7. New details have emerged about the dinner between President-elect Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with two attendees sharing their account where Trudeau warned about the impacts tariffs would have on his country. During the conversation, Trudeau warned that new tariffs would harm the Canadian economy, to which Trump jokingly suggested that if Canada couldn’t survive without exploiting the U.S. by $100 billion a year, it might as well become the 51st state, with Trudeau as its governor. The exchange highlights the negotiations have begun and that Canada needs to take the tariff threats seriously. Trump also has some thoughts on Gaza that warrant some attention, as well.
6. The Alabama Crimson Tide, once thought unlikely to reach the College Football Playoff after a decisive loss to Oklahoma, now find themselves with a strong chance to make the expanded 12-team field. A chaotic weekend in college football, including key losses by Miami and Clemson’s struggles, has improved Alabama’s odds to a slim 51%. Their playoff fate hinges on being ranked above Miami and South Carolina in the upcoming rankings but if Clemson backs in to an ACC title, the path is a little more murky.
5. The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library is moving some PG Disney movies, like “Moana”, “Frozen”, and “Coco” from the children’s section to the young adult section in accordance with new state aid requirements from the Alabama Public Library Service. The changes, based on MPAA ratings, aim to provide consistency across the library system, with G-rated films staying in the juvenile section and PG-rated ones moving to a collection for ages 13 to 18, which is totally reasonable. However, critics like Alyx Kim-Yohn, a library employee and activist, warn the new policies could restrict access for minors, particularly those unable to secure parental approval for higher library access tiers, potentially limiting their ability to borrow age-appropriate materials.
4. After a bruising election season and a less stressful Thanksgiving weekend, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) expressed confidence that both Republicans and some Democrats will support Trump’s policies, particularly stronger border security, following his recent victory. She pointed to Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to Mar-a-Lago as proof that conservatives’ voices cannot be silenced and will only grow louder in the coming months and noted, “I think he learned an important lesson the hard way and that’s that you can’t cancel Donald Trump.” Britt emphasized that Americans are demanding real results and that lawmakers will have to act accordingly to meet those expectations.
3. A congressional subcommittee’s final report concluded that COVID-19 most likely originated from a lab in Wuhan, China, and criticized social distancing and mask mandates as lacking scientific basis. The 520-page investigation highlighted gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and noted researchers there fell ill with COVID-like symptoms before the virus was officially detected. The report also condemned the pandemic response for causing long-term economic and educational harm, with unemployment surging and children losing decades of academic progress..
2. President Joe Biden’s pardon of his crackhead son is drawing a little bit of friendly-fire criticism with U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) calling on President Biden to pardon President-elect Donald Trump to restore balance after Biden’s controversial decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden. Manchin argued that clearing Trump’s legal slate would allow the president-elect to focus on leading the country and ease public criticism of perceived favoritism. Biden’s decision has drawn bipartisan backlash, with lawmakers across party lines condemning it as an improper use of power that undermines trust in the justice system but outgoing loser U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) wasn’t interested in discussing it, telling reporters, “I’m about to get the f–k out of here. Ask somebody else.”
1. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) voiced strong criticism of President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his crackhead son, Hunter Biden, framing the issue as one of broken promises rather than the pardon itself. Speaking to reporters, Tuberville admitted he would likely do the same for his own child but took issue with Biden’s earlier pledge not to intervene, calling it a betrayal of public trust. “Don’t lie to us. Don’t tell us you’re not going to do it, and then do it,” Tuberville remarked, underscoring his frustration with the president’s actions.
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.
