7. The Alabama Policy Institute’s Stephanie Smith rightly argues that the CHOOSE Act is a win for Alabama parents by empowering them with education savings accounts to choose learning environments aligned with their values and religious principles, while representing a major defeat for left-wing “educrats” who opposed it and prioritized bureaucracy over student success.

6. Allegedly, Alabamians are debating whether to pause the state’s gas tax during the war in Iran to ease rising prices for drivers, as Georgia has suspended its gas tax, leading to drops at the pump, with officials in Georgia warning that failing to pass on the gas pause to consumers will be investigated.

5. Birmingham’s ABC 33/40 news anchor Ashonti Ford signed off an evening broadcast with a quote attributed to Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, “Before we go, a quote from the founder of the Islamic Brotherhood: The quieter you become, the more you’re able to hear,” prompting the station to apologize after backlash over the controversial sign-off from a group designated as terror-linked.

4. A police staffing bill is drawing criticism for “stripping power from black officials,” but the bill focuses on Montgomery and Huntsville (and its notoriously white Mayor Tommy Battle), with opponents warning of a potential showdown in the legislature over concerns that the proposal undermines local control and minority representation in law enforcement.

3. Major U.S. airports are returning to normal operations as TSA workers begin receiving back pay amid the ongoing partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security, while President Donald Trump urged Congress to cancel its two-week recess and do its job to resolve the funding impasse.

2. A new poll shows U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise), Attorney General Steve Marshall, and Jared Hudson locked in a three-way dead heat in the 2026 Alabama U.S. Senate Republican primary, and President Donald Trump’s choice in the Lt. Gov. race in the third, with a large number of undecided voters remaining.

1. New message leaks show Iranian discontent between President Masoud Pezeshkian and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps about negotiations to end the conflict, as President Donald Trump wants allies to pay for the war but continues to suggest a deal is near amid ongoing attacks, including a bunker buster bomb attack on an ammunition facility, with Europeans worrying about costs and inflation, attacks continue.

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Dale Jackson is a thought leader for Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 5-9 a.m. weekdays on WVNN.