7. The now-defunct Birmingham-Southern College’s baseball team’s run in the Division III College World Series is over after an 11-10 loss, despite building a significant lead, the Panthers couldn’t secure the win and ultimately fell to a walk-off homer in the ninth inning. The loss to Wisconsin-Whitewater is the end of the school’s more than 160-year history after financial failure and the inability to secure more funding through donations or legislative approval.
6. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) slammed the anti-Israel protests on college campuses following their endorsement by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Sayyid Ali Khamenei, highlighting Iran’s role as a major state sponsor of terrorism. She connected the protests to the larger context of Iran’s support for groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, criticized the Biden administration for what she perceives as its lenient stance towards Iran, and also expressed concern over the alignment between left-wing elements in the U.S. and the Iranian regime, calling it un-American and shameful.
5. Driving with a phone in Alabama will become more expensive after a new law went in to effect over the weekend with the state now enforcing a “hands-free” driving law. The law prohibits motorists from holding or supporting a mobile device while driving, expanding the previous ban on texting to include activities such as making calls, recording videos, or viewing content on mobile devices. While the law is a secondary violation and cannot be the sole reason for a traffic stop, it aims to reduce distracted driving, which contributed to nearly 7% of vehicle fatalities in Alabama in 2022 with fines beginning at $50 for the first offense, escalating with repeated violations, and points will be added to the driver’s record.
4. In what is going to become a trend, the city of Calera is interested in holding a conversation on creating its own school system by leaving Shelby County Schools. The response that the problems aren’t the schools’ fault but are the fault of parents may be true but will also be underwhelming. Calera, and its 18,000 residents, are trying to decide if they can sustain an independent school system, following the examples of Pelham and Alabaster, which established their own districts in the past decade and more communities attempting the same and failing like Gardendale.
3. Post-election polling and betting odds are a mixed bag following former President Donald Trump’s conviction. Trump’s odds in the 2024 election betting markets dropped slightly from a 53% to a 50% implied probability of victory but President Joe Biden’s odds increased from 38% to over 40% overnight. CBS News/YouGov found little shift in opinion among Americans, while ABC News/Ipsos showed a split in public opinion, largely along party lines, with many still firm in their pre-verdict beliefs but a majority of independents and “double-haters” (people who hate both Biden and Trump) believe he should end his campaign.
2. The ALGOP and other Alabama Republican groups weigh in further on former President Donald Trump’s convictions. ALPGOP Chairman John Wahl laid it out, saying, “The bottom line is the American people are asking this question right now, ‘Were these court cases and this this case in particular, was it politically motivated?’ And I believe the answer is yes. And I think most Americans think the answer is yes.”
1. The media and their Democrats continue demanding that their opinions on former President Donald Trump, his recent convictions, and his status as the GOP nominee are the major issues the American people must see litigated daily, but Americans don’t agree. Trump, who has now raised $200 million since his conviction, is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in before his sentencing on matters related to the case, writing on Truth Social, “Nobody even knew what the crime was until the Judge gave his Unconstitutional Instructions. A total Hoax! A case like this has NEVER been brought before. A Country in peril. Election Interference!!!.”
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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 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.
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