7. Longtime Alabama State Sen. Tom Butler (R-Madison) announced he will not seek re-election in 2026, marking the end of a decades-long, multi-party political career.

6. The death of Jabari Peoples in a police shooting in Homewood has led to a political clash, with State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham), who wrote Alabama’s body cam law, attacking the family’s lawyer over the issue of transparency and threats.

5. The United Auto Workers union is pushing for a unionization vote at a Huntsville, powertrain plant, aiming to expand its influence in the South, something they failed at in Alabama recently.

4. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surprised President Trump with a formal Nobel Peace Prize nomination at a White House meeting where Trump questioned if a two-state solution is even possible.

3. Alabama leaders mourned the death of an eight-year-old Mountain Brook girl in Texas floods that killed at least 104; meanwhile three members of a Mobile family remain missing, with one rescued.

2. State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Josephine) is advocating for stricter state and federal laws to make it harder for undocumented immigrants to work in Alabama.

1. Governor-elect Coach Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) called out Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for opposing an amazing federal immigration raid, accusing her of prioritizing criminals over citizens.

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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.