7. Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) demanded Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz face an investigation and imprisonment for allegedly allowing a $1 billion pandemic-era food-aid-related fraud scheme where Somali immigrants funneled funds to Al-Shabaab terrorists. He cited whistleblower social services workers who exposed the Democrats’ cover-up and declared Walz bears direct responsibility for funding Islamic extremism through negligent program management.
6. Alabama State Rep. Andy Whitt (R-Harvest) praised Alabama’s HB445 as a pioneering crackdown on intoxicating hemp products like Delta-8 and HHC by limiting THC to 0.4 mg, banning synthetics, requiring rigorous testing and licensing under the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board starting Jan. 1; it aims to combat unregulated sales fueling DUIs, youth overdoses, and school smuggling, with federal Farm Bill restrictions now aligning to eradicate these public health threats despite industry resistance.
5. The Trump administration is threatening to withhold some food stamp funding from states refusing to give data to the federal government as investigations into the program continue; fraud experts have labeled Alabama the nation’s SNAP fraud capital after USDA data revealed over 26,000 stolen benefit claims, surpassing California and New York combined.
4. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vehemently denied a Washington Post report alleging he ordered “kill everybody” after a U.S. Navy strike on a Venezuelan drug boat. He branded the anonymous story fake news, while defending Adm. Frank Bradley’s follow-up lethal action amid bipartisan congressional probes questioning potential war crimes and demanding unedited video release.
3. The so-called smartest man in Alabama, Retirement Systems of Alabama CEO David Bronner, warned that Alabama’s 2026 legislative session will force agonizing education funding decisions amid soaring PEEHIP health insurance costs seeking a $380 million 33% hike to $1.5 billion for 2027 due to Medicare and medical inflation outpacing revenues depleted by tax cuts and the CHOOSE Act’s $7,000 private school vouchers for 24,000 participants. Teacher pay raises could be derailed while straining straining underfunded public schools despite improving test scores and workforce programs.
2. Republican Matt Van Epps secured victory in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District special election with 53.9% of the vote to Democrat Aftyn Behn’s 45%. The media and their Democrats are declaring this a moral victory because the special election in December had a narrower margin than a hotly contested presidential election, where President Donald Trump won by 22 points.
1. Alabama talk radio legend and ESPN college football host Paul Finebaum announced he will not pursue Alabama’s open U.S. Senate seat, opting to stay at ESPN despite good odds to win the race due to name recognition and fundraising capabilities.
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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.
