7. Space Command Headquarters will be leaving Colorado and heading to its permanent home in Alabama, according to U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Monrovia) who says it will happen after meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance and strongly believes Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal will soon be named the final home of U.S. Space Command, reversing Biden’s 2023 decision to keep it in Colorado. He argues that evaluations consistently favor Alabama for its security advantages, predicting 1,400 to 1,700 direct jobs and a 3,000-job boost, with more growth expected from additional FBI roles.
6. On the same day Judge James Boasberg continues his one-man battle to control American foreign policy over the deportation of gangsters to El Salvador’s super-jail, another activist judge, Judge Ana Reyes blocked President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender troops. The ban was set to begin soon but Reyes stopped it, calling it discriminatory and baseless, arguing it undermines the rights of service members who’ve risked their lives and Reyes even dismissed claims it harms military readiness. Now Chief Justice John Roberts is sharply criticizing President Trump and GOP calls to impeach judges like James Boasberg over adverse rulings, insisting impeachment isn’t a remedy for judicial disagreement.
5. After more than nine months aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams landed safely in the Gulf of America near Tallahassee, Fla’, via a SpaceX Dragon capsule. Their extended stay, originally a week-long Boeing Starliner test mission in June 2024, stretched into a 286-day ordeal after the Starliner faced technical problems, prompting NASA to switch them to SpaceX’s Crew-9 return with Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov.
4. Alabama State House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) cautioned lawmakers against letting the overtime pay tax exemption expire at the end of June, accurately calling it a $230 million tax increase on people who work overtime and telling Republicans that the increase could hurt them in the 2026 election. He argued at a Business Council of Alabama meeting that the exemption, enacted in 2023 with bipartisan support, boosts economic activity and creates more revenue than its $230 million cost, pushing for its passage instead of other tax plans.
3. The Alabama House unanimously passed a bill cutting the state sales tax on food from 3% to 2%, set to start Sept. 1 pending Senate approval and Gov. Kay Ivey’s signature, following a 2023 reduction from 4%. House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) talked up these moves as the state’s largest tax cut and says it will save families at least $236 yearly as part of a broader $192 million tax relief package including retirement income exemptions and increased standard deductions.
2. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), eyeing a 2026 gubernatorial bid instead of Senate re-election, is seen as a strong contender due to his Trump ties. But State Sen. Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) questions his eligibility under Alabama’s seven-year residency rule for governor. Givhan warns a residency dispute could disrupt the race, potentially leaving only weak candidates if Tuberville is disqualified. ALGOP Chairman John Wahl sees no current basis to challenge Tuberville’s eligibility to run for governor in 2026 based on the state’s seven-year residency rule, given his nearly six years as senator and prior campaigning. Wahl says the party is a neutral referee in primaries, not a tool to block candidates, suggesting the real question is whether Tuberville will actually run, not his qualifications.
1. Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted a 30-day halt on attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during a call with President Donald Trump, though he declined a broader 30-day total ceasefire that Ukraine had endorsed, citing concerns about Kyiv rearming during that timeframe. The White House announced immediate talks for a maritime ceasefire and a lasting peace deal, while experts suggest Putin’s limited concession may be a tactic to gain time as Russian forces advance. But, not so fast, despite Putin’s assurance to Trump that he would stop targeting Ukraine’s energy grid, Russian forces struck Slovyansk’s energy facilities soon after, disrupting electricity.
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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.
