Jo Bonner was officially sworn in as the fourth president of the University of South Alabama on September 23, 2022. The University of South Alabama is the crown jewel and flagship of the Alabama Gulf Coast. It is a sprawling, manicured, beautiful and functional modern campus. It is currently the third largest university in the […]

Governor Kay Ivey’s 2022 reelection victory run has been very impressive. Kay Ivey laid to rest the last hope of the Alabama Democrats being able to win a statewide race, especially for governor in my lifetime and probably in yours, when she beat Walt Maddox like a rented mule in 2018. Walt Maddox was the […]

America’s Veterans Day is recognized in other English-speaking countries as Remembrance Day. With the 80th anniversary this month of both the Battle of El Alamein and the North Africa “Torch” Landings, the observance has an added meaning. 80 years ago, for all intents and purposes, the outcome of World War II hung in the balance. […]

There is good news and bad news for education in Alabama. On the positive side, Alabama’s political and educational leaders recently hailed the state’s improved rankings on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the “Nation’s Report Card.” This year’s NAEP assessment, administered for the first time since 2019, is a testament […]

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians (PCI) is a sovereign nation with our own system of government, and the only federally recognized Tribe in the state of Alabama. PCI is an active partner in the state, contributing to economic, educational, social, and cultural initiatives benefiting both our nation and our neighbors in local communities and […]

His name is Fred. He was adopted into the Johnson family in 1977 and has been a faithful and beloved member ever since. Fred is a 1961 Chevy shortbed, step-side Apache 10. He delivered me to my high school graduation, countless dates, prom, college, and, with bride and children riding in the bed, scouting Springfield’s […]

Last year, the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board returned $361 million to communities and citizens to help fund essential state services such as mental health, women’s and children’s programs, education and law enforcement. Since the ABC Board’s creation 85 years ago, those revenues have totaled more than $8.6 billion for the people of Alabama. What’s even better […]

Sometimes laws become outdated and begin to have negative consequences for the people they were originally meant to help. When that happens, it becomes necessary to vote out the old law to make way for an improved system. It’s a situation dozens of cities around Alabama are facing, and we need the public’s help to […]

This 2022 election year in Alabama has been monumental and memorable. Any gubernatorial year is big in the state. It is the brass ring of Alabama politics to be governor. However, the race to succeed our senior Senator Richard Shelby has been the marquee contest. This year will be the last hurrah for our two […]

Many liberals offer Canada’s government-run healthcare as an example for the U.S. to emulate. In 2015, Canada’s Supreme Court struck down all national and provincial bans on assisted suicide. Reportedly, health care officials now “inform” patients of their right to die. The collision of individual rights and a collectivist medical system will always produce such […]

Believe it or not, our 2022 General Election is upon us, November 8 to be exact. It seems to be going under the radar screen of most Alabama voters. There will be a record breaking low voter turnout because there are really no contested statewide races. Why? Because we are a one party state when […]

Earlier this year, during the International Space Station Research & Development Conference in Washington, I had the great opportunity to unveil my space vision for the rest of the 21st century. Outlining the five pillars of American space power: Leadership – U.S. leadership and international rule building in space Permanence – The strong permanent U.S. […]

Our Alabama Congressional delegation will all be reelected next month, as usual. We are no different than any other state when it comes to the incumbency advantage of being a congressperson. When someone is elected to the U.S. Congress, they are usually there for life unless they run for higher office. They probably would not […]

The U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve are both investigating the potential for issuing a digital currency in the future in place of the dollar. A digital currency would create the new policy tools for stabilizing the economy but also poses great threats to privacy and personal freedom. One natural question arising here may be […]

Reformers have pressured police departments for years to reduce unnecessarily dangerous conduct. Yet departments and unions protect officers such as Derek Chauvin, who racked up 18 excessive force complaints before murdering George Floyd. Some departments have initiated meaningful changes thanks to pressure from insurance companies. An excellent Washington Post story provides details. The St. Ann, […]

It was a strange comment. He was with a group who came to our church to use our facilities for a civic event. I was fairly new at the church and he told me he went to a neighboring church. “We don’t worship like you do,” he said with a smile. I got the impression […]

As mentioned last week, all polling points to a significant Republican pickup of congressional seats in the upcoming November General Election. It is a historical fact that the party that loses the White House in a presidential year, picks up congressional seats in the following midterm elections. Furthermore, Democrats are in disfavor because of runaway […]

Since our founding in Birmingham more than 80 years ago, Southern Research has played a pivotal role in Birmingham’s economy and in the scientific advances that have transformed our world. In the past year, we’ve updated our brand and refreshed our website, but we are still doing today what we’ve always done: We are “moving […]

100 years ago this month, Italy succumbed to a new political order that would ignite a worldwide struggle for freedom. Completely abandoning its rightful claim as the birthplace of republican self-government, Italy embraced the fanatical politics of Benito Mussolini and embarked on a sad journey of prioritizing rhetoric over reason and ideology over experience. The […]

Happy is an elephant at the Bronx Zoo. The group NonHuman Rights recently brought a habeas corpus petition in state court challenging Happy’s confinement, which was dismissed because animals do not have human rights. The case reminds us of the ever-changing legal status of animals, which may eventually restructure society. Another recent animal welfare legal […]

For more than 100 years, political history has revealed without deviation when a Democrat wins the presidency in a presidential year, in the following mid-term congressional elections Republicans make gains in the U.S. House of Representatives. That truism has become more pronounced in the last few decades. This history will be repeated in the upcoming […]

Across this nation, nearly 8 million high school students are participating in athletics, and nearly half a million college students compete as NCAA athletes. Last year, the NCAA surveyed 9,800 student athletes and found these athletes are reporting higher-than-average levels of mental health issues. Even worse, a third of those who took the survey said […]

The 2022 Economic Freedom of the World report confirms what many economists suspected: COVID-19 took a toll on economic freedom in addition to its other impacts. We have lost a decade of progress on freedom. Economic freedom refers to individuals’ ability “to decide how to use their time and their talents to shape their lives.” […]

Although multiple states have taken steps toward addressing the pervasive issue that is organized retail crime, the plague continues to spread. These are sophisticated shoplifting rings that are able to turn a huge profit by selling items stolen in mass online to unsuspecting customers. Amidst a recession, the additional nationwide strain on small businesses stemming […]