7 Things: Alabama Republicans tie SAVE America Act to reconciliation, ALDems are fighting again, Houthis want the smoke, and more …

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July 23, 2026

7. Non-fired ESPN personality Paul Finebaum said Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer has “made a mess out of a great situation” at Alabama after losing eight games in two years, including a home loss to Oklahoma and a defeat to Florida State, then questioning if DeBoer is the right coach for the program.

6. Florida head coach Jon Sumrall reflected on his time at Huntsville’s Grissom High School, where he played, while former Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban explained to the new Gators coach why he is a “semi-Gator” as a Florida resident with ties to the program.

5. U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) was outraised by Democrat rival Andrew Sneed in the second quarter of the year in Alabama’s 5th Congressional District race, but Strong still maintains a large fundraising advantage with more than $1.4 million cash on hand.

4. Alabama Democrat Party officials Randy Kelley and Joe Reed trashed Vice Chair Tabitha Isner’s plan urging Democrats to vote in the August 11 GOP primary, with Kelley saying she does not speak for the party and Isner calling out Reed again for alleged illegal electioneering, while Doug Jones, the cowardly caretaker former junior senator in an ill-fitting suit, who looks like he just woke up and stole his shoes from a homeless person and who will never be governor, attorney general, or U.S. Senator again likened Reed and Kelley to George Wallace and said it’s time they retire.

3. U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Mobile) said there are “legitimate concerns” about prediction markets, noting they closely resemble sports betting and raise questions about manipulation, incentives and potential harms to consumers.

2. Iran-aligned Houthis said they attacked Saudi tankers in the Red Sea as part of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening a new chokepoint in the Iran conflict alongside the Strait of Hormuz, while U.S. strikes on Iran continued for the 12th night in a row.

1. Alabama’s Republican U.S. House delegation helped pass a funding bill in hopes of avoiding a government shutdown, with House Republicans tying defense policy and other measures to pieces of the SAVE America Act as President Donald Trump pushes for voter ID and citizenship verification.

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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.