The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Homelessness is rising fast among a surprising group: Infants and toddlers For months, Karian had tried to make it on her own in New York. After the birth of her second daughter, she was diagnosed with postpartum depression, major depressive disorder and anxiety. A single mother who had moved from Boston to New York about 13 years ago, she often spent days at a time on the couch, unable to do more than handle the basics for her daughters. “I wasn’t taking care of myself,” she said softly on a...
The U.S. beef cattle herd has shrunk dramatically over the past 15 years, falling from 31.7 million beef cows in 2010 to roughly 27.9 million in 2025 - a decline of about 12%. This contraction is part of a broader national trend: total cattle and calves in the U.S. have fallen to 86–87 million head, the lowest levels since the early 1950s. Why the Herd Has Declined 🌡️ Prolonged Drought and Weather Stress Drought has been the single most powerful driver of herd liquidation. Many major cattle...
March 4, 2026 - TEHRAN, Iran - Iran is entering a volatile and unprecedented leadership transition as multiple reports indicate that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has exerted heavy pressure on the 88‑member Assembly of Experts to select Mojtaba Khamenei, age 56, as the country's next Supreme Leader. The move comes amid intense political uncertainty and widespread debate over Mojtaba's limited clerical credentials and the growing dominance of Iran's security establishment. A S...
March 3, 2026 – MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Senate passed a bill designed to protect rural ambulance services and make sure that rural Alabamians can continue to receive medical service. Senate Bill 269 (SB269) is sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro) who represents a very rural district. "This bill is about a matter of life and death," said Sen. Singleton. "In the rural areas it becomes a matter of life especially when you have hospitals closing on a daily bas...
The former Birmingham‑Southern College campus will soon take on a new national mission. Federal leaders announced that the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has officially selected the shuttered campus as the site of its next major training center-an investment that Alabama's congressional delegation says will strengthen homeland security while giving new life to one of Birmingham's most historic properties. The announcement came in Washington, where U.S. Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville and R...
Starter home hotspots: These metros are best for first-time buyers The American “starter home” is slipping out of reach, except in the South and Midwest, where the dream remains mostly intact. These modest boxes on hillsides once supported young families waiting for the next baby to launch them into bigger and better things. They represented not only adulthood and stability, but the promise of a lifetime of building equity. Today, the share of first-time buyers is at a record low, with 21% of ho...
January 29, 2026 - WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) commemorated the one-year anniversary of President Donald J. Trump (R) signing the Laken Riley Act into law. This bipartisan, landmark piece of legislation was the first bill signed into law by President Trump in his second term. The effort to pass the bill was led by Senator Britt in the United States Senate. It was the first major immigration enforcement and border security-related legislation passed since 1996. “Americans have grown accustomed to empty talk from pol...
This year, we celebrate the most significant milestone in our Nation’s history: 250 glorious years of American independence. From the very beginning, our country has been blessed with countless black American heroes. For more than two and a half centuries, these legends have made timeless contributions to our government, laws, military, economy, workforce, and culture. With their tremendous legacy in mind, as President, I proclaim that “black history” is not distinct from American history — rat...
February 10, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Governor Kay Ivey on Friday announced that the State Industrial Development Authority (SIDA) has approved 21 grants totaling $15.7 million under the Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS) program. The grant program is designed to strengthen Alabama's competitiveness in securing large-scale economic development projects by accelerating the development of industry-ready sites. This is the third round of SEEDS, which has helped dozens of c...
During Black History Month, the Dallas County Health Department will honor a living legend and the first African American nurse to work there. The Vera Jenkins Booker Community Room will be dedicated at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 13, 2026. "Mrs. Vera Booker was a trailblazer in the healthcare profession. She was the first African American nurse at the health department. She inspired many nurses, especially coming from a marginalized community, and let them know that they can be nurses and they...
February 11, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday threw her support behind a trio of Public Service Commission–related bills moving through the Alabama Legislature, including the most controversial of the package: a proposal that would end the public's ability to elect PSC commissioners and instead shift those positions to gubernatorial appointments. The House Committee on Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure is considering House Bill 403, House Bill 399, and House B...
All-wheel drive vs. front-wheel drive: Who wins when driving in winter weather? As harsh winter weather sets in, drivers in snow- and ice-prone areas of the country find themselves asking the same question: What matters more for winter performance, drivetrain or tires? For those in the market for a new winter commuter, the debate typically boils down to an all-wheel-drive (AWD) rig with all-season tires versus a front-wheel-drive (FWD) vehicle with winter tires. In a perfect world, every winter...
Government contracting compliance: Key challenges to overcome when pursuing federal contracts Organizations that work with the U.S. government must adhere to strict procedures covering procurement protocols, nondiscrimination policies, and rigorous cybersecurity. That’s because working with government agencies often involves handling sensitive and legally protected data, and failure to comply can result in financial and legal consequences. To effectively approach government contracting c...
Is 600 a good credit score? No matter what your finances look like today, it's never too late to make positive changes to improve them. Boosting your financial knowledge and skills will make it easier to make more informed choices that help you create the financial future you envision. Do you want to learn more about how your credit standing could impact your life? You're in the right place. Achieve explains the implications and possibilities of having a credit score of 600. Key takeaways: - A...
Black homeownership is declining. Why? Homeownership remains out of reach for many young Americans, but it’s especially elusive for Black Gen Zers and millennials. According to a Redfin Real Estate analysis, just 14% of Black Gen Zers and 32% of Black millennials own their home—about half the rate of white Americans in the same generations. In recent years, the gap has widened as homeownership declined for young Black adults while rising for young white adults. Homeownership rates have dec...
February 9, 2026 - WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) spoke on the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to pass the SAVE America Act. The bill would secure elections by requiring a government-issued photo ID in order to vote. Tuberville stated that, "Four years earlier, President Trump had been forced to leave the White House after rampant voter fraud had resulted in Joe Biden being elected President." "There's been a lot of talk in the media about what Republicans need to f...
February 10, 2026 - WASHINGTON, D.C.) –Attorney General Steve Marshall joined an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a constitutional challenge to a California school district's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, Health Freedom Defense Fund, Inc. v. Carvalho, was filed after the Los Angeles Unified School District fired over 500 employees who refused to comply with the district's vaccine mandate in 2021. The en banc Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of the emp...
MONTGOMERY - Alabama lawmakers are moving forward with a major ethics‑reform measure as SB 58, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr (R–Decatur), advances through the legislative process. The bill targets financial accountability for public officials convicted of job‑related felonies, requiring them to forfeit retirement contributions and repay any salary earned while on paid leave during the period in which the offense occurred. The legislation applies to officials across state, county, and municipal go...
A proposal from Rep. Jim Hill (R–Moody), a veteran lawmaker and former judge representing District 50 in St. Clair County, would formally designate the Alabama State Bar's Board of Commissioners as an entity within the Judicial Branch of state government. The measure, filed as HB 149, aims to clarify the board's governmental status and align it more explicitly with the branch of government responsible for regulating the legal profession. It passed the Senate on Thursday. Under the bill, the c...
February 6, 2026 – MONTGOMERY – Stacy George is an independent who is running for Governor. He is a former county commissioner and former Department of Corrections officer who had a prominent role in the Academy Award nominated documentary – 'The Alabama Solution' made for HBO. George has taken a very hardline stance against what he calls: "bullies with badges" – law enforcement who are prone to use violence – sometimes with deadly results. To that end, he is in the process of drafting...
February 10, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - A key Alabama House committee has advanced legislation that would fundamentally reshape how the state selects its Public Service Commission (PSC), moving Alabama one step closer to ending more than a century of statewide elections for the powerful regulatory body. The bill - House Bill 392 (HB392) - is sponsored by Rep. Chip Brown (R–Hollinger's Island), was taken up Tuesday during the House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure Committee meeting. T...
Courtesy Clayton Homes: The Cypress Single-Section Cross-Mod How manufactured housing prices have changed in Alabama A manufactured home is a path to homeownership that is often overlooked. Offering both quality and value, a manufactured home could be an affordable option to get you into a home of your own. Freddie Mac crunched the numbers on how manufactured housing prices have changed in Alabama using 2024 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Alabama new manufactured housing sales price trends -...
MONTGOMERY - Alabama lawmakers have advanced a major parental‑rights and child‑safety measure as HB161, sponsored by Rep. Chris Sells (R‑Greenville) and carried in the Senate by Sen. Clyde Chambliss (R‑Prattville), cleared a key hurdle in the legislative process. The bill aims to give parents stronger oversight of their children's digital activity by requiring robust age verification and verified parental consent before minors can download or purchase apps. The legislation arrives amid growing...
February 9, 2026 – DADEDVILLE, Ala. - Robert McCollum is running for the Tallapoosa County Commission. The Republican candidate for Commission has taken a very pro-gambling stance, expressing support for a statewide lottery, casino gambling, and legalizing sports books. State Senator Merika Coleman (D-Pleasant Grove) introduced a gambling bill on Thursday. Senate Bill 257 (SB257). This is a comprehensive gambling bill that would amend the Alabama Constitution to authorize a state lottery, a...
MONTGOMERY - Alabama's long‑running debate over gambling took a major turn Thursday as State Senator Merika Coleman (D–Pleasant Grove) introduced Senate Bill 257, a sweeping constitutional amendment that would dramatically reshape the state's gaming landscape. The proposal would authorize a state lottery, legalize casino gambling, permit sports wagering, and empower the Governor to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. SB257 represents one of the most expansive gambling pac...
