Alabama
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.
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.”
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.
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.
In certain outposts throughout the South, it’s pronounced “progrum,” not program.
However you say it, the SEC footprint houses some of the most celebrated and iconic college football programs in all the land, complete with rabid fanbases that breathe college football all year. Games are played in towering cathedrals where the crowds partake in what’s almost a religious experience on fall Saturdays.
When evaluating the SEC’s programs, recent results should be considered, but rankings also should reflect historical success, traditions, blue-blood status and fan support.
Here’s how I rank the SEC’s programs, top to bottom:
Alabama football is more than a program, and it’s bigger than an international brand. It’s a way of life. The Script A represents tradition and excellence. Alabama fans are plugged in year-round to their favorite sport, and expectations rarely dip. Coaches who thrive in T-Town are immortalized in bronze. The GOAT conversation runs through Alabama. Is it Nick Saban or Bear Bryant? Either way, it’s an Alabama coach.
2. Oklahoma
The crimson and cream have blue blood. Among SEC schools, Oklahoma trails only Alabama for all-time winning percentage. Double-digit win seasons remain the standard, although the 2000 Sooners remain OU’s last national champion. Oklahoma ruled the 1950s under Bud Wilkinson, then ran back their dominance with Barry Switzer’s wishbone in the 1970s and 80s. Seven Heisman winners point to the program’s star power.
3. Texas
Texas’ deep war chest suits the NIL era, but don’t mistake the Longhorns for the nouveau riche. They’re a traditional power that emerged from an inexcusable, prolonged slumber in between Mack Brown and Steve Sarkisian. Texas enjoyed its heyday in the Southwest Conference under Darrell Royal, but the Longhorns also showed their horns during the Brown era. They belong among the heavy hitters.
The Bulldogs don’t crack the list of blue bloods, but Kirby Smart made them look like one. Georgia has seized a place of persistent power that was long considered possible, because of the school’s location within fertile recruiting terrain. Smart flawlessly implemented Saban’s recruit-and-develop blueprint. We’re witnessing Georgia’s glory days, decades after Herschel Walker and Vince Dooley supplied the previous peak in the early 1980s.
5. LSU
LSU is the only program to have three coaches win a national championship in this millennium. Lane Kiffin could become the fourth. Money poured in to fund his roster. LSU’s standards are such that Brian Kelly got fired after winning 71% of his games. In-state talent gravitates to LSU, but the Tigers also built a national brand, and a night game at Tiger Stadium is a college football mecca.
6. Tennessee
Few states can match Tennessee’s unrelenting vigor for college football. Gen. Robert Neyland put the Vols on the map and got his name on the stadium. Johnny Majors earned a place of adoration. Phillip Fulmer’s Vols flourished in the 1990s. Since Fulmer, Tennessee’s ravenous fans infrequently had a chance to say, “It feels like ’98.” For too long, it felt more like dysfunction, but Tennessee recaptured respectability under Josh Heupel.
Few individuals mean more to a program than what Steve Spurrier means to Florida. He revolutionized the Gators from an also-ran into one of the premier programs of the 1990s. The Head Ball Coach branded The Swamp and gave the Gators an identity. They became SEC championship game regulars. Urban Meyer injected more glory with two titles. Florida lacks the consistency and history of some higher-ranked programs, but its peaks are just as lofty.
These are dark days for Auburn. The Tigers endured five consecutive losing seasons, their bleakest period since the late 1940s. Auburn’s loyal fan base deserves better. Recent woes aside, this accomplished program achieved undefeated seasons under three coaches since the 1990s. From Pat Sullivan to Bo Jackson to Cam Newton, Auburn produced decorated stars. Now, it just needs to pull out of this funk.
Trivia question: When did Texas A&M last win a national championship? Answer: 1939. The Aggies possess the financial resources, fan support and recruiting location to be top shelf, but greatness stubbornly eludes them. R.C. Slocum’s Aggies ruled the Southwest Conference in the early 1990s. Is it time for a fresh set of glory days? Mike Elko’s early returns suggest it’s safe for the Aggies to dream of ascending to their potential.
10. Mississippi
Those old enough to witness Johnny Vaught remember Ole Miss as a powerhouse. Those who watched Archie Manning remember the Rebels with a superstar. Then, Kiffin and Trinidad Chambliss made it so everyone can remember Ole Miss as a playoff team with a premier quarterback. Kiffin treated the Rebels like they were small by leaving for LSU, but not before spawning an uprising that showed the school’s potential in the NIL era.
Arkansas piled up Southwest Conference hardware under Frank Broyles, along with an undefeated season. The conference crowns ceased after Arkansas left in 1991 for the SEC, where there’s been more famine than feast for the Hogs. Even in the SEC, the Razorbacks enjoyed a few highlight seasons, but those uprisings are fading into the rearview mirror. The Hogs need another Darren McFadden.
The Tigers tout seven seasons of double-digit-wins in the past 20 years. They transitioned to the SEC better than many expected. Gary Pinkel became the best thing to happen to Mizzou since Dan Devine. Eliah Drinkwitz has been a gift, too. Anyone who’s a millennial or older can remember the program’s highlight moments, even if they never resulted in a Big 12 or SEC title.
13. Mississippi State
Dan Mullen and Mike Leach did it well for Mississippi State, but Starkville remains one of the toughest SEC outposts to win big or to sustain success. Jackie Sherrill’s 74 wins are the most for any Mississippi State coach. He needed 13 seasons to reach that number. You can’t take the cowbells away from Mississippi State, nor its 15-12 record in bowl games.
14. South Carolina
Spurrier’s successful 11-year run at South Carolina ranks among the best program-building feats in modern history. He won 11 games three seasons in a row, and his teams finished ranked in the top 10 each year. The Gamecocks never won 11 games before Spurrier, and they’ve never hit double digits since he left. Aside from Spurrier’s tenure, the peaks are few and far between.
A program that employed Bear Bryant (and finished 11-1 under the Bear in 1950) can’t rank last on this list, so here we arrive at Kentucky. What can we say about the Wildcats? Well, they own a winning record against Vanderbilt, and they occasionally aren’t as bad as you’d expect a basketball school to be. Mark Stoops got them to a respectable level, but was unable to keep things afloat.
16. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt’s 10 wins last year register as its single-season record, so you could say the program’s never looked better. The less said, the better, about much of Vanderbilt’s history — unless you want to discuss the 1904 season. That year, Vanderbilt went 9-0 and outscored its competition 474-4. Glory days.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
ENTERPRISE, Ala. (WBMA) — The Enterprise Police Department announced Monday that a 40-day search of the Coffee County Landfill for the remains of 2-year-old Genesis Reid has concluded without locating her remains.
MORE COVERAGE
Search for remains of missing 2-year-old Enterprise girl starts first week of May
Mother of missing Alabama toddler charged with murder, accused of putting body in dumpster
Search Intensifies for Missing 2-Year-Old Girl in Enterprise; Mother Detained
During a news conference on July 13, the Enterprise Police Department said the search operation, which began May 7, involved federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies, forensic experts, volunteers and support personnel from across Alabama.
According to police, investigators developed evidence that led them to believe Genesis’ mother, Adrienne Reid, murdered Genesis on Christmas night 2025, removed her from an apartment and later disposed of her body. Police said Reid reported Genesis missing 53 days after her death, which investigators said affected the timeline of the investigation.
Authorities said the landfill search was based on evidence that led investigators to believe Genesis had been placed in a dumpster at the apartment complex. The search continued for 40 working days and included approximately 10 million pounds of landfill material, according to police.
Investigators said teams examined more than 20,000 non-human bones and inspected numerous bags and other materials during the operation. Officials said the search area was reviewed and cleared by experts before landfill operations concluded on July 10.
Police said the search did not locate Genesis’ remains but emphasized that the operation was conducted thoroughly based on the evidence available at the time.
“The landfill search answered one important question,” police said during the news conference. “It strongly indicates that Genesis was not located in the specific area of interest that would have been believed to be associated with landfill operations.”
The department said the investigation will continue, with the focus now shifting toward court proceedings and efforts to seek justice for Genesis.
Police also expressed appreciation to the agencies, volunteers, local organizations and community members who assisted with the search effort.
“Although our search has concluded, our commitment to Genesis has not,” police said. “We will continue to pursue justice, we will continue to seek the truth, and we will never forget this precious child.”
“After interviewing witnesses and processing the scene for physical evidence, initial investigation shows that the shooting may have been in self-defense during a possible robbery attempt,” he said. “Surveillance video from the business corroborates the witness statements. At this time no one has been charged, but the investigation is ongoing”
This is a developing story. Tuscaloosa Patch will have more information as it becomes available.
-
Miami, FL9 seconds agoGirl, 12, shot while sitting in parked car in northwest Miami-Dade, deputies say
-
Boston, MA6 minutes agoGBH Daily: Come sail away
-
Denver, CO12 minutes agoNew ice cream shop with a ‘waffle theater’ bets big on downtown Denver
-
Seattle, WA18 minutes agoSeattle weather: Sunny skies and warmer temperatures Tuesday
-
Milwaukee, WI30 minutes agoMilwaukee cooling centers, heat advisory tips; what to know
-
Atlanta, GA36 minutes agoWarnock, Dickens talk about new housing legislation
-
Indianapolis, IN48 minutes agoIndiana heat index to hit 100 as hot, dry pattern holds | July 14, 2026
-
Pittsburg, PA54 minutes agoAnother stretch of high temperatures in the 90s hitting the Pittsburgh area this week
