7. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced a record $14.6 billion in capital investment for Alabama’s 2025 economic development, creating 9,388 jobs through 234 projects across biosciences, technology, automotive, and aerospace, including Eli Lilly’s $6 billion Huntsville facility, ArcelorMittal’s $1.2 billion Mobile plant, and Georgia Pacific’s $800 million Monroe County mill modernization.

6. Alabama Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth slammed the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s decision to split public and private school playoff competition as punitive and unfair, throttling competitiveness and abandoning sportsmanship for political reasons; while State Senator Donnie Chesteen (R-Geneva) paused his SB73 to overhaul the AHSAA, noting it is not dead, and aims to ensure voices are heard amid CHOOSE Act eligibility issues.

5. State Representative Joe Lovvorn (R-Auburn) is advocating continuing conversations on legalized gambling in Alabama, noting rampant existing casinos and illegal activities while missing revenue captured by neighboring states, urging a proper package to address the issue responsibly, which seems very unlikely to get done.

4. Power outages and slick roads are still being seen in parts of Alabama amid a major winter storm caused by frigid temperatures and disruptions that stretched into Monday; after nearly 10,000 U.S. flights were canceled as the storm affected 140 million people from New Mexico to New England.

3. President Donald Trump officially endorsed Governor-elect National Championship-winning Coach U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) for Alabama’s next governor, praising his Senate performance and loyalty, noting Tuberville’s campaign fundraising lead and potential rematch against Doug Jones, the cowardly caretaker former junior senator in an ill-fitting suit, who looks like he just woke up and stole his shoes from a homeless person and who will never be governor.

2. Border Patrol agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who was interfering in operations in Minneapolis, with videos showing the confrontation; protests continued, prompting National Guard deployment; Attorney General Pam Bondi urged Gov. Tim Walz to support ICE and repeal sanctuary policies; CEOs and sports teams signed an open letter for de-escalation.

1. Alabama Democrats are behaving like total morons in response to the chaos in Minnesota with Doug Jones, the cowardly caretaker former junior senator in an ill-fitting suit, who looks like he just woke up and stole his shoes from a homeless person and who will never be governor, claiming Trump would use National Guard and ICE to steal elections; U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) is condemning ICE killings and ironically claiming obstruction; Mayor Randall Woodfin demanded accountability for citizen deaths;  pretend candidates for Congress like Jeremy Devito are pretend raging, Andrew Sneed criticized ICE as war criminals; U.S. Senate candidate Kyle Sweetser called for moratorium on ICE activities; the Alabama Democratic Party accused ICE of fascism; and U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Montgomery) demanded justice calling the shooting unjustified.

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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.