7. Calls for NPR to be defunded continue after NPR CEO Katherine Maher spent the day conceding that NPR dismissing the Hunter Biden laptop story as a distraction was a mistake, reflecting on the outlet’s initial skepticism during the 2020 election. She faced tough questions from the DOGE subcommittee, chaired by House Republicans, about NPR’s nonpartisan credibility amid past editorial decisions and her comments on reparations, firing of conservative employees, President Donald Trump, and more.
6. State Rep. Andy Whitt (R-Harvest) warns that Delta-8, a substance sold without oversight in Alabama’s convenience stores and bars, is harming children and disrupting schools with its gummies and vapes. Whitt is proposing the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board license sellers ban the sales to those under 21, and set THC limits that would limit the potency of the Delta-8 products and tax it.
5. First it was TikTok, now Gov. Kay Ivey has prohibited the use of DeepSeek and Manus AI platforms on Alabama state government devices and networks. This follows a memo highlighting their “unacceptable risks” to data privacy and cybersecurity linked to the Chinese government. The move is backed by Attorney General Steve Marshall who called DeepSeek a “serious national security threat.” The ban is in line with states like Tennessee and federal entities like the U.S. Commerce Department, as is a ban on similar software from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.
4. An Iranian doctoral student Alireza Doroudi, who was studying mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama, has been detained by ICE agents, after his F-1 visa was revoked. The Crimson White newspaper reported that although Doroudi’s visa was revoked six months earlier, the university’s International Student and Scholar Services assured him he could remain legally as long as he maintained his student status, which is clearly not true.
3. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that Elon Musk, alongside the National Security Council, and White House Counsel’s Office, will investigate the inadvertent inclusion of The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg in a Signal chat with lNational Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who discussed Yemen strike plans. President Donald Trump and his team have framed the “war plans” incident as a hoax. Even though no classified information was shared, 75% of those polled say that the Trump’s administration’s accidental sharing of the text thread was “very” or “somewhat” serious. This is much higher than the 56% who found Hillary Clinton’s email server serious when that news broke. The media who downplayed the Clinton intention misdeeds for years are now panicked over this inadvertent mistake.
2. Haitian immigrants in Albertville are self-deporting to Chile and Mexico after President Donald Trump ended the Biden-era CHNV parole program, as activists claim the revocation leaves them with few options amid Haiti’s ongoing crisis. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) backed the decision, citing the program’s abuse, fraud, and the overwhelming impact on local services, while praising Trump for enforcing immigration laws.
1. President Donald Trump introduced a “permanent” 25% tariff on auto imports, claiming it would revitalize U.S. manufacturing and reduce the budget deficit. But the policy rattled markets, and foreign leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling the tariffs an attack on global trade, vowing retaliation. But some are praising the move, including United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain who called them a remedy to decades of trade devastation, costing thousands of union jobs in states like Michigan and Ohio.
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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.
