On September 7, 2013, during a foreign visit in Kazakhstan, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a speech at Nazarbayev University in Astana. In his speech, Xi announced that his government would be pursuing a strategy to provide for transportation infrastructure development and deepen trade partnerships with China’s neighbors. Xi proposed building a new economic belt […]

October 6-12 is Public Natural Gas Week, a time to reflect on the importance of public natural gas systems across our country and the vital role they play in communities both nationwide and here at home. This commemorative week also coincides with the peak of the 2024 election season, so it’s also a good time […]

As Christians, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment in history. Recent studies show a startling revelation—only 51% of Christians in America are planning to vote in the upcoming election. This is startling to me considering the importance of this election and the responsibility of believers to engage in participate in civic engagement. The implications […]

Vice President Harris’ campaign has proposed $25,000 in government downpayment assistance to help Americans afford homes. Many economists, however, have criticized this. Why might government cash not help families buy homes? Housing has certainly become less affordable. The National Association of Realtors’ affordability index hit an all-time low in 2022 and got worse in 2023. […]

As another dangerous and potentially deadly hurricane is set to make landfall in Florida in a few days, communities in Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina are still struggling to get all the necessary federal assistance to recover and rebuild from the damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Unfortunately, the response from the Biden-Harris administration has been […]

This week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released statistics revealing that the Biden-Harris Administration released more than 425,000 convicted criminals into our country this year. This includes 13,000 murderers and nearly 16,000 sex offenders. American families do not support the invasion this Administration has allowed into our country. In July, a Gallup poll found that […]

Energy security means national security, plain and simple.   Access to abundant natural resources that can be used for energy generation gives us the ability to keep the lights on and power our society. Without access to cheap, reliable and consistent energy sources, it becomes increasingly difficult to give communities, employers, local businesses, schools, churches, law […]

As a neurologist, I have the privilege of helping patients manage complex diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS)—a condition that can cause lasting damage to nerves, affecting vision, balance, mobility and cognitive function. For my patients, every moment counts. Yet, the single most frustrating obstacle I face in providing timely care is not the disease itself—it’s […]

Communication has always been critical to international growth, development and understanding, but we take the ability of people to communicate for granted as most everyone has immediate access to phones, email, and text messaging.  While instant communication is new, not too long ago, the main source of communication was the written word, transmitted primarily by […]

Violent crime is a complex issue influenced by various social, economic, and systemic factors. The fundamental question is what are the common denominators in all high-crime areas, and, secondly, what would it take to eradicate them. Ineffective or disconnected leadership can lead to inadequate policies and resources for crime prevention, community engagement, and social services. […]

It’s no secret our nation is in troubling times, and things have only gotten worse under the failed leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration. I’ve written and spoken often about the border crisis Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have created because this is a massive problem that is plaguing every city and every state in this […]

The Wiregrass region of our state has been known as an agricultural area for over a century. However, in recent decades Dothan, the center and heart of the Wiregrass, has become a medical mecca for southeast Alabama, as well as the panhandle of Florida and a large area of southwest Georgia. Dothan is now a […]

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a Coinbase-sponsored Town Hall at Prevail Coffee in Montgomery. It was an eye-opening event where industry experts, business owners, and policymakers discussed the future of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies. One topic of discussion was how cryptocurrencies are changing the world and rewriting the rules on who can access […]

The Republican Party has long been accused of being ineffective by the media and the other side of the aisle. Despite calling out the crisis at our southern border from the beginning and passing effective legislation for border security, this Administration and Democratic lawmakers have only enabled waves of illegals crossing into our country. On […]

Abbeville’s Jimmy Rane has been heralded as the richest man in Alabama.  Indeed, his wealth status has been documented in the Business Bible Forbes Magazine. He is a legitimate billionaire. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.2 billion. Jimmy is the only billionaire I have ever met. However, you would never know he was a […]

Tom Greene is a 55 year-old executive, husband and father. He’s the author of “Wit and Wisdom” and writes frequently on topics like happiness, family, spirituality and friendship. America is in a moral free fall. Some would even surmise that the end of this great country is near. But, is it true? Are we truly in a […]

To Alabama’s students and families: welcome back to school! September rings in a new school year for our state’s over 821,000 school-age population. Families are back into their routines—setting early alarms, packing lunches, riding the bus, waiting in the car line, attending pep rallies and after-school sports, and so much more. The majority of my professional career […]

I’ve said it from the beginning—illegal immigration is going to infiltrate our small towns and communities. The clear destruction of our border by the Biden-Harris Administration has done Americans no good. Heinous crimes, gang violence, and drug trafficking have only risen since the Democrat Party took control in January 2021. Now, the people and local […]

As Chairman of the Board for the Alabama Trucking Association, I ask all Alabamians to join me in recognizing the incredible contributions of our industry’s most valuable players: Professional truck drivers. This week, as America’s trucking industry observes National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (Sept. 15-21, 2024), it is important to highlight the vital role these […]

Twenty-three years ago, our nation suffered one of the most tragic events ever to occur—the attacks on September 11, 2001.  Terrorists crashed planes into the Twin Towers in New York City, the Pentagon, and nearly the United States Capitol. Lives were lost, families were broken, and our nation was hurting. The War on Terror broke […]

Home ownership, a core component of the American Dream, appears increasingly out of reach for many. Much of the concern involves affordability, driven partly by high mortgage interest rates. But corporations own an increasing number of homes which are available only for rent. Are Americans becoming captive renters? I have some statistics on corporate ownership […]

Huntsville’s economy – and, therefore, much of North Alabama – has long been tied to federal government institutions, especially major facilities of the US Army, NASA, and most recently the FBI. Those are wonderful assets for the region that should always be highly prized, but North Alabama must also pursue other avenues for job growth, […]

In the summer of 2013, I had the opportunity to intern in the Office of Mayor Tommy Battle. Like many interns, I found myself tasked with a variety of “other duties as assigned,” one of which was standing along Memorial Parkway during press conferences promoting Mayor Battle’s Restore Our Roads initiative—a major infrastructure project aimed […]

On December 16th, 1978, in Taipei, two young families huddled around the television and watched with fear and trepidation as President Jimmy Carter announced to the world from the Oval Office in Washington, D.C., that starting on January 1st, 1979, the United States would establish diplomatic relations with Beijing’s government in China. Widespread angst began […]