Alabama

Opinion | America knows Katie Britt. Now she can focus on Alabama

Published

1 year ago

July 17, 2024

Opinion | America knows Katie Britt. Now she can focus on Alabama

On Monday, Alabama Senator Katie Britt got a rare second opportunity to introduce herself on the national stage. Offered the chance to make a primetime address at the Republican National Convention, she once again had the nation’s eyes on her.

Even though there’s only a hundred senators, very few people know many from outside their state. For that matter, far too few people know the senators from their state.

Do you know who the senators from Virginia are? I do—Tim Kaine and Mark Warner—but that’s only because I was born in that particular commonwealth.

When a senator gets the chance to introduce themselves to the nation, it can be a make-or-break moment. For Britt, it unfortunately looked like it might have been a break.

Even before Britt delivered the rebuttal to Biden’s State of the Union, her comms team was already telling conservatives to compare her to Reagan.

Then she actually went on live TV. Suddenly, everyone in America knew who Katie Britt was. Superstar Scarlett Johansson played the senator in that week’s SNL cold open, an experience Britt now jokingly calls her “gold star.”

Luckily for her, Britt’s speech Monday gave her another chance to talk to the American people, without the dubious fear-mongering and in a more measured voice.

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She stuck to party lines in ways I still find distasteful, calling Donald Trump “the change we need” and attacking President Biden, but she also talked about important issues facing American families. Whether or not her comparison of Trump’s economy and Biden’s was totally accurate (it wasn’t), American families have undeniably been struggling with inflation recently.

This second, more successful debut gives Britt a great opportunity. An opportunity to learn from her political mentor and be the senator Alabama needs, if not the senator Alabama wants.

Alabamians want a conservative, fire-eating senator. They have one. They also need a dealmaker who can bring home the bacon.

When Senator Richard Shelby retired, a profile in the New York Times called him “one of the last of the big-time pork barrel legends.” From his seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, he “funded roads and bridges and hospitals and public libraries and drinking water systems” in Alabama.

As a University of Alabama alum, I know just how successful he was firsthand. The over-200,000-square-foot Shelby Hall, a $50 million engineering center, makes an impression.

Before Britt gave Mo Brooks a drumming and entered the Senate, she had worked for Shelby off and on again for years. I hope it’s not too optimistic of me to say that I hope some of Shelby’s attitude might have rubbed off.

During her interview with Axios on Monday, Britt said she wants to support bipartisan bills. And she showed she knows Alabama needs federal money when she told the reporter that “about a third of our state does not have access to maternal care.”

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According to the Lugar Center’s Bipartisan Index, though, she was the least bipartisan senator in 2023. (Her staff members have disputed the metric’s accuracy.)

Meanwhile, her fellow senator from Alabama, Tommy Tuberville, is hardly better. Tuberville seems to think bipartisan is some kind of fancy Washington cuss word.

Tuberville voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was easily approved by a bipartisan supermajority. He voted against the CHIPS Act, which 17 Senate Republicans thought was a fine piece of legislation.

If you take a look at the list of Republican senators, Tuberville isn’t exactly the first guy Democrats will approach when they’re looking to pass a nonpartisan bill.

Attacking the troops for being too woke, spreading conspiracy theories about American foreign policy, and holding up military promotions are hardly the way to burnish one’s bipartisan credentials. According to some, his antics actually cost Alabama the opportunity to host the nation’s SPACECOM headquarters.

If Alabama needs federal money, and it does, Tuberville is not the senator to look to for help. Britt on the other hand studied under the best. Hopefully she took notes.

Per The Hill’s latest projections, Republicans are set to hold only 52 seats in the Senate. Folks who paid attention to the Biden White House’s negotiations with West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin know just how impactful one senator can be with such a narrow majority.

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If Britt is willing to play power broker, I see no reason to believe she couldn’t build more bridges, both between the parties and here in Alabama. She might not have been the logrolling moderate Alabama needs last year, but she’s got four more years in her first term to make friends and make deals.

Of course, no matter what, Senator Britt will support conservative red meat bills I fear will just make people’s lives worse for no good reason.

But I hope she’ll be able to bring some federal money back to Alabama at the same time. God knows the state needs it.

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Alabama

Jacob Crews scores 20 for Missouri in 85-77 win over Alabama State

Published

11 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Jacob Crews scores 20 for Missouri in 85-77 win over Alabama State

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jacob Crews scored 20, and Anthony Robinson II added 19 in Missouri’s 85-77 win over Alabama State on Thursday night.

Crews shot 7 of 9 from the field, including 6 of 8 from the 3-point arc. Mark Mitchell added 15 points for Missouri (9-2), and Sebastian Mack added 10.

The Tigers had a 15-0 run in the first half, heading into the locker room up 52-39. Alabama State was held scoreless over a 4:19 drought in the middle of the second half to open a 9-0 run for the Tigers. The Hornets (3-8) responded with their own 10-0 run to bring the game within eight, 74-62. The Tigers regained control, though, to keep their eight-point lead the rest of the game, handing Alabama State their fourth loss in a row.

The Tigers shot 65% (33 of 51). Both teams shot 50% from the free-throw line.

Alabama State outscored Missouri in the final period, 38-33. Asjon Anderscon scored 23 for the Hornets, leading all players in scoring.

Up next

Missouri hosts Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 14.

Alabama State travels to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats on Dec. 17.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Alabama

Katie Windham Highlights Alabama Areas of Improvement on The Joe Gaither Show

Published

23 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Katie Windham Highlights Alabama Areas of Improvement on The Joe Gaither Show

Let’s crank up a Thursday edition of “The Joe Gaither Show on BamaCentral” with Mason Woods and Katie Windham as we start getting ready for next week’s College Football Playoff game between Alabama and Oklahoma. Windham detailed how the Crimson Tide can improve over the next few weeks, we discuss the team’s health and look back at our last road trip to Norman. The show then discusses the Heisman Trophy finalists before addressing a Kalen DeBoer coaching rumor.

The program opens by power ranking the holidays before discussing Windham’s three areas the Crimson Tide can improve over the next week. Our trio picks the easiest area the team can improve and how Alabama must perform in Norman. Windham details our last trip to Oklahoma as we go down memory lane to the Sooners’ 24-3 victory last season.

The show continues on by getting Windham’s thoughts on Alabama’a College Football Playoff selection and if the Crimson Tide actually deserved its place in the field. She brings up a unique aspect of Alabama’s blowout loss in the SEC Championship and how it played into the program’s inclusion in the College Football Playoffs.

We move from next week’s game into a small discussion on Notre Dame’s reaction of being left out of the field and how it relates to Alabama’s future home-and-home dates with the Fighting Irish. Will the two esteemed programs still face off in a few years?

The show heads into the only college football action of the weekend by highlighting the strong Heisman Trophy finalist field. Who brings home the bronze statue?

Lastly, we spend the final bit of the show talking about Michigan firing Sherrone Moore and the reports of the Wolverines considering persuing Kalen DeBeor for their next head coach. Will DeBoer leave Tuscaloosa for Ann Arbor?

We’re so appreciative of our sponsors who make the show possible. Check out Derek Daniel State Farm in Alabama for your insurance needs. We’re also proud to partner with Purple Turtle Roofing on the program. From your first call to the final nail, our mission is to make sure you feel confident, cared for, and covered, literally.

Call (205) 462-7340 Extension 800 to leave your thoughts in a voicemail, and you’ll be featured on the show. You can also join us live in the comment sections Monday through Friday at 8:15 a.m. CT.

The show can be seen on the BamaCentral YouTube channel. Keep up with each show on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Shows can also be heard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.

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Alabama

New Alabama law raises penalties for porch piracy

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

New Alabama law raises penalties for porch piracy

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – As holiday deliveries ramp up, a new Alabama law aims to deter package theft by raising penalties for so-called “porch piracy.” The law, which went into effect on October 1, 2025, makes repeated package theft a felony and can carry prison sentences of up to 10 years in the most serious cases.

What changed

Previously, many package thefts in Alabama were charged as misdemeanor theft because the value of individual stolen packages often fell below felony thresholds. Under the new law however, lawmakers established penalties that focus on the number of homes targeted rather than the dollar value of items stolen:

Stealing from 1 to 9 homes: most serious misdemeanor
Stealing from 10 to 29 homes: felony
Stealing from 30 or more homes: can result in up to 10 years in prison

The law also increases penalties if stolen packages are used to commit identity theft or fraud. In addition, anyone who knowingly receives packages stolen by a porch pirate can be charged under the new rules.

Lawmakers weigh in

Senator April Weaver, one of the bill’s sponsors, said the change was meant to protect Alabama families during the holidays.

“It was really important to protect the people not only in my district but throughout the state of Alabama and to make sure their hard-earned money is going to their children’s Christmas,” she said.

On camera, Senator Weaver added with holiday humor, “It means the Grinch may have stolen Christmas in Whoville, but if he does it in Alabama, he’ll have plenty of time in state prison for his heart to grow three sizes.”

What police recommend if your package is stolen

If you discover a stolen package, law enforcement recommends:

Report the theft to police immediately.
Preserve any doorbell or surveillance footage that may show the theft.
Contact the delivery company right away to report the missing item.
Consider requiring a signature on delivery to reduce the risk of theft.

The law went into effect on October 1, 2025; this December marks the first holiday season it is in effect. Alabama is now one of more than a dozen states that have passed laws specifically targeting package theft. Supporters say the law sends a stronger message that porch piracy will no longer be treated as a minor offense.

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