June 26, 1900, had been a record-setting day in Mobile, dumping 12½ inches of rain in 12 hours. And stormy weather threatened again on the 27th. But that did not stop thousands of people from showing up at the base of Government Street downtown to honor a local hero of the War Between the States, […]

Two recent stories got us thinking about what Alabama might look like if it broke apart. The first is a New York Times op-ed arguing that the United States is best understood as 11 distinct countries with regional differences that explain voting patterns. Arguments against the analysis aside, it is an interesting concept. The second […]

Sen. Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook) is keeping mum on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but he has spoken — through his votes — on other judicial confirmations. A dozen appellate court judges have been confirmed since Jones took office in January after winning a special election to finish the term of U.S. Attorney General Jeff […]

Five years after the Alabama Legislature passed a law to cut red tape, state agencies are still culling their regulations. Tuesday, the Alabama Department of Revenue will hold a hearing in Montgomery on a proposal to repeal a regulation concerning a property tax break the legislature gave to senior citizens in Baldwin County who meet […]

It is back-to-school month in Alabama, and for parents, that means shopping. The Census Bureau published a trove of data for the occasion, shedding light on school-related retail. Ranging from bookstores to department stores, here are some highlights of how Alabama and its bigger counties, stack up against the rest of the country. — Family […]

A provocative New York Times op-ed last week argued that political scientists oversimplify the great divide in American politics as an argument between rural denizens and urban residents. Actually, the author says, the country’s politics fracture 11 different ways, the result of historical and cultural differences that split the nation into 11 distinct “countries.” Portland […]

The federal tax cuts passed last year created 2,941 jobs in Alabama this year and will create 16,633 over a decade, but that employment boost will lag behind most of the rest of the country, according to a new study. A map prepared this month by the Washington-based Tax Foundation, breaks down the impact of […]

Piggybacking on a federal investigation into possible collusion, a Mobile law firm has filed a class-acton lawsuit accusing the nation’s biggest television station owners of fixing advertising rates. Clay, Massey & Associates filed the lawsuit this week in U.S. District Court in Chicago against Gray Television Inc., Nextstar Media Group, Tegna Inc., Tribune Media Co. […]

Once so popular that he ran unopposed for re-election to the Senate in both the Republican primary and in the general election, Attorney General Jeff Sessions now finds himself under fire from all sides. Democrats across the country never much cared for him, and now Republicans hold him in low standing, as well. A Morning […]

A pair of researchers who study government corruption by asking the folks who should know best — journalists covering politics — are back with their latest survey. Quantifying corruption long has been an elusive goal because there is no agreed-up criteria to measure it. Some researchers have examined public corruption convictions or indictments. But comparisons […]

Last weekend, parents across Alabama hustled to stores to buy back-to-school supplies, taking advantage of an annual sales tax “holiday” on such expenses. It is too soon to calculate the full impact of this year’s holiday, but a Washington think tank argues it is a gimmick that amounts to poor public policy. “At first glance, […]

Alabama farmers bracing for tariffs expressed support for a $12 billion aid package announced by President Donald Trump’s administration this week, but some economists warn that a trade war could be costly. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the relief on Tuesday. John McMillan, the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, said […]

Most Alabama voters want President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court to be confirmed, according to a poll commissioned by an organization spending millions of dollars on his behalf. The Judicial Crisis Network on Monday released results of the poll, conducted by North Star Opinion Research in four states testing support for Brett Kavanaugh. […]

Lowndesboro Mayor Rick Pate on Tuesday survived late-campaign attack ads dredging up a three-decade-old divorce to claim the Republican nomination for Alabama commissioner of agriculture and industries. Pate defeated state Sen. Gerald Dial (R-Lineville) with about 57 percent of the vote. With no Democrat on the ballot in November, Pate is all but assured of […]

The names on the ballot in Tuesday’s Republican primary runoff likely will draw a blank from many Alabama voters in an election that experts predict will feature extremely low turnout. Under such circumstances, it is crucial for candidates to be able to spend enough money to catch the attention of distracted voters for offices they […]

Alabamians will start paying more for many online purchases beginning in October, as the state seeks to translate a recent Supreme Court ruling on internet transactions into revenue. Last month, the high court reversed a 26-year-old precedent and ruled that states could require online retailers to collect the sales tax even if the company has […]

There was a time when Alabama’s William Pryor, a former attorney general and current federal appeals court judge, seemed a good bet to one day join the Supreme Court. Last year, he was rumored to be at the very top of President Donald Trump’s list to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who had died the prior […]

Experts this week have debated the impact of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement. For one Alabama death row inmate, however, it literally could mean the difference between life and death. Kennedy, who announced that he will step down at the end of July, was not an automatic vote for death row inmates over the […]

The ride-sharing company Uber on Wednesday announced that it would launch operations statewide in Alabama. The decision will bring part-time jobs and a new transportation option to many rural counties that have a shortage of both. Kasra Moshkani, southeast general manager of the company, said in a statement that the expansion would begin on Sunday. […]

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall suffered a personal tragedy over the weekend, losing his wife at the worst-possible time — right in the middle of an election campaign. It likely will be little comfort to Marshall, but he is not alone. Plenty a candidate across the country has had to add arranging the funeral for […]

As the massive baby boom generation slips into retirement, America continues to get older. According to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau this week, the median age in America last year was 38, up nearly a full year from 2010. Alabama experienced less of an increase — from 39.1 to 40.5 — but it […]

At first, the survey of voters in Baldwin County sounds like a classic “push poll,” which masquerades as a poll but actually is a sort of attack ad by delivering negative information about one of the candidates. But the pollster calling voters recently provided negative information about both candidates running for a state Senate seat […]

For three years, comedian W. Kamau Bell had trained his sharp eye on exotic slices of America to break down stereotypes. On Sunday, he took his myth-busting CNN show to a more familiar setting — Alabama, where he spent part of his youth. As is the show’s format, Bell spent the show interviewing a variety […]

Alabama again is President Donald Trump’s most supportive state, according to a Morning Consult survey released Wednesday. The poll, conducted in May, indicates that 63 percent of Alabama voters approve of Trump’s performance. That edges Wyoming and West Virginia, where the president’s approval rating stood at 62 percent. With 33 percent of Alabama voters disapproving […]