Earlier this year, at the very end of the 2020 regular session, State Sen. Tom Whatley (R-Auburn) along with several other co-sponsors pushed SB334, legislation that limits the powers of the State Health Officer and puts a 14-day limit on the length of time the governor can declare a state of emergency under the Alabama […]

The number of COVID-19 patients in Alabama hospitals continued to break records this week, and one of the state’s foremost experts on infectious diseases is warning the state’s largest hospital may need to enter “crisis mode” if numbers keep spiking. Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, director of UAB Hospital’s Division of Infectious Diseases, briefed reporters on the […]

This is my last weekly report as your congressman. Serving you in Washington these last seven years has been a great honor, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity you have given me. I never once walked out on the floor of the House of Representatives when I wasn’t in awe that I […]

Walker County-based Jasper Lumber Company has formed a partnership with the Canadian business Tolko Industries that will facilitate a $45 million expansion creating 60 new jobs. News of the partnership was announced Tuesday by the Office of Governor Kay Ivey. Jasper Lumber’s sawmill will see its capacity triple with the new investment, which will include […]

The Associated Press on Tuesday announced that University of Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith has been named as its player of the year for the 2020 college football season. Smith became the first ever player at his position to win the award, which was established in 1998. “In what could be a preview of the […]

7. Subsidized internet access extended Governor Kay Ivey has decided to extend the Alabama Broadband Connectivity for Students, which provides internet access to K-12 students across the state. This was able to happen after the deadline for CARES Act funds to be spent was extended to December 31, 2021. The program has provided internet access […]

State Rep. Jamie Kiel (R-Russellville) is seeking to take action to learn from what some would say is a mistake from the early stages of the state government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. At the outset, Gov. Kay Ivey, at the behest of State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris, mandated certain so-called nonessential businesses closed […]

Even though it has been discussed by some of the Alabama House of Representatives’ more conservative members, the formation of groups similar to what the U.S. House of Representatives has in the Freedom Caucus has been discouraged by the body’s leadership in past years. Seemingly for that reason, no such group has come to be […]

Christians are being persecuted all over the world. In India, that persecution is very prevalent, and it can lead to death or arrest. Bishop Mathew Meagher is on the front lines of sharing the gospel in Hyderabad, India, and he has seen that oppression first hand. Mathew is the founder and CEO of Grace TV […]

The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday evening passed a bill that would increase the latest round of direct COVID-19 relief payments to the American people. The vote was 275-134. The CASH Act would up the stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000 per eligible adult. This proposal has been championed in recent days by President […]

A state program that provides internet access to families with K-12 students has been extended into 2021 by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. Federal legislation providing a second wave of coronavirus relief was passed by Congress last week and signed on Sunday by President Donald Trump. It paved the way for the extension by moving the […]

The Alabama Crimson Tide’s incendiary 2020 offensive unit continues to gain recognition for its dominant performance in the regular season. Five players — including Heisman finalists quarterback Mac Jones and wide receiver DeVonta Smith — earned first-team All-American honors from the Associated Press on Monday while offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian was announced as the winner […]

Alabama’s worst local media outlet is in the middle of a series praising “Alabamians who made a difference in 2020,” and this weekend they bestowed that honor on a guy who makes YouTube videos and — allegedly — incites riots. Jermaine Johnson is regionally famous, and apparently marginally funny for some people. He has two […]

Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) is opposed to President Donald J. Trump’s request for Congress to significantly increase the amount of direct stimulus payments to the American people. Trump on Sunday signed into law the Fiscal Year 2021 omnibus appropriations package that had an additional, approximately $900 billion COVID-19 relief package attached to it. The legislation […]

The Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) announced on Monday that economic developer Ron Kitchens will be the organization’s new president and CEO. Kitchens has spent the last 15 years at the helm of Southwest Michigan First, an economic development organization in Kalamazoo with around 30 employees. Before landing in Michigan, he held economic development roles in […]

Ringing in the New Year in fun and unique ways is a tradition for many places in Alabama. Several embrace their history, heritage, and quirky attributes through ball drops and celebrations geared specifically to their city. From a peanut drop to a meteor strike, here are five unique ways Alabama celebrates New Year’s Eve. Although […]

Governor Kay Ivey recently awarded about $5.8 million to several Alabama entities from proceeds issued to the state as part of a nationwide settlement against Volkswagen. The automotive giant was found in violation of the U.S. Clean Air Act in 2016 after installing software in approximately 590,000 vehicles which misled the amount of emissions said […]

7. His name rhymes with ‘Funnymaine’ In a puzzling move, Jermaine “Funnymaine” Johnson was named one of AL.com’s “Alabamians who made a difference in 2020.” In doing so, the publication specifically cites a speech he gave to a large crowd that would later attempt and fail to tear down a Confederate monument before damaging local […]

Add U.S. Rep.-elect Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) to the list of federal GOP officials pledging to join U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) in his bid to contest the certification of the 2020 Electoral College tally. During an appearance on Newsmax TV’s “America Right Now,” Moore weighed in the presidential election results and explained there were enough […]

Radio talk show host Dale Jackson and Alabama Democratic Party Executive Committee member Lisa Handback take you through Alabama’s biggest political stories, including: — What will President Donald Trump do with Congress’ latest stimulus/spending bill? — How many people will end up joining U.S. Representative Mo Brooks’ (R-Huntsville) election challenge in the House and Senate? […]

University of South Alabama and USA Health employees and retirees contributed $224,316 to support the 2020 United Way of Southwest Alabama’s annual campaign. More than 1,700 current and retired employees gave to this year’s campaign, which provides funding to 47 health and human service organizations in Choctaw, Clarke, Mobile and Washington counties to address key […]

A recent study co-authored by an Auburn University professor, using nearly two decades of data on birds inhabiting New York City parks, answers longstanding questions about how well urban green spaces function to protect biodiversity, particularly the varieties of bird species. Professor Christopher Lepczyk of Auburn’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences said the study, published in the international journal […]

Two years ago, the University of South Alabama received a $467,419 grant from the U.S. Department of Education International Studies and Foreign Language Program to expand existing programs in international studies and modern and classical languages and literature. That grant continues to pay dividends as it funds several different initiatives, including about $20,000 seed money to […]

Despite being born with no feet and deformed hands, Bob Freeman has never felt limited in life. In fact, he has had a fulfilling career in radio and television that began in Birmingham but has taken him to stops all across the country and now in Indiana. We reached out to Freeman to reflect on […]