During this weekend’s “Saturday Night Live” Weekend Update, co-anchor Michael Che pointed out an uncomfortable truth: NBCUniversal is losing two prominent Black news anchors at the same time.
MSNBC anchor Joy Reid has been let go as part of a massive reshuffling of talent at the news cabler. And NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt announced this week that he was departing after a decade in the chair.
That, of course, led Che to quip that perhaps he’s the next to go.
“This week, MSNBC fired its only non-white primetime host, and Lester Holt announced he is stepping down as the anchor of NBC Nightly News,” Che said.
“Well, NBC, only one more to go, baby,” he added, as he pointed to a photo of himself.
Che has co-anchored “SNL’s” Weekend Update with Colin Jost since 2014, having replaced Cecily Strong in the role. (Che and Jost had served as co-head writers at SNL from 2017 until 2022.)
The departures of Reid and Holt have come from very different corners: Holt announced his own departure this week in a memo to staff:
“After 10 years, 17 if you include my years on the weekends, the time has come for me to step away from my role as anchor of ‘Nightly News.’ It has truly been the honor of a lifetime to work with each of you every day, keeping journalism as our true north and our viewers at the center of everything we do,” Holt wrote. He simultaneously announced that he would remain at NBC News and focus his work on “Dateline.”
That included criticism from inside MSNBC, where star host Rachel Maddow blasted her employer for letting Reid go.
“Joy Reid’s show, ‘The ReidOut,’ ended tonight. And Joy is not taking a different job in the network. She is leaving the network altogether and that is very, very, very hard to take,” Maddow said on Feb. 24. “I do not want to lose her as a colleague here at MSNBC, and personally, I think it is a bad mistake to let her walk out the door.”
A stable Pope Francis had a visit Sunday from the Vatican secretary of state as he continued his recovery from double pneumonia, the Vatican said, but again skipped his weekly noon blessing to avoid even a brief public appearance from the hospital.
Instead, the Vatican distributed a message from the pope in which he thanked his doctors for their care and well-wishers for their prayers, and prayed again for peace in Ukraine and elsewhere.
“From here, war appears even more absurd,” Francis said in the message, which he drafted in recent days from the Gemelli hospital, the Vatican said. Francis said he was living his hospitalization as an experience of profound solidarity with people who are sick and suffering everywhere,
“I feel in my heart the ‘blessing’ that is hidden within frailty, because it is precisely in these moments that we learn even more to trust in the Lord,” Francis said in the text. “At the same time, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to share in body and spirit the condition of so many sick and suffering people.”
But many signs indicated he was recovering and improving. “The night was quiet, the pope is still resting,” the Vatican said in its Sunday update.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin and his chief of staff, Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra, called on the pope Sunday morning, their second visit since Francis’ Feb. 14 hospitalization, according to the Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni. There were no details of what was discussed, but the mere visit suggested Francis’ condition was stabilizing.
“The night was quiet, the pope is still resting,” the Vatican said in its Sunday early update.
He had no fever or signs of elevated white blood cells, which would signal his body was still fighting an infection.
Doctors on Saturday reported that Francis was in stable condition, with no mention of him being critical. Their upbeat assessment came a day after a respiratory crisis that resulted in him being put on noninvasive mechanical ventilation.
But the 88-year-old pope had a “good response” in his gas exchange levels even during the “long periods” he was off the ventilator mask Saturday and only using high-flow supplemental oxygen, the Vatican said.
The fact that Francis was able to use just high-flow oxygen for long periods, without any significant effect on the levels of oxygen in his blood, was a sign his respiratory function was improving.
Doctors were cautious however and kept his prognosis as guarded, meaning he wasn’t out of danger. He was eating and drinking and continued his respiratory physiotherapy, and spent 20 minutes in his private chapel down the hall on Saturday, the Vatican said.
The pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has lung disease and was admitted to Gemelli on Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis worsened and turned into a complex pneumonia in both lungs.
Prayers continued to pour in
Francis’ hospitalization has come as the Vatican is marking its Holy Year, drawing pilgrims to Rome from all over. They are walking through the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica and also making pilgrimages to the hilltop Umbrian town of Assisi, to pray at the home of Francis’ namesake, St. Francis.
“Every day we’re praying for the pope,” said the Rev. Jacinto Bento, a priest visiting Assisi on Saturday with a group of 30 Jubilee pilgrims from the Azores Islands. “We’re very sad for his situation.”
In an odd coincidence, Francis was supposed to have presided Saturday over a Holy Year audience in the Vatican’s auditorium for the staff of the Gemelli hospital and other health care workers. They came as planned and completed the pilgrimage, while Francis continued his recovery at the hospital.
“We thought we would be able to meet him this morning in Paul VI Hall for the Jubilee Catechesis, but he surprised us by coming to us,” said Monsignor Claudio Giuliodori, spiritual guide of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, of which Gemelli is a part.
Giovanni Frisullo, a Gemelli neurologist, said the atmosphere at Gemelli was one of tension and prayer. “There is a situation of waiting but also of hope,” he said.
Kentucky is a team in transition, and 10th in the SEC, but it’s still Big Blue and it was still Rupp Arena.
Auburn hadn’t won there since 1988, but on this day, Saturday, March 1, 2025, 37 years later, coach Bruce Pearl and his No.1-ranked team won the SEC, a league of blood and bone ruled by one of the most ruthless teams the game has ever seen.
They turned off the lights at Kentucky.
They turned off the sound and brought out the fury at Alabama.
They slugged it out with Tennessee, and, unlike the Crimson Tide, outlasted the hard-hitting Volunteers.
No.1 Auburn, and its near perfect record of 27-2 overall and 15-1 in the SEC, has won everywhere this season except two places, Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium and Florida’s O’Connell Center. Those losses don’t detract from anything, though. They just mean the SEC and NCAA tournaments can still be about revenge for the best team in the country.
Not undisputed yet.
There is still work to do, and there is still bitterness between every breath, and these Tigers are ready. Because for all the historical greatness of this regular season, it was never about this championship. It was about the championship. It was about redemption in March. It was about winning the national title and cutting down the nets in San Antonio.
Johni Broome is the best player in the country, and Auburn has one of the most efficient offenses we’ve ever seen, but those things will mean nothing in the end if this team loses once again on the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
The job isn’t done. Not by long sight. Not after Yale last March and all the money spent to keep this team together. For this team, the mission hasn’t even really started.
For history’s sake, though, it’s worth pausing for a beat or two and appreciating the moment.
The 2025 Auburn Tigers are one of the best teams in the history of the SEC, and Pearl, the architect, will certainly win national coach of the year. After this season, they might consider naming the award in his honor.
Auburn is conference champion of the toughest league the game of college basketball has seen since the glory days of the Big East. Maybe ever. We’ll know in April.
How do you beat this team? Hope for a meltdown from Chad Baker-Mazara. That’s the scouting report and that might be it.
Of all the numbers we can name off about this group, there are two that stand out to put this season in perspective.
Auburn has 16 Quad 1 wins with two more left on the regular-season schedule. In 2024, eventual national champ UConn didn’t have 16 until it reached the Final Four.
The best college team I ever covered was the 2007 Florida Gators. This Auburn team will be in that conversation if it wins the SEC and NCAA tournaments. The 07 Gators, coached by Billy Donovan and featuring a host of future NBA stars, had five players who averaged at least 10 points per game. This Auburn team has six.
But defense was the true identity of those historic Gators, and so it is with this, the greatest team in the history of Auburn basketball. They blew teams out with their offense, but they won the close ones, too.
Poor Kentucky couldn’t even get off shots to start the second half. In their own barn, with all of their fans behind them, the Cats were so overwhelmed with Auburn’s defense that they couldn’t even shoot the ball. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen, and that’s not an exaggeration.
Kentucky had six turnovers in the first three minutes of the second half.
That’s how a team leaves no doubt.
That’s how an all-time squad becomes the stuff of legend.
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Hoover coach Scott Ware calls star forward DeWayne Brown a “Tennessee kind of player.”
The 6-foot-9 senior helped power the Bucs to their third straight Class 7A state title Saturday night at Birmingham’s Legacy Arena.
The Vols’ signee had a double-double of 14 points and 16 rebounds to go along with 5 blocked shots in Hoover’s 66-56 victory over Florence. He was named the tournament MVP.
Brown is scheduled to play in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game next week at South Alabama before turning his attention to his future college home.
“He’s going to be really good because his basketball IQ is off the charts,” Ware said of Brown’s college potential. “He’s got an old-school game. He’s not a high-flyer. He’s really worked on his shots, so he can extend out on the floor. He’s a Tennessee kind of a player. He fits in well with what they try to do. I expect big things out of DeWayne. His body is going to keep getting better and better.”
In two games in Birmingham this week, Brown had 41 points, 31 rebounds and 9 blocked shots as Hoover became the only Class 7A team to finish unbeaten at 35-0.
Brown committed to Tennessee last April and signed with the Vols in November. He’s the No. 1-ranked senior in Alabama, according to 247 Sports. Ware said he had more than 50 offers but, in the end, it came down to two schools – and neither were in-state.
“Auburn and Alabama were both in early and then they kind of moved on and maybe found something a little different they were looking for,” Ware said. “But there was definitely a lot of interest there. DeWayne took visits to both places, but it kind of came down to Tennessee and Mississippi State. Mississippi State did a really good job, and Tennessee did an excellent job recruiting him. Both of those schools play through the big, which is obviously good for him.”
Brown said Tennessee just felt like home.
“When I went on my recruiting visit, I got that Hoover vibe,” he said. “Everyone is a family there. Everyone wants to see each other and be around each other. It’s an everything school like Hoover. I know I’m going to go there and work to get better, just like I did here.”
Brown said he was able to catch Tennessee’s last-second win over Alabama on Saturday before the Bucs took the court for their game.
“Buzzer beater. That was nice,” he said. “Glad we won. I saw they won so we just had to come out and do the same thing.”
The chief executive officer of Walmart Inc. said American consumers are showing signs of stress as food prices remain stubbornly high.
Some shoppers are running out of money before the end of the month and turning to smaller pack sizes for consumer goods, Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon told about 1,000 executives at the Economic Club of Chicago on Thursday evening.
While prices for products such as apparel are now near pre-pandemic levels, food prices are still elevated.
Walmart is seeing “stress behaviors” among budget-conscious consumers, “and we worry about that,” McMillon said. “You can see that the money runs out before the month is gone, you can see that people are buying smaller pack sizes at the end of the month.”
He also noted that overall consumer behavior has remained consistent over the past year or so. Shoppers are being more selective and prioritizing value purchases.
Higher prices for everything from beef and eggs to fuel present a challenge for retailers including Walmart, which has become one of the world’s largest companies by offering “everyday low prices.” The company recently projected lower-than-expected profit for the current fiscal year while citing uncertainty related to consumer behavior as well as economic and geopolitical conditions.
Overall U.S. inflation in January jumped by the most since August 2023, driven in part by the cost of eggs. With bird flu killing millions of chickens, egg prices surged more than 15% from a month earlier, the biggest advance since 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Egg prices were in January 55% higher than a year earlier, prompting President Donald Trump to label the situation “a disaster.” McMillon said he’s in contact with his staff on the cost of eggs and how the retailer can provide relief to consumers. While prices for non-food items have declined, food prices haven’t, with higher wages, input costs and other factors contributing, he added.
“There are lots of income levels in this country — if you’re at the lower end of that scale, you are feeling more frustration and pain because of higher food prices,” he said. “They’ve persisted for years now, and you’re just tired of it. And you want it to get better.”
Last year, Dollar General Inc. also warned that inflation was having a negative impact on lower-income shoppers, with a growing number unable to make their incomes cover their monthly expenses.
Tariffs risk
The U.S. is forecast to import more food than it exports for a third year, with the agriculture trade deficit expected to balloon to a record $49 billion this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Before the recent string of trade imbalances, the country only brought in more food than it shipped out in 2019 and 2020, during Trump’s trade war with China. Trade deficits were also seen for several years prior to 1960. Walmart has said it’s dealt with tariffs for years and has a diversified supply chain.
Walmart’s CEO said concerns about safety, taxes and the cost of property were among the factors that led the company to close half of its stores in Chicago. The locations, which were already losing money, were severely damaged during unrest in 2020, McMillon said.
“That was another moment in time — ‘do we reopen them, or, given that they lose money, do we just use this opportunity to say we just decided not to reopen?’ he said. “It was a real debate inside the company, but a few of us, including me, wanted to try again.”
Safety concerns
Still, the situation worsened after the stores reopened and Walmart lost even more money in Chicago, he said, with other locations subsidizing the unprofitable ones.
“On top of that, I started to develop concerns about safety and security,” he said.
Walmart has been revamping its operations, including an expansion of its e-commerce operations, to fuel growth and fend off competition. Walmart offers more than 700 million items online and is heading toward an inventory of a billion, McMillon said.
The retailer is also upgrading its network of over 4,600 U.S. stores to make them more modern and easier to shop in. It’s opening new locations while branching into newer areas like membership and advertising.
The loss of the late legendary actor Gene Hackman sent shockwaves throughout the film-loving community, including those of us in Alabama, some 2,000 miles away from his hometown of San Bernardino, California.
The 2-time Oscar-winning actor, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 63, were found dead Wednesday afternoon in their home in New Mexico, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office. One of their dogs also was found dead. The sheriff’s office said foul play was not suspected, but an investigation was ongoing.
Hackman’s storied career has more connections to Alabama than you might realize. The most obvious link came in Tony Scott’s 1995 submarine thriller “Crimson Tide,” wherein at one point Hackman’s hot-tempered commanding officer and his crew deliver a salute to the namesake of their beloved U.S.S. Alabama, including the cheer “Go Bama! Roll Tide!”
But Hackman’s Alabama ties do not stop there. Just seven years prior, he starred in Alan Parker’s swelteringly intense Civil Rights Era “Mississippi Burning.”
The film (streaming now on Prime Video) follows two FBI agents with wildly different styles (Hackman and Willem Dafoe) who arrive in Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of some civil rights activists (based on James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner) in 1964, as the investigation is met with hostility and backlash by the town’s residents, local police and the Ku Klux Klan.
It received seven Oscar nominations including best picture, director, actor and supporting actress (Frances McDormand). Difficult to watch at times, it brings the best out of Hackman, who plays a former Mississippi sheriff who sniffs out the corruption his way.
Gene Hackman (above, in 1993) co-starred in the 1988 film “Mississippi Burning,” for which he received an Academy Award nomination for best actor. (AP Photo/File)AP
The Alabama connection? After filming in Mississippi towns like Jackson and Vaiden, production moved to LaFayette, Alabama, standing in for the fictional Jessup County area.
While roundly criticized by many for its fictionalization of history and Black activists involved in the Civil Rights Movement, the brutal confrontation of the South’s ugly past might seem like a breath of fresh air compared to more schmaltzy modern efforts.
‘White savior’ movie?
Stylishly shot (with Oscar-winning cinematography), well-written by Chris Gerolmo, and aptly directed by accomplished English filmmaker Alan Parker, the film has since been pegged as a prime example of the “white savior” genre, which gained prominence during the 1960s when Hollywood built an assembly line of highly popular productions telling skewed stories about the Black experience.
The films frequently tell Southern-set stories, with white characters often rescuing non-white people from plight related to American slavery, the Jim Crow South and other inequities. They’ve made a lot of money at the box office, several earning big Oscar wins including best picture.
There’s 2009’s “The Blind Side,” wherein a wealthy white woman takes in a black teenager and redirects him on a path towards football. Sandra Bullock won best actress, and the movie made more than $300 million worldwide.
Remember 1996’s “A Time to Kill,” when Matthew McConaughey played a white lawyer appointed to defend a black man accused of murdering two white supremacists who raped his 10-year-old daughter? Or 2016’s “Free State of Jones,” where McConaughey plays a Rebel Army deserter who leads fellow deserters and freed slaves to fight against the Confederacy.
Other hits include “Django Unchained,” “Glory” and Alabama film staple “To Kill a Mockingbird,” or others set elsewhere like “Lawrence of Arabia,” “The Last Samurai” and “Avatar.” They all meet the “white savior” genre criteria.
The fundamental issue that gives them the distinction: They’re almost exclusively written and directed by white people, mostly told from a white perspective with the white characters playing the biggest role in helping to “fix” racism by the end.
In the case of “Mississippi Burning,” detractors make sound points about the fact that Hollywood could use fewer Civil Rights Era stories told exclusively from the perspective of white people.
Unlike so many Southern-set films, it certainly doesn’t lack authenticity. It features several actors actually born in the South including Michael Rooker (Alabama), Brad Dourif (West Virginia), Stephen Tobolowsky (Texas) and Frankie Faison (Virginia).
The cast is undeniably brilliant, with Hackman’s trademark intensity on full display, particularly during a confrontation in a private KKK member hangout with Dourif and Rooker. He and Dafoe spar in poignant scenes outlining their different approaches to rooting out racism. Hackman and McDormand share quiet chemistry in some rare tender moments.
But Black characters (portrayed by the likes of Faison and young Darius McCrary) are often relegated to silent background artists watching the drama unfold, even as they are directly impacted by the violence and other ramifications.
‘A valid question’
The creative license (admittedly taken by the filmmakers) fictionalizing the true events drew widespread criticism from civil rights figures like Alabama native Coretta Scott King, giving the film a complicated legacy that even Parker acknowledged.
“Our film cannot be the definitive film of the black civil rights struggle, our heroes were still white and, in truth, the film would probably have never been made if they weren’t,” Parker wrote in an essay on his website. “This is, perhaps, as much a sad reflection on present day society as it is on the film industry. But with all its possible flaws and shortcomings, I hope that our film can provoke thought and kindle the debate allowing other films to be made, because the struggle against racism continues.”
While promoting the film in a 1988 interview with WHYY film critic Patrick Stoner, Hackman discussed the racism and brutality depicted in “Mississippi Burning,” noting the younger audience who saw it might be appalled and in disbelief about the prejudice of the time, which he considered “vital” about making the film.
Stoner then asked Hackman how he would respond to critics pointing out the story is told from white people’s point of view. The actor cited Parker and Gerolmo’s choice to take a “less conventional” approach, but acknowledged the concerns.
“I think it’s a valid question, though, why there wasn’t a Black central figure in this,” Hackman added.
Despite that, the film was mostly celebrated at the time. It has a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Critics Consensus saying, “Mississippi Burning draws on real-life tragedy to impart a worthy message with the measured control of an intelligent drama and the hard-hitting impact of a thriller.”
No doubt, it’s a compelling Hollywood drama, a solid option for a Friday night at the movies, and one that forces audiences to reckon with a sinister chapter in the country’s history. But its legacy remains one that even its celebrated and now late lead actor wrestled with at the time, and one we must confront four decades later.
Her voice sounded soft and shaky. She took deep breaths. She cried. She even chuckled a few times when she thought back to the joy her husband and son brought her. Three months after she lost them, Meg Slezak of Wilmer, Alabama, wants to tell her story.
He was tall, dark and loving. They met in college, where he went on a two-year mission trip. He tended to wear a beard. Michael Slezak earned a Master’s degree in mathematics. They married in 2006. They bought a farm in Wilmer — bison, chickens, alpaca and peacocks. They started raising a family — four girls and a boy. Michael was born to be a teacher, and becoming a teacher and a baseball coach at Semmes Middle School was a perfect fit. Meg stayed busy as a traveling radiology technician.
The Slezak family — Meg and Michael Slezak with children Brooklynn, Christa, Zarina, Hunter and Gracee. Michael Slezak and his son died in a boating accident in November 2024.Photo courtesy Meg Slezak
He was the second-youngest of five. He was a Slezak, alright. Blonde hair and blue eyes like his mother, a love of adventure and the outdoors like his father. Seven-year-old Hunter Slezak loved soccer, baseball and football. He loved Pokemon cards and running in the wind. “Hunter wanted to be a policeman or a fireman when he grew up,” Meg Slezak told me.
“He once saw a young, muscular man without a shirt, and for months Hunter would lift weights, trying to build muscles,” said Meg, chuckling softly.
Oh, how Hunter Slezak loved hugs. A second-grader at Tanner Williams Elementary School in Wilmer. Hunter had a kind heart. “He loved to bring people flowers,” said Meg. “Of course, he would always include a hug.”
He was Hunter the Hugger.
Hunter Slezak and his father, Michael Slezak, died in a boating accident in November 2024. At the time of his death, Hunter was a a second grader at Tanner Williams Elementary School in Wilmer, Alabama.Photo courtesy Meg Slezak
The sun had yet to rise on November 29, 2024. It was the day after Thanksgiving- the day the Slezaks gathered to give thanks for their wonderful lives, dressed in orange and posed for a family picture.
While Meg was getting ready for work, Hunter was bouncing off the walls. He was about to go on his first shrimping adventure. Dad Michael made sure food, water and life preservers were in tow. “Michael liked to spend some alone time with each of our children,” Meg told me. “That day was Hunter’s day.”
They were about to step out the door, on their way to Pelican Bay at Dauphin Island, Alabama. They would be headed toward the boat owned by 69-year-old Sam “Ollie” Wooley, a longtime shrimp boat captain who was a Vietnam Navy veteran.
“Both Michael and Hunter gave me a hug,” said Meg. “For some reason, Hunter turned around when he got to the door. He walked back to me and gave me another hug,” added Meg.
Hunter said, “I love you.”
Meg said, “I love you, too.”
November 29, a Friday, moved along. At 1 pm, Meg’s cell phone pinged — it was her husband contacting her. Meg looked down at her phone and read the three-word text: “I love you”.
“It was about 4 p.m., and I called Michael,” Meg told me. “There was no answer. I called Sam Wooley’s wife Marty, and she hadn’t heard from her husband, either.”
The authorities were called. The indescribable pain was about to arrive.
Michael Slezak shows off his catch on an earlier shrimping trip. Slezak, of Wilmer, Alabama, and his 7-year-old son, Hunter, were killed in a boating accident in November 2024.Photo courtesy Meg Slezak
Meg Slezak’s heart raced as she drove south to Dauphin Island. She had grabbed some food and blankets before she made the one-hour drive. Her 16-year-old daughter, Brooklynn, and 14-year-old daughter, Christa, would stay home in Wilmer — they would be in charge of watching over the younger daughters, 10-year-old Zarina and 4-year-old Gracee.
Forty-year-old Meg Slezak resisted thoughts that her 41-year-old husband and her 7-year-old son could be missing.
The Dauphin Island air turned cold as the sun set. Meg Slezak paced on shore, the whirring of helicopters, the humming of boats and ATV’s surrounding her. “I didn’t sleep a wink,” said Meg. “I was distraught. I couldn’t make myself eat.
“The thoughts of my husband and 7-year-old son struggling in the water made me sick. I prayed they were alive.”
A selfie captures Michael Slezak and his son, Hunter.Photo courtesy Meg Slezak
By the next morning, November 30, a massive search effort was underway.
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Coast Guard, the United Cajun Navy, Daphne Search and Rescue as well as other agencies had joined. Friends and strangers in boats and ATVs and cars and trucks searched by land, sea and air. And the news the search brought devasted two families.
It was about 9 miles south of Dauphin Island where the debris field was found. The authorities delivered the news to the families: The bodies of Michael Slezak and Sam Wooley had been found. And in the midst of that pain came the news that tore Meg’s heart apart: The body of her 7-year-old son Hunter had not been found.
69-year-old Sam “Ollie” Wooley, was a Navy veteran and shrimp boat captain at Dauphin Island, Alabama, who died in a boating accident in late November 2024. Also killed were Michael Slezak, 41, and his 7-year-old son, Hunter.Photo courtesy the Wooley family
Meg Slezak sobbed at the water’s edge, as she wasn’t about to leave until they found her son. “I stayed on the shore for 3 days without food or sleep,” said Meg. “I lost 25 pounds, and I was frantic. I had held out some hope when the choppers went up that first day, but the following day when they found Michael, I knew in my heart that Hunter was gone, too. But I stayed and prayed and hoped for a miracle.”
Somehow, Meg had to find the strength to get back to her daughters.
“I wondered how I was going to break the news to my daughters, but they had learned about it from the TV news,” said Meg. She cried and shook driving up Highway 98 to Wilmer. Meg Slezak was too shaken to ask God, “Why?” She arrived home and collapsed on the couch with her 4 daughters.
“It was heartbreaking — one of my daughters wouldn’t come out of the bathroom,” said Meg.
In the weeks that followed the darkest day of Meg Slezak’s life, dedicated men and women continued to search for Hunter. Meg drove back and forth from Wilmer to Dauphin Island. Family, friends and strangers reached out, but Meg couldn’t have closure until her son’s body was found. “We were all devastated,” Meg said. “Searchers found a large part of the boat, but Hunter was not found. I kept thinking of this little boy struggling in the water. I just couldn’t cope with imagining Hunter in his final moments.”
It was 16 days after the search began. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office officially called off the search on Dec. 15, 2024. Some organizations and volunteers continued searching for Hunter without success.
Meg and Michael Slezak met in college and shared five children. After Michael and the couple’s 7-year-old son, Hunter, died in a shrimping accident, Meg now works to raise her daughters and cope with tragic loss.Photo courtesy Meg Slezak
Meg Slezak had lost her husband and son, and her life turned to chaos.
“I had to sell many of our farm animals,” Megan told me. “Without my husband, it was too much for me seeing how I was working and caring for my four daughters. Brooklynn, Christa, Zarina and Gracee did their best to cope, but many times I would receive calls from school and be told that one of my daughters was found in a corner of a room sobbing.”
It’s been just over three months, and seeing how Hunter’s body was never found, Meg Slezak will never have closure.
“It’s an absolute horrible feeling knowing that this little body is out there somewhere,” said Meg. “I have to not think about it so I can function and do what I need to do to take care of my girls.”
Today, taking care of the girls means surrounding them with family, friends and loved ones. “The community has been amazing,” said Meg. “People continue to stop by and bring food — so many people are reaching out.”
Even Hunter’s grade school classmates are helping Meg’s heart mend: “One student addressed a Candy Gram to Heaven in hopes that Hunter would receive it,” said Meg. “We had snow a few weeks back, and a student named Audrey Parker went to Hunter’s gravesite and built a snowman in Hunter’s honor.”
Audrey Parker, a classmate at Tanner Williams Elementary School, visited Hunter Slezak’s gravesite during a rare coastal Alabama snow and built a snowman in her classmate’s honor.Photo courtesy Meg Slezak
The minutes tick by slowly for Meg Slezak. She is doing her best to hold her daughters tight. “We hug a little more these days,” said Meg. “I have put all sorts of pictures of Michael and Hunter around the house. I have had paintings of them done, and I have had quilts made from their clothes.”
The Semmes Middle School baseball team pays tribute to Michael Slezak, holding the No. 13 jersey her wore as coach.Photo courtesy Meg Slezak
While Meg surrounds herself with memories, her days continue to bring pain. “I don’t like to drive over water because every time I see water it’s a punch to the chest,” Meg told me.
As her days crawl by, she is reminded how much Michael and Hunter were loved. “My father and my brother-in-law bought a boat a few weeks ago,” said Meg. “They take the boat out in the bay almost every day hoping they can find Hunter’s body.”
Meg is trying her best to live through her new normal, and she wants us to know what she has learned after losing her tall, dark, loving husband and her sweet son who loved running in the wind. “You never know when your life will be up,” whispered Meg. “Everyone has their time to go to Heaven, and I believe that God wanted them back. Now, I need to do right in the world to make sure that I will be worthy of joining them.”
Until that day arrives, Meg Slezak will forge on.
If only she could see her husband’s smile as he walked out the door.
If only she could feel Hunter’s hugs again.
Rick Karle, who writes a weekly ‘Good News’ story, is a 25-time Emmy winner and a 43-year veteran of broadcast news who has lived and worked in Alabama for 35 years. You can find his work on Facebook at Rick Karle Good News. Send your story suggestions to: [email protected]
Dear Eric: Last year, I was hit by a double tragedy – diagnosed with cancer and losing my wife suddenly. The devastation lingers, and each day presents its own challenges. Some days, the weight of grief is crushing; other days, I find solace in walks, golf and music, keeping myself occupied. These activities offer some relief, but an undercurrent of sadness persists, making everything feel insignificant.
I need guidance on how to respond to the inevitable “How are you?” without feeling disingenuous. If I were to be completely honest, I’m afraid I’d repel people, as no one wants to be around someone perpetually down. Yet, saying “I’m OK” feels like a lie. How can I acknowledge their kindness while staying true to my feelings?
– Still Grieving
Dear Still Grieving: I’m so sorry for the loss of your wife and the health struggles you’re negotiating. I want to assure you that, for the sake of others’ comfort, you don’t need to feel or express anything other than what you’re feeling.
“How are you?” can often be such a calorie-less pleasantry. But when people ask you how you’re doing, meeting that kindness with authenticity is a gift. It is a gift to be able to be emotionally present with another person.
Some people may not be equipped to handle authenticity, but that’s not on you. That’s on them. I’d like you to ask yourself something: if you’re performing “being OK,” who is that performance for? If it doesn’t help you to cope, to heal, to grieve, then it’s not a performance worth giving right now.
You don’t harm anyone else by saying “I have good days and bad days” or saying “I’m really struggling right now. Thank you for asking.” People’s responses will vary. Some may be able to hold it and express compassion. Some people may get uncomfortable. Again, that’s not about you. It’s often about their own inability to be present with pain. You aren’t your worst day. But you’re worthy of being heard when you’re in your worst day, or even a day that’s just OK.
Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.
The offensive linemen will be on the field to close the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Sunday.
NFL Network will televise the final-day workouts from the annual event from noon to 4 p.m. CST Sunday.
The players will have the opportunity to participate in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill, shuttle run and position drills.
There are 50 offensive linemen at the combine this year.
Among the prospects in the Sunday group are four who played at Alabama high schools and colleges:
Ohio State center Seth McLaughlin (played at Alabama in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023)
The SEC has 16 other players in the Sunday group:
Texas tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.
LSU tackle Will Campbell
Texas guard Hayden Conner
Kentucky center Eli Cox
LSU guard Garrett Dellinger
Florida tackle Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson
Georgia guard Dylan Fairchild
LSU guard Miles Frazier
LSU tackle Emery Jones Jr.
Texas center Jake Majors
Missouri tackle Armand Membou
Georgia guard Tate Ratledge
South Carolina center Torricelli Simpkins III
Georgia guard Xavier Truss
Texas tackle Cameron Williams
Georgia center Jared Wilson
One more thing
The offensive linemen will end their combine work with the bench press on Monday.
First-rounders on the field
Projections vary, of course, but among the players thought to be possible first-round picks when the NFL Draft starts on April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, who are part of Sunday’s group are Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr., Alabama’s Tyler Booker, LSU’s Will Campbell, Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr., Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson and Josh Simmons, Missouri’s Armand Membou and North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel.
Five players share the highest grade assigned by NFL.com for offensive linemen this year, which is “will become a good starter within two years.” They are Banks, Booker, Campbell, Jackson and Membou.
In the books
The best performances over the first three days at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in the measured drills include the 4.28-second 40-yard dash by Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston, 43-inch vertical jump by South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori, 138-inch broad jump by Emmanwori, 6.65-second three-cone drill by Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson (a former Pinson Valley High School and Troy standout), 4.03-second shuttle run by Nevada safety Kitan Crawford and 32 bench-press reps by Oklahoma defensive end Ethan Downs and Alabama tight end CJ Dippre.
The defensive tackles, edge rushers and linebackers were the first players on the field for the measured drills on Thursday. The cornerbacks, safeties and tight ends took their turn on Friday. And the quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs were up on Saturday.
Combine bests
The NFL has been holding a league-inclusive combine since 1985, but the records are sketchy for the early years of the event. Profootballreference.com has compiled results since 2000, and these are the top performances in each of the combine drills since then:
40-yard dash: 4.21 seconds by Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy in 2024.
Vertical jump: 46 inches by North Carolina safety Gerald Sensabaugh in 2005.
Broad jump: 147 inches by Connecticut cornerback Byron Jones in 2015.
Three-cone drill: 6.28 seconds by Oklahoma defensive back Jordan Thomas in 2018.
Shuttle run: 3.73 seconds by Iowa wide receiver Kevin Kasper in 2001.
Bench press: 49 repetitions of 225 pounds by Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea in 2011.
The three-cone drill is meant to measure a player’s ability to change directions while the shuttle run tests a player’s lateral quickness.
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 X at @AMarkG1.
If you felt, in the weeks past, you could sometimes read the thoughts of another, that sense will be less pronounced in the new cycle. On the last day of Mercury’s journey through the sign of intuition, we realize there’s a limit to what can be expressed silently, sent with a look or on the wings of intention. Get ready to dig into a more direct style of communication.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Does the universe seem to be throwing obstacles at you? Are your teachers helping less than you think they should? This is the part where you have to push through. Assume everyone is doing their best and that there will be smoother roads ahead.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Someone’s absence may sting, even though their presence wasn’t quite right for you either. Take it as a sign that you’re coming into a more profound understanding of where you are in all the layers of life.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). It’s like there’s a fog creating an illusion of spookiness, but all it takes is a little sunshine to burn it off. The sunshine will come in the form of a good mood. It starts with covering your basics — rest, nutrition and something to look forward to.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). You are supported because the idea you organize yourself around is clear and appealing, promising to lift everyone. Environments of understanding, acceptance and assistance will grow around you wherever you are.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You connect with others when you see a bit of yourself in them. This ability extends even to those who, on the surface, seem quite different from you. It’s your inner values — especially kindness and inclusion — that shine through, creating common ground.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You deliver a level of devotion most people can’t even comprehend, and it speaks to who you are at your core. You love deeply. You commit deeply. Sometimes it means you don’t get to chase what you want in the moment and that’s a trade you’re willing to make.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’re getting over something, and the best way isn’t to fight the feelings but to starve them of attention. Decide the best place for your focus. Every time you drift into the weeds, make a course-correction. Pour yourself into endeavors that give back.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You keep adding to your network, mindful that a good mix of different ages, cultures and talents is ideal. You seek a group that’s stronger, more helpful and full of fresh perspectives, unexpected opportunities and meaningful connections.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). There’s a room in your heart for someone. It’s not a role you need filled; it’s a specific place for a specific person, and no one else will do. You may have other relationships and activities, but this particular vacancy can only have one tenant.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The dragon slayer doesn’t always wake up in the mood for battle, but there’s something about donning the armor, gripping the sword and charging forward that makes the work come together. The role is the action of the role.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The more you prove yourself capable, the higher the expectations placed upon you. People will naturally look to you for solutions, leadership and inspiration — not necessarily because they mean to burden you, but because you consistently deliver.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You are operating on multiple planes at once, and the little coincidences around you are proof. For instance, you’ll think of someone and then cross paths, or you’ll have an idea and then immediately the resources show up to make it real.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (March 2). Sometimes you’ll be the only one seeing the bright possibilities shimmering on the horizon. This is because they are a gift to you, just as your vision, communication and action are gifts to those around you. More highlights: You’ll work with passion, establishing a legacy that is also a joy in the moments of its making. You’ll have carefree times with friends, and you’ll close a big deal. Gemini and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 6, 32, 1 and 11.
CELEBRITY PROFILES: Chris Martin partnered with Argentine singer Tini on the track “We Pray,” a collaboration that Tini described as a dream come true and Martin described as an endeavor that started as an actual dream of Tini’s voice singing a beautiful melody. It is so Pisces to follow through to bring art from the ether into the world. Martin’s natal sun and Mercury are in ethereal Pisces, with moon and Saturn in entertaining Leo. His native flexibility indicates a go-with-the-flow attitude, with pops of excitement from the theatrical Leo realm.
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.
