Three conservative states plan to carry out a rare triple execution Thursday involving men ages 42 to 70, two of whom are convicted of murdering women, and one is convicted of raping and murdering a 5-year-old girl.
For the first time in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-death-penalty-tennessee-alabama-oklahoma-062c601ee0ff9a5f6d7b79045a0cc6b5">over a decade</a>, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Tennessee plan to execute three men by lethal injection on the same day, including a 66-year-old convicted of murdering a motel maid, a 70-year-old guilty of shooting his girlfriend, and a 42-year-old who confessed to the brutal slaying of a young girl he paid her mother to abuse. 
The United States has not executed three men on the same day since January 7, 2010, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-death-penalty-tennessee-alabama-oklahoma-062c601ee0ff9a5f6d7b79045a0cc6b5">Associated Press</a>. 
In Alabama, Jeremy Williams, 42, is scheduled to die Thursday evening for the 2021 rape and murder of 5-year-old Kamarie Holland, whose disappearance sparked a desperate search-and-rescue effort, <a href="https://www.wtvm.com/2026/08/13/jeremy-williams-set-execution-murder-5-year-old-kamarie-holland/">according to WTVM</a>. 
Phone records determined that Williams and the child&#8217;s mother, Kristy Siple, conspired the night before the 5-year-old was reported missing on December 13, 2021. Siple sold her daughter to Williams for $2,500 in exchange for one hour of oral sex. Police found the child’s strangled body dumped outside an abandoned home. 
A jury found Williams guilty on all capital murder charges, and a judge sentenced him to death. Williams later waived his appeals, allowing Republican Governor Kay Ivey to move up his execution date. The child’s mother is serving 20 years in prison for human sex trafficking charges, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/08/06/alabama-execution-jeremy-williams-kamarie-holland/91191606007/">according to USA Today</a>. 
“This guy brought a tremendous amount of pain and hurt to several, several little girls, and he don’t deserve to breathe the air that you and I breathe,” Sheriff Heath Taylor told <a href="https://www.wjtv.com/news/regional-news/5-year-old-kamarie-holland-was-not-the-only-victim-brutalized-by-alabama-death-row-inmate-jeremy-williams/">WJTV</a>. “And that’s just the way I feel.”
In Tennessee, Anthony Darrell Hines, 66, was scheduled to be executed at 10 a.m. local time Thursday at a maximum-security prison in Nashville for the 1985 murder of motel maid Catherine Jean Jenkins, according to local outlet WZTV. A jury convicted Hines of first-degree felony murder after Jenkins was found naked, wrapped in a sheet, inside a motel room. Hines stabbed Jenkins multiple times in the chest and other areas of the body. 
Earlier this week, Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee refused to intervene to stop the execution.  
“After deliberate consideration of Anthony Darrell Hines’ request for clemency, and after a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and do not plan to intervene,” he <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/tennessee-governor-bill-lee-declines-clemency-darrell-hines-execution-august-13-tony-carruthers-physician-lethal-injection">said</a>. 
In Oklahoma, Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, is set to die by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-nitrogen-methods-lethal-52d43ab3f7da0e4c05144328be656854">lethal injection</a> at the state’s penitentiary for killing his longtime girlfriend more than 20 years ago. Rodriguez shot Olimpia Fisher in the eye in 2003 at the couple’s Oklahoma City home in what police described as a “gruesome and chaotic” scene, <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-carlos-cuesta-rodriguez-execution/73423160">according to KOCO.</a> 
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-1 in July against clemency, which Cuesta-Rodriguez told members he did not want.
&#8220;Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez violently assaulted and murdered an innocent mother,&#8221; Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a statement to <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-carlos-cuesta-rodriguez-execution/73423160">KOCO</a>. &#8220;Olimpia’s family has endured heartbreak for 23 years. Justice will be served when the death penalty is carried out.&#8221;
In July, Florida became the first state in nearly a decade to conduct two executions in a single day as Republican Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration continues to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/red-state-set-to-carry-out-rare-double-executions-on-same-day">move on death penalty</a> cases at an unprecedented rate.
In April, President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice directed the Bureau of Prisons to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-commuted-death-sentences-trumps-doj-is-bringing-back-the-firing-squad?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Biden+Commuted+Death+Sentences.+Trump%E2%80%99s+DOJ+Is+Bringing+Back+The+Firing+Squad.">bring back the firing squad and lethal injection</a> for federal executions.

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Red States Set To Carry Out Rare Same-Day Triple Execution

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A routine baggage screening at an Alabama airport turned into an unexpected Civil War mystery after TSA officers discovered five stolen cannonballs hidden inside a passenger&#8217;s luggage. 
Lead TSA Officer Justin Dupree spotted a large opaque object while reviewing X-ray images at Gulf Shores International Airport on July 18. At first, he thought it looked like a medicine ball. Instead, he found five cannonballs wrapped in paper towels, with the largest being the size of a grapefruit.  
“My first thought was, ‘I couldn’t see a fuse and need to get some help quick,’” Dupree <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/about/employee-stories/cannonball-run-indiana-jones-esque-discovery-tsa-alabama-airport">said</a>. “I couldn’t see the entire item but was scared I might have been holding a live explosive.”
“I had never seen anything quite this unique,” he added. “I’ve seen inert grenades and training munitions but never an Indiana Jones-esque stolen artifact-type situation.”
Dupree alerted a supervisor, who contacted the TSA&#8217;s regional explosives specialist. The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office also responded to determine whether a bomb squad would be needed.
Authorities determined the roughly 150-year-old cannonballs were inert, meaning they posed no explosive threat. Even so, artillery ammunition is prohibited in luggage. 
Investigators identified the cannonballs as artifacts stolen from nearby Fort Morgan after recognizing paint markings the historic Civil War site uses to catalog its collection. 
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/travel/tsa-officer-sees-alarming-shapes-x-ray-before-stolen-civil-war-mystery-unravels">told</a> Fox News that a juvenile stole them from the fort’s storage area and put them in his grandmother’s luggage. Fort Morgan&#8217;s director declined to press charges, and the artifacts have since been returned. 
“I am very proud of the great catch and teamwork by Officers Dupree and Cash and TSA Alabama along with our tremendous partnership with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Shores Police Department,” TSA Alabama Federal Security Director Tara Corse said. 
“Even if inert and not active, travelers should avoid bringing weapons of any kind, including replicas, to the airport. They can cause security alerts, flight delays and safety concerns.”

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A Routine TSA Bag Check Turned Into An ‘Indiana Jones’ Mystery

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Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday afternoon, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, storm surge, and the threat of isolated tornadoes to parts of the Gulf Coast.
The storm came ashore around 2 p.m. CDT near the Biloxi Wildlife Management Area in St. Bernard Parish with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. Coastal flooding from storm surge was already being reported as Tropical Storm Warnings remained in effect for the New Orleans metropolitan area and the Lake Pontchartrain region.
Forecasters warned residents across southeastern Louisiana and portions of coastal Mississippi to expect sustained tropical-storm-force winds, heavy rainfall, and the potential for isolated tornadoes through Thursday. 
Farther east, Bertha also generated dangerous surf and rip current conditions along Alabama&#8217;s Gulf Coast. AccuWeather reported double red flags at Orange Beach, warning beachgoers of life-threatening surf and rip currents. Waves were expected to build between 9 and 11 feet, and swimmers who ignored the warnings could face fines or arrest. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Tropical Storm Bertha brought high surf, storm surge, and coastal flooding advisories to Alabama&#8217;s Gulf Coast on Tuesday evening, creating hazardous conditions along the shoreline. <a href="https://t.co/GsE51kqB3v">pic.twitter.com/GsE51kqB3v</a>
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) <a href="https://x.com/accuweather/status/2079967990276337976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The storm also caused <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/live-news/tropical-storm-bertha-live-updates-landfall-ocurrs-in-st-bernard-parish-louisiana/1913848?utm_source=chatgpt.com">significant beach erosion</a> in Alabama. At least six vehicles were submerged at the western end of Dauphin Island, while flooding forced officials to close portions of Dauphin Island Parkway near Dog River and restrict access to the eastbound I-10 Bayway ramp.  
Bertha is the second named storm in the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, following <a href="https://wlos.com/news/local/tropical-storm-arthur-forms-texas-coast-first-named-storm-2026-atlantic-season-national-hurricane-center-forecast-weather-rain-thunderstorms-flooding-rainfall-noaa-outlook">Tropical Storm Arthur</a> in June. 
Forecasters said Bertha remains somewhat disorganized as strong upper-level winds continue to disrupt the storm&#8217;s structure. Despite that, the system is expected to produce hazardous conditions across portions of the Gulf Coast. 
The greatest threats remain damaging wind gusts, creating rough surf conditions, flooding and storm surge. ” Florida&#8217;s Panama City Beach experienced wind gusts up to 42 mph on Tuesday, while portions of Florida&#8217;s Panhandle experienced gusts as high as 50 mph. 
Forecasters also warned that a storm surge of up to three feet is possible along parts of the immediate Gulf Coast, per Yale Climate Connections.

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Tropical Storm Bertha Makes Landfall, Bringing Flood, Wind Threats

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Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum was arrested last week in Alabama on multiple drug charges, marking the latest legal setback for the one-time Democratic rising star whose political career has unraveled since narrowly losing the 2018 governor&#8217;s race to Republican Ron DeSantis.
Gillum, 46, was booked Thursday in Baldwin County, Alabama, on charges of possession of dangerous drugs, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to jail records. He was later released after posting a combined $6,500 bond. Authorities have not disclosed what led to the arrest or identified the drugs involved.
The arrest comes eight years after Gillum appeared poised to become one of the Democratic Party&#8217;s brightest national figures. After upsetting the Democratic establishment to win the party&#8217;s gubernatorial nomination in 2018, the then-Tallahassee mayor lost to DeSantis by roughly 30,000 votes in one of the closest statewide races in Florida history.
Instead of becoming the face of a Democratic resurgence in Florida, Gillum&#8217;s post-election years have been dominated by personal scandals, ethics investigations, and criminal proceedings.
In <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article249009610.html">2020</a>, Miami Beach police found Gillum intoxicated inside a South Beach hotel room with a male escort after emergency responders were called over concerns that another man had overdosed. Officers recovered suspected methamphetamine and prescription pill bottles from the room, though prosecutors ultimately declined to file charges because they could not establish ownership of the drugs.
Gillum later entered rehabilitation, saying he had developed an alcohol dependency after his election defeat.
&#8220;This has been a wake-up call for me,&#8221; Gillum said at the time. &#8220;Since my race for governor ended, I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse.&#8221;
Gillum&#8217;s legal troubles continued in 2022, when federal prosecutors <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/former-tallahassee-mayor-and-gubernatorial-candidate-and-associate-charged-conspiracy">accused</a> him of conspiracy, wire fraud, and making false statements as part of an alleged campaign finance scheme. While a jury acquitted him on one count in 2023, the remaining charges ended in a mistrial. Separately, the Florida Commission on Ethics found probable cause that Gillum violated state ethics laws by accepting gifts from undercover FBI agents posing as developers. He later agreed to pay a $5,000 civil fine to resolve most of the allegations.
Under Alabama law, possession of dangerous drugs is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $7,500 fine. The marijuana and drug paraphernalia charges are misdemeanors that can each carry up to one year in jail if convicted.

AfroTech Conference 2025

Former Dem Golden Boy Arrested Again Just Three Years After He Was Let Off The Hook

Andrew Gillum

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Police

This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
It’s 1975. The United States is coming off the Vietnam War, which involved a heavily opposed military draft, mass casualties, and major economic distress. Watergate had just fractured the trust between the public and government. Americans needed something to believe in, something to celebrate. And a resurgence of patriotism spread across a small, secluded town in Alabama, thanks to a group of fourth graders.
Susan Holdridge was a 33-year-old teacher at Laurel Elementary School in Alexander City, Alabama. Like many teachers at the start of their career, she was eager, she was energetic, and she assigned tasks that went beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic.
The bicentennial was still more than a year away, but preparations and excitement were already building. America was getting ready to turn 200! To honor the country’s milestone, Mrs. Holdridge tasked the nine- and 10-year-olds with writing poems about America. Then a “song committee” turned the words of the poem into a song, “My Grand American Home.”
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It came together on a single sheet of paper in cursive writing. Stanza by stanza the students put the poems together like a puzzle. It seemed to come together smoothly with barely any notes in the margins.
“I do remember telling them about the White Cliffs of Dover because we needed a place name that rhymed with over for the first verse, but everything else came directly from the students,” Mrs. Holdridge told The Daily Wire.
The chorus reads: 
“I love America so 
I will never never go 
It&#8217;s a grand old place 
You can tell by my face 
I love America so.”
The assignment that was meant to sharpen her class’s literacy skills turned out to be a pretty impressive song in Mrs. Holdridge&#8217;s eyes, but the teacher wasn’t the only one pleased with the students&#8217; work.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1123165" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1123165" class="size-large wp-image-1123165" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-38-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-38-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-38-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-38-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-38.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Cindy Blake</div>
A few adults were called on to put the lyrics to music, and a local church agreed to provide a piano and choir loft. Just like that, “My Grand American Home” was recorded on a cassette tape.
“I still remember all these years later hearing our song on the local radio station in 1976 and thinking we were famous,” Cindy Blake, one of the fourth graders, told The Daily Wire.
But the story doesn’t end there.
As the classmates recall, the bicentennial celebration of the country was a proud time for Americans. Streets were decorated, flags flew high in the sky, and it seemed everyone wanted to celebrate the greatest country in the land. The buildup for America’s 200th birthday was years in the making, so the fourth graders had plenty of time to perform “My Grand American Home.”
It’s a shame no one really knows exactly how the next parts of the song’s journey came to be. As Mrs. Holdridge put it, word travels fast in a small town. In any case, all that mattered was that this patriotic project made its way down to Alabama’s capital city, Montgomery, and onto Governor George Wallace’s desk.
“As Governor of Alabama, I commend you for your recording of &#8216;My Grand American Home,&#8217;” Wallace sent via telegraph. “I think you are great for undertaking this project and congratulate you on your success.”
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1123175" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1123175" class="size-large wp-image-1123175" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-39-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-39-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-39-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-39-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Untitled-design-39.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Cindy Blake</div>
That was a token of appreciation the fourth graders would hold onto throughout their lives. The lifelong friends still often broke out in the song every time they would hang out. I know all this because my mom, Cindy Blake, is in this group of fourth graders, and she has made it her mission to give the song new life in 2026.
My mom’s best friend, David McGhee, held on to the scrapbook of memories Mrs. Holdridge made, including the telegraph from Governor Wallace, the lyrics, the printed music, and a copyright certificate at his furniture store in town.
“He got the word out to our classmates that he had it and we could drop by and see the treasure,” Blake said.
Unfortunately, McGhee died during the COVID-19 pandemic and his furniture store burned down shortly after, destroying the scrapbook of “My Grand American Home.”
That was another reason my mom wanted so badly to give this song new life.
A few phone calls were made and Facebook messages were sent, and 23 of the original group of fourth graders were around to rerecord with their teacher, 84-year-old Mrs. Holdridge, whose idea started it all.
“We gathered at First Baptist Church, on June 14, 2026, on the same stage we made the original recording by pressing the record button on a cassette player, but on this day, we pressed record on our iPhone,” Blake said. “We practiced once and were ready to go. Our voices filled the church sanctuary. There was more pride the second time.”
“Meeting back at the same church to rerecord was absolutely amazing,” Holdridge said. “Seeing my fourth-grade students from 50 years ago was so special. They were wonderful students then and are wonderful adults now. I loved them then and I love them now. Many good memories brought tears to my eyes.”
The simple song evokes American pride and reminds the group, now in their 60s, how important it is to share that feeling with the younger folks.
“What I love about America? I can freely choose who and what I want to be without limitations,” Nancy Patrick Holley told The Daily Wire. “I am free to choose the life I want to live, most of all, I can walk in my beliefs and my faith.”
The group didn’t wear their matching white shirts and red bandanas like they did in 1975, instead opting for a more personalized patriotic look. The First Baptist Church sanctuary didn’t have the same maroon carpet on the stage or pews; it’s more modern now with new floors and paint. But the feeling the class felt decades ago was the same.
“For a few minutes, we weren’t retirees, grandparents, or professionals — we were Mrs. Holdridge’s fourth graders again,” Karen Carr said.
“This time when we sang, we put the politics and opposing views, which surround us every day, aside and sang about &#8216;Our Grand American Home&#8217; with deep pride,” Blake said.
Same lyrics, remastered and renewed all for America’s 250th birthday. The class of 1983 knows that with technology, more people can hear the words that still bring them so much joy.
“We love our country even when we&#8217;re sad. 
We don&#8217;t give up when the going gets bad. 
No place on Earth is like the place of my birth. 
My Grand American Home.”
“Of course, I would love for us to perform it for the president and celebrate our 250th birthday in a grand way,” Sharon Blair said. &#8220;I know that will not happen, but it is an endearing story of a class that always comes together and loves each other!”
“We would even love to share the song with the president, at the White House,” Blake added. “I can envision my teacher, Mrs. Holdridge; my classmates; and I surrounding the president sitting at his desk in the Oval Office while he signs a proclamation declaring &#8216;My Grand American Home&#8217; a national treasure,” Blake added.
(Look, my mom shoots for the moon, okay?)
That American dream aside, what the class really wants to come from the rerecording is for today’s generation to know that with a little creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, learning is fun and lasts a lifetime. And, of course, the class wants this song to encourage others to love their country too!
“If this project inspires others to value their school memories, reconnect with old friends, or appreciate the educators who influenced them,&#8221; Carr said, &#8220;then it will have accomplished something meaningful.”

Credit: Cindy Blake

It Started As Homework. Fifty Years Later, They’re Still Singing It.

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday handed Alabama Republicans a significant victory in the state&#8217;s ongoing battle over congressional redistricting, allowing Alabama to use a map that eliminates one of its two majority-minority congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
In a 6-3 emergency order, the Court granted Alabama&#8217;s request to implement the map adopted by the Republican-controlled legislature in 2023, reversing a lower court ruling that had blocked its use. The decision clears the way for Alabama to conduct this year&#8217;s elections under a map more favorable to Republicans and puts Rep. Shomari Figures&#8217; (D-AL) seat in jeopardy for Democrats.
The ruling marks the latest development in a years-long legal fight over Alabama&#8217;s congressional boundaries and comes just months after the Supreme Court issued a separate decision involving Louisiana that narrowed the scope of challenges brought under the Voting Rights Act.
The unsigned majority opinion suggested Alabama is likely to prevail in the broader litigation and criticized the lower court for intervening so close to the election calendar.
&#8220;Here, the District Court interposed itself into Alabama&#8217;s ongoing efforts to conduct its imminent 2026 congressional elections under maps that its elected representatives selected,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-allows-alabama-congress-map-eliminate-black-district-rcna346920" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Court wrote</a>.
The decision drew a sharp dissent from Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who was joined by fellow liberal Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
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WATCH FROM TODAY&#8217;S EPISODE OF MORNING WIRE:
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Sotomayor argued that the Court was permitting elections to proceed under a map that lower courts had determined intentionally discriminated against black voters. She accused the majority of creating election-year chaos and rewarding Alabama for repeatedly resisting court orders.
The <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/05/alabama-urges-supreme-court-to-allow-for-use-of-congressional-map-struck-by-lower-court-as-racia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dispute</a> traces back to Alabama&#8217;s original post-2020 Census congressional map, which contained only one majority-black district despite black residents making up roughly a quarter of the state&#8217;s population.
In 2023, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision finding that the map likely violated the Voting Rights Act and required Alabama to create an additional district in which black voters could elect their preferred candidate. That court-drawn district helped elect Figures, a Democrat, in 2024.
Following the Supreme Court&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-rules-on-key-district-case-with-ripple-effects-nationwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Louisiana ruling</a> in April, Alabama Republicans argued that states should receive greater deference when drawing districts based on political rather than racial considerations. State officials subsequently moved to revive the legislature&#8217;s preferred map, triggering the latest round of litigation.
The ruling carries implications beyond Alabama.
With Republicans holding only a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, both parties have increasingly turned to mid-decade redistricting as they prepare for the 2026 midterms. The Alabama decision gives Republicans an opportunity to reclaim a seat currently held by Democrats and may encourage similar redistricting efforts in other Southern states.
The case also represents another chapter in the Supreme Court&#8217;s ongoing effort to redefine the relationship between race and redistricting. For decades, courts have grappled with competing demands from one side of the aisle that states avoid diluting minority voting power, while the other demanded avoiding unconstitutional race-based districting.
Tuesday&#8217;s ruling signals that the Court&#8217;s conservative majority remains willing to give states greater latitude when pursuing political objectives through redistricting, even when those decisions affect minority representation.
Alabama&#8217;s congressional primaries are scheduled for August 11.

Supreme Court Releases Opinions

Supreme Court Hands Alabama Republicans Major Redistricting Victory

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Divers in Mobile, Alabama, stumbled upon an improvised explosive device earlier this week that had been placed underwater at a dam in what authorities are calling an &#8220;unprecedented threat&#8221; to the city&#8217;s drinking water.
A diving team that was surveying the J.B. Converse Reservoir dam for routine maintenance on Tuesday found a grenade-like IED, <a href="https://www.fox10tv.com/2026/05/13/explosive-device-found-detonated-mobile-water-reservoir/">according</a> to Mobile&#8217;s Fox 10 News. The divers immediately notified authorities, sparking a multi-agency response that included the FBI Bomb Squad. The IED was safely removed from the reservoir and detonated. The reservoir, which <a href="https://www.mawss.com/learning-center/protecting-our-water/">holds</a> around 17 billion gallons of water, is federally designated as critical infrastructure.
“This is an unprecedented threat, and we are fortunate that this device was discovered before it could cause serious damage to our water supply or harm to individuals,&#8221; said Bud McCrory, the director of the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System. &#8220;We are grateful for the professionalism and competency of our law enforcement partners — as well as the quick thinking of our contractors and divers — in identifying this device and safely destroying it.&#8221;
“Our top priority is keeping your drinking water safe,” McCrory added.
The response also included officers from the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Mobile Police Department Explosive Ordinance Detail, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Bomb Squad, and the Daphne, Alabama, Search and Rescue Team.
Local officials notified the Department of Homeland Security after the explosive was discovered. Authorities have not identified a suspect as of Thursday morning.
The Mobile Area Water and Sewer System said it plans to <a href="https://www.wkrg.com/news/explosive-device-found-at-big-creek-lake-detonated/">increase</a> security around the dam following the troubling find. The reservoir, built in 1952, is protected from surrounding developments by 9,000 acres of land.

J.B. Converse Reservoir Dam in Mobile County

Drinking Water For Thousands Threatened After Disturbing Discovery Underwater

Drinking Water

explosives

WASHINGTON, May 11 (Reuters) &#8211; The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way on Monday for Alabama Republicans to pursue a congressional voting map more favorable to the GOP ahead of November&#8217;s midterm elections, the latest fallout from the court&#8217;s seismic voting rights ruling.
The justices lifted a lower court&#8217;s decision that had blocked state Republicans&#8217; preferred map as racially discriminatory and for illegally diluting the voting power of black Alabamians.
Federal courts had previously ruled Alabama&#8217;s map likely violated the Voting Rights Act by failing to create a second majority-black district in the state.
The Supreme Court said the lower courts must reconsider previous rulings in light of the high court&#8217;s recent decision in the Voting Rights Act case, Louisiana v. Callais, which struck down a majority-black district in that state as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The ruling limited how race can be used in drawing congressional districts under the Voting Rights Act. President Donald Trump called on states to redraw maps after that decision.
Alabama is expected to revert to a map passed in 2023, which would reduce the number of districts where black voters comprise a majority or near-majority from two to one of the state&#8217;s seven U.S. House districts.
<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-clears-path-alabama-redraw-congressional-map/">According</a> to CBS News, the ruling &#8220;appears to be 6 to 3.&#8221; Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by fellow liberal Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, broke with the majority in a written dissent, arguing the lower court&#8217;s conclusion that Alabama deliberately discriminated against black voters should remain in place. Sotomayor was the only justice to disclose their vote publicly, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5873190-supreme-court-alabama-redistricting/">reported</a>.
The ruling could reshape control of the U.S. House by allowing states to redraw maps to reduce minority-opportunity districts.
Alabama is one of several red Southern states attempting to redraw its congressional map before the November midterms.
Tennessee lawmakers approved a congressional map expected to hand Republicans control of all nine of the Volunteer State&#8217;s congressional districts. The map, signed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, spreads out the heavily Democratic population centers in Memphis and Nashville across multiple Republican-favorable districts and is likely to eliminate the state&#8217;s lone Democratic seat, currently held by Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis.
In Florida, Republicans led by Gov. Ron DeSantis passed new congressional district boundaries projected to give the GOP four additional House seats.
Lawmakers in Louisiana, South Carolina, and Mississippi are also reviewing potential redistricting plans that could further shift seats to Republicans.
Before the Supreme Court decision last week, Alabama had been required to maintain one majority-black district and a second with a near-majority black population under an interpretation of the Voting Rights Act that has now been ruled an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. After the ruling, Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican, <a href="https://www.alabamaag.gov/attorney-general-marshall-applauds-momentous-supreme-court-redistricting-decision/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the state would move quickly to ensure its maps “reflect the will of the people, not a racial quota system the Constitution forbids.”
“The Court rightly acknowledged that the South has made extraordinary progress, and that laws designed for a different era do not reflect the present reality,” Marshall stated.
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Rally over voting rights and redistricting outside the state capitol in Montgomery

Supreme Court Move Puts Alabama Redistricting Back In Play

Voting Rights Act

Alabama Attorney General Stephen Marshall is leading a coalition of 20 states demanding the American Medical Association halt its support of hormonal therapies as treatment for gender dysphoria in children, after the organization withdrew support for child sex-rejecting surgeries.
“We thus find it concerning that the AMA continues to support the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to treat gender dysphoria in minors,” the attorneys general wrote in a letter to AMA President John Whyte. “The quality of evidence is the same as it is for surgeries: low and very-low quality.”
&#8220;The American Medical Association has finally admitted what many have warned for years: its recommendations for surgeries on children were not grounded in solid evidence, despite telling doctors and families otherwise,” Attorney General Marshall told The Daily Wire. “Yet the same weak science underpins puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. You cannot dismiss one intervention as unsupported while continuing to push the rest. When children&#8217;s lives and futures are at stake, anything less than full scientific honesty is reckless. The AMA must follow the science completely, not selectively.&#8221; 

Marshall warned the AMA’s inconsistencies could be misleading the public and violate Alabama’s consumer protection laws, which state it is unlawful for an organization to represent that “goods or services” have “uses, benefits, or qualities that they do not have,” according to the letter. 
“We remain concerned that providers, patients, and their families in our States are being confused or misled by the AMA regarding the safety and efficacy of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to treat gender dysphoria in minors,” the letter says.
To avoid a “formal investigation” Marshall asked the AMA to answer a series of questions meant to clarify its position on the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones as treatment for pediatric gender dysphoria, within 30 days.  
“While we hope to avoid a formal investigation under our consumer protection laws, we do have concerns that the AMA may be violating those laws,” the letter says.
The AMA recently told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/health/gender-surgery-minors-ama.html">New York Times</a> and other news <a href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/patient-safety-outcomes/ama-alters-position-on-gender-affirming-surgeries-for-minors/">outlets</a> that “surgical interventions in minors should be generally deferred to adulthood” due to the absence of “clear evidence&#8221; supporting their use. 
“If you agree that there is insufficient evidence to support using surgical interventions to treat gender dysphoria in minors — as your recent statement indicates — we do not understand how you can find that there is sufficient evidence to support using hormonal interventions to treat gender dysphoria in minors,” Marshall writes in the letter.  
“These interventions have not been shown to be any safer for children than sex-change surgeries are, and in fact may be all the more dangerous precisely because they are viewed as not as serious. But hormones can leave a child sterilized just as surely as surgery can,” the letter states. 
The AMA’s turnabout came shortly after the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) published a February 3 <a href="https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/health-policy/positions/2026-gender-surgery-children-adolescents.pdf">position statement</a> recommending “surgeons delay gender-related breast/chest, genital, and facial surgery until a patient is at least 19 years old,” after reviewing available evidence. The ASPS also pointed out in the statement there is &#8220;substantial uncertainty” of the “long-term benefits and harms” of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. 
Marshall successfully <a href="https://www.alabamaag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025.5.1-Attorney-General-Steve-Marshall-Announces-Victory-in-Defense-of-Alabamas-Law-Prohibiting-Sex-Change-Procedures-for-Minors.pdf">defended</a> Alabama’s law banning sex-rejecting procedures for minors during Boe v. Marshall and through litigation discovered hundreds of pages of documents revealing the political forces informing transgender medicine. This included emails showing former Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Richard “Rachel” Levine <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admins-rachel-levine-met-with-wpath-as-he-pushed-for-removal-of-trans-surgery-age-restrictions?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Biden+Admin%E2%80%99s+Rachel+Levine+Met+With+WPATH+As+He+Pushed+For+Removal+Of+Trans+Surgery+Age+Restrictions">controversially</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trans-identifying-biden-official-allegedly-behind-push-to-ditch-age-guidelines-for-transgender-procedures-docs-show?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trans-Identifying+Biden+Official+Allegedly+Behind+Push+To+Ditch+Age+Guidelines+For+Transgender+Procedures%3A+Docs+Show">pressured</a> the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) into removing gender surgery age minimums from its clinical guidance, called the Standards of Care Version 8.
WPATH’s clinical guideline, which recommends children receive puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries, has been discredited and heavily criticized for lacking scientific rigor.
A 2025 <a href="https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/gender-dysphoria-report.pdf">report</a> from the Department of Health and Human Services on the treatment of pediatric gender dysphoria said the WPATH guidelines were “rated among the lowest in quality” and “have not been recommended for implementation by systematic reviews (SRs) of guidelines.” 
“Despite their lack of trustworthiness, for more than a decade WPATH guidelines have served as the foundation of the healthcare infrastructure for gender dysphoric (GD) youth in the United States,” states the report. 
Marshall views the AMA’s recognition of a lack of evidence to support child sex-change surgeries as a “tacit acknowledgement” that WPATH’s standards are not &#8220;evidence-based,” according to the letter. 
The letter asks the AMA if it views the WPATH guidelines as “evidence-based, reliable, and consistent with the best practices of evidence- based medicine.”
The letter was signed by attorneys general from Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.
“We know that we share a common goal in wanting to protect patients and their families and ensure that they receive trustworthy information about their medical care,” the letter reads.
The AMA did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.

Transgender Rights Advocates Rally Against The Supreme Court’s Ban On Gender-Affirming Youth Care

Medical Giant Retreats On Trans Kid Surgeries — But Stops Short Of Full Reversal

American Medical Association

gender ideology

Transgender

A packed and emotionally charged zoning board meeting this week in Hoover, Alabama, ended with <a href="https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2025/12/heated-alabama-zoning-meeting-ends-with-rejection-of-islamic-school-plan.html?outputType=amp">unanimous rejection</a> of a proposal to relocate a Muslim K-12 school.
The Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission <a href="https://hooversun.com/news/hoover-zoning-board-votes-against-islamic-academy-in-meadow-/">voted</a> 7-0 to deny rezoning the property on Corporate Drive from office use to accommodate the Islamic Academy of Alabama, citing concerns about traffic congestion, adherence to long-term city development plans, and the precedent such a zoning change might set. The meeting drew nearly 200 residents, filling the city council chamber and spilling into hallways as opponents voiced their objections — some focused on practical issues, others on cultural unease.
The potential move has sparked both practical and cultural debate in the community.
Several residents insisted their opposition stemmed from concern over already clogged roads. Meadowbrook resident Nancy Cooper pointed out that six schools serving more than 5,600 students already feed traffic into Highway 119, often turning it into what she called “a parking lot.” A petition opposing the plan gathered over 1,700 signatures. “It’s not about religion,” said resident Jeff Wilson, who started the petition. “It’s about traffic.”
Some attendees held signs warning of an Islamic “100-year plan” and comparing Hoover’s future to the Muslim-majority city of Dearborn, Michigan. Others openly suggested the school’s presence would drive away business or hurt property values.
The last speaker read a prepared statement in which she said Muslims had implemented a “long-term cultural takeover” in Britain, drawing applause. Commission Chairman Mike Wood interrupted to say that what she was saying was not germane to the discussion, saying, “We are here to look at whether this school was appropriately placed. We’re not here for that. I’m sorry. We’re not going to listen to that.” Some members of the crowd yelled in response, coming to the woman’s defense.
Though Monday’s vote is only advisory, it sends the proposal to the Hoover City Council, where a final decision will be made.

COLLEGE BASEBALL: MAY 23 SEC Baseball Championship Quarterfinals – Mississippi vs Arkansas

Alabama Town Blocks Islamic Academy From Expanding

Islam

Muslim

Former Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones is jumping into the state’s governor’s race, teeing up a rematch between him and Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville. The two first faced off in the 2020 U.S. Senate race, where Tuberville defeated Jones.
Jones was narrowly elected to the Senate in a 2017 special election against Republican Roy Moore, who was facing sexual misconduct accusations during his campaign. But three years later, he lost to Tuberville, who garnered more than 60% of the vote, compared to Jones&#8217;s 39.74% support. In 2022, Jones was the “sherpa” for Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson during her Senate confirmation, according to POLITICO, meaning he guided her through it.
“So I’ve made it official folks: I’ve filed the paperwork to run for Governor of Alabama. It’s time to remind this state of who we are and what we can accomplish together,” Jones, a Clinton-era former federal prosecutor, posted to X on Monday. The Democrat spent more than $32 million compared to Tuberville&#8217;s $8 million in the 2020 race, according to <a href="https://x.com/OpenSecretsDC/status/1993355855446647267?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OpenSecrets</a>.
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Tuberville, the former Auburn University head football coach, announced in May that he would seek to become the next occupant of the Yellowhammer State’s Governor’s Mansion.
“Last time Doug Jones ran against Coach Tuberville, it didn’t go well for Doug,” Mallory Blount Jaspers, Tuberville’s communications director, posted to X.
“Coach has spent the past six months building coalitions across the state, securing endorsements from every key player in Alabama politics, and shattering fundraising records,” she added. “This race is already over — but if Comrade Doug wants to get blown out again, be our guest.”
The last Democratic governor of Alabama was Don Siegelman, who served from 1999 to 2003. If Jones were elected, he would presumably face hefty Republican majorities in both chambers of the Alabama Legislature. Thirty-six states will hold gubernatorial races next year, including highly competitive races in Arizona and Nevada.

Gemini_Generated_Image_qdjwd5qdjwd5qdjw

Tuberville Vs. Jones Again: Alabama Governor’s Race Becomes 2020 Senate Rematch

2026 election

Doug Jones

Elections

Tommy Tuberville

The University of Alabama at Birmingham football team took the field Saturday afternoon for the final home game of the season despite two players having been stabbed by their teammate earlier that morning at their Football Operations Building.
&#8220;We’re grateful to report that two players injured in an incident this morning at the Football Operations Building are in stable condition. Our thoughts are with them and their families as they recover. The suspect – another player – remains in custody, and an investigation is taking place,&#8221; a UAB spokesperson told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;The team elected to play today’s game. UAB’s top priority remains the safety and well-being of all of our students. Given patient privacy and the ongoing investigation, we have no further comment at this time.”
According to Jefferson County Jail records, Daniel Mincey is in custody with no bond on charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault. According to the jail records, UAB campus police arrested Mincey Saturday just before 1:00 p.m. local time.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1004643" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/mincey-240x300.jpeg" alt="" width="240" height="300" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/mincey-240x300.jpeg 240w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/mincey-461x576.jpeg 461w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/mincey-768x960.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/mincey.jpeg 800w" sizes=" (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" /></div>
UAB hasn&#8217;t named Mincey as the player involved in the stabbing, nor has the university said whether Mincey is still on the team as of Sunday morning. Mincey is the only UAB football player listed on the jail roster.
Per the UAB football website, Mincey is listed as a redshirt freshman offensive lineman in his first year with the Blazers football program. The Florida native transferred to UAB after one season at the University of Kentucky.
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UAB Athletic Director Mark Ingram hasn&#8217;t addressed the incident that happened at the football facility on Saturday. Instead, UAB&#8217;s interim football coach Alex Mortensen spoke to the media after the 48-18 loss to South Florida.
“I’m going to start with a statement,” Mortensen said. “Before we talk about the game, I do want to address what happened this morning. As you’ve heard, we have one player who is in police custody and two players who are in stable condition after sustaining injuries. More than anything, I’m grateful that those two players are in stable condition. And we will make sure that they have the support that they need. I hope you will join me in lifting them and their families in your thoughts and prayers, as our team is doing right now, too. I also ask that you will please respect their privacy as they deal with what happened.”
Mortensen, who took over the program after UAB fired head coach Trent Dilfer, said the team decided to go through with playing the football game because of the seniors on the team.
&#8220;We spoke as a team, and we spoke with the team, and those guys really wanted to play today, and the conversation went back to the seniors, with today being senior day, they wanted to go play for them, and give them an opportunity to [come] out and compete and play, so that was probably the biggest thing.&#8221;
The two players who were injured haven&#8217;t been identified. Mortensen said counseling is being offered to any player who wants it. The Blazers, who sit 3-8 on the year, have one more game this season on November 29 at Tulsa.

UAB Football Helmet

Alabama Football Player Charged With Attempted Murder After Stabbing Incident

College Football

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