7. The 2025 college football head coaches’ hot seat list features several SEC coaches facing pressure mostly due to lofty expectations; the Florida Gators and Oklahoma Sooners coaches’ seats are the hottest, but Auburn’s Hugh Freeze is holding the 3rd hottest seat.

6. The Alabama Republican Party passed a bylaw prohibiting Republican elected officials from appointing Democrats to positions in the state, with appointments by Gov. Kay Ivey that have gone to Democrats being mentioned as a reason.

5. Steven Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s envoy dealing with the Israeli-Hamas conflict, discussed efforts to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Meanwhile, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl criticized President Barack Obama for his role in all of this, “You gave billions to Iran and Hamas creating this mess and not one word from you calling for THEM to release the hostages.”

4. Huntsville City Schools outlined strict consequences for students caught with cell phones, aiming to curb distractions. But they will let the students keep their phones, as opposed to spending $500,000 on pouches.

3. Texas Democrats fled the state to prevent a quorum, again, blocking a Trump-backed redistricting vote in a dramatic legislative maneuver that has failed in the past.

2. Homeland Security tied a Bibb County trafficking suspect to the violent Sureños gang, raising concerns about immigration and sex crimes.

1. Economist Kevin Hassett defended President Trump’s decision to fire the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner after a poor jobs report and has missed on her projections pretty broadly. This came after NBC News’ Kristen Welker spoke for her mainstream media colleagues as they declared this firing to be the worst thing ever, and some suggested it was what Hitler would do.

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Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.