7. At a Montgomery federal courthouse news conference, former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy claimed to have uncovered “bombshell” evidence of Department of Justice misconduct, alleging prosecutors hid exculpatory details from 19 of 24 FBI interviews with key witness Nick Bailey that could clear him and former Alabama Governor. Don Siegelman of their 2006 bribery convictions tied to a $500,000 payment for a state board seat, though his lack of concrete affidavits or interview specifics and reliance on a website with recycled documents—like Tamarah Grimes’ dismissed 2009 whistleblower report and Elmer Harris’ 2016 declaration — undermine his assertions. Leslie Scrushy, alongside her husband, their attorney, and two of their nine children, insisted the prosecution was diabolically orchestrated, citing federal Statute 666, the case resting on June 6, 2006 (6-6-6), and the ‘F’ initials of then-Acting U.S. Attorney Louis Franklin, then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Feaga, and then-U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller as proof of a spiritual attack, an insane angle that undercuts any attempt to take this seriously. Scrushy seeks a Trump administration review and calls Bailey’s evolving testimony “exculpable,” the absence of fresh, verifiable evidence and Leslie’s symbolic focus over legal rigor invite skepticism about reversing a conviction upheld through, this all seems unlikely.
6. Jim Purcell of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education advised Alabama’s schools and colleges, which draw $2.6 billion yearly from the U.S. Department of Education, to prepare for disruption as President Donald Trump prepares an executive order for Education Secretary Linda McMahon to close the agency, a move State Superintendent Eric Mackey said requires congressional action unlikely with only 53 Republican Senate seats. Mackey emphasized the state’s dependence on $193 million in IDEA and $301 million in Title I funds for special education and high-poverty schools, suggesting flexibility could improve if funds shift elsewhere. However, he and State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville) acknowledged legal limits mean staff cuts and program trims, like those already hitting the Office for Civil Rights, are more probable than outright closure. Purcell flagged a broader risk, estimating a $46 million hit to research from agencies like the National Science Foundation, underscoring Alabama’s vulnerability — especially in rural districts like Perry County and community colleges — while the order’s draft admits Trump’s power stops short of abolition, casting doubt on the plan’s full impact versus its political rhetoric, given historical congressional resistance to such drastic shifts.
5. U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) defended all of the Alabama Republicans who voted to censure U.S. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), passing 224-198, for interrupting President Donald Trump’s address with a Medicaid protest, deeming it a “shameful display” breaching decorum. U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Montgomery) voted “present” in support of Green and U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) voted against, amid a tumultuous scene where Democrats rallied around Green with song as Republicans demanded order. Speaker Mike Johnson had Green removed during the speech and later read the censure aloud as dozens of Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), protested, yet Green told NBC News he’d repeat his heartfelt act despite consequences.
4. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) and U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Birmingham) protested the inclusion of Montgomery’s Freedom Rides Museum — site of the 1961 civil rights clash — on a U.S. General Services Administration list of over 400 federal properties slated for sale by the Department of Government Efficiency. Sewell blasted it as “outrageous” on X with both lawmakers writing to preserve the site’s legacy, though the list vanished within a day and museum staff confirmed no GSA outreach. Sewell is on an embarrassing kick right now over DOGE and is clearly attempting to steal some of the spotlight from some of the more ridiculous members of her caucus like Rep. Jasmine Crockett (R-Texas) or Rep. Ayanna Presley (R-Mass.) by taking to Twitter and saying, “Elon Musk and his DOGE bros have ordered GSA to sell off the site of the historic Freedom Riders Museum in Montgomery. This is outrageous and we will not let it stand! I am demanding an immediate reversal. Our civil rights history is not for sale!”
3. State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore), a key voice from a district including the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, explained that the Alabama’s Legislature has draft language for any gambling package, but passing a simple lottery bill would irresponsibly spread gambling to every crossroads without resolving illegal sports betting or navigating federal class three gaming laws that could complicate state control. He rejected a lottery-only approach as inadequate, arguing it neither financially aids Alabama nor curbs the “scourge” of uncontrolled sports gaming. Instead, it calls for a comprehensive package that’s eluded both chambers’ consensus, a stance shaped by his prior vote against a broader bill. Albritton’s push for a “better” solution reflects a moral and practical stance, yet his dismissal of a popular lottery option risks alienating constituents who favor immediate action, underscoring a tension between his regulatory vision and the public’s simpler demands, with no clear path to unify the divided legislative will he acknowledges is essential.
2. With a good portion of the session already in the books, Alabama Democrats are pretending they have a plan to help Alabama – a confusing wish list of nonsense with no chance of passing but they are trying. Alabama House Democrats, led by State Rep. Adline Clarke (D-Mobile) and State Rep. Laura Hall (D-Huntsville), and State Rep. Curtis Travis (D-Tuscaloosa), pitched a $1.7 billion tax cut package at a press conference, targeting grocery tax elimination, a drop in income tax from 5% to 4%, and a permanent overtime tax break, slamming Republican half-measures and tying funding to repealing the CHOOSE Act for $100 million and a speculative $900 million from gambling reform. State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville), Education Trust Fund committee chair, rejected it as a “reckless” throwback to pre-2010 Democratic budget woes, noting the $300 million overtime cut, $369 million grocery tax loss, and $1.2 billion income tax reduction leave a gaping hole, especially with ongoing state needs like Medicaid and prisons unaddressed by the proposal’s shaky revenue bets. While Democrats frame it as a bold fix for working families crushed by costs, critics question its math, with the CHOOSE Act’s repeal stirring education funding debates and gambling’s unpassed status casting doubt on feasibility, suggesting a populist gambit that may falter under scrutiny without broader GOP buy-in or a clearer fiscal roadmap.
1. President Donald Trump, after imposing sweeping 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, issued an executive order pausing duties on USMCA-compliant goods until April 2, covering about 50% of Mexican and 38% of Canadian imports as per a White House official, while maintaining full tariffs on non-compliant items and doubling down on China, amid a week of market swings and retailer alerts on rising costs like avocados and auto parts. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum welcomed the partial reprieve but insisted Mexico’s tariff-free trade status justifies its exemption from April’s reciprocal tariffs, while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pushes for total tariff removal. Yet over 60% of Canadian goods still face levies, highlighting an uneven rollback that Wolfe Research’s Tobin Marcus critiques as lacking policy substance despite Trump’s claims of border security leverage. The shift, leaving significant trade volumes taxable and China untouched, fuels debate over its economic wisdom, with analysts noting no clear fentanyl crackdown gains and potential inflation risks, casting Trump’s tariff strategy as a high-stakes gamble with shaky outcomes, even as Sheinbaum and Trudeau navigate retaliatory pressures and businesses brace for lingering uncertainty.
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