MONTGOMERY, Ala. — After speculation that Gov. Bentley’s former advisor Rebekah Caldwell Mason could return to her previous post arose this week, Gov. Bentley went on the defensive when asked by a Raycom political reporter about Mrs. Mason’s future employment status and refused to answer his questions. Michael Doudna asked Bentley a series of questions […]

WASHINGTON — Moments before Republicans voted to reinstate earmarks in the United States House of Representatives, Speaker Paul Ryan stepped in to swat down the plan, which was being pushed by Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL3) and two other members. The Congressional Research Service defines earmarks as spending attached to “bills that apply to a […]

WASHINGTON — The House Republican Conference (HRC) on Wednesday shot down an amendment proposed by Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL6) that was designed to reign in deficit spending. If Palmer’s amendment to the House GOP conference’s rules had passed, bills with an estimated cost greater than $500 million would no longer be allowed to be considered […]

As President-elect Donald J. Trump’s administration begins to take shape, several Alabamians have become very influential behind-the-scenes of the Transition effort. Here are four to watch: Jeff Sessions, United States Senator and longtime Trump confidant Sessions was the first United States senator to back Trump in the primary, and his policy positions ultimately formed the […]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The leader of the Birmingham Islamic Society says his group “welcomes President-elect Donald Trump’s commitment to be the president of all Americans, including Muslims,” signaling the end of a contentious election cycle and, perhaps, the beginning of a season of cautious optimism. Birmingham Islamic Society president Ashfaq Taufique submitted an op-ed to […]

On Friday, the friends and family members of Cassidy Aspen Cochran, a 22-year-old Alabama resident who passed away over the weekend, will gather to celebrate her too-brief life. But in addition to those who knew her personally, people who have been impacted by the story behind her death will also come to pay their respects, […]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala — Alabama business, education and workforce training leaders on Tuesday announced a major step in transforming the state’s workforce development efforts into one unified system. The new system, AlabamaWorks, will seamlessly link employers looking for skilled workers with Alabamians seeking jobs or job training. Leaders say it’s the result of an ambitious, business-driven […]

As Donald Trump draws closer to announcing his cabinet line-up, anticipation is growing that Jeff Sessions will soon join the president-elect’s administration, leaving an open U.S. Senate seat. If that should happen, it would fall on Governor Bentley to decide who to appoint to fill the vacancy, and at least one Congressman has expressed interest […]

(Video above: Neverthirst, an Alabama-based ministry, is building wells in some of the world’s most impoverished places.) There are moments in each of our lives that are pivot points — events or experiences that send us careening in unexpected directions, like pinballs bouncing off of a bumper. For Mark Whitehead, one of those moments took […]

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Alabama’s aerospace boom continued on Tuesday as Boeing announced it plans to bring 400 jobs to Huntsville and invest $70 million in the state over the next several years. While Boeing was not specific on the type of jobs that will be coming to the Rocket City, the growth is coming in […]

WASHINGTON — One week after Donald J. Trump won the presidency on a promise to “Drain the Swamp,” one Alabama congressman is working to revive the practice of earmarking, which Robert Bluey of the conservative Heritage Foundation on Tuesday decried as “synonymous with government waste and pork-barrel spending.” The Congressional Research Service defines earmarks as […]

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A Northridge High School math teacher has been placed on administrative leave after some parents and students complained about a pro-Trump image projected in the classroom. According to The Washington Post, teacher Scott Johnson displayed a parody of the infamous Obama “HOPE” poster depicting President-Elect Donald J. Trump firing his predecessor. On […]

MONTROSE, Ala. — With Alabama’s protocol for executing death row inmates mired in controversy and legal challenges, one state senator is proposing bringing back the firing squad and adding the ability for condemned criminals to choose to be gassed to death with nitrogen. Firing squads have not been used as a method of execution in […]

Robert Bentley may be the state’s top elected official, but that doesn’t mean he gets a free pass when he makes an occasional grammatical slip-up. At least that’s according to one report from AL.com, in which the governor received a tough lesson from one teacher who took exception with his criticism of Alabama’s education system. […]

Pollsters make a living being public opinion experts. But 2016 has been a tough year for the polling industry after the overwhelming majority of the “experts” were flat out wrong on two of the world’s most significant events — Brexit in the U.K. and the presidential election in the U.S. However, a polling firm with […]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Imagine a local version of Extreme Makeover: Home edition for the bedrooms of sick kids and in a nutshell, you have the Flower Child Project. Founded by Michelle Chandler, the Flower Child Project seeks to help ailing children in need find a happy place and have a chance to feel like any […]

While conservatives across the nation are anticipating a very-likely cabinet position for Senator Jeff Sessions under President-Elect Donald Trump, at least one Alabama Congressman is balking at the news. During an interview with Huntsville’s WAAY on Thursday, Rep. Mo Brooks said that he thinks Sessions would be too difficult to replace, though he agreed that […]

James Spann: Another mostly rainless week for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.   HISTORIC DRY SPELL ROLLS ALONG: The last measurable rain in Birmingham was on Sept. 18 with 0.32 inches. The last time we had more than 1 inch in a 24-hour period came on July 30, when the total was 1.33 inches. […]

Since Donald Trump was elected to the office of the presidency, many prominent figures on the left have vowed to oppose the new Commander-in-Chief. Particularly in the NBA, figures like Pistons Coach Stan Van Gundy and Warriors coach Steve Kerr are doubling down on accusations against the 45th president. Amid the dramatics, Alabama native Charles […]

Donald Trump’s election to the presidency is opening doors for key Alabamians who could shape the nation’s future. We’ve reported on the likelihood that Senator Jeff Sessions will secure an appointment to the upcoming Administration, and it is also possible that a conservative Alabama native could be called on to serve on the U.S. Supreme […]

BIRMIGHAM, Ala. — It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Super Trump. Well, at least that is how local Alabama designer Patrick Giles drew it up. After Trump’s victory, Alan Brumbeloe hired Giles to work on a design that would depict the president-elect’s victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, the Republican establishment, and the media. […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President-elect Donald J. Trump has prepared a list for his position team to consider potential members of his administration. According to a report from The Hill, the list includes many of Trump’s top surrogates including Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions. The Hill reported that Sessions is allegedly being considered for two positions: U.S. […]

(Audio above: Yellowhammer Radio’s Scott Beason and Andrea Tice interview Trump advisor Cliff Sims, who is on leave of absence as Yellowhammer’s CEO.) Americans across the country tuned into to their television sets Tuesday night and witnessed Donald Trump’s incredible upset victory. Dedicated viewers even had the chance to see Trump come out and deliver […]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — There are some people that donate large sums of money because it will bring them positive publicity and notoriety, and then there are those who do it because they care about making an impact. Many Alabamians might not have heard of Joann Bashinsky, but her decades-long record of serving others both personally […]