal surveillance before Circuit Judge Kechia Davis. The other two charges were dismissed as part of the plea.

He was sentenced to 10 years with 60 days to actually serve and is serving that time in the Hoover City Jail. He is paying a per diem to serve his time there.

Roller began his sentence on Monday.

The case was prosecuted by Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney Lauren Breland.

At the time of his arrest, police said Homewood officers on May 3, 2020, responded to a home in the Edgewood community on a report of a peeping Tom. A report was completed, evidence was collected from the scene, and the case was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division.

Detectives analyzed the collected evidence and upon further investigation, to include the execution of two search warrants, were able to identify Roller as the suspect.

He was arrested and later released on bond.

The Alabama Medical Licensure Commission in 2021 announced it had permanently revoked Roller’s license.

The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners is the state agency responsible for regulating the practice of medicine in Alabama. The Medical Licensure Commission issues licenses and rules on formal charges brought against physicians.

The board stated Roller was charged with “engaging in unprofessional conduct” and “being unable to practice medicine with reasonable skill and safety to his patients.”

He was represented by attorneys Max Pulliam and Tommy Spina.

Spina said Roller has accepted responsibility for his actions and has also resolved civil, financial obligations to the victims.

“On his behalf, I am, for him, expressing deep remorse and contrition to those directly affected by his actions,’’ Spina said. “He will forever be registered under Alabama’s exceptionally punitive Sex Offender Registration Act.”

General

Birmingham’s Powell Steam Plant up for sale after scuttled redevelopment plan

A piece of Birmingham’s history is on the market after several unsuccessful plans to redevelop it.

The Powell Avenue Steam Plant, which once provided electricity for downtown and powered the city streetcar system, is listed for sale with an asking price of $10 million.

Situated at 1830 Powell Ave. S., the plant is listed with Shannon Waltchack, with Len Shannon and Derek Waltchack as brokers.

The 80,105 square foot structure, situated in the heart of downtown, was built in 1895 by the Consolidated Electric Light & Power Co.

A property description at the website says the building is “brimming with untapped potential, awaiting the touch of a visionary developer.”

“Nestled in a prime location, rich with character and history, this special site is ready to become a cornerstone of the community,” it stated. “This space has the potential to evolve into something truly extraordinary. The possibilities are endless for creating a space that inspires connection, fosters innovation, and leaves a lasting impact.”

In December, Alabama Power announced it was withdrawing from the planned redevelopment of the plant, which came after another plan of the company’s own devising stalled.

In a statement, Alabama Power said that it has “determined that the future of Powell Avenue should be led by a team with more expertise in commercial development.”

The decision came after “much consideration and more than a decade of hard work.”

“We will be publicly listing the property for sale to identify the best group to bring this project to completion,” the statement read. “We will do our best to ensure the eventual buyer develops the property in a way that benefits Birmingham. We remain committed to making this historic landmark, located in the heart of the city, something we can all be proud of for decades to come.”

The plant was acquired by Alabama Power in 1952 and was added in 2015 to the National Register of Historic Places.

Alabama Power and Orchestra Partners, a Birmingham-area real estate development group, announced a plan back in February 2022 to redevelop the steam plant as part of a general project for Parkside.

Hunter Renfroe, principal with Orchestra Partners, said last month the company is “very excited” that the property is being listed for sale.

“This site is a critical piece to the revitalization of Birmingham, along with our development of Urban Supply on the other side of the park,” Renfroe said. “Together, these two projects will bookend Railroad Park with dense, pedestrian-friendly retail and outdoor spaces that will foster connection. We’re confident that Alabama Power will continue to be a great steward of Birmingham by ensuring that any purchaser of the Steam Plant follows a development plan that prioritizes street-level vibrancy and walkability.”

Alamo Drafthouse would have been the anchor tenant for the redevelopment project, along with retail and dining. It would have been the movie chain’s first location in the Deep South. But Alamo withdrew from the project earlier this year.

The Alamo Drafthouse redevelopment was the third incarnation of a plan to redevelop the property. Orchestra Partners first unveiled a redevelopment in 2019, and before that, Alabama Power announced its own.

General

Texas A&M-Oklahoma free livestream: How to watch SEC basketball game, TV, schedule

The No. 10 Texas A&M Aggies play against the No. 17 Oklahoma Sooners in an SEC basketball game tonight. The matchup will begin at 8 p.m. CT on SEC Network. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

The Aggies enter this matchup with a 12-2 record, and they have won eight consecutive games. In their most recent game, the Aggies defeated Texas 80-60.

During the victory, Zhuric Phelps led the Texas A&M offense. He ended the game with 18 points and shot 6-8 from the field, so he will try to perform similarly tonight. Phelps is the second-leading scorer for Texas A&M this season.

The Sooners enter this matchup with a 13-1 record, but they are coming off a 107-79 loss against Alabama. During the loss, Oklahoma only received five points from their bench players. Glenn Taylor Jr. and Brycen Goodine only scored three total points off the bench, so they will look to improve their play tonight.

Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.