The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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The average mortgage payment in the U.S. has risen sharply since 2020 for every generation except baby boomers, a clear side effect of still-elevated mortgage interest rates and home prices hovering near all-time highs. While longtime homeowners haven't seen much motion in their payments since 2020 thanks to fixed interest rates, newer (and oftentimes younger) homebuyers have borne the brunt of recent disruptions in the market. According to Experian data from the second quarter of 2024, millenni...
October 25, 2024 – MONTGOMERY, AL – On Tuesday Montgomery Circuit Judge James Anderson has assigned the ongoing medical marijuana case to mediator Gene Reese. Reese is being tasked with sitting down with plaintiffs' attorneys and attorneys for the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) and attempting to craft a workable resolution to this ongoing litigation. The AMCC is being sued by business entities that applied for medical marijuana licenses; but were not awarded a license by the AMC...
October 25, 2024 – WASHINGTON, D.C. the New York Times is reporting that Chinese government hackers tried to tap telephones used by former President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Senator JD Vance (R), and Trump's top campaign staffers. It has not been released on whether or not they were successful in breaching Trump and Vance's phone. The Times that they were successful in hacking the phones of at least two Trump campaign staffers. They also targeted U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (...
October 26, 2024 – bombs were falling on Tehran – Iran's capital – early morning on Saturday. The attacks, which Irael says are precision strikes on military targets – is in response to missile attacks on Israel by Iran. "In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel – right now the Israel Defense Forces [IDF] is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran," said IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. Israel reports that it's...
October 28,2024 - MONTGOMERY, AL - Wes Allen, Alabama's Secretary of State, is encouraging Alabama voters to visit Alabama's trusted source for election information, AlabamaVotes.gov, before heading to the polls on November 5. "AlabamaVotes.gov makes several important tools available to Alabama's voters. Before heading to the polls on November 5, I would encourage all Alabama voters to visit our website and verify their voter registration status and polling location." Allen said. "Our website...
October 28, 2024 - MONTGOMERY, AL - The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) continues its investigation of possible rabies exposure to humans from a stray kitten. A litter of kittens had been abandoned on the campus of Tuskegee University. The kittens were subsequently taken to a veterinarian practice in Auburn where one of the kittens became ill and was tested for rabies. That one kitten tested positive for rabies, and three additional kittens tested negative for rabies. An individual...
October 27, 2024 – NEW YORK CITY, NY - former President Donald J. Trump spelled out why he thinks the American people should give him a second term in the Whitehouse during a nationally televised speech at Madison Square Garden, New York. President Trump denounced the Biden-Harris administration's immigration policies which have allowed ten million people into the country in less than four years and promised to reverse those policies and launch the largest deportation program in American h...
October 28, 2024 – Monday was National First Responders Day and Alabama leaders took time out of their day to salute those who serve and protect our communities. Governor Kay Ivey (R) shared a video statement saluting first responders on her X social media account. "Here in Alabama, public safety is paramount," wrote Gov. Ivey on X. "Our law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics carry this mission, stepping up every day to put their lives on the line. So, today and every day, we say a b...
October 25, 2024 – BIRMINGHAM – On Friday, Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL07) announced that the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport and the Montgomery Regional Airport will each receive $5 million, for a total of $10 million in federal funding, to make improvements to the airports' infrastructure. Funding for these grants comes from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program, made possible by President Joseph R. Biden's (D) con...
Efficiently managing business travel expenses is crucial for a company to thrive. Fortunately, there are a number of software solutions that can help with this. These include Ramp, Zoho Expense, SAP Concur, Expensify, Emburse, TravelPerk, and Rydoo. In this article, Ramp will explain what goes into travel and expense management, how to design an effective T&E policy, important tax considerations, and how software can streamline this often difficult process for your company. What Is Travel a...
As the gig economy continues to evolve, more and more consumers depend on it not only for their own late-night cravings and weekly groceries, but also for at least some of their income. How gig workers, or independent contractors, are treated and even defined have become election issues at both the state and national levels in recent years, Experian reports. There's no easy way to get one's arms around the size of the gig economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, for example, has found that only...
One of the biggest challenges employers face is keeping their employees engaged and empowered to do their best. Over half of firms with fewer than 500 employees reported challenges in hiring or retaining qualified staff, according to the Fed Small Business' 2024 report on employer firms. Upskilling is one staff investment industry experts say can pay off in dividends for employers. Though it may sound like a trendy phrase, upskilling invests in employees' knowledge and skills for the long term,...
As smartphones advance and social media options increase, more Americans across generations are finding solace in a digital playground. People have become so attached to their mobile devices that many have admitted in polls that they can't imagine life without them. As different generations have different communication preferences, smartphone use inevitably varies across age groups. Spokeo analyzed generational trends in and perceptions of smartphone use amid public health concerns, using data...
October 30, 2024 - WASHINGTON - On Sunday we will all have an extra hour to sleep before going to Church; but it will be dark before the typical 9 to 5 worker leaves the office. It is time for our annual switch from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time. As Alabamians prepare to change their clocks this weekend, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) is continuing to advocate for the passage of the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act to make Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent and end the...
On Tuesday, President Joseph R. Biden (D) let his true feelings be known about Republicans and Trump supporters when he called them "Garbage." On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) responded saying on social media that the Biden-Harris administration has treated Americans like garbage by settling ten million illegal aliens into the country. "Joe Biden finally said the quiet part out loud," said Sen. Tuberville on his X social media account. "He and Kamala Harris have treated...
October 29, 2024 – Tuskegee - a Macon County jury informed the judge that it was deadlocked in the capital murder trial of William Chase Johnson. Johnson is accused of shooting to death Lowndes County Sheriff "Big John" John Williams. Sheriff Williams told a group of rowdy teens at a convenience store and turn their music down. Johnson got out of his truck, got into an altercation with the Sheriff, pulled out a handgun, shot and killed the sheriff, and fled in a friend's car. Those facts are n...
October 31, he2024 – Today is October 31. This means far too many people will go to work wearing tacky costumes and most of us will consume insanely high levels of sugar today. It also means that Children dressed in costumes and will go door-to-door asking for free candy and that teens and even many adults will go to costume parties tonight. When you are out on the roads this evening be aware that children will be out and about (in many cases in dark costumes) walking up and down the roads. I...
As COVID-era "Zoomtowns" and the urban exodus fade into history, which city in every state is most popular for Americans who want to move now? Between 2020 and 2023, the fastest-growing cities exploded with incoming remote workers who wanted to live larger and cheaper. And many sought homeownership—buying a home is a key factor in where Americans choose to put down roots. But the fastest-growing cities of 2021 or 2022 aren't the boomtowns of today. So why are we relying on backward-looking c...
This Halloween season, fur may overtake fear: American spending on pet costumes will reach $700 million in 2024, according to the most recent data from the National Retail Federation. Americans really love dressing up their pets for Halloween. According to a 2022 PetSmart survey conducted by Wakefield, more than 3 in 4 (76%) pet owners dress their pets for the holiday. About a third of pet owners reported their costume-wearing pets attract the most attention, while over a third said that...
Marcus Hadden, a father of three from central New Jersey, texts and talks with his oldest son, a college sophomore, a few times a week. His 19-year-old son attends Rutgers University just a half-hour away, but Hadden said the easy communication has helped them feel closer. Occasionally, his son, a dedicated hiker, shares his phone's location with his parents. "We don't monitor him, but if he's out hiking on a remote trail, which he does most weekends around the tristate area, it feels like a...
October 31, 2024 – MONTGOMERY – Alabama is currently represented in the House of Representatives by six Republicans and one Democrat. The federal court system, civil rights groups, and the Alabama Democratic Party hopes to change that to two Democrats in Tuesday's election. The Alabama Republican Party however is doing everything it can to retain the recently redrawn Congressional District 2 in GOP hands. On Thursday, the Alabama Republican Party announced that one of the Republican Party's pri...
October 31, 2024 -MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday announced she is appointing Azzie Oliver to serve as Montgomery County District Attorney, replacing Daryl Bailey. "Ensuring we have a safe Alabama begins with having a safe Capital City, so having our local officials embody that goal is critical. Azzie Oliver has dedicated most of her career to upholding the criminal laws of Alabama and by pursuing justice for the people of Montgomery County, so I am confident she will help us c...
Around midnight on Pioneer Day two years ago, a pair of 21-year-olds—a man and a woman—decided to make a trip from Davis County to Utah County to retrieve the man's "church clothes," presumably to wear hours later that Sunday morning, The Salt Lake Tribune reports The man, according to a recently filed lawsuit, was "tired and not in a condition to drive as an ordinarily prudent driver." The woman also couldn't drive because she was tired and suffering from a headache, according to the law...
With the 2024 presidential election just days away, Democrats and Republicans in rural areas are directing their focus beyond the top of the ticket and toward state and local-level offices. So-called "down-ballot" races feature candidates for state legislature, city council, local school boards, and even judges and police commissioners. These elected officials decide on issues in their community, such as education, housing services, public transportation, and health care. Thus far in 2024, 75%...
November 1, 2024 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) said that in the last three years inflation has cost the average family $1,100 a month. Palmer said in an email to constituents that the growing regulatory burden which has ballooned under the Biden-Harris administration is contributing to these costs. "Due to the policies pushed by the Biden-Harris administration for the past three years, the cost of groceries has gone up over $1,100 per month for the average family," sai...
