7. FIFA is on track for a record $15 billion in revenue from the 2026 World Cup, but New York and New Jersey are facing high hosting costs that could mean the economic win may be blunted, while the FBI Director Kash Patel highlighted partnerships that helped secure the event amid broader security concerns.

6. Huntsville ranked among the nation’s best cities for first-time homebuyers due to its affordable housing market, strong job growth, and good ol’ Southern family friendliness that makes it attractive for young buyers entering the market.

5. Federal funds are being given to a Birmingham charter school-aligned AIDS organization to provide free condoms targeted at transgender teens of color and gay Black men, drawing criticism over the use of taxpayer dollars for such programs.

4. Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed criticized legislative efforts to mandate police staffing numbers as an attempt to seize local control from cities, for some reason, arguing it undermines municipal authority over public safety decisions, which is true.

3. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) had already told a crowd in Montgomery that it was time to “pull up on the South” and now she has been accused of putting on a new accent during a Memphis rally where she argued similar things, with critics claiming she was “going full Kamala” in an apparent attempt to connect with the local audience.

2. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) is leading a push with 62 senators to pass a Russia sanctions bill honoring the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), as President Donald Trump calls for adding Iran to the sanctions package amid ongoing Middle East tensions.

1. The U.S. and Iran exchanged further strikes and retaliatory actions, with 4 new American casualties, IRGC operations, and ongoing conflict in the region as both sides continue military engagements with a new contingent demanding America leave the region.

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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.