Elon Musk, who is leading efforts by President Donald Trump to slash what they believe is wasteful government spending, blasted a federal court ruling that temporarily blocks one of the administration’s cost-cutting moves.
“A judge just blocked dropping the overhead charged on NIH grants from the outrageous 60% to a far more reasonable 15%,” Musk wrote under his pseudonym Harry Bolz on X.
“This judge is FORCING the CORRUPTION to CONTINUE.”
The cuts apply to indirect costs, which helps pay for overhead at UAB and other institutions that receive NIH funding.
“Drastically lowering NIH indirect cost recovery jeopardizes life-saving research, and it would also result in job and economic loss in Birmingham and Alabama,” the university told AL.com in a statement.
The cuts, which took effect Monday, limit indirect funding for research projects, which covers costs such as equipment, staff, and utilities, to 15%.
Indirect funding rates have varied by institution.
UAB’s indirect cost rate is 48.5%, well above the 26% average the NIH says it pays on the billions of grants it disburses annually.
Fire swept through a Bessemer home, leaving one man dead.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Glover Mayweather. He was 70.
Bessemer firefighters responded at 12:14 a.m. Monday to a report of a fire at Mayweather’s home in the 1500 block of 12th Avenue North.
Once the blaze was extinguished, said Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates, Mayweather was found unresponsive inside. He was pronounced dead on the scene at 1:50 a.m.
The Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause and origin of the fire.
For U.S. Google Map users only, the body of water formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico will now appear as the Gulf of America when using the navigational service.
The change comes just several weeks after President Donald Trump signed an executive order for the gulf to be renamed and on Sunday declared February 9 was officially Gulf of America Day.
Following the order, Google stated that it has a longstanding practice of implementing name changes when done by official government sources.
In a statement Monday, Google announced that depending on a user’s location in the world the name for the gulf will be different.
“People using Maps in the U.S. will see “Gulf of America,” and people in Mexico will see “Gulf of Mexico,” the statement read. “Everyone else will see both names.”
For those outside the U.S. and Mexico, the map will show Gulf of America in parentheses under Gulf of Mexico.
“By the way, we are also going to ask for Mexican America to appear on the map,” Sheinbaum said.
But not all web mapping apps are embracing the name change.
Apple Maps has not renamed the Gulf of Mexico on the app resulting in a mix of positive and negative reactions from users, according to The Economic Times.
“Please be advised that the FAA is in the process of updating our data and charts to show a name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and a name change from Denali to Mount McKinley,” the notice read.
Human remains found by hunters in Blount County almost 20 years ago have been identified as a Mississippi inmate who walked away from work release and lived under an assumed identity before his death.
Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey on Tuesday identified the remains as Patrick Grayson Spann. He was 32 when he died.
The skeletal remains were found by hunters in October 2005 on railroad tracks off U.S. 31 near Garden City.
A gun and driver’s license were found with the remains.
The .22 revolver had five spent cartridge cases and one in the cylinder.
The woman listed on the driver’s license was interviewed and revealed that her partner, Chad Patrick Singleton, had taken her identification and abruptly vanished a year before.
Casey said the investigation showed that the name “Chad Singleton’’ actually belonged to a man who died in 1995, and that Spann had been living under that name.
The remains were examined by a forensic anthropologist in 2005 but the true identity remained a mystery.
Casey in 2024 reopened the case.
The man known as Chad Singleton had two biological daughters while he was living in Blountsville.
The district attorney’s office submitted DNA evidence of one of those daughters for genetic genealogy testing to identify and locate possible relatives which could lead authorities to the true identity of the remains.
That search turned up a possible biological son.
Skeletal remains found in Alabama’s Blount County in 2005 have been identified as Patrick Grayson Spann. This is an enhanced image of Spann. (Contributed)
Spann’s identification was made possible by investigative genetic genealogical research performed by Moxxy Forensic Investigations, a group hired by Casey.
DNA testing positively identified the remains to be that of Spann by using the comparison of DNA profiles obtained from a tooth extracted from the remains and that of his potential biological son.
The confirmation was made by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Spann assumed the alias after he escaped from the Hinds County detention facility in Raymond, Mississippi.
He was serving a two-year sentence for possession of cocaine when he and another inmate went on a work assignment and never returned to the jail.
“The were doing good work, especially Patrick Spann, who has been with us two to three months,’’ the work supervisor told the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger in the days following the inmates’ disappearance.
“He had earned our trust. We are just disappointed it happened.”
After his escape, Spann lived on Overlook Road in Blountsville under the “Chad Singleton” alias, Casey said.
According to witnesses, Spann left the home one day in October 2004 and never returned.
The vehicle Spann was reportedly driving was eventually recovered behind a barn off Bangor Hollow Road.
Investigators don’t believe Spann died of natural causes, but are still working to determine the cause and manner of his death.
“Patrick Grayson Spann’s remains have been released to his family in Mississippi for proper burial, but this does not conclude the investigation into his death,’’ Casey said.
“State and local law enforcement will continue to pursue and follow leads until all remaining questions surrounding his death have been resolved.”
Casey said more than 100 unidentified remains are in the custody of the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences.
She hopes that more genetic-investigative genealogy will be used for identification so that everyone makes it back home to their loved ones even after their death.
Casey is currently using investigative genealogical research to try to resolve three other cold cases. To date, unknown DNA has been identified in two of those three cases.
Those investigations are still pending. Tim Sartain, a retired Alabama Bureau of Investigation agent, is working for Casey on the cold cases.
Casey also thanked Moxxy Forensic Investigations and Blount County Coroner Lynn Sweatman for their assistance in the Spann investigation.
Anyone with information about the disappearance and death of Spann, aka Chad Patrick Singleton, is asked to call the Blount County District Attorney’s Office.
California-based food producer Tri-Union Seafoods has voluntarily recalled select lots of canned tuna products sold under the Genova, Van Camp’s, H-E-B and Trader Joe’s brand names.
According to a statement dated Feb. 7, the company is recalling the fish in an “abundance of caution” due to a notification from its supplier that the easy open pull tab on the tuna cans has a manufacturing defect that may cause the seal to leak or become contaminated with clostridium botulinum, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning.
Tri-Union Seafoods says the recalled tuna cans were distributed to the following retailers and states:
H-E-B label – Texas
Trader Joe’s label – Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin
Genova 7 oz. – Costco in Florida and Georgia
Genova 5 oz. -Harris Teeter, Publix, H-E-B, Kroger, Safeway, Walmart, and independent retailers in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Texas
Van Camp’s label – Walmart and independent retailers in Pennsylvania, Florida and New Jersey
A list of the products’ specific can codes, ‘Best if Used By’ dates, and UPC numbers are listed here.
Tri-Union Seafoods is warning consumers not to eat the impacted tuna, even if the food does not look or smell spoiled. The company is asking customers who have recalled tuna cans to return them to the retailer for a full refund, throw them away, or contact Tri-Union Seafoods directly for a retrieval kit and a coupon for a replacement product. Consumers can contact Tri-Union Seafoods at [email protected] or call 833-374-0171, if they have questions or to request replacement products.
As of Feb. 7, Tri-Union Seafoods says no illnesses associated with the recalled products have been reported and the recall is being conducted to ensure consumer safety. The company says the canned tuna recall does not impact any other Tri-Union Seafoods products and no other product packaging was impacted by the potential manfacuturing defect.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday night ended the NFL’s 2024 season, leaving all 32 teams able to turn their full attention to preparing for the 2025 campaign.
That team building will include free agency, which starts with the NFL’s 2025 business year on March 12.
Any NFL player with at least four seasons of experience and an expiring contract will become a free agent at 3 p.m. CDT March 12 if he doesn’t sign a contract extension or his team doesn’t use its franchise tag on him before then.
The players headed toward unrestricted free agency at that time could include 35 from Alabama high schools and colleges who were on NFL active rosters or reserve lists at the end of the 2024 regular season.
The potential unrestricted free agents include five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper (Alabama) and four-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly (Alabama).
But according to the sports financial web site spotrac.com, the players with Alabama football roots who will command the largest contracts in free agency this spring will be offensive tackle Cam Robinson (Alabama) and cornerback Carlton Davis (Auburn).
Spotrac.com estimates Robinson’s market value as a three-year, $42.035 million contract and Davis’ market value as a three-year, $41.308 million contract.
The player headed toward free agency with the highest annual value, though, according to spotrac.com’s market-value estimates, is wide receiver Darius Slayton (Auburn), at $15.861, or a two-year, $31.721 million contract.
Among the 2021 draft choices whose four-year rookie contracts are expiring is first-round pick Najee Harris (Alabama). The Pittsburgh Steelers could have kept the running back under contract for 2025 by picking up their fifth-year option last offseason for $6.79 million. Spotrac.com estimates Harris’ market value as a three-year, $27.45 million contract, or $9.15 million per season.
The players from Alabama high schools and colleges on NFL active rosters or reserve lists at the end of the 2024 regular season who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents at 3 p.m. March 12 include:
A restricted free agent is a player with three NFL seasons and an expiring contract. Like unrestricted free agents, restricted free agents can negotiate with any interested teams, but their original teams can tender restricted free agents with qualifying offers from four tiers. All the tenders give the original teams the ability to match any contract offer before losing a player and some carry draft-pick compensation if a player signs elsewhere.
Yet another type of NFL free agent is the exclusive-rights free agent. An ERFA is a player with fewer than three seasons and an expiring contract. If his original team offers the ERFA a contract, he cannot negotiate with other teams.
The NFL’s pending exclusive-rights free agents include five with Alabama football roots:
Grant DuBose, wide receiver, Park Crossing, Miles
Jeremiah Moon, linebacker, Hoover
LaBryan Ray, defensive tackle, James Clemens, Alabama
Kadeem Telfort, offensive tackle, UAB
Chandler Wooten, linebacker, Auburn
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.
With this deal, Target customers can get the red countertop Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven for only $299 compared to its typical price of $399. It also comes with a pizza stone, pizza peel and metal deep dish pan.
Cuisinart Indoor Metal Pizza Oven – $299
The red Cuisinart Indoor Metal Pizza Oven is $100 off this week.
Along with its included accessories, the Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven features a little over 12 inches of cooking space and comes with a temperature range of 350°F-700°F, ideal for cooking a variety of pizza styles. Its unique insulation technology also makes cooking pizzas indoors easy and hassle free.
“Do pizza night right with the Cuisinart® Indoor Pizza Oven—a must-have for making artisanal 12″ pizzas right in your kitchen. Cook authentic Neapolitan pizza in five minutes or less and explore other regional favorites like deep dish, Detroit style and New York style pizzas, all customized with your favorite toppings,” Target’s product details state.
“This countertop oven uses radiant heat to reach 700°F—the ideal temperature for cooking the crispy crust and bubbling cheese you love for the tastiest, most authentic flavor. Engineered with active cooling technology, ideal for indoor use. Includes a 12.5″ heat-conducting pizza stone for delectably crispy crust, deep dish pan and pizza peel for sliding pies in and out of the oven.”
Reigning Miss Basketball Ace Austin and Class 1A No. 1 Spring Garden hit the court today as the four AHSAA basketball regionals begin across the state of Alabama.
Regionals are being held at Wallace-State Hanceville, Jacksonville State, Garrett Coliseum and Alabama State. The winners advance to the state tournament in Birmingham beginning Feb. 24.
Armie Hammer is addressing the allegations that derailed his Hollywood career four years ago. And while he spoke candidly about his harmful behavior, he insisted his actions were “not illegal.”
“People were sort of like my bags of dope with skin on them,” Hammer said on “The Louis Theroux Podcast.”
“You make me feel amazing, so I’m going to throw everything into this, and we’re going to have this whirlwind romance, and I’m going to whisk you up, and we’re going to go on trips, and we’re going to do all this, and then I’m going to bring you home and I’m going to go, ‘Thanks so much, that was great,’ and then I’m going to move on.”
“I would go do something almost exactly the same with someone else. And I left a lot of people in that wake very angry at me for my behavior, which, by the way, I’m not angry,” he continued. “Does it make me a dick? Absolutely. I have no problem admitting that I was a dick. That’s not illegal.”
Hammer also addressed the infamous text message in which the “Call Me by Your Name” star writes “I am 100% a cannibal.” Hammer quickly pointed out that the texts were “digitally altered” to not include the other side of the exchange, adding that it “could have been a very funny conversation between two people who were joking and pushing each other and egging each other on.”
“Sometimes when you’re involved with a person and you’re dating and you guys are having sex and you are a bit of a provocateur and you are exacerbated by alcohol or drugs or anything like that, it’s fun to ruffle feathers and it’s fun to push the envelope little by little,” Hammer said. “Did I ever have any intention of cutting anything off of anyone or eating anything off of anyone? No.”
In 2021, Hammer was accused of sexual assault by numerous women. A LAPD investigation followed, but charges were never filed.
The scandal saw Hammer completely blacklisted from the industry. But, during a January appearance on Christina Pazsitzy and Tom Segura’s “Your Mom’s House” podcast, the 38-year-old actor said his career is making a comeback.
“The worm is turning, it takes time,” Hammer said. “It’s slow, but generally now the conversation when my name comes up with people in the industry is, ‘Man, that guy got fucked.’ And that feels really good. It’s really encouraging.”
The 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports, which were set to start on Feb. 4, are now scheduled to take effect on in early March after Trump announced a 30-day pause on the plan.
Those plans could change again, but if the tariffs were to go into effect, Alabama’s economy stands to take a big hit.
Mexico and Canada are among Alabama’s biggest international trade partners. And imports from both nations are vital for some of the state’s biggest industries.
Alabama imports more goods from Mexico than any other nation, and it’s not even close. Canada ranked fifth, and was near the top for receiving Alabama’s exports — an important distinction as Canada had at one point promised tariffs of its own on American goods.
Alabama imported some $37.6 billion worth of goods from Mexico between 2019 and 2024, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The next closest nation, South Korea, sat at $30.2 billion.
Roughly 20% of Alabama’s total international imports came from Mexico during that time.
In 2024 alone, Alabama imported roughly $6.9 billion in Mexican goods. The biggest single chunk of that was crude oil, which accounted for $1.4 billion.
Mexico was Alabama’s biggest source of crude oil in 2024, beating out oil-rich Kuwait. But perhaps more important is the effect tariffs on Mexican goods would have on Alabama’s large and growing auto manufacturing industry. Alabama imports billions of dollars worth of specific parts used in the manufacturing of cars from Mexico every year, including wiring, seats and steering wheels.
Often, those parts can travel back and forth over the border more than once in the process of contsructing a vehicle, compounding the impact of tariffs.
Meanwhile, tariffs on Canada could affect a different Alabama industry.
Alabama imported more than $19 billion worth of goods from Canada from 2019 to 2024. A huge chunk of that is airplane parts, especially turbojets, which would impact Alabama’s aviation and aerospace industries, including companies and entities like NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Airbus.
In 2024 alone, Alabama imported more than $500 million worth of large aircraft turbines from Canada. That was the biggest single chunk of the import pie that year, and it’s an industry that’s been growing in Alabama.
The second largest category was general parts of airplanes or helicopters. The state also imports many parts for cars, along with about 1,500 other types of Canadian goods.
In 2024, Alabama sent more good to Canada — nearly $4.3 billion worth — than any other nation. By far the largest export good from Alabama to Canada is manufactured cars.
Mexico was second on Alabama’s export list in 2024.
