If you’re a Spotify user, you know about the year-end “Wrapped” feature they send you about your listening habits during the year. On today’s podcast I shared what the “Wrapped” for Down in Alabama said about the podcast audience’s preferences.

Does it reflect the characteristics of readers of this newsletter? Probably some. If you’re interested, check it out.

Either way, today’s report follows.

Thanks for reading,

Ike

LGBTQ float

A federal judge sided with an LGBTQ group and allowed it to enter a float into this past weekend’s Prattville Christmas parade, reports AL.com’s Williesha Morris and Howard Koplowitz.

The Prattville City Council voted last week to ban Prattville Pride from the parade. The group originally planned to have a drag performer throw candy during the parade, but the performer opted out, according to the group’s Facebook page.

The city cited concerns that opposition to the group would cause disruptions. U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker didn’t buy that, writing in his order that the discrimination “cannot be tolerated under the First Amendment.”

Dancers’ tips

Birmingham gentlemen’s club Sammy’s has agreed to settle with a group of 26 current and former dancers who had sued over tip-sharing at the establishment, reports AL.com’s Howard Koplowitz.

Their lawsuit alleged they had been illegally classified as general contractors and forced to share their tips with workers who wouldn’t normally collect tips.

The settlement will be for $632,100 if U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala signs off on it.

The dancers, by the way, will be sharing 44 percent of that that settlement for court costs and lawyers’ fees, leaving each dancers’ haul at just over $13,600.

Future Tide schedules

Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne suggested that this year’s College Football Playoff field could influence how the Crimson Tide fills out future schedules, reports AL.com’s Nick Kelly.

If you spent the weekend under a rock, or in a club with fellow gentlemen, you may have missed the news that Alabama did not make it into the playoffs. The big target for critics is that SMU got in with a much weaker strength of schedule.

The argument for SMU would be that the Mustangs have only two losses — and only one during the regular season since the other came in the ACC title game — while Alabama has three losses.

So, the thinking goes, if win-loss totals are all that matter, why on earth would you risk scheduling a strong opponent when you don’t have to?

Said Kelly: “That is not good for college football.”

Alabama News Quiz answers

Here’s how everyone did, collectively, on Friday’s quiz:

The last remaining open business at Brookwood Village Mall recently announced its closure, meaning there are zero tenants left at the site. What was that final business?

• Five Guys (CORRECT) 77.3%
• Milo’s 8.5%
• Chick-fil-A 8.1%
• Jitney Jungle 6.1%

The Alabama Senate Republican caucus recently elected a president pro tem to replace Greg Reed. If the full Senate confirms the selection at the beginning of next year’s legislative session, who’ll fill the role?

• Garlan Gudget of Cullman (CORRECT) 55.9%
• Gerald Allen of Tuscaloosa 21.0%
• Steve Livingston of Scottsboro 15.6%
• Bill “Bubba” Bussey of Jacksonville 7.5%

According to a recent study, which Alabama airport’s flights have the highest average fare?

• Huntsville International (CORRECT) 63.1%
• Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International 28.5%
• Montgomery Regional 7.8%
• Smut Eye Field 0.7%

Three former University of Alabama athletics directors have died this year. Who passed away this month?

• Bill Battle (CORRECT) 81.4%
• Steve Sloan 10.2%
• Hootie Ingram 6.1%
• Wallace Wade 2.4%

Indoor franchises are planned for at least Huntsville and Birmingham for this popular rec sport:

• Pickleball (CORRECT) 96.6%
• Soccer 2.0%
• Shuffleboard 0.0%
• Cornhole 1.4%

More Alabama News

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