According to numerous reports Monday, deputy state attorney general Henry “Sonny” Reagan has asked for an independent investigation to be launched into accusations that he took “action to impede or obstruct the investigation” currently taking place by a Lee County Grand Jury. According to a letter written by Attorney General Luther Strange on January 31, […]

If Alabama’s state government agencies and institutions changed the font they use to type documents, they could potentially save millions of taxpayer dollars per year, according to an analysis by the Alabama Legislative Fiscal office at the request of state senator Slade Blackwell (R-Mountain Brook). All of the state’s documents are currently printed in Time […]

Scott Stantis is widely viewed as one of the best — if not the best — editorial cartoonists in the country. At one point he was the staff cartoonist for The Birmingham News. And although he’s now at The Chicago Tribune, which is one of the most high profile jobs in his field, Stantis still […]

The Miss America pageant has often rebutted critics who say that the entire process objectifies women by pointing out that they are “the world’s largest provider of scholarships for women.” That’s a point that’s difficult for anyone to find fault with, even those who may take issue with the selection criteria. The pageant claims to […]

Public universities in Alabama have seen the share of their revenue that comes from state funding drop by an average of 15.4 percent over the past 25 years, according to data compiled by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Only one public university in Alabama has seen its percentage of revenue from state funding increase over […]

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the son of former U.S. Senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, made national headlines on Monday when he announced to the world that he thinks there should be a law by which global warming skeptics could be jailed. “I wish […]

I stood inconspicuously near the back of the East Room of the White House last week as a who’s who of American political and military leadership filed into the room. From past Medal of Honor winners and current military generals to the Secretary of Defense and President of the United States, some of the most […]

(Above: audio from Jesse T. Smith radio interview) Jesse T. Smith, The Democratic nominee for Congress in Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District hasn’t been able to gain much traction against longtime Republican incumbent Mike Rogers, but he did make national news earlier this month by claiming that the Republican majority in Congress is “worse than ISIL.” […]

The latest air quality data released by the Obama administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may call into question the stated goals of the agency’s recently proposed environmental regulations, which will force the State of Alabama to cut power plant carbon emissions by roughly 30 percent by 2030. A study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce […]

All eyes are on the 35 U.S. Senate seats up for grabs this year. Republicans need to pick up 6 seats to regain the majority and the election map is tilted in their favor. 21 of the 35 seats in play are currently held by Democrats; 7 of the seats held by Democrats are in […]

(Above: new Regions Bank commercial featuring Nick Saban) Nick Saban and personal money management — humor is hardly the first thing that comes to mind with either one. But in a new television ad released by the Birmingham-based Regions Bank over the weekend, the notoriously intense Saban somehow manages to actually make banking funny. In […]

VANCE, Ala. — Less than two weeks ago, Mercedes-Benz announced plans to sharply increase production at its Tuscaloosa County plant over the next two years, boosting annual capacity to 300,000 vehicles from the 185,000 produced there in 2013. On Thursday evening, the auto maker announced the first specific plans about new hires to go along […]

(Note: All times are Central. For a printable version, click here) Follow Cliff on Twitter @Cliff_Sims

The Birmingham suburb of Hoover has been named the 28th best city in America to live in a special report by 24/7 Wall St., one of the top financial news and opinion sites on the web. With unemployment almost non-existent (3.8%), very little crime (104.5 violent crimes per 100,000 residents), and low cost of living […]

U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller, who was appointed to the federal bench in Alabama’s Middle District in 2002, was arrested in the early morning hours of Aug. 10 after his wife called 911 and told the dispatcher “he’s beating me… please help me.” According to the subsequent police report, Fuller’s wife had lacerations to her […]

WASHINGTON — In 2011, the U.S. House and Senate both passed a bill that granted the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) the authority to prohibit welfare beneficiaries from withdrawing their cash benefits at vice institutions, such as liquor stores, strip clubs, and casinos. In April of this year, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions was […]

The Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives plans to vote on Thursday to pass for the second time a package of energy-related bills they say would lower energy costs and create a wave of new jobs in the American energy sector. The American Energy Solutions for Lower Costs and More American Jobs Act, […]

(Above: Lou Dobbs interviews Rep. Mo Brooks) In an appearance on Lou Dobbs’ Fox Business Network program Tuesday evening, U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL5) was adamant that the United States should not commit to a military conflict with ISIS if the President is not willing to do whatever it takes to win. “I’m troubled by […]

WASHINGTON — The plague of domestic violence incidents in American society has captured national attention in recent weeks after the story — and subsequent video — of star NFL running back Ray Rice hitting his then-fiancé became public. The NFL’s botched handling of the incident has led to growing calls for current NFL commissioner Roger […]

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Monday awarded the Medal of Honor to Army Command Sergeant Major Bennie G. Adkins of Opelika, Ala., for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty during the Vietnam War. So numerous and heroic were Adkins’ battlefield exploits in the jungles of Vietnam that President Obama […]

According to an analysis of state tax rules by Kiplinger, a Washington, D.C.-based business forecasting and personal finance publisher, Alabama is among the most tax-friendly states in the country. “State taxes and the ways they are collected vary significantly across the country,” Kiplinger explained. “For example, some states with low income taxes impose above-average sales […]

Happiness is subjective, there’s no doubt about that. As the Washington Post points out, “One person’s happiness (from a high-stakes job, a sprawling yard, a set of twins) is another’s headache. Even the things that make most of us happy — dessert, puppies — do so in degrees: That cupcake that brings you some joy […]

In the August/September issue of Garden & Gun Magazine, well-known food writer and dining critic John Kessler ranked the best breakfast joints in the South. “Whether you’re craving corned beef hash, quail and eggs, or just need a hangover cure—stat—we’ve scoured the South for the best places to get the day started right,” Kessler wrote. […]

“Masters of the Universe” is the title that Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) frequently uses to describe the wealthy, entrenched political class that often runs roughshod over American politics. Most recently, the “Masters” have been calling for so-called comprehensive immigration reform, and pushing for the president to bypass Congress and grant executive amnesty to millions of […]