Embedded Files
Next Meeting: 10/13/25, 7 PM, Ozark-Dale Library
Focus On Alabama and Alabama State Officials (Post 2024 Election):
AL.com: ICE joining traffic stops in Alabama to arrest more immigrants
https://www.al.com/news/2025/09/ice-joining-traffic-stops-in-alabama-to-arrest-more-immigrants.html
Comment: "State troopers worked with federal ICE agents this week to arrest multiple people at northwest Alabama traffic stops, part of a broader scheme to ramp up immigration enforcement across the state."
"A spokeswoman with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said state highway patrol and special agents conducted driver license checkpoints within Franklin and Colbert counties on Wednesday while ICE agents were present."
"Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver on Wednesday told AL.com that state and federal agents arrested several people at checkpoints near a poultry plant in Russellville."
" 'A number of municipalities now are working with ICE to do roadblocks, and that also includes the Alabama state troopers,' Pouncey told AL.com. 'I’ve had clients or potential clients say that they were stopped at these predetermined ’license checks'.’ ”
Comment: "Evelyn Servin, an immigrant community organizer in Russellville, said many people there are afraid to go out and do grocery shopping or let their kids go to school because there are rumors of more arrests."
"Hispanic residents made up 40% of the city's population in 2020."
Comment: Wonder how many license checkpoints are being held in Mountain Brook or Pike Road?
After U.S. Supreme Court reversal, Alabama’s high court will allow unemployment claims case to move forward | WHNT.com
Comment: "In a Friday ruling, the Alabama Supreme Court is granting plaintiffs- who sued Alabama over long delays in unemployment claims processing – a chance to have their claims heard in state court."
"That ruling follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision from February that overturned the Alabama Supreme Court’s prior decision in the case."
"The U.S. Supreme Court had sided with plaintiffs who argued that the Alabama high court’s finding in the case left them in an impossible position. The plaintiffs wanted to sue in order to speed up the unemployment claims review process, but the Alabama Supreme Court had ruled they could not do so – until the claims review process was completed."
"Court records show the case involved 21 Alabama plaintiffs, who were not suing for unemployment benefits, but just to have the claims promptly heard."
Comment: Catch 22 from the Alabama Supreme Court? The U.
AL.com: After Memphis, will Trump send National Guard troops to Alabama cities? What Ivey has to say
Who is using Alabama's CHOOSE Act? - Alabama Daily News
https://aldailynews.com/who-is-using-alabamas-choose-act/
Comment: "Of the more than 5,000 public school students who applied to use Alabama’s new school choice program this year, just under half are enrolled in their school of choice."
Comment: "By contrast, of the more than 10,000 private school students who were approved to use ESAs this year, nearly all – 96% – have done so."
Comment: "The CHOOSE Act is Alabama’s first ESA program. It allows eligible families to use state dollars for tuition and other educational costs. One of its distinctive features is that it gives public schools that charge out-of-district tuition the ability to accept ESA students."
Comment: "Why no public-to-public ESAs?"
"Considering the narrow conditions that allow public schools to take ESA students, the lack of participation or acceptance is expected. The law requires two things: the student must live outside the district and the public district must charge tuition."
"About 32,850 public school students attended a school outside of their zoned district last year, including up to 13,000 full-time virtual students, according to data from the Alabama Department of Education. But most don’t charge tuition, according to School Superintendents of Alabama Executive Director Ryan Hollingsworth."
AL.com: Tommy Tuberville wants to be America’s Trumpiest governor
https://www.al.com/politics/2025/09/tommy-tuberville-wants-to-be-americas-trumpiest-governor.html
AL.com: Tommy Tuberville says he carries golf club when he walks in Washington because of crime
Comment: Do you think it's time we send Tuberville back to his gated community in Florida so he can use his golf club for its intended use? No, not Montgomery because:
Comment: "During an interview in August, Tuberville was asked if he were governor would he deploy Alabama’s National Guard to fight 'rampant crime' in Birmingham and Montgomery."
"Tuberville responded saying 'you betcha'.”
Comment: So, given the choice of the Alabama National Guard on the streets of Montgomery or Tuberville safe behind the gates in Florida, how many of you would like to see Tuberville back down in Florida? He could be the ultimate "Florida man" that you hear about all the time.
AL.com: Divisive concepts are taboo in Alabama, unless you hand out Bibles in schools
Comment: "This is a state where, on Friday, coaches at Lakewood Elementary School in Phenix City took fifth graders from PE class and ushered them into a room to receive Bibles handed out by Gideons. More people than not will shrug and say 'Great.' But not all parents were pleased."
Comment: "Nathan Walters, who has run the Phenix City system since the superintendent agreed to retire for health reasons, told that parent that no student was 'required' to receive one of the Bibles. 'This was strictly optional,' he said in an email forwarded to AL.com."
"Optional, perhaps, but still likely unconstitutional, as courts have ruled. And potentially coercive."
Comment: "But of course religious freedom is not supposed to hinge on majority rule."
"Courts have been pretty clear that handing out Bibles in public schools is problematic, and not just because of separation of church and state issues. Courts have pointed out that it interferes with parents’ ability to raise children according to their own beliefs."
"Which, incidentally, was the same concern those politicians and moms claimed when they began their crusade against books they didn’t like or classes that made their children feel guilt for the sins of the past."
AL.com: Alabama attorney general race heats up over ‘dark money’ campaign fund allegations
Comment: "The race has been contentious, with Mitchell criticizing Robertson for raising most of her money from outside the state, including from a wealthy Florida developer who opposed Alabama’s law banning abortions six years ago."
"Robertson has criticized Mitchell for raising money for his Supreme Court race last year and then resigning and using that money for the AG’s race."
"Casey and Robertson have criticized Mitchell for writing the main opinion in the state Supreme Court ruling that temporarily shut down in vitro fertilization clinics in Alabama last year."
Comment: Are all of these Republican Alabama attorney general candidates unethical?
Axios: Colorado vows to challenge Space Command move to Alabama
https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2025/09/02/colorado-alabama-space-command-colorado-springs
Comment: "The move announced Tuesday sets the stage for a high-stakes legal showdown with huge economic implications."
Comment: "Trump said he moved Space Command out of Colorado because the state conducts mail-in voting for its elections, making them 'automatically crooked.'
Comment: This could get ugly before it's all over. It's likely that Trump's comment suggesting that his decision was based on mail-in voting, will help Colorado's legal argument that the move was politically based, rather than justified economically or by improved performance in Huntsville. That's unfortunate, because it may hurt Huntsville's case in any future legal action.
Video: What to know about Space Command's move to Huntsville, Alabama - September 2, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuzzAPMhveU
AL.com: ‘Christmas finally came:’ Are 30,000 jobs really coming to Alabama with Space Command?
CNN: Trump announces Space Command move to Alabama, reversing Biden-era decision
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/02/science/trump-space-command-huntsville-alabama
Comment: Good news for Huntsville and North Alabama. Perhaps some additional "rocket scientists" and educated constituents will bode well for Democrats fighting the MAGA agenda in North Alabama. Ignorance IS NOT bliss!
AL.com: Huntsville protesters respond to Congressman’s claims they were ‘Soros-funded protesters’
Comment: "Democratic primary candidate Andrew Sneed said in a video posted to social media that it’s ridiculous to say that paid protesters are coming to North Alabama."
" 'Man, that is bull---, you know that is bull---- and it’s disruptive to this district and to this country, shame on you,' Sneed said on Facebook. 'There were no paid protesters at that event. I don’t even know what a paid protester is. We are in North Alabama, not Seattle or Los Angeles; you know the people in those videos. There were 50 to 60 people outside that event who just wanted to talk to their representative. That is their right.' ”
"Stewart said Rep. Strong’s claim is nothing new."
" 'It’s just getting old, if they’re going to demean us, if they’re going to marginalize us, just come out and say we don’t care about you,' Stewart said. ' 'You’re not rich. You’re not donating enough to my campaign for me to take an interest in what you have to say.’ Just be honest about it. But this name-calling, it’s got to stop.' ”
"She and organizer Amy Price said they are just passionate constituents who want to discuss pressing issues, like how Congressman Strong voted to cut federal funding to Medicaid when he voted for the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ "
DHR head says state will need more than $170 million to cover SNAP benefits by 2028
Comment: "The head of Alabama’s Department of Human Resources (DHR) told lawmakers during a budget hearing this week she was 'stunned' by the money the state will have to find to fill a hole created by federal cuts in the One Big Beautiful Act."
"Commissioner Nancy Buckner told lawmakers her budget request will increase by $35 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 to cover administrative costs, and an estimated $173 million in FY2028 for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)."
"By 2028, she expects DHR will need $208 million more in state funding."
"President Donald Trump’s tax bill cuts the federal responsibility for administrative costs for SNAP from 50% to 25%, and increases the states’ portion to 75%."
Comment: And where will that extra money come from? Increased state taxes and fees? Is that so called "One Big Beautiful Bill" starting to look a little less beautiful, especially when one realizes that those federal cuts went to pay for tax cuts for billionaires?
AL.com: Trump’s snuggling up to Putin does not make America great!
https://www.al.com/politics/2025/08/how-does-snuggling-up-to-putin-make-america-great-again.html
Comment: Former Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks blasts Trump's support for Putin and offers up a questionable conspiracy theory in an attempt to explain it. Hint, one theory involves Jeffrey Epstein and Russian money laundering. Although one can easily agree with Mo about the shame of Trump's devotion to Putin, one might want to question Mo's conspiracy theory explanation for it.
AL.com: Why Alabama elections look like football tailgates stirring debate over 30-foot buffer zone
Comment: "In Alabama, campaigning within 30 feet of a voting site entrance is illegal. Most voting sites have signage alerting the campaigns from violating the 30-foot requirement. Alabama is one of only three states that allow electioneering this close to polling site entrances."
"Critics argue that it can be an annoyance and impede voter comfort. They also suggest it sends a mixed message in a state where officials pride themselves on 'election integrity.' "
"Supporters say the festivities that occur within the parking lots at voting centers give a positive vibe and can help candidates secure last-minute support among undecided voters. It can also help with turnout, especially during municipal elections where fewer than a quarter of voters in many cities show up to cast ballots in mayoral and council contests."
WBMA: Alabama grocery tax reduction goes into effect Monday
https://abc3340.com/news/local/alabama-grocery-tax-reduction-goes-into-effect-monday
Comment: Happy to see the tax reduction, but do you think the 1% will put a significant dent in rapidly rising grocery costs?
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Alabama Political Reporter: Opinion | Maybe the Alabama Democratic Party could try something new
Comment: "The Alabama Democratic Party is not a mess."
"I know that such a statement has likely sent you into either a fit of laughter or into utter disbelief. But it’s true. The party is not a mess."
"There are good and competent people within the party working every day to field and train candidates. There are smart, smart people working to develop donor lists and put together winning campaign strategies. There are good and decent people trying very hard to build a viable second party in this state so that we might enjoy a state government that operates with compromise and middle-ground solutions to complicated problems—the way it was intended."
"You don’t hear much about those people, unfortunately, because so much attention—and maybe rightfully so—is focused on the absolute train wreck at the top of the party."
"That is an injustice. In fact, it’s a grave disservice to those good people I mentioned above, because they deserve better. I mean, can you imagine putting in all the effort to do the hard, complex job of building a decent political party at the city, county or state level, doing that job even semi-well, and then, instead of accolades, all you hear about is the dysfunctional party that you’re in?"
"That ain’t right."
"But it’s also one of the primary reasons why what’s happening at the top of the Alabama Democratic Party is so utterly infuriating. And boy, is it ever."
Comment: Please read the rest of the article at the link above.
Alabama Political Reporter: Full DNC votes to unseat Alabama members
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/08/28/full-dnc-votes-to-unseat-alabama-members/
Comment: "The Alabama Democratic Party’s troubles with the National party continue."
"Earlier this week, the Democratic National Committee voted against a resolution that would have temporarily seated three Alabama DNC members until the state party conducted new elections under monitoring by the DNC."
"The vote against that resolution came after three DNC members—including Joe M. Reed, one of the temporarily seated Alabama members—urged members to deny it and send it back to the Credentials Committee for further consideration."
Comment: "The vote only furthers a long-running feud between some members of the Alabama Democratic Party—primarily those aligned with longtime vice chairman for minority affairs Joe L. Reed and Chairman Randy Kelley—and the national party."
Comment: "But this is not, by any stretch, the first of the problems between ADP and the DNC. Those began in 2019, when then-U.S. Sen. Doug Jones orchestrated a revamping of the state party’s bylaws, which significantly diluted Joe L. Reed’s power by spreading the voting power of minority caucuses among several new caucuses that represented more groups, such as Hispanics, youth, Asians and disabled people. Those new bylaws more closely resembled guidelines from the DNC, which have long stopped defining 'minority' as simply Black."
"The Reeds and their supporters fought back with lawsuits that were largely unsuccessful. But then, with the election of Kelley in 2022, they were back in control. And almost immediately, they set their sights on rewriting the 2019 bylaws and eliminating new caucuses or significantly reducing their voting power."
"Over the course of the last three years, various matters—mostly related to suspicious votes and the removal of caucuses—have landed back in front of the DNC’s various committees. The Kelley-Reed faction have fared rather poorly in those hearings, and they have been forced to reluctantly backtrack on some actions."
"But throughout those hearings, they have steadfastly maintained that they are being mistreated—usually due to racism—by the Doug Jones faction, which is using its connections with DNC members to cause trouble in Alabama."
"That was the crux of Joe M. Reed’s remarks to the DNC on Monday."
Comment: Why can't we just all get along?
AL.com: Alabama appealing Trump-appointed judge’s Voting Rights Act ruling creating majority Black senate district
Comment: "Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen will appeal a federal court ruling requiring the state to redraw its Senate district map because the judge ruled the Montgomery portion of the map violates the Voting Rights Act."
Comment: "Allen will also ask the court to put its judgment about the Voting Rights violation on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court rules in a Louisiana redistricting case, a decision that could have an impact on cases in Alabama and other states."
"The Louisiana case is scheduled for argument before the justices on Oct. 15."
"U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco, a President Trump appointee, ruled last week that the Montgomery section of Alabama’s state Senate map violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because Black voters have less of an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice than other voters."
Comment: Please note that this case involves Alabama state senate races, not races for the U.S. Senate.
AL.com: Tuberville told Trump why he wants to be Alabama’s governor: ‘Can’t say I’ve liked the Senate’
Comment: "Although Tuberville described his colleagues as 'a lot of good people,' he went on to say there were 'a lot of things [he is] a bit disappointed with in the Senate.' ”
"He specifically mentioned the Senate’s long running seniority custom, which provides long term senators with greater influence over Congress’ internal workings, such as committee assignments, chairmanships, and clerkships."
" 'I’m not big on the seniority realm of the longer you’re there the more power you get,' he told Kirk."
" 'I think it should be merit based. Everybody talks about term limits and all those things. Term limits should have nothing to do with it. Seniority should have nothing to do with it.'”
Comment: Even though the Senate seniority system has problems, does Tuberville actually think that his meritorious service in the Senate would justify the perks currently provided by the seniority system?
Comment: Do you think that Tuberville's dislike of the Senate may be due to the national media coverage in Washington that is more rigorous and critical than the often friendly media coverage he enjoys in Alabama?
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum exhibit planned for Montgomery’s Riverwalk Stadium - al.com
AL.com: Tuberville vows to send troops to fight ‘rampant crime’ in two of Alabama’s largest cities
Comment: "U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., says that he will deploy troops to two Alabama cities if he was elected governor as President Donald Trump has in Washington D.C."
"During an appearance on 'Longshore and McKnight' Friday, Tuberville was asked if he were governor would he deploy Alabama’s National Guard to fight 'rampant crime' in Birmingham and Montgomery."
"Tuberville responded saying 'you betcha.' ”
Comment: Tuberville only knows about crime in the Florida panhandle, where his home is!
AL.com: Alabama child has state’s first case of disease once nearly eradicated in more than 20 years
Comment: Measles.
Comment: "The Alabama Department of Public Health on Monday reported the first case of measles in the state since 2002, a child younger than 5 in north Alabama."
"According to the ADPH, the child was not vaccinated and contacted the measles while traveling outside the United States."
"The child did not attend daycare or school, and entities involved in the management and treatment of the patient have been notified."
"The child’s siblings have been vaccinated and have not had any symptoms of the disease, ADPH said. "
Comment: "If exposed, unvaccinated people have a 90% chance of becoming infected, and infected people can spread the disease, according to the ADPH."
Alabama Political Reporter: Federal judge: Montgomery state Senate district violates Voting Rights Act
Comment: "A federal judge has found that Alabama’s state Senate map violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting power of Black Alabamians in and around Montgomery."
"In Friday’s ruling, U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco sided with several groups—including the ACLU, NAACP, Legal Defense Fund, and Southern Poverty Law Center, SPLC—who argued that Alabama’s 2021 state Senate districting plan violated the Voting Rights Act by splitting up Black communities in the Huntsville area while simultaneously packing Black voters into a single state Senate district around Montgomery. While Manasco upheld the current map makeup in the Huntsville area, she ruled that the Montgomery-area Senate district must be redrawn."
"Manasco wrote in her ruling that a new map must be drawn with an additional Montgomery-area district where Black voters 'comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it.' ”
Comment: "In accordance with the ruling, Alabama will be barred from using its current state Senate map in the 2026 elections. If the state has not redrawn a map that adheres to the federal court’s findings by that time, then the court will redraw the districts itself."
"The ACLU and SPLC celebrated the court’s ruling Friday, while continuing to insist that the Huntsville-area districts must also be redrawn."
Comment: "Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has yet to indicate if the state will appeal the court’s ruling."
International Paper to make $250 million investment in Selma mill
https://www.waka.com/2025/08/22/international-paper-to-make-250-million-investment-in-selma-mill/
AL.com: $850 million Alabama online sales tax battle: Counties warn of ‘disaster’
Comment: "Alabama’s county commissions issued a call to action at their summer conference in Orange Beach: protect the state’s internet sales tax system."
"It was also a bit of a warning shot to the mayors of Alabama’s largest cities. The leadership umbrella for the state’s 67 counties said that if the 8-year-old Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT) is tinkered with, the alternative could be disastrous."
Comment: "His comments come after the City of Tuscaloosa, the Tuscaloosa City School District and the City of Mountain Brook filed a lawsuit on Aug. 12, claiming the SSUT program is unconstitutional, should be scrapped and replaced with a system that does not short-change the state’s largest cities with substantial revenue losses each year."
Comment: "Under SSUT, adopted in 2015, a flat 8% tax is applied to online sales. It differs from Alabama’s conventional sales tax rate on in-store purchases at brick-and-mortar stores, which varies by municipality and county. Tuscaloosa, for instance, taxes in-store purchases at 10%."
"The distribution formulas are also different, which Tuscaloosa and other mayors in larger cities say is unfair because they claim a majority of online sales are conducted in bigger communities."
AL.com: New Huntsville factory will produce 60,000 drones a year in response to threat from China
Tommy Tuberville suggests putting students in vocational programs after 10th grade | Alabama Reflector
Comment: "Alabama U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said Wednesday that if elected governor he would encourage some students to go into technical training after completing 10th grade as a means of building the workforce."
"The senator said Wednesday that plan includes teaching students as they are now until 10th grade, then teaching a technical skill in the last two years of high school. That way, he said, those students can get into the workforce faster after continuing their education in welding, plumbing and other trades. He did not say if it would be mandatory."
Comment: It is one thing for schools to offer students the option of replacing college prep courses with technical training. It is another thing to force them or coerce them into technical training for a trade. In the past some parents, in some schools, have complained that their children were herded out of the classroom and into the shops based upon their race of family socio-economic situation.
AL.com: 5 things ‘Gov. Tuberville’ would do: Senator has big plans, but how will Alabama pay for them?
Comment: "Tuberville also said he would like to 'drop the property tax in the State of Alabama,' as well as eliminate the income tax, like nine other states including Florida."
"Alabama generates an estimated $7 billion annually in combined state and local income taxes, making a complete removal of the tax a budget buster."
Comment: There is no way to get rid of property taxes and the income tax without drastically increasing the sales tax and/or fees. These actions are very regressive and would shift the tax burden from the wealthy to the poor and middle class. Alabama's taxes are already some of the most regressive in the nation.
Alabama town’s residents seek preemptive strike against massive data center project - al.com
AL.com: Residents near this Alabama plant are fighting for their right to know what’s in the air they breathe
Comment: "A new report by an environmental group says that residents in Alabama and other states could be endangered by Trump Administration changes to hazardous air pollution regulations for the steel industry."
Video: Alabama revenue chief sued over millions in lost tax revenue - August 19, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-9fQW0WUO8
Second subpoenas issued as Ponzi scheme scandal threatens to reach deep into Alabama GOP
Comment: "An alleged Georgia-based Ponzi scheme accused of defrauding conservatives, the elderly and churchgoers to the tune of $140 million is now threatening to unravel political alliances in Alabama—reaching into the upper tiers of Republican power."
Comment: "The alleged mastermind, Brant Frost IV, used the promise of faith-based, high-return investments to attract more than 300 victims. According to federal regulators, he siphoned millions into rare coins, travel and political donations. By the time the scheme collapsed, less than $3 million remained in company accounts."
"But the fallout didn’t stop at the Georgia state line."
Comment: "Among those identified as recipients of Frost-linked contributions are Representative Benjamin Harrison of Elkmont, Alabama State Board of Education member Allen Long of Florence, and State Auditor Andrew Sorrell, along with his political committee, Alabama Christian Citizens. Sorrell has said he is in the process of returning the funds."
"Behind the scenes, however, multiple sources tell APR that the scheme’s reach in Alabama politics runs much deeper. One GOP operative familiar with the matter said 'there are individuals who were encouraging investments into First Liberty because they were getting a kick-back on each investment.' The source described a tightly woven network of influence in which political credibility was used to give the scheme a veneer of legitimacy."
Alabama joins nationwide Labor Day push with protests across the state. Here's when, where
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/alabama-joins-nationwide-labor-day-180952066.html
Advocates appeal exclusion from energy rate process to Alabama Supreme Court
Comment: "Renewable energy advocates Wednesday appealed a Montgomery County circuit judge's ruling excluding them from consideration of customer rates set by Alabama Power."
"Energy Alabama, a renewable energy organization, is seeking to join a docket to set the Energy Cost Recovery (ECR) rate, a price that Alabama Power can charge customers to offset the money they pay for fuel that the Public Service Commission allows."
" 'We believe decisions that affect customers should be made in the open,' said Daniel Tait, executive director of Energy Alabama. 'Not in secret. Fuel costs have a major impact on monthly bills, and they are changed with virtually no transparency or public scrutiny. We are asking the Alabama Supreme Court to recognize that customers have the right to be heard when decisions about their energy costs are being made.' "
ACLU of Alabama holds first ‘Atoning Alabama’ workshop
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/08/17/aclu-alabama-holds-first-atoning-alabama-workshop/
Comment: "The ACLU of Alabama held its first workshop in its new initiative, ‘Atoning Alabama.’ "
"Atoning Alabama is designed to help people learn how to support incarcerated loved ones during hearings and navigate the parole and pardon process. The first workshop was held in Montgomery."
" 'We want to educate citizens on presenting a complete parole packet that will be favorable for an acceptance or a grant of parole,' Nichelle Cunningham, the ACLU of Alabama’s paralegal, said."
AL.com: Alabama Supreme Court urged to maintain law that protected pastor arrested while watering flowers
Comment: "Jennings, 56, was arrested after a white neighbor called 911 and said a 'younger Black male' and gold SUV were at a house while the owners — who are friends of Jennings and had asked him to watch their home — were away."
"Jennings identified himself as 'Pastor Jennings' but refused to provide identification to the officers."
"Police arrested him on a charge of obstructing government operations after a 20-minute confrontation that included raised voices on both sides, AL.com reported previously."
Comment: " 'The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has previously held that Alabama’s stop-and-question law does not authorize demands for documents, and this case is an important opportunity for the Alabama Supreme Court to confirm that the Eleventh Circuit got it right.' ”
"Jennings’ charges of obstructing governmental operations were later dismissed, and Jennings sued the arresting officers and the city of Childersburg in federal district court."
"Chief U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor dismissed the lawsuit in Dec. 2023, ruling that the officers and the city had qualified immunity that protected them from legal liability."
"But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled in Oct. 2024 that the police did not have probable cause to arrest Jennings under Alabama Code section 15-5-30, a law entitled 'Authority of Peace Officer to Stop and Question,' according to court records."
"The federal district court later certified a question to the Alabama Supreme Court asking whether, under section 15-5-30, a law enforcement officer may require physical identification when the person 'gives an incomplete or unsatisfactory oral response.' ”
"In June, the Alabama Supreme Court agreed to hear the case."
Alabama Political Reporter: Opinion | Fifth Circuit ruling echoes hard truths Alabama still refuses to face
Comment: "In a unanimous decision filed on Thursday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Louisiana’s state legislative maps violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The state’s political leaders had drawn districts that deliberately diluted the voting power of Black residents through racial packing and cracking—splitting communities to weaken their voice."
"This wasn’t a technicality. It was a targeted attack on representation. And it was part of a pattern—a modern continuation of an old, ugly tradition. A tradition that, despite what Chief Justice John Roberts once claimed, never left the South. It just learned how to speak in code."
"It was a win for fairness. A win for the rule of law. And a win for a movement that’s been marching for justice long before courts were willing to listen—a movement that never stopped, because the enemies of justice never disappeared."
Comment: "We saw that play out in Alabama—first with Allen v. Milligan, where the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Alabama’s congressional map violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by denying Black voters a fair opportunity to elect a second candidate of their choice. The state had drawn just one majority-Black district out of seven, despite Black Alabamians making up more than a quarter of the population."
"And just like Louisiana, Alabama’s Republican lawmakers chose defiance over compliance. They redrew another unconstitutional map and dared the courts to stop them. It took a federal three-judge panel to intervene and impose a special master’s map—one that led to the historic election of Representative Shomari Figures in Alabama’s Second Congressional District."
"But the court didn’t just stop there. In a recent ruling, the same panel ordered that Alabama must continue using the court-drawn map through the end of the decade. Their message was clear: the state had not earned the right to draw its own maps again."
"That kind of defiance is part of a broader pattern—one that proves Shelby was a decision rooted not in progress, but in denial."
"Still, the fight continues. Today’s champions are people like Representative Terri Sewell, Senator Raphael Warnock and Senator Dick Durbin, who are leading the charge for the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act—a bill that would restore the protections Roberts and his colleagues dismantled. It remains stalled by a Senate filibuster that has become a shield for minority rule."
Comment: "So what changed? Not enough. And while the Fifth Circuit’s ruling is just, it’s only one step forward in a struggle filled with setbacks. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled correctly in Milligan—but there’s no guarantee it won’t invent a new argument to gut Section 2 next time. This is the same Court that overturned Roe v. Wade and has shown us time and again that precedent is not sacred—ideology often outweighs integrity."
AL.com: Lockheed exec: 2028 deadline for Golden Dome missile defense shield ‘very short timeline’
Comment: "President Donald Trump’s ambition to have the golden dome 'fully operational before the end' of his term presents a 'very short timeline,' a defense company executive said in Huntsville this month."
'Thad Beckert, part of defense contractor Lockheed Martin Golden Dome for America team, told reporters last week that the planned country-wide protection system against missile threats may require more time to become fully operational. He said achieving full deployment within three years is a challenge."
Comment: Translation: "Trump's Nuts! He's not serious! It's doubtful that the specifications could be completed by the end of 2028. Forget about a fully operational system." [Translation provided by local Dale Co. website editor having some knowledge of government procurement of large, technically challenging, engineering projects.]
Video: Judges Rule State Can't Redraw Congressional Map Until 2030 | Aug. 11, 2025 | News 19 at 6 p.m.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcaXQKNitzk
AL.com: 2 Alabama TV stations being sold in 10-station, $171 million deal
https://www.al.com/news/2025/08/2-alabama-tv-stations-being-sold-in-10-station-171-million-deal.html
Comment: Will television media consolidation impact coverage of Alabama politics?
Politico: Federal court says Alabama must use map that creates 2nd Black majority district
Comment: "Alabama must use independently drawn congressional maps that created a second Black-majority district more favorable to Democrats in the state for the rest of the decade, a federal court said Thursday."
"A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama ruled unanimously that the state must use the map drawn up by a court-appointed special master until regular redistricting is scheduled to be done in 2030."
Comment: No mid-census redistricting here in Alabama, liked that proposed in Texas.
AL.com: Alabama Power gets green light to pay for new gas plant with utility bill increase
Comment: "Alabama Power just got the green light to buy a gas power plant and pay for it with an increase to utility bills."
Comment: "Environmental advocates objected to the sale. The Southern Environmental Law Center, representing environmental nonprofits Energy Alabama and the Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution, argued in April that Alabama Power did not sufficiently prove that it needed more energy capacity. They also said that the company had not shown that purchasing Lindsay Hill was the most cost-effective way to add capacity."
" 'Once again, Alabama Power did not consider clean, low-cost options like solar, batteries, and energy efficiency programs and opted to double down on methane gas,' said Christina Tidwell, a senior attorney in SELC’s Alabama office, in a news release. 'Alabama will continue to lag behind other states in cost effective, renewable energy, like solar, if our leaders approve investment in harmful energy sources instead of clean, renewable options.' "
"In Alabama Power’s 2023 request for proposals to increase its capacity, the company told possible vendors not to submit solar energy plans."
State Rep. Marques looking ‘at options’ for congressional bid if Moore leaves
https://aldailynews.com/state-rep-marques-looking-at-options-for-congressional-bid-if-moore-leaves/
Comment: "Republican Rhett Marques, a two-term Alabama House member from Enterprise, confirmed to Alabama Daily News Wednesday he will consider a bid for Congress if current U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, runs for U.S. Senate."
"Moore is making a 'big' announcement Aug. 15 and is expected to try to replace U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor."
" 'We’re just waiting to see what Barry does, and we’ll take a look at what the options hold,' Marques told ADN Wednesday morning. 'I’m happy in the Alabama House, but if Barry does run for Senate, we’ll look at options, see what doors open, and go from there.' ”
Alabama officials return some campaign donations tied to alleged Georgia Ponzi scheme
Comment: "Alabama officials have returned at least $58,800 of contributions stemming from an alleged Georgia-based Ponzi scheme, according to campaign finance records."
"Edwin Brant Frost IV, members of his family or his businesses made at least $132,000 in contributions to Alabama politicians and political action committees (PACs), including then-Rep. Andrew Sorrell, R-Muscle Shoals, now the Alabama state auditor and current candidate for Secretary of State; Rep. Ben Harrison, R-Elkmont, and Alabama State Board of Education member Allen Long."
Video: Alabama lawmakers celebrate Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' in White House video - August 6, 2025
Comment: Democrats in the counties served by these 2 north Alabama legislators should keep a copy of this video so they can show it to their constituents after the adverse impacts of the "Big Beautiful Bill" become apparent." Wonder how much, if any, Republican campaign funding they got for making the White House video?
Candidates in high-profile, high-dollar AG race talk dark money and resigned seat
Comment: "The two frontrunners candidates for Alabama attorney general touted their July fundraising on Tuesday and criticized their opponent’s funding sources."
"Republicans Jay Mitchell and Katherine Robertson’s campaigns have now taken in more than $1.7 million and $1.5 million, respectively, with more than nine months until the May 19 primary. "
"In a written statement, Mitchell’s campaign highlighted the near $405,000 in campaign donations he received in July, most of which came from in-state donors or PACs."
" 'The vast majority of Mitchell’s donors are from within the state, while his opponent’s campaign is funded almost entirely from more than $1 million of out-of-state dark money,' the statement said. 'Jay Mitchell is committed to pursuing funds from Alabama groups who are aligned with President Trump’s conservative agenda.' ”
"Although the statement didn’t name the opponent, Robertson received $1 million from First Principles Action, Inc., a nonprofit in Nashville run by the former executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Association, in June. She also has a $100,000 contribution from the group this month."
Comment: " 'Katherine Robertson has raised more than $1.5 million since launching her campaign just 60 days ago; an impressive achievement as the only first-time candidate in this race,' a campaign spokesman said in response."
Comment: " 'Mr. Mitchell raised much of his campaign contributions, not as a candidate for Attorney General, but as a candidate for the Alabama Supreme Court—a seat that he ran for last fall, won, and promptly resigned from,' it said."
Comment: Do you trust the ethics of either of these 2 candidates running to be one of the highest legal authorities in Alabama?
Frontrunners in statewide races continue to raise significant sums per July reports
Comment: "The Republican primary for attorney general also looks likely to be a two-person race, at least as far as fundraising goes."
"On Monday, candidate Katherine Robertson filed another major contribution report disclosing a $100,000 donation from First Principles Action, Inc. A Tennessee-based nonprofit founded in November 2024, First Principles Action, already directed a $1 million donation to Robertson earlier this year."
"The similarly named First Principles Foundation, founded on the same day with the same registered agent and address, is led by Peter Bisbee, the former executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Foundation. In July, a state official told APR columnist Josh Moon that the previous $1 million donation was 'obviously a way around Alabama’s laws that prioritize disclosure of donation sources.' "
Comment: Are these and other large contributors trying to buy Alabama government?
AL.com: Where the summer COVID-19 infections are hitting hardest: Bad news for Alabama
Comment: "Alabama is among a handful of states with a high level of COVID-19 virus in the sewage system, according to data the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday."
"Scientists test wastewater to determine the prevalence of infections, aiming to capture those who may or may not be symptomatic or visit the hospital."
"While for most of the country, wastewater viral activity level for coronavirus is currently low, Alabama is one of seven states where it is high. Others are Kentucky, Florida, Louisiana, California, Texas and Alaska, with the last two very high. "
Comment: Meanwhile, RFK Jr. just cut $500M from vaccine development, including that for Covid.
WVTM: 'We would like the unedited video': Supporters push for bodycam footage release in Jabari Peoples' case
https://www.wvtm13.com/article/alabama-birmingham-jabari-peoples-black-lives-matter/65596062
Comment: "A group of people gathered at the courthouse steps in Birmingham to support Jabari Peoples' family in their efforts to obtain bodycam footage from the night Peoples was shot and killed by a Homewood police officer."
AL.com: Union election coming up this week at Alabama auto plant
https://www.al.com/news/2025/08/union-election-coming-up-this-week-at-alabama-auto-plant.html
Wes Allen reminds Alabamians to register to vote before municipal elections
Comment: Have to agree with Wes Allen on this particular statement. Be sure to register (and check your voter registration) on or before August 11, 2025.
Alabama Republican Party votes to disqualify GOP officials who appoint Democrats
Comment: "The Alabama Republican Party Saturday approved a new rule that would allow the party to disqualify an elected GOP official if they appoint a Democrat to a position during their term."
"About 83% of the attendants at the GOP Summer Meeting in Montgomery voted for the rule that prohibits elected partisan officials from appointing people other than Republicans. Suzelle Josey, a former candidate for Senate District 30 in 2014, wrote the rule change."
Comment: "The Alabama Democratic Party’s bylaws do not have a similar rule."
Comment: This rule change clearly illustrates the mindset of the Alabama Republican party. Don't consider the best candidates for appointment, regardless of political party. Instead pick a party hack, who may not be the best qualified. Don't consider that this choice might adversely impact the constituents the official is supposed to represent. After all, according to the Alabama Republican party, the Party comes first, the constituents second.
Capped Alabama coal ash pond still polluting groundwater 7 years after closure, lawsuit claims
Comment: "The coal ash lagoon at Alabama Power’s Plant Gadsden was supposed to be a model for how to close ash ponds by covering them in place, a process utilities insisted would protect human health and the environment from toxic contaminants in the ash."
"Now, groundwater monitoring data and a federal lawsuit are challenging that contention."
"The ash pond was the first in Alabama to be closed with a cover-in-place system in 2018, after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2015 coal ash rules, and Alabama Power planned to use the same basic technique at the coal ash ponds for five other power plants across the state."
Opinion | Vaccines matter to you, me and Alabama
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/08/01/opinion-vaccines-matter-to-you-me-and-alabama/
Comment: "When you vaccinate, you protect your grandmother with asthma, the coworker in chemotherapy and the preemie next door who is still too small for shots."
Comment: "Misinformation remains our toughest rival. Vaccines are the most closely monitored medical products in history; side effects are generally mild and fleeting, while the diseases they prevent can kill. If you have questions, bring them to a live physician, not to a chatbot or some random comment thread."
‘Some of the worst of the worst’: Defense team speaks on new lawsuits targeting Henry Co. youth facility
https://share.newsbreak.com/ecoomgqr
Comment: "Earlier this week, Birmingham attorneys Tommy James and Jeremy Knowles, along with Pensacola attorney Caleb Cunningham, filed two lawsuits against Camp SAYLA."
"A state-funded youth facility that was used to house non-violent at-risk teens."
"Each lawsuit targets former Camp SAYLA staff member Kenyatta Danzey, accusing him of abusing the children by hitting them with broomsticks, throwing them in trash cans, and much more."
"The camp was described as a 'house of horrors' environment."
Comment: "Camp SAYLA is known as the Southeast Alabama Youth Leadership Academy and was contracted with the Alabama Department of Youth Services."
"But this is not the first time the facility or Danzey has been in the spotlight.:
"Danzey was arrested in January 2024 and charged with 17 counts of child abuse, ultimately leading to Camp SAYLA’s license being suspended."
"As of now, the license has been reinstated, but the facility remains closed due to a failed inspection."
Lawsuit: Alabama teens abused, forced to fight at state-funded youth camp
Comment: "Two lawsuits filed Wednesday against Camp SAYLA, a youth residential facility in Henry County, allege brutal abuse and systemic neglect of children in its care. The lawsuits describe a 'house of horrors' environment where children were beaten with broomsticks, assaulted with socks filled with potatoes, thrown into trash cans, and forced to fight each other for rewards in a staff-created 'bounty system.' ”
Video: UAB, UnitedHealthcare reach agreement on new insurance contract - July 31, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yNfMCWZ8NI
Judges Hear Alabama Congressional Map Arguments
Comment: "A three-judge panel on Tuesday heard arguments from the state of Alabama and plaintiffs in the Allen v. Milligan case about whether the panel should require the state to submit to preclearance of its 2030 Congressional district map."
"Allen v. Milligan is the case that led the same three-judge panel to conclude that the state had deliberately diluted the voting power of Black voters and order a special remedial map creating two majority-minority districts. The ruling survived an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court."
"Deuel Ross, lead counsel for the Milligan plaintiffs, argued before the court that the actions of the state—including drawing remedial maps that disregarded the court’s orders—are the reason why preclearance is a remedy under the Voting Rights Act."
AL.com: Alabama Power coal ash pond leaks harmful metals into Coosa River, new lawsuit alleges
Comment: "One of Alabama Power’s coal ash ponds is leaking harmful metals into the groundwater, according to a new federal lawsuit filed today."
"Coosa Riverkeeper is suing Alabama Power, alleging that its unlined coal ash pond at the former Gadsden Steam Power Plant poses a health and environmental risk to those who live nearby and use the Coosa River and Neely Henry Lake."
Alabama Public Television may drop NPR programming after federal funding cuts
https://share.newsbreak.com/eae3700z
Video: Legal battle over Alabama’s congressional map continues - July 29, 2025
https://www.wsfa.com/video/2025/07/29/legal-battle-over-alabamas-congressional-map-continues/
Federal judges to consider putting Alabama under preclearance requirement
https://aldailynews.com/federal-judges-to-consider-putting-alabama-under-preclearance-requirement/
Comment: "A three-judge federal panel will hear arguments Tuesday to decide whether Alabama should be subject to preclearance under the Voting Rights Act for drawing future congressional maps."
"Civil rights groups are asking for the state to be subject to preclearance, which requires federal officials to approve any redistricting plans, after a federal court ruled the congressional maps drawn by Alabama’s Legislature in 2021 and 2023 were racially discriminatory. The Supreme Court upheld the lower court ruling that the 2021 map diluted Black voters’ strength."
Court to hear arguments Tuesday on whether to subject Alabama to preclearance
Senator Tommy Tuberville believes national debt can be reduced through tariffs
Comment: Watch the included video. Does Tuberville understand that tariffs ARE taxes imposed upon the American consumer? They are one of the most regressive forms of taxes, proportionally impacting poor and middle class consumers much more than the wealthy. Yes, as with any massive tax increase, the funds collected may help reduce the national debt in the short run. However, at what cost to our consumer driven economy in the long term?
CBS News: How faulty drug tests are turning new moms' lives upside-down
https://www.cbsnews.com/falsepositives/
Comment: "A new mother from Alabama is warning pregnant patients after she says eating an 'everything bagel' for breakfast before giving birth to her second child upended her family last spring."
Comment: "The bagel Katie ate was seasoned with poppy seeds, which come from the same plant cultivated for the production of opiates like morphine and codeine and can trigger a false positive test result for opiates. The fact that poppy seeds can cause a false positive test result is well documented. In fact, the U.S. Department of Defense even issued a warning in 2023 to service members that 'consumption of poppy seed products could result in a codeine positive urinalysis result.' "
Comment: "Hours after giving birth at Crestwood Medical Center, Katie feared both of her children could be taken away, when a member of the Alabama Department of Human Resources showed up in her hospital room to discuss her positive drug screen. The state social worker asked Katie to sign a safety plan, a written agreement between a parent and CPS that outlines specific steps to be taken to ensure the safety and protection of a child amid an ongoing investigation."
Comment: "Katie said she was told both of her children would be removed from her custody if she didn't sign the safety plan. Overwhelmed by the terrifying thoughts racing in her head, Katie signed the plan."
"For nearly a month, Katie said she was only allowed monitored time with her children. And although she was breastfeeding her newborn, she still had to leave her home every night when everyone was asleep and only return in the morning when she could be supervised."
AL.com: Alabama schools to regain $68 million frozen while feds searched for ‘radical leftwing’ programs
Comment: "After a monthlong freeze, Alabama schools will regain access to nearly $70 million in federal funds that were under review by the Trump administration."
Comment: "In withholding the funds, the federal Office of Management and Budget, said some of the programs supported a 'radical leftwing agenda,' according to the Associated Press."
"Two dozen states sued the office in mid-July, alleging that the move violates the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which requires any executive withholdings of budget authority to be reviewed by Congress."
Alabama foster kids forced to sleep in DHR offices | WKRG.com
https://www.wkrg.com/news/alabama-foster-kids-forced-to-sleep-in-dhr-offices/
NBC News: Seven charged in child sex ring run out of Alabama concrete bunker, sheriff says
Candidate for Alabama lieutenant governor: Tommy Tuberville’s ‘going to need my help’ - al.com
Comment: " 'I’m pretty good friends with Tuberville,' Pate told the River Region Republicans at a luncheon Tuesday at Farmers Market Café in Montgomery."
" 'Him and I probably talked six or so times and been together two or three times this spring.' ”
Comment: Although Pate's grasp of English grammar seems a little shaky, it's hard to argue with his basic premise that Tuberville is going to need somebody's help. Do you think if Tuberville is elected we're all going to need a lot of help?
AL.com: UAB cuts some spending, hiring amid federal grant losses, ‘uncertainty’
Video: Protesters gather in Homewood for Jabari Peoples - July 23, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uocXbPNPTEI
Comment: Protest against Alabama's refusal to release video of shooting of black student in Homewood.
Dr. Will Boyd, Democratic candidate for governor of Alabama, talks Tuberville, Medicaid expansion - Includes Video
https://share.google/3fx42Gwvqt62hIkY3
Video: Big, Beautiful Bill's Effect on Snap Benefits | July 21, 2025 | News 19 at 5 p.m. - July 21, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AzLRIM7QR4
AL.com: Trump’s approval ratings crashing in states that loved him, including Alabama
Comment: "Over 30,000 poll responses compiled by Civiqs shows Trump’s approval rating declining in states he won in November 2024, like Alabama and Texas."
Comment: "His current net approval rating in Alabama sits at 13%, a 9% drop from the net 22% recorded in April."
"This reflects a continuous decline in Trump’s approval rating among Alabama voters, according to several previous polls."
Comment: Unfortunately, I think a 13% net approval rating means that 13% more Alabamians approve of Trump than disapprove of him. How do we inform folks of his unpopular and dangerous actions?
AL.com: Arrests of Alabama immigrants soar as local deputies become ‘mini-immigration officers’
NBC News: Alabama governor backs withholding video of officer fatally shooting Black student
Comment: "Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is supporting a state agency’s refusal to release body camera footage in the fatal police shooting of an 18-year-old Black college freshman, saying the case must first be thoroughly investigated."
Comment: Do you think this refusal undermines the credibility of law enforcement, the justice system, and state government in general?
AP News: Lawyer says an Alabama teen who was killed by police was shot in the back
AL.com: Beeker announces run for full term on PSC: ‘Continue fighting for Alabama families’
Comment: "Chris Beeker announced today that he’s running to keep his seat on the Alabama Public Service Commission."
" 'I’m running to continue fighting for Alabama families, farmers, and energy freedom,' Beeker said in a news release. 'From my work with President Trump at the USDA to my current role on the Public Service Commission, I have stood strong for Alabama values and America First policies. Now more than ever, we need conservative leadership to protect our way of life.' "
Comment: What does Donald Trump and "America First policies" have to do with overseeing public utilities here in Alabama and keeping Alabama Power and other utilities from overcharging the public?
AL.com: Former Alabama Supreme Court justice picks up key endorsement in heated race
Comment: "Jay Mitchell, who resigned from the Alabama Supreme Court to run for attorney general, got a boost to his campaign on Monday."
"Progress PAC, the political action committee of the Business Council of Alabama, endorsed Mitchell."
"Mitchell faces Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey and Ketherine Robertson, chief counsel for Attorney General Steve Marshall, in the Republican primary."
Comment: Please note that in the Republican primary, support from a political action committee (PAC), as opposed to a civic group or legal organization, constitutes a "key endorsement."
AL.com: Alabama police know they don’t have to show bodycam videos to families: ‘Why hide it?’
Comment: "Across the state — in Decatur, Bay Minette, Huntsville, Madison, and Montgomery — the pattern repeats: Someone dies in police custody, grieving families ask for body camera footage, and authorities often say no with the same refrain: 'Due to an ongoing investigation.' "
Comment: "While there’s no law or court ruling that says they can’t show the footage, in Alabama, that only tends to happen when the videos are convenient for police, or if a judge orders it released years after the fact."
Axios: New Medicaid work rules put states in a bind
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/14/medicaid-work-rules-states-requirements
Comment: "The new Medicaid work rules in President Trump's tax-and-spending law put states on a tight timetable for setting up systems to notify millions of recipients about the requirements — and to track if they're complying. "
"Why it matters: Previous efforts to set work rules in Georgia and Arkansas showed it could be a messy and expensive process that generally relies on outside vendors to set up the necessary infrastructure."
"Georgia spent nearly $100 million to implement its rules, $55 million of which went toward building a verification system, but in two years only enrolled a fraction of those eligible. It spent $13,000 per enrollee just to sign them up."
Comment: Unintended consequences and costs in Alabama, also?
AL.com: Judges to decide if Alabama’s congressional maps need preclearance after state diluted Black voting power
Comment: "Federal judges will weigh a request to bring Alabama back under the preclearance requirement of the Voting Rights Act after ruling the state intentionally diluted the voting strength of Black residents when drawing congressional lines."
"Black voters and civil rights organizations, who successfully challenged Alabama’s congressional map, are asking a three-judge panel to require any new congressional maps drawn by state lawmakers to go through federal review before being implemented. The Alabama attorney general and the U.S. Department of Justice oppose the request."
Medicaid cuts put 5 Alabama hospitals 'at-risk' of closing. These hospitals could be lost
https://share.google/e7XfCKZ5UqkwIbpCr
Alabama schools face funding crisis as federal funds frozen
https://share.google/VTc7nAkIWlIzjykrZ
Comment: "Alabama school districts are grappling with a significant financial setback as millions of dollars in federal funds have been frozen, just weeks before the start of the school year. $6.8 billion dollars nationally means $68 million dollars for Alabama on hold. The freeze has left districts like Tuscaloosa City Schools struggling to maintain essential programs."
PSC can decide behind closed doors whether Alabama Power can raise its rates, judge rules - al.com
Comment: "The Alabama Public Service Commission has rules that govern how Alabama Power can change electricity prices to offset increases in fuel costs, which tend to be volatile."
"Those rules say that the public is entitled to hear evidence and participate in proceedings that adjust fuel costs to ensure these changes are 'just and reasonable.' "
"The lawsuit said there have been only two public fuel cost hearings since the commission’s current rules were adopted in 1981."
"By contrast, the Georgia Public Service Commission, which regulates a sister company of Alabama Power, has held at least 26 public formal fuel cost proceedings, according to the complaint."
AL.com: Tuberville calls for LA mayor to be ‘locked up’: DHS official says Karen Bass’ arrest is ‘on the table’
Comment: "Coach" Tuberville, what is the crime that Mayer Karen Bass would be charged with? Given the nature of this public statement, is this the man that Alabama should trust to be governor of our state?
Video: Former Alabama Representative Mo Brooks calls President Trump's key legislation a 'big, bad, bill' - July 06, 2025
https://share.newsbreak.com/dwsfbs9r
Comment: Like former GOP congressman Mo Brooks, many Democrats also dislike the fiscally irresponsibility of the bill. However, do you think Democrats might suggest higher taxes for billionaires and less cuts to Medicaid so as to address this fiscal irresponsibility?.
AL.com: Secrecy is not security: From Homewood, Alabama, to Homeland Security, government hides what it fears
Comment: "While these things might not seem like connected things, there’s something important that they share, something that should alarm everyone — a prevalent belief, shared by those in power, that information belongs to the government, not to the public."
AL.com: United Auto Workers move to unionize workers at another Alabama automotive plant
Alabama schools to lose $68 million in federal grants under Trump freeze
https://share.newsbreak.com/dwscnc4j
Video: Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” has passed. What’s next for SNAP benefits in Alabama - July 03, 2025
https://share.newsbreak.com/dwsjz832
$68 million in for Alabama afterschool programs, jobs under review - al.com
Comment: "The money, which was meant for local after-school, English learner and professional development programs, is typically sent to schools on July 1 every year. But in an email to state officials Monday, the Education Department said it was pausing disbursements for several grants until it completes a review of those programs."
Comment: " 'These are programs already approved and funded by Congress,' State Superintendent Eric Mackey said in a statement Wednesday morning. 'They include programs integral to successful and supportive schools across Alabama, and districts have planned for the 2025-26 school year with an expectation that these formula-based funds would be flowing as normal. Since Congress had appropriated the money in the recent continuing resolution, we had no reason to believe otherwise.' "
AL.com: Alabama immigrants usually face deportation without a lawyer: ‘Huge problem’
Comment: " 'It’s a huge problem here that there aren’t enough attorneys,' said Allison Hamilton, who runs the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice. Hamilton said a lot of people are being put into expedited removal, don’t have access to due process and can’t adequately defend themselves."
"Taken together, she believes many Alabama immigrants without attorneys face an increased risk of unjust deportations."
Tommy Tuberville’s racism and ‘rat’ talk isn’t welcome here; he shouldn’t be, either
AL.com: Huntsville protesters are ‘communists,’ Marjorie Taylor Greene says during speech: ‘This is insanity’
Comment: " 'Think about this, the communists are outside,' Greene said, referring to protesters. 'The communists are out there, but they’re attacking us inside and calling us fascists. This is insanity. This is insanity.'"
Comment: How many of you think that Marjorie Taylor Greene was the source of the insanity, rather than the protesters outside?
AL.com: Alabama library battle: Should teens have access to sex education books?
Comment: "The issue flared up in Fairhope earlier this month and is expected to take center stage again at a July 18 meeting of the Alabama Public Library Services board. At stake is whether libraries will lose state funding for refusing to relocate books, including sex education titles, flagged by conservative groups like Moms for Liberty."
Hundreds march in protest of Marjorie Taylor Greene visit to Huntsville while supporters fill venue
Comment: "Marchers chanted slogans and displayed signs addressing Greene's position on library materials, Christian nationalism, and other subjects on which she has been outspoken. Some posters echoed broader themes, such as fascism."
Tuberville’s GOP opponent asks: ‘Is Tommy smarter than a 10-year-old?
Comment: " 'Sadly, Tuberville, our senator, was only able to name one of the three branches of government,' McFeeters says."
" 'So kids, the first question, what are the three branches of government?' "
"The girl and boy contestants nail the answer - 'Executive, judicial, legislative.' "
AL.com: Massive SNAP cuts could kill hundreds of Alabama grocery stores, ‘send hunger soaring’
Alabama Political Reporter: Alabama county commissioner tells followers to arm themselves against No Kings protests
Comment: Do you think this Alabama public official might have been trying to intimidate peaceful protesters?
Opinion | The Alabama Republican Party is heading down a familiar path
Comment: "As ALGOP officials ignore laws and rules, they’re pushing the party down a very familiar pathway. One we’ve seen before"
Senate Republicans’ proposed Medicaid cuts threaten to shutter Alabama hospitals
Despite progress, Alabama to miss court deadline on hiring enough correctional officers
AL.com: Alabama hands out $128 million for private school, homeschool support: Who’s getting money?
Comment: "Only 22% of students accepted into Alabama’s new school choice program currently attend public school, significantly fewer than initially expected."
Comment: " 'In effect, most vouchers become just a public subsidy for what tend to be very affluent, typically white families who are already attending private schools,' Brewer said."
Opinion | When did Tuberville start caring about SNAP?
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/06/18/opinion-when-did-tuberville-start-caring-about-snap/
Comment: "Now, having laid out Tuberville’s statements on SNAP over these past few years, I’m not so convinced he’s adequately concerned about the over 750,000 Alabamians who need SNAP to buy food every month."
"What I do believe is that Tuberville’s pretty sure he’s going to be elected governor next year and doesn’t want to be stuck with a $119 million bill he’ll have to figure out how to pay. So he decided he could try actually legislating for a week to make his life in Montgomery a tad easier."
Longtime chief counsel for Steve Marshall joins race to succeed him as Alabama attorney general
https://share.google/TS1ObtlwkbRpXiDOi
Comment: "Robertson has been chief counsel for Marshall since 2017. Before that, Robertson worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and for U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions as legislative counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee."
"Robertson is a former vice president of the Alabama Policy Institute."
The Alabama Democratic Party can't afford to write off 2026 | Alabama Reflector
https://alabamareflector.com/2025/06/16/the-alabama-democratic-party-cant-afford-to-write-off-2026/
Comment: "If Democrats can’t find a strong candidate to lead the ticket, they’ll find themselves fighting to hold what should be safe legislative seats."
WSFA: Alabama signs onto $7.4B nationwide opioid settlement with Purdue, Sackler family
In polluted Birmingham community, Trump terminates funding for air monitoring | Alabama Reflector
Comment: "Black residents had breathed heavily polluted air from a nearby coke plant for decades, and their neighborhoods had been declared a federal hazardous waste Superfund site after it was determined that waste soil laced with arsenic, lead and benzo(a)pyrene, a human carcinogen, from several nearby coke plants had been spread around their homes as yard fill."
"In light of this history and continued industrial pollution, GASP had obtained a $75,000 air monitoring grant from the Biden EPA in 2023."
"Milton received the letter earlier this month from officials in President Donald Trump’s EPA terminating the grant because it no longer aligned with the agency’s priorities."
18-year-old runs for mayor in Alabama, says he is 'ready to take on challenge' - ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/18-year-runs-mayor-alabama-ready-challenge/story?id=122690212
Alabama Lt. Governor candidate ‘staying in this race’ despite PhD controversy - al.com
Comment: The election is a year and a half away, and there is already a GOP scandal.
At least 14 "No Kings" protests planned across Alabama Saturday | Alabama Reflector
https://alabamareflector.com/briefs/at-least-14-no-kings-protests-planned-across-alabama-saturday/
Marshall talks senate priorities, China tariffs, L.A. protests
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/06/12/marshall-talks-senate-priorities-china-tariffs-l-a-protests/
Comment: Are these your priorities? Do Marshall's priorities significantly impact your life here in Alabama?
AL.com: More Alabama counties sign on to help ICE detain, jail immigrants
Comment: "Alabama counties participating include Colbert, Crenshaw, Elmore, Etowah, Franklin, Henry, Houston, Lawrence, Limestone and Pike."
"The Level Plains Police Department is the only municipal agency to join. Its status is pending, according to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement."
AL.com: Alabama sheriff threatens unruly protesters with broken hands and ‘deadly force’
Comment: "As Mobile prepares for what organizers say will be a peaceful 'No Kings' rally this weekend, Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch is drawing sharp criticism after publicly warning of violent retaliation by law enforcement should unrest occur."
AL.com: Alabama doesn’t need a coach for governor. It needs a mayor.
https://www.al.com/news/2025/06/alabama-doesnt-need-a-coach-for-governor-it-needs-a-mayor.html
AL.com: Democrat pastor running for Alabama’s highest office: Why he thinks he’ll win this time
AL.com: Residents question ‘joke’ of a meeting over $350 million Alabama resort development
Huntsville braces for $10 million sales tax shortfall as spending falls ‘significantly’ - al.com
Comment: Is this a lesson for local municipalities which also rely heavily on sales tax to fund themselves?
AL.com: Longtime chief counsel for Steve Marshall joins race to succeed him as Alabama attorney general
'Worst case scenario.' Alabama’s PEEHIP faces $418M shortfall by FY27 - Alabama Daily News
https://aldailynews.com/worst-case-scenario-alabamas-peehip-faces-418m-shortfall-by-fy27/
Comment: "The board overseeing the state’s health insurance program for education employees previewed a 'worst case scenario' Wednesday, projecting a shortfall of between $360 million and $418 million in fiscal year 2027. Worse still, estimates show a nearly $490 million gap the following year."
Ivey taps Cynthia Almond to lead Public Service Commission
https://aldailynews.com/ivey-taps-cynthia-almond-to-lead-public-service-commission/
AL.com: 18-year-old Alabama student just graduated high school. Now, he’s running to be his city’s mayor
VIDEO: Leaders in Alabama React to President Donald Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' - June 6, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka0lg5v0ZCs
Pell Grant changes in “Big Beautiful Bill” could affect thousands of Alabama college students - Alabama Daily News
Alabama officials demand stricter reporting on $400M broadband expansion progress | Alabama Reflector
AL.com: Pentagon scrubs Golden Dome event for small contractors in Huntsville
AL.com: Alabama Supreme Court candidate says ‘anti-family’ IVF ruling was ‘wildly out of touch’
AL.com: ‘No more woke nonsense,’ former Alabama Supreme Court justice vows as he enters AG’s race
Comment: With his obvious partisanship, should we be happy that he is no longer on the Alabama Supreme Court, yet sad that he is running for Attorney General?
AL.com: Tuberville says Democrats trying to prove he lives in Florida are ‘wasting their time’
Comment: "Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Randy Kelley last week said the party will challenge Sen. Tuberville’s eligibility to run for governor based on the residency requirement in the state constitution."
AL.com: Holy smoke: Who will be Alabama Power’s new public service commissioner?
Half of Alabama public schools will see teacher unit cuts from Foundation Program - Alabama Daily News
Trump threatens tariff on foreign steel, and Alabama imports a lot of it
https://share.newsbreak.com/dc8cbzi9
AL.com: World’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be dismantled in Alabama
Tommy Tuberville’s campaign raises $2 million in single day: Who were the biggest contributors?
Comment: Also, what do they want in return?
Tuberville on Capitol Journal: shrink government, increase manufacturing, bring Trump influence to Montgomery
Comment: More of the same? How does this differ from the typical MAGA talking points?
VIDEO: Alabama House forms Black Belt caucus
https://share.newsbreak.com/dc8kkg7w
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announces run for US Senate
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall to run for U.S. Senate
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announces run for Tuberville’s Senate seat
After Court Loss, Alabama Lawmakers Won’t Draw New Map to Avoid Federal Preclearance - Democracy Docket
Comment: "Alabama Republican lawmakers said in a pleading Wednesday they will forgo drawing a new congressional map before 2030 to prevent the state from being put under federal supervision for its voting laws."
Who should be Alabama’s governor? James Spann, Charles Barkley, anyone who knows the branches of government
Comment: Unscientific AL.com reader response?
'Nothing but an embarrassment to this state': Tuberville's Alabama gubernatorial campaign getting backlash
Who could replace Tuberville in the Senate
https://share.newsbreak.com/da6jnq5q
Tommy Tuberville, ex-Auburn football coach, announces 2026 campaign for Alabama governor
NBC News: Sen. Tommy Tuberville launches run for governor of Alabama
It’s official: Tommy Tuberville is running for governor of Alabama
Twinkle Cavanaugh resigning from Alabama Public Service Commission for Trump Administration job
https://share.newsbreak.com/da6gykcw
Opinion | The real economic killer in Alabama? Moral politics, not the market
Comment: "With each passing legislative session, it becomes more apparent: we are one election away from a government that no longer views economic growth as a priority. One cycle away from power landing fully in the hands of those more interested in policing identity, banning innovation, and enforcing personal morality than solving real problems."
Medicaid, Medicare in Alabama would face cuts under Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”
AL.com: Culture of secrecy: How Alabama’s public records law fails transparency with 10% compliance rate
AL.com: Alabama worker says ICE dragged him from job despite being US citizen: ‘Color of our skin has become a crime’
AL.com: Controversial Alabama Supreme Court ruling ignites AG’s race: ‘Without IVF, I wouldn’t be a mother’
Comment: "The Alabama Supreme Court ruling that that temporarily stopped in vitro fertilization services in Alabama last year has emerged as an issue in the race for state attorney general."
"Former Associate Justice Jay Mitchell, who wrote the opinion, resigned from the court Monday and is expected to announce he will run for AG."
"Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey, who announced her candidacy for attorney general in January, has two children by IVF."
AL.com: With Will Ainsworth out, all eyes are on Tommy Tuberville in Alabama governor’s race
AL.com: Will Ainsworth announces his decision on whether to run for governor of Alabama in 2026
University of Alabama drops tuition for Early College high school student program - al.com
Comment: "High school students who want to earn college credit now will pay a lot less at the University of Alabama."
Decision 2026: Alabama primary election 1 year away
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/05/20/decision-2026-alabama-primary-election-1-year-away/
Comment: "Monday was the first day that candidates intending to participate in the primary election could start soliciting and accepting contributions for their campaigns."
AP News: Ivey appoints first Black Republican on Alabama Supreme Court
https://apnews.com/article/alabama-supreme-court-7b715cc0cff43ecca9b36f3a6c82113c
New justice appointed to Alabama Supreme Court
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/05/20/new-justice-appointed-alabama-supreme-court/
AL.com: High-priced Alabama lawyers apologize for AI snafu, throw colleague under the bus
AL.com: Did Alabama’s pricey prison lawyers just use AI to file motions? The judge wants answers
AL.com: Alabama Supreme Court justice resigning to run for another office in 2026
Alabama Political Reporter: Alabama Library Association slams APLS board’s “dismissive” tone
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/05/19/alabama-library-association-slams-apls-boards-dismissive-tone/
Alabama Political Reporter: Moms for Liberty calls for APLS board to help get librarians fired
AL.com: Alabama’s back the blue law makes it harder to prosecute police: Is it ‘a license to kill Black people’?
Birmingham loses "groundbreaking" $44M federal biotech grant; what you need to know | Bham Now
Alabama lawmakers approve additional legal protections for police officers
https://share.newsbreak.com/d3a73zqj
Comment: "The approval came after an emotional debate in which Black lawmakers read the names of Black people who have been killed by police and described their own encounters with law enforcement."
AL.com: Alabama’s ‘back the blue’ police bill passes in final hour of legislative session
Comment: "A bill to expand Alabama law on legal immunity for police officers passed in the final half-hour of the annual legislative session on Wednesday night."
Comment: "Democrats have opposed the bill saying it will make it harder to hold police accountable."
AL.com: Alabama workers slapped in the face with expiration of overtime pay tax cut: op-ed
AL.com: Why does Alabama’s GOP chairman have a Tennessee driver’s license under a different name?
Alabama technology office investigating ‘significant security breach’ of state systems
Alabama Dems hope to use Trump, ALGOP failures to build momentum in 2026
Alabama Political Reporter: Librarians, supporters rail against new regime at Alabama Public Library Service
Alabama faces school bus funding crisis, state superintendent warns
https://aldailynews.com/alabama-faces-school-bus-funding-crisis-state-superintendent-warns/
AL.com: 5 Alabama cities recently removed fluoride from water: ‘It’s not a pretty picture’
AL.com: Alireza Doroudi’s fiancée grieves as he agrees to leave Alabama for Iran: ‘A sad day for America’
Comment: " 'He turned and looked at me and said: ‘I love this country, but they don’t want me here so I will go home,’ ' attorney David Rozas told AL.com."
CNN: Alabama ‘purposely’ diluted Black votes with congressional plan, court finds
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/08/politics/alabama-congressional-plan-court-ruling
Comment: "With the finding, the court said it would consider whether to put Alabama under a Voting Rights Act provision that would require it to get federal approval of its congressional plans going forward."
Alabama intentionally discriminated against Black voters in Congressional redistricting, judges rule
Comment: "A three-judge court in Alabama’s Northern District has determined that the legislature's 2023 congressional map violates the Voting Rights Act and cannot be used in future elections."
Federal court criticizes Alabama for pushing a discriminatory U.S. House voter map | Alabama Public Radio
Federal court: Alabama Legislature intentionally discriminated against Black voters in redistricting | News From The States
AL.com: Alabama faces deadline on Gulf of America name change legislation
Alabama’s change in life expectancy since 1900 among the worst in the nation - al.com
Additional people may qualify for WIC under new Alabama guidelines
https://www.wdhn.com/news/additional-people-may-qualify-for-wic-under-new-alabama-guidelines/
Alabama lawmakers approve tax cuts for food, diapers and other items
AL.com: Alabama colleges lose $35 million for medical, science research after Trump NIH, NSF cuts
DOGE cuts $15 million in Alabama grants for climate research, violence prevention program - al.com
AL.com: Bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday headed to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk
Changes to Alabama Archives and History board spark filibuster that could derail bills - al.com
AL.com: If it turns out Tommy Tuberville is really a Florida man, blame the Alabama GOP
AL.com: Alabama library showdown: Book battles and power struggles set stage for explosive meeting
AP News: Alabama governor overhauls state’s largest water utility amid cries of racial discrimination
AL.com: Lawmakers pass bill to cut Alabama’s sales tax on food
https://www.al.com/politics/2025/05/bill-to-cut-alabamas-food-sales-tax-wins-senate-approval.html
AL.com: Where are Alabama’s federal workers? These 5 counties have the highest share
Comment: As a percentage of the overall county population, Coffee County is #1 and Dale County is #3, indicating the importance of Fort Novosel and other federal activities. According to the Washington Post, the Ozark metro area has the highest percentage in the state and is the the 8th highest percentage in the country
Where the Hell Does Tommy Tuberville Actually Live?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/where-hell-does-tommy-tuberville-202333754.html
AL.com: Why did Tommy Tuberville vote in Florida if he lived in Alabama?
https://www.al.com/news/2025/05/why-did-tommy-tuberville-vote-in-florida-if-he-lived-in-alabama.html
Alabama Daily News: ‘We will fight this;’ stage set for showdown in Alabama Senate over police immunity bill
NBC News: Trump shut down program to end human waste backing into Alabama homes, calling it 'illegal DEI'
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/trump-canceled-dei-program-raw-sewage-alabaman-homes-rcna201164
AL.com: Alabama could send inmates to foreign prisons under proposed bill: ‘Our prisons are too soft’
Comment: Should the sponsor of this bill be censored for introducing a frivolous bill which he knows is unconstitutional?
AL.com: ‘Worthless’ and ‘woke’: Emotional 3-hour meeting over city’s library that has divided this Alabama city
AL.com: Bill to recognize Gulf of America in maps, school materials fails in Alabama Senate
Alabama Daily News: Tax records show Tuberville’s Auburn homestead exemption since 2018
https://aldailynews.com/tax-records-show-tubervilles-auburn-homestead-exemption-since-2018/
AL.com: Will Ainsworth seeks public’s advice on his election plans as Tuberville eyes governor’s race
Alabama Political Reporter: Tuberville residence question doesn’t rest on income tax filings alone
Video: Watch "Who is Running for Governor of Alabama in 2026? | April 28, 2025 | News 19 at 6 p.m." on YouTube
https://youtu.be/ibqWCkf5HhQ?feature=shared
AL.com: University of Alabama scholarship for Black students challenged as discriminatory
AL.com: Show us where you pay taxes, Tommy Tuberville
https://www.al.com/news/2025/04/show-us-where-you-pay-taxes-tommy-tuberville.html
AL.com: As Tommy Tuberville eyes 2026 run, here’s what some Alabamians say they want in a governor
NBC News: Sen. Tommy Tuberville is telling senators he plans to run for governor of Alabama
Alabama Political Reporter: Tuberville campaign misfires on finance law, confusion risks felony violation
Alabama Political Reporter: Opinion | Tuberville fumbles his own governor play, then blames the ref
AL.com: Trump reverses revocation of 1,500 student visas: What will it mean for Alabama’s international students?
Alabama Political Reporter: Tuberville’s travel trail points to home in Florida, not Alabama
Comment: Important if Tuberville tries to run for governor in Alabama.
Alabama Senate committee hearing on police immunity bill draws critics
https://share.newsbreak.com/crezpcdi
AL.com: Alabama police immunity bill a ‘green light for Black folks to get killed,’ lawmaker says
Alabama Senate approves bill requiring school boards to adopt religious instruction policies
https://share.newsbreak.com/crf1agb8
Alabama NAACP condemns President Trump's visit to University of Alabama, says students should skip speech
Alabama court overturns medical cannabis licenses awarded in 2023
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/04/23/alabama-court-overturns-medical-cannabis-licenses-awarded-2023/
Did Donald Trump invite himself to speak at the University of Alabama graduation? - al.com
Alabama leaders, students react to President Trump giving University of Alabama commencement speech
Alabama House approves bill making Juneteenth state holiday
https://share.newsbreak.com/crf2h38l
First Amendment dispute intensifies as Alabama libraries resist book relocation demands - al.com
Alabama Political Reporter: UA student detained by ICE denied bond, faces threat of deportation
AL.com: ‘There’s a cancer in the system’: How Alabama could help its broken prisons
Visas affected for multiple international students studying in Alabama
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/04/19/visas-affected-multiple-international-students-studying-alabama/
Alabama House passes ‘Don’t Say Gay’ expansion, drag performance restrictions | Alabama Reflector
Alabama House passes bill allowing local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws | Alabama Reflector
Fight over Space Command HQ continues with new watchdog report
AL.com: Black residents sue Alabama county to redraw districts for fair representation: ‘vote is diluted’
Space Command HQ report reveals fears that civilians would not leave Colorado for Alabama - al.com
AL.com: The future of public education in Alabama; a call for equal treatment and accountability: op-ed
AL.com: Why did 432,000 Alabama voters get letters saying they might have moved?
Comment: Check your voter registration at the Alabama Secretary of State link on our website.
DOJ ends environmental justice agreement in Alabama county citing Trump - ABC News
5 Alabama counties to share $450K in grants to combat crime
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/04/12/5-alabama-counties-share-450k-grants-combat-crime/
AL.com: Alabama lawmakers advance bills requiring Ten Commandments displays: What to know
Alabama House, Senate bills mandating Ten Commandments school displays pass committees
https://share.newsbreak.com/cjcncqhi
WSFA: Appeals court upholds unconstitutionality of Alabama’s anti-panhandling laws
[Video] Governor Polis says it’s up to the president to move Space Command, not Alabama lawmakers
https://share.newsbreak.com/cjclmey6
Comment: Space Command perspective from Colorado.
US Space Command HQ is heading to Alabama according to US congressman
Video: Alabama voters urged to update registration amid concern over voter roll purge
Opinion | ALGOP lawmakers raise taxes on working class as ALGOP voters cheer
Democrat Dakarai Larriett launches U.S. Senate campaign
https://www.cullmantribune.com/2025/04/07/democrat-dakarai-larriett-launches-u-s-senate-campaign/
Even in conservative Alabama, there are quiet concerns and caveats amid Republican cheers for Trump
https://apnews.com/article/trump-alabama-republicans-doge-tariffs-e8d6561f1be73a557842c1342d5084b4
Alabama Senate committee approves bill restricting picketing, protests • Alabama Reflector
AL.com: IRS postpones April 15 federal tax deadline in Alabama, six other states: Here’s why
North Alabama gets share of $13.6B in spy satellite launch contracts - al.com
AL.com: Proposed Alabama law limiting protests near homes passes despite First Amendment concerns: ‘We might go too far'
AL.com: ‘Not going to happen’: Lawmaker vows to fight cuts to Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Magic City Classic
Alabama House passes bill requiring computer science course for high school graduation • Alabama Reflector
CNN: Alabama can’t prosecute groups who help women travel to get an abortion, federal judge says
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/01/us/alabama-abortion-groups-ruling/index.html
Judge rules Alabama cannot prosecute those who help with out-of-state abortions | Alabama | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/01/alabama-out-of-state-abortion-ruling
AL.com: Archibald: Alabama quadruples down on putting God in schools
https://www.al.com/news/2025/04/archibald-alabama-quadruples-down-on-putting-god-in-schools.html
Alabama senator shops gambling proposal to chamber • Alabama Reflector
https://alabamareflector.com/2025/04/01/alabama-senator-shops-gambling-proposal-to-chamber/
AL.com: Alabama has 67 counties. Some want it to have 68
https://www.al.com/news/2025/04/alabama-hasnt-added-a-county-since-1903-could-that-change.html
Alabama Political Reporter: HHS cuts $239 million in grants for Alabama public health, research programs
AL.com: Weaponization of antisemitism silencing dissent. As Jews in Alabama we say ‘Not in our name’: op-ed
WSFA: DOGE cancels $190M contract affecting Alabama health departments
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/03/28/doge-cancels-190m-contract-affecting-alabama-health-departments/
Video: From AL Democratic Congresswoman Terri Sewell: I just got some very troubling news.
https://x.com/RepTerriSewell/status/1905321508601241785
Comment: About $190M CDC grant for Alabama terminated without warning, impacting county health departments throughout AL.
AL.com: Return of the Ten Commandments
https://www.al.com/news/2025/03/return-of-the-ten-commandments.html
US immigration officials detain doctoral student at University of Alabama
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-immigration-officials-detain-doctoral-014114851.html
Alabama lawmakers fail to stop the bleeding as rural hospitals code - al.com
USDA program cuts emptying shelves of Alabama food shelters
https://share.newsbreak.com/c98ddz0t
ADP chair issues retraction, ends fundraising spat with former senator
AL.com: Closure of federal library service could have $3 million impact on Alabama libraries
Alabama board defunds local library for failing to protect teens from ‘inappropriate’ books
https://www.yahoo.com/news/alabama-board-defunds-local-library-103824752.html
Alabama Political Reporter: APLS cuts funding to Fairhope Library due to "sexually explicit" books
AL.com: Alabama school choice act attracting mostly private, homeschool students, 25,000 signed up
After APR exposed David Cole’s fraud, Tuberville’s residency next in the crosshairs
AL.com: Swearing at Alabama police could soon lead to year in jail: Opponents say it makes protest impossible
Comment: How about swearing at silly politicians?
AL.com: Can Tuberville run for governor? Alabama Republican questions whether he meets residency requirement
AL.com: Alabama state superintendent’s $90,000 raise could make him one of nation’s highest-paid
AL.com: Alabama lawmakers approve cut on sales tax on food
https://www.al.com/politics/2025/03/alabama-lawmakers-approve-cut-on-sales-tax-on-food.html
AL.com: Tax cut on income from retirement accounts wins approval in Alabama House
AL.com: Alabama AG Steve Marshall ready ‘to pivot quickly’ if Tuberville enters governor’s race
Alabama board of education to vote on $90,000 raise for state superintendent Mackey - Alabama Daily News
AL.com: Federal glitch delays $9 million in Alabama teacher salary reimbursements
Lawmaker files bill to make it harder to prosecute “stand your ground” cases
Comment: License to Kill?
AL.com: Archibald: Alabama wants you to pray or pay
https://www.al.com/news/2025/03/archibald-alabama-wants-you-to-pray-or-pay.html
AL.com: Alabama among states with products targeted by EU tariffs
https://www.al.com/news/2025/03/alabama-among-states-with-products-targeted-by-eu-tariffs.html
AL.com: Trump’s ‘sledgehammer’ approach threatens Alabama retirement funds, RSA’s David Bronner says: ‘It doesn’t work'
AL.com: Will Ainsworth reveals what Tommy Tuberville running for governor of Alabama would mean for his political future
WSFA: Montgomery Bus Station will not be sold by federal government
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/03/11/montgomery-bus-station-will-not-be-sold-by-federal-government/
Selma bridge crossing commemorates the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday
Tommy Tuberville for governor? What people think about senator running for Alabama’s highest office
AL.com: These 5 proposed tax cuts will save people $200 million each year, Alabama lawmakers say
AL.com: ‘Prepare for disruption’: Alabama leader warns of Department of Education closure
Alabamians weigh in on U.S. Department of Education shutdown
Southern Democratic legislators talk strategy in face of Republican supermajorities
https://share.newsbreak.com/bxld1c4p
Six Ala. federal buildings on list Trump admin wants to sell after back to office order
https://share.newsbreak.com/bxl1kwje
Alabama Political Reporter: Historic Montgomery Bus Station, Freedom Riders Museum part of DOGE-ordered sell-off
Alabama appears to get a temporary break on Trump tariffs
https://www.apr.org/news/2025-03-06/alabama-appears-to-get-a-temporary-break-on-trump-tariffs
Alabama Reflector: Alabama House passes bill expanding immunity for law enforcement
AL.com: Alabama lawmakers pass bill giving governor control of Veterans Affairs Department
AL.com: Alabama’s 2026 governor’s race will be ‘one for the history books’: Frontrunner teases run against Tuberville
Alabama House passes bill eliminating youthful offender status for intentional murder • Alabama Reflector
The Guardian US: Key court hearing as Alabama threatens prosecutions over abortion support
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/05/alabama-court-hearing-abortion
AL.com: Alabama war hero’s family ‘saddened’ Pete Hegseth removed his name from Georgia Army base
Alabama Senate approves bill allowing child support for pregnancy expenses • Alabama Reflector
China targets US soybeans, lumber in stepped-up response to Trump tariffs
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-suspends-soybean-imports-three-105704278.html
Comment: Listed Chinese targets targets include many important Alabama agricultural products.
AL.com: Comeback Town: UAB and Birmingham are in trouble; do something
https://www.al.com/opinion/2025/03/comeback-town-uab-and-birmingham-are-in-trouble-do-something.html
The University of Alabama at Birmingham in the top 30 recipients of NIH funding and at risk of losing millions in federal cuts - al.com
AL.com: Alabama lunchroom worker fired after accepting donations to feed students
AL.com: State auditor to run for Alabama secretary of state in 2026
https://www.al.com/news/2025/02/state-auditor-to-run-for-alabama-secretary-of-state-in-2026.html
AL.com: Alabama made police disclose how much they seize in asset forfeiture: ‘Strong need for reform’
Alabama Daily News: Alfa health plan debate brews again in State House
https://aldailynews.com/alfa-health-plan-debate-brews-again-in-state-house/
WSFA: Supreme Court clears the way for a lawsuit over COVID-19 pandemic-era unemployment claims in Alabama
Bill allowing state takeover of police departments moving through Alabama legislature
Small Alabama city's police force put on leave after grand jury finds 'rampant' corruption | AP News
Boeing slashes Alabama jobs due to NASA cutbacks
AL.com: Alabama AG’s lazy lawfare threatens kids with special needs
https://www.al.com/news/2025/02/alabama-ags-lazy-lawfare-threatens-kids-with-special-needs.html
Alabama Democratic county chairs form new organization
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/02/18/alabama-democratic-county-chairs-form-new-organization/
Alabama ranks near the bottom in the nation for overall child wellbeing - al.com
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen announces he'll run for lieutenant governor
https://apnews.com/article/wes-allen-aace8f1bb57696dce916bc96a563c23f
Proposed Alabama state constitutional amendment met with opposition
https://www.wtvy.com/2025/02/18/proposed-alabama-state-constitutional-amendment-met-with-opposition/
AL.com: Time running out to get STAR ID: Alabama joins national campaign as deadline approaches
AL.com: Alabama hospital ends ER and inpatient services, partners with Huntsville Hospital amid rural healthcare crisis
House Democrats express concerns with police immunity legislation
Analysis | Alabama Legislature focuses on policy, culture wars, and symbolism in week two
The mask comes off Alabama’s immigration bills | BRIAN LYMAN
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mask-comes-off-alabama-immigration-094748441.html
Trump budget cuts threaten Alabama program for those with mental health challenges, advocates say
Yahoo: Huntsville-area legislator’s bill expanding access to prenatal care approved by Alabama House
https://www.yahoo.com/news/huntsville-area-legislator-bill-expanding-015916137.html
The Associated Press: Alabama House expedites Medicaid for pregnant women, joining other states with high mortality rates
AL.com: Alabama schools could lose millions for skipping daily pledge, prayer
Alabama Political Reporter: Cost for Alabama’s mega-prison plan swells again
https://www.alreporter.com/2025/02/13/cost-for-alabamas-mega-prison-plan-swells-again/
AL.com: Alabama Senate passes Laken Riley-inspired bill to detain people for 48 hours to check immigration status
Alabama Reflector: Alabama Senate passes immigration bills targeting licenses, transport, DNA collection
AL.com: Halting global agriculture programs puts U.S. national security at risk: op-ed from Alabama farmer
President Trump's tariff impact: Why Alabama auto industry could suffer
AL.com: Veterans speak out against bill giving Ivey control of Alabama veterans affairs agency
What would Alabama stand to lose in a trade war with Mexico and Canada? - al.com
AL.com: Birmingham mayor among those speaking out against governor, AG appointing interim police chiefs
Alabama Political Reporter: Alliance of Alabama Healthcare Consumers opposes SB93 and SB99
Alabama Congressional Maps Go on Trial - Democracy Docket
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/alabama-congressional-maps-go-on-trial/
Alabama not among 22 states suing Trump, NIH over cuts threatening UAB, UAH; judge blocks move - al.com
What would NIH funding cuts mean for Alabama? 5 things to know
AL.com: NIH cuts threaten UAB, Birmingham and beyond
https://www.al.com/news/2025/02/nih-cuts-threaten-uab-birmingham-and-beyond.html
AL.com: Katie Britt vows to work with RFK Jr. after NIH funding cuts cause concern in Alabama
Comment: Funding cuts are huge impact to UAB Hospital in Birmingham.
The Associated Press: Alabama jailers created deadly conditions to manipulate local officials for money, plea says
waaytv.com/news/alabama-lawmakers-push-to-have-ten-commandments-displayed-in-schools/article_c85957fc-e5b7-11ef-8723-ebd0ec0ad224.htm
AL.com: After Ivey fired Alabama Veterans Affairs commissioner, lawmakers may give her control of department
WSFA: Issues to watch in the 2025 Alabama Legislature
https://www.wsfa.com/2025/02/05/issues-watch-2025-alabama-legislature/
BBC.com: The Alabama museum grappling with the 'Gulf of America'
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250205-the-alabama-museum-grappling-with-the-gulf-of-america
Alabama's News Leader: Alabama residents voice frustrations over missing mail as complaints against USPS grow
Alabama Political Reporter: Alabama Senate’s anti-immigrant bills get public condemnation but committee approval
AL.com: Alabama immigration bills conflict with Biblical principles, opponents say: ‘Jesus was a refugee’
Alabama parents could be charged if their kids bring guns to school under proposed law - al.com
In wake of mass shootings, Alabama lawmakers eye ban on Glock switches and public safety bills
https://www.yahoo.com/news/wake-mass-shootings-alabama-lawmakers-211755600.html
Video: Welcome to the United States of Alabama
https://www.tiktok.com/@alabamafication/video/7467934597297311018
Alabama retired teachers struggle with rising costs, stagnant pensions: ‘Can’t plan' - al.com
Alabama teachers seek to halt law limiting lessons on Black history
https://www.axios.com/2025/01/30/alabama-civil-rights-education-dei-lessons-race
Video: Watch "Alabama Democratic Caucus announces 2025 Agenda" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/URazw2srEqA?feature=shared
With leaked footage from the inside, Sundance doc shows horrifying conditions in Alabama prisons
https://www.yahoo.com/news/leaked-footage-inside-sundance-doc-210314205.html
Alabama Political Reporter: Justice Department finds Alabama illegally segregates children with physical disabilities
AL.com: More Alabama toddlers going unvaccinated, especially for polio
AL.com: ‘Focus on your real job’: Some angry over Marshall supporting anti-DEI push at Costco
Alabama AG demands wholesale retailer giant drop ‘insidious’ DEI practices
AL.com: ‘Politicized’ Montgomery MAGA ‘Bloody Sunday’ Selma billboard removed after complaints
Health care groups join Alabama Medical Association push for prior authorization reform - Alabama Daily News
Alabama Political Reporter: Alabama prisoners dying at a rate four times the national average
AL.com: Alabama AG Steve Marshall accused of having conflicts of interest in Mabel Amos trust case
These Alabama offices will be decided during the midterm elections
https://share.newsbreak.com/9z21uwka
Prefiled bill would establish early voting in Alabama
This Alabama official drew the most write-in votes against her candidacy
AL.com: Alabama says they are safe enough for KFC, but too dangerous for parole
Opinion | Killing overtime tax exemption is class warfare
https://www.alreporter.com/2024/12/11/killing-overtime-tax-exemption-is-class-warfare/
These are the 12 Alabama counties where Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump
Want to fix government efficiency, Elon? Come to Alabama.
https://www.al.com/news/2024/12/want-to-fix-government-efficiency-elon-come-to-alabama.html
Inside the $85 million agency that powers Alabama’s economy - al.com
For News Articles links from before the 2024 election that were previously listed here, please go to:
https://sites.google.com/view/demoldnews/home/old-al-state-govt?authuser=0
There you will find a continuation of the news links & comments from the period prior to the November 2024 election
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