Alabama News

This column originally appeared in Kyle Whitmire’s newsletter, Alabamafication. Sign up here to get it in your inbox for free.

Imagine someone knocked on your door with $1 million in a briefcase — money you were free to spend on your personal career advancement.

Wouldn’t you want to know where it came from?

Wouldn’t you want to know if someone expected something for it?

This sort of thing might not happen to regular folks, but it does happen in politics, where dark money appears out of nowhere to tilt the odds. And we voters are supposed to believe the mystery givers want nothing in return.

Just ask Katherine Robertson.

For nearly a decade, Robertson has served as chief counsel for Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, and now that he’s term-limited, she’s running for that office — Alabama’s top law enforcement officer.

Robertson recently reported a $1 million campaign donation from an out-of-state dark money group. That’s a lot of money, especially for a down-ballot candidate.

It’s also the sort of thing her party once tried to stop in Alabama.

In 2010, Republicans won control of the Alabama Legislature on a promise to clean up corruption in Montgomery. In the style of Newt Gingrich’s Contract with America, they called their version the “Handshake with Alabama.”

Maybe Alabamians should have been watching the other hand.

Among their package of proposals — which they swiftly passed into law — was a ban on a political money laundering scheme called PAC-to-PAC transfers. Until then, political action committees (PACs) could shuffle money back and forth, rendering it all but untraceable.

They say what you pay for is what you get, but in politics, we get what someone else pays for. Who pays for a campaign will often tell you much more than what candidates say about themselves on their campaign websites. The PAC-to-PAC ban was built on a reasonable argument and made for a righteous purpose.

The trouble was, the new law worked in voters’ interests but not so much for the politicians or the special interests who supported them. Politicians, including some of the same people who supported the “Handshake with Alabama” began looking for ways to sneak money from untraceable sources.

In 2018, Robertson’s current boss, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, accepted a $735,000 PAC-to-PAC transfer across state lines. The Alabama Ethics Commission came one vote shy of referring him for prosecution over it, but gave him a pass. However, when the Alabama Democratic Party asked the Commission if it could do the same thing, the Commission said that would be a crime.

Then, in 2022, Gov. Kay Ivey did something to put Marshall’s wiliness to shame. Her campaign accepted $2 million from Get Families Back to Work, a 501(c)4 nonprofit — or as they’re more commonly called, a dark money group.

Under federal law, 501(c)4s don’t have to disclose the sources of their funding. They’re allowed to keep their donors secret so long as financing political campaigns is not their “primary purpose.” The IRS and the Federal Election Commission have long been absurdly squishy on what “primary purpose” is, but most lawyers in the field have interpreted it to mean they can’t spend more than half their money on campaigns. In recent years, however, the IRS and FEC seem to have given up on even nominal enforcement of this mushy standard, to the point that federal campaign finance law might as well not exist.

As Ivey’s campaign showed, a candidate in Alabama can rake in millions this way and suffer no legal repercussions. And as long as voters don’t care either, they can get away with it.

Which leaves us with Robertson.

Robertson accepted the $1 million from a group called First Principles, which appears to be less than one year old. Based in Tennessee, it’s run by a former executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Association and that’s about all there is from public records to know about it.

When Alabama Political Reporter columnist Josh Moon asked Robertson’s campaign where the money came from or whether that mattered to her, their answer was, in not-so-few-words, don’t know/don’t care.

“Alabama’s Fair Campaign Practices Act doesn’t prohibit accepting contributions from 501(c)4 organizations,” her campaign told Moon. “Numerous other candidates and elected officials have accepted similar contributions and we are proud to have the support of this organization.”

I had questions, too, and left a message on Robertson’s cellphone, but I haven’t heard back yet.

If we’re to believe her campaign’s explanation, that money could have come from anywhere — Russia, the Klan, George Soros — it doesn’t matter to her. (And if you’re wondering why I’m lumping Soros in with the Kremlin and the KKK, it’s only because that actually happened to Kay Ivey once.)

Either Robertson knows where it came from and she doesn’t want to say, or she doesn’t want to know, which is … better?

Because who needs PAC-to-PAC money laundering when you have mystery money from groups that didn’t even exist on paper until sometime after last Christmas?

Ultimately, though, Robertson might be right. This loophole in our law may make dark money like this legal.

In which case, PACs are for suckers, as are campaign finance rules and public disclosures of any kind.

We’re all left to vote in the dark.

The law isn’t going to stop this sort of thing from happening. No judge. No prosecutor. Certainly not the IRS, the Ethics Commission or the FEC.

No, the only folks who can call an end to it are voters. The only person who can say, “Enough!” is you.

First: Tell me what you think. How should we fix this?

Then: Subscribe to ‘Alabamafication.’ It’s free.

THIS WILL BE ON THE TEST

🚀 NASA buyouts cut deep. More than 2,000 senior staffers have elected to leave under the American space program, including 279 at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.

Over 2,000 senior staff set to leave NASA under agency push

[Politico]

😮 Coming soon. AL.com columnist John Archibald and Becca Andrews revisit the lethal attacks of a homegrown terrorist, the manhunt that followed and an anti-government culture that looked the other way. The first podcast episodes drop in two weeks, but you can sign up through Apple Podcasts today.

American Shrapnel

[AL.com]

🫠 Case closed(minded). The US Attorney General said she had Jeffery Epstein’s client list on her desk but now she and the FBI say there’s no such thing? What could have happened to it? U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville blames Democrats. Don’t ask me to explain. I don’t get it either.

Tuberville claims Democrats may have ‘destroyed’ Epstein files evidence

[AL.com]

Kyle Whitmire is the Washington watchdog columnist for AL.com and winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize. Subscribe to his newsletter, Alabamafication. It’s free.

A brand new season of the hit dramedy Tyler Perry’s Sistas premieres on BET Wednesday, July 16 at 9/8c.

Those hoping to catch the highly-anticipated return of the hit BET series can stream the Tyler Perry’s Sistas season nine premiere even without access to traditional cable through Philo (free trial), Fubo (free trial), DirecTV (free trial) or Sling (50% off first month).

What is Tyler Perry’s Sistas about?

Written, directed and executive produced by Tyler Perry, Sistas follows a group of single black women as they navigate the ups and downs of modern life, which includes careers, friendships, romances and even social media.

The comedy-drama series features Andi Barnes, an ambitious divorce lawyer, Danni King, a funny and fearless airport employee, Karen Mott, a street-smart hair salon owner, and Sabrina Hollins, a smart and stylish bank teller.

The beloved BET series takes viewers on a roller coaster ride of emotions and moments that epitomize “squad goals.”

What to expect from Tyler Perry’s Sistas season 9

According to a recent BET press release, season nine of Tyler Perry’s Sistas “pushes the ladies further to the edge than ever before in their friendships and personal lives, and hardships and huge changes will rattle them.”

The press release also hinted that despite the ladies’ ability to handle tough situations life throws at them, this season will bring them to a near-breaking point where they’ll “really need to lean on one another to make it through this season.”

The season nine premiere episode kicks off with a bang as The Sistas must put their current individual problems and traumas aside when they learn something is wrong with Karen’s pregnancy. Viewers tuning into the premiere episode will follow the ladies as they make a mad dash to the hospital in a city recovering from a blackout.

How to watch Tyler Perry’s Sistas season 9

Those interested in watching the latest season of Tyler Perry’s Sistas can stream season nine through the streaming platforms listed below.

Philo: 7-day free trial ($28/month after free trial ends)

Fubo: Free trial ($84.99/month after free trial ends)

DirecTV: 5-day free trial ($86.99/month after free trial ends)

Sling: 50% off first month ($45.99/month after first month)

What is Philo?

Philo is considered one of the most affordable streaming platforms on the market. Known as an entertainment-focused streaming service, Philo offers its subscribers access to over 70 top-rated TV channels such as TLC, MTV, BET, AMC, CMT, Investigation Discovery and more.

New users can enjoy Philo’s 7-day free trial and continue to stream top channels, hit TV shows and movies on-demand for just $28 a month once the free trial expires.

Those looking to customize their flow of content even further on Philo can consider including add-ons such as MGM+, STARZ, and AMC+ in their subscription.

What is Fubo and DirecTV?

Fubo and DirecTV are two of the top streaming services steadily replacing traditional cable services. Both offer free trials to new subscribers, a plethora of popular live TV channels, on-demand streaming options and helpful features such as unlimited DVR storage.

Fubo considers itself a sports-focused live streaming service, but with over 100 live TV channels available through its base package at just $84.99 after its free trial, it offers much more to its subscribers.

Popular TV channels available through Fubo include ABC, FOX, BET, MTV, CNBC, MSNBC, USA and much more.

DirecTV mirrors Fubo by offering many of the same live TV channels and useful features. The base package starts at just $86.99 a month after its 5-day free trial and includes popular channels such as HGTV, ESPN, Bravo, CMT, CNN, BET and much more.

Two other DirecTV packages are the Choice package (original price $114.99) and the Ultimate package (original price $129.99), both of which are part of an ongoing promotion that offers new subscribers $10 off the original price for the first three months of their subscription.

Those interested in comparing all DirecTV’s channel packages can check them out here.

What is Sling?

Sling is another streaming service to consider if you want to access top rated TV channels like BET. Though no free trial is available to new subscribers, those who commit to a paid plan get half off the first month.

Both the Sling Orange plan and the Sling Blue plan are normally $45.99 a month, but with the current promotion, Sling users will pay just $23 a month for the first month.

For those who wish to access channels from both the Sling Blue and Sling Orange plans can do so by signing up for the Orange + Blue plan, which combines the best of both plans for just $60.99 a month ($30.50 for the first month).

With practice set to begin in 19 days, 111 teams will be competing in two classifications for the Alabama High School Athletic Association flag football championship this season. According to a member of the Flag Football Hall of Fame, the sport is poised for even more growth.

Doug Rogers is the head coach for Shelton State Community College’s debut season after spending four years as offensive coordinator for Vestavia Hills High School. Rogers helped head coach Debra Broome lead the Rebels to a 61-12 record and a state runner-up finish in 2023.

When the Alabama Community College Conference added flag football to its scholarship sports beginning this fall, Rogers was the choice to lead the Bucs. The prospect of earning a college scholarship, he said, will spark increased focus on the sport in high school.

The ACCC will have seven teams competing in 2025. Wallace-Hanceville, Snead in Boaz, Calhoun in Decatur and Northwest-Shoals in Muscle Shoals will make up the Northern Conference with Shelton in Tuscaloosa, Bishop State in Mobile and Lurlene B. Wallace in Andalusia in the Southern.

Rogers is not new to being a flag football pioneer.

“My first professional job was as intramural coordinator at Pensacola Junior College in 1987,” he said. “One of our biggest programs was flag football. Florida is a football state and the kids who didn’t get scholarships still wanted to play.”

RELATED: Can Central-Phenix City continue dominance?

The self-described “Navy brat,” who was born in Japan and grew up mostly in Pensacola, started playing flag football seriously after graduating from high school. “I was a sandlot quarterback,” Rogers said. “I went to Florida State for a year and played in their league and I played when I went to (the University of) West Florida.”

At Pensacola Junior College – now Pensacola State College – Rogers oversaw club sports. Player-coaches were legal in flag football and in 1993 he led his team to the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association championship. In 2004, he was an NIRSA All-American and the Pirates were the national runner-up. In 2005, he was the tournament MVP as Pensacola captured a national championship.

“I coached the guys and played and started a regional tournament with West Florida. We probably had the largest regional in the nation with 106 men’s teams,” he said. “The national tournament was in New Orleans over New Year’s, so everybody wanted to go there. Some should have been in the ‘Bourbon Street League.’ They would show up after partying and couldn’t play. We would go and get serious about it. We’d traditionally get to the final eight or the final four.

“I let my knowledge of the game level the playing field to a degree. Some college teams we played had players from their freshman year to graduate school. Some had ex-NFL players and ex-college players. It was a lot of talent, not a lot of backyard football by any means.”

When Rogers, who was inducted into the NIRSA Flag Football Hall of Fame in 2008, decided to retire from Pensacola State, he reached out to a former intern of his at the college. “Brian Davis was the director of Vestavia’s park and rec and he hired me to come in and start adult programming. He told me, ‘By the way, I volunteered you to be an assistant for the girls team at Vestavia High School.’ That’s how I got involved.”

Davis was hired in 2023 to lead Tuscaloosa Park & Recreation Authority and when Shelton State decided to start a flag program, he suggested Rogers.

Shelton’s administration set a roster limit of 15 players. Rogers has signed eight, so far, and said he expects to get 10 on scholarship with five walk-on players. Two of his signees are from two-time AHSAA state champion Central-Phenix City – Shabreia Brannon and Janiyah Garrett. Others include quarterbacks from Tuscaloosa County and Northside and Merritt Kelley from the 2023 state runner-up Vestavia Hills team.

Flag football is emerging in college in NAIA and in NCAA Division II and Division III. Alabama State University launched a Division I team in February and D3 Huntingdon College in Montgomery fielded a team in 2025.

“I think the sport is still growing and it’s got room to grow,” Rogers said. “A lot of schools (in Alabama) are not playing, but it is exploding. The talent in Alabama is really good. I will say this from watching the Florida (high school) state tournament in Tampa: Our top teams are competitive with them, but our lower ranked teams aren’t. Watching their top 16 teams play, there is talent and they are flying around.”

Rogers said as college opportunities expand, he expects more girls will decide to devote all of their energy to the sport. He pointed to AL.com’s first Miss Football, Central-Phenix City quarterback Gerritt Griggs, who also starred in softball and basketball. “Griggs signed with Alabama to play softball. In Florida, for the best players flag is their only sport. They aren’t pulling the trigger on another sport. It helps them as a team, having seven on a team just killing it. I think that’s coming for Alabama.”

The veteran coach praised the AHSAA’s state championship game atmosphere – “two years ago, that was stellar” – and the NFL FLAG program that begin in the early ’90s and now has more than 750,000 boys and girls participants from age 4 to 17 across the country.

Alabama’s Deontae Lawson sent a clear message to Florida State’s Tommy Castellanos on Wednesday during Day 3 of SEC Media Days in Atlanta.

Last month, the Seminoles transfer quarterback talked about his eagerness to face the Crimson Tide.

“I’m excited, man,” Castellanos said in June. “People, I don’t know if they know, but you go back and watch every first game that I played in, we always start fast.

“I dreamed of moments like this. I dreamed of playing against Alabama. They don’t have Nick Saban to save them. I just don’t see them stopping me.”

Fast forward to Wednesday, and the Alabama linebacker was asked during an appearance on “SEC This Morning” about those comments.

“It definitely ignites us a little bit,” Lawson said, per On3. “We can’t really think too much on that, because it’s just going to come down to what we do, and how we prepare that week.’

At that point, Lawson sent a simple message: “All disrespect will be addressed accordingly.”

Castellanos spent two seasons at Boston College, starting 20 games overall. He started his college career at UCF when Gus Malzahn was still the coach in Orlando. Now Malzahn is Florida State’s offensive coordinator.

The Crimson Tide will face the Seminoles at 2:30 p.m. CT on Aug. 30 at Doak Walker Stadium.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

Alabama football’s Kalen DeBoer shared when the Crimson Tide will begin preseason camp for the 2025 season. DeBoer, speaking to reporters at SEC media days in Atlanta, said UA will begin on July 30.

“So excited about two weeks from today,” DeBoer said Wednesday. “Think we’ll be on the football field practicing, for Practice 1.”

The Crimson Tide opens the 2025 season on Aug. 30. DeBoer’s second year will begin with a trip to Tallahassee, to face Florida State.

FSU, led by Mike Norvell, reportedly a candidate for the job when DeBoer got it before the 2024 season, disappointed last year. Following an ACC championship in 2023, the Seminoles won just two games, only one against an FBS opponent.

However, Alabama lost winnable games last season, most notably against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. DeBoer stressed the importance of starting well on Wednesday.

“They’re going to have something to prove as well,” DeBoer said. “So that’s going to be a great environment to get tested early on. And so, we don’t need to look at anything beyond that, as far as our preparation of what might lie, because none of it matters unless we take care of business and do what we’re doing, being our best in that Week 1 game against Florida State.

“But being on the road and playing better on the road is certainly going to be a point.”

The Crimson Tide’s biggest question entering camp is who will play quarterback for the game. Ty Simpson leads the three-way battle after spring football, something DeBoer reiterated on Wednesday.

The redshirt junior, who backed up Jalen Milroe for the past two seasons is battling with fellow returnee Austin Mack, along with five-star freshman Keelon Russell. DeBoer discussed how the QB competition could help the team, with regards to building experience.

“I think going through a quarterback competition, that’s pressure alone,” DeBoer said. “You know those guys are going through every throw.”

Former Alabama quarterback and current Miami Dolphins star Tua Tagovailoa has sold his South Florida home for $2.6 million.

Homes.com reported the deal, which closed last week.

The home sold for $400,000 less than the asking price.

Tagovailoa paid $1.65 million for the home in 2020, his first year in the NFL.

He plans to move into a new house for himself, his wife and two children, according to SI, though it’s unclear where that home will be.

The five-bedroom, 4.5-bath, 5,076-square-foot lakefront home is located in Davie, west of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

It sits on nearly an acre in the gated Long Lake Ranches development, and includes a private movie theater, putting green, heated pool and covered summer kitchen.

Tagovailoa is entering his sixth NFL season.

During the 2024 NFL season, he completed 72.9 percent of his passes, the third-best single-season completion rate in NFL history. That performance came a year after the former Alabama All-American led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards.

The Dolphins, however, missed the playoffs and have not won a playoff game since 2000.

As the third day of 2025 SEC Media Days got under way Wednesday, commissioner Greg Sankey acknowledged a “fumble” with a team’s fight song the previous day.

Sankey introduces each of the league’s 16 head coaches before they take the stage at Media Days, before a few bars of each team’s fight song plays. However, as Texas’ Steve Sarkisian took the stage on Tuesday, Texas A&M’s “Aggie War Hymn” played — rather than “Texas Fight,” the Longhorns’ official fight song.

“In football, we evaluate turnovers after a game or during a game,” Sankey said before introducing Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer. “We had a bit of a fumble yesterday I want to acknowledge. We had the wrong music played after I introduced Steve Sarkisian. So mistakes happen, no ill intent there, and we’ll make sure we do better in possessing our responsibilities.”

Crisis averted.

Looking for a way to cool down during hot days of summer? Walmart has a great deal on a oscillating fan perfect for every room of the house.

Walmart has the 42 inch Dreo Tower Fan with remote on sale for $75, a savings of $285 from the regular price of $359.

The 42 inch oscillating fan rotates 90 degrees to distribute air evenly throughout the room. You can also customize it to your comfort with six adjustable speed settings, allowing you to find the perfect airflow for your needs. It’s equipped with a remote control to make the fan’s settings easily adjustable.

You can use the fan’s 12-hour timer and four different modes, including normal, natural and sleep to create the ideal cooling environment. And because it’s quiet, it’s the perfect addition to your bedroom for a cool and refreshing night sleep.

You can see all about the fan and order yours here.

One of this year’s most spectacular celestial events, the Perseid meteor shower, is expected to give an unforgettable performance.

The Perseid meteor shower will light up the sky across the U.S. from mid-July to late August. During peak visibility on Aug. 12, the shower produces an average of 100 meteors per hour.

According to Space.com, the best time to see the meteors will start around 11 p.m. local time through dawn Aug. 13.

The Perseid shower is best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere. It can be seen anywhere in the U.S., but is easiest to see in dark-sky areas with minimal light pollution. Telescopes and binoculars are not needed to see the Perseid meteor shower. The best locations have wide open sky and limited buildings and mountains as they disrupt the view.

Meteors are caused by debris from comets and asteroids. As comets travel around the Sun they leave a trail of dust. Earth passes the trails, which collide with the atmosphere and create fiery streaks in the sky. The debris that creates Perseid showers comes from Comet Swift-Tuttle traveling about 133,200 mph, according to NASA.

It takes Comet Swift-Tuttle 133 years to orbit the Sun once. The comet was discovered in 1862 by Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle. Swift-Tuttle is a large comet. Its nucleus is 16 miles across.

The radiant for the Perseids – the point in the sky where the meteors appear to originate – is the constellation Perseus. But it is not the only source of the meteor, so you will want to keep a clear view of the entire sky to have a better chance of catching the shower.

Space.com recommends those looking for the meteor shower to give your eyes 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Avoid any bright light including phone screens as it can ruin your night vision.

Although the Perseid meteor shower occurs annually, in 2028 it is expected to develop into a storm that will be even more breathtaking.

The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (HMCPL) board heard passionate public comments at its most recent meeting as the debate between access and limitations continues.

Ten people spoke at the public comment section on Tuesday evening, taking up half the meeting with the majority speaking out against limiting access to materials at Alabama libraries.

Seven out of ten people were advocating for no further censorship in local libraries. Many of them were affiliated with the At the Root Collective.

“The library was a lifeline for me in escaping an abusive and educationally repressive household that provided a safe and respectful environment to pursue my learning goals, regardless of the subject matter or level of knowledge,” one community member said. “Ultimately, HMCPL helped me create a successful career and a stable life for my family after decades of extreme poverty and isolation. I believe this would not have been possible if the library’s contents had been censored to meet the desires of special interest groups.”

Three speakers called for further restrictions. Some advocated for the removal of several types of children’s books, like ones that have nudity or transgender representation.

Carissa Collins brought the “Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope” picture book to the meeting. She said children’s books about transgender people push an agenda.

“It’s an agenda. And libraries should not be in the agenda-driven process, especially where impressionable children are concerned,” Collins said. “Again, this is not ”Heather has Two Mommies.” That is a mentality reflecting another group of people. This is the push to be more, to be everything related to sex, everything is focused on it, not two people who are happily sharing their lives, going about their business and what they do behind closed doors is their business. This is being shoved in the faces of our children, and your collection does not have anything outside of that.”

Collins said she is a supporter of Moms for Liberty, but she was showing up to the meeting as just a mom. Conservative political group Moms for Liberty’s Madison County chapter regularly attends local library board meetings. The national organization Moms for Liberty frequently pushes public libraries to remove books it considers sexually explicit, many of which include LGBTQ+ content.

At the board meeting, censorship opponent Dr. Marissa Allison passionately drew inspiration from the late non-binary poet Andrea Gibson to explain why it’s dangerous to erase transgender identities.

“I’ve instead decided to read a shortened version of one of their poems,” Dr. Allison said through tears. “I hope it will help you all to understand the weight of the decisions this board will have to make in the coming months. Queer youth are five times more likely to die by suicide. Means your life is five times harder than you should have had. It means you live five times harder than you should have had to to still have a body when you graduated high school, worked five times harder to make your spirit its wishbone.”

One study found that a transgender person attempts suicide at 7.7 times the rate of the broader population.

Another speaker, Ashley Keith, spoke about her experiences growing up as transgender in Huntsville.

“I went to Jemison High School for about a year, and unfortunately, because of my identity and the fact that nobody there had ever met someone like me before, which is something I’ve heard a lot. By the beginning of sophomore year, I got jumped,” Keith said. “As the hot button topic of the Alabama library, I think that when you platform people who very clearly have intentions to move goal posts far beyond what could be seen as reasonable outrage and to slowly turn into what is very clearly the suppression of existing minority experiences, you sort of come into a scenario where it’s it becomes too far to turn back.”

She urges that people who align with Moms for Liberty will just keep changing their goals.

Just last year, HMCPL reclassified many books after the Alabama Public Library Service banned “sexually explicit content” from children and young adult sections.

Speakers urged HMCPL to divest from the state library system so they won’t have to follow their guidelines. They urge them to request funding from the local city government.

The comments came just ahead of the Alabama Public Library Service’s July meeting. The APLS board members will be discussing “Gender Ideology Deemed Inappropriate for Children Under APLS Code” as well as “Definition of Sexually Explicit.”

Tania Staltling spoke at the HMCPL meeting and she will be speaking again at the APLS meeting. She stressed concerns about children seeing sexually explicit books at the library.

“Just like the children have been exposed to these books, I’ll never get that innocence, that trust back,” Statling said. “Once you’ve seen things like I’ve seen in these kids’ books, you can never unsee them. They’re in your mind forever. And I’m an adult, just think how much worse it is for a developing mind.”