7. U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) hailed the FBI’s opening of the nation’s first National Counter-Unmanned Training Center at Redstone Arsenal as a pivotal step in bolstering homeland security by equipping law enforcement and security professionals to detect, assess, and neutralize unmanned aircraft system threats, citing major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics.
6. Robert Shaun Bowman of Killen was charged with making terroristic threats against Deshler High School in Tuscumbia after allegedly driving onto campus and yelling obscenities over the handling of student August Borden’s severe skull fracture from a bear hug incident where no charges were filed.
5. The Alabama Department of Human Resources announced SNAP recipients will receive partial November benefits averaging $100 per household starting this Saturday. The benefits, funded by $40 million in state emergency reserves to bridge federal delays from the shutdown, will aid 750,000 Alabamians, including 300,000 children.
4. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) declined to guarantee a House vote on extending enhanced Obamacare subsidies as part of a shutdown-ending deal, frustrating Democrats who insist on the commitment amid Senate promises.
3. U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) mocked former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook) for seeking a rematch against Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) in the 2026 Alabama gubernatorial race, predicting another landslide like Tuberville’s 60-40 Senate win over Jones in 2020; Democrat sources say Jones’s bid is gaining momentum.
2. The U.S. Senate passed a bill 60-40 to reopen the government after seven Democrats defected to end the shutdown; this sets up a potential House vote as early as Wednesday to fund agencies through Jan. 30, restore SNAP benefits through September, provide backpay to furloughed workers, and commit to a December vote on ObamaCare handouts (kinda).
1. Alabama’s U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) led the way for Republicans getting Democrats’ support for the measure. Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) said it unmasked Democrats’ priorities favoring undocumented immigrants over troops and predicting midterm payback; but U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Selma) opposed it, saying “hell no” to what she called empty promises claims the votes could cost 130,000 Alabamians’ coverage.
Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.
