The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 264
In the holiday rush, you may have missed a new set of rules issued just before Christmas. Almost five years ago, two committees appointed by the Alabama Supreme Court began working on the important issue of public safety access to court records (the Standing Committees on the Rules of Civil Procedure and the Rules of Appellate Procedure). Former Judge Scott Donaldson and respected appellate counsel David Wirtes were appointed chairs of a special joint task force to tackle this important but...
February 20, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate on voted to confirm Kash Patel as the FBI's ninth director. 51 Republicans Senators voted to confirm Patel as head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Kurkowski (R-Alaska) voted with all Senate Democrats against Patel's confirmation. Patel is a close ally of President Donald J Trump (R). He has long criticized the FBI and its failed investigations into President Trump. U.S. Senators Katie Britt (...
Coloradans often welcome rain storms with the refrain, "We need the moisture." After the deadly floods in September 2013, many Coloradans sang a different tune. Over five days, a slow-moving storm covered some areas of the Front Range with up to 20 inches of rain. Overall, the floods killed 10 people, displaced 18,000, and caused more than $4 billion in damage to more than 17,000 structures, of which 1,882 were completely destroyed, according to the Colorado Division of Homeland Security &...
Cars are such an indelible part of society that they've engendered a few stereotypes: the driver of that Chrysler Pacifica minivan inching along in the right lane is probably a soccer mom, and the driver of the Tesla Model 3 speeding past might be a tech bro with enough disposable income for a home charging port. But how accurate are these assumptions? Since the introduction of Ford's first Model T, companies have competed for consumer pocketbooks with new designs, features, and colors. In...
February 21, 2021–I kicked an anthill a couple of days ago here in The Gazette with my article “An Alabama DOGE? YES!” Shortly after it appeared, my phone started blowing up with people supporting it. Several of them said they’d had the same idea, and everyone had an example of waste, fraud, abuse or just plain stupid spending that could be cut. On Thursday, I even heard API’s Stephanie Smith talking on the radio about their ALDOGE project, which she said they started back in December. Apparentl...
February 21, 2025 - The much beloved classic movie musical, "The Sound of Music", celebrates its 60th anniversary on March 02nd. With it being first premiered on March 02nd, 1965 by 20th Century Fox. To commemorate the milestone, the Walt Disney Film Restoration team has spent nine months overseeing the digital scanning of the preserved film footage and cleaning up any dirt, warping, and other issues they encountered. With Walt Disney planning on releasing a 4K edition of "The Sound of Music"...
February 21, 2025 - GUNTERSEVILLE, AL - When the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) staff scheduled AFWA's annual Wildlife Diversity Program Managers Meeting at Lake Guntersville State Park, they didn't realize the potential distraction just outside the meeting room windows. Sitting on the banks of one of the most productive fisheries in the nation, Lake Guntersville State Park's lodge atop Taylor Mountain offers stunning views of the 69,000-acre reservoir on the Tennessee River....
February 21, 2025 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) released a statement after voting yes on the Senate budget in the early morning hours after a marathon overnight Senate session. This budget includes $175 billion to fund President Trump's ongoing efforts to regain control of the U.S. Southern border and increase deportations of people who are illegally here in the country. "77 million Americans delivered a mandate when they voted for President Trump on Nov...
The Battle of Verdun, fought from February 21 to December 18, 1916, stands as one of the most grueling and significant battles of World War I. Located in northeastern France, the town of Verdun became the epicenter of a brutal confrontation between the French and German armies. The battle is often remembered for its sheer scale, the unprecedented loss of life, and its strategic importance in the broader context of the war. Prelude to the Battle The origins of the Battle of Verdun can be traced...
Hidden banking fees, often referred to as "junk fees," silently drain thousands of dollars from businesses each year, with many owners discovering these charges only after they've already impacted their bottom line. Major financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America make billions every year charging consumers and businesses fees. Whether it's a $30 overdraft fee, a 3% foreign transaction charge, or a $25 wire transfer cost, these fees add up quickly for growing co...
In 2024, Ballotpedia tracked 246 recall efforts targeting 383 officials. This was the fewest since 2020 when there were 238 recall efforts targeting 301 officials, and it was the third consecutive year of decline in recall efforts since the 2021 peak when Ballotpedia tracked 357 efforts targeting 545 officials. A total of 77 officials were removed from office through recall elections, representing 20% of the officials targeted. This is the third-highest percentage of officials removed since Ball...
While it might seem like the days of Christians being sent to the slaughter in the coliseum during the times of the Ancient Roman Empire are in the realm of the distant past, new research from the global network known as Open Doors reveals that on average twelve Christians are killed every day for their faith in Jesus throughout the world. The sobering statistic comes from the Open Doors' 2025 World Watch List which was compiled from October 01st, 2023 through September 30th, 2024. With eight...
February 21, 2025 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel on Friday reportedly is reassigning 1,500 FBI agents, staff, and managers from the Bureau's headquarters at the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington D.C. According to original reporting by the Washington Post, 1000 agents and staff are being reassigned to FBI field offices across the country, with that being heavily weighted toward high crime locations. 500 (including some of the Bureau's senior leadership and man...
Operation Junction City was the largest American offensive in the Vietnam War. On February 22, 1967 thousands of American forces and their South Vietnamese allies attempted to encircle and trap the bulk of North Vietnamese and Vietcong forces operating in a large sector of what was then South Vietnam. U.S. General William Westmoreland was the commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam at the time. His adversary was North Vietnamese Senior General Nguyen Chi Thanh. Thanh favored large unit engagements...
The pastor search committee invited me to consider moving to their town and hosted a get-acquainted meeting with leadership. A man introduced himself, abruptly announcing that a staff minister needed to be terminated. He predicted this would be among my first challenges. I didn’t think more about this in the swirl of decisions we faced with the move. But a few weeks later the man came and renewed his commitment to fire the minister. From his position of leadership he persuaded other committee m...
Hidden banking fees, often referred to as "junk fees," silently drain thousands of dollars from businesses each year, with many owners discovering these charges only after they've already impacted their bottom line. Major financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America make billions every year charging consumers and businesses fees. Whether it's a $30 overdraft fee, a 3% foreign transaction charge, or a $25 wire transfer cost, these fees add up quickly for growing co...
February 13, 2025 – WASHINGTON, D,C. - U.S. Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-AL07) celebrated as the Recovery of Stolen Checks Act passed unanimously in the House Ways and Means Committee. The bipartisan bill is led by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) and co-led by Reps. Sewell and David Kustoff (TN-08), would allow taxpayers who have had their tax refunds lost or stolen in the mail to receive a replacement check via direct deposit, something IRS policies and procedures have historically prevented. "...
February 20, 025 – PELL CITY, AL – Public Service Commission President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh (R) addressed the St. Clair County Republican Party at their regular February meeting in Pell City. "1998 my first event was a potluck supper in St. Clair County," said Cavanaugh. I was amazed at the attendance. Y'all had 98 people in attendance. Senator Jack Biddle was there." Cavanaugh said that Jane Bishop had prepared beaver for that potluck dinner. As a south Alabama person, she had not exp...
On February 23, 303 the Roman Emperor Diocletian issued the first of several edicts in which he and his fellow co-emperors attempted to eliminate Christianity from the face of the Earth – they failed. From its very beginning, Christianity was viewed a threat to the Roman state. Romans were very religious. The Romans believed in many gods and goddesses. They readily adopted Greek gods and embraced them as their own mythology. Assyrians gods, Egyptian gods all had their cults in Rome. C...
February 23, 2025 - There has been talk about tax reform in Alabama through the years. While there has been work around the edges, it is not what a lot of politicians have promised. However, one of our neighbors has tackled it head on. Lousiana Governor Jeff Landry called the state legislature into special session this past November. The session’s focus was Lousiana’s tax structure and to overhaul the state’s tax code. During the session, lawmakers passed bills that in most cases require voter a...
As baby boomers continue to retire in droves, they are likely to consider downsizing their living arrangements to accommodate their new lifestyles. While they have the highest portion of wealth among all generations, they may no longer need to pay to be close to work in a busy and expensive city center, or may no longer desire to maintain large homes and yards. Often seeking out a familiar community, warm weather, and other amenities, baby boomers may also be looking for the best bang for their...
February 24, 2025–Hooray! We can all rejoice and rest easy! Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been eradicated, destroyed, shredded and stamped out across the land! Now we never have to worry about it again! And if you truly believe that, I’ve got a bridge across Mobile Bay to sell you. Yes, there’s been significant progress made against DEI. From the landmark SCOTUS ruling in Students for Fair Admissions vs Harvard to Alabama’s own anti-DEI law (SB129), to President Trump’s Day 1 Exe...
Global consulting firm McKinsey & Company predicted in 2022 that the United States would see a shortfall of 200,000 to 450,000 registered nurses, or RNs, for direct patient care by 2025. It appears the firm was correct. Between 2022 and 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, and Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, noted a 1% increase in RN supply but a 3% increase in demand. The result was a deficit of about 295,800 nurses nationwide, falling within the...
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties. The typical home value in the United States was $356,776 in January, 2.6% higher than the year before. Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, with prices even declining in some places. But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before. Stacker compiled a list of cities...
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties. The typical home value in the United States was $356,776 in January, 2.6% higher than the year before. Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, with prices even declining in some places. But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before. Stacker compiled a list of cities...
