February 2025 Edition

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Auburn Triumphs in Thrilling Contest Against Vanderbilt

A.I. generated content

February 11, 2025 - In what can only be described as a nail-biting encounter, the Auburn Tigers faced off against the Vanderbilt Commodores in a spectacular men's basketball game last night. The electric atmosphere in the arena was palpable as fans from both teams filled the stands, eager to witness their teams in action. From the tip-off, it was clear that both teams were prepared to leave everything on the court. Auburn started strong, with their aggressive offense and tight defense giving...

  • State of medical cannabis in Alabama

    Chey Garrigan

    February 3, 2025 - On May 17, 2021, the State of Alabama approved a medical cannabis bill that would allow patients with a qualified illness, upon recommendation from their doctor, receive medical cannabis. After a lengthy rule writing procedure, and an even lengthier application process, the State finally awarded cannabis licenses to dozens of qualified candidates. Then things went completely off the rails. Two and a half years later, the Alabama cannabis industry is mired in litigation. Not...

  • Kristi Noem: The Perfect Choice for Homeland Security Secretary

    Perry O Hooper Jr

    America stands at a pivotal moment where strong leadership and decisive action are needed more than ever to secure our borders, protect our infrastructure, and address rising cyber and domestic security threats. The increasing flow of illegal migrants, growing cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and geopolitical tensions demand firm leadership at the helm of the Department of Homeland Security. Kristi Noem embodies the kind of fearless leadership that can restore order and efficiency to the...

  • Reducing Auburn "Greed"

    John Sophocleus

    Public servants and their sycophants in various forms of modern media often mourn passings of fellow kleptocrats, frequently spamming us with whitewashed "Pravda on the Plains" histories, apropos for this "Lee County Beat" article to address. Well paid political prostitute columnists, Matrix spin machine, Birmingham "Downtowner" cronies and politburo members will overwhelmingly shape the narrative most digested in Lee County. Many were saddened by recent news of former Auburn University Provost...

  • Democrats Thought They Owned the Youth Vote-Meet the New Generation Proving Them Wrong

    Perry O Hooper Jr

    Alabama's own Anna Claire Howland, 21, has become the latest conservative icon, not just because of her beauty and grace, but because she represents a new generation of young, ambitious, and fiercely independent thinkers. This is evident in her and her conservative peers advocacy for free speech on college campuses, their defense of individual liberties, and their vocal support for pro-growth economic policies that empower young professionals. The aging Democratic elite and their media lapdogs...

  • No More Free Rides: How Tariffs Are Restoring American Economic Power

    Perry O Hooper Jr

    The media elites and globalist bureaucrats are at it again, crying about Trump's tariffs while ignoring the decades of economic warfare waged against the United States. China is flooding our markets with artificially cheap steel and electronics by sending them to Mexico and Canada to be exported to the US exploiting trade loopholes to undercut American industries and we have been sitting idly by. Let's be crystal clear: tariffs aren't just about trade; they're about national security,...

  • USAID Unmasked and Undone

    Dr. Bill Chitwood

    February 7, 2025–If you asked the average American if they think these are good uses for their tax dollars, what would they say? Even better, ask the residents of Maui, or eastern North Carolina, or Pacific Palisades what they think about: -$969,821 for “development, democracy and innovation, inclusive development, hub programs, protecting the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex individuals“ -$1,999,900 to strengthen trans-led organizations to deliver...

  • Cherry Pie for Washington's Birthday

    Luisa Reyes

    February 6, 2025 - George Washington's birthday is celebrated every year on the third Monday in February as part of the federal holiday known as "President's Day". While in Alabama, "President's Day" is celebrated by the state offices as "George Washington/Thomas Jefferson Birthday". And this year, President's Day falls on Monday, February 17th, 2025. As such, George Washington's home of Mount Vernon has issued the "2025 Cherry Challenge" which is currently underway in Alexandria, Virginia. In...

  • Paul Wellborn and the Fight for American Cabinetry A Triumph of Leadership Against Unfair Trade

    Perry O Hooper Jr

    When Donald Trump took office as the 45th President of the United States, he inherited a country grappling with the consequences of decades of unfair trade practices, particularly from China. One of the hardest-hit industries was American cabinetry, a bedrock of American craftsmanship and manufacturing. The flood of cheap, dumped, and government-subsidized Chinese imports were putting thousands of hardworking Americans out of jobs and permanently crippling the domestic market. But America had a...

  • MeeMaw Tells It Like It Is at State of the State Address

    Dr. Bill Chitwood

    February 4, 2025–Governor Kay Ivey-Alabama's MeeMaw-took the stage, recognized a few people and groups, touted her accomplishments, laid out her priorities for the upcoming legislative session, then left thirty minutes after she started. And another State of the State Address went into the history books Tuesday night. Politicians and pastors take note-you could learn a lot about how to give a good speech or sermon from Kay. Let some kids and a couple of worthy adults stand and be recognized,...

  • Alabama Legislature back in Montgomery for Busy Session Ahead

    Paul DeMarco

    The Alabama Legislature are returning to the Statehouse this week for the 2025 regular session with a full agenda. This past month all of the headlines were from Washington DC, but there is plenty of hometown business to attend to right here in Alabama. Alabama lawmakers have rightly said they plan on making public safety one of their top priorities. Deservingly so considering how much violent crime rocked the state in 2024. Governor Kay Ivey herself has said this is her most important focus...

  • We're Saved! Fish Farms Will Stop Climate Change!

    Dr. Bill Chitwood

    February 3, 2025–Yes, that's right, my friends! Fish farms will save us from the onrushing doom of anthropogenic climate change! At least that's what one group of researchers would like us to believe. Meanwhile, back in Realityville, we all know they won't. Even if human-caused climate change did exist, no amount of fish farming can possibly affect the global CO2 balance, no matter how much the climate scammers insist it's going to melt the polar caps any day now. That the fish and the ponds...

  • Miss America's Homecoming Celebration

    Luisa Reyes

    February 12, 2025 - When Miss Alabama's Abbie Stockard was crowned Miss America on January 05th, 2025, it became immediately clear that with her peppy demeanor, all-American cheerleader style of look, and her bright smile, her year long tour as the new Miss America would take her to places near and far. Yet, Miss Stockard is very proud of her Southern roots. And, as such, the Miss Alabama Organization is hosting a homecoming celebration for Miss Stockard on Saturday, February 22nd, 2025. As the...

  • The Emerging Leader

    Justice Will Sellers

    All beginnings are hopeful, but 50 years ago the future of the Conservative Party in Great Britain was dismal. Their leader, Edward Heath, had managed to lose two general elections in a single year-- far from an auspicious beginning. Sensing rumblings among his fellow Conservatives in Parliament, Heath decided to confirm his position as party leader, and to do this, he would convene the party and hold an election. His assumption was that the malcontents would have an opportunity to put up or...

  • The Principles of 98

    John M Taylor

    Recent elections have been laden with controversy. Results of the 2024 election appeared to reflect the backlash against the policies of the outgoing administration. As traumatic and unsettling as recent times have been, intense divisions between American political factions are nothing new. In 1798, under the John Adams administration, the 5th U.S. Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts. Part of the reasoning for passage was a fear in some circles that a war with France was imminent. This...

  • Was There A Football Game Sunday?

    Dr. Bill Chitwood

    February 10, 2025–No, I didn’t watch the Superbowl yesterday. I was busy doing other things. Braiding my nose hair, polishing my spork collection, stuff like that. I don’t pay much attention to pro football. If it’s not SEC, I don’t much care, and since we Auburn faithful had very little to care about this last season…. Oh, well, even MeeMaw Ivey realizes that we’re a basketball state now. Back to the StuporBowl—I’ve been peripherally aware of the controversy around the...

  • Biden/ Nero/ Hitler

    Robert Tate

    In a brutal nine days in July 64 AD, 71% of Rome was burned to the ground. I have not been able to locate an exact death total but estimates are that hundreds of people died and thousands more were made homeless. Since then, it has been argued and debated about whether emperor Nero himself started the fire, had the city torched or even possibly it was the work of the Christian minority living in the city. Regardless, one iconic image is one of Nero paying the violin while Rome burns in the...

  • Why the Politico Story Mattered-And Still Does

    Dr. Bill Chitwood

    February 11, 2025–It’s been a week since the story of Politico receiving millions from the federal government broke, and people are still talking about it. In our 24 second news cycle, that’s remarkable. The exact numbers Politico received have varied, from $8 million to over $30 million from the government as a whole. Nosy thing that I am, I went to USAspending.gov and did some poking around myself. In Fiscal Years 2021 through 2024, Politico received $31,619,832.04. The highest single...

  • SB67 will give us veterans a stronger voice

    Guest Writer, Jae Barclay

    Veterans in Alabama have an opportunity. It is an opportunity to have a stronger voice and a seat at the table. It is an opportunity for every Alabama veteran, not just a few. These are a few key factors that stand out to my family and me about SB67, a bill in the legislature that would restructure the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA). For years, we have asked for the ADVA to have a true seat at the table when it comes to decisions regarding the veteran community of our state....

  • Into the Scrap Heap

    John Martin

    Now that our Department Of Government Efficiency is getting started, we must immediately work on its top priorities—to slash spending, save money, and more importantly, to release the people from the grip of bureaucracy—TO GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE WAY AND LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE. To do this, we must focus on the departments and programs we must eliminate first. Here is a short list: 1. The invasive and abusive 2. The counter-productive 3. The non-productive 4. The poor producers Obviously the...

  • Tuberville Praises President Trump for Making Tariffs Great Again

    Senator Tommy Tuberville's office

    February 11, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) delivered a floor speech praising President Donald Trump's recent implementation of reciprocal tariffs to ensure fairness and bolster our national security. "I come to the floor today to talk to you about President Trump's tariffs. The media is in full meltdown. They're in a full meltdown mode after President Trump imposed duties and retaliatory tariffs this week on countries that have basically been ripping the United...

  • Is it good to think about any legal issues for the New Year?

    Ron Holtsford

    Without specifics about yourself I’ll make this answer generic in a personal and in a business sense. I presume you looked at your financial estate planning (401k, mutual funds, stocks and bonds, life insurance, etc) which is important as there may be some changes such as to an inherited IRA. Ask your investment professional. You should also think about your legal estate planning. After all you are a year older; you may have gotten married, had a new child, had a child reach the age of...

  • February Monthly Column: Pentagon Reversal of DoD Travel Abortion Policy

    Senator Tommy Tuberville

    February 12, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - When I ran for Senate, I promised the people of Alabama that I would fight for them in Washington, D.C. Many Alabamians are enthusiastically pro-life and sent me to the Capitol with a clear message: every life is worth fighting for. Shortly after the Supreme Court overturned the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, the former Secretary of Defense issued a memo requiring taxpayers to pay for abortion-related travel for military service...

  • U.S. Senator Katie Britt Questions Legality of Current CFPB Funding Structure

    Senator Katie Britt's office

    February 12, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) participated in a hearing of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs where she spoke with Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell at his "Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress." Senator Britt began by remarking on President Trump's recent efforts, consistent with his campaign promises, to slash wasteful spending: "There's been a lot of conversation both in and out of this hearing room today ....

  • Alabama Has a Premier Prison Education Program

    Steve Flowers

    It is no secret that Alabama’s Correctional system is a nightmare, especially when it comes to our disregard for civil and human rights of the incarcerated felons in our state prisons. That is why we have been under the wrath of the federal court system. A new mega prison is being currently constructed, which will help to comply with the federal mandates. What many Alabamians do not realize is how successful our Alabama Community College System (ACCS) has become over the last decade under the...

  • BREAKING NEWS: Research on Inshore Species Yields Interesting Revelations

    David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

    February 16,2025 - Research into numerous saltwater fish species has produced some interesting revelations, including how important the Mobile-Tensaw Delta is to the recruitment of those species, which include southern flounder, spotted seatrout (speckled trout), red drum (redfish) and tripletail. Dr. Sean Powers, Director of the Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of South Alabama (USA), said the research team and recruited anglers have been tagging the inshore...

  • Newly Renovated J.E. Turner Mount Vernon Public Boat Ramp Provides Improved Access to Outdoor Recreation in South Alabama

    AL Dept of Conservation and Natural Resources

    Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Press release January 30, 2025 Contact: Keith Henderson, (334) 242-3471 Newly Renovated J.E. Turner Mount Vernon Public Boat Ramp Provides Improved Access to Outdoor Recreation in South Alabama On Thursday, January 30, 2025, representatives from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), Alabama Legislature, Town of Mount Vernon and Mobile County took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the reopening...

  • WFF Updating Plan for Imperiled and At-Risk Species

    David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

    February 7, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - Every 10 years, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division (WFF) is required to update its State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) to be eligible for federal funding that is crucial to many endangered and threatened species in the state. ADCNR staff members are currently in the process of updating the SWAP, which will be submitted by September 2025. The Congressional State Wildlife Grant (SWG)...

  • Billy Goat Hole Boat Ramp Temporarily Closes for Additional Upgrades

    AL Dept of Conservation and Natural Resources

    February 12, 2025 - The Marine Resources Division (MRD) of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) will temporarily close the Billy Goat Hole Boat Ramp on Dauphin Island for additional renovations beginning at 6 p.m. on Sunday, February 23, 2025. During the closure, the current boat ramps and docks will be removed and replacements will be installed approximately 30 feet further from Bienville Boulevard. The additional distance from the roadway will allow more room...

  • BREAKING NEWS: Girls face stereotypes about STEM abilities as early as 6, study finds

    Stacker, Linda Jacobson - The 74

    When she taught third grade in Houston, Summer Robinson invited a friend, a female mechanical engineer at Chevron, to visit her class. She wanted to introduce students, especially girls, to a STEM practitioner who didn't conform to the socially awkward stereotype in popular culture, The 74 reports. "She communicates really well, and the kids just loved it so much," Robinson said. "I don't think they totally knew what an engineer was, but they understood that they help build things." Such...

  • BREAKING NEWS: Beyond the classroom: How schools are getting creative to help struggling families

    Stacker, Amy Zimmer for Chalkbeat

    Twenty umbrellas. Two dozen cotton pillowcases. Two dozen hairbrushes. Twenty-eight mens' long sleeve T-shirts. Thirty boxes of mac and cheese. Fifty-six Oreo snack packs. These are among the essentials a librarian at a high school in Jamaica, Queens, is raising money to purchase for students in her school's multicultural club, most of whom are recent immigrants and lack enough money for food, personal care, and weather gear, Chalkbeat reports. Tens of thousands of migrant families and others...

  • BREAKING NEWS: More states mandate screenings for reading challenges in young kids

    Stacker, Sirisha Dinavahi

    More states mandate screenings for reading challenges in young kids California will join 40 other states in screening kindergarten through second-grade students annually for reading difficulties, LA Post reports. The Reading Difficulties Risk Screener Selection Panel approved screening instruments designed to identify students at risk for reading challenges, including dyslexia. Students who don't read at the grade level by third grade are more likely to miss school and face more difficulties in...

  • How young is too young to have a smartphone? 5 of the biggest parenting questions about smartphones, answered.

    Stacker, Sheeka Sanahori

    Smartphones are an everyday part of our culture, but research on the effects of screen time might give parents pause when it comes to giving their children one of their own. Even so, smartphones allow parents to reach their children in an emergency, students to access educational materials at the stroke of a finger, and kids to find community, especially when peers of certain identity groups may be hard to find locally. Of course, with each benefit comes a new digital risk. Parents must manage...

  • Rural teachers enjoy a better cost of living, less stress, and more great benefits

    Stacker, Khristian Mecom

    The United States is in the midst of a teacher shortage that has impacted school districts across the nation. In fact, 86% of U.S. K-12 public schools reported challenges hiring teachers and staff for the 2023-24 school year, with shortages especially affecting subjects like Special Education, Mathematics, and English/Language Arts. While staffing and retention challenges are widespread, they are often particularly associated with rural districts. This can cast a negative connotation on rural...

  • The decline of the college-educated American man

    Stacker, Michael Howerton, Data Work By Dom DiFurio

    The number of young men pursuing U.S. college degrees has fallen in recent years. In 2022, there were 1 million fewer American men ages 18-24 enrolled in college than there were in 2011, according to Pew Research Center. Fewer women are also going to college, but just slightly, with the number at 200,000. With noticeably fewer men enrolling in higher education, the widening gender discrepancy has left many college administrators, educators, and economists wondering why young men are fleeing the...

  • Celebrating Arbor Week In Alabama

    Luisa Reyes

    National Arbor Day will be celebrated on April 25th, 2025, this year. And Alabama's first Arbor Day Proclamation was signed in 1887 by Governor Thomas Seay. However, in 1975 the Alabama Forestry Commission and other state organizations collaborated with the Alabama State Legislature to designate the last full week in February as Alabama's Arbor Week. As such, many cities throughout the state are offering free tree seedling giveaways this month to encourage the planting of trees throughout Sweet...

Shocked by the price of eggs? Here are 11 inflation-proof groceries for healthy eating in 2025

In recent years, more and more Americans are noting groceries as a source of financial stress. According to one report, 70% of shoppers say they struggle to pay for their groceries and 62% say they avoid buying snacks in order to save money. Americans took those concerns to the ballot box in November 2024, with 96% of voters reporting high grocery and gas prices as a factor in their decision for the presidential election. Hers set out to find how much the prices of healthy groceries have gone...

What people eat around the world on Valentine's Day

Stacker, Kelsey Costa

Valentine's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world as a day to honor love and connection. Beyond flowers and heartfelt gestures, food plays a big part in how people enjoy this day together. From chocolate treats to fancy meals, different parts of the world celebrate Valentine's Day in their own unique ways. This story dives into food trends found in MyFitnessPal food log data, showing how people from different cultures celebrate love with food. How the Data Was Collected The...

  • CBN Is Releasing A Documentary On Modern Miracles

    Luisa Reyes

    February 6, 2025 - When studying The Bible and the life of Jesus Christ, one of the powerfully stirring aspects about Jesus and His ministry is how He healed the blind, the paralytic, the lepers, women's health issues, and even restored life into people who were deceased. With The Bible being so replete with miracles, Christians and even nonChristians who long for a reprieve from conditions that seemingly have no cure in the present era, find themselves longing for such sacred restorative...

  • Seize the Day

    Michael J. Brooks

    I got a little good-natured blowback recently when I introduced the death angel to our congregation. I took as my text Paul's final visit with the Ephesian elders in Act 20. I extemporized about the uncertainty of life. The apostle said, "I will see your face no more." He had a premonition that chains and imprisonment awaited him in Jerusalem. Paul was, indeed, arrested in the city and Rome sent him as a prisoner to the capital. It was in Rome, we believe, he was killed at Nero's order. I...

  • Ponderings From A Gray-Haired Pastor

    Michael J. Brooks

    She called to report the death of a lady in our former church, and I thought about several things. I was saddened to learn the deceased had been in declining health and in a care facility not too far away. I could have, and should have, found a reason to stop by to visit. I suppose we all have regrets thinking about people for whom we’ve lost touch. And it’s true that maintaining friendships in former churches used to be frowned on by some. I remember a minister from my teenage years who...

  • "The Scribe" At The Spencer Church of The Nazarene in Brent

    Luisa Reyes

    Paul Pitts, who has sung coveted operatic tenor lead roles such as Don Jose in Bizet's "Carmen, Rodolfo in Puccini's "La Boheme", and Cavaradossi in Puccini's "Tosca" in New York, will be presenting his one-man play, "The Scribe", on Sunday, February 16th, 2025 at The Spencer Church of The Nazarene in Brent, Alabama. "The Scribe" is an on-going, award-winning stage play that has been performed by Paul Pitts in over 100 countries on 7 continents around the world. And on Sunday in Brent, the...

  • UAH to hold the Second Annual Business of Space Conference to be held Feb. 23-25

    Julie Janson, UAH

    February 11, 2025 – HUNTSVILLE, AL – The Second-annual Business of Space Conference will address opportunities and barriers in the new space economy through industry-academia collaboration. The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) College of Business will once again host the Business of Space Conference, uniting space industry professionals with academics and policy researchers from across the nation to focus on creating solutions through partnerships while addressing both...

  • Movies and TV shows casting in Birmingham

    Stacker, Backstage

    The glitz and glam of Hollywood captures the attention of Americans starting from an early age. Beyond celebrities' Instagram Stories and red carpet poses, there are actors out there paying their dues and honing their craft in pursuit of a sustainable career or a fulfilling sideline. Submitting to casting calls is a big part of that journey. Whether you're a working actor or an aspiring one, you might be curious to know which movies and TV shows are casting roles near you. Backstage compiled a...

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