7. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has refused to recuse himself from Jan. 6-related Supreme Court cases despite calls from Democratic lawmakers questioning his impartiality after reports surfaced of controversial flags flown at his home post-Capitol riot. In a letter to congressional leaders, Alito clarified that his wife was responsible for the flags — a distress signal flown upside-down and a religious-themed one allegedly associated with Jan. 6 rioters — stating he was unaware of their display and dismissing the calls for recusal as unwarranted, emphasizing the flags’ historical context and her reasons unrelated to the events.
6. Kids being able to read is good and State Rep Terri Collins (R-Decatur) has effusive praise for the results of the Alabama Literacy Act, calling its first year of results a “massive improvement in reading over the last five years.” The Alabama State Department of Education reported that 91% of third-graders are reading at or above grade level in the 2023-2024 Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program, an 8% increase from the previous year and places like Birmingham increased even more from 54% to 81% of kids reading at grade-level and students have opportunities to improve their scores and get promoted to the 4th grade..
5. Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), Katie Britt (R-Montgomery), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have introduced a bill to repeal the natural gas tax implemented under the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, which they argue raises operational costs for energy companies and increases household energy bills. The proposed legislation aims to eliminate the methane emissions charges, which are set to escalate from $900 per ton in 2024 to $1,500 per ton by 2026, in an effort to reduce energy costs and promote American energy independence, emphasizing the need to prioritize American taxpayers and mitigate the economic impact on lower-income households.
4. A massive high-speed rail investment in the American Southeast is idiotic and should never happen, the liberal pipe-dream of a Mobile-to-New Orleans Amtrak line showing how silly it all is once the Mobile City Council realized they needed to pay the bills. Because these stupid ideas are stupid and stupid people support them, concern is finally being raised about what happens with the Mobile City Council subsidizing the rides (the trains will obviously stop) and Gov. Kay Ivey RIGHTLY has seemed disinterested in paying the stupid tax for Mobile and has for years.
3. State Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Pike Road) is proposing legislation that would compel state intervention when municipal governments and police departments fail to maintain public safety. This suggestion seems to be predicated on increasing violent crime rates in Alabama’s metropolitan areas where Democrats blaming a constitutional carry while Republicans accurately pointing out that the law applies statewide and the affected areas are Democrat strongholds.
2. The Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee has included Alabama’s Second Congressional District, a district racially gerrymandered by federal courts for a black Democrat, in their last “Red to Blue” messaging, but GOP candidate Caroleene Dobson still believes that seat is in play. Dobson believes approaching former Democrats is the key to victory, emphasizing issues such as economic struggles under “Bidenomics,” border security, and family values. She argues that her message of being a working parent who will fight for Alabama families resonates across party lines, potentially appealing to voters disillusioned with the current political climate and concerned about safety, rising costs, and cultural changes.
1. The jury in Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial deliberated for over four-and-a-half hours without reaching a verdict and will resume today. The jurors requested readbacks of specific testimonies, including from David Pecker and Michael Cohen, and Judge Juan Merchan’s legal instructions, which outline the 34 felony counts against Trump for falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels. Judge Merchan emphasized the importance of jurors remaining impartial, and while deliberations continue, Trump and his legal team will remain at the Manhattan courthouse to address any further jury queries.
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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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