7. MSNBC’s biggest star, Rachel Maddow, voiced strong disapproval of the network’s decision to cancel Joy Reid’s show, calling it a “bad mistake” and expressing personal admiration for Reid while noting the troubling pattern of losing both non-white primetime hosts, Reid and Alex Wagner, alongside weekend host Katie Phang. She criticized the network’s approach to the cancellations, pointing out the unprecedented limbo imposed on off-air staff like producers and writers forced to reapply for jobs, a move she deemed unnecessary and morale-crushing at a challenging moment for the news business. She then went on to continue making $5 million a year from a company she just called racist.
6. Despite Huntsville rebranding its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Director Randy Barbour insists the department’s goals remain unchanged, unhelpfully undercutting the rebranding. Barbour even said “DEI has come under attack for fear of the unknown” admitting the name change is all hiding the DEI mission. The change is semantics; the rejected and controversial policies remain but with hopefully less resistance.
5. State Rep. Matt Woods (R-Jasper) wants to combat the surge in school lockdowns from bomb and shooting threats, raising first-degree charges to Class B felonies and second-degree to Class D felonies to deter what he sees as a serious threat to student safety and community well-being. The bill mandates immediate suspension for accused students, with a year-long ban from school property pending charge resolution, psychological counseling, and board stipulations, while convicted students face expulsion and their guardians foot the bill for emergency responses. Woods argues that despite no mass casualty events in Alabama schools, the real fear, chaos, and wasted resources from false threats — felt deeply in places like Walker County — necessitate this firm stance, teaching accountability and safeguarding education from the shadow of violence.
4. The Retirement Systems of Alabama, through a letter from Deputy Director for Administration Jo Moore and Legislative Counsel Neah Scott, voiced strong opposition to SB93 and SB99 before the Alabama Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, cautioning that the bills’ shift to reimbursing pharmacies at acquisition costs — set by Alabama Medicaid for SB93 and CMS for SB99 — could inflate PEEHIP’s drug costs by an estimated $31 million to $36 million, jeopardizing coverage for 350,000 education employees and dependents. RSA defends its current PBM model with Express Scripts, which delivered over $751 million in rebates and discounts last fiscal year, contrasting this with the bills’ potential to force higher wholesale acquisition cost payments for drugs lacking set averages, a concern they say echoes past issues with State Rep. Phillip Rigsby’s HB238 favoring large chains. Independent pharmacists, backed by State Senator Andrew Jones with SB93 and State Senator Larry Stutts with SB99, argue these reforms combat PBM practices driving them out of business, are planning a “walkout” at 1 p.m. today.
3. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) rebutted Democrat Colorado U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper’s belief that Space Command will stay in Colorado due to a $2 billion relocation cost and Elon Musk’s efficiency drive. President Donald Trump’s administration will still move it to Huntsville, a site affirmed as top-tier by multiple federal reviews for its infrastructure and community quality. Tuberville blasted former President Joe Biden’s decision to keep Space Command in Colorado Springs as a political misstep that ignored Huntsville’s merits — proven by its No. 1 ranking out of 66 locations — undermining national security for partisan gain. Confident in Trump’s and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s push to depoliticize military decisions, Tuberville anticipates ongoing talks with them and the incoming Air Force Secretary will secure Space Command’s “rightful home” in Alabama, brushing off Hickenlooper’s national security concerns as parochial excuses from a defeated stance.
2. As the world continues to want to blame the American president who just came in to office for a war that started 3 years ago, the media continues to hammer home that President Donald Trump is some major Russian ally, when the reality is Trump wants this thing over now. French President Emmanuel Macron, meeting Trump at the White House, praised Trump’s initiative to broker peace in Ukraine and called him a “game-changer,” warning that a lasting truce — potentially weeks away — requires more than a ceasefire given Russia’s past violations of the Minsk Agreements. Macron emphasized collaboration with Trump to secure Ukraine’s future, proposing a French-UK troop presence to maintain peace, while Trump’s administration pursues a rare earth mineral deal to offset U.S. aid, a plan Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calls a “win-win.”
1. Elon Musk allegedly unleashed “chaos” with an email ordering federal workers to list five recent accomplishments or be fired as he is spearheading President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency. Now he is promising a second chance “subject to the discretion of President Trump” after many ignored the initial deadline. President Trump lauded the plan from the Oval Office, calling it a brilliant way to expose supposed fraud while downplaying resistance from allies like Director Kash Patel of the FBI and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who told employees not to reply due to sensitive work. The flip-flop came as unions sued over the “unlawful” demand, more than 100 House Democrats urged agencies to defy it, and departments like Transportation under Secretary Sean Duffy pushed compliance, while others like Homeland Security under Kristi Noem joined the growing chorus opting out, highlighting a fractured response across the government.
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