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Woodfin makes Birmingham interim police chief the city’s official top cop

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin today named Interim Police Chief Michael Pickett as the city’s official top cop.

Pickett, 40, took over as the interim chief in December following the retirement of Chief Scott Thurmond.

Under his leadership, the city has seen an almost 50 percent decrease in homicides in the first quarter of 2025, and a homicide clearance rate well above the national average.

“Leadership matters,” Woodfin said. “Chief Pickett leads from the front. Not from behind a desk.”

“I want to thank Mayor Woodfin for his confidence in me and support for the Birmingham Police Department,” Pickett said.

“From the mayor and council’s support of the $16 million police recruitment and retention plan to a commitment to new resources, and investment in a comprehensive violence reduction strategy, we are working to create the next generation of effective law enforcement in Birmingham.”

Pickett joined the Birmingham Police Department in 2004.

He is a graduate of Ramsay High School and Miles College.

“Birmingham is my home,‘’ Pickett said. “I love this city.”

“I know this city and I’ve dedicated my career to serving it,‘’ he said in October when he was tapped as interim chief.

On Tuesday, Pickett said acccountability will be upheld and he’s excited about moving the city forward.

“I’m excited about the direction we’re going,‘’ he said. ”We have several things that are in place to make sure everyone has as safe a summer as possible.”

Pickett began his law enforcement career at the city’s West Precinct and went on to become a field training officer. He has served in various roles including the City Wide Task Force and the Crime Reduction Team.

After working stints in patrol, investigations, and Dignitary Protection, Pickett was promoted to the rank of sergeant and then lieutenant.

As a lieutenant, he became commander of the City-Wide Traffic Task Force, Executive Protection Unit, and Security Services Division.

He was also the Law Enforcement Branch Director for the 2022 World Games.

He is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in criminal justice, with a concentration in Homeland Security and Advanced Counterterrorism.

Pickett, in late 2023, took on the task of putting the brakes on exhibition driving and illegal street racing at Woodfin’s directive. The first effort by Operation Knight Rider took place earlier this year.

Pickett’s team analyzed data, and that data was used to narrow down and target hotspots for resource deployment.

“We are going to show these criminal offenders that the streets of Birmingham are not going to be a place where you are going to showcase your vehicle’s abilities,‘’ Pickett said at the time.

Pickett earlier this year unveiled the department’s eight-point crime reduction strategy which includes the Special Enforcement Team.

The SET is made up of officers selected from throughout the department who don’t respond to calls but instead patrol crime hot spots.

Those officers target the most dangerous criminals based on intelligence from multiple sources including BPD Intel, precinct commander reports, and ShotSpotter data.

Pickett put the team together in the summer of 2024, and made it permanent in December when he became the interim chief.

He spoke with AL.com Monday regarding the department’s success in recent months.

“Our patrol officers are patrolling more intentionally. I feel morale has increased, and we’re seeing a reflection of that,” Pickett said.

“And our Special Enforcement Teams are focused more intently on our violent offenders.”

“I think taking them off the street, intercepting them before they have the opportunity to shoot someone or take someone’s life is having an impact,” he said.

“I also think what is having an impact is some of the significant arrests that we’ve made.”

Is the current success sustainable?

“That is definitely my goal,” Pickett said.

“I know that crime changes, I know that the nature of the way a criminal’s mind works is they see things and they adjust, and police have to do that as well and we have to do it as swiftly as they do it.”

“I just want to keep this going,” he said. “I want 2025 to be one of the best years we’ve had in a very long time.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

General

Tush Push survives for now an attempt to make the play illegal in the NFL

The quarterback sneak used to great effect by Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles remains a legal play in the NFL – at least for now.

On Tuesday, the NFL team owners tabled a vote on a proposal to ban the play, widely referred to as the Tush Push and the Brotherly Shove, NFL Network and ESPN reported.

It was a previous rule change, which dropped the prohibition against pushing ball-carriers, that allowed the Eagles coach Nick Sirianni to develop the play that uses the other backs to add pushing power to Hurts’ churn into the line in goal-line situations and third- and fourth-and-short snaps.

At the NFL’s annual meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, the league’s team owners had an agenda of five playing-rules proposals, five bylaw proposals and three resolution proposals to consider.

The tabled proposal came from the Green Bay Packers and aimed to outlaw the Tush Push. The Packers are seeking to amend Rule 12, Section 1, Article 4. Article 4 deals with rules on assisting the runner and interlocking interference.

The Packers’ proposal would add a fourth prohibition under the “no offensive player may” introduction that would read “immediately at the snap, push or throw his body against a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and received the snap to aid him in an attempt to gain yardage.”

The reasons given to support the Packers’ proposal are “player safety” and “pace of play.”

Violation of the rule would carry a 10-yard penalty.

Twenty-four of the 32 team owners would have had to vote for the proposed change for it to pass.

The owners could take up the measure again at their next meeting in May.

In his four seasons as Philadelphia’s starting quarterback, Hurts has scored 54 touchdowns. Thirty-three of those came on 1-yard runs. During that time, the former Alabama standout also has set the NFL record for playoff touchdowns by a quarterback with 10. Half came on 1-yard runs.

Hurts has had four consecutive seasons with at least 10 touchdown runs. No other quarterback has had more than two.

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.

General

Stanley drops beautiful new ‘Oasis Collection’ perfect for Summer 2025

Stanley has officially launched its much anticipated summer collection perfect for spending hours by the pool called The Oasis Collection.

The Oasis Collection has already garnered a lot of hype as super fans and influencers have spotted this eye-catching collection at select retail stores before its official release.

The Oasis Collection features pink, yellow and blue pastel designs in the 40-ounce, 30-ounce and 20-ounce Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumblers along with select designs in the new Quencher ProTour Flip Straw Tumbler and a few other popular products.

These Stanley cup designs include three stripped tumblers, two flower tumblers and three solid-color gloss tumblers. The exact style names in Stanley’s Oasis Collection are as follows:

Butter Sunflower
Peach Whip Sunflower
Cornflower Cabana Gloss
Peach Whip Cabana Gloss
Butter Cabana Gloss
Peach Whip Gloss
Cornflower Gloss
Cream Royal

“This travel tumbler is just what you need for all-day hydration. Take it with you to a high-intensity workout or on an extra-long commute to keep your drink cold for hours. The lid features a rotating cover with three positions: a straw opening, a wide mouth for drinking, and a full-cover top to prevent spills. The larger size even fits comfortably in your vehicle’s cup holder and comes with a rugged handle for carrying‚” Stanley’s product details state.

Those interested can browse the entire Stanley Oasis Collection here.

General

Taco Bell is bringing back this fan-favorite item

Taco Bell is bringing back a fan favorite.

If you were a fan of the Beefy Crunch Burrito, you’re in luck. According to Allrecipes, the Tex-Mex chain is rebranding the burrito as the Flamin’ Hot Burrito. The rebranded dish features Flamin’ Hot Fritos, beef, sour cream, and nacho cheese.

The dish, which will retail for about $2, is being tested in Oklahoma City.

A big change is coming to Taco Bell

Taco Bell has plans to use artificial intelligence to modernize its ordering process.

The Wall Street Journal reports Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, has announced it is partnering with computing and software company Nvidia to bring a range of A.I. services to its portfolio of restaurants.

One of the services is AI-powered voice ordering, a service the company will use at the drive-through lane and on the phone. The feature will begin rolling out at 500 restaurants later this year, according to WSJ.

General

$9 billion deal in works for control of nation’s largest fuel pipeline

A $9 billion deal for control of the largest fuel pipeline in the U.S. – a portion of which stretches through Alabama – is close to conclusion.

Reuters is reporting that New York-based Brookfield Asset Management is finalizing its acquisition of Colonial Pipeline, which spans more than 5,500 miles from Houston to New York.

The asset manager is the apparent winner of an auction process that took several months, according to anonymous sources.

The pipeline is currently owned by five entities, including Shell, Koch Industries and investment firm KKR.

The pipeline moves more than 100 million gallons of fuel daily, including gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and heating oil.

The pipeline’s stretch through Alabama made news when a leak and explosion occurred almost nine years ago in Shelby County.

The Sept. 9, 2016 incident involved a massive leak in the below-ground pipeline, at the site of an inactive coal mine near the Cahaba River Wildlife Management Area. A mining inspector detected the leak and notified authorities.

Approximately 7,370 barrels, or 309,540 gallons, of gasoline were released in that incident. The pipeline was shut down for several days following the detection of the leak, leading to gas shortages and price spikes across much of the eastern United States.

On Oct. 31, 2016, a crew attempted to build a 75-foot-long earthen dam to contain burning fuel, which would be allowed to burn itself out. A resulting explosion killed two workers and injured four others, in addition to causing two wildfires that burned 31 acres of land. Witnesses said the explosion sent a ’geyser’ of burning gasoline 100 feet in the air.

The fire burned for more than three days at the site before it was extinguished. Another 4,444 barrels of gasoline were released.

Colonial eventually paid a $3.3 million settlement with the state to resolve environmental claims.

Then in 2021, Colonial Pipeline paid $4.4 million in ransom payment to get its system back online following a ransomware attack that shut the pipeline down, once again prompting price hikes.

General

Young Alabama country singer shines in ‘Idol Arena’

In a brutal round that saw the “American Idol” field pared from 144 to 66, one Alabama contender had a showcase moment Monday night.

That was Crews Wright, a 17-year-old country singer from Samson, Ala., who brings a lot of personality to the stage. His portion of Monday’s episode opened with a callback to his Nashville audition, when celebrity judge Luke Bryan asked him, “Have you ever been to Hollywood?”

“Well, it’s been on my bucket list,” replied Wright.

“Do you ever just say ‘yes’ or ‘no?‘” asked Bryan.

“I love you,” said Carrie Underwood, which led to some flirting. “I can be single,” said Wright. “I cannot,” said Underwood, flashing her ring. “I guess I just blowed that one,” said Wright, amid laughter.

On Monday, Wright compared the “Idol Arena” to the rodeo arenas he was more familiar with. Then he delivered on his claim to being a champion of traditional country with a rendition of Conway Twitty’s “Time to Go.”

It was an unusual choice for “Idol,” and Wright did it justice, measuring up to Twitty’s ability to shift from conversational delivery to effortless, soaring flourishes. “Do you swear you’re 17?” Bryan asked afterward. “I need a birth certificate,” seconded Underwood.

“I mean, to pick a Conway Twitty song, I grew up on that and lived it, and the fact that you’re 17 and that’s where your brain is with music … Where you’re at at this point, you’re going to grow so fast and have so much to offer, that was great,” said Bryan. “Just watching you kind of win the room was pretty cool stuff.”

The performance was good enough to get Wright over a high bar: near the beginning of the “Idol Arena” episode, Bryan told the field, “At the end of tonight, more than half of you will be going home.”

At least six contenders from Alabama had earned their Golden Tickets to Hollywood during auditions, and the format of the episode left some of their fates uncertain.

At the end of it, the candidates were separated into four rooms. The people in two rooms were told this was the end of the line, while the ones in the other two rooms got the news they had made the cut.

Wright definitely was in one of the winning rooms, and Isaiah Moore, a worship leader from Oneonta, could be seen among the others present. But with no list of winners and losers, it was harder to say how the other Alabamians had fared.

By Monday morning one of them, Janae Patterson of Birmingham, had posted that “My time on American Idol has come to an end”.

“While this is unfortunate, I am so thankful for the chances, lessons, friends, experiences, and blessings that I’ve formed and so excited to see what’s next,” she told supporters on Facebook. “This is only the beginning and I truly believe that.”

Patterson said she planned to go live on Facebook and Instagram at 6 p.m. Central time Tuesday to talk about her experience.

With Wright and Moore moving forward and Patterson eliminated, that left at least three others unaccounted for: Anna McElroy of Mobile, Dawson Slade of Moulton and Tyler Nichols of Pell City.

“American Idol’s” Hollywood Round continues through two more episodes airing at 7 p.m. Sunday and Monday, April 6-7, on ABC. Previously aired episodes can be seen on Hulu.

General

Updated Auburn national championship odds and best exact matchup bets for the Final Four

Auburn, the top overall seed, cruised through its first four games of the 2025 NCAA Tournament en route to its second Final Four appearance since 2019.

Now, the Tigers are one of four No. 1 seeds remaining, which is only the second time in tournament history that all top seeds made it to the Final Four.

Let’s get into the updated Auburn national championship odds and our best exact matchup bet, according to the latest March Madness odds.

Latest Auburn national championship odds (+525)

Find an Auburn national championship odds (via BetMGM) and odds timeline in our table below. The BetMGM historical odds data is courtesy of SportsOddsHistory.

Auburn national championship odds timeline	Odds
Before the 2024-25 regular season	+2500
Before the 2025 NCAA Tournament	+425
Now	+525

Before the beginning of the 2024-25 regular season, the Auburn Tigers had the tenth-best odds to win the national championship at +2500.

Auburn was undervalued from an odds standpoint, as the Tigers returned Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara, Denver Jones, Chaney Johnson, and Dylan Cardwell while bringing in Tahaad Pettiford and Miles Kelly to round out their rotation.

However, Auburn’s national championship odds are longer now than at the beginning of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Let’s break down why that is the case below.

Auburn national championship odds: Tigers now underdogs

Despite being the top overall seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament, the Auburn Tigers now have the longest odds of any of the remaining four teams to win the national championship. Further, the Tigers’ national championship odds are longer now than at the beginning of the NCAA Tournament.

Why is that the case? For one, Auburn will now have to defeat two other No. 1 seeds to secure its first-ever national championship. The NCAA Tournament is usually unpredictable, resulting in many upsets as the rounds progress.

For example, the 2013 Louisville Cardinals didn’t have to play a No. 1-seeded team during their championship run. Their run included No. 16 North Carolina A&T, No. 8 Colorado State, No. 12 Oregon, No. 2 Duke, No. 9 Wichita State, and No. 4 Michigan.

Therefore, if chaos had ensued in the tournament this season, Auburn could have had a better chance to win its games versus lower-seeded teams than against two No. 1 seeds in the Final Four.

However, that is far from the whole story. A more significant reason for Auburn’s drop in title odds is the uncertainty surrounding Johni Broome and his various injuries; Broome appeared to reinjure his right shoulder, which has been an issue for several months.

Additionally, it looked like Broome hyperextended his right elbow and rolled his left ankle. And this all happened in the same play. If Broome cannot play or is not at 100%, then top-tier teams like Florida, Duke, and Houston have a substantially stronger chance of knocking off the best team in America.

Auburn national championship exact matchup best bets

The questions that loom large now are whether or not Broome can give it a go in Auburn’s next matchup against fellow SEC foe, Florida, and if he can, will he be as impactful as usual?

Considering that Broome re-entered the Tigers’ last game against Michigan State and had a strong impact by pulling down a huge defensive rebound and knocking down a 3-pointer from the perimeter just moments later, I’d say that he will more than likely be available.

While Auburn is banged up between Broome and Chad Baker-Mazara, who is battling a minor hip injury and a wrist/thumb injury, the Tigers have several days to get back to 100% health.

Therefore, I will proceed as if they are healthy and ready to go this weekend. Auburn already beat Houston on the road earlier this season and barely lost to Duke in Cameron Indoor three weeks later.

The Gators also beat Auburn in their only matchup against the Tigers, but they shot the lights out of the ball; Auburn had four fewer turnovers, five more free-throw attempts, and matched Florida’s effort on the glass.

My favorite bet entering this weekend is a national championship exact matchup between Duke and Auburn at +220 on DraftKings.

The Blue Devils are unstoppable and decimated every opponent throughout this tournament. Duke has elite rim protection with 7-foot-2 Khaman Maluach and can switch everything on the perimeter, making it hard for Houston’s shooters to get open.

Auburn has the personnel to match the Gators’ intensity on the glass for the other matchup, so I will back it to knock off Florida in the Final Four.

General

Tuberville fights to rein in ‘woke activist judges’ derailing Trump agenda

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., introduced a bill Tuesday to stop “woke activist judges” from delaying President Donald Trump’s agenda in what the senator claimed was judicial overreach.

“President Trump has exposed the fact that our courts are full of woke activist judges who think they were elected President. But they were not,” Tuberville said in a statement Tuesday announcing the Judicial Relief Clarification Act of 2025 (JRCA).

“More than 77 million Americans voted for President Trump and his agenda – and liberal judges should not be allowed to issue injunctions on policies they do not agree with,” Alabama’s senior senator continued.

“We need our justice system to focus on upholding the Constitution, not pushing an agenda. If judges have a problem with that, they can run for political office.”

The bill would require parties seeking nationwide relief to file a class action lawsuit.

The bill would also amend the Administrative Procedure Act and the Declaratory Judgment Act to limit courts’ decisions to the parties before them, and make temporary restraining orders (TROs) immediately appealable.

Tuberville is co-sponsoring the bill with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

Three times in the past week, and six since Trump took office a little more than two months ago, the Justice Department has asked the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court to step into cases involving lower courts much earlier than usual.

The administration’s use of the emergency appeals, or shadow docket, comes as it faces more than 130 lawsuits over the Republican president’s flurry of executive orders.

Many of the lawsuits have been filed in liberal-leaning parts of the country as the court system becomes ground zero for pushback to his policies.

Federal judges have ruled against the administration more than 40 times, issuing temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, the Justice Department said Friday in a Supreme Court filing.

The issues include birthright citizenship changes, federal spending, transgender rights and deportations under a rarely used 18th-century law.

The administration is increasingly asking the Supreme Court, which Trump helped shape by nominating three justices, to step in, not only to rule in its favor but also to send a message to federal judges, who Trump and his allies claim are overstepping their authority.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

General

Observations from Week 2 of Auburn football spring practice

Auburn football is now in its second full week of spring practice after officially getting things started March 25.

Tuesday morning was the second practice open to the media so far this spring, and the only practice the media will be able to view this week.

The gathered media was able to watch all of practice — about two hours — including drills, position work, seven-on-seven and full 11-on-11 team periods.

Here’s what we saw at Tuesday’s practice:

Position breakdowns

A number of players remain out, including contributors such as Keldric Faulk, Connor Lew, Xavier Chaplin, Durell Robinson, Bryce Cain, Hollis Davidson and others. Demarcus Riddick practiced Tuesday, but was in a gold non-contact jersey.
The first team offensive line for the time being seems to be (left to right) Izavion Miller, Dillon Wade, Bradyn Joiner, Jeremiah Wright and Mason Murphy. Wright didn’t practice during last week’s open practice but was available Tuesday morning.
On the defensive line, Amaris Williams was the primary first team defensive end and Keyron Crawford was the primary buck. On the interior, Malik Blocton and Dallas Walker IV rotated with Quientrail Jamison-Travis and Zykeivous Walker. Those four seem to make up the top group inside and are pretty interchangeable.
Jay Crawford and Kayin Lee remain the first team starters at corner, with Miami (OH) transfer Raion Strader running primarily with the second team.
During the live team period at the end, Kaleb Harris and Jahquez Robinson were the first team safeties with Sylvester Smith at nickel.
Robert Woodyard Jr. took the first team reps at middle linebacker, next to LSU transfer Xavier Atkins and true freshman Elijah Melendez who rotated alongside him. Freshman Bryce Deas is another young player to watch at linebacker.
Damari Alston took a lot of the first team reps at running back, with Jeremiah Cobb next in line. True freshman Alvin Henderson hasn’t seen many first team reps yet, but he’s already breaking off some good runs in practice.
Auburn’s wide receivers have rotated, with Cam Coleman, Eric Singleton Jr., Horatio Fields and Malcolm Simmons being the primary targets.
Brandon Frazier took most of the first team reps at tight end, with Maryland transfer Preston Howard behind him.
Jackson Arnold remains the first team quarterback, with Deuce Knight running with the second team.

Other notes

Sam Turner continues to impress, making plays both in one-on-ones and in the team periods. The two plays that stood out were a rep he won against fellow freshman Blake Woodby in one-on-ones and a touchdown on a deep post against Lee during a team period.

Another note at wide receiver, Fields’ size seems to be a good addition to the room. He gives Auburn an extra threat in the redzone, but also looked good as a physical blocker on the outside.
Unsurprisingly, Singleton already looks like he can be a difference maker right away at receiver. His speed and elusiveness after the catch makes him hard to contain.
Henderson hasn’t quite cracked the first team yet, but he’s already impressing with some nice runs in the team periods.
Both of Auburn’s starting corners had some good moments. Crawford had a good rep against Coleman in one-on-one drills and Lee had a nice pass breakup against Coleman on a jump ball during the third down period.
Anquon Fegans is already making plays in the secondary, nearly coming down with an interception during one of the team periods.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

General

200,000 pounds of recalled liquid eggs should be ‘thrown away,’ feds warn

More than 200,000 pounds of liquid egg products are being recalled due to the potential that they could be tainted with bleach.

Michigan-based Cargill Kitchen Solutions announced the recall of Egg Beaters and Bob Evans Better n’ Eggs due to potential contamination with sodium hypochlorite, or bleach, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.

The recalled products were produced on March 12 and March 13 and sold in retailers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Texas. There is a possibility, however, the products were sold nationwide, FSIS said.

The recall affects 32-oz cartons of the following products:

Egg Beaters Original Liquid Egg Substitute (Use-by date: August 10, 2025)
Egg Beaters Cage-free Original Liquid Egg Substitute (Use-by date: August 9, 2025)
Egg Beaters Cage-free Original Frozen Egg Substitute, No Enjauladas Original Sustituto de Huevo Congelado (Use-by date: March, 07 2026)
Bob Evans Better’n Eggs Made with Real Egg Whites (Use-by date: August 10, 2025).

Issues with the egg products were discovered through a tip about potential contamination. An investigation showed the risk of using the product was negligible, however, and the recall was given a lower Class III designation.

The eggs may still be in a buyer’s refrigerators or freezers, FSIS warned. People with them are advised to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.