7. Lane Kiffin spoke out against the SEC proposal for a 9-game conference schedule, calling it not a good idea until the College Football Playoff selection system is fixed with automatic bids and better strength of schedule consideration.

6. University of Alabama full-time faculty numbers increased from 1,441 in 2018 to 1,755 in 2025 while tenured positions grew from 593 to 709, contradicting UA professor association claims that anti-DEI policies caused brain drain and drove away talent with steady annual growth since 2020, which may just suggest the ‘brain drain’ narrative doesn’t quite hold up.

5. The Alabama State Senate passed a bill allowing businesses to round cash transaction totals up or down to the nearest five cents to address penny shortages.

4. Alabama schools could be required to allow student-led prayers and to begin each day with the Pledge of Allegiance, with students allowed to opt out, if voters approve a proposed constitutional amendment.

3. Alabama will have no state grocery tax for two months from May 1 to June 30, as lawmakers passed a bill suspending the 2 percent sales tax on food while also allowing a deduction of up to $1,000 for overtime pay on state income taxes.

2. State Rep. Rex Reynolds (R-Huntsville) detailed how Alabama lawmakers are taking a cautious fiscal approach as the 2026 session nears an end, limiting spending growth to under 1 percent for the 2027 General Fund budget despite strong revenues to prepare for expected declines as uncertainty is expected.

1. President Donald Trump warned that if the Iran ceasefire is not honored then the “shootin” starts bigger and better and stronger while U.S. military remains deployed until full compliance.

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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.