7. In a race with issues seen in swing districts across the state of Alabama,  State Rep. Phillip Rigsby (R-Huntsville) said his Democratic opponent Allison Montgomery, a transgender first-time candidate in House District 25, lobbied in February 2024 to kill a bill protecting girls’ restrooms from boys, calling the legislation “risky” during Senate committee testimony, as Rigsby told voters, “When you vote against something, you are voting for something. Just know what you’re voting for,” while noting Montgomery wants to repeal the CHOOSE Act and expand Medicaid.

6. U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) was kicked out of the Michigan Democratic Party, with party chair Curtis Hertel stating she “is not a current member of the Michigan Democratic Party, nor will she be in the future,” amid insinuations from U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Michigan State State Rep. Mallory McMorrow that she is mentally ill and that her fiancé influences her decisions, while Jordan Acker, who says he is friends with Stevens, claimed her fiancé “took her phone away,” prompting criticism that a member of Congress should not have her phone controlled by others.

5. A joint ICE operation across north Alabama in Marshall, Franklin, Lawrence, and Colbert counties resulted in more than 180 arrests over five days of individuals with criminal histories involving violent offenses, domestic violence, sexual offenses, DUI convictions, and prior deportations, as Marshall County Sheriff Phil Sims said, “The results of this operation highlight the importance of cooperation between local and federal law enforcement agencies,” and emphasized, “This operation was not about someone’s race, ethnicity, or nationality. It was about enforcing the law.”

4. Christopher Hoyt, a small-business owner from Birmingham, said he felt “punched in the stomach” when his Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama premium for himself, his wife, and 21-year-old son jumped nearly 80 percent over two years to $4,287.61 a month, or $51,451 annually for 2027, more than $20,000 above the prior year’s $31,451 cost, as Blue Cross blamed federal factors including the loss of individual market subsidies, age-based pricing, hospital consolidation, and rising pharmaceutical costs while noting Alabama’s ACA benchmark premiums remain lower than those in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Florida.

3. No step too high for a high-stepper according to Governor Kay Ivey rejected calls to halt construction of a second new men’s prison in Escambia County after the finance authority approved a $676,056,865 contract for the facility budgeted at $846,443,827 overall, stating, “While I cannot speak for others, I am someone who refuses to kick the can down the road,” and “I am proud we are officially moving forward with construction on this second facility,” even as Alabama State House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) described the first prison, the Kay Ivey Correctional Complex, as a “complete and total chaotic mess” that is 85 percent complete, over $635 million over budget, and a year behind schedule.

2. Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) vowed after the Magic City Classic shootings that left one dead and eight others injured that “Criminals will fear the consequences of hurting Alabamians or the people coddling those criminals will,” while Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said, “We will not apologize for our culture,” and urged the public to unite by focusing on the shooters rather than blaming the event’s 85-year history or allowing the violence to define the family-friendly tradition.

1. Alabama leads the nation in straight-ticket voting, with 67.7 percent of 2024 ballots cast that way and Democratic Party Chairman Bobby Singleton predicting it could reach 70 percent in 2026, a surge that could decide key races including the 2nd Congressional District, while Attorney General Steve Marshall put election lawbreakers on notice by stating, “Anyone who seeks to undermine the integrity of Alabama’s elections should be prepared to face the consequences,” noting 186 noncitizens were identified as illegally registered and 25 had voted in prior elections.

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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.