7 Things: Shutdown drags on; Tuberville keeps pushing for the National Guard in Alabama; taxpayers paying to put Reed on TV; and more …

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October 3, 2025

7. The “Rock the South” festival, billed as the “Biggest Party in the South,” is relocating from Cullman to Decatur to enhance its regional appeal and attract a larger crowd. New venue amenities will take the experience on land that the festival will now own to “the next level.”

6. ALGOP Chairman John Wahl attributed recent local election victories across the state to common-sense policies, contrasting them with radical left agendas of the national and Alabama Democrat parties.

5. President Donald Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco ordered yet another special master to redraw yet another Alabama State Senate map before the 2026 election to address Voting Rights Act concerns raised in ongoing litigation, even though Gov. Kay Ivey wanted to wait until the Supreme Court rules on the matter.

4. It has been exposed that Montgomery taxpayers are paying $5,000 a month to get Mayor Steven Reed booked on appearances on TV, podcasts, and radio to promote city initiatives, even though the mayor and his staff regularly turn down interview requests.

3. Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) is urging Hamas to accept President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan with Israel, warning that this opportunity represents their last chance to avoid further conflict, being completely wiped out, and sparing the region a broader war.

2. As some mayors and governors are balking at using the National Guard to drive down inner-city crime, Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) endorsed deploying National Guard troops to urban centers struggling with crime control, advocating for federal assistance to cities like Birmingham and Montgomery if he were to win the race for governor, which he is going to win.

1. The ongoing government shutdown shows no signs of ending in the short-term on day 3 as the media and their Democrats continue whining about memes and their position on illegals receiving healthcare, while U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) noted, “This shutdown could end today if Democrats would support the clean continuing resolution to fund the government.”

Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.