You already know the Regions Tradition’s reputation for competition. It’s the first major on the PGA TOUR Champions schedule in 2021, and it produces millions for charities. But it’s also the place where things get done. And this year’s focus was intended to save lives. The Bruno Event Team, which manages the Tradition, and the […]

Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday spoke with the U.S. Department of Energy on a call regarding the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, which has caused a shutdown of the pipeline operations. The pipeline, which is the largest system for refined oil products in the United States, is 5,500 miles long and can carry 3 million barrels of […]

Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday announced a $1 million grant to help the Fort Payne Board of Education construct a new vocational center aimed at training students in careers that include construction, electric vehicle and aviation technologies. The funds come from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 […]

State Senator Andrew Jones (R-Centre) on Tuesday announced he will seek reelection to a second term in the 2022 election cycle. As a freshman member of the legislature’s upper chamber, Jones currently serves as chair of the Children, Youth, and Human Services Committee. “We’ve accomplished a lot in the last 2 ½ years,” he stated. […]

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) on Tuesday announced that its Small Business Optimism Index rose to 99.8 in April, an increase of 1.6 points from March. While this index has now increased 4.8 points this year, a record 44% of employers reported job openings that could not be filled in the latest month’s […]

Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday announced she has signed on to a letter with 19 other governors calling on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to immediately take action to address the crisis at the southern border. The coalition of governors wrote, “Contrary to statements from your Administration, the border is neither closed […]

Alabama’s struggle to find a solution to its long-standing gambling dilemma will likely have to wait at least another year after legislation failed to make it to the floor of the House of Representatives for an up-or-down vote last week on the second-to-last day of the 2021 legislative session. According to State Sen. Greg Albritton […]

7. BLM in Birmingham demands mayor and police chief resign Even though all evidence shows that the officer-involved shooting that killed Desmon Ray, Jr. was a “good shoot,” activists in Birmingham are calling his death a “murder” and calling for resignations of the mayor and other leaders in the city. The video that has been […]

Attorney General Steve Marshall in recent days received an award from the nation’s oldest consumer protection organization for his office’s historic $60 million consumer settlement against Terminix. The “Consumer Champion” award was presented to Marshall by Will Hild, executive director of Consumers’ Research, based in Washington, DC, for the State of Alabama’s emphasis on putting […]

U.S. Reps. Robert Aderholt (AL-04) and Gary Palmer (AL-06) announced their support Monday after Governor Kay Ivey announced that effective June 19, Alabama will no longer participate in all additional federal unemployment benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both congressmen had previously spoken out against the supplemental unemployment benefits, especially the additional $300 in weekly payments […]

The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association on Monday announced that Hudson Mathews of Deatsville has won the 2021 Big Gobbler Photo Contest. Hudson, age 5, reportedly harvested the winning turkey in Pike County while hunting with his father. The gobbler, which was Hudson’s first, had a 10-inch beard and 1-inch spurs. Over the course of […]

Shaked Berenson has produced over 40 movies and two television series. He has financed, marketed and distributed over 200 films across all genres. With his new film, “Dolphin Island,” Shaked wanted to give back to the Bahamas after the area was devastated during recent hurricanes. The film is about a grandfather and his granddaughter who […]

It’s been over four and a half years since United Launched Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas V rocket powered NASA’s OSIRIS-REx into space. The Lockheed Martin-built spacecraft — launched on September 8, 2016 — is now on its way home after successfully firing its main thrusters to push away from asteroid Bennu’s orbit. OSIRIS-REx made history late last year […]

Governor Kay Ivey has awarded nearly $17 million to help expand broadband services in primarily rural, unserved areas of Alabama. Announced Monday, the 36 grants awarded by Ivey to multiple providers across the state represent the largest monetary amount and number of grants awarded to date from the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund. The fund was […]

Governor Kay Ivey on Monday announced that Alabama will end its participation in all federally funded pandemic unemployment compensation programs effective June 19. This includes the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which provides for a supplemental $300 weekly payment to recipients of unemployment compensation. The announcement comes after a dismal jobs report and amid Alabama […]

Several colleagues and I visited the U.S.-Mexico border to see firsthand the situation at the border. For many months, I’ve seen and heard countless reports about how bad the situation is, but I did not even come close to realizing the full extent of the crisis until I saw it with my own eyes. On […]

DiversityInc has released its 21st annual list of the nation’s top 50 companies for diversity. The rankings recognize companies that hire, retain and promote women, racial minorities, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ and veterans. Launched in 2001, the list is compiled based on confidential data gathered from thousands of corporations participating in DiversityInc’s survey. It is […]

7. Inmate killed just before release The Alabama Department of Corrections has said that an inmate, 23-year-old Ian Retting, died in an “apparent inmate-on-inmate assault,” but Retting’s death happened just one day before he was scheduled to be released. The department also said that the deal is “being thoroughly investigated by the Department’s Law Enforcement […]

Last week, the Alabama House of Representatives failed to get a floor vote on gambling legislation that would have allowed for the creation of a statewide lottery and casino gaming. The possibility of a vote remained up until the end of the legislative day late on Thursday. However, with only one day remaining in the […]

Since 2013, the Liberty Learning Foundation has offered highly engaging civics education programs to school systems across Alabama. The Huntsville-based nonprofit leverages community sponsors to fund the programs so schools do not have to divert precious resources from other important educational initiatives. While the organization’s impact has grown from 14,000 students that first year to […]

Radio talk show host Dale Jackson and political consultant Mecca Musick take you through Alabama’s biggest political stories, including: — What is next for marijuana after medical marijuana passes? — Gambling bill dies again. Will it ever have enough votes? — Should anyone really care that U.S. Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) is feuding with former […]

How does an organization celebrate a century of community service? If that organization is the Junior League of Birmingham (JLB), it’s done by kicking off that 100th year with the culmination of the Community of Lights Centennial Campaign. When the five-year campaign concludes on May 6, it will have raised more than $1.25 million for the One Place Metro […]

Occupational licensing involves government-imposed requirements for practitioners in different professions, or what critics call government permission slips to work. Despite a lack of evidence of benefits to consumers, licensing has been proliferating across Alabama and America, with the percentage of workers covered rising from 5% to over 20%. A new report from the Alabama Policy […]

In 2020, the global pandemic caused innumerable events to be cancelled, including the Regions Tradition, a major of the PGA TOUR Champions. Golfers and fans stayed home and a community event that had been happening for more than 25 years took an understandable back seat to safety. But an important aspect of the tournament never […]