7. A very angry, very horny person has targeted three Alabama representatives, State Reps. David Faulkner (R-Mountain Brook), Susan DuBose (R-Hoover), and Ben Robbins (R-Sylacauga), with a campaign of mailing manila envelopes containing pornographic images because they co-sponsored a 2024 law mandating age verification for pornographic websites. The degenerate’s goal is to prove the porn is still available despite the law. Robbins says the sender aimed to highlight the persistence of such content on social media despite the law and he vows to continue safeguarding children despite the harassments.
6. The Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee passed a historically large $10 billion Education Trust Fund budget sponsored by State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur). The bill includes include $4.79 billion for K-12 public schools, $478 million for transportation, $621 million for the Community College System, $213 million for Early Childhood Education and more than $71 million for workforce development. As part of these bills, additional funding will go toward certain students: 5% for gifted students, 10% for qualifying charter school students, 15% for English language learners (plus an additional 5% in districts with high concentrations of ELL students), 20% for students in poverty, and 150% for students with the highest special education needs.
5. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) refuted Democratic narratives that Republicans are slashing Social Security and Medicare. She said the goal is to fortify these programs by rooting out fraud via the Department of Government Efficiency and her RETIREES FIRST Act, which raises the income threshold for taxing Social Security benefits. She highlighted President Trump’s promise not to cut benefits, accusing Democrats like U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) of misrepresenting DOGE’s focus is to cut benefits.
4. More federal judges are attempting to play the role of President of the United States, this time in New York and Texas, by temporarily stopping the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan plaintiffs by challenging their removal under the Alien Enemies Act. The judges responded to the ACLU’s lawsuits after the Supreme Court’s ruling Monday lifted a prior block but implemented judicial review. In Texas, Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., a Trump appointee, barred the government from moving plaintiffs like an HIV-positive asylum seeker fearing gang persecution, alleged to be in a gang, until at least April 23. Judge Alvin Hellerstein in New York, appointed by Clinton, similarly paused deportations and transfers of unnamed plaintiffs which will ensure they remain in the district during litigation. Meanwhile, the U.S. House passed a bill trying to rein in these “activist” judges.
3. U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks), the House Armed Services Committee chairman, believes that U.S. Space Command will announce its headquarters shift to Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal before April is over. He said contractors are ready to start building once the decision is official, which could happen after the Air Force Secretary is finally confirmed. President Donald Trump’s nominee Troy Meink allegedly would oversee the move and Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense plan and could bring 1,600 jobs and utilize the missile defense expertise of Huntsville. Rogers is also calling for the raising U.S. defense spending to 5% of GDP from 2.9%, calling the current level “dangerously low.” But Trump’s proposed $1 trillion Pentagon budget for 2026 is only about 3.3% of GDP.
2. President Donald Trump told allies and adversaries if they, “do not retaliate and you will be rewarded” and his most recent actions show that as he super-charged his trade war with China by hiking tariffs to 125% from 104% immediately. While condemning China’s disrespect and trade practices, he rewarded countries that did not reciprocate by slashing tariffs on 75 other countries for 90 days to a lowered 10% rate, as negotiations continue. Trump is clearly attempting to corner China, his primary adversary, while working to negotiate on trade imbalances with other countries.
1. The markets were quick to react to President Donald Trump’s suggestion that people know, “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!” hours before his announcement of 90-day tariff pause for most countries except China. The S&P 500 spiked 9.5%, its biggest single-day jump since 2008; and the Dow Jones Industrial Index jumped 3,000 points, reversing a market slump triggered by his tariff announcement. Big stocks made big jumps with Ford up 9.3%, General Motors 7.7%, Nvidia 19%, and Tesla 22.4%. U.S. oil prices, the dollar, and bond yields rose, meaning fears of a recession may have subsided. Despite Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying the pauses are strategic leverage, other analysts warn that volatility may persist as trade negotiations unfold and China’s retaliation looms.
Listen here:
Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.
