Category: General

General

Today’s daily horoscopes: Nov. 21, 2024

The sun continues the journey on a chariot of centaurs as we gallop into Sagittarius season in a glow of optimism for the adventure ahead. And so the period of exploration begins — whether through travel, learning or new perspectives. It’s time to stretch boldly for liberation and then recover in the warmth of connection, sharing treasures discovered and obtained.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Evolution isn’t always flashy, but it’s always essential. You’ve grown in ways you don’t yet realize. The passion you once had for something may shift, and that’s not a loss; it’s your signal to explore new directions.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It fortifies you to know that people need what you do, even if it means you are very busy delivering the goods. The long hours are worthwhile, not just because they pay you, but because they signal the relevance of your efforts.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You could spend your time trying to out-perform the others, but it would be much wiser and more efficient to focus on finding the right audience. When the room and the talent are an excellent match, the magic isn’t so much work.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). The crabs are born with hard shells on their backs, but the hardest parts of you are on the inside, right next to the softest parts. Surrender to your frailty. Being vulnerable with those you trust will offer you the connection you seek.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You want all you say and do to land sweetly. This you can achieve by reading the room and delivering your goods in a timing that works for all. Wait for a welcome signal or the pause that invites a fill.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Avoid the incurious. You’ll have much more fun with others who can relate to your active, questioning mind. Teaching is the fastest way to learn today. Whatever you want to know about, make a goal to relay the information to someone else.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The way to amplify your attractive qualities is to feel good inside about who you are. Put in the effort to get right with yourself. Accept the past instead of blaming yourself, highlight the flaws instead of hiding them, and love yourself unconditionally.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Scientists can tell the difference between bad stress and good stress because of the chemical reaction it causes in the blood. You can tell the difference because of how you feel. You’ll keep it exciting in just the right measure today.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You know someone so well it’s like you can read their mind. But before you lock that in, consider another angle. Assumptions are easy to make, wise to challenge.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The mind is the lens through which every connection is viewed. You can’t force someone else to see through the same lens, but you can move around to try to get a better perspective.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Of course it’s easy to tune into novel distractions and new people you want to impress, but today it’s much more important to turn your attention to your familiar, faithful crew first. Spoil them with your focus. You won’t regret it.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You have no excuses, only decisions, and you’re too busy powering through to concern yourself with doubt. It’s no wonder you gain followers. You know what you want, and you waste no time in getting it — how attractive.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Nov. 21). You’ll apply the gift of laser-sharp focus to rise to prominence in the very things you most want to be known for. An act of service leads to an unexpected lifestyle upgrade. More highlights: a creative project that gains momentum and financing, personal and spiritual growth come in waves, and a relationship will evolve into a shining gem of your life. Aries and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 3, 18, 28, 41, and 5

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Born on the cusp, Goldie Hawn is a Scorpio whose keen awareness of the human condition has allowed her to connect deeply in humor and compassion with audiences across generations. Her charitable work through The Hawn Foundation promotes mindfulness programs for children to help them manage stress and emotional challenges. Mercury in worldly Sagittarius indicates openness to foreign cultures and methods.

Holiday Mathis’ debut novel, “How To Fail Epically in Hollywood,” is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

General

Casagrande: Illinois chopped ‘head of the snake,’ and Alabama scored 100 anyway. That’s scary

This is an opinion column.

The energy was still high in the BJCC as Latrell Wrightsell stepped to the foul line with 23 seconds left.

Hitting triple figures was all the drama left in downtown Birmingham and Wrightsell delivered. Two-for-two and No. 8 Alabama left with a 100-87 beating of 25th-ranked Illinois.

That was the 23rd time a Crimson Tide team coached by Nate Oats needed three digits on the scoreboard. This one was different.

Points No. 99 and 100 were witnessed by preseason All-American and national player of the year candidate Mark Sears from the bench. He’d been there for the final 11 minutes and 27 seconds of a game against a ranked opponent that was never truly in doubt.

Alabama scored 100 points Wednesday night.

Sears had exactly none of them.

That a player who averaged 21.5 points last season could lay the goose egg against a quality team that never threatened an upset says a few things.

First, Sears is the target every coach scheme to eliminate. He isn’t sneaking up on anyone in his final collegiate season and that can take a toll. Illinois coach Brad Underwood called Sears “the head of the snake,” who they were committed to giving him as little oxygen as possible Wednesday night.

Second, this Crimson Tide team is deep enough to score a hundred points with its top scorer contributing zero.

While there were clear aspects of the game that could use some improvement, this Alabama team previewed what was possible the machine got cranking even without its best player.

This was a night Alabama made its first four 3-pointers out of the gate, then missed 14 of its next 16.

Yet once Alabama’s lead hit double figures with 10:37 left in the first half, Illinois never got closer than eight the rest of the way.

Grant Nelson hit his first three 3s en route to a team-high 23 points. He made 4 of 9 from behind the arc after making just 3 of 10 in the first four games.

Underwood said he wasn’t quite bothered that Nelson was doing that damage because they were playing the percentages and Nelson traditionally wasn’t the deep threat. But he was Wednesday and made them pay.

So did Labaron Philon.

And Aden Holloway.

And Wrightsell.

Philon and Halloway (a transfer from Auburn) played up the recruiting hype each carried into college as they sped up a long yet young Illinois team team still finding its sea legs. Halloway’s 18 points included three 3s in four attempts after making just 5 of 16 in the first four games and hitting double figures only once.

All Philon, a freshman from Mobile, did was threaten a triple double with 16 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.

“Wow,” Illinois’ Underwood said of Philon. “He’s not going to be in a Bama uniform very long.”

Five others joined the four double-figure scores.

None were named Sears.

So, what was the deal?

“I mean, he just, he was struggling,” Oats said. “There’s a lot of pressure on him. Obviously, being the home-state kid who came back, preseason player of the year. You know, he’s trying to do well. Teams are gearing their defense towards him. You know, he had some good looks tonight.”

Oats said he tried to put Sears back in the game at some point after exiting with 11-plus minutes left. But Sears said the guys on the floor were doing the job so they should be left in there. He said star players of the past like Herb Jones made similar requests earlier in his Alabama run and Oats respected Sears point.

And his All-American had a point.

Sears’ teammates had his back and made sure a talented Illinois team never got close enough to spoil a good time in Birmingham.

When Illinois cut it to 8 midway through the second half, Alabama quickly scored the next nine points.

And when it got back to 8 with just over 3:00 to play, Alabama scored the next six in a 40-second span.

Of Alabama’s 39 made shots, 23 came with an assist — easily a season high. The barrage was relentless and came from multiple directions.

The momentum lost in last Friday’s disappointment at Purdue was, at least partially, recaptured Wednesday night. And they did it with its star player in a slump.

It comes right on time for a brutal stretch as Alabama heads to Las Vegas for a three-game tournament beginning with Houston.

December opens with a road game at North Carolina and a visit from Creighton. No doubt, better days are coming for Sears.

But this Alabama team proved an important point in his scoring absence.

Triple digit games against ranked teams are still possible without the head of the snake.

And that’s scary.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

General

Why Mark Sears didn’t play much in second half vs. Illinois for Alabama basketball

Alabama men’s basketball managed to tally 100 points against Illinois, but Mark Sears didn’t score any of those.

Sears played only 21 minutes and didn’t make a single shot. He saw 13 minutes in the first half then eight minutes in the second. Sears finished 0-for-5 and 0-for-4 from deep.

Sears didn’t play much at all down the stretch as No. 8 Alabama closed out the 100-87 victory over No. 25 Illinois at Legacy Arena in the CM Newton Classic.

Alabama coach Nate Oats provided some clarity postgame as to why Sears didn’t see much time late.

“I took him out to kind of let him get his head together a little bit,” Oats said. “I tried to put him back in.”

But Sears thought him staying on the bench would be best, per Oats.

“He said, ‘Leave these guys in. They’re playing pretty well.’ He was right,” Oats said. “So we left them in.”

The other guards shined; Labaron Philon scored 16 points, grabbed seven rebounds and tallied nine assists. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. also scored 16 but had two rebounds and four assists. Then Aden Holloway, the Auburn transfer, scored 18 and made 3 of 4 from deep.

Sears wasn’t making anything; he had his lowest scoring output at Alabama. His previous low was two points against Tennessee in 2022-23.

“He was struggling,” Oats said. “There’s a lot of pressure on him, being a home-state kid that came back. Preseason player of the year. He’s trying to do well. Teams are gearing their defense toward him. He had some good looks. Just didn’t go.”

So Sears decided to let the other guards run the show and close out the victory.

“It’s similar to what Herb Jones has done before,” Oats said. “We’ve had some really good players here that have just kind of been unselfish enough and want to win bad enough to say, ‘hey let the guys go. They’re playing really well. Leave them in.‘”

Now Sears turns his attention to bouncing back against Houston on Tuesday in Las Vegas as part of the Players Era Festival.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

General

3 takeaways as Alabama basketball defeats Illinois in CM Newton Classic

Alabama men’s basketball put its multi-faceted roster on display in Birmingham against Illinois.

The roster that has a variety of players, and ways, to beat you.

On Wednesday night, Alabama showed the one that can score in bunches, even without Mark Sears contributing.

Sears scored zero points, and yet the No. 8 Crimson Tide cruised offensively against No. 25 Illinois. Everyone from Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon to Grant Nelson and even Aiden Sherrell stepped up. It was all needed, considering Illinois certainly didn’t let the Crimson Tide run away with it.

But Alabama pushed through and the Crimson Tide beat Illinois 100-87 on Wednesday in the CM Newton Classic at Legacy Arena.

Here are three takeaways from the nonconference game.

3-pointers return early and jump start Alabama

After a rough night from beyond the arc against Purdue, the Crimson Tide (4-1) sstarted the Illinois game in a much different way.

Alabama missed its opening shot on the first possession, but then the Crimson Tide heated up.

Alabama hit the next four shots, all 3-pointers, to grab a fast 12-9 lead. Grant Nelson hit three of those in a row.

The Crimson Tide started 5-for-6 from deep, which served as the catalyst to Alabama jumping out to a big lead.

The 3-pointers slowed down, as the Crimson Tide only hit three more the rest of the half. But that spark ignited the Alabama offense that scored 52 points and averaged 1.368 points per possession in the first half.

Mark Sears a non-factor, but other guards step up

Alabama’s preseason All-America selection had his lowest scoring output ever with the Crimson Tide.

His previous low was two points against Tennessee back during the 2022-23 season. Sears played 21 minutes and scored zero points while shooting 0 for 5 and 0 for 4 from deep.

Sears also didn’t have his best game against Purdue, shooting 33.3% and 16.7% from deep to go with four turnovers. But he did score 15 points.

Sears didn’t have as many turnovers against Illinois (only two), but he also didn’t have the points.

No worries, said Labaron Philon, Aden Holloway and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. All three scored in double figures and provided problems all day for Illinois.

Philon scored 16, Wrightsell scored 16 and Holloway scored 18. Holloway, the former Auburn guard, hit 3 of 4 from deep. Philon had nine assists, making him one assist away from a double-double.

Alabama is at its best when Sears is, but the Crimson Tide proved it can cruise even when Sears is a non-factor.

A Grant Nelson game

It wasn’t quite the dominance Nelson had against UNC in the Sweet 16 last spring, but Nelson shined nonetheless.

It started early. He hit the three triples on three consecutive possessions. He didn’t maintain that pace hitting triples, but Nelson still did plenty of damage. He finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and one steal.

Nelson was a difference maker on a night Alabama needed every one it could get.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

General

Las Vegas Raiders add former Alabama high school standout

The Las Vegas Raiders added a former Alabama prep standout and Alabama State defensive back Keenan Isaac to their roster on Wednesday, when they signed Keenan Isaac for their practice squad.

The cornerback was available after being waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 12.

Isaac played in two games for the Bucs as an undrafted rookie in 2023 and played in five games for Tampa Bay this season. All of Isaac’s regular-season experience with the Buccaneers came on special teams.

A football and basketball standout at Midfield High School, Isaac became a starter in the Alabama State secondary as a freshman.

This season, Tampa Bay cut Isaac when it reduced its preseason roster to the regular-season limit on Aug. 27. He landed on the Carolina Panthers as a waiver claim the next day. But on the eve of their season-opener, the Panthers waived the cornerback, and on Sept. 10, the Bucs re-signed him for their active roster. Tampa Bay then waived Isaac on Sept. 20, signed him for the practice squad on Sept. 24 and promoted him to the active roster on Oct. 15 before waiving him again last week.

Practice-squad players do everything that players on the active roster do except play in games. However, each NFL team can elevate two practice-squad players to active status for each game.

Another former Alabama high school standout will be eligible to play on Sunday after being activated from injured reserve on Wednesday.

The Detroit Lions restored defensive tackle Brodric Martin to their 53-player active roster. He had spent the first 11 weeks of the season on injured reserve because of a preseason knee injury.

Martin returned to practice on Oct. 30, and Wednesday was the final day for the Lions to put him on the active roster. Otherwise, Martin would have remained on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

A defensive end and tight end at Northridge High School in Tuscaloosa who also played basketball and threw the shot for the Jaguars’ track team, Martin started his college football career in 2017 with a redshirt season at North Alabama. Over the next three seasons at UNA, Martin started every game before transferring to Western Kentucky for two seasons.

Detroit traded the 122nd, 139th and 168th selections in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Arizona Cardinals to select Martin with the 96th pick.

Martin played in three games as a rookie for Detroit.

The Lions play the Indianapolis Colts at noon CST Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The Raiders play the Denver Broncos at 3:05 p.m. Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

General

No. 1 Central-Phenix City blasts Alma Bryant in flag football playoffs

Central Phenix-City lived up to its billing as the top-ranked girls’ flag football team in Alabama — and in the nation — as the Red Devils routed previously unbeaten Alma Bryant 34-0 in the Class 6A-7A girls’ flag football team quarterfinals at Hurricane Stadium on Wednesday night.

Gerritt Griggs was virtually unstoppable for Central (17-0) as she completed 10 of 14 passes for 102 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. All three touchdown passes were to Mariah Harrison, who finished the night with four receptions for 60 yards.

General

Kidnapping charge dropped against Alabama man accused of forcing woman to marry him on church steps

A Mobile County man accused of sexually abusing a woman and forcing her to marry him is no longer facing a kidnapping charge, according to court records.

Mobile County Circuit Court Judge Spiro Cheriogotis on Wednesday denied prosecutors’ motion to change the kidnapping charge against Roy Clowder to unlawful imprisonment, records showed.

Clowder, 38, of Coden, still faces sexual abuse and robbery charges in connection with the Oct. 11 incident.

Clowder allegedly encountered the victim at a convenience store on Dauphin Island Parkway.

He allegedly asked the woman if she could give him a ride home and on the way to the car he allegedly brandished a gun, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office said.

Clowder allegedly took control of the vehicle by holding the victim at gunpoint and forced her to get into the passenger seat.

Clowder then proceeded to drive the car to a church where he made the woman “marry” him on the steps outside, officials said.

“Clowder drove the victim’s car to several locations around DIP with victim inside,” MCSO said in a statement. “Clowder even went to a local church and forced the victim to participate in a ‘mock’ wedding on the steps outside of the church.”

After her family called the police, officers called her phone. Clowder allegedly answered and then abandoned the vehicle.

General

USFL MVP as Birmingham Stallions QB, Alex McGough back in the NFL as a wide receiver

The USFL MVP for the 2023 season as the Birmingham Stallions quarterback, Alex McGough has joined the Green Bay Packers as a wide receiver.

The NFL team announced on Wednesday that McGough had joined the team’s practice squad.

McGough spent the 2023 NFL season on Green Bay’s practice squad as a quarterback. In 2024, the Packers placed McGough on injured reserve on July 20 and waived him on July 30. That came after coach Matt LaFleur’s announcement on May 5 that Green Bay was converting McGough into a wide receiver.

When the 2023 USFL season began, McGough was not the Stallions’ starting quarterback. McGough moved into the lineup when Birmingham quarterback J’Mar Smith dislocated a finger in the second quarter of the Stallions’ season-opening game on April 15.

Birmingham won that game 27-10 over the New Jersey Generals and went on to post the USFL’s best regular-season mark in 2023 at 8-2 with McGough at quarterback. McGough led the USFL in touchdown passes, TD responsibility and passing-efficiency rating at 108.3 while finishing sixth in rushing yards.

On July 1, 2023, McGough threw four touchdown passes as the Stallions beat the Pittsburgh Maulers 28-12 to win the USFL Championship Game for the second consecutive season. McGough completed 16-of-23 passes for 243 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions and ran for 64 yards on nine carries.

On July 3, 2022, the Stallions defeated the Philadelphia Stars 33-30 to cap the USFL’s inaugural season. With Smith riding an exercise bike on the sideline because of a leg problem, McGough capped an eight-play, 64-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Vic Bolden Jr. with 3:09 to play to put the Stallions in front. On the Stars’ first snap after falling behind 26-23, Stallions linebacker Scooby Wright intercepted a pass and ran 46 yards for a touchdown with 2:53 to play.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

General

American involvement in Ukraine ‘all about the minerals,’ Tommy Tuberville claims

America’s support for Ukraine boils down to the eastern European country’s lucrative mineral deposits, Alabama’s senior senator claimed Wednesday.

“It’s all about the minerals over there,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said during an appearance on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast. “About $11 trillion worth of minerals.”

Ukraine has some of the world’s largest reserves of titanium and iron ore along with massive lithium and coal deposits, the Washington Post reported.

Tuberville made the claim when Bannon asked if there should be investigations into “this criminal conspiracy, particularly in things even like Ukraine …,” referring to President Biden’s term in office.

Tuberville said that after the Biden announced its intention to forgive a $5 billion loan to Ukraine as the country defends itself from a Russian invasion, “some of the senators said, ‘we’ll make that back in the minerals.’”

In an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation” in June, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who supports Ukraine, referenced Ukraine’s mineral wealth.

“They’re sitting on $10 trillion to $12 trillion of critical minerals in Ukraine. They could be the richest country in all of Europe. I don’t want to give that money and those assets to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to share with China,” he said.

Tuberville has been critical of support for Ukraine.

Earlier this year, Tuberville voted against a $95.3 billion aid package to Ukraine and Taiwan.

“We’re $35 trillion in debt with NOTHING to show for it. There’s an invasion at our southern border. Our roads and bridges are falling apart. Our schools systems are getting worse by the day. Our military can’t recruit,” Tuberville posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, shortly after the February vote. “And the US Senate just prioritized Ukrainian pensions over Americans.”

In September, the senator called the war “unwinnable” and said Ukraine is “the most corrupt country on the face of the planet,” claiming the conflict puts the world at the brink of nuclear war.

On Wednesday, Tuberville suggested the war has been costly in both dollars and human lives.

“Are you kidding mean? I mean, we got a million people killed over there … the war should’ve never started,” he said.

General

Alabama teen sentenced to 8 years in fentanyl overdose death of 15-year-old girl

A Mobile County teenager was sentenced to eight years behind bars in connection to the fentanyl overdose death of a 15-year-old in 2022.

On Wednesday, a judge sentenced Jackson Powell Lewis, 19, to serve 97 months in state prison for unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.

According to court records, Lewis was also sentenced to serve one year at Mobile Metro County Jail for criminally negligent homicide.

In September, a jury found Powell guilty of both charges related to her death.

Taylor was found dead Aug. 31, 2022 at her home. Adrianna, a student at Mary G. Montgomery High School, was about to turn 16 at the time of her death.

During Lewis’s trial prosecutors provided evidence demonstrating that he gave her the deadly dose of fentanyl.

The sheriff at the time told AL.com that they crushed up what they thought were opioids and were snorting them. The pills were laced with fentanyl.

Lewis will serve the sentences concurrently and will be given credit for time served.