7. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suffered a fall and sprained his wrist while leaving a GOP luncheon, adding to a series of medical incidents in recent years, including a concussion and freezing episodes during press conferences in 2023. Despite a cut on his face, McConnell’s office confirmed he was cleared to resume his schedule, though he skipped a scheduled press briefing. McConnell, who has faced mobility challenges stemming from childhood polio and prior falls, will step down as Republican leader at the end of the year, with South Dakota Senator John Thune set to succeed him.
6. Accused murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Luigi Mangione had an outburst outside a Pennsylvania courthouse that echoed a favorite liberal talking point, calling his arrest, “an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience,” before officers rushed him inside. Mangione, arrested with a “ghost gun” resembling the murder weapon, masks, cash, and a passport, was denied bail and remains in custody pending a habeas corpus challenge by his attorney. Prosecutors allege he carried a manifesto outlining grievances with the healthcare industry, and his extradition to New York for charges including second-degree murder is being pursued after a nationwide manhunt led to his capture in Altoona.
5. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk is being asked by U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) to implement stricter work requirements for receiving government benefits. Britt wants able-bodied, working-age Americans without dependents to engage in work, training, volunteering, or education for at least 20 hours a week to qualify for benefits. Highlighting inefficiencies, Britt pointed out that approximately $1 billion in monthly SNAP overpayments contribute to nearly $10 billion annually, emphasizing the need for reforms amid the nation’s $36 trillion debt.
4. President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to expedite approvals and permits, including environmental clearances, for anyone investing $1 billion or more in the United States. Sharing his vision on Truth Social, Trump emphasized his commitment to cutting red tape, echoing the deregulatory agenda of his first term, where he initiated policies like Executive Order 13771 to reduce regulatory burdens. Trump vowed to expand these efforts in his upcoming term by removing ten regulations for every new one introduced, contrasting sharply with President Biden’s record-setting regulatory output. Predictably, this call for investment in the U.S. is being met with ridiculous attacks from the media, like The Bulwark’s Sam Stein who responded to the attempt to generate business in the U.S. by removing regulations by whining, “For $1 billion, Trump says you can avoid environmental regulations,” which he did not say.
3. Construction of the new Alabama State House in Montgomery is facing delays, with Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA) CEO David Bronner citing a re-bid that has pushed the timeline back by four to six months and blaming non-existent Trump tariffs for future delay. While initially targeting completion by 2025, Bronner now estimates the $325 million project will extend into early 2026, emphasizing potential cost impacts from factors like tariffs proposed by President-elect Trump.
2. The pro-criminal clowns at aldotcom are at it again, this time highlighting the “plight” of Michael Campbell spending his days working at KFC as part of Alabama’s work release program, earning wages that are heavily garnished, leaving him with barely $2 an hour. Despite being deemed safe enough to work unsupervised in public, Campbell and over 1,400 other inmates in the program are frequently denied parole. Critics argue that Alabama’s reliance on inmate labor — which generated $12.2 million for the Department of Corrections in 2024 — perpetuates a cycle of exploitation and modern-day slavery, but it really allows the inmates to prove they should be released and is a continuation of the punishment for the crime that got them locked up.
1. A viral video showing individuals walking through downtown Birmingham streets with firearms has sparked widespread attention and concern among residents and visitors. Mayor Randall Woodfin addressed the issue in a news conference, stating that while the display of firearms was alarming, the only apparent illegal act in the footage was jaywalking due to Alabama’s relaxed firearm permit laws. After attempting to downplay the actual crimes here, Woodfin made excuses about the legal limitations but made no demands about police tracking down these people, he eventually noted the potential for disorderly conduct charges, but emphasized the challenge of securing a witness to support such claims in court which is odd when there is a video.
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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 Talk Radio 103.9 FM/730AM WUMP from 3-4 p.m.
