The state of Alabama late this week surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), and the United States exceeded 265,000 cases. The total number of COVID-19 cases globally on Friday officially passed 1 million. It is evident that the virus is continuing to accelerate across our state and local communities. During these uncertain […]

Even in ordinary times, the more than 760,000 unpaid family caregivers in Alabama face a daunting set of daily tasks. Oftentimes with little or no training, they may be responsible for wound care, tube feedings, dressing, managing the finances and medical bills of their loved ones, transportation and more. Of course, these are no ordinary […]

More than 50 million households, representing more than one-third of the nation, already have responded to the 2020 Census. The census happens once every 10 years, and your response affects allocation of congressional seats and federal funds to your community — for things like schools, hospitals, roads and emergency services. Please respond to the census […]

We live in wild times. I’ve watched people all across the political spectrum in recent days deliver impassioned speeches about the need to take extraordinary measures to preserve human life. They say they believe the elderly and vulnerable are just as deserving of a chance to live as any other. They are right. Human life […]

Every American was a bit disappointed when the White House announced this week that social distancing guidelines will remain in place at least until April 30, and some governors across the nation have mandated that statewide shelter-in-place orders may be enforced until the end of June. Working from home, avoiding contact with others and venturing […]

I spent my professional career getting dressed, usually in business attire, leaving my house and driving to another location – office tower, free-standing building, hospital – to begin my workday. All of that changed late last year when I joined the Business Council of Alabama as regional director, a newly created role in the organization. […]

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing many aspects of our daily lives and forcing us to take another look at behaviors we previously didn’t think twice about. This is also the case for the biomedical research enterprise, which has already changed tremendously during the start of the digital era. In response to the uptick in COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 […]

Alabama’s prisons are a dangerous place to be. Alabama’s prison population sits at over 160% of its designed capacity, with a homicide rate nearly nine times the national average. In 2019, there were 14 homicides in state prisons. This does not include the number of suicides or drug overdoses, which are also high in the […]

In Genesis 2, God says, “It is not good that the man should be alone.” He made us for Himself, but he also made us for one another. We are intimately connected to one another, and separation, even though for our own physical health, and even though on a temporary basis, is painful for us […]

Overwhelmed. Anxious. Distracted. Lonely. These are a few words that might describe the feelings of those who are transitioning into working from home, or limited work, during the novel coronavirus outbreak. News cycles are dominated by COVID-19 news. While coverage is a pertinent necessity during a pandemic, it can be overwhelming to experience every news […]

The novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is accelerating across our state, country, and in more than 150 countries globally. On Thursday, the state of Alabama exceeded 500 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) announced the state’s first COVID-19 related deaths. Alabamians as far as all four corners of the state […]

Governor Kay Ivey, State Superintendent of Education Dr. Eric Mackey and the members of his learning options task force deserve commendation for making the difficult decision to keep K-12 public schools across Alabama physically closed for the remainder of the academic year. The closure certainly disappoints students who will remain separated from their teachers and […]

Napoleon predicted that China’s “wokeness” would move the world; returning the compliment, the Chinese contend that it is too soon to measure the impact of the French Revolution. Today, China is very much awake and is revealing the dangerous ideas unleashed by the French Revolution. Although half-way around the globe, China continues to command our […]

The health and safety of Alabamians is our top priority. To that end, the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Alabama Hospital Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, the Medical Association of the State of Alabama and Alabama Medicaid Agency are joining together to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). […]

There is no doubt that we are living in uncertain times, however, there is also no doubt that Alabama, and our nation as a whole, will get through this. And we’ll do it the same way we got through two world wars, September 11, and countless regional disasters – by coming together – and it […]

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and state health officer Dr. Scott Harris have issued sweeping emergency and public health declarations which they hope will slow the spread of the coronavirus which currently has the nation at or near a standstill. On Friday, March 20, an amended public health order issued by Dr. Harris and released by […]

Our lives and economy have been disrupted on an unprecedented scale by COVID-19. How do we calculate the societal impact? Costs are tricky because they involve actions not chosen. Economics helps bring the consequences of the pandemic into focus. The full costs involve much more than just monetary impacts. Economics and life are about human […]

As the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to change the way we live our daily lives, it’s important to take note of the ways this challenging time has brought our communities together. It has been reassuring to see stories of neighbors helping neighbors in communities in Southwest Alabama and beyond. As we continue to treat this unprecedented […]

Unusual challenges such as this coronavirus pandemic teach us who we really are. They reveal whether we are courageous and generous or fearful and selfish. Our leaders are no different. We learn their virtues and vices when they are tested by difficult times. Three such virtues are especially important for leaders in a time such […]

There’s no doubt that Alabama’s small businesses are feeling the impact of the coronavirus. Under advice from state and federal officials, people are staying in unless they absolutely have to leave the house, and that’s taking a toll on sales. According to a survey released Monday by the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s […]

Our world has changed almost unimaginably recently. The cancellation of the NCAA basketball championships brought us, in my son’s words, “March Sadness.” Why has our nation responded so dramatically and differently to COVID-19 than earlier pandemics, including H1N1 just 11 years ago? Economics offers a couple insights. Things are certainly different. In 1919, hockey’s Stanley […]

For those of us who are pro-life, it’s easy to get in the habit of only thinking of this pillar of our values system in the context of abortion. But occasionally a crisis comes along to remind us that a biblical view of human life has far broader applications. Such is the case with COVID-19. […]

As I write this it is mid-morning and I’ve already washed my hands multiple times. I’ve got rubber gloves in my car now. I skipped the gym in favor of a good ‘ol driveway workout but I paid my gym dues anyway. My law firm invested in enhanced video conferencing capabilities. My wife checked on […]

World Water Day is March 22. In the context of today’s news, speaking about clean water and public health is more topical than usual, and today’s example is encouraging. At the turn of the previous century, the time of my grandfather’s birth only 120 years ago, most people got their water from a well and […]