1. All signs point to a runoff Bradley Byrne’s name recognition in the First District is somewhere around 75%, which dwarfs the competition in this race. Unless something bizarre happens in the next seven days, he’ll finish first in the Republican primary set to take place Tuesday, Sept. 24. There is a sense, though, that […]

The Discovery Channel last week aired an awesome documentary called “The President’s Gatekeepers” that focused on the men who have served as White House chief of staff, the most senior adviser to the president. All 20 living alumni of the job sat down with the film’s makers to discuss their experiences. Here are 10 things […]

Alabama State Representative Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills, in his role as co-chair of the Alabama Athlete Agents Commission, is calling for a one-year moratorium on any action by the NCAA or state attorneys general against student athletes who received improper benefits from agents if the athletes step forward and inform their school and NCAA officials […]

In writing this list I realized something people may find surprising: there aren’t that many well-organized, well-funded conservative groups in the state of Alabama. Think for a moment about some of the Top 5 liberal groups in the state, which Yellowhammer covered earlier this week. The AEA’s board of directors has appropriated $4 million to […]

A day after the New York Times ran an op-ed by Russian president Vladimir Putin declaring he is “not protecting the Syrian government, but international law,” Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, says he’s not buying it. “I don’t trust the Russians. Their interest is protecting Syria,” Shelby said in an interview with Now This News. After […]

5. Alabama Arise Alabama Arise’s website proclaims that they’re seeking “social, economic and environmental justice.” In other words, Alabama Arise’s team of policy analysts construct wealth redistribution schemes and pressure Alabama’s elected officials to make them the law of the land. Some of their current goals include seeing ObamaCare fully implemented, vastly expanding Medicaid entitlements […]

(Video above: the legend of JD Taylor is born) JD Taylor is the reason Waldo is hiding. JD Taylor makes onions cry. JD Taylor doesn’t sleep, he waits. Ghosts sit around the campfire and tell JD Taylor stories. When the boogyman goes to sleep at night, he checks his closet for JD Taylor. Superman wears […]

Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, I was sitting in my high school U.S. government class when a school administrator burst through the classroom door, startling everyone and imploring the teacher to turn on the television immediately. “Everyone pay attention,” she said. “You’ll never forget this.” She had no idea how right she’d be. From Saddam’s ouster […]

Alabama Education Association (AEA) political operatives, including AEA chief Henry Mabry, spent this past Saturday and Sunday in Birmingham attending Democracy for America’s “Campaign Academy,” a workshop for liberal-progressive community organizers. Democracy for America (DFA) was founded in 2004 by former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. According to Wikipedia, “Democracy for America has helped […]

A group of New Hampshire Republicans is considering drafting a resolution that would urge Congress to oppose U.S. military intervention in Syria, potentially placing them at odds with their own senator, Kelly Ayotte. Manchester City chairman Will Infantine told Yellowhammer Monday that he’s contemplating pushing forward a formal expression of opinion similar to the letter Iowa […]

Michelle Rhee is one of the most polarizing figures in the American education community. Her supporters cite increased student achievement during her tenure as chancellor of the Washington D.C. public school system as evidence that her brand of education reform works. Her critics call her “anti-teacher,” or at least “anti-union,” and say that her successes […]

The most notable cases heard before the U.S. Supreme Court oftentimes become part of the common vernacular. No conversation about desegregation is complete without a reference to Brown v. Board. “Roe” is synonymous with abortion. Anyone who’s ever been in the unfortunate position of being arrested — or just watched an episode of COPS — […]

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, continued his all-out assault on ObamaCare over the weekend with a tweet indicating Alabamians could experience a 60 percent increase in their health insurance premiums thanks to the president’s healthcare law. Only California, Idaho, Indiana and Maryland will experience more significant increases, according to a map embedded in the senator’s tweet. […]

The never-ending saga of the Alabama Public Service Commission, which regulates the state’s utilities, has revolved heavily around two sets of groups. On one side, conservative groups like the Alabama Policy Institute, Eagle Forum and Tea Party leaders have consistently advocated for an open utility review process that would protect Alabama’s ability to utilize a […]

State Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills, has served in the Alabama House of Representatives since 2004. But back in 1994, Williams was a staffer for the Alabama House of Representatives Republican Caucus. At an event in Birmingham last night, U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions recalled a phone call he had with Williams and a group of […]

(Above: Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, discusses his reasoning for wanting to repeal one of Alabama’s new gun laws) The so-called Omnibus Gun Bill was one of the most hotly contested pieces of legislation passed during the 2013 session. The final bill, which was ultimately signed into law bill Gov. Bentley, was the product of a […]

You remember Henny Penny, better known as Chicken Little, right? Henny Penny was a chicken who believed the world was coming to an end. “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” He would scream in agony. According to Wikipedia, that phrase “has passed into the English language as a common idiom indicating a hysterical […]

State Rep. Barry Mask , R-Wetumpka, announced today he is stepping down from his District 31 legislative seat effective September 30th. Mask was named CEO of the Alabama Association of Realtors in May, and insiders have speculated for some time that his resignation would come shortly after Labor Day. ‘’I am grateful to the citizens […]

It’s been a half century since segregation was the law of the land in Alabama, but according to an incredible map illustrating the racial distribution of the U.S., self-segregation is still pervasive in Alabama and around the country. Using data from the 2010 census, Dustin Cable of the University of Virginia has created the definitive […]

When asked by a reporter why he had chosen not to attend an event with Sen. Rand Paul later this month, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, in his classic New Jersey style, had this to say: I had to choose — it was a very tough choice, Terry — but I had to choose between […]

A press release didn’t go out, but team Bentley definitely made a statement with the release of the Administration’s brand new website late last week. Gone is the lumbering old website with little functionality, replaced by a slick platform with tons of multimedia capabilities and easy access to information. The launch of the governor’s new site […]

Rep. Paul DeMarco, R-Homewood, on Monday announced he has pre-filed two bills aimed at reforming Alabama’s property management inventory system. One bill in the package will require the State Auditor to maintain a searchable public database listing all personal property items owned by the state and valued at $500 or more. The second bill mandates […]

A Labor Day weekend rally of conservatives in Florida vividly demonstrated the diverging political positions of two Republicans with 2016 on their minds. Whereas Marco Rubio bore the brunt of jeers at the American For Prosperity event, Ted Cruz was sent off the stage with cheers to run for president. The Tampa Bay Times captures the ambiance: “Run, […]

Aaahh, yes. The first Monday of September. One last victory lap to close out summer. Soak it in, folks. Congress unanimously voted to make Labor Day a national holiday in 1894 after several workers were killed by members of the military and the U.S. marshals during a railroad strike. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill […]