With great profit and pleasure I’m currently reading Alec Ryrie’s new book Protestants: The Faith that Made the Modern World. Among the many texts appearing in this year of the five hundredth anniversary of the Reformation, Ryrie’s stands out for its verve, clarity, and historical sweep. In some ways, it is an answer […]

    The day after his “Silent Majority” speech on Nov. 3, 1969, calling on Americans to stand with him for peace with honor in Vietnam, Richard Nixon’s GOP captured the governorships of Virginia and New Jersey. By December, Nixon had reached 68 percent approval in the Gallup Poll, though, a year earlier, he had […]

The U.S. Air Force is being stretched to the limit, with budget constraints and a growing pilot shortage, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein told a news briefing on Thursday. “The fiscal year ’18 continuing resolution is actually delaying our efforts to increase the readiness of the force,” Wilson […]

  When four intruders blocked the road to his house and tried to break into his home to kidnap his 17 year-old daughter, the teen’s 51 year-old father used his gun to save her. After his dogs started barking and his motion-activated flood lights went on, the man spotted the four intruders trying to break […]

  Perhaps former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley said it best: “Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times that the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.” That was certainly the case for three servicemen from Leeds who went far beyond the call of duty to save the lives of their comrades during battle. […]

  Fall is a magical time on the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. The white pelicans execute their synchronized flying patterns as mullet leap for the sky for no apparent reason. In the distance, the spray from their spouts reveals a pod of dolphins on the hunt as they surround a school of baitfish. Oh, and the best […]

  American music legend Charlie Daniels said in an interview with CNSNews.com that he learned lessons playing high school football that have served him his entire life—“not just as a professional musician, but as a person.” In his newly published memoir—“Never Look at the Empty Seats”—Daniels writes about spending his high school years in Gulf, […]

  From Obamacare to Common Core, Alabama is known for being among the first to react in high-profile cases of DC overreach. Under the banner of the state motto, “We dare defend our rights,” Alabamians seem to share an innate sense of self-determination. Yet, despite its long-standing reputation, the state has essentially welcomed much of […]

  Many doctors treat patients under the belief “You are your genes,” meaning that every person is a product of his or her own unique heredity. The statement is true to some degree, said Dr. Anna Hurst, a medical geneticist and pediatrician in the Department of Genetics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). […]

  Many little girls dream of being a ballerina, a princess or perhaps a high-fashion model. Not Denise Richardson. At the tender age of 4, Richardson wanted to grow up and become a soldier. For a young girl whose family was immersed in a world “of all things Army,” her aspirations weren’t unusual. Her father […]

  Extreme vetting of gun buyers would not have stopped the situation in Sutherland Springs, Texas, President Trump told a news conference in South Korea on Tuesday. The gunman who killed 26 people passed a background check to purchase four guns in a four-year period because information about his domestic violence convictions did not make […]

  Jasper’s Charles Gilliland had a great seat for one of the most famous scenes in American history. But he didn’t get to see it for long. The World War II Navy radioman was just below Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi on Feb. 23, 1945, when six Marines raised the American flag. A Pulitzer Prize-winning photo […]

Your kids likely have seen the news of the horrific mass shooting that occurred at a rural Southern Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. In the aftermath of the deadliest church shooting in modern American history, conversations surrounding guns, hate, and seemingly random attacks are inevitable. As your kids head to school, other children may […]

  Legendary broadcaster Vin Scully said at an event in Pasadena on Saturday night that because of players kneeling in protest at the National Anthem he will never watch another NFL game. “I used to love, during the fall and winter, to watch the NFL on Sunday,” Scully said. “It’s not that I’m some great […]

  Speaking at a news conference in Japan on Monday, President Trump said the horrific mass shooting at a Texas church was carried out by “a very deranged individual with a lot of problems over a long period of time.” At least 26 people were killed during a Sunday service at the First Baptist Church […]

  Gen. John Kelly has emerged as President Donald Trump’s most effective spokesperson. He is plain-spoken and authentic. His defense of Donald Trump’s phone call to a war widow was heartfelt and easily understood, but he had to be punished for that. The Democrats and their allies in the media decided to pretend Kelly using […]

The United States has gained 138,000 manufacturing jobs in 2017, according to data released yesterday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In December, the last month of 2016, there were 12,343,000 employed in manufacturing in the United States, according to BLS. By October, that had risen to 12,481,000. The 12,481,000 people employed in the manufacturing […]

There is a common thread that continuously works its way into the conversation when you sit down and talk with Nick West about how he got to where he is today. He is just starting out in life graduating high school only a few months ago but you wouldn’t know it. He recognized early that […]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Junior League of Birmingham, one of the city’s oldest nonprofits, is celebrating its 95th anniversary this year along with its impact on the Greater Birmingham Community. The Junior League of Birmingham’s theme for the 95th year of serving Birmingham is “Light Tomorrow with Today,” a quote from Elizabeth Barrett Browning that summarizes what […]

As you may have heard, Todd Burpo’s best-selling book, Heaven is for Real, has been turned into a movie and it hits the theaters Wednesday (April 16th). Burpo’s four-year-old son allegedly visited heaven after being anesthetized for an appendectomy, and the book tells his story. Unfortunately, Heaven is for Real isn’t the only book of its kind to hit […]

It’s pretty unreal when you see it. Your 2013 tax dollars — which are due today — went primarily to pay for government benefits. Major entitlements (Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security) gobbled up 49 percent, while more federal benefits took another 20 percent. These additional “income security” benefits include federal employee retirement and disability, unemployment […]

By: Bradley Byrne Last month, the voters of Alabama’s First Congressional District entrusted me with a solemn responsibility: to be their voice in the United States House of Representatives in a time of bloated budgets, sluggish economic growth, and continued encroachment on personal liberties from Washington. This week, my staff and I wasted no time […]

As the holiday season approaches, many Alabama consumers will take to the internet and local establishments to begin shopping for gifts. The Alabama Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section has developed a list of good tips to keep in mind that can help protect the consumer’s identity, property, and safety. Shopping Online: Shop from reputable online […]

Sen. Jeff. Sessions, R-Mobile, released the following statement today after receiving word that his longtime friend and staffer Chuck Spurlock had passed away after a bout with cancer. I am heartbroken over the passing of my friend and State Director, Chuck Spurlock. Chuck loved life, had high ethical and moral standards, and always reflected the […]