The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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On April 5th we celebrate Easter Sunday which culminated in the resurrection of Jesus Christ over 2000 years ago. It is proclaimed as one of the most holy days in the Christian religion. But where did the tradition of the Easter Bunny with colorful eggs come from? In Germany there is some 16th century text about the "Oschter Haws" or Easter Hare, who lay eggs for good boys and girls. This German tradition came over to America with immigration. So if you would like to go down a rabbit hole, then...
On April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia, one week prior to almost certainly the most tragic Easter in Southern history. Joseph Johnston, Richard Taylor, and other Confederate commanders soon followed. After an unsuccessful four year effort to gain independence, the South faced a bleak future. The Union’s total war policy had added insult to injury by making war on non-combatants and property. Abraham Lincoln and U.S. Grant approved this strategy, which r...
Every now and again a ewe (a female sheep) will give birth to a baby lamb and immediately reject that lamb. In fact, she'll kick it away. Many times, the shepherd will try to reintroduce the lamb to her. If she continues to reject the little lamb, then the shepherd has to intervene. They call these baby lambs “bummer lambs’. If the shepherd doesn't intervene, that little one will die…not of hunger, but of a broken spirit. So the shepherd takes the lamb into his home. He'll keep it warm by the f...
🥩 Texas‑Style Smoked Beef Brisket (Authentic Central Texas Method) 🔥 What Makes It "Texas Style" Texas brisket is all about simplicity and purity: - No marinades - No injections - No sugary rubs - No sauce during cooking Just beef, smoke, salt, pepper, and patience. The magic comes from technique. 🧂 Ingredients For the Brisket - 1 whole packer brisket, 12–16 lbs (choice or prime grade preferred) - Kosher salt - Coarse black pepper - Optional: 1–2 tbsp garlic powder (some Texas joints use it, som...
Everyone is betting their life on something! What are you betting your life on? I am betting my life on the fact that Jesus is who he said he is! “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” -Jesus, John 14:6 I am the way. Jesus said this in a conversation with the disciples at the last supper. He had just told the disciples that he must go away. And that they knew the way to where he was going. He was speaking about his arrest later that night and his...
There comes a moment in every Congress when talk has to end and governing has to begin. This is that moment. President Donald J. Trump has made the stakes unmistakably clear when it comes to election integrity: “We must have secure elections. Without secure elections, we don’t have a country.” That is not rhetoric. That is reality. Republicans were not elected to clutch their pearls and seat on their hands. They were not sent to Washington to complain about the filibuster, hold press confe...
Seven years ago, I wrote the following Robservation. Not surprisingly, it is just as relevant today as it was in 2019. Only certain names have changed. In Christianity, Easter is the arguably the day of days. Some will argue for the birth of Christ which is indeed a valid argument. Others will vote for the day Christ defeated death and rose from the grave. Our faith depends upon the latter day. The Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:14, “and if Christ has not been raised, then our p...
April 1, 2026 - HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Huntsville is my hometown and a place defined by its contribution to one of the greatest achievements in human history—putting a man on the Moon. In Huntsville and north Alabama, brilliant minds developed the foundation for the Apollo program, advanced the United States' recognition as a superpower with the Saturn V rocket, and was home to a generation of engineers and scientists who helped turn an ambitious vision into reality. Memories earlier in my c...
Alabama - April marks one of the most active and rewarding months of the gardening year across Alabama, as warm days, mild nights, and steady rainfall create ideal conditions for planting, pruning, and preparing landscapes for the growing season. From the Tennessee Valley to the Gulf Coast, gardeners are stepping into a month that sets the tone for summer harvests and healthy landscapes. With soil temperatures rising and the last frost dates behind most of the state, April is the moment when...
April 13, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Governor Kay Ivey on Monday announced the appointment of 14 individuals to various positions across the state including John Hunter Fikes as District Judge in the 25th Judicial Circuit in Marion County. Fikes' appointment fills a vacancy on the court after the retirement of longtime District Judge Mark Hammitte effective April 1, 2026. A 2010 graduate of The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and Samford University's Cumberland School of Law in 2014, F...
April 12, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Montgomery endured one of its deadliest stretches of 2026 this week, with four people killed in a series of unrelated shootings that unfolded between Friday afternoon and early Sunday morning. Police say seven shootings occurred in roughly 48 hours, leaving four dead and several others wounded. Investigators emphasize that none of the killings were random - in each case, the victim and suspect knew one another. Below is a clear, narrative breakdown of what...
Even in today's modern attempt to redefine everything according to people's whims, it is hard to believe that the Miss America Pageant succumbed to allowing men to compete for the title of "Miss" America. However, last Friday, the Miss America Organization notified the Florida Attorney General, James Uthmeier, that it has reversed its position and revised its contract language to where competitors must be natural born females. Making the Miss America pageant, truly "Miss" America. Ensuring the...
Construction faces rising costs and delays as supply chains strain in 2026 It’s a new era of uncertainty in construction. An industry already navigating labor shortages, regulatory pressure, and increasing sustainability demands is now contending with a more persistent and complex challenge: supply chain disruption. In 2026, construction must now focus on managing volatility across global sourcing, transportation, and pricing, often all at once, WSI reports. The way that projects are planned and...
The deadly combination of pregnancy and rural living in the United States Aisha didn’t know it yet, but by the time she reached the hospital, it was too late. After more than a week of struggling to access maternal care—long drives to a distant clinic, confusing insurance forms, and even longer drives to the hospital—she miscarried the pregnancy she had longed for. Aisha, who is using only her first name for safety reasons, made the long drive home alone. Many other rural women in Texas never...
Americans want smarter surveillance. They just don’t trust who’s watching. Consider this: What are the implications when technology designed to enhance safety also creates discomfort? This tension is evident in cities nationwide. Smart surveillance systems, including connected cameras, AI-powered monitoring, and police drones, are now standard tools for emergency response. These technologies deliver faster detection, quicker dispatch, and improved coordination during critical moments. How...
The truth about gut health The "cast iron stomach" myth persists in gastroenterology offices. When patients say they can eat “anything,” they’re saying they believe they should be able to tolerate all foods under all circumstances. Yet this is a fundamental misunderstanding of the gut’s complexity. The gut is not a passive tube but a complex system that houses the digestive tract and is the body’s largest immune organ. It contains about 70% of all immune cells and even has its own nervous s...
April 14, 2026 – CHELSEA, Ala. – The mailboxes of Republican primary voters across Alabama are stuffed full of glossy double sided ads touting candidates. The American Conservative Fund is a dark money super PAC that was suddenly created this year with money entirely from out of state gambling syndicate Draft Kings. The American Conservative Fund's mailer pieces give a return address of: 60 Chelsea Corners; PMB 2026; Chelsea, Al 35043. On Tuesday the Alabama Gazette drove to 60 Chelsea Cor...
5 big questions to help you understand the current state of student loans Washington is sending confusing and even contradictory signals to people with student loans. New repayment plans, reversals on wage garnishment for people in default and trouble getting staffers on the phone to clear up problems are adding to the lack of clarity. Last year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal agency set up to help consumers, received more complaints about student loans than in any year in...
Michigan measles outbreak shows high cost of stopping even a small number of infections from spreading The small measles outbreak that health officials are combating in Michigan began last month with an unvaccinated young woman returning home from visiting Florida, a state where there have been more than 140 cases this year. Her first symptoms around March 7 seemed like a cold. By the time the telltale measles rash appeared a few days later, she had exposed her family and scores of other people...
Construction faces rising costs and delays as supply chains strain in 2026 It’s a new era of uncertainty in construction. An industry already navigating labor shortages, regulatory pressure, and increasing sustainability demands is now contending with a more persistent and complex challenge: supply chain disruption. In 2026, construction must now focus on managing volatility across global sourcing, transportation, and pricing, often all at once, WSI reports. The way that projects are planned and...
Consumer sentiment slides, but retail spending holds for now Retail and e-commerce are entering a fragile phase as they head into peak planning. Consumer sentiment is falling again, but the implications for the industry are more complex than a single headline suggests. Beneath the surface, spending remains unevenly resilient, shaped by rising costs, geopolitical instability, and widening financial pressure across income groups. For retail brands, the takeaway is not that demand is collapsing,...
April 15, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabama voters will face two high‑profile constitutional amendments on the November 3, 2026 ballot, both centered on daily patriotic observances and student‑led prayer in public schools. These measures-rooted in long‑running debates over religion, civic ritual, and local control-represent one of the most significant statewide votes on school‑based religious expression since the 1980s. Below is a clear, layered breakdown of what voters will decide, why these a...
April 13, 2026 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States and Indonesia formally announced the creation of a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP), a significant elevation of the bilateral defense relationship between the two nations and a signal of their shared commitment to long‑term stability in the Indo‑Pacific. The joint statement, issued by the U.S. Secretary of War and the Indonesian Minister of Defense, describes the MDCP as a "guiding framework" designed to deepen cooperation, streng...
Alabama State Representatives and Senators closed out the legislative session for the year last week. Unless Governor Kay Ivey calls them back into special session, they are done again until 2027. Budgets Top Priority On the final day of Alabama lawmakers convened in their regular 2026 session in Montgomery, Governor Kay Ivey signed into law the two state budgets. Legislators appropriated some $10 billion to the Education Trust Fund, those monies for public education, including k-12 schools,...
April 9, 2026 – MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Legislature passed and sent to the governor legislation to request a waiver to ban sugary snacks, sodas, and energy drinks from being purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Senate Bill 57 (SB57) is sponsored by State Senator Arthur Orr (R-Decatur). Sen. Orr has said that the bill is a public‑health measure and is necessary given that Alabama ranks as one of the most obese in the nation. Orr stated that reduc...
