Can President Donald Trump resolve the Iranian situation quickly?

Will school choice be the end of public school, like some school leaders suggest?

All this and more on Alabama Politics This Week, on TV, radio, and online throughout Alabama.

Mecca Musick is the CEO of 256 Today. Sign up for the 256 Today newsletter here.

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

7. aldotcom’s Howard Koplowitz wrote a “news” item suggesting President Donald Trump lied about being a “peace president” and that is cratering his polls, none of this is true, and recent polls show rabid support among his base and higher numbers than both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama at this point in their presidency.

6. Morgan County GOP chair Julie Clausen has now questioned Secretary of State Wes Allen’s Montgomery residency under the Alabama constitution, citing Pike County homestead and voting, alleging fraud, but Allen confirmed his rented apartment satisfies requirements amid funding a residency challenge against Lt. Gov. race opponent and former ALGOP Chairman John Wahl.

5. The Alabama House Republican Caucus backed Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter ahead of ALGOP meeting, where he could be removed from the ballot, while Governor Kay Ivey’s op-ed praised Ledbetter’s policies like tax cuts, pro-life laws, and education reforms, as she seeks to protect him from a highly unlikely removal process.

4. President Donald Trump fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem over alleged leadership failures, spending issues, infidelity allegations, and distractions from immigration enforcement, reassigning her as “Envoy for The Shield of the Americas” and nominating U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) as replacement.

3. Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) proposed updating online sales tax distributions every five years via Census data to reflect population shifts, addressing dropped lawsuits from cities over lost revenue while maintaining the tax, generating $851 million annually.

2. The U.S. House rejected War Powers Resolution 212-219 to oversee Trump’s Iran strikes, with Alabama Republicans voting no, and Alabama Democrats voting yes, thus giving President Trump a blank check to operate with Iran.

1. Operation Epic Fury strikes destroyed Iranian missiles, ships, and sites in Tehran, leading to evacuations and oil price surges to $150 potential, with Trump unconcerned about gas hikes and Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) urging deporting Sharia practitioners.

Listen here:

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

School choice is not draining public school funds, it helps parents and students.

Alabama’s school choice law is expanding options for families, with more parents taking advantage of new opportunities for their children.

Supporters say the program is helping students and empowering parents, while critics argue it could affect public school funding.

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

7. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) announced the U.S. Coast Guard’s purchase of the former Birmingham-Southern College campus for a new national training hub to train recruits, saving taxpayers millions, while the Pentagon eyes Auburn University as a value-aligned partner for military education after cutting ties with elite “woke” schools.

6. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) referenced U.S. citizen Leonardo Garcia Venegas, twice detained by ICE in Alabama, to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to suggest he was detained unlawfully, DHS has responded that Venegas “attempted to obstruct and prevent the lawful arrest of an illegal alien. He put himself between law enforcement and the subject they were attempting to arrest, and he refused to comply with numerous verbal commands.”

5. Sports Betting Alliance CEO Joe Maloney said Alabama misses up to $100 million yearly without legalizing betting to regulate and tax it, while on other gambling issues, ALGOP candidate John Wahl opposes casino expansion for moral and political reasons but is split on a revenue-neutral lottery.

4. Candidates for office in Alabama reported February campaign fundraising numbers, with Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) tripling the amount raised by former U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook) who says he was focusing on building a team over fundraising.

3. Limestone County water turned brown from emergency maintenance stirring sediment, but tests confirm safety, with flushing underway and clear conditions expected in 24-48 hours as residents are advised to run cold taps.

2. Iranian ballistic missile launches have declined 86% since U.S.-Israeli strikes destroyed launchers and stockpiles, with rationing and high interceptions contributing, as U.S. sunk over 20 ships and expands inland amid Gulf attacks and civilian casualties.

1. The Senate rejected a War Powers Resolution measure to end Trump’s Iran strikes 47-53, with Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) voting “no,” as U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) defended the actions amid Democratic pushback over authorization.

Listen here:

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

Neither U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville nor former ALGOP Chairman John Wahl appears to be in danger of being removed from the ballot.

If opponents want them out of office, the path is simple: win at the ballot box.

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

7. Charles Bediako’s attorney called out SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey for hypocrisy in opposing Bediako’s eligibility return to Alabama after his NBA stint, while allowing Vanderbilt’s Bryce Griggs, who went pro overseas, to play.

6. Freedom First Alabama launched as a coalition of major groups like Alabama Farmers Federation, Alabama Policy Institute, and Business Council of Alabama to fight big government policies, higher taxes, regulations, and mandates that hurt competitiveness and raise costs for taxpayers and job creators.

5. Katherine Robertson, chief counsel to the Attorney General and 2026 candidate, defended scheduling Muslim death row inmate Charles Lee “Sonny” Burton’s nitrogen hypoxia execution during Ramadan, noting he observed 34 previous Ramadans over 35 years on death row for murder, calling out the silly delay tactics.

4. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall secured a $29.5 million settlement with Vanguard in the multistate ESG antitrust lawsuit, forcing Vanguard to stop using shareholdings for political pressure on companies and offer proxy voting to investors, while the case continues against BlackRock and State Street.

3. Stephanie Smith of Alabama Policy Institute debunked the $100 million myth of school choice losses to districts, contrasting it with Alabama’s record $12.2 billion education funding in FY 2026, arguing CHOOSE Act ESAs fund kids not bureaucracies, and public schools can participate as providers.

2. U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) defended President Donald Trump’s authority to order Iran strikes under War Powers Act, criticizing Democrats for misunderstanding the law and the depth of the Iranian threat. NPR reported congressional push for bipartisan resolutions to limit unilateral actions amid ongoing conflict, but that seems unlikely to succeed.

1. Israel struck an Iranian leadership meeting while they were selecting Khamenei’s successor, killing officials and disrupting succession amid Operation Epic Fury/Roaring Lion, with President Donald Trump stating U.S. knocked out Iranian naval/air targets, Governor-elect national championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) warning escalation, and Americans’ support appears to be growing.

Listen here:

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

Tax-free overtime and tax-free NIL are smart political moves.

When Alabama lawmakers let the overtime tax exemption expire, it always felt temporary. Now the idea is back, and other states are exploring their own targeted tax breaks.

In Mississippi, lawmakers are considering exempting college athletes’ NIL earnings from state income tax, adding another layer to the political use of the tax code.

Are these smart economic incentives, campaign-season positioning, or both? And if certain groups get carve-outs, who is next?

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

7. Redstone Arsenal suspended its Trusted Travelers Program amid a security crackdown under threat level BRAVO due to U.S. and Israeli bombings in Iran, now requiring all entrants, including DoD ID holders, to undergo ID checks at gates for at least 30 days, likely slowing traffic and recommending extra time, with similar measures at Maxwell Air Force Base, Fort Rucker, and other installations.

6. State Rep. James Lomax (R-Huntsville) filed a bill to allow Alabama workers a state income tax deduction of up to $1,000 on qualified overtime pay, aiming to provide relief for working families and align with the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Trump in 2025.

5. Huntsville City Council plans a public hearing for new regulations treating stand-alone consumable hemp retail stores like package liquor stores, restricting them to specific zoning districts with distance requirements from neighborhoods, schools, and churches.

4. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee released videos of former President Bill Clinton and never-going-to-be President Hillary Clinton’s closed-door depositions where President Clinton said,  “There was nothing that I saw when I was around him that made me realize that he was trafficking women,” adding, “I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,” he also absolved President Donald Trump as well, “He, the president, never — this is 20-something years ago — never said anything to me to make me think he was involved with anything improper with regard to Epstein.”

3. U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) supported President Trump’s Operation Epic Fury strikes on Iran, criticizing congressional leaks and stating that if the entire Congress had been briefed, some members would have warned Iranians, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained notifying only the Gang of 8 and leadership, not all 535 members, due to no legal requirement.

2. Alabama’s Republican delegation, including Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery), and Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Saks), Gary Palmer (R-Hoover), Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville), Barry Moore (R-Enterprise), and Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) continue to rally behind U.S. strikes killing Ayatollah Khamenei, praising decisive action against terrorism, while Democrats U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) and U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Mobile) criticized the lack of congressional approval.

1. The Iran-Israel conflict escalated in 72+ hours, with U.S.-Israeli strikes prompting Iranian retaliation threatening 300 million civilians across the Mideast, including indiscriminate Gulf of Oman attacks hitting a regime-tied shadow tanker injuring crew, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) predicted U.S. failure and planned a War Powers Resolution to constrain President Donald Trump, but a select few Democrats support the attacks on Iran.

Listen here:

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

7. Auburn basketball fell to 15-14 and 6-10 in the SEC after losing 85-79 to Ole Miss, leading Coach Steven Pearl to question the team’s effort and raising doubts about NCAA Tournament worthiness, likely needing wins over LSU and Alabama to avoid the NIT.

6. Birmingham city council approved buying a $170,000 lot for a daytime homeless oasis with restrooms, shade, storage, dog parks, and service links, but Mayor Randall Woodfin pulled it days later after reevaluating with businesses and realizing what a terrible idea it is to court homelessness in a major American city.

5. Alabama Republicans, including Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville), want to close open primaries, requiring party registration to stop crossover voting and possibly limit independent interference in nominee selection.

4. President Donald Trump’s Medicaid work mandates for ages 19-64 without young kids require 80 hours monthly of work/volunteering/study with six-month checks, potentially saving $388 billion federally by cutting 6 million enrollees but costing states millions or billions for upgrades and verification.

3. University of South Alabama math professor Joshua Lioi harassed TPUSA students, calling them fascists, using profanity like “dog sh*t grifters,” and mock gun-to-neck about Charlie Kirk, with the university spokesman saying the anti-TPUSA profanity was inconsistent with values and promising to respect discussions.

2. U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) praised U.S. military strength and called for ending Iran’s “reign of terror” after Ayatollah Khamenei’s death, with Alabama GOP delegation backing the strikes, while Dems U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) and Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Montgomery) urged a War Powers Resolution.

1. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, 86, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Tehran amid weakened proxies, ruined nuclear sites, and escalating strikes in the country, with President Donald Trump announcing operations underway.

Listen here:

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

Are Alabama Republicans coming apart over infighting?

Will anything come of the Epstein Files release?

All this and more on Alabama Politics This Week, on TV, radio, and online throughout Alabama.

Mecca Musick is the CEO of 256 Today. Sign up for the 256 Today newsletter here.

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

7. A North Alabama school dismissed students early after a teacher was targeted by a financial extortion scam that threatened to harm the teacher’s family unless money was sent, prompting immediate safety protocols and an ongoing investigation by local authorities.

6. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced three arrests in Monroe County for ballot harvesting involving the illegal collection and submission of absentee ballots in violation of state election laws.

5. A day after a University of South Alabama professor was outed for operating a “queer animal research lab,” which a spokesman says is a lie, another professor was seen harassing a TPUSA student group with vulgar insults and accusations of being “dog sh-t grifters” in a video confrontation on campus, sparking outrage over academic freedom and conservative student treatment.

4. Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) are uniting behind a proposal to close Alabama’s party primaries to prevent Democrats from voting in Republican elections, arguing it protects party integrity and stops crossover voting that dilutes conservative voices.

3. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified about the Epstein Files and declared she does not know anything about anything, while blaming Donald Trump, and former President Bill Clinton will bring his always-truthful self to a similar deposition.

2. Alabama General Fund chairmen reported the state is on strong financial footing with robust revenues but warned of potential challenges from federal budget uncertainty in the coming years.

1. U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) praised President Trump for bringing business back to the U.S. and turning the economy around through his policies, touting Alabama successes and predicting more to come.

Listen here:

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

After a controversial protest incident at a church service drew national attention, several states began reviewing whether their laws adequately protect worshippers from disruption and harassment.

Alabama lawmakers and others across the country are debating how far states should go to shield religious services while still respecting free speech rights.

State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) seems more interested in protecting Don Lemon’s feelings.

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

7. A story that will surely attract the attention of Alabama legislators, the University of South Alabama operates a “queer animal research lab” focused on studying the effects of queer identities and behaviors in animal models to understand human LGBTQ+ experiences and biology.

6. An Alabama bill would allow the state to mandate minimum police staffing levels and potentially intervene in the operations of police departments in the state’s two largest cities Huntsville and Montgomery, based on the size of the cities, Huntsville already meets these requirements.

5. An Alabama law targeting gang activity led to its first conviction marking a turning point in combating organized crime, according to the district attorney who praised the legislation for providing stronger tools to prosecute and deter gang-related violence.

4. State health officials are warning they fully expect to see a measles outbreak in Alabama soon as part of broader concerns over declining vaccination rates and an increase in cases nationwide.

3. Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) declared the PSC reform bill dead and called for a battle plan to crush Soros-funded environmental extremists after the controversial measure to stop liberal extremists from winning PSC elections failed to advance.

2. Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) said military action against Iran may be inevitable as the U.S. has no choice if the attempts to negotiate a nuclear deal under Trump fail, urging preparation for potential conflict to protect national interests.

1. Both of Alabama’s U.S. Senators, Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) and Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) ridiculed Democrats’ response to Trump’s State of the Union address, mocking their protests and guests as too bad and pathetic distractions from Trump’s achievements.

Listen here:

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

For some reason, no championship-winning teams are allowed to go to the White House without a bunch of high-calorie females and low-testosterone men whining about it.

People like failed political candidate and podcaster Mallory Hagan are gloating that the gold medal-winning Team USA women’s hockey team won’t get praised at the State of the Union.

Why? She hates Donald Trump.

Way to support women.

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

7. Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko called for a singular centralized leader in college football, describing it as a $1-2 billion industry that lacks unified authority amid conference realignment, NIL instability, and governance chaos.

6. An Alabama bill making disorderly conduct inside a church a felony was called an unconstitutional attack by Alabama State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) on free speech and specifically aimed at silencing critics like Don Lemon.

5. U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) invited an Epstein “survivor” who described herself as the “Heidi Fleiss of Palm Beach” and reportedly recruited over 20 underage girls for Epstein as his guest for the State of the Union address.

4. A permit was filed for a multibillion-dollar 75-acre data center in Birmingham, while President Donald Trump used part of his State of the Union to tell big tech companies they must build their own power plants to meet massive AI and data center energy demands.

3. An Alabama Senate committee advanced a bill mandating minimum police staffing levels in Montgomery to address the crime crisis by forcing the city to rebuild its chronically understaffed force.

2. President Donald Trump hailed a major turnaround for the economy of the nation in his State of the Union address, which became the record-longest ever with packed wins and strong warnings, highlighting achievements and future plans in a high-energy speech.

1. Alabama Republicans praised President Donald Trump’s record ahead of and in response to his State of the Union address, with leaders like U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) and Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) highlighting achievements and looking forward to more progress.

Listen here:

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

Jeffrey Epstein was a convicted criminal whose actions were horrific. But over time, the public conversation around the so-called “Epstein files” has taken on a life of its own.

Claims about a sweeping global conspiracy involving world elites have spread widely online, often without verified evidence to support the most extreme versions of those allegations.

Yet, these claims continue and will never stop.

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

7. Charles Bediako has appealed the Tuscaloosa circuit court ruling denying his eligibility to the Alabama Supreme Court and requested interim injunctive relief to rejoin the Crimson Tide basketball team while the appeal is pending ahead of the SEC and NCAA tournaments.

6. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation declaring National Angel Family Day to honor victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants, including several Alabama cases, and recommitted to mass deportations and securing the border.

5. Hoover High School students voted nearly unanimously to exclude a transgender-identifying male from the school’s 61-year-old female-only beauty pageant to preserve its tradition of participation by biological females.

4. The United Auto Workers secured a first contract at a Southern foreign-owned auto plant in Chattanooga with a 96 percent ratification rate, including a 20 percent wage increase, job security, and bonuses, potentially opening the door for renewed organizing at Alabama plants like Mercedes-Benz, and Hyundai after previous failed votes.

3. A New York Times opinion piece argues that the Justice Department’s release of millions of Epstein files was a catastrophic failure of the American justice system that should never have happened, forcing full public disclosure through the Epstein Files Transparency Act and setting a dangerous precedent and argues that harms victims, investigations, and the rule of law.

2. Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) warned that if cartel thugs harm Americans in Mexico following the killing of leader El Mencho, there will be hell to pay.

1. New polls show President Donald Trump’s approval rating at 39 percent with rising disapproval among independents on immigration the economy, inflation, and tariffs ahead of his State of the Union address as Democrats prepare protests by skipping the speech holding counter events inviting special guests like U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), inviting Epstein survivor who referred to herself as the Heidi Fleiss” of Palm Beach.

Listen here:

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

First, Team USA took gold and left Canada with silver in a sport they consider their own.

That alone was enough to light up the rivalry.

Now the debate has spilled over into something bigger.

Now there are Canadians are upset some of their countrymen are arguing Alabama is better than Canada.

They are right.

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

7. President Donald Trump congratulated the U.S. men’s hockey team on their gold medal win at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, expressing pride in their 2-1 overtime victory against Canada, while FBI Director Kash Patel celebrated in the locker room with the team, defending his presence as part of official duties despite whining from the media.

6. State Rep. Donna Givens (R-Loxley) touted the success of baby boxes in Baldwin County, noting 15 infants surrendered since 2024 including 10 in 2025 with no prosecutions, praising the program’s role in providing safe alternatives for desperate mothers and encouraging more installations statewide.

5. More small-town Alabama police departments are signing ICE 287(g) partnerships to deputize officers for immigration enforcement, allowing them to identify, process, and detain illegal immigrants encountered during routine duties, with recent sign-ups including departments in Baldwin, Cullman, and other counties, as part of a broader push to enhance public safety and remove criminal aliens from our communities.

4. Austin Tucker Martin, a 21-year-old artist from North Carolina known for “bleak watercolors and black and white sketches” of golf courses, and may have been motivated by the Epstein “cover-up,” was identified as the shotgun-wielding man who breached Mar-a-Lago’s perimeter and was fatally shot by Secret Service agents and a deputy after raising the weapon, with a gas can and shotgun box found nearby.

3. Candidate for Attorney General Katherine Robertson argued that Republicans like State Sen. Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road) and State Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Pike Road) aim to save Montgomery by allowing state intervention in understaffed police departments, citing critical shortages making recruitment difficult, while Democrats like State Sen. Kirk Hatcher (D-Montgomery) and Mayor Steven Reed insist the city does not need state help, preferring local control and arguing more officers do not reduce crime.

2. A new U.S. military-led task force aided Mexico’s raid that killed CJNG leader El Mencho, with forces seizing rocket launchers highlighting the cartel’s superior firepower that outguns police, prompting U.S. State Department warnings for Americans to shelter in place amid violent clashes and blockades in several Mexican states.

1. Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) criticized the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling against President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs under IEEPA, with Tuberville saying it handcuffs the president from protecting American jobs voted for by 77 million, Britt praising the tariffs’ effectiveness kept by Biden, while Trump announced a new 10% 15% global tariff under different authority for 150 days, calling the ruling a disgrace and asserting his right to impose tariffs.

Listen here:

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

7. ESPN and SEC Network analyst Marty Smith dismissed perceived attempts to push Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer out as utterly ridiculous and asinine, insisting there is no credible effort or internal movement against DeBoer despite speculation following recent team developments.

6. Alabama schools would be banned from teaching students how to obtain birth control or abortions under a new bill advancing in the legislature, aiming to prevent school staff from providing information or assistance on reproductive services to minors.

5. Both President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama seem interested in weighing in on the issue of UFOs and aliens, with Trump ordering the government to prepare files for public release on the matter.

4. Former Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill launched his bid to be ALGOP Chairman, vowing to restore trust in party leadership through transparency, integrity, and stronger grassroots engagement.

3. Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) blasted the growing role transgenderism seems to be playing in societal violence, stating it may take another mass shooting for people to wake up to the issue.

2. Alabama-based liberal groups are joining a national movement pushing for the ouster of President Donald Trump, citing various policy disagreements and concerns over his leadership style and decisions, but their calls for impeachment are not realistic because we don’t impeach people over policy disagreements.

1. President Donald Trump hinted at a 10-day window for deciding on potential military action against Iran, with reports indicating the U.S. is weighing strikes amid escalating tensions and regional conflicts.

Listen here:

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

Every election cycle, the same strategy appears.

Local Democrats across the country try to energize their base while reassuring swing voters that they are not like the politicians seen on cable news from Washington.

But that message may be harder to sell this year, especially as policies long championed by progressive leaders, including Zohran Mamdani, move from theory to implementation in major cities.

Can candidates really distance themselves from the national party brand, or does the label follow them anyway?

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

7. Alabama Athletics Director Greg Byrne responded to Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl’s comments on the Charles Bediako NCAA eligibility situation by sharing biblical wisdom, quoting Proverbs 18:17 about hearing both sides before judging, implying Pearl spoke prematurely or one-sidedly on the ruling.

6. Candidate for State House District 10 candidate Aaron Thomas criticized incumbent Democrat Marilyn Lands (D-Huntsville) for leaving the district without effective representation and a real vote in Montgomery, arguing her positions fail to reflect constituent needs.

5. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called out the mainstream media for its coverage of the decision by Stephen Colbert to get involved in the U.S. Senate race in Texas by implying his show was under FCC attack, saying, “I think yesterday was a perfect encapsulation of why the American people have more trust in gas station sushi than they do in the national news media.”

4. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall blamed sanctuary city policies and state laws as the primary driver behind violent anti-ICE protests, arguing that such policies embolden opposition to federal enforcement and lead to chaos.

3. The Alabama House Republican Caucus elected Alabama State Rep. Paul Lee (R-Dothan) as their new Majority Leader, while Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) condemned a leaked audio from a House GOP caucus meeting as a ‘complete betrayal of all 76 members,’ and a candidate for ALGOP chairman called for Ledbetter’s expulsion over a ‘profane tirade’ against the party captured in the leak.

2. Epstein saga continues to drag on as the Prince formerly known as Andrew, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and Victoria’s Secret’s former CEO Leslie Wexner faced renewed scrutiny in Epstein files for close ties to the monster, and AP reported recently that the evidence for the massive sex trafficking scheme doesn’t actually exist.

1. The U.S. military may be preparing to conduct a strike against targets in Iran under President Donald Trump’s war on peace, escalating tensions in the region amid ongoing geopolitical conflicts.

Listen here:

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.

After Alabama passed its online sales tax law, major cities quickly argued they were not getting their fair share and filed lawsuits to demand a bigger cut.

Counties, meanwhile, are benefiting from the current distribution formula and want to keep the money flowing their way.

Now the pressure is building to “fix” the system. But there is one obvious way to make every stakeholder happy.

Make the pot bigger.

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.