7. The Birmingham City School Board, which oversees a school system where 12% of high schoolers are proficient in reading and 5% are proficient in math, has rejected the Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School’s request to open a campus near A.H. Parker High School was denied, citing objections from the community and board members. The aviation-focused, free public charter school, which is nearing capacity and will soon graduate its first class, had previously faced rejection from Birmingham in 2020 due to a lack of data. Despite the setback, school officials remain determined to move forward, comparing their journey to navigating turbulence in flight and announcing plans to appeal the board’s decision. The school now operates in Bessemer after a previous request was denied.
6. Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed condemned a billboard featuring an image from “Bloody Sunday” with the slogan “Make America Great Again,” calling it a misuse of historical imagery that risked deepening political divides. Reed emphasized the need for historical representation to foster unity rather than division and vowed to ensure such incidents do not occur again. The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, which had its logo on the billboard, stated the decision to place it was made without leadership’s approval and confirmed its immediate removal, but they could not explain how the billboard got up without approval. Additionally, in Mobile, the the executive director of the Alabama Contemporary Art Center Elizabet Elliott said any spending freeze was a ploy to silence Trump’s critics and any “platform that uplifts voices that are otherwise unheard.”
5. The Army has identified Cpt. Rebecca M. Lobach as the third soldier who died in the midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines jet near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people. Her family described her as a dedicated and ambitious officer. Lobach worked in the Joe Biden White House as an aide, which in conjunction with her being a lesbian has led to scrutiny on whether she was fully qualified. While the cause of the crash remains under investigation, the media is suggesting President Donald Trump blamed FAA diversity hiring policies for the tragedy, which he did not do, but there are questions about staffing at the agency over diversity efforts and how that may affect safety.
4. In what was expected, unreported and uncorroborated claims of harm coming to illegal immigrants are starting and in Albertville. Crystal Yvonne claims her “sibling” was confronted by a “white supremacist” at a four-way stop. When asked about telling the cops, Yvonne’s story changed twice, claiming there was no police report, saying, “he didn’t call the police because that guy drove off speeding, he didn’t have time to get his license plate number or anything;” and then saying, “so I was talking with my brother and thank God! He has a dash cam and recorded what happened last night! I had no idea he had one. He went and took that to the police station. Sadly they can not do anything about it since you can’t see the license plate.” Most likely, this event never happened.
3. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has established a task force to support federal immigration enforcement efforts, aligning with President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation strategy. Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth pledged full cooperation with agencies like ICE and Homeland Security, stating that illegal immigrants “commit a crime the moment they jump our border.” Highlighting Alabama’s historic state motto, “We dare defend our rights,” Ainsworth asserted the state will now also “dare defend our borders” against unlawful immigration.
2. As newly confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Panama, the country became the first Latin American nation to exit China’s Belt and Road Initiative, with President José Raúl Mulino stating he will not renew the agreement and may seek an early termination. Rubio reiterated that the U.S. would not allow China’s growing influence over the Panama Canal region as part of President Donald Trump reasserting American dominance in the region. This decision is seen as a significant setback for Beijing’s global ambitions and a win for U.S. efforts to counter Chinese expansion in Latin America. Absurdly, talk of war with Panama is being messaged as a worst case scenario in Politico with a headline screeching, “‘There will be many casualties’: Panama girds for war as Rubio opens talks,” as if a war was a possible outcome.
1. President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on imports from Canada, China, and Mexico, (starting Tuesday) citing economic security and immigration concerns, but acknowledging potential economic pain despite previous promises of lower consumer costs. In retaliation, we now have a trade war, Canada and Mexico have announced their own tariffs, while China is considering legal action through the World Trade Organization. The costs on all countries involved will be real, with economists predict higher inflation, rising energy costs, and a decline in economic growth, with the average American household potentially losing $1,000–$1,200 in purchasing power annually. BUT the U.S. holds great leverage over these countries with Canadian exports to the U.S. accounting for 22% of their GDP and Mexican exports to the U.S. making up 35% of their GDP, while 2% of U.S. imports are tied to the two countries. Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned this could push the two countries (Mexico and Canada) into a recession.
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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 on WVNN at 10 p.m.
