In recent days with the presence of the threat of COVID-19 in our lives, Medicaid expansion advocates have doubled down on their efforts to encourage policymakers in Alabama to adopt their position on the issue. Estimates range from $150 million and upwards for the initial expansion of Medicaid rolls in the state. Proponents have offered […]

Crimson Tide point guard Kira Lewis officially declared his intention to enter the NBA draft on Tuesday, ending his career in Tuscaloosa after two seasons. Lewis announced the decision on Twitter where he thanked, among others, his coaches, teammates and fans. Earlier in the spring, Lewis had taken the first steps towards entering the draft […]

Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday announced that the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) has ranked Alabama First Class Pre-K as the nation’s highest quality state pre-kindergarten program for the 14th consecutive year. In a statement, Ivey said, “Alabama First Class Pre-K is once again proving to be successful in providing a solid foundation for […]

7. Missouri is suing China Missouri has filed a lawsuit against China seeking damages for “the enormous loss of life, human suffering, and economic turmoil” caused by the coronavirus that originated in China and was initially mishandled.  Missouri is the first state to take this kind of action against China, but 22 Republican legislators have […]

I was in fifth grade on the first Earth Day. There was an abandoned earth mover in the woods near my elementary school, and Mrs. Fields’ social studies class painted it with bright colors to improve our visual environment. It was 1970, Richard Nixon was president, and later that year would establish the Environmental Protection […]

The countdown to reopening Alabama’s economy is underway. Between now and then, state and local officials and business owners will continue to address the ways in which operation will have to change in order to contain the spread of COVID-19. Eight days. The stay-at-home order issued by Governor Kay Ivey expires in eight days. At […]

The notorious Drake Passage between Antarctica and South America was pummeling our research ship with 25- to 30-foot waves and gale-force winds gusting to 60 knots. Our team of 24 American scientists and science support staff had departed the U.S. Palmer Research Station on the western Antarctic Peninsula on March 16, 2020, aboard the RV […]

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed the “Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Health Care Enhancement Act,” a $484 billion measure that provides additional funding to further assist small businesses, hospitals and frontline medical professionals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The legislation, which now goes to the House, passed the Senate via unanimous consent. This came after […]

Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong offered a positive outlook for his county’s fight against COVID-19 and outlined some of the measures the county is prepared to implement in anticipation of a return to work. At a Tuesday news conference conducted jointly by the county and the City of Huntsville, Strong expressed his belief that […]

Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) on Tuesday afternoon delivered a letter to Governor Kay Ivey summarizing his district’s recommendations on reopening Alabama’s economy. The recommendations came as a result of the input of “a diverse group of thirteen leaders in various fields (from medical, retail, hospitality/restaurant, banking, transportation, engineering and manufacturing),” according to the letter. Aderholt […]

MONTGOMERY — As information about the new coronavirus comes at a furious pace, at times offering conflicting and confusing advice, the Alabama Academy of Ophthalmology, the Medical Association of Alabama and the American Academy of Ophthalmology want to share what we know right now about protecting your vision and your health during the COVID-19 pandemic. […]

As Gov. Kay Ivey and her administration continue to work through the process of reopening Alabama’s economy, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook) urges a continued “measured approach.” Earlier on Tuesday, Ivey told the media she was still working through a timeline to reopen, warning that there was not enough testing capability in Alabama. “We’re […]

Governor Kay Ivey has announced that she does not plan to reopen up the state today or anytime this week. In fact, when asked, public health officials made it clear they were going to try to abide by the Trump administration’s guidelines of 14 days of declining new coronavirus infections and ample testing. With this […]

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has opened a parking lot on campus to provide “Drive-in Wi-Fi” for UAB students and K-12 students who need access to a Wi-Fi network. UAB Information Technology has launched a website, go.uab.edu/freewifi, highlighting free Wi-Fi access points in the Birmingham area. “We want to do everything we can to ensure students at UAB and […]

Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday held a press conference at the State Capitol alongside State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris, State Finance Director Kelly Butler, Alabama Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington and Alabama Superintendent of Banking Mike Hill. Ivey did not announce a timeline for reopening Alabama’s economy. The press conference came after the Alabama Small […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Our nation is under attack from an invisible enemy. We are at war with the coronavirus. It has brought our powerful economy to a halt and millions have lost their jobs. It has closed our schools and forced almost every American to live under state government mandated stay at home orders. Worse, […]

7. Facebook won’t let you protest on their site In what could only be described as “Orwellian” and nothing more, Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook has now declared that people can no longer share information about protests around the country that call for the nation to reopen for business. Facebook would never block other protests against the […]

As Congress closes in on a deal to provide additional relief funds for small businesses, the stimulus money cannot come too soon, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). NFIB, which touts itself as the nation’s leading advocate for small business, released the results of a survey revealing that 80% of businesses still […]

Alabama’s stay-at-home order is set to expire in nine days, and businesses have begun to prepare themselves for operation in entirely new conditions. Meanwhile, calls for an immediate reopening of Alabama’s economy continue as other Southern states get back to work. The time is now, for some. Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina all announced plans […]

Donald Trump, Jr. recognized Alabama’s YellaWood for displaying the “American Spirit” often cited by his father, President Donald Trump. In a social media post on Monday afternoon, the younger Trump quoted a story from Yellowhammer News outlining YellaWood’s generous act in support of Wiregrass healthcare workers.

National and state officials agree that we have reached the peak of new cases and deaths here in Alabama from the coronavirus called COVID-19. What does that mean? It means that the number of new daily cases and daily deaths have reached their highest projected point and should plateau for a while before coming down. […]

Great Southern Wood Preserving and its flagship YellaWood last week fed all of the employees at Flowers Hospital and Southeast Health, both located in Dothan. According to WDHN, YellaWood owner and founder Jimmy Rane generously bought approximately 2,100 total employees a meal each for five days. Every employee across every department in both hospitals reportedly […]

Alabama was never going to magically reopen when Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth unveiled his plan to get Alabama back to work. It was always a recommendation. President Donald Trump and his team have laid out a series of plans for governors to look at and develop ways to get their states open. Guess what — […]

Once upon a time, there were three young brothers in Alabama who wanted to see their hero, Michael Jordan, in person. At the time, this seemed like an impossible task. How in the world would we ever meet “MJ,” the guy dunking the moon backwards on the poster in our room? That’ll never happen. And […]