7. Syrian President Bashar Assad fled to Moscow after Syrian rebel forces seized control of Damascus, ending his family’s 50-year rule, with celebrations erupting across Syria reminiscent of the Arab Spring. Rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani, a former al-Qaida commander turned pluralist advocate, is poised to shape Syria’s future as international actors like Russia and Iran grapple with the fallout of Assad’s ouster. Amid concerns about stability and governance, global powers, including the U.S., emphasized the need for a peaceful transition, while Israel moved to secure strategic positions in the Golan Heights, raising regional tensions.
6. The city of Lipscomb faces financial instability after its assets were frozen as part of a public nuisance lawsuit linked to illegal gambling, with allegations that the city profited from criminally derived bingo funds. Despite repealing its bingo ordinance during a special meeting, tensions persist between Mayor Tonja Baldwin and the City Council over accountability for the crisis, with Councilor Barbara Moore accusing the mayor of withholding critical information about fund use. A court hearing extended the asset freeze until today, with $200,000 in questioned bingo proceeds still unaccounted for, leaving the City struggling to meet financial obligations like payroll.
5. Former Democrat U.S. Sen. Doug Jones has called for the retirement of Alabama Democratic Party leaders Joe Reed and Randy Kelley, arguing that their leadership has contributed to the party’s decline. Jones described the party as an “unmitigated disaster,” citing issues such as infighting, a lack of quorum for meetings, and a focus on internal power struggles rather than voter engagement. He pointed to historically low Democratic voter turnout in recent elections, including Alabama’s lowest turnout since 1988, as evidence of the party’s failure to inspire participation. He also highlighted the party’s inability to recruit candidates due to the likelihood of electoral embarrassment and criticized the leadership for prioritizing challenges to national Democratic Party bylaws over grassroots organizing.
4. The FDA is expected to decide within weeks whether to ban Red 3, a petroleum-derived food dye commonly found in candies, cereals, and snacks, after receiving a petition challenging its safety. While the FDA has long deemed food dyes safe, critics argue that Red 3’s link to cancer in animals and behavioral issues in children warrants its removal, citing bans in other countries and California. Advocates for the ban emphasize that the dye is unnecessary, serving only to make products more visually appealing and marketable, and all of this is coming on the heels of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. making this an issue and highlighting how other countries do not allow these items in food.
3. Cullman’s Christkindlmarkt is still booming despite a dishonest onslaught from aldotcom and TikTok declaring it – without evidence – an unsafe community for minorities. The “sundown town” myth, suggested the area was a town where black people are unsafe at night, but the turnout was not tempered this weekend and the crowd was diverse. In other Christmas celebration news, Prattville Pride sued the city of Prattville to force the city to allow a drag queen float into the parade and it depressed turnout of a family event, which is likely the goal.
2. Alabama’s legendary former head coach Nick Saban reacted to Alabama’s exclusion from the College Football Playoff in favor of SMU, raising concerns about the impact on scheduling, questioning the benefit of playing strong non-conference opponents if strength of schedule isn’t prioritized. Saban noted that Alabama’s upcoming high-profile matchups with teams like Notre Dame and Ohio State could now be reconsidered given the SEC’s inherent difficulty. Despite finishing 9-3, Alabama was ranked No. 11 and missed the 12-team playoff due to in-conference losses and the SEC’s competitiveness, as SMU’s 11-2 record and more challenging non-conference slate secured their CFP berth with a loss to Clemson in the ACC title game because it was close.
1. President-elect Donald Trump’s “Meet the Press” interview unveiled his plans and priorities for his second term, focusing on justice, immigration, and the economy. He emphasized delegating Justice Department actions to appointees while advocating for strict immigration measures, including mass deportations and an end to birthright citizenship, balanced by a measured approach to addressing the needs of Dreamers. Trump also defended polarizing Cabinet appointments and pledged bold economic reforms like tariffs and deregulation, signaling a term marked by divisive but assertive policymaking. NBC interviewer Kristen Welker seemed hell-bent on whining about 2020 and other arguments no one cares about like making nice with people who hate him, want him in jail, or want him dead.
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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.
