7. Auburn head basketball coach Bruce Pearl opened his press conference following a decisive 82-70 victory over Creighton by crediting divine favor for the team’s success. Pearl also used the platform to call attention to Edan Alexander, a U.S. citizen held hostage by the terrorist group Hamas. Pearl, who has been outspoken about the war in Gaza, emphasized the need to bring hostages home. Before raising the issue, he checked with his players to ensure they were not against him speaking on the subject.
6. The Washington Post’s coverage of U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Monrovia) includes following a seemingly-deranged activist around as she sends things to his house and goes to Strong’s place of worship to confront him. The publication also suggested that Republicans are displeased with him because he has been silent on DOGE’s actions (not true) and that they are impacting a region reliant on government jobs (not true). Strong accurately says he is “very available” to constituents and defended the cuts as necessary, blowing up the argument that he was silent on DOGE and showing this is just lazy activism under the guise of garbage journalism.
5. The White House has confirmed that top officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, inadvertently texted sensitive Yemen airstrike plans to Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg through an unsecured Signal chat, leading to widespread outrage and accusations of incompetence. Lawmakers from both parties, including U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) condemned the “huge screw-up” as a potential violation of national security and some like Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) labeling it criminal and demanding accountability.
4. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is cheering on the $7 billion in capital investment across 224 projects detailed in the “2024 New & Expanding Industry Announcements Report.” The investments could produce thousands of jobs in the state. According to the report, the high level of capital investment has been driven largely by Novelis’ $1.6 billion aluminum mill expansion, Meta’s $800 million Montgomery data center, and an additional $1.2 billion invested in rural areas, proving Alabama’s economic surge is not letting up.
3. Hyundai’s announcement of a $21 billion investment in U.S. operations, featuring a $5.8 billion steel plant in Louisiana and expansions in Alabama and Georgia, is being touted by President Donald Trump as proof that his tariff strategy is attracting money and jobs to the United States. The South Korean automaker plans to boost production to 1.2 million vehicles annually, create over 100,000 jobs by 2028, and enhance supply chains. Specifics for the plant in Montgomery (already at 4,000 employees) were not directly discussed.
2. The Alabama Public Library Service Board has finally cut state funding to the Fairhope Public Library after conservative parents objected to books like “Sold” being available in the teen section, a decision Board Chairman John Wahl defended as an action to protect kids. Critics like Amber Frey of Read Freely Alabama (a group with zero policy victories but a load of glowing media coverage) called it extremist overreach. The move, the first under a new state law tying funding to youth content policies, stunned library secretary Randal Wright, who apparently hasn’t been following the news and mood on this issue in Alabama and beyond.
1. Facing potential and deserved charter revocation from the Alabama Public Charter School Commission, the Magic City Acceptance Academy’s CEO, Dr. Karen Musgrove, has submitted a notarized statement detailing extensive changes that include revising curricula and the removal of DEI-focused materials to align with state law. The move from Musgrove comes after much public criticism of the school and threats from lawmakers to defund it. 1819 News has reported multiple instances of the school operating outside of the law with ongoing promotion of LGBTQ+ themes, drag queens, and even children with tails, prompting lawmakers to suggest the end is near for the controversial school.
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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.
