7. During a public forum in Huntsville, Madison County residents (actually special interest groups) called on lawmakers to strengthen child labor protections, safeguard librarians from politically motivated legislation, and improve rural animal welfare laws. The groups claiming to support librarians, represented by Read Freely Alabama’s Susan Stewart (rarely identified that way), have an odd ask, don’t change the state’s obscenity code, which currently has protections from criminal liability for public and school libraries and librarians who provide inappropriate material to children.

6. SEC Network host and radio legend Paul Finebaum stated that Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer is on a “scorching hot seat” after a disappointing 9-3 regular season and an embarrassing bowl loss to Michigan. Finebaum emphasized that Alabama’s expectations were “playoff or bust,” and DeBoer failed to deliver in his first season. He warned that if DeBoer fails to reach the College Football Playoff next season, the pressure from fans and the administration could become overwhelming.

5. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed the company is ending its fact-checking program on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, opting for a community-driven model inspired by Elon Musk’s X and citing concerns about bias. Fact-checking groups, including PolitiFact and FactCheck.org, have contested these claims, stating they only submitted fact-checks while Meta controlled content actions. The shift, which aligns with Meta’s efforts to rebuild relations with the incoming Trump administration, aims to reduce content demotions and prioritize free speech, made more necessary by rampant media bias and fact-checking errors that only go one way.

4. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon temporarily barred the release of a DOJ report led by special counsel Jack Smith, which detailed findings from Trump’s classified documents case, following objections from Trump’s co-defendants and his legal team over the argument that Smith was inappropriately appointed. Cannon already ruled that Smith was not appointed correctly, now it appears the Biden DOJ’s desire for more lawfare is leading to another attempt to target the incoming president. In New York, Judge Juan Merchan’s attempt at painting President-elect Trump as a “convicted felon” before his inauguration moved forward, with many criticizing the political nature of the case and the actions of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

3. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) is reintroducing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would prevent biological males from competing in women’s sports and deny federal funding to programs allowing such participation, citing Title IX protections. The bill, co-sponsored by 23 Republican senators, has received approval for a floor vote under the new Republican Senate majority led by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). Tuberville, emphasizing fairness for female athletes, has collaborated with President-elect Donald Trump to advance the measure, with a vote anticipated by the end of the week.

2. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) has a chance to pass the Laken Riley Act, which passed the House with bipartisan backing from Alabama’s full delegation. The bill mandates the arrest and removal of illegal immigrants convicted of theft-related crimes to prevent future tragedies like the murder of nursing student Laken Riley. Riley’s killer, Jose Ibarra, a convicted felon residing in the U.S. illegally, was sentenced to life without parole after a guilty verdict last November. The bill, praised by Riley’s family and Alabama lawmakers, now awaits further action in the Senate, where Britt hopes for overwhelming support saying, “This bill shouldn’t just get 60+ votes in the Senate, it should get 90+.”

1. At his wild Mar-a-Lago press conference, President-elect Donald Trump outlined “controversial” positions, including his refusal to rule out military action in pursuit of control over Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal, emphasizing economic security while mentioning that he may be renaming the Gulf of Mexico, “Gulf of America.” He sharply criticized President Joe Biden’s offshore drilling ban and vowed to reverse it immediately, using his “drill, baby, drill” slogan to promise lower energy costs. Trump also took aim at the Department of Justice, praised a court’s decision to block a report on investigations against him, and warned of severe consequences in the Middle East if Israeli hostages were not released by Hamas before his return to office.

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.