As the coronavirus pandemic impacts the world, our news feeds are full of tragedy and sacrifice. These stories of financial hardship, sickness and death dominate the news cycle. This is not, however, the full story. Across the state, the private sector is stepping up to meet the challenges of today. Churches are partnering to offer […]

I was in fifth grade on the first Earth Day. There was an abandoned earth mover in the woods near my elementary school, and Mrs. Fields’ social studies class painted it with bright colors to improve our visual environment. It was 1970, Richard Nixon was president, and later that year would establish the Environmental Protection […]

The notorious Drake Passage between Antarctica and South America was pummeling our research ship with 25- to 30-foot waves and gale-force winds gusting to 60 knots. Our team of 24 American scientists and science support staff had departed the U.S. Palmer Research Station on the western Antarctic Peninsula on March 16, 2020, aboard the RV […]

MONTGOMERY — As information about the new coronavirus comes at a furious pace, at times offering conflicting and confusing advice, the Alabama Academy of Ophthalmology, the Medical Association of Alabama and the American Academy of Ophthalmology want to share what we know right now about protecting your vision and your health during the COVID-19 pandemic. […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Our nation is under attack from an invisible enemy. We are at war with the coronavirus. It has brought our powerful economy to a halt and millions have lost their jobs. It has closed our schools and forced almost every American to live under state government mandated stay at home orders. Worse, […]

National and state officials agree that we have reached the peak of new cases and deaths here in Alabama from the coronavirus called COVID-19. What does that mean? It means that the number of new daily cases and daily deaths have reached their highest projected point and should plateau for a while before coming down. […]

Once upon a time, there were three young brothers in Alabama who wanted to see their hero, Michael Jordan, in person. At the time, this seemed like an impossible task. How in the world would we ever meet “MJ,” the guy dunking the moon backwards on the poster in our room? That’ll never happen. And […]

Several lawsuits seek monetary damages from the Chinese government for the COVID-19 pandemic. Politicians seem to like the idea, too. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said, “If it were up to me the whole world would send China a bill for the pandemic.” Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn thinks China should forgive the portion of our […]

As coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to sweep across the state of Alabama and the nation, there are several inspiring stories of Alabamians coming together to support those in need. Whether it be sewing personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospitals, delivering meals to the pandemic’s frontline workers, or making donations to those affected by COVID-19, the people […]

It’s like when their favorite lamps get broken by reckless youngsters and moms say, “This is why we can’t have nice things.” I don’t get riled easily, but one photo posted recently by the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division really kicked my blood pressure up a notch. Some yahoos at one of the […]

Vast amounts of normal services have been interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the situation evolves and uncertainty remains, one thing that Alabamians can count on is for the lights to come on when they flip the switch. With many in our state working remotely, children engaging in virtual learning or caring for loved ones […]

Passover and Easter came and went with all of us still in extreme social distancing. There were online Seders. Many of us missed being in church on Easter Day for the first time in our lives. Easter egg hunts and parties were canceled, and parents conducted their own hunts with just their children. The big […]

America needs billions of masks to protect against the coronavirus, particularly high-grade N95 masks for healthcare workers. Nonetheless, fear of litigation delayed delivery of millions of construction masks to healthcare workers. Should the law be slowing our emergency response? America’s largest mask producer, 3M, will soon be producing 100 million a month. The company normally […]

Allow me to share some observations from the year thus far. First of all, I have never seen anything like the coronavirus shutdown of the country. Hopefully, it is a once in a lifetime disaster. Governor Kay Ivey remains popular. Even though some people consider the defeat of Amendment One a personal rejection, it was […]

For the past several weeks, all the world’s focus has been distinctly turned to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This current health crisis and its effects have taken center stage globally, halting the everyday lives of billions. The outbreak and rapid spread of the coronavirus has allowed uncertainty, worry, and stress to invade the lives of […]

Easter celebrates the Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus the Christ, and his victory over sin and death—which is the confirmation of our victory in Him. Amidst all of the panic and uncertainty in the world right now, we pause to reflect and renew that faith with our families and friends. While the ongoing pandemic has […]

We are in the midst of a historic and unprecedented event. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 will be one for the history books. How will history judge our response to this crisis? Certainly, we as a nation and as a health system were unprepared for a pandemic of this magnitude. It has exposed the flaws […]

There will be a time in the future where countries will analyze the policy in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Most governments, including the United States, took their marching orders from the medical and healthcare communities choosing widespread lockdown and shelter in place mentalities. These decisions were largely adopted based on pandemic models that have […]

When Mark and Susan Anderson were required by a statewide mandate to close the doors of their Dothan clothing and outdoor gear store, Eagle Eye Outfitters, they felt like it was a necessary sacrifice for the good of public health. By limiting retail shopping to essential items such as groceries, prescriptions, and fuel, the governor’s […]

Dating back to the Obama administration, conservatives have criticized the impulse to “never let a crisis go to waste.” In truth, the impulse is not always wrong. Sometimes a crisis is a good time to address policy issues precisely because those issues would help alleviate the crisis at hand. This is certainly the case in […]

Like many of you I “attended” Palm Sunday worship online. It was strange not to be there at St. James Fairhope physically for the Liturgy of the Palms to gather outside for prayers and walk into the church together with our palms singing “All Glory, Laud and Honor.” I heard the words of the Passion […]

This unusual moment in history has been full of surprises. Some of those surprises raise profound questions that we will be thinking through for a long time after COVID-19 passes. Many people have been surprised to learn how much power state and county health officials have. In a March 25 guidance letter, Attorney General Steve […]

It’s finally spring in Alabama, and we should be on a beach somewhere living the dream. Instead, we’re all at home living the memes. You know the ones — they cover everything from the toilet paper shortage and hazmat suits to homeschooling nightmares and bad hair. I get it, they’re funny, and we all need […]

As we watch the pandemic’s effect on public health, we pray first and foremost for scientists and physicians to find medications to treat the sick and prevent the healthy from falling ill. From UAB to the University of South Alabama Medical Center, Alabamians are not only helping those afflicted but seeking cures to this pandemic […]