7. Lawmakers are pushing forward with legislation to ban cellphones in K-12 classrooms throughout the state after Gov. Kay Ivey supported the initiative in her State of the State address. The concern is bipartisan and is highlighting concerns over student distraction and the negative impact of social media on student well-being. If passed, House Bill 166 and Senate Bill 92 would standardize a no-phone policy across Alabama’s school districts, aiming to create a better learning environment by prohibiting the use, operation, or possession of wireless devices during school hours.
6. President Donald Trump is reactivating Guantanamo Bay as a detention center for violent criminal illegal immigrants, reversing Biden’s efforts to reduce its inmate population. The Pentagon and DHS have been directed to prepare for housing up to 30,000 detainees, with 200 Marines already deployed and 500 more en route. Alabama U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) lauded the move as a decisive shift in immigration policy, emphasizing Trump’s commitment to securing U.S. borders and contrasting him with his predecessor: “We’re going to get criminals off of our streets. We’re going to detain them. Now we hear this week we are going to deport them to Gitmo. You have Joe Biden, who had an open border system and drained Gitmo, actually emptying it.”
5. Trump Derangement Syndrome is still running wild but Elon Derangement Syndrome is afoot as well. Democrats have mobilized against Elon Musk, Trump’s key ally in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), accusing him of wielding unchecked power to cut federal agencies and access sensitive government data, as if Musk is stealing your Social Security number before pushing a button and turning off your Social Security benefits. Amid growing bipartisan unease, watchdogs and lawmakers warn that DOGE’s actions, including offering federal employees financial incentives to quit, could have severe consequences for government services. While the Trump administration defends Musk’s role as part of a broader efficiency mandate, opposition leaders, unions, and advocacy groups are intensifying efforts to challenge his influence and hold him accountable.
4.President Donald Trump outlined a plan for the U.S. to take over the Gaza Strip, demolish its current war-torn infrastructure, and rebuild it under long-term American control to establish stability in the Middle East, but not many around the world are excited about it. Trump’s dramatic shift in U.S. policy, suggesting a Gaza “takeover,” has alarmed Middle Eastern leaders who view it as a move that could lead to mass Palestinian displacement, destabilizing the region, and contradicting past American positions on a two-state solution. While Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt push back against the plan to protect their own interests, their reliance on U.S. ties complicates their responses, leaving uncertainty over how this proposal will impact Middle East diplomacy and regional security.
3. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) took to the Senate floor on National Women in Sports Day to denounce the Democratic Party’s approach to gender issues, displaying a pregnant male emoji to emphasize his point. Tuberville criticized the Biden administration for policies allowing transgender athletes in women’s sports, claiming they have unfairly won 900 medals meant for female athletes. On the same day, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that bans men from women’s sports and prisons, a judge blocked the portion that would remove men from women’s prisons.
2. It didn’t take long. Less than 3 weeks into President Donald Trump’s second term, U.S. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) has launched an impeachment effort against President Trump, arguing that his comments about the U.S. “taking over” Gaza constitute an injustice that threatens justice in America. Green, who made multiple unsuccessful impeachment attempts during Trump’s first term, vowed to push forward despite little backing from his party. House Democratic leadership, including Rep. Pete Aguilar, has indicated that impeachment is not currently a focus for the caucus.
1. Jesus was not a refugee, despite what activists are claiming while pouting as Alabama lawmakers moved forward with immigration bills that criminalize aiding illegals individuals and impose financial penalties on international money transfers, aiming to align state policy with President Donald Trump’s immigration stance. Opponents argue these measures say the laws contradict biblical teachings, with lies and misinterpretations of Jesus’ origin story in attempts to shame lawmakers, claims it could lead to racial profiling, and economic hardship for immigrant families. Supporters claim the laws will strengthen law enforcement and recover lost tax revenue, but critics fear they echo Alabama’s heavily contested 2011 immigration law, which was largely struck down in court in a very different time with a very different judiciary.
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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 on WVNN at 10 p.m.
