Alabama

District Attorney Chris McCool, who was elected Nov. 6 to serve as a judge on the Court of Criminal Appeals, has been sworn in early to serve out the remainder of Judge Liles Burke’s term. Burke was recently confirmed as a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama, leaving his post on the … Continued

There is contaminated tap water in north Alabama. There are no oysters in the Gulf. There is poison soil in Birmingham. There are polluted lakes and rivers throughout the state. There have been coal ash spills and a stalled poop train and imported toxic waste too dangerous for other states to allow. There’s a poison … Continued

For eight years, Republicans have dominated state government in Alabama, but those years are not a fair representation of Republican leadership because, for most of that time, corrupt, crazy or compromised men were at the helms in the State House, the governor’s office and throughout the political infrastructure. Already, Republicans are laying the groundwork for … Continued

When Alabama’s Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon released a statement regarding the 2018 House election results in legislative districts across the state, he did more than take a victory lap, he actually laid out a list of priorities for the next four years. McCutcheon wrote, “Our infrastructure is in decay, and our roads and … Continued

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions is reportedly eyeing a return to politics in the Yellowhammer State. After Sessions announced his forced resignation Wednesday, two people familiar with his thinking told Politico that he is considering a run for his old seat as Alabama’s junior senator. The seat is up for another election in 2020. The embattled … Continued

The problem is the Democratic Party of Alabama. An awful mess looks better. In Tuesday’s elections, Republicans won top to bottom in statewide and congressional races  that had credible Democratic Party challengers. And across those races, the Democrats were clearly, unquestionably, more qualified than their stale, same-as-always, mostly race-baiting, health care-hating, fear-mongering Republican incumbents. Gov.-elect … Continued

There was no blue wave in Alabama. There was no blue ripple in Alabama. There were only a lot of blue Democrats left wondering just what the hell happened. For some reason, a bunch of us progressive types apparently believed that simply wanting something to happen — without putting in the time and effort to … Continued

Mere hours ahead of election results, state Democrats are hoping some of the national momentum shows up in the Heart of Dixie. According to a new Morning Consult/POLITICO Poll, Democrats are motivated and angry, but in Alabama, so are Republicans. “Roughly three in five (59 percent) Democrats say they feel angry about the midterms, compared … Continued

We need words to mean things. The phrase “fake news” has been so widely applied that it’s now essentially meaningless, other than identifying those who would rather dismiss than deal with an argument or evidence challenging their conclusions. The extremely important phrase “voter suppression” is now also tittering on the edge of meaninglessness, thanks in … Continued