7. The College Football Playoff semifinals are set, legacies win with Penn State vs. Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9 and Texas vs. Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10. In other college football news, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has declared for the NFL Draft, opting to leave college football after two years as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback. The SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum is the latest talking head to announce that Alabama’s dynasty is dead, again, as he publicly “waved the white flag” on Alabama’s future prospects.
6. Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl condemned anti-Jewish violence in Gaza, accurately equating it with the ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in New Orleans that claimed 15 lives on New Year’s Eve. Pearl’s post on social media criticized support for Hamas and radicalized terrorism, urging accountability for what he termed “horrific behavior.” The New Orleans attack delayed the Sugar Bowl and involved a truck with an ISIS flag driven by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a Texas native and former Army veteran.
5. Authorities in Las Vegas stated that Matthew Livelsberger, a decorated 37-year-old Green Beret, died by suicide moments before a Tesla Cybertruck he packed with fireworks exploded outside Trump International Hotel. The explosion, which caused minor injuries to seven people but left the hotel undamaged, is believed to have been less devastating due to the truck’s steel frame absorbing much of the blast. Investigators are exploring possible motives, including recent personal conflicts and the symbolic significance of the Trump property and Tesla vehicle, but no definitive ideological or criminal connections have been identified.
4. Alabama’s junior U.S. Sen. Katie Britt highlighted her legislative achievements during the 118th Congress and emphasized investments in Alabama, bipartisan solutions for families, and efforts to address border security and national defense. Britt expressed pride in prioritizing Alabama’s needs while promising to build on this progress in the 119th Congress, now under a Republican majority. Britt also says she looks forward to advancing the “America First” agenda alongside President Trump’s administration.
3. Two students connected to Alabama universities were among the 15 victims killed in the New Orleans terrorist attack on New Year’s Day when an ISIS-inspired driver, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street. Auburn University mourned 2023 graduate Drew Dauphin, while the University of Alabama lost freshman Kareem Badawi, offering support to affected students and families.
2. Jefferson County’s violent start to 2025 saw four men killed in separate incidents, including Domino’s delivery driver Derek Marcus Burpo, 51, shot in an apparent robbery while delivering pizzas in Birmingham. Other victims include Elijah Mack Jr., 65, fatally shot in a Bessemer home; Jason Neal Duke, 40, killed in a domestic-related shooting in Graysville; and Ernest Paul Christion Jr., 68, who succumbed to injuries after being found in an Ensley home on New Year’s Eve. 2024 was a bad year for Birmingham as it broke a 91-year homicide record in 2024 with 151 killings and 2025 is not looking good for the city.
1. Nearly 3,000 Alabama families applied for education savings accounts on the first day of eligibility under the CHOOSE Act, which allows up to $7,000 per child for private school expenses or $2,000 per child for homeschool costs. The school choice law, a Republican-led initiative championed by Gov. Kay Ivey, takes effect in the 2025-26 school year, initially prioritizing specific student groups before extending statewide by 2027-28.
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.
