7. Auburn has been surprisingly ranked No. 10 in a preseason ranking by On3 for the 2025 college football season, while Alabama was notably left out and the even the Florida Gators are ranked 9th. The Tigers’ optimism stems from presumed starting quarterback, Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold, and the continued development of their young receiving corps. Though there’s hope Auburn can achieve its first winning season since 2020, some view the top-10 prediction as premature given last year’s 5-7 finish.
6. California Gov. Gavin Newsom received criticism for promoting wildfire relief donations via his super PAC, linking donors to ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising site that retains donor information and takes a processing fee. His spokesperson defended the move, highlighting $450,000 raised for the California Fire Foundation and insisting none of the donations directly benefit Newsom or his PAC. However, critics, including Elon Musk, accused Newsom of politicizing disaster relief, while others noted similar actions by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
5. U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) have backed President-elect Donald Trump’s initiative to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” citing national pride and border security concerns. Moore cosponsored the Gulf of America Act, introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), which would require all federal agencies to update documents and maps with the new name within 180 days. Trump and his supporters argue the renaming reflects American dominance in the region while criticizing Mexico’s handling of immigration and drug trafficking.
4. Gov. Kay Ivey returned from a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump and fellow Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago, praising Trump’s readiness to address issues like immigration, education, and economic policy. Ivey highlighted Trump’s commitment to reversing Biden administration policies from his first day in office, describing him as “smart” and fact-driven. She expressed optimism for the nation’s future, calling it an honor to collaborate with Trump in the coming years to serve Alabamians and Americans.
3. Amid destructive wildfires in Los Angeles, county officials faced backlash for slashing $17.6 million from the fire department budget while spending heavily on DEI programs, including the “Midnight Stroll Transgender Cafe,” the Gay Men’s Chorus, and a syringe exchange program for homeless drug users. Critics, including actress Sara Foster, accused state and local leaders of prioritizing social initiatives over critical firefighting resources, citing empty fire hydrants and overgrown vegetation during the crisis. Fire Chief Anthony Marrone acknowledged the staffing shortage, admitting the county lacked enough firefighters to handle the widespread blazes. Los Angeles water chief Janisse Quiñones knew about an empty reservoir and broken fire hydrants months before the deadly wildfires, with firefighters blaming water shortages on poor planning and maintenance failures.
2. President-elect Donald Trump’s legal issues mostly resolved themselves over the weekend with a couple of victories for the next president after he received an unconditional discharge in his New York criminal case, avoiding jail time but becoming the first “felon” to enter the White House after being convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. On Saturday, Special Counsel Jack Smith resigned from the Justice Department following the completion of his criminal investigations into Donald Trump, including the handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Legal disputes continue over the public release of Smith’s final report, which the DOJ argues should not be blocked despite a temporary hold by Judge Aileen Cannon.
1. Central and North Alabama experienced widespread snowfall, with accumulations ranging from 2-4 inches in the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham metros. Killen reported the highest total at 6.5 inches, followed closely by Ider with 5.5 inches and Haleyville with 5 inches. Other areas included Triana with 4.5 inches, Cullman with 3 inches, and Bryant-Denny Stadium with 1 inch. Several Alabama school districts, including Colbert, DeKalb, and Lauderdale counties, will operate on a 2-hour delay, Scottsboro City, Clay and Jackson County have taken the day off.
Listen here:
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.
