7. With President Donald Trump set to deliver a prime-time joint address to Congress, Democrats are preparing to skip the event. U.S. Sen, Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) plans to skip what he calls a “MAGA pep rally,” joining a MoveOn counter-event, while the “March 4th for Democracy” protest targets Trump’s speech day. Meanwhile, “moderate” U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) has been tapped by Democrats rebut Trump’s agenda because she is not a part of the more radical sect of the party. The Democratic National Committee coordinates messaging nationwide, with a focus on lies about Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

6. Gambling is hardly dead in the Alabama legislative session. Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) told reporters he’s hearing whispers of a revived gambling and lottery bill, potentially including sports wagering, a lottery, and Class II or III gaming, concepts he could support, though he won’t commit until seeing a draft, recalling how it fell one vote shy in the Senate in 2024 after House approval. State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore) tempered optimism, saying the Senate’s support remains stagnant, two or three votes short as he’d noted on “Capitol Journal,” with little shift in sentiment. Singleton’s cautious hope contrasts with Albritton’s view that reluctance among a critical number of senators persists, stalling progress on a constitutional amendment despite its potential to address Alabama’s funding needs, leaving the issue’s fate uncertain in the current session.

5. State Rep. Ben Robbins (R-Sylacauga) is pushing for more transparency in the Alabama immigrant workforce with the “Workforce Transparency Act.” If passed, it would require labor brokers register, adopt E-Verify, and report sponsorships, in a dual effort to track foreign workers and stop unearned benefits, with Attorney General Steve Marshall granted power to recover misspent state funds from sponsors. Robbins framed the bill as stewardship of tax dollars, not just immigration enforcement, proposing the Saves Program to confirm legal status before granting aid like food stamps, dismissing fears of economic harm by insisting Alabama’s industries rely more on legal labor than critics claim. He argued economic dependency fears, emphasizing that legal immigrants and citizens face no threat, only those exploiting cheap, illegal labor, maintaining that widespread dependency is overstated and exploitative practices are the real issue, as he collaborates with agricultural and manufacturing sectors to ensure compliance.

4. In a move that is 100% intentional and by design, President Donald Trump’s executive order ending the U.S. refugee program and its funding has crippled Alabama’s resettlement efforts. Dwell Mobile, directed by Executive Director Jeri Stroade, lost $255,000 and Global Ties Alabama, led by Executive Director Jacqui Shipe, dropped $200,000, prompting staff cuts of 11 at Global Ties and fears of closure as approved refugee families are barred from arriving. Refugee Support Services Supervisor Molly Broders at Dwell decried the move as a betrayal of America’s values, while Shipe highlighted a halted Afghan family of 17 once aided by a CIA officer sponsor, with both noting robust community support now at risk amid a legal fight sparked by a Seattle judge’s block of Trump’s ban. Alabama State Refugee Coordinator Liz Kurtz, overseeing 800 refugees resettled last year under President Biden’s record 125,000 cap, warned that agencies are dipping into next year’s funds, leaving the state’s nascent programs, built since Catholic Social Services faded, in limbo as 72% of Americans back refugee entry per Pew, contrasting Trump’s prior 15,000 cap and new South African exception.

3. An asinine column by aldotcom’s John Archibald demands that U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) need to stage and hold events for malcontent constituents to scream at them so MSNBC can tell everyone how much rage their is in America over crackdowns on government waste, fraud, and abuse. Meanwhile, they lie about Elon Musk’s Department on Government Efficiency, and federal cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, as the media declares all any cut to any programs will wreck Alabama and America’s economy. Archibald, hypocritically and confusingly criticizes Britt’s condescending, graduate-level responses and Tuberville’s generic form letters as inadequate for a state hit hard by potential job losses and a regressive tax system. He claims that in a Republican stronghold dependent on federal aid, politicians should face town halls, not hide behind partisan talking points. He paints a picture of anxious Alabamians needing clarity on everything from local livelihoods to global threats like World War III, but he really just wants to cover the screaming and Alabama’s congressional delegation would be incredibly stupid to hand him, the media, and their Democrats those events.

2. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency “unleashed” a second e-mail, “What did you do last week? Part II,” to executive branch workers, requiring five bullets of achievements by Monday midnight through the Office of Personnel Management, adding a clause for classified staff to say “All of my activities are sensitive.” Yet FBI Director Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told their teams to skip it, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reversing his prior guidance, ordered DOD’s 720,000 civilians to comply in a Friday memo after OPM clarified expectations. President Donald Trump, in an Oval Office chat with French President Emmanuel Macron, insisted non-responders could be fired, with Musk, at Trump’s first Cabinet meeting, framing it as a “pulse check” to catch “dead” employees, a view he reiterated on X, lauding Hegseth’s shift with “Much appreciated @SecDefHegseth!” and patriotic emojis, despite Hegseth’s initial push for internal DOD handling. The pivot, aligning with Trump’s warfighting focus as Hegseth noted in a video, underscores DOGE’s accountability drive, stirring worker confusion and agency resistance, with Hegseth warning of scrutiny for non-compliance, amplifying Musk’s “tech support” vision amid Trump’s aggressive second-term overhaul, even as skepticism over its legality persists.

1. After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s disastrous fiery Oval Office clash with President Donald Trump, European leaders rushed to Zelenskyy’s defense online with Parliament President Roberta Metsola, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, European Commissioner for Trade Valdis Dombrovskis, and European Parliament Member Manfred Weber all facing online criticism for posting identical messages — “Your dignity honours the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless.” They triggered sarcastic remarks about the EU acting like bots as Zelenskyy met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other leaders in London. U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” condemned some European nations for rejecting Trump’s peace efforts and freedom values, pointing to anti-democratic moves in the UK, Germany, and Romania, while Starmer vowed UK military support for a “tough and fair” Ukraine peace plan, highlighting a rift as Trump invited Zelenskyy back for peace talks. Additionally, Ukraine seeks European benefactors as U.S. prepares to significantly alter the flow of cash, those same Europeans have spent more on Russian energy, fueling the war, than they have on aid for Ukraine.

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