7. State Rep. Ed Oliver (R-Dadeville) is proposing legislation to double Alabama’s rural physician tax credit from $5,000 to $10,000 annually and update eligibility requirements to attract more doctors to underserved areas. Oliver argues that enhancing healthcare access in rural Alabama is crucial, as the current limitations deter physicians from practicing in these communities.
6. A coalition of 25 state attorneys general, including Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, is urging Columbia University to resist pressure to divest from Israel amid campus protests. In a letter to Columbia’s interim president, the group expressed concerns about rising anti-Semitism and praised the university’s previous refusal to divest. Marshall emphasized the importance of standing firm against “radical demands” linked to anti-Semitic sentiments on campus.
5. Alabama’s ban on lab-grown meat has sparked interest in other states, with Michigan being the latest to consider a similar measure. Alabama State Sen. Jack Williams (R-Wilmer), who sponsored the bill, cited health concerns and lack of research on lab-grown products as primary reasons for the ban, referring to the products as “Frankenstein meat.” While Alabama’s law prohibits the sale of lab-grown meat, it includes exemptions for research by federal and educational institutions, a compromise Williams made after discussions with NASA officials in Huntsville.
4. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery), alongside Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), is advocating for the Stop the Scroll Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at addressing the youth mental health crisis by adding warning labels to social media platforms. Britt emphasized the correlation between rising depression rates among youth and the increased use of social media, highlighting alarming statistics on suicide attempts among high school students. The proposed warning labels would inform users of potential mental health risks and include a link to resources like the 988 helpline for immediate support.
3. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) expressed optimism on Fox News that former President Donald Trump could make a surprising impact in New York, a typically Democratic state, due to focused efforts on voter outreach and addressing urban issues. Tuberville also voiced concerns over younger voters potentially leaning toward Kamala Harris, emphasizing that Trump’s policies align with a future he believes benefits them. He added a Republican sweep across the presidency, House, and Senate is feasible, predicting the GOP could secure between 51 and 54 Senate seats.
2. After former President Donald Trump drew 35 million+ viewers to the Joe Rogan podcast, Vice President Kamala Harris went on the much less popular “Club Shay Shay” with a clearly confused Shannon Sharp and made some puzzling claims while breaking out her favorite “blackcent“. She told Sharp that Trump wanted to end the U.S. Constitution, including the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments, apparently he wants to keep the ban on housing soldiers, she also insultingly told black men, “Don’t think you in Donald Trump’s club… you’re not. He not gonna be thinkin’ about you. You think he’s having you over for dinner?”
1. Future Forward USA Action, the primary super PAC for Vice President Kamala Harris, advised against focusing campaign messaging solely on negative character attacks against Donald Trump, like calling him and his supporters fascists and Hitler, because they do not work. The PAC’s recent email noted that Harris’ comments on substantive issues, such as Medicare expansion, resonate more with voters than attacks on Trump’s alleged fascist tendencies. Harris’ campaign’s latest ad, which highlights Trump’s disregard for presidential checks, has struggled to sway voters significantly, moving the race by only 0.7 percentage point, according to Future Forward’s ad testing.
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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 and from 10-11 a.m. on Talk 99.5 and News Radio 1440, with a rebroadcast Talk Radio 103.9 FM/730AM WUMP from 3-4 p.m.
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