The fraud cases involving Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community highlight nonprofit non-governmental organizations (NGOs) providing social services for government. Do private NGOs improve social services? Reporting by Ryan Thorpe and Chris Rufo at City Journal brought attention to the fraud. The investigations have already led to indictments or convictions. The frauds total around $1 billion and […]

The construction industry has an economic impact of $17 billion in Alabama, and when ABC of Alabama’s membership gets together, many topics are discussed, but one is always at the top of the list—workforce development. Our industry is always looking for ways to increase the number of Alabamians participating in the construction labor market. The Associated […]

Two men are stranded on a deserted island. They’ve got fresh water, shelter and just enough to food to survive. They play games like coconut bowling & bocce and tic-tac-toe to pass the time. Then one morning after a tremendous storm a small shipping container washes ashore. Perhaps it contains a boat or something else […]

Alabama’s future is bright. You can see it in the jobs we are landing, the workers we are training, and the confidence employers are showing in every corner of the state. Most people understand what it takes to keep that momentum going: a climate that is ripe for investment, a friendly regulatory environment, and reliable, […]

Small businesses are the lifeblood of Alabama’s economy and drive communities across this nation. As someone who spent years running a small business before being elected to Congress, I understand the pressures our job creators face – rising costs, worker shortages, and a federal bureaucracy that too often makes life harder instead of easier. That’s […]

I am tired of turning on the television or scrolling through social media and seeing carefully clipped soundbites of Senator Tommy Tuberville held up as proof that he is somehow the bad guy of the week. These out-of-context clips may stir up applause on national cable news, but they do not reflect reality on the […]

The South’s railways keep America’s economy in motion, transporting a significant share of our nation’s energy exports, agricultural goods, and automotive freight across the nation and to the Gulf ports. They are the backbone of our region’s industrial success and the critical link between America’s producers and the fast-growing Gulf Coast ports that anchor U.S. […]

North Alabama has been essential to every major American victory in the 20th Century, and we are once again poised to deliver for the 21st. There would not have been enough munitions for the Great War without the nitrate plants in Muscle Shoals. There would not have been sufficient electricity for Oak Ridge to make […]

One Hundred Fifty years ago, a small business in Pittsburgh filed for bankruptcy protection. The H.J. Heinz Company was forced to take this action when the national economy soured, its contractual obligations were over extended, and the company could not pay its debts. This public humiliation could have marked the end of the company and […]

Removing cell phones from classrooms felt like progress — a collective sigh of relief from parents worn out by the digital tug-of-war. But as I’ve spoken with families across Alabama, one concern keeps coming up: even without personal devices, our children are still immersed in screens throughout the school day. Chromebooks. Online worksheets. Digital reading […]

This column was first used on Oct. 2, 1987 during a time of several national strikes: It was announced today that the nation’s pastors have planned a work stoppage to begin at midnight Sunday. This action follows on the heels of the baseball, air controllers and National Football League strikes, and may be the most […]

We all knew that this 2026 election year was going to be a big year in Alabama politics. There was no way it was going to be a “yawner” with openings in the Constitutional offices of Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Agriculture Commissioner, and State Auditor. The 2026 election year […]

In today’s rapidly evolving security landscape, the threat from unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, is no longer hypothetical – it’s here, and it’s growing. Protecting the people I serve – and ensuring the safety of Americans across the country – will always be my top priority. As our adversaries swiftly advance their drone capabilities, […]

Before sunrise, a small-town pharmacist unlocks her doors. She already knows who’s stretching insulin, who’s working double shifts while caring for an aging parent, and which neighbor depends on today’s refill to keep working tomorrow. Her quiet presence holds that town together more than any headline ever could. That same ethic — trust, responsibility, and […]

We all have those moments in life where the path we thought we were following becomes the path less traveled. When the path veers off in some unthinkably horrible direction. We think “there is no way I will ever recover from this.” Blink twice if this has ever happened to you. Perhaps it was the […]

As families across Alabama and our nation gather for Thanksgiving, I’m reminded of the timeless words of President Abraham Lincoln: “No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, […]

As people around our nation gather around dinner tables with friends, family, and loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving, I am reminded of President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation. In 1863, the United States was in the middle of the Civil War. Even when division was at an all-time high, President Lincoln called upon the nation […]

I am certain that this exact sequence will take place at countless Thanksgiving tables across Alabama today. After carving the turkey and passing the potatoes, the discussion will somehow turn to politics no matter how hard everyone tries to avoid it, and before you know it, family members from differing parties with opposing opinions will […]

Saturday will be the 90th playing of the Auburn vs. Alabama football game. The stakes may not be as high this year with Alabama having already secured a berth in the conference title game and Auburn laying a foundation for the future. Regardless, there will absolutely be no shortage of passion for either team. This […]

Posted outside my classroom door hangs a quote that states, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” To me, this quote represents the crux of why we as educators do what we do every day. As metaphorical gardeners, teachers watch for the child who needs a little extra fertilizer, wipe away tears when […]

Mary’s hospital might close. Mary is a mother in rural Alabama who faced a difficult pregnancy and gave birth prematurely to a fragile baby. Her local hospital, the only one with an obstetrics ward in her county, was where her child received lifesaving care. For Mary, that hospital isn’t just a building; it’s the reason […]

Alabama has long been home to groundbreaking medical research, and at the forefront of these efforts is the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). From life-saving cancer treatments to advances in cardiovascular care, UAB’s work touches thousands of lives every day. Yet one area that deserves even more attention is Parkinson’s disease-a neurological condition that […]

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. In fact, while a few other countries have a national day for prayer or thankfulness, nothing truly resembles our Thanksgiving Day. Europe, with its more established countries, scoffs at such a notion of commemorating the virtue or emotion of thanksgiving. They might celebrate national accomplishments like successful harvests, vanquishing […]

Across America, families are facing a surge in violent carjackings. Under the Biden Administration, criminals were emboldened, our communities felt less safe, and sometimes our law enforcement officers lacked the tools they needed to put these offenders behind bars. Even members of Congress have not been immune to carjacking. Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) and […]