First, it was the public health experts whose projections were wrong about COVID-19. They predicted far more spread of the disease, and death from it, than we have actually experienced.  They also predicted that those states which opened up before others would have a widespread breakout and a spike of hospitalization, and that hasn’t happened […]

Like millions of Americans across the nation, my family and I were shocked, angered and saddened by the video that documented the death of George Floyd while in custody of Minneapolis police officers. Anyone who reviews the footage quickly understands that it was a tragic and negligent death and could have easily been avoided. In […]

In America, law enforcement officers, not the outlaws, control the streets. Sadly, that is not true in so many other countries around the world. We cannot allow the radical left activists and Antifa terrorists to succeed in bringing those same failures here. They are in full attack mode, demanding that America “defund the police” so […]

The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin ignited nationwide protests. While we advise jurors to withhold judgment until presentation of all the evidence, video of the incident seems definitive. Mr. Floyd joins a much too long list of minority victims of police violence. Justice may be served in Minneapolis. The four […]

The human toll of COVID-19 is unprecedented in Alabama, and businesses of all sizes have taken a shellacking due to the pandemic. As such, our tactical focus for workforce development has transitioned from filling positions in the tight labor market we enjoyed in February to pandemic response, incumbent worker training and dislocated worker training today. […]

I was a young teenager in the late 1960s, but I remember the riots and violence that occurred around the country, and especially in the large cities. I was concerned that we were headed down that road again with racial violence around the country in the summer of 2016, President Obama’s last year in office. […]

Have we gone mad? In liberal cities and states, American citizens are more likely to be arrested for attending church than for fire-bombing one – as a crowd of rioters tried to do in Washington, D.C. Enough. Americans cannot and will not abide this violence and destruction any longer. If any government official does wrong, […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has sent shockwaves through the global economy. But recovery is on the horizon and one critical industry in Alabama – the metallurgical coal industry – is poised to help lead the way. When most Americans think of coal, they think electricity, but metallurgical coal – called “met” for short – is used […]

In taking on the political establishment and draining the swamp, President Trump has had no greater ally than Jeff Sessions. Alabama would be well-served to have him back as our United States Senator. During the first two years of the Trump administration, I saw Senator Sessions’ commitment to the president’s agenda first-hand as one of […]

In March, states undertook dramatic and unprecedented measures to stem the spread of the SARS2-COV virus. And yet COVID-19 has claimed 100,000 lives in the United States. Was the lockdown effective? Economists frequently address such questions in our research. Seeing the unseen, or the path that we did not choose, is the key here. It […]

I remember the collective groan that went up from motorists when “red light cameras” became a thing. Suddenly, it didn’t matter if the police were around to see you push your luck with a changing traffic light. Big Brother always would. The heightened accountability at busy intersections felt a bit creepy and oppressive, but most […]

When voters defeat a proposed state amendment, it is often thought that the matter is put to rest. That is often the case, but when Alabama’s voters went to the polls in March and shot down a proposal to replace the elected state board of education in favor of one appointed by the governor, they […]

As you may know, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health has become a pressing issue, impacting tens of millions of people each year in the United States. Nearly one in five American adults live with mental health disorders and illnesses according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic […]

Over the past four years during my travels and speaking events over the state, the most asked question posed to me has been, “Why in the world is Mike Hubbard not in jail?” It was four years ago in June 2016 that the speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives, Mike Hubbard, was convicted by […]

As the economic crisis due to the coronavirus has impacted our state, Alabama’s job creators and our state’s workers have been focused on reopening our state and getting back to work. Before the coronavirus, Alabama’s economy was strong and one of the biggest challenges many Alabama businesses faced was filling vacant jobs with skilled workers. […]

The 2020 regular session of the Alabama state legislature is behind us. Did anyone notice? It was a session marked more by what didn’t happen than by what did. One minute the lobbyists were being paid well to try and get marijuana legalized, state budgets were flush, and gambling bills were once again all that […]

As Alabama shut down its schools on March 16 and moved classes online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was saddened but not surprised when many Gulf Shores students told me they didn’t have broadband at home needed for their coursework. Having headed school systems in Piedmont, Huntsville and now in Gulf Shores’ first […]

This year, during the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Memorial Day provided an even more unique opportunity to reflect upon what makes our nation great and the shared values we hold as a people. Though our celebrations may have been scaled down, the greatness of our country is, in many ways, more apparent in challenging […]

This Memorial Day comes at an unprecedented time for our country. Americans for several weeks have dealt with the harsh reality of having to face major challenges accompanied by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. At a time when the American people are suffering devastating loss and experiencing hardships, it is vital to remain united, hopeful, and […]

COVID-19 has disrupted almost all aspects of life, including higher education. Colleges moved classes online during the spring semester and some observers believe that this will permanently change higher education. I think this will create new focus on how college creates value. Online education has existed for years. Arguably though, the willingness of the nation’s […]

Last week, Democrats forced a vote on their so-called HEROES Act, a bill that Nancy Pelosi concocted with zero Republican input. This is perhaps the most extreme leftist, socialist bill ever brought to the House floor, and it has no chance of passing in the Senate. This was not a serious attempt to help our […]

The legendary Speaker of the U.S. House Sam Rayburn coined a famous phrase he used often and imparted to young congressmen when they would arrive on Capitol Hill full of vim and vigor. He would sit down with them and invite them to have a bourbon and branch water with him. The old gentleman, who […]

Photos of a smogless Los Angeles skyline set against a brilliant blue sky have emerged as an iconic image to showcase the impact of decreased air pollution during America’s COVID-19 quarantine. Similar photos from around the world, including what are usually smog-filled cities in India, China and Europe, provide a glimpse of a world with […]

Visiting the pool or lake is synonymous with summer fun. As hot weather approaches, parents and swimmers alike are concerned about what COVID-19 means for water-based activities this season. The key question people have is whether COVID-19 can be transmitted through pool water. “If a pool is maintained with chlorine or bromine and managed, there […]