The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
Sorted by date Results 1355 - 1379 of 3623
Have you ever opened your monthly electricity statement and thought, "This can't be right"? If so, you're in good company. Arbor surveyed 500 American homeowners and renters and found that 71% of Americans doubt the accuracy of their electricity charges, and nearly 70% admit they don't fully understand how their bill is calculated. It's no wonder power bills are soaring to the top of the list of monthly financial stressors, second only to rent or mortgage payments. The trust gap: So many feel...
March 20, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL. – The Alabama House of Representatives has passed legislation that would limit foreign influence in Alabama election. House Bill 363 (HB363) is sponsored by State Representative Lomax (R-Huntsville). According to the synopsis, "This bill would prohibit foreign nationals from contributing to campaigns, ballot measures, political parties, or political action committees. This bill would also impose penalties for violations." Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen (R)...
California lawmakers want to stop artificial intelligence from ripping you off. In recent weeks they introduced five bills to address the issue, making predictive pricing based on a customer's personal information one of the most popular tech policy concerns in the Legislature this session, reports The Markup. Ride-sharing apps, travel companies, and retail giants such as Staples, Target, and reportedly Amazon have engaged in the practice, which can set different prices for customers based on...
Gasoline prices are down several cents compared to this time last month, but the cost to fill up the tank has declined by nearly 40 cents per gallon since last year. The national average fuel price is about $3.12, with Mississippi seeing the cheapest state-level prices at $2.66 and California with the most expensive at $4.65. After a monthlong pause on tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports, the Trump administration proceeded at the beginning of March to impose 25% tariffs on the two...
March 20, 2025 - CULLMAN, AL – Cindy Myrex, a lifelong Cullman County resident, devoted wife, mother, and businesswoman, is proud to announce her intentions to run in the special election for the Alabama House of Representatives, District 12. "A lifetime in Cullman County and on Smith Lake, I never cease to be thankful for the part of the world God allowed me to be in," said Myrex. "Living in this community, filled with generations of genuine, nurturing, and God-fearing families, I am always g...
March 19, 2025 - Author, grassroots Republican activist, and investigative journalist Terri LaPoint has announced that she is running for Congress in the Third Congressional District against longtime incumbent Mike Rogers (R-Saks). LaPoint confirmed to the Alabama Gazette that she is running in the Republican primary in 2026. LaPoint is a member of the St. Clair County Republican Party, is the current President of the Republican Women of Trussville, and is a leader in the Alabama Republican...
March 18, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL – The Alabama House of Representatives passed legislation that would further lower the sales tax on groceries. House Bill 386 (HB386) is sponsored by state Representative Danny Garrett (R-Trussville). Alabama has a four percent sales tax. While the state sales tax per se is not particularly harsh compared to other states, Alabama is one of the few states in the country to tax food. The Legislature addressed this issue a couple of years ago when they lowered the...
March 19, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL03), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, responded to press reports suggesting that the United States might soon change its entire combatant command structure, withdraw from NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) command structure, and cancel modernization plans for U.S. Forces Japan: "U.S. c...
March 19, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL. – The Alabama Big 10 Mayors today released the following statement after Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation into law that would make it a felony offense at the state level to be in possession of a trigger activator, often referred to as a Glock switch. Trigger activators turn semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons and have been cited as a major public safety hazard in communities across Alabama. "We are thrilled the state Legislature and Governor...
March 19, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) signed bipartisan legislation that would ban devices that make handguns fire out all of their rounds in a burst on the pull of the trigger. Handguns come from the factory where there has to be a separate trigger pull for each bullet. So-called "Glock switches" are already illegal under federal law. This legislation makes it a state crime to be in possession of, manufacture, or distribute illegal Glock switches allowing district...
March 18, 2025 – MONTGOMERY, AL. – The Alabama Senate narrowly passed a bill that would allow as many as 200 inmates of the Alabama Department of Corrections to petition the court for a new sentencing hearing. Senate Bill 156 (SB156) is sponsored by state Senator Will Barfoot (R-Pike Road). Barfoot explained that under existing law there are persons in the Alabama Department of Corrections who were sentenced under the 1980s-era Habitual Offender Sentencing Act. This bill would apply to "150 to...
The online dating market in the U.S. is projected to reach $3.17 billion in 2025 and has revolutionized how we meet potential partners—or has it? While swiping left and right have become synonymous with dating culture among younger generations, a 2025 Hims study found that the vast majority of people, young and old, are meeting in real life (IRL). 82% of Americans Met Their Partners In Person, Not Digitally 82% of men and women in the U.S., ages 18-65, who report either being married or in a r...
March 2, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL. - Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) joined a coalition of 26 attorneys general in defending the Trump administration's recent actions to combat Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The attorneys general are also calling for a stay of the district court's recent temporary restraining order that halts President Trump's actions to address this violent and dangerous foreign terrorist organization. "Tren de Aragua is a violent terrorist organization with ties to...
March 18, 2025 – The Alabama Senate Government Affairs Committee gave a favorable report that would allow a new sheriff to retain all of the accrued cost of living increases of the former sheriff. House Bill 157 (HB157) is sponsored by state Representative Paul Lee (R-Dothan). "If you have a sheriff who has been there for years he has received cost of living raises over the years," explained Representative Lee. "If they retire or gets beat the new sheriff will not get the cost of living i...
March 7, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - The legal landscape of medical cannabis in Alabama has witnessed a significant development as the Alabama Appeals Court recently overturned a temporary restraining order (TRO) from Montgomery Circuit Court that has halted the issuance of medical cannabis licenses since 2023. This ruling could signal that we are finally near to the end in the legal drama that has stalled the state's journey towards providing patients with access to medicinal cannabis. Chey Garriga...
A staggering 45% of small business owners don't know they have a business credit score, according to the Native American Dream Gap survey. Even more surprising—this number could be silently impacting your business right now, affecting everything from your loan terms to your relationships with suppliers. Most business owners understand personal credit scores, but business credit scores play by a different set of rules. It's not just about the numbers being different (they are), or how they're c...
The vast majority of America's local election administrators would not encourage their children to do the same job, and a shrinking share of them say they would be proud to tell others about their work, Votebeat reports. The findings come from a survey conducted every federal election year by the Elections & Voting Information Center, an academic research group. While it contains small bright spots—election administrators largely find the job personally rewarding, for example—the number wil...
From compact crossovers in California to full-size trucks in Texas, Edmunds shoppers have a wide variety of favorite vehicles. Edmunds users' preferences were analyzed to determine the 10 most favorited makes and models of 2024, also looking at favorite model years and regions where shoppers were based. Takeaways? Honda and Toyota dominated with sensible, reliable sedans and crossovers; Ford and Chevrolet trucks remain perennially popular; and the Jeep Wrangler still inspires the daydreams of ma...
March 18, 2025 - MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Tuesday signed Senate Bill 67, sponsored by Senator Andrew Jones and Representative Ed Oliver, to further elevate veteran needs in Alabama. "Alabama's veterans deserve our very best, and I am grateful to the Alabama Legislature for its resounding support of this important legislation," said Governor Ivey. "We will use this new structure to focus on what matters most – serving those who sacrificed so much for our freedoms – our veterans and t...
March 26, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL - Wes Allen, Alabama's Secretary of State, stands strongly behind President Trump's "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections" Executive Order, which aims to strengthen election integrity and effectively end noncitizen voting across the country. "From closing the border, to dismissing the Biden-Harris era USDOJ lawsuit that attempted to block our efforts to remove noncitizens from Alabama's voter file, to signing this EO, it is obvious that...
March 26, 2025 - MONTGOMERY, AL – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issues warning to consumers about protecting personal information by deleting personal accounts following the announcement that genetic testing company, 23andMe, will be filing for bankruptcy. The direct-to-consumer genetic testing company collects and analyzes an individual's genetic code. "Given the uncertainty surrounding 23andMe's bankruptcy, consumers should seriously consider deleting their accounts to protect t...
Despite record-high annual percentage rates (APRs) for consumers, credit card debt grew at a slower rate in 2024 than it did in 2023. The total amount of consumer credit card debt in the U.S. grew 8.6% to reach $1.16 trillion as of the third quarter (Q3) of 2024, according to Experian data. Among those consumers who carry a balance—revolvers, in industry jargon—the average balance grew 3.5% to reach $6,730 as of Q3 2024. That increase from 2023 marks the slowest annual growth since the start of...
The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that 14 tornadoes touched down across Central Alabama during the severe weather event on March 15. The tornadoes varied in intensity, The most powerful was rated as an EF3. Six were rated as EF2s, four were rated as EF1s, and three were rated as EF0s. 3 people were killed. Hundreds of thousands of people were able to get in their safe places ahead of the storms due to the efforts of the National Weather Service and TV meteorologists. We have far...
Many websites lose customers because confusing design and accessibility issues—like unreadable forms or missing labels—make it hard for people, especially those with disabilities, to use them. Fixing these problems not only helps users have a better experience but also helps businesses keep customers and avoid legal trouble. Every business wants its website to be a seamless, welcoming experience for customers. But too often, hidden accessibility barriers—unreadable forms, confusing menus, or po...
A community in Alabama may soon be forced to close its local police department. At the end of February, a grand jury recommended disbanding the Hanceville Police Department, concluding that it "recently operated as more of a criminal enterprise than a law enforcement agency." City officials have said they are considering the recommendation, but for now, the department is, in effect, shuttered. Five officers have been arrested, and the entire force has been placed on leave. One state away, a form...
