The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
Sorted by date Results 119 - 143 of 234
To tackle chronic absenteeism, this high school lets students lead It was the last Friday before winter break at H.D. Woodson High School in the eastern corner of Washington, D.C. — historically one of the toughest days of the year for attendance. School team leads Rachel Curry-Neal and Ashlee Judon were eager to see how the day would play out. Their colleagues and they had an ambitious goal: improve overall in-seat attendance rates by at least two percentage points. Like schools across the c...
July 2, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - Katherine Robertson, a newcomer to the statewide political arena, has made an immediate impact with a remarkable fundraising debut in her campaign for Alabama Attorney General. In a show of momentum uncommon for first-time candidates, Robertson's campaign has reported over $1.25 million raised during the month of June alone. Launching her campaign just three weeks prior, Robertson entered the race with no carryover from previous campaigns, beginning with a zero...
July 2, 1853 - The waters of the Pruth River, meandering quietly between what is now Moldova and Romania, became the stage for a geopolitical drama whose reverberations would echo across Europe for decades. The crossing of the Russian Army into the Danubian Principalities-Moldavia and Wallachia-did not merely alter the fate of those lands, but became the spark that ignited the Crimean War, drawing in empires and powers from across the continent and beyond. Europe on the Brink: The Context of 185...
July 2, 2025 - BIRMINGHAM, AL - The World Police and Fire games are currently being held in Birmingham, Alabama. With the Olympic-style competition featuring thousands of first-responders from various countries around the world. And the games welcoming spectators with free admission to all events, except for the K-9 Explosives Detection competition and the K-9 Narcotics Detection competitions which are closed to the public. The games began on June 27th and are set to continue over The Fourth of...
‘We’re still living with the aftermath’: Floridians brace for fresh hurricane season Idalia. Debby. Helene. Not visiting friends, not neighbors. All hurricanes that have not yet faded into memory for the residents of Taylor County in Florida, where all three powerful storms hit in just two years. “It’s hard to look at these hurricanes as memories when we’re still living with the aftermath and worrying about what’s coming next,” said Thomas Demps. After taking direct hits from Hurricane Idali...
What the REAL ID delay tells us about implementing proof-of-citizenship laws You know the REAL ID that you need if you want to board a plane? The deadline to get one was supposed to be May 7. But just days before that, the Department of Homeland Security hit pause, again. Twenty years after Congress passed the REAL ID Act, too many people still didn’t have the right kind of ID, so enforcement was delayed — as it has been multiple times. It’s easy to see why. In states like Kentucky, resid...
Uber’s new shuttles look suspiciously familiar to anyone who’s taken a bus Every few years, a Silicon Valley gig-economy company announces a “disruptive” innovation that looks a whole lot like a bus. Uber rolled out Smart Routes a decade ago, followed a short time later by the Lyft Shuttle of its biggest competitor. Even Elon Musk gave it a try in 2018 with the “urban loop system” that never quite materialized beyond the Vegas Strip. And does anyone remember Chariot? Now it’s Uber’s turn again....
That great standard of liberty, the Magna Carta, is 810 years old this month. Historians and political scientists have examined its provisions extensively, carefully allocating each clause to various rights and freedoms we now take for granted. Indeed, it is a fascinating inquiry to consider that so many centuries ago, various rights now considered standard and common were first tested in the body politic. Many refer to the United States as an experiment because our Constitution created a form...
The stars are shining, the stripes are waving, and the greatest force for freedom in human history-the Red, White, and Blue-is alive and well. On this Fourth of July, we celebrate the most extraordinary success story the world has ever known: the United States of America. On Independence Day, we honor the birth of a nation founded on freedom, faith, and fearless resolve. From the halls of Congress to the fields of middle America, the Red, White, and Blue flies high, not just as a flag, but as a...
July 2, 2025 - GULF SHORES, AL - The City of Gulf Shores released a statement claiming that it "Supports the efforts of Homeland Security to enforce federal immigration laws and keep our community safe." The Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI, in coordination with local law enforcement, detained 37 individuals during a raid of the construction site for the new Gulf Shores High School. The operation was described as a federal immigration inspection, and those...
July 3, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL04) released a statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Donald J. Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," sending the landmark legislation to President Trump's desk for his signature. "The One Big Beautiful Bill delivers the America First agenda in a fiscally responsible way," said Rep. Aderholt. "Getting this bill to the President's desk to deliver his mandate for an economy that is pro-growth, pro-family,...
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights." These powerful words were made immortal when The Continental Congress officially adopted the final draft of The Declaration of Independence on July 04th, 1776. And while such words may ring pretty to the modern day ear, during the time they were penned, which was a time of empires, kings, and monarchs, it was daring to the point of high treason to...
July 3, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL – Governor Kay Ivey today released a video message in honor of Independence Day, calling on Alabamians to reflect on the sacrifices made for our freedoms and to celebrate the enduring spirit of the American people. Governor Ivey honors the 249th anniversary of America's independence and looks ahead to the 250th birthday of the United States. Additionally, she praises the strength of the United States military and credits President Trump's leadership for restoring p...
July 3, 1898: The Decisive Naval Battle That Reshaped Two Nations On July 3, 1898, in the warm Caribbean waters off the coast of Santiago de Cuba, a pivotal moment in the Spanish-American War unfolded. The Spanish fleet, under the command of Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete, faced off against the might of the United States Navy in a dramatic clash that would not only shape the outcome of the war, but also herald a new era in global power dynamics. The annihilation of Cervera's squadron marked...
July 4,2025 - Henagar, AL – Political leaders from across Alabama gathered at the Henagar Community Center for the annual Potato Festival. This year's community breakfast event was hosted by Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) and Alabama Senate Majority Leader Steve Livingston (R-Scottsboro). Numerous political leaders and dignitaries were on hand for the event. Lee Davis is the Mayor of Henagar. "I really am not much of a talker; but my job is to introduce Speaker L...
Extreme heat is becoming more common in the U.S. Here’s how to stay safe. Summer brings heat waves — and the risk of heat-related illnesses. Extreme heat is the primary cause of weather-related mortality in the United States, posing a significant threat to public health. Periods of unusually hot weather are especially dangerous for elderly people and those with chronic conditions. But anyone working or exercising outside, or those without access to cool shelters, can be vulnerable to health effe...
Eco-anxiety in little kids? These early childhood teachers are on the case. A preschooler in Raegan Haines' class at Palmer Elementary in Denver prepares to plant wildflowers in a pot she decorated. Stavros, a 4-year-old at Denver’s Palmer Elementary School, stood on a low blue chair scooping soil into a white pot he’d decorated with his school picture and stickers of a donut, a camera, and the word “lucky.” Next, he shook a packet of seeds for wildflowers native to Colorado into the pot and...
President Donald J. Trump has signed the most pro-growth, pro-worker, pro-America bill in modern history-and Alabama helped make it happen. This isn't just another piece of legislation. This is the One Big Beautiful Bill-and it's a game-changer for families, workers, farmers, and patriots from Mobile to Muscle Shoals. Alabama's Republican lawmakers stood tall, fought hard, and delivered a win for every freedom-loving American who's tired of Bidenomics and ready for a revival of common sense. Let...
On July 5, 1950, just two years after the founding of the State of Israel, the Knesset passed one of the most defining pieces of legislation in Israeli history: the Law of Return. This law granted every Jew the right to immigrate to Israel and receive immediate citizenship. It was not merely a legal measure-it was the embodiment of the Zionist dream and a direct response to centuries of Jewish exile and persecution. Historical Context: Zionism and the Jewish Homeland - Zionism, the political...
July 3, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL06) voted in favor of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed and was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump (R) on Friday. After his vote Representative Palmer said he voted to prevent a $4 trillion tax hike. "I voted for this bill to prevent families from facing a $4 trillion tax hike," said Rep. Palmer. "This bill extends President Trump's 2017 tax cuts that provided economic relief to American families. W...
A prominent businessman approached the pastor to discuss his brother’s funeral. The deceased was widely known in the community as a scoundrel. The man told the pastor, “I’ll give you $500 if you’ll call my brother a ‘saint’ in your funeral sermon.” The pastor thought long and hard. On the day of the funeral he stood to say, “John was a bad man, a bully and a thief, but compared to his brother, he was a saint!” Delivering funeral orations is among the most demanding pastoral tasks. I’ve condu...
On a warm summer day-July 6, 1854-in the small town of Jackson, Michigan, a political revolution quietly took root beneath an oak tree. What began as a gathering of anti-slavery activists, former Whigs, Free Soilers, and disillusioned Democrats would soon blossom into one of the most influential political parties in American history: the Republican Party. The Setting: Jackson, Michigan Jackson was a modest but bustling town in southern Michigan, strategically located along the Michigan Central...
July 3, 2025 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives passed President Donald J. Trump's (R) spending priorities into law largely along party lines. The bill extends the 2017 Trump tax cuts while adding additional tax relief. It also funds heightened border security efforts. It does include some cuts. While Elon Musk and some fiscal conservatives argued that the bill does not make nearly enough cuts in the size of the federal government, Democrats denounced the bill for the cut...
The passage of the Big Beautifull Bill this past week was quite a feat for President Donald Trump, particularly with the support of the legislation by narrow margins in both the United States House of Representatives and Senate. There is a lot of talk of what the new law will bring for the state of Alabama, but we do know the bill will mean workers can deduct up to $12,500 or $25,000 of income for a joint return for the next 3 years for overtime pay. This will also mean that there will be...
How to support your mental health after a natural disaster Natural disasters can create a devastating loss of property, community, and life. Floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, tsunamis, and more can leave you feeling hopeless, scared, and like nothing will ever be the same. For some people, these feelings will fade in time as they work to rebuild their lives. But for others, the trauma of natural disasters can have long-lasting effects. Fortunately, with the right support, healing is...
