Alabama News

General

Atlanta Braves add former National League All-Star from Auburn

Former Auburn standout Garrett Cooper will have the opportunity to make the Atlanta Braves’ regular-season roster in spring training.

The first baseman/outfielder and the National League team have agreed to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to the Braves’ spring-training camp in North Port, Florida, MLB Roster Moves and FanSided reported.

A member of the National League All-Star team in 2022, when he played for the Miami Marlins, Cooper batted .206 with one home run across 12 games with the Chicago Cubs and 24 games with the Boston Red Sox last season.

Cooper finished the 2024 season with the Norfolk Tides, the Baltimore Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate. Cooper batted .310, slugged .521 and knocked in 24 runs in 20 games for Norfolk, but he missed more than one month because of a broken finger.

While primarily a first baseman during his career, Cooper’s chance to head north with Atlanta might be enhanced because of his ability to play the corner spots in the outfield. During his MLB career, Cooper has 280 games at first base, 129 at designated hitter, 75 in right field and eight in left field.

The Braves have Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna locked in at first base and designated hitter, respectively. In left field, Cooper could give Atlanta a right-handed option for Jarred Kelenic, who hit .206 against left-handed pitchers last season. In right field, the Braves have Ronald Acuna Jr., but the former National League MVP’s start date for the 2025 season is up in the air as he recovers from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Cooper batted .340 with a .503 slugging percentage during his two seasons at Auburn. He left the Tigers as a sixth-round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2013.

Cooper reached the big leagues in 2017 with the New York Yankees. Thirteen games into his Major League career, Cooper had a .326 batting average as a summer callup when hamstring tendinitis sidelined him for the rest of the season, setting a pattern for Cooper’s career.

Traded to Miami after the 2017 season, Cooper played in only 14 games in 2018 because of two wrist injuries. In 2019, he played in 107 games even though he took a pitch on his left hand in his first game off the injured list from a calf strain. In the shortened 2020 season, Cooper missed 26 of the 60 games on the COVID-19 list.

In 2021, Cooper had Tommy John surgery after suffering an elbow injury when an errant throw put him in the path of a baserunner at first, limiting him to 71 games.

After his All-Star Game appearance, Cooper went to the injured list three times before the end of the 2022 season because of a wrist injury, a concussion and a broken finger.

In 517 MLB games, Cooper has a .265 batting average, .333 on-base average and .427 slugging percentage. He has hit 57 home runs.

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

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Is Alabama in for more snow? Brutal cold coming next week: What you can expect

Another shot of brutally cold air is expected to hit Alabama next week, and there’s a non-zero chance for the “s” word to make another appearance in the forecast.

Snow was far from a sure thing, according to forecasters on Tuesday, but the potential for it will be something to keep an eye through this week.

The National Weather Service is expecting cool temperatures to continue this week, with highs expected to be in the 40s and 50s and lows in the 20s and 30s today and tonight.

Here are today’s expected high temperatures:

Here are tonight’s expected low temperatures:

The warmest day of the week looks to be Saturday, when temperatures will reach the 60s across the state.

The forecast is expected to be dry until Friday or Saturday when the next substantial chance for rain arrives.

And it could be a good rain, with the potential for an inch or more for parts of the state.

Here’s the five-day precipitation outlook, with all the rain expected in Alabama on Friday and Saturday:

The weather service expects temperatures to remain above freezing this weekend, so the precipitation is expected to be all rain.

A shot of air straight from the arctic is expected to arrive in Alabama on Sunday and Monday, with much-below-average temperatures expected for the state.

The weather service thinks high temperatures in north Alabama will struggle to get into the 30s on Monday. Central Alabama will be in the 30s for highs and south Alabama will only get into the low 40s.

Here is the high temperature forecast for next Monday, Jan. 20:

Low temperatures Monday night will again fall into the teens in north Alabama with 20s expected over more of central and south Alabama.

Forecast models are hinting at moisture levels rising enough to possibly bring some winter precipitation to the state on Monday or Tuesday, although it’s too soon to say if that will happen for sure.

The weather service in Huntsville said left open the possibility that there could be some light snow in north Alabama on Monday afternoon.

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However, the weather service in Birmingham as of Tuesday thinks that drier air moving in behind the front could curtail any wintry precipitation.

As usual when it comes to the potential for snow in Alabama, it will be a wait-and-see situation, but details could become more clear over the next few days.

There is more confidence in the idea that colder temperatures will hang around until the end of January. The eight- to 14-day temperature outlook continues to show a higher probability of below-average temperatures for Alabama from Jan. 21-27:

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Gulf Coast Amtrak project faces further delays, aims for summer launch

Amtrak’s return to the Gulf Coast is expected to come this summer, and not this spring or anywhere close to reaching a Mardi Gras time frame that officials had hoped for last fall.

If anything, Amtrak’s revival along the Gulf Coast could coincide with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the devastating storm that knocked the service off line in 2005.

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Archibald: Let’s rename the world, but start with Tennessee

This is an opinion column.

Who knew it was an option to simply change the names of things that don’t belong to us?

The possibilities are endless. You don’t have to actually change anything. You just have to call it something else.

For personal reasons, I’d like to rename Tennessee “Dorkland.” No offense to actual dorks. For personal reasons, Tennesseans have called me worse.

I’ve never understood why Alabama, which presumably dares defend its rights of way, allows the Dorkland River to flow freely in and out of its borders. Maybe we should just call it the River Sticks. Because you cross it to get to hillbilly hell.

It’s freeing to rename things that annoy you. There’s a president, I mean precedent, for it. And bodies of water are a good start.

Lake Superior is in the state of Canada, for Pete’s sake. It should rightly be called Lake Inferior. And the Pacific Ocean sounds like some hippy dippy draft dodger with “bad feet.” Let’s call it the Ocean of American Might. That’ll make waves.

Most rivers in Alabama are named for Native American culture, and I like that, except in the case of the one mentioned above. Lakes, on the other hand, are generally named for Alabama Power execs or their mothers, lawyers, engineers or friends. I’d change them in a Reddy Kilowatt, to Atlantic, Ventnor and Marvin Gardens. Park Place and Boardwalk. You know. Monopoly properties.

I guess New Mexico has to change. But I’m sure smart people are already thinking that.

I’m curious, too, why we never bothered to name the moon. It’s there every night and it’s just … moon. It’s like calling your dog “Dog” or your kid “Kid.” We planted a flag in that thing, so give it a fitting name: Yankee Doodle Flashlight. Or is it a gaslight?

But before you can change the heavens you have to change the wrongs closer to home.

There’s an Alabama town called Cuba 11 miles west of Intercourse. Of course we can’t have that. Cuba, I mean. We’ll call it Foreplay instead.

An hour northeast of Needmore, a little less than an hour northwest of Smuteye, is the community of Little Texas. There are only about 1,200 people there, but they need to own it. Forget the Little, and just call them Texas. The state of Texas? We’ll call it West Smuteye.

Marshall County has an Egypt and an Arab (rhymes with Ahab). It’s probably why the county has the third-highest immigrant population rate in the state. Alabama has a Berlin, a Havana and a Rome — where all roads do not lead.

There’s the Abel community in Cleburne County, just across the Talladega National Forest from Waldo, if you know where to find Waldo. As the Bible tells us Abel was a loser, so that has to change. Just call it Cain.

For that matter, why don’t we change the names of names.

Alabama offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan has not earned the right to be Tuscaloosa’s Nick S. (or a paycheck 22 times the median household income in the state, but that’s another story). Let’s just call him Temp.

That singer from Alabama, India Ramey, is tearing up Nashville these days. She’s great. But I’m afraid we’re going to have to call her Indiana. For America’s sake.

Cuba Gooding Jr. must be Cuba Not-so-Gooding. And while I hate it for Tennessee Williams, he will now have to be Dorkland Williams. It’s not even fair.

But hey, I’m just calling ‘em what I see ‘em.

In a world where greed is godly, thought control is liberty and theocracy is religious freedom, a rose is whatever you want to call it.

John Archibald is a two-time Pulitzer winner who, in actuality, has nothing at all against the great state of Tennessee. Or Dorkland.

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See all of Monday’s statewide high school basketball scores

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Country music legend dead at 94: ‘The Lord answered our prayers’

Buck White, founder of the Grammy Award-winning bluegrass trio the Whites, has died. Ricky Skaggs shared the news on social media Monday.

Skaggs posted a message from the four White daughters on his own Facebook page.

“The Lord answered our prayers and took our daddy, Buck White, home peacefully this morning at 8:00 a.m.,” the statement reads. “We are so thankful for his 94 years on this earth. He was a great dad who taught us by example to put Jesus first always.

“His great loves were the Lord, our mother, his family, and music. Most people will remember him not only for being a great musician and entertainer, but also for being fun-loving and full of mischief. He lived a full life and finished well.”

Buck White joined daughters Sharon and Cheryl White to form the Whites when the girls were young. Sharon would later marry Skaggs, who would frequently collaborate.

The group had several Top 10 and Top 20 singles on the country airplay charts in the 1980s. “You Put the Blue in Me,” “Hangin’ Around” and “I Wonder Who’s Holding My Baby Tonight” were some of the highlights.

The group made headlines in 2001 as bluegrass for the Grammy-winning “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” album.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

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Starbucks announces major changes to its restroom and refills policies

Starbucks Corp. reversed a policy allowing anyone, even those who hadn’t purchased anything, to use its cafes, patios and restrooms.

The company issued a new code of conduct as part of its plan to make stores more welcoming and win back consumers, Starbucks said in an emailed statement.

Implementing such a code “is something most retailers already have and is a practical step that helps us prioritize our paying customers who want to sit and enjoy our cafes or need to use the restroom during their visit,” Starbucks spokesperson Jaci Anderson said.

The code, which includes provisions barring panhandling and disruptive behavior and will go into effect starting Jan. 27, will be displayed in locations.

Baristas will be trained on how to enforce the guidelines and can ask those who violate the rules to leave, Starbucks said. Previously, they weren’t allowed to. If needed, workers can seek help from local law enforcement.

Customers may use the restroom or connect to the wifi before approaching the counter to make a purchase, according to the company.

The new rules represent a pivot from a policy set in 2018 that allowed anyone to linger in cafes. That policy followed an incident in Philadelphia in which a manager called the police on two Black men who were waiting in a store without ordering.

The new code of conduct was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Starbucks shares rose 1.4% to $93.51 on Monday. The stock has advanced 2.5% this month, outpacing the S&P 500 Index.

Free refills

Additionally, the Seattle-based company is reintroducing ceramic mugs and expanding its free refills policy.

Starbucks will offer refills to non-rewards members as long as the original order is made in a reusable clean cup or the ceramic or glass mugs, according to a memo sent to workers.

The policy applies to hot and iced brewed coffee. The same rules will apply to rewards members, who previously were the only ones who could get free refills.

The company will host sessions that will last as long as three hours to train baristas on new service standards and operational expectations, according to a letter to workers from Sara Trilling, the chain’s president of North America.

The company also promised to bring back the sugar and milk bar after taking it away during the pandemic.

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©2025 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Jack Smith’s report sent to Congress: What did the special counsel investigation find?

Special counsel Jack Smith said his team “stood up for the rule of law” as it investigated President-elect Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, writing in a much-anticipated report released Tuesday that he stands fully behind his decision to bring criminal charges he believes would have resulted in a conviction had voters not returned Trump to the White House.

“The throughline of all of Mr. Trump’s criminal efforts was deceit — knowingly false claims of election fraud — and the evidence shows that Mr. Trump used these lies as a weapon to defeat a federal government function foundational to the United States’ democratic process,” the report states.

The report, arriving just days before Trump is to return to office on Jan. 20, focuses fresh attention on his frantic but failed effort to cling to power in 2020. With the prosecution foreclosed thanks to Trump’s election victory, the document is expected to be the final Justice Department chronicle of a dark chapter in American history that threatened to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power, a bedrock of democracy for centuries, and complements already released indictments and reports.

Trump responded early Tuesday with a post on his Truth Social platform, claiming he was “totally innocent” and calling Smith “a lamebrain prosecutor who was unable to get his case tried before the Election.” He added, “THE VOTERS HAVE SPOKEN!!!”

Trump had been indicted in August 2023 on charges of working to overturn the election, but the case was delayed by appeals and ultimately significantly narrowed by a conservative-majority Supreme Court that held for the first time that former presidents enjoy sweeping immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.

Though Smith sought to salvage the indictment, the team dismissed it entirely in November because of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face federal prosecution.

“The Department’s view that the Constitution prohibits the continued indictment and prosecution of a President is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Office stands fully behind,” the report states. “Indeed, but for Mr. Trump’s election and imminent return to the Presidency, the Office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial.”

The Justice Department transmitted the report to Congress early Tuesday after a judge refused a defense effort to block its release. A separate volume of the report focused on Trump’s hoarding of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, actions that formed the basis of a separate indictment against Trump, will remain under wraps for now.

Though most of the details of Trump’s efforts to undo the election are already well established, the document includes for the first time a detailed assessment from Smith about his investigation, as well as a defense by Smith against criticism by Trump and his allies that the inquiry was politicized or that he worked in collaboration with the White House — an assessment he called “laughable.”

“While we were not able to bring the cases we charged to trial, I believe the fact that our team stood up for the rule of law matters,” Smith wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland attached to the report. “I believe the example our team set for others to fight for justice without regard for the personal costs matters.”

The special counsel also laid out the challenges it faced in its investigation, including Trump’s assertion of executive privilege to try to block witnesses from providing evidence, which forced prosecutors into sealed court battles before the case was charged.

Another “significant challenge” was Trump’s “ability and willingness to use his influence and following on social media to target witnesses, courts, prosecutors,” which led prosecutors to seek a gag order to protect potential witnesses from harassment, Smith wrote.

“Mr. Trump’s resort to intimidation and harassment during the investigation was not new, as demonstrated by his actions during the charged conspiracies,” Smith wrote.

“A fundamental component of Mr. Trump’s conduct underlying the charges in the Election Case was his pattern of using social media — at the time, Twitter — to publicly attack and seek to influence state and federal officials, judges, and election workers who refused to support false claims that the election had been stolen or who otherwise resisted complicity in Mr. Trump’s scheme,” he added.

Smith also for the first time explained the thought process behind his team’s prosecution decisions, writing that his office decided not to charge Trump with incitement in part because of free speech concerns, or with insurrection because he was the sitting president at the time and there was doubt about proceeding to trial with the offense — of which there was no record of having been prosecuted before.

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Classic Alabama diner makes Southern Living’s 12 Best list

There’s so much to love about Payne’s Sandwich Shop & Soda Fountain in the charming northeast Alabama town of Scottsboro.

The famous red slaw hot dogs.

The nickel ice cream on Senior Scoop Day every Thursday.

And the shop’s sweet and compassionate owner.

Not to mention that Payne’s has been around since 1869, a year before the town of Scottsboro was officially incorporated.

From the hot fudge sundaes to the “Happy Days” vibe, Payne’s, as we have written before, is a place where “memories never grow old” and “yesterday doesn’t seem so far away.”

RELATED: 8 old-fashioned Alabama soda fountains that take us back in time

So it’s no surprise that our friends at Southern Living love Payne’s as much as we do and have included the legendary Scottsboro eatery on their list of The 12 Best Retro Diners In The South.

Here’s what Southern Living senior travel and culture editor Tara Massouleh McCay wrote about Payne’s:

An absolute stalwart in its teeny tiny community, Payne’s has been in operation for 153 years and counting. Payne’s started out as a pharmacy and soda fountain famous for being the first establishment in the area to serve Coca-Cola. Today, you can find the same soda counter favorites like floats and milkshakes, as well as Payne’s signature red slaw hot dog. Claim a seat at the bar, then peruse the chalkboard menu that runs the length of the wall and features everything from turkey subs to specialty sundaes.

To read about the other diners on Southern Living’s 12 Best list, go here.

Payne’s Sandwich Shop & Soda Fountain is at 101 East Laurel St. in Scottsboro, Ala. The phone is 256-574-2140. For more information, go here.

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Dear Abby: Should I move back to my home city?

DEAR ABBY: My ex-husband and I share a 3-year-old grandchild through our son. Until now, it hasn’t been a big problem because I live in the same city as my son’s family, but that’s about to change. My grandson is the joy of my life, and I plan to visit wherever they move after my son’s job transfer. I had been considering a move back to our hometown. Unbeknownst to me, my son has also been considering a move back there.

The problem for me is that my ex-husband still lives there, and he’s inclined to take over and monopolize the child in the same way he did with our son. He remains hostile toward me 20 years after our divorce.

Part of me says I need to be willing to put up with the pain of being in close proximity to my ex to be near my grandson. However, it reminds me strongly of staying married to him for the sake of what I perceived to be our children’s well-being. In hindsight that was, of course, misguided. Despite my reservations, should I set aside my doubts, move back to my home city and see what happens? — DECISIONS TO MAKE

DEAR DECISIONS: Discuss your reservations with your son and daughter-in-law. If your ex-husband tries to monopolize their child, could they put the brakes on it? On the plus side, you are not the same woman you were 20 years ago. I’d like to think that you are stronger and smarter now. If I’m right, while your ex may present a pain in the behind, it would be a tolerable pain, and you would have the access you want to your grandchild.

Read more Dear Abby and other advice columns.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

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