7 Things: Another big protest is sure to do something about … something; gambling dead in Alabama for 20 years; and more …

—

April 7, 2025

7. Auburn’s Johni Broome was obviously crushed by the Auburn Tigers’ 79-73 loss to the heroic and virtuous Florida Gators in the Final Four; he went scoreless in the final 15 minutes after there were fears that he was still suffering from injuries. Auburn’s 12 second-half turnovers and Florida’s clutch shooting played a role as well, the national player of the year was reflective, saying, “It’s been a special year, probably best year of my life, I wanted to win the national championship. It hurts. This team was special.”

6. Attorney General Pam Bondi has benched Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni for not vigorously defending the Trump administration’s deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to an El Salvadoran prison, an action U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis called “wholly lawless.” Xinis ordered Garcia’s return to Maryland by late Monday, but the administration said they are not going to do that. They insist he is El Salvador’s problem now and appeal the ruling, “we suggest the Judge contact President [Nayib] Bukele because we are unaware of the judge having jurisdiction or authority over the country of El Salvador.”

5. Alabama is one step close to having its own Laken Riley Act. The bill would empower state and local law enforcement to work with federal agencies on immigration enforcement and allow arrests of suspected illegal immigrants. It also mandates quarterly jail reports on foreign nationals, and permits local officers to transport undocumented individuals to federal custody. Obviously, Democrats have concerns, mostly about potential discrimination against Hispanics and immigrants but the bill will be another attempt for Alabama legislators to address illegal immigration as a local issue.

4. State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) says his comprehensive gambling bill, with provisions for a lottery, electronic gambling at six locations, sports betting, and a casino compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, was murdered last week, leading his assertion the issue is dead for at least 20 years. Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) announced the matter dead for this legislative session noting that there were not enough votes and that the issue of gambling was becoming a distraction. Proponents continue to state that gambling has supporters in Alabama with polls showing 80% of those surveyed support a lottery and 64% are for casinos.

3. The stock market has lost $6 trillion on paper triggered by President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff plan. But Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took to the Sunday talk shows to note that the tariffs will proceed without delay and will not be rescinded because CNN’s Jake Tapper pouts on TV or your grandmother wails into a microphone at the park. They argued that the policy prioritizes revitalizing American manufacturing and national security over short-term market concerns, even as economists warn of inflation and a potential recession, the people who are also experts on COVID, gender, government staffing, immigration law, and the price of eggs vehemently agree. Some nations are starting to move toward Trump’s position, including Taiwan, India, UK and others, while every talking head tries to make this about penguins with the same smug look on their faces.

2. U.S. Sen.Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) went on Fox News on Sunday and expressed that he backed President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff plan, dismissing market fears and a $6 trillion stock drop by claiming it’s a necessary shift to protect American manufacturing and consumers with “short-term pain with long-term gain.” Tuberville highlighted Alabama’s catfish farmers and car manufacturers, arguing the policy counters foreign dumping and boosts domestic sales, even if the short-term price increases, uncertainty, and recession fears dominate the headlines..

1. “Millions” of protestors took to the streets again over the weekend, this time to tell President Donald Trump (the elected president) and Elon Musk (someone appointed by the president to root out waste) to take their “HANDS OFF” the government. Undoubtedly, the crowds were boosted by a sympathetic media and the stock market slide on Thursday and Friday. At Birmingham’s Railroad Park, a 50501 “organizer” known as “Stentor” claimed a bipartisan crowd came to yell about alleged, but non-existent, Social Security cuts; close to 1,000 protesters gathered at Big Spring Park in Huntsville; hundreds gathered in Tuscaloosa, and and thousands rallied in New York City’s Bryant Park to oppose Trump’s policies. The demonstrations included Nazi imagery, calls for violence, clamoring for gangbangers to return to the U.S., incoherence, misspelled signs, and more as organizers seek to keep the left-wing of the country in a constant state of agitation. This is clearly working, so it should come as no surprise that there is yet another protest scheduled for April 19.

Listen here: