7. A recent report from Autos Drive America and the American International Automobile Dealers Association highlights that international automakers have contributed $14.5 billion to Alabama’s economy in 2024, companies like Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota played a significant role. The report also shows that for the first time in 2023, international automakers out-produced the Detroit 3, with 4.9 million light vehicles compared to 4.6 million. In 2023, these automakers directly employed 17,387 Alabamians and significantly contributed to the U.S. GDP and employee compensation.
6. A competitive election is brewing in Alabama’s Second Congressional District following a successful Republican National Convention and recent challenges faced by President Joe Biden. Republican Caroleene Dobson is challenging Democrat Shomari Figures in the newly drawn, intentionally majority-black district meant to elect a black Democrat. Recent polls show Biden and Trump nearly tied in the district, with 18% of Black voters indicating support for Trump. Dobson has outraised and outspent Figures, and recent endorsements and positive indicators from the convention have boosted her campaign, the NRCC sees a strong chance for a Republican win in this district.
5. Former President Donald Trump is the Antichrist or something, according to a worrying series of videos released by State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham). In the videos, the lawmaker expressed significant concern during and following the Republican National Convention, calling for Democrats to unify and strategize effectively. Throughout the convention, Givan criticized Trump, calling him the Antichrist, and compared him to infamous cult leaders. Urging the Democratic Party to bring in younger figures and respond to the RNC’s strong performance, Givan’s comments reflect a sense of urgency and frustration with the current state of the Democratic campaign strategy and the need for immediate action to counter the Republican momentum. When Harris became the leading nominee with establishment support, Givan got on board and warned it was time for a “street fight.”
4. On Sunday, President Joe Biden’s Twitter account announced he will not seek the Democratic nomination for President, instead, he will focus on fulfilling his duties for the remainder of his term. This decision follows his poor performance in the first presidential debate against Donald Trump, his recent Covid-19 diagnosis, and the media’s acceptance that they have been lying about Biden forever. Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the party nomination which Trump responded to by criticizing Biden’s presidency and stating that Harris will be easier to defeat in the upcoming election.
3. While the American media will flip on a dime and declare that Vice President Kamala Harris is an accomplished person, principled, very smart, and well-liked, none of those things are true but they need that narrative to create the victim the Left’s talking heads need. Polling shows Harris is remarkably disliked with a dismal net unfavorable rating (-14.2 point), they also show her losing in every swing state by a larger margin than President Joe Biden does, and her status as an unlikeable gaffe machine is well entrenched. But the media will need to fight on and protect her from potential challengers.
2. Much like when President Joe Biden was found to be unable to stand trial because of his mental abilities, after forgoing his earned nomination as the Democrat nominee for president, old man Biden will continue trying to pretend he is calling the shots in the White House. So, obviously everyone, and I mean everyone on the Right is calling for President Joe Biden to drop the title to Vice President Kamala Harris, which sounds like a terrible idea.
1. Alabama’s lawmakers were rightly waiting for this moment with press releases at the ready with Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin coming out and supporting Vice President Kamala Harris, despite both claiming they wanted Biden to stay in the race a week ago. On the right, mostly all Republicans demanded Biden relinquish the presidency because of his diminished capacity with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) declaring, “[Biden] was never mentally fit to be President,” and U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) laying out how Harris failed on her assignment as VP and the border, saying, “This administration’s ‘border czar’ is the last person who should be entrusted with our nation’s future.”
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7. U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is guilty of 16 felony counts which could bring 222 years in prison, including bribery and acting as a foreign agent, for his role in a bribery scheme involving cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz. Despite the conviction, he remains free until sentencing on Oct. 29. He plans to appeal the verdict and remains a U.S. senator despite calls for his resignation from his colleagues and even U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)
6. Alabama’s liberals love some political violence, with one taking to a skateboard park near Mobile Police Headquarters to vandalize it with “RIP Thomas Matthew Crooks” graffiti supporting the shooter in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and symbols like “#BLM” and a hammer and sickle. But they are not alone, there are multiple instances of this nonsense taking place across the country with musicians, more than one mayor, teachers, public officials, and other morons celebrating political violence before they get fired.
5. One of Alabama’s shining stars, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery), had a message for Alabama’s biggest embarrassment in the national media, Kaitlan Collins of CNN, stop being terrible at your job because “unity is out there.” Britt suggested, “To be honest, I really wish the media would do a little bit better job of covering when we do work together because there are a number of things where we have pieces of legislation, like Senator Laphonza Butler and I working on the NIH Improve Act or working on mental health with Amy Klobuchar.”
4. Looks like former President Donald Trump was right again, Milwaukee is a “horrible city,” and there was a shooting “near” the security zone for the RNC that caused a little fear and confusion. Fear not, it was just regular gun violence that is common in Milwaukee BUT Capitol Police monitoring the RNC’s secure perimeter stopped a suspicious man in a ski mask several blocks from Fiserv Forum. Reports indicate he had an AK-47 pistol, a full magazine, and a Scream mask in a large backpack.
3. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, who is not Batman, has finally seen enough and promises to get tough on crime after years of doing the exact opposite and demonstrated this with an AR-15 rifle and a Micro Draco handgun at a city council meeting, emphasizing the need to address gun violence following a weekend homicide spree. While Woodfin called for stricter state laws and more aggressive collaboration with federal law enforcement to combat crimes, he urged residents to report illegal activities in their communities but it seems pretty clear he fears state involvement in local law enforcement that can not come soon enough.
2. Embattled Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is adamantly insisting that she will not resign but she is making her own life pretty hard after her agency’s failure to secure a rooftop from which Thomas Crooks attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. Cheatle noted the sloped roof in one of her terrible excuses: “That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof.” Oddly, the team that killed the would-be assassin was able to get on a sloped roof and White House itself has sloped roofs.
1. With a gaggle of House Democrats demanding President Joe Biden’s nomination be delayed and U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) saying the Democrats will lose the Senate if Biden is the nominee, the effort to remove him seems rather half-hearted, new polling shows former President Donald Trump continuing to lead Biden in each and every swing start. A new survey from The Times/SAY24 indicates Trump is ahead in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, with his largest lead in Arizona at 44% to Biden’s 37%, and the closest races are in Michigan and Pennsylvania, where Trump has slight leads.
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The Republican nominee for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District says the party is more unified than ever after the recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Caroleene Dobson, who is running against Democratic candidate Shomari Figures to represent Alabamians in the newly-redrawn district 2, discussed what she experienced the first night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“I am just honored and humbled to be representing Alabama as an alternate delegate at the convention,” Dobson said Tuesday on WVNN. “And really, I was just overcome with the sense of purpose. Certainly there are undertones of sadness for what happened on on Saturday and so many speakers acknowledge the loss of the fire chief who sacrificed his life to protect his daughter. But there’s really a sense of commitment to unifying In our country, restoring opportunity in this country, and ensuring that we can bring America back.”
Trump made an appearance on the convention Monday night with a bandage on his injured ear. The crowd gave the former president a standing ovation.
“Oh, it was just exhilarating,” Dobson said of the moment. “And yes, I think it’s very natural for him to have PTSD, but the energy of the crowd and the gratitude of all of us there, just, I think, definitely buoyed him. We’re grateful to God for keeping our president safe. And then also grateful to have such a strong leader who immediately stood back up on the stage. So we’re all I think everyone is just in awe of his courage and bravery.”
RELATED: Sen. Tuberville casts Alabama’s 50 delegates to Trump at RNC
Dobson also praised the speech by U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery).
“I think it was a very powerful address, totally spot on with where Biden has taken our economy, but also providing hope and the opportunity that we have here to not only get Trump back in the White House, but regain control of the Senate, maintain control in the House, and increase the majority,” she said. “And she had a very, very excited reception. Just seeing her at the convention, people flocking around her, [I’m] so so so proud, proud of her. I know she works so incredibly hard. I do not think that there’s a senator that works harder than Senator Britt and really, really excited that she’s representing Alabama so well, everywhere she goes.”
Dobson also met up with Britt at the RNC on Monday after receiving her official endorsement earlier this year.
https://x.com/katiebrittforal/status/1812988494752432178?s=46
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
U.S. Senator Katie Britt rallied delegates and supporters at the 2024 Republican National Convention, calling for a change in the nation’s direction, and once again endorsing former President Donald Trump as the candidate to lead that change.
Speaking to parents across America, Britt (R-Montgomery) used strong language to highlight the challenges of raising a family in today’s environment, exacerbated, she argued, by the Biden administration’s policies:
“My fellow moms and dads across America – I think we all know raising a family is hard. Add in smartphones and protecting our kids on social media, and we already have plenty to worry about. But then Joe Biden and Kamala Harris came around. Now our lives are that much more difficult – and way more expensive. Under Biden-Harris, prices are high and expectations are low.”
Britt cited numerous key economic factors: Grocery prices have risen by over 21%, electricity by 31%, gas by 48%, and mortgage rates have doubled.
“This is too high a price to pay for an administration that has brought us to such lows,” Sen. Britt said. “The American people won’t have the wool pulled over our eyes. We see how Biden and Harris keep making things worse. And we know the current President is not capable of turning this around.”
https://x.com/TeamTrump/status/1813009169659928825
In contrast, Britt said that under Trump, the U.S. had the strongest economy in history, with stable prices, secure borders, and safe streets. “With President Trump, the tough choice was which job offer to accept. Now, it’s which second job to take just to pay the bills.”
“Your family can’t afford this costly and dangerous decline for four more years,” Britt said.
Britt warned of further economic damage if Biden and Harris remain in office, urging American voters to support Trump’s return to the White House. “Four more years of Biden-Harris will impose a lifetime of financial damage for our children and our nation. It’s time to return President Trump to the White House,” she said.
“[Biden’s] weakness is costing us our: Opportunity. Prosperity. Security. Safety. Each diminished. All in decline,” Sen. Britt said. “Just like the man in the Oval Office.”
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270
7. The Alabama delegation to the Republican National Convention may have one less member after State Sen. April Weaver (R-Alabaster) was hit by a car in a crosswalk at a grocery store in Alabaster. She was taken to Shelby Baptist Medical Center with non-major injuries and released. Weaver expressed gratitude for the quick response of emergency services but it is uncertain if the incident will affect her attendance at the Republican National Convention.
6. Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl responded to former President Donald Trump’s attempted assassination in Pennsylvania on Saturday on social media, expressing relief for Trump’s survival and criticizing political violence. Pearl also condemned comparisons between Trump and Hitler in regular political discourse including a recent magazine cover and while Pearl did not mention it, The New York Times ran a story yesterday about how Trump “betrayed America.”
5. The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump seems to have galvanized some Republicans, this includes former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who said she would not be speaking at the Republican National Convention. However, Haley decided to attend the convention following the shooting incident at a the Trump rally in Pennsylvania. Additionally, Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced he would be fully endorsing Donald Trump (after saying he would not) and donated an undisclosed amount of money to a Trump Super PAC.
4. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) will speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, joining other notable GOP figures such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and senators and potential vice presidential candidates Tim Scott (R-S.C.), JD Vance (R-Ohio), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). The convention will host over 50,000 attendees, including 2,500 delegates, to formally nominate the party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates.
3. The 20-year-old man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was kicked off his school’s rifle team, was noticed acting strangely before the attack at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. Crooks, who had bomb-making materials in his car, fired from a rooftop, hitting Trump and killing a spectator before being shot dead by Secret Service. His status as a registered Republican is confusing the media but the FBI is investigating the incident as potential domestic terrorism. But the FBI said they can not declare a motive yet nor can they declare he worked alone, they are also investigating the Secret Service’s actions (which clearly were inadequate).
2. The media and their Democrats are trying their best to “both sides” an assassination by victim-blaming and even suggesting former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric caused this. Few were noting how absurd the rhetoric from the Left has been, claiming the Right is using the assassination attempt for their political gain and blaming Republicans despite their own harsh rhetoric toward Trump. Headlines from CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today downplayed the violence with some journalists even questioning Trump’s defiant “Fight, fight, fight” response, arguing it could incite further violence from the Right.
1. President Joe Biden could not get enough of the camera this weekend but he somehow failed to say anything of note to the people who tuned in, instead delivering a lecture about political rhetoric with no ownership of his own words and warning that we “must not go down this road.” Recently, Biden said Trump was a “threat to the nation,” “a threat to democracy,” “threat to our freedom,” “a dictator,” and that Trump would take power “over [Biden’s] dead body.”
Alabama U.S. Senator Katie Britt was announced as a speaker at next week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Britt topped the official list alongside a cavalcade of incumbent U.S. Senators including Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Tim Scott (R-FL), as well as potential Trump vice presidential nominees U.S. Senators JD Vance (R-OH), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and a host of top U.S. House of Representative officials, including U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
https://x.com/jakesherman/status/1812191886238511466?s=42&t=-iS0vCnb5WwuxNi5IBIxKg
Over 50,000 people, including 2,500 delegates, are expected to attend the Republican National Convention, where the party will meet to formally nominate its candidate for President and Vice President, and adopt a platform.
Sen. Britt delivered the official GOP response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address earlier this year, making her debut to an audience nationwide as a top party voice and the only Republican mom in the U.S. Senate to working age kids.
RELATED: Trump praises Katie Britt’s SOTU response, blasts liberal media for reaction
Donald Trump is expected to accept the party’s nomination on Thursday night in a blockbuster speech. Beforehand, the former president’s son, Donald Trump, Jr. is also scheduled to speak.
It’s also been announced that a dais of surrogates and celebrities are slated to attend and deliver dynamic endorsements, including Florida Governor and former presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, UFC president Dana White, and president of the Teamsters union Sean O’Brien.
Speeches will be carried on primetime television broadcasts, available on networks including FOX News, ABC News, C-SPAN and others.
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him @Grayson270
It is no secret that many in Democratic and media circles have admitted that President Biden’s debate performance was an epic disaster. They know President Biden looked old, weak, and diminished, which has been evident to most of us for months now.
Truthfully, the Democratic elites and their media allies have known all along that President Biden was in a state of decline but have been actively attempting to deceive the American people. But this time no amount of spin can cover up what happened on that debate stage.
In her response to the State of the Union, Senator Katie Britt characterized President Biden as “a dithering and diminished leader.” However, the same Democratic leaders and media personalities who are now looking to throw Biden overboard lambasted Alabama’s Senator for succinctly stating the obvious. The supposed leader of the free world lacks the mental and physical capacity to do his job.
Senator Britt was right that the American people deserve better than an emperor without his clothes.
She also directly addressed the kitchen table issues that are the focus of most Americans headed into this upcoming election, but the Democrats and the media criticized her for giving a firsthand voice to that widely shared perspective. Well, months later, Biden specifically mentioned “kitchen table” issues twice in his first answer of the debate in a desperate attempt to reframe the reality American families face daily.
Inflation, crime, and illegal immigration are turning the American Dream into a nightmare, as Senator Britt said, and that’s ultimately the truth that Democrats are most scared of heading into November.
While some Democrats have tried to frame Biden’s debate performance as “just one night,” we all know that it confirms what we’ve seen in front of our own eyes for years. President Biden cannot lead our nation, and Americans are not only concerned but frustrated.
They know that in these uncertain times, one thing is certain: the President is asleep at the wheel, and our adversaries and other bad actors are taking advantage of him.
A national survey conducted by CBS/YouGov in the days following the debate found that 72% of voters and nearly half of his own party do not believe Biden has the mental or cognitive health to serve as president.
Senator Britt gave a voice to American’s frustration months ago, and the Democratic machine dishonestly demonized her for speaking the truth. She was right, and now that is painfully obvious to even the most willfully ignorant Biden supporters.
The only answer for our nation moving forward is to retire Joe Biden and send him back to Delaware.
President Trump has proven to be an effective leader with the strength to govern the nation. His first term was successful, and Americans were better off under his leadership. The fact is that President Biden’s job performance does not justify another four years even if you do not consider his diminished mental and physical capacity. Sadly, Joe Biden shouldn’t serve another four months, much less another four-year term.
Since March, Democrats and their media allies ignored or criticized Senator Britt’s message in her SOTU response, but now they should be forced to acknowledge that she was right the whole time.
Representative Hulsey is a State Representative, mother, wife, and small business owner. She has served as a Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives since November 8, 2022. She represents Alabama’s 15th House district.
Investment in Birmingham’s growing biotechnology sector is crucial in making the United States a world leader in healthcare innovation, several of Alabama’s top elected officials wrote in a joint editorial for Fortune Magazine. It’s also a matter of national security, they say.
U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery), U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (R-Birmingham), Governor Kay Ivey, and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin argue that American economic competitiveness is at risk due to China’s substantial investments in advancing its own biotechnology sector.
“We must take a whole-of-government approach to invest in America’s biotech ingenuity,” the leaders write. “We believe the South plays a critical role in that approach. Birmingham, Alabama is uniquely positioned to step into a national and global leadership role in designing life-saving diagnostics and therapeutics.”
RELATED: Birmingham named federal Tech Hub, competing for $75M in funding
Birmingham, they argue, possesses “both the resources and the sense of urgency to lead the next era of biotech innovation,” spearheaded by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), one of the nation’s largest public hospitals and leading biomedical research institutions.
Birmingham also boasts the Birmingham Biotech Hub, an innovation center the article claims will “accelerate drug discovery, improve health outcomes, secure our domestic supply chain for innovative therapeutics and diagnostics, and position the United States as a global leader in the rapidly evolving field of biotechnology.”
Federal investment from the U.S. Department of Commerce is seen as crucial to supercharging the effort. The Birmingham Biotech Hub would onshore key aspects of the supply chain for personalized medicine, countering foreign adversaries’ attempts to dominate the bioeconomy.
RELATED: Southern Research, Innovate Alabama join to attract biotech firms
Doing so would ultimately accelerate drug discovery, improve health outcomes, and secure the domestic supply chain for therapeutics and diagnostics firmly on behalf of the United States, they report. The economic impact is also significant. A biotech hub would stimulate job creation and workforce development programs would create talent pipelines to close gaps in Alabama’s healthcare workforce across the state.
“If America has any hope of maintaining its leadership in biotechnology, we must invest in places like Birmingham and Alabama,” the leaders conclude.
Charles Vaughan is a contributing writer for Yellowhammer News.
5. In an increasingly terrifying series of events, Jewish people are being attacked by organized groups across the country, this includes attacked outside their synagogues, in suburbs (as a flailing member of Congress suggested Jews are segregating themselves), and even outside a commencement for 5th graders. The protest outside a West Los Angeles synagogue turned violent and police intervention and continues raising concerns about increasing hostility and violence at public gatherings targeting Jews specifically.
4. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, along with a coalition of 18 state attorneys general, opposes President Biden’s decision to halt the removal of Palestinians in the U.S. illegally, arguing it undermines immigration law and national security efforts. They urge Biden to reverse the policy and prioritize secure borders and the enforcement of immigration laws, but most of Biden’s immigration moves weaken the country rather than strengthen it.
3. The 7-year-old lie that former President Donald Trump called Nazis and others bad actors in Charlottesville “very fine people” has finally been debunked by Snopes and Trump’s campaign is now demanding President Joe Biden’s campaign stop lying about it (no chance). This was not enough for sitting Alabama Circuit Court Judge David Carpenter who insisted the lie must go on, “You are wrong, Snopes. He said there “are very fine people on both sides,” ignoring that he didn’t call Nazis “very fine people.”
2. Former President Donald Trump suggested that he has chosen his vice presidential candidate for the upcoming 2024 election and that VP pick might be at Thursday’s presidential debate. Among the names being considered are U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley with the goal needing to be broadening his electorate.
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Radio talk show host Dale Jackson and 256 Today CEO Mecca Musick take you through Alabama’s biggest political stories.
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, Talk 99.5, and News Radio 1440 from 10-11 a.m., and on Talk Radio 103.9 FM/730AM WUMP from 3-4 p.m.
7.The MLB held a historic game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants, but the game didn’t matter. This event, dubbed “MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues,” marked the first regular-season AL/NL game played at the oldest professional ballpark in the United States and the most moving moment of the game was a heart-wrenching statement by Reggie Jackson on the pre-game that should be heard by everyone.
6. An Owens Cross Roads woman was arrested after a dog attack that killed a 2-year-old boy under “Emily’s Law” which targets owners who allow dangerous dogs to hurt others. The incident occurred when the child was attacked by two dogs, a husky and a German shepherd-mix, and the boy’s father discovered him unresponsive outside the dog pens.
5. President Joe Biden plans to head to Camp David to prepare for an entire week for his first 2024 debate with former President Donald Trump. Biden also continues to signal that he will focus on issues his base is obsessed with like the overturning of Roe v. Wade, felonies, and alleged attacks on U.S. democracy while downplaying his failures on the economy, immigration, and crime – all subjects the media and their Democrats seem to be misleading the public on.
4. The U.S. Supreme Court released four decisions Thursday, involving taxes, malicious prosecutions, expert testimony on mental health, and a First Amendment retaliation case; but one big case still looms. The immunity issues involving former President Donald Trump are causing a lot of consternation and often-wrong, often-cited legal scholars, like Harvard’s Laurence Tribe, say the delay is corrosive to democracy but that ruling is coming soon.
3. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) joined “Fox and Friends” from Rickwood Field and emphasized her bipartisan need to protect children from the harmful effects of social media, highlighted the importance of parents being proactive and noting a significant rise in youth depression correlated with increased social media use. Britt highlighted the Kids Online Safety Act, which would limit social media exposure for minors and restrict harmful algorithms.
2. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) has joined a group of senators calling for an audit of in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics to ensure they protect and respect human life. This initiative aims to review the practices of IVF clinics and confirm they are adhering to ethical standards concerning the treatment and handling of embryos after errors at cryogenics labs that destroyed embryos without parental consent or were even implanted in the wrong women.
1. As the American media struggles with immigration, Americans are now favoring deportation of illegals. President Joe Biden invites more illegal immigration every day while pretending his executive order seeks to stop illegal immigration while doing nothing, a series of shocking murders and attacks scaring the nation. A 13-year-old girl in New York was raped, a 12-year-old in Texas was raped and strangled to death in a creek, a mother was murdered in Maryland, and all these continuing cases highlight this is not merely a border issue.
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7. Some in the medical community are actually suggesting a behavioral change over the “quick fix” of drugs and surgery, they seem to be recommending their push for gender-affirming care, The U.S Preventive Services Task Force now suggests that primary care clinicians should provide intensive behavioral interventions for children with high BMI. These interventions include self-monitoring, goal-setting, supervised physical activity, and dietary instruction, totaling at least 26 hours per year and the recommendations exclude weight-loss drugs and surgical procedures, despite their success in other guidelines, this is angering some people.
6. It’s Juneteenth, here is it is, the holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and is the celebration of African American history and freedom and the name “Juneteenth” is comes from June 19, 1865, when General Gordon Granger led the Union Army into Galveston, Texas, where he announced the emancipation of all enslaved African Americans. Juneteenth will again be recognized as a state holiday in Alabama this year, marking its third consecutive observance since 2021 but it should be added as an official holiday.
5. On the day the U.S. Surgeon General pointlessly called for a warning label on social media, and U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) reiterated her plan to get kids off social media altogether, the Los Angeles Unified School District decided to ban cellphones in schools. This is a great idea and should spread nationwide.
4. Alabama taxpayers will be on the hook for the minimally used money-losing federal government boondoggle for $1 million after the Alabama State Port Authority agreed to put the money up. But the plan still needs $1 million from the state, which Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey supports, but the state’s fiscal year 2025 budget already approved and the Legislature is not in session until next spring.
3. Baseball legend Willie Mays passed away two days before Major League Baseball’s Giants-Cardinals game at Rickwood Field which is set to honor the historic Negro Leagues. The event would have featured Mays, one of the most iconic figures in baseball history but he was already expected to miss the game and was disappointed to do so. The Hall of Famer, who played in the Negro Leagues in Birmingham before breaking into the major leagues, will be honored at the game.
2. President Joe Biden announced a new program allowing up to 500,000 undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens to apply for legal residency, a policy he does not have the ability to enact and that is undoubtedly mass amnesty. This initiative, revealed on the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, proving it is political, will utilize executive authority to grant work permits and residency status through parole. But former President Donald Trump has promised to undo the scheme if he is elected.
1. Speculation that President Joe Biden will not make it to election day are nothing new, commentators at the Washington Post and the New York Times, Republicans, Democrats, and now even U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) says Biden will be swapped out. Tuberville opined that the Democratic Party will replace President Joe Biden with a new nominee for the 2024 presidential election and he says that is irrelevant and that former President Donald Trump would reclaim the White House.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt is showing support for U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s idea of adding warning labels for parents on social media.
“The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor,” Murthy said in a guest essay published by The New York Times.
“While the platforms claim they are making their products safer, Americans need more than words,” he added. “We need proof.”
Britt (R-Montgomery) said on X that she agreed with Murthy when it comes to the dangers of social media to children. “[The Surgeon General] is correct—America’s youth mental health crisis is an emergency, requiring urgent bipartisan action, Britt said. “That’s why I’ve joined [Sen. Brian Schatz], [Sen. Ted Cruz], and [Sen. Chris Murphy] in introducing the Kids Off Social Media Act.”
https://x.com/SenKatieBritt/status/1802765503603048722
Britt helped introduce the Kids off Social Media Act last month, which bans social media age for children under 13 and blocks use of addictive algorithms for teens.
RELATED: Britt helps introduce legislation to shield children from harmful effects of social media
“There is no doubt that our country is facing a growing youth mental health crisis that is inextricably tied to the rise of social media usage by children and teenagers,” Britt said when the bill was introduced. “Families are being devastated and futures are being destroyed in every corner of our nation. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to enact the commonsense, age-appropriate solutions needed to tackle this generational challenge.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
Former President Donald Trump was on Capitol Hill on Thursday at the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and visited Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and many others.
https://x.com/NRSC/status/1801315415005553014
“President Trump brought an extraordinary amount of energy, excitement and enthusiasm this morning.” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, who also spoke about high fund-raising numbers since the the Trump verdict came down. “We’re feeling good.”
“We had a really positive meeting. He and I got a chance to talk a little bit, shook hands a few times,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters after the meeting. “It was an entirely positive meeting. I can’t think of anything out of it to tell you that was negative.”
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
U.S. Senator Katie Britt addressed the Senate floor on Wednesday with Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) in support of the IVF Protection Act. The bill, which aims to ensure nationwide access to in vitro fertilization, was blocked by Senate Democrats.
https://x.com/JulieNBCNews/status/1801045211319005503
“The entire Republican conference has signed a statement led by @SenKatieBritt on the eve of Democrats’ IVF vote, calling it a ‘partisan campaign of false fear mongering intended to mislead and confuse the American people,'” Julie Tsirkin of NBC News tweeted.
Last month, Sens. Britt (R-Montgomery) and Cruz introduced the IVF Protection Act and became more vocal than ever about protecting the practice into law.
RELATED: Katie Britt blasts Democrat ‘Summer of Scare Tactics’ over misleading contraception debate
Wednesday, Sen. Britt passionately spoke about the joy of motherhood and the crucial role IVF plays in helping aspiring parents experience the miracle of life. “As a mom, I know firsthand that there is no greater joy in this life than that of being a mother. IVF helps aspiring parents across our nation experience the miracle of life, and start and grow a family. That’s why I strongly support continued nationwide IVF access,” Britt said.
She highlighted the pro-family nature of IVF access and its importance to millions facing infertility. She pointed out that about 2% of U.S. babies are born via IVF. Britt stressed the need for continued nationwide IVF access, noting the millions born with IVF’s help in recent decades. She also acknowledged Alabama’s swift action earlier this year to protect IVF access.
“IVF is legal and available in every single state across America. That includes my home state, where Governor Ivey and the Alabama Legislature acted quickly and overwhelmingly earlier this year to protect IVF access for our state’s families.”
The IVF Protection Act aims to provide aspiring parents with certainty and peace of mind regarding IVF’s legal status nationwide. Britt emphasized the bill’s focus on protecting IVF access and safeguarding religious liberties, urging swift Senate support. Senator Britt expressed disappointment that Senate Democrats have blocked the IVF Protection Act, attributing their actions to partisan politics. She accused them of using scare tactics and emphasized the need for common-ground solutions rather than political show votes.
RELATED: Britt says in vitro fertilization is pro-family, ‘deserves protection’
Britt commended Senator Cruz for his leadership on IVF access and reaffirmed her commitment to fighting for families.
“At the end of the day, the American people want secure borders, they want safe streets, they want stable prices, and they want strong families. My colleagues across the aisle know that they can’t sell the Biden Administration’s record on any of these topics. It’s been failure after failure, yet again. So instead, they have to rely on distorting and misrepresenting Republicans’ position on issues, including our support for IVF access. The bottom line is, the American people deserve better. And there is no better path out there than our bill. The path of common-ground solutions, not show votes or scare tactics.”
Republican senators have highlighted IVF access as a top issue in the run-up to the fall general elections amidst ongoing political debates.
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
The totality of Alabama’s congressional delegation, including both U.S. Senators and the bipartisan delegation of U.S. House members, signed a letter expressing their strong support for the I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project.
The delegation urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to approve the state’s application for federal assistance through the Mega grant program, which supports large, complex infrastructure projects that are difficult to fund by other means. This grant application — as well as other pending grant applications — is in addition to the recently-announced TIFIA loan process that the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has initiated with the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to ALDOT.
“While the I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project does not extend across every congressional district in the state, we stand united in emphasizing how critical this transportation infrastructure is to the entire state, region and nation,” the letter states.
“Spanning eight states, I-10 connects many of the country’s major cities and seaports, serves as a primary transportation artery for both travel and commerce throughout the United States, and is a major evacuation route given the Gulf Coast’s propensity for being in the path of major storms such as hurricanes.”
The project will build a new six-lane bridge over the river in downtown Mobile that would connect to an elevated and expanded Bayway to U.S. 98 in Daphne. Interchange improvements in Mobile and Baldwin counties are also included in the project.
RELATED: ALDOT launches review of cost-saving options for Mobile River Bridge & Bayway project
The delegation noted that the Wallace and Bankhead tunnels in Mobile were built more than 50 years ago and carry three times more traffic than they were designed to. Likewise, the Bayway was constructed more than 50 years ago and is over capacity.
“The new Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project will add needed capacity for all travelers as well as divert the majority of traffic onto the new infrastructure, including hazardous cargo away from Africatown, creating a safer and more efficient route for all,” members of the delegation wrote in their letter.
The letter is signed by Sen. Katie Boyd Britt, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Rep. Jerry Carl, Rep. Barry Moore, Rep. Mike Rogers, Rep. Robert Aderholt, Rep. Dale Strong, Rep. Gary Palmer and Rep. Terri Sewell.
The Alabama Department of Transportation, the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization recently concluded a 60-day review of cost-saving measures for the project.
In a statement released earlier this week, ALDOT and both MPOs said, “The project is essentially shovel-ready except for an inflation-driven gap in funding. Based on our progress – with all right of way acquired, necessary federal approvals secured, and federal loan processes initiated – we believe that the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project is the most advanced of any similar project in the country. ALDOT and the MPOs remain committed to this project, and we will continue to seek the additional federal funding we need to begin construction.”
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
7. The offer from Alabama A&M for the Birmingham-Southern College campus was not enough and, according to Alabama A&M University’s vice president of government relations Shannon Reeves, the school will submit a second cash offer this month to purchase the hilltop campus of the now-closed college. The goal of the second offer is to eliminate all of BSC’s debt. “We intend for the land to be free, clear, and unencumbered of all debt,” according to Reeves.
6. The historical comparisons between persecuted former President Donald Trump are everywhere, some invoke Jesus, Cuba, and Russia, while others, like U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), is invoking black men in Alabama in the past. Bishop called it “rigged” stating, “It’s as bad as it was in Alabama in 1950, if a person happened to be black, in order to get justice. And, that’s what they did in New York. So, it’s fundamentally rigged, and the people who attack me for saying so can attack all they want.”
5. Big-time donor to the University of Alabama, Florida-developer, and Ron DeSantis for President supporter, Hugh Culverhouse Jr. has announced a $500,000 donation to former President Donald Trump’s campaign, criticizing what he called a “politically motivated” trial that led to Trump’s recent convictions in New York. Although not a supporter of Trump or President Joe Biden, Culverhouse argued that the U.S. justice system should remain impartial and not be used as a political tool to influence elections, a sign that the politically motivated prosecution is frustrating people who are not already enamored with the former president.
4. Testimony shows that Hunter Biden was mid-bender when he bought a gun to confront a drug dealer, slept on a car while smoking crack, and got his brother’s widow hooked on crack as an effort to expose his long-term drug addiction, which prosecutors argue was ongoing when he purchased a firearm in October 2018. This was all part of a newsworthy day in court that included talk about messages from Biden’s famous laptop where questions about tampering with the laptop were asked but Judge Maryellen Noreika limited that questioning, refusing to entertain Russian conspiracy theories in her courtroom.
3. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin “doesn’t want Ukraine” and has “enough land” which seems to contradict modern history and Putin’s own remarks before the 2022 invasion, where he emphasized Ukraine’s significance to Russia and expressed regret over the historical transfer of Ukrainian territories. Tuberville’s statement, made during an appearance on Steve Bannon’s “War Room,” rightly criticized the Biden administration’s diplomacy, suggested that a summit with Putin should have occurred early in the conflict, and criticized the open checkbook policy of the U.S. on this matter.
2. Automobile manufacturing is expanding in Alabama and Gov. Kay Ivey showed she is pretty excited about it by saying, “Toyota has been a critical partner within Alabama’s growing auto industry for over two decades, launching multiple expansions that have increased the Huntsville facility’s production capabilities and its superb workforce.” The new investment project will add more lines for drivetrain products, creating over 350 new jobs and a $282 million investment, further enhancing Toyota Alabama’s role as the company’s largest engine producer in North America and comes after the failed United Auto Workers’ union failed to unionize a Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance.
1. Alabama’s Republican congressional delegation criticized the White House after President Joe Biden announced new executive actions to address the border crisis, with U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) calling it a “gimmick” and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) labeling it a “dog and pony show.” U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) described it as “Biden’s grand reelection plan,” while U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) dismissed it as “election season spin,” and U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) noted the timing, highlighting that action was taken “five months from election day.”
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Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN and from 10-11 a.m. on Talk 99.5 and News Radio 1440, with a rebroadcast Talk Radio 103.9 FM/730AM WUMP from 3-4 p.m.
Thursday, June 6 is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing – one of the largest and most decisive battles of World War II. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery), and Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-Selma) will join a bipartisan Congressional delegation traveling to Normandy, France to mark the occasion.
Sen. Tuberville’s father, Charles Tuberville, participated in the battle as a member of the U.S. Army. The senior Tuberville landed and fought on Utah beach on June 6, 1944 as the driver of a tank.
“I am honored to join my colleagues in honoring the brave soldiers who lost their lives on the beaches of Normandy 80 years ago,” said Sen. Tuberville. “It has always been a bucket list item for me to see the beaches where young adults, like my father, heroically fought for our freedom. May we never forget their sacrifices and honor them by making sure our children know the truth about the freedoms that make America so great.”
U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) is also part of the bipartisan delegation led by Senators John Boozman (R-Arkansas) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut).
“I’m proud to be in France to commemorate this historic anniversary and honor the valiant Americans who courageously stormed the beaches of Normandy 80 years ago,” said Senator Britt. “We must never forget that the liberties, opportunities, and rights the Greatest Generation fought to preserve came at a tremendous cost. We are the Land of the Free because of the brave, and I’m deeply grateful to have this opportunity to express the enduring appreciation, admiration, and awe of our great state and nation.”
RELATED: Alabama WWII veterans revisit Normandy for 80th anniversary of D-Day
Senators Tuberville and Britt are also cosponsors of a bipartisan resolution commemorating the 80th Anniversary led by Senators Boozman and Chris Coons (D-Delaware), unanimously passed the Senate on Tuesday.
Rep. Sewell delivered a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives honoring Alabama native Captain Malcolm Smith who was killed during the Normandy invasion.
“Born in December 1917, Captain Smith was a native of Alabama,” Rep. Sewell said. “He attended Ramsey High School, where he was president of the student body and an outstanding athlete in the baseball and track teams.”
“He was a cadet at West Point and as WWII began, he expressed the desire to become a pilot,” Sewell continued. “He entered flight training in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1942. He won his wings in December 1942 and graduated on January 19, 1943, as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Forces.”
“Captain Smith was married and, after arriving overseas, he was delighted to discover that his daughter, Susan Ann, was born on February 29, 1944,” Sewell said. “He flew many combat missions and was awarded five Air Medals. His P-47 was nicknamed “Mary Ann” after his wife. His unit was one of the most heavily engaged air groups in isolating and softening the enemy defenses in Normandy just before D-Day. His unit suffered many casualties. On May 21, 1944, Malcolm was killed in his P-47 while completing a ground mission near Vibraye, France.”
“Captain Malcolm A. Smith rests at the Normandy American Cemetery. He was 27 years old.”
Captain Smith rests in the cemetery that Sewell, Tuberville, and Britt will be visiting on Thursday.
The delegation will arrive in Normandy on Thursday, June 6, and join American and French leaders and veterans at a ceremony at the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer. The delegation will meet with World War II veterans and pay their respects at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. Later that day, members of the delegation will join heads of state representing Allied partners at an international ceremony at Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer.
While in France, the delegation will also meet with American diplomatic and military leadership stationed in Europe. Chief among topics discussed will likely be the Ukraine/Russia War and the pace at which U.S. aid is reaching Ukraine’s forces as they are being pressed all along the 800 mile front. European security concerns and the posture of U.S. forces there are also likely to be a key topic.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com
7. In what should be a much larger story, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland is warning of an attack in the United States after the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, he couched this as being a threat to Jewish and Muslim communities. But FBI Director Christopher Wray has said the threat is inspired by Hamas’s terrorist attacks in Israel. Meanwhile, in Germany, after an attack that left a policeman dead another radical Muslim attacked a “far-right” candidate for office ahead of elections and highlights the lengths opponents are taking to confront those upset with immigration in Europe.
6. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) says, “this is war,” and that the current political conflict in the U.S. is between those who love the country as it has been and those who seek to change it, rather than a simple Republican vs. Democrat issue. During a Newsmax interview, Tuberville criticized the conviction of former President Donald Trump, likening the U.S. justice system to those of Venezuela or China, and vowed to block any Democratic priorities or Biden nominees as a form of protest.
5. President Joe Biden is trying to convince Americans that he is fit to lead by suggesting he could physically take on reporters who question his capabilities dismissing worries about his age, but concerns about his age and ability to perform the duties of the presidency are still obvious as Biden appears frail and confused more often than not. Despite his confident remarks, questions about Biden’s age and mental acuity have persisted throughout his presidency, intensified by a report from Special Counsel Robert Hur regarding Biden’s possession of classified documents, which described him as a “sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.”
4. On the issues voters seem to care about, voters back former President Donald Trump to handle the economy (+15), secure the border (+18), deal with foreign policy (+7), and fight crime (+7), they also believe he is more physically and mentally fit than President Joe Biden. However, Biden leads Trump on handling abortion rights (+12), health care (+7), and protecting democracy (+7), and voters think he is more honest than Trump.
3. The prosecution in Hunter Biden’s gun crime case began by laying out the case against Hunter Biden by playing clips of Hunter Biden reading Hunter Biden’s biography detailing Hunter Biden’s crimes and crack addiction. Prosecutors presented audio of Hunter Biden about his four-year of addiction prior to a California trip in 2019, while FBI agent Erika Jensen confirmed the trip occurred in late April 2019; defense attorney Abbe Lowell argued that prosecutors have not provided evidence of Biden’s drug use at the time he purchased the firearm in October 2018.
2. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) criticized the Democrats’ Right to Contraception Act as a political tactic during a Senate floor speech, asserting that it falsely implies threats to contraception access and infringes on religious liberties. Britt emphasized that Republicans support nationwide access to contraception and introduced the IVF Protection Act with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to further protect IVF services.
1. A week after it was revealed that President Joe Biden’s administration was dropping 350,000+ asylum claims and allowing the criminals to stay in the country, he says he is ready to shut the border, kinda. The White House announced executive actions they say would curb illegal immigration by suspending asylum claims if border crossings exceed 2,500 per day over a week, with President Biden’s proclamation taking effect until the average drops below 1,500 per day for a week, amidst high recent encounter numbers and potential legal challenges from activists.
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Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN and from 10-11 a.m. on Talk 99.5 and News Radio 1440, with a rebroadcast Talk Radio 103.9 FM/730AM WUMP from 3-4 p.m.
On Monday, U.S. Senator Katie Britt delivered a speech on the Senate floor ahead of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s partisan vote on Democrats’ “Right to Contraception Act” scheduled for Wednesday. Over the weekend in announcing the vote, Schumer (D-NY) wrote “Democrats will be putting reproductive freedoms front and center.”
Britt coined Democrats’ overarching rhetoric on the issue as part of a “Summer of Scare Tactics” narrative that fearmongers a purely political exercise aimed at confusing and misleading voters ahead of November.
“This week, my colleagues across the aisle will start their ‘Summer of Scare Tactics.’ Unfortunately, this is continuing the campaign of fearmongering we’ve already seen. Contraception is available in every state across the nation,” Sen. Britt (R-Montgomery) said. “And, of course, I want to be absolutely, 100% clear, that I support continued nationwide access to contraception. But that’s not the purpose of the bill my colleagues across the aisle are bringing to the floor on Wednesday.”
“Once again, the bill tramples on foundational religious liberty protections that have long been bipartisan – and truly should remain bipartisan. And my colleagues across the aisle know that. The goal of my Democrat colleagues right now is to scare the American people, to scare women across our great nation. It’s not that they believe there is a problem they’re truly trying to solve. They’re prioritizing their own short-term partisan political interests,” Britt said.
“Sadly, this only does a disservice to the very families and the very women we should be trying to find common ground to help. We saw the false fearmongering with the MOMS Act. We’ve already seen it with issues like IVF. Just like with nationwide access to contraception, I want to make it clear that Republicans support continued nationwide access to IVF.”
Senate Republicans proposed solution comes in the form of the IVF Protection Act, introduced by Sens. Britt and Ted Cruz (R-TX) to further safeguard IVF services across the United States.
RELATED: Britt says in vitro fertilization is pro-family, ‘deserves protection’
Counter to Democrats’ rhetoric, that legislation does not compel any person or organization to provide IVF services. It allows states to implement health and safety standards regarding the practice of IVF. It would also make states ineligible to receive Medicaid funding if they ban access to IVF.
Britt languished the false narrative being promulgated by Schumer and Democrats from the floor of the Senate. “I look forward to discussing this more next week, as unfortunately my Democratic colleagues will continue their ‘Summer of Scare Tactics,’” Sen. Britt said.
“The Republican Party is the party of families, and we’re going to continue fighting to support the rights and freedoms of families across America.”
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
7. The now-defunct Birmingham-Southern College’s baseball team’s run in the Division III College World Series is over after an 11-10 loss, despite building a significant lead, the Panthers couldn’t secure the win and ultimately fell to a walk-off homer in the ninth inning. The loss to Wisconsin-Whitewater is the end of the school’s more than 160-year history after financial failure and the inability to secure more funding through donations or legislative approval.
6. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) slammed the anti-Israel protests on college campuses following their endorsement by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Sayyid Ali Khamenei, highlighting Iran’s role as a major state sponsor of terrorism. She connected the protests to the larger context of Iran’s support for groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, criticized the Biden administration for what she perceives as its lenient stance towards Iran, and also expressed concern over the alignment between left-wing elements in the U.S. and the Iranian regime, calling it un-American and shameful.
5. Driving with a phone in Alabama will become more expensive after a new law went in to effect over the weekend with the state now enforcing a “hands-free” driving law. The law prohibits motorists from holding or supporting a mobile device while driving, expanding the previous ban on texting to include activities such as making calls, recording videos, or viewing content on mobile devices. While the law is a secondary violation and cannot be the sole reason for a traffic stop, it aims to reduce distracted driving, which contributed to nearly 7% of vehicle fatalities in Alabama in 2022 with fines beginning at $50 for the first offense, escalating with repeated violations, and points will be added to the driver’s record.
4. In what is going to become a trend, the city of Calera is interested in holding a conversation on creating its own school system by leaving Shelby County Schools. The response that the problems aren’t the schools’ fault but are the fault of parents may be true but will also be underwhelming. Calera, and its 18,000 residents, are trying to decide if they can sustain an independent school system, following the examples of Pelham and Alabaster, which established their own districts in the past decade and more communities attempting the same and failing like Gardendale.
3. Post-election polling and betting odds are a mixed bag following former President Donald Trump’s conviction. Trump’s odds in the 2024 election betting markets dropped slightly from a 53% to a 50% implied probability of victory but President Joe Biden’s odds increased from 38% to over 40% overnight. CBS News/YouGov found little shift in opinion among Americans, while ABC News/Ipsos showed a split in public opinion, largely along party lines, with many still firm in their pre-verdict beliefs but a majority of independents and “double-haters” (people who hate both Biden and Trump) believe he should end his campaign.
2. The ALGOP and other Alabama Republican groups weigh in further on former President Donald Trump’s convictions. ALPGOP Chairman John Wahl laid it out, saying, “The bottom line is the American people are asking this question right now, ‘Were these court cases and this this case in particular, was it politically motivated?’ And I believe the answer is yes. And I think most Americans think the answer is yes.”
1. The media and their Democrats continue demanding that their opinions on former President Donald Trump, his recent convictions, and his status as the GOP nominee are the major issues the American people must see litigated daily, but Americans don’t agree. Trump, who has now raised $200 million since his conviction, is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in before his sentencing on matters related to the case, writing on Truth Social, “Nobody even knew what the crime was until the Judge gave his Unconstitutional Instructions. A total Hoax! A case like this has NEVER been brought before. A Country in peril. Election Interference!!!.”
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Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN and from 10-11 a.m. on Talk 99.5 and News Radio 1440, with a rebroadcast Talk Radio 103.9 FM/730AM WUMP from 3-4 p.m.