General News

General

Michigan toddler dies 6 days after becoming entangled in window blind cord at Birmingham hotel

A Michigan toddler has died six days after he accidentally got entangled in the cord of the window blinds at a Birmingham motel.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the child as Kiere DeAndre Jaden Daniels Jr. He was 2 and lived in Canton, Michigan.

Kiere was rushed to Children’s of Alabama, July 4, after he was found unresponsive in a room at the Hampton Inn at the Colonnade.

Birmingham and Rocky Ridge firefighters and Birmingham police were dispatched to the hotel on Colonnade Parkway at 10:55 a.m. last Friday.

CPR was performed on the scene and the child had shallow breathing when he left the scene en route to Children’s, according to authorities and witnesses.

Kiere remained on life support until he died at 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

The family was in town for a family reunion over the holiday weekend. An adult parent was asleep inside the room when the accident happened.

No foul play is suspected in the boy’s death, authorities said.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Read More
General

Walmart recalls 850,000 water bottles, 2 customers suffer ‘permanent blindness’ from exploding caps

Walmart is recalling 850,000 Ozark Trail water bottles after reports that a manufacturing error could cause serious injury.

According to an announcement from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, lids on the Ozark Trail 64 oz Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottles can “forcefully eject” when someone opens them after food, soda or perishable liquids like juice or milk are stored inside.

So far, the CPSC said Walmart has received three reports of people being struck in the face by the bottles’ lids. Two people have suffered permanent vision loss after being hit in the eye.

This recall covers water bottles sold with model number 83-662 on the product packaging. The stainless-steel bottles are silver with a black one-piece screwcap lid. The bottles have been sold in Walmart stores nationwide since 2017 for about $15.

CPSC said people should immediately stop using the recalled water bottles and contact Walmart for a full refund. You can also bring the bottles to the closest Walmart for a refund.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Read More
General

Our experts explain casino return to player percentage (RTP) meaning, why it matters

Interested in learning what is RTP in casino gambling? You’ve come to the right place. Here, I provide detailed information on what exactly RTP means and how it can affect your ability to win money.

Table of contents

What is RTP in casino terms?

A casino game’s RTP rate, or return-to-player rate, represents the amount of money players can expect to win over time playing a certain game. It’s represented in percentages and can often be used to describe how much money players are likely to win by wagering $100.

As an example, someone playing an online slot game with an average RTP rate of 96% could expect to earn $96 by wagering $100.

A game’s RTP rate certainly does not guarantee players will win or lose any set amount of money. Casino games are notoriously unpredictable and a huge number of factors can impact how much money a player may earn.

How to calculate RTP at online casinos

The simplest way to calculate an online casino game’s RTP rate is to divide the total amount of money won by players by the total amount of money wagered and multiply that figure by 100.

For individual players, calculating RTP is a difficult task. This would require players to make a truly massive number of spins while tracking all the wagers and wins connected.

Finding the RTP rate for different online casino games is generally simple. A quick search of the game title and RTP rate will likely direct players to the game developer’s website, where the RTP rate is listed.

Online casino game developers are able to set the RTP rate for each individual game. Most developers advertise the RTP of their games as a way to be as transparent as possible.

What is a good RTP for slots?

As I pointed out earlier, a slot game’s RTP can be described as the amount of money that players can expect to earn by wagering $100. Most experts consider an RTP rate of 96% to be the average for online slot games.

A slot game with an average RTP rate of 96% means that players are expected to win $96 for every $100 wagered.

A huge number of slot games have higher and lower RTP rates than 96%.

Popular games such as Mega Joker and Blood Suckers have a RTP rate of 99% and 98%, respectively. These are among the top high RTP slots and provide better opportunities for players to earn a profit in the long run.

Generally speaking, however, slots with a high RTP will not provide many jackpot offers and come with somewhat low maximum payout opportunities.

It’s not difficult to find real money slots with low RTP rates, too. Many popular slots have an RTP rate of less than 93%. To make up for this, these slots often provide players with huge jackpots and multiple bonus rounds that can offer large payouts.

Components that determine slots RTP

The concept of a game’s return-to-player rate is very straightforward.

Several factors are involved in determining this number, and understanding these factors will help players better understand how RTP rate can affect their playing experience.

Learn about the various components that determine a slot game’s RTP:

Volatility in online slots

Longtime online casino players have likely seen the word “volatility” used to describe different games. To put it simply, volatility in online slots refers to how frequently the game will provide a payout to players.

There are three primary categories of volatility in online slots:

  • Low volatility: An online slot game with low volatility is one that tends to provide a large number of payouts to players in smaller amounts. Minimum bets tend to be low and max jackpots are small. These are games with a high RTP.
  • Medium volatility: Medium volatility slots are ones that offer a balance of small and somewhat large payouts to players. These are great options for those interested in making small and large wagers with the opportunity to earn some good jackpots. These slots tend to have an average RTP rate around 96%.
  • High volatility: Slots with high volatility tend to pay out infrequently. To make up for this, these slots almost always offer great jackpot prizes to players that can offer huge payouts. These slots have a low RTP, sometimes around 92-93%.

Slot game structure

The RTP percentage of online slots is predetermined by the game developer. With that being said, the structure of these games will have an impact on the return-to-player rate.

Number of reels

Online slots can come in many different forms. Classic slots tend to have only three reels, while more advanced ones can have seven reels. The more reels and rows a slot game has, the more winning combinations players have access to. This does not always affect a game’s RTP rate, but it certainly can.

Paylines

A payline is the line on a slot grid that players can land matching symbols on to earn a winning combination. Slots with a large number of paylines offer players more ways to win, which often raises a game’s RTP.

Variety and distribution of symbols

Every symbol in a slot game has a specific value attached to it. The symbols with lower value will appear more often than higher-value symbols. The way that these symbols are distributed affects the amount of money players are expected to earn and a game’s RTP percentage.

Slot game features

Many years ago, the only slot games that were available to players were basic three-reel slots with a single payline. These games have evolved tremendously over the past few decades, and most modern online slots now come with a huge variety of bonus features.

These features can have a major impact on a slot’s RTP. Here are some of the most common ones you are likely to find:

Cascading reels

Many online slots with six or more reels include a cascading reels feature. This makes winning symbol combinations fall off the grid, making way for new symbols to appear in the empty spots. It’s a great feature that allows players to earn multiple wins with a single spin. Cascading reels help increase players’ win frequency, which generally increases a game’s RTP rate.

Wild and expanding wild symbols

Wild symbols can act as any other symbol to help players land a winning combination. Expanding wilds are even more exciting, as they expand to cover multiple reels or even an entire row. These significantly help to increase players’ winning potential.

Megaways

One of the newest and most popular online slot features is the Megaways mechanic. Megaways slots spin a random number of symbols for each reel with each spin. Some of the largest Megaways slots can offer players more than 100,000 ways to win for each spin.

These games tend to offer frequent low payouts. The maximum jackpot on Megaways slots can, however, offer lucky players some massive cash prizes. These games can be found as free sweeps slots and real money slots offered by casino sites.

Bonus rounds in slots

Bonus rounds add a whole new element to the online slot playing experience. Many being offered, but these three are the ones players are most likely to come across:

Free spins

Most of the most popular online slot games include a free spins bonus round. This is usually triggered by landing a certain number of scatter symbols.

During the free spins round, multipliers can usually be earned, offering much larger payout opportunities. This temporarily increases the game’s RTP rate. A free spins bonus round can account for up to 70% of a slot game’s RTP percentage.

Hold & Win

Many world-class online slots now offer a Hold & Win feature. These are triggered by landing a set number of unique coin or bonus symbols on the grid.

When triggered, players are given a number of free spins in an attempt to land additional bonus symbols. All winning symbols are locked on the screen and are added together for huge payouts. The Hold & Win feature generally accounts for about 30% of a slot’s RTP rate.

Bonus wheel spin

Several slots offer players the opportunity to spin a wheel that offers a variety of prizes. Triggering this wheel-spin bonus round varies from slot to slot, but the prizes almost always include either small cash prizes, free spins or even massive jackpots. Triggering these wheel spins can prove difficult, and this round usually adds about 10% to 20% to a game’s RTP percentage.

Regulation

The US has a unique online gambling industry, as each individual state can set its own regulations. In order for online gambling platforms to legally operate in states, they must ensure that their games follow RTP rate thresholds and guidelines.

Legal real money online casinos in regulated markets must also agree to independent testing by third parties. Doing so helps to ensure that the games and RTP rates being listed are honest and correct.

Some states have set specific minimum RTP percentage thresholds. In New Jersey, for example, no online slot with an average RTP rate lower than 83% can be offered.

Unregulated online casinos do not need to abide by state regulations. This gives them the ability to provide dishonest RTP rates and, in some cases, games that are completely rigged to favor the house. For this reason, it’s highly recommended you only play at licensed, legal online casinos.

If you are in a state without legal casino sites, it may be worth playing at a sweepstakes casino. These are unique gaming platforms that look and operate like standard casino sites, yet have some key features that allow them to legally operate throughout most of the country.

The best sweepstakes casinos provide a huge number of casino games, including slots, table games and live-dealer tables.

Using RTP rates to manage your bankroll

It’s important to reiterate that RTP rates represent the percentage of money a casino game will return to players over the life of the game.

If a game has an average RTP rate of 97%, players can expect to earn $97 for every $100 wagered. That is not a guarantee, but rather an average amount of money one could expect to earn.

Here are a few ways players can use RTP rate to their advantage:

  • Calculating expected losses: One great way to use RTP to manage your bankroll is to calculate the amount of money you can expect to lose over time. If you are wagering $100 on a slot with an RTP rate of 96%, you can expect to lose $4. The possibility of earning a large profit is always there, but, statistically, you are more likely to lose $4.
  • Creating a wagering plan: One of the best strategies that online casino players can follow is setting a strict budget. By calculating RTP rates, players can create a specific wagering plan based on that budget.
  • Sticking with high RTP slots: The slot games with higher RTP rates are more likely to help players earn a profit than low RTP slots. Some players ignore this fact and play slots with low RTP rates in hopes of winning one of the major jackpots up for grabs. For consistent bettors, it’s a far better strategy to stick with high RTP games.

Best RTP casinos

RTP at online casinos FAQ

What are the most RTP-friendly casino games?

Video poker is the online casino game with the highest RTP rate. Most video poker variants offer a great RTP percentage, but Deuces Wild is the best. It has an RTP percentage that can surpass 100% with the correct playing strategy.

What’s the lowest RTP slot I should play?

Online slot games with low RTP rates offer less frequent wins but can often provide some great jackpot prizes to lucky winners. Mega Moolah has a very low RTP rate of 88.12%. It also offers a progressive jackpot that can earn players some massive winnings.

What does RNG mean?

RNG stands for random number generator. Random number generators are a crucial component in all online casino games, as they utilize a sophisticated computer algorithm to ensure games are random and completely fair to players.

How do I find the RTP percentage on casino sites?

In most cases, online casinos are required to show the RTP for each game being offered. This can usually be found by clicking the information button on each game. Most game developers will also list the RTP of the games they have created.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Read More
General

Country music star issued citation after fatal crash killed 77-year-old woman

Conner Smith was issued a misdemeanor citation for his involvement in a fatal Nashville car accident last month.

The country music singer, per Billboard, has been charged with failure to yield resulting in a fatality.

“A misdemeanor state citation was issued tonight by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department to Conner Smith,” Smith’s attorney Worrick G Robinson IV said in a statement to Billboard. “Conner is incredibly grateful to the MNPD for their time and efforts to carefully investigate this tragic accident and has continued to cooperate at all times.

“His thoughts remain with Ms. Dobbins’ family, and he remains committed to honoring her memory with compassion by supporting efforts to improve pedestrian safety and help prevent future tragedies.”

The country music star, 24, was driving a Chevrolet Silverado when he hit Dorothy Dobbins, 77, who was crossing the street in a marked crosswalk.

Smith was not under the influence or distracted by his phone at the time of the incident.

Billboard, citing sources, reports that signs have been installed where the incident occurred, and a tree that obstructed the view of the crosswalk has been removed.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Read More
General

Looking to buy a home? This small Alabama town just beat every other place in America

One Alabama town landed on the list of the best places to buy a home in 2025 – and it’s not the one you might think.

A report from Niche ranks the top cities for homebuyers this year based on home values, taxes, crime rates and quality of schools. You can read more about the methodology here. While the list features communities across the U.S., one Alabama town is pulling attention for its real estate.

Hazel Green takes the top place for homebuyers in 2025. This North Alabama town rates highly for its cost-of-living, public schools, family-oriented community, and housing market. Homes in Hazel Green have a median value of $179,500 compared to the national average $303,400.

Three additional towns in Alabama have been identified by Niche as top places to buy a home. Madison ranks 2nd, with a median home value of $367,900. Meadowbrook follows in 6th place, boasting a median home value of $390,100, while Triana comes in 19th, with a median home value of $235,400.

Here’s a look at the top 20 places to buy a home in 2025:

1. Hazel Green, Alabama

  • Median home value: $179,500

2. Sturgeon, Pennsylvania

  • Median home value: $258,800

3. Madison, Alabama

  • Median home value: $367,900

4. St. Johns, Arizona

  • Median home value: $180,900

5. Jena, Louisiana

  • Median home value: $157,900

6. Meadowbrook, Alabama

  • Median home value: $390,100

7. Pittsboro, Indiana

  • Median home value: $289,700

8. Centennial, North Dakota

  • Median home value: $412,300

9. Larkin Charter Township, Michigan

  • Median home value: $324,100

10. South Vacherie, Louisiana

  • Median home value: $196,700

11. Old River-Winfree, Texas

  • Median home value: $151,800

12. Bella Rose, Louisiana

  • Median home value: $263,900

13. Emerald Bay, Texas

  • Median home value: $279,200

14. Centerton, Arkansas

  • Median home value: $295,500

15. Shaverton, Pennsylvania

  • Median home value: $202,400

16. Dunlap, Illinois

  • Median home value: $283,800

17. Kohler, Wisconsin

  • Median home value: $369,300

18. Rosedale, Louisiana

  • Median home value: $117,800

19. Triana, Alabama

  • Median home value: $235,400

20. DeCordova, Texas

  • Median home value: $300,800

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Read More
General

We’ve got an exclusive promo for the first 100 players at Dara Casino using code LIVE30

Right now, the first 100 new players to use our exclusive Dara Casino promo code LIVE30 get 300,000 Gold Coins and 30 free Sweeps Coins with a $9.99 purchase. That’s a 300% bonus.

Act fast, because only the first 100 lucky players get to take advantage of Dara’s exclusive bonus offer.

Dara Casino promo code LIVE30 details

Dara Casino promo code LIVE30
Exclusive offer 300% extra bonus: 300,000 Gold Coins + 30 free Sweeps Coins
Minimum purchase $9.99
Who’s eligible? First 100 new players
Legal states All states except CT, HA, ID, KY, MI, MS, MT, NJ, NV, NY, ND, OH, TN, VT and WA
Last verified July 11, 2025

How you can claim this exclusive Dara Casino promo code

Only here will you find the steps to claiming this exclusive Dara Casino promo code:

  1. Use our exclusive Dara Casino bonus link to get started.
  2. Register for a new account.
  3. Select the Even More Offers tab.
  4. Enter promo code LIVE30 and click Submit.
  5. Make the $9.99 purchase to get 300% extra bonus coins.

Important: You must be one of the first 100 new players to claim this Dara Casino promo code to be eligible for 300,000 Gold Coins and 30 free Sweeps Coins for only $9.99.

Dara Casino is shaping up as one of the best sweepstakes casinos, and this new-user exclusive promo backs that up.

Other Dara Casino promos

Some of the top sweepstakes casino bonuses are awarded to existing players at Dara Casino. Below, I’ll show you some ways to get bonus coins at Dara Casino:

Daily log-in bonus

Players are eligible to receive free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins by simply logging into your Dara Casino account each day. Just make sure to manually claim your bonus each day:

  • Day 1: 500 Gold Coins + 0.1 Sweeps Coins
  • Day 2: 600 GC + 0.1 SC
  • Day 3: 1,000 GC + 0.2 SC
  • Day 4: 1,200 GC + 0.2 SC
  • Day 5: 1,500 GC + 0.3 SC
  • Day 6: 1,800 GC + 0.4 SC
  • Day 7: 2,000 GC + 0.5 SC

Connect with Google or Facebook

You will earn 15,000 Gold Coins and 1 free Sweeps Coin after connecting either your Google or Facebook account. You will find this offer in the Free Rewards section. After connecting and verifying through your email, you will receive the rewards from this bonus.

Referral program

Send a friend your unique referral link. Once they sign up and make an initial purchase of at least $20, you will be credited 25,000 Gold Coins and 2.5 free Sweeps Coins.

What you can use our exclusive Dara Casino promo code to play

Dara Casino provides around 100 games. The selection is mostly made up of free-to-play slots, but you will find some scratchcard games and one table game in the form of blackjack.

You will come across slot titles powered by software companies TaDa Games and Jili Games, along with some titles made by in-house software. This makes for some unique playing opportunities.

Different themed games are available as well, including shooting games, which supply an arcade-style gaming experience. A standout aspect of Dara Casino is its high RTP slots, with many titles having average return to players of over 97%.

You can use the 300,000 Gold Coins and 30 free Sweeps Coins that come from using Dara Casino bonus code LIVE30 to play any of the games available on the site.

Learn more about our gaming editorial staff.

If you or a loved one has questions or needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net for more information.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Read More
General

This week in HS Sports: Will Sam Williams’ ‘super aggressive’ approach work in Year 1 at UMS-Wright?

This is an opinion piece.

Whenever Terry Curtis retired as head football coach of UMS-Wright after a quarter of a century, it was going lead to a huge change at the Mobile private school.

Curtis won 284 games and 8 state titles in 26 years with a largely run-oriented offense and a stingy defense.

Enter Sam Williams, a 34-year-old Mississippi coaching prodigy, who is flipping the script at UMS to a more wide-open, offensive passing attack.

“It’s a lot different,” Williams said earlier this week during a 7-on-7 event at Saraland. “We are getting there. I’m one of those guys who wants it to be perfect right now, and we’ve only been doing it for three and a half months. I’m tickled with how far we’ve come. I know we have a long way to go, but I think if we keep progressing at the rate we are we are really going to be good at it when the season hits.”

UMS-Wright head coach Sam Williams in action during a 7-on-7 competition Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Saraland, Ala. (Mike Kittrell | [email protected])

Mike Kittrell | [email protected]

One of the biggest questions – not just in Coastal Alabama – but in the state in general entering the 2025 high school season is centered around exactly what UMS will look like in the post-Curtis era. There are few holdovers from Curtis’ staff – UMS mainstay Gerald Jones being one of the exceptions — but that turnover wasn’t unexpected.

“It was all cordial,” Williams said. “I just said, ‘Guys, everyone has a job. If you want to stay, you’re good. If you want to go, no hard feelings. It’s going to be a lot different.’ Some people didn’t want to do that because things had been done a certain way around here forever. There is nothing wrong with that. It is just part of it. We have a great staff. I think we went from being one of the older staffs in the state to one of the younger staffs. I’m one of the elders, and I’m 34.”

Williams’ staff also includes veteran coach Phil Lazenby, who is returning to UMS after leading Bayside Academy for 16 years and Bayshore Christian for two.

“We had a lot of staff turnover, so that was tough early on,” Williams said. “But I’ve been really happy with getting a new staff in. We are continuing a great tradition and just doing it a little differently. I think it has gone really well. I think kids are buying in. We are learning how to compete and learning how to do it the way we are going to do it now.”

Williams, a former Mississippi State wide receiver, spent his entire coaching career up to this point in Mississippi. He has won everywhere he has been.

He went 27-11 in three years at Class 2A Pelahatchie (2017-2019), led 5A Ridgeland to the state semifinals and a 10-3 record in his only year there and had a 45-10 record in Brandon.

Williams has described his coaching philosophy and schemes as “borderline, over-the-top, super aggressive” on offense and defense.

“We will be fast paced, high tempo,” he said at his introductory press conference in March. “People come to our games. I preach attacking football, family atmosphere, playing for your brother. I think that is real apparent when you see my teams play.”

He said when he took the job at UMS, he was leaving a talent-filled Brandon roster that included multiple future Power 4 players. He won’t necessarily have that in Mobile. UMS has won and won big over the years with hard-nosed, smart football players who react well to coaching.

Williams is confident his approach will work, and others are as well. Recently, Rivals named him as one of five new coaches nationwide expected to make a big impact on their program.

“I understand we are not going to be as big, fast and strong as some people but we know what we have to do to win,” he said. “Let’s not make excuses. Let’s get out every day and compete and be the best versions of ourselves we can be.”

UMS opens the season against rival St. Paul’s at home on Aug. 22.

State champion coach switching roles

Veteran Alabama coach Vince DiLorenzo has stepped down as head coach at Coosa Valley but will remain at the school as an assistant coach.

In an unusual switch, Coosa announced this week that assistant Reece Donahoo would become the head coach with DiLorenzo helping him as the assistant. Andrew Simonson of the Shelby County Reporter announced the news this week.

DiLorenzo spent two stints at Coosa Valley as head coach, leading the team to an AISA state title in 2010 and returning in 2021 for four more years. He also was Spain Park’s first head coach from 2002-2005 and spent 17 years at Gadsden High from 1984-2000 where he won 127 games and a pair of state titles.

DiLorenzo’s 1991 Class 5A state championship team was the first championship team I covered. Those Tigers, with offensive coordinator Mike Argo and defensive coordinator Charles Nails, went 14-0 and beat Blount 20-7 at Prichard Stadium in the state championship game. Almost every time I pass by that Stadium on I-65 now that I live on the Gulf Coast, I think about that game and that night.

Coach Di and I became fast friends that year, and I learned a lot about being a journalist from that staff and that team. DiLorenzo has won 190 games in 31 years as a head coach.

Daphne coach honored

Daphne High head football coach Kenny King was honored this week as a “Coach of Character” by Positive Athlete, a program that celebrates high character students and coaches who have overcome difficult circumstances, given back to their schools and communities or have an infectious positive attitude to be around.

King was recognized as one of the Southeast Regional Winners. The organization described King this way on social media:

“Kenny King leads by example, attending games weekly to personally connect with every student-athlete from elementary through high school while implementing programs like free ACT prep to ensure their success beyond sports. His visionary leadership has secured $35-plus million in facility upgrades and created assessment programs that bridge academic and athletic excellence, proving that his genuine care for students drives transformational change through the entire Daphne community.”

King, a Daphne graduate and former Alabama and NFL standout, is entering his 10th season as the head coach of his alma mater. He also served as the school’s athletic director until Baldwin County recently decided to separate the head football coach and AD roles at each of its schools. King is 59-39 with the Trojans.

New coach at Faith Academy

Faith Academy has announced the hire of Christian Shelter as its new girls basketball coach.

According to a school release, “Coach Shelter brings a wealth of experience and a strong foundation of character to our athletic program. With multiple years of coaching at both the high school and collegiate levels, over three years of personal training experience, and five years of playing professional basketball internationally with FIBA teams, she offers a dynamic blend of leadership, athletic knowledge, and mentorship.”

Thought for the Week

“When God selects you, it doesn’t matter who rejects you.”

Ben Thomas is the high school managing producer at AL.com. He has been named one of the 50 legends of the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Follow him on twitter at @BenThomasPreps or email him at [email protected].

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Read More
General

Judges to decide if Alabama’s congressional maps need preclearance after state diluted Black voting power

Federal judges will weigh a request to bring Alabama back under the preclearance requirement of the Voting Rights Act after ruling the state intentionally diluted the voting strength of Black residents when drawing congressional lines.

Black voters and civil rights organizations, who successfully challenged Alabama’s congressional map, are asking a three-judge panel to require any new congressional maps drawn by state lawmakers to go through federal review before being implemented. The Alabama attorney general and the U.S. Department of Justice oppose the request.

Judges on Thursday set a July 29 hearing on the request.

The three-judge panel in 2023 ordered the use of a new congressional map in Alabama. The judges selected the new map after saying they were “deeply troubled” that state lawmakers had ignored their directive to draw a second majority-Black district or something close to it.

Plaintiffs said Alabama’s actions and the defiance of the court order mirror the state’s actions in the 1960s.

“Alabama sought to ignore, evade, and strategically frustrate attempts to remedy racial discrimination,” lawyers for the plaintiffs wrote in a court filing.

The request would require new congressional maps drawn through the 2030 Census cycle to undergo federal review by the court before being used.

The Voting Rights Act for decades required that states with a history of discrimination — including many in the South — get federal approval before changing the way they hold elections. The requirement of preclearance effectively went away in 2013 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in a case arising from Alabama, that the provision determining which states are covered was outdated and unconstitutional.

Plaintiffs argue that Alabama’s actions should trigger the so-called “bail-in” section of the Voting Rights Act that enables courts to retain jurisdiction and exercise preclearance power.

“Preclearance flips the burden on the State to prove its innocence. That power is extraordinary,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office wrote in a court filing opposing the request.

The Justice Department is backing Alabama in asking the judges to reject the request.

“Preclearance is permissible only when jurisdictions have engaged in pervasive, flagrant, widespread, and rampant discrimination,” Justice Department lawyers wrote in the filing signed by the acting chief of the voting section. Alabama’s actions did not rise to that level, they argued.

The same three-judge panel in May permanently blocked Alabama from using the state-drawn map that they said flouted their directive to draw a plan that was fair to Black voters. The state is appealing that decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Read More
General

Amazon is giving away 3 months of Audible for free during Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day 2025 is officially underway, and one of the best live deals right now is a rare offer for Prime members and book lovers a like: three months of Audible Premium Plus completely free.

This is actually a great Prime Day deal as this extended 90-day trial period is a major upgrade from Audible’s standard 30-day offer, making it a great time to listen into audiobooks, podcasts and exclusive Audible Originals without spending a dime.

After the Audible free trial ends, the subscription auto-renews at $14.95 per month, but you can cancel anytime before the three months are up to avoid being charged.

RELATED: Prime Day includes insane deal on Key Lime Yeti Tundra 45 Cooler

With this Prime Day Audible deal, you’ll get:

  • One credit per month to download any audiobook you choose, including new and best-selling titles
  • Unlimited listening from the Audible Plus Catalog, featuring thousands of binge-worthy series, podcasts, and more
  • Audible, owned by Amazon, gives subscribers access to a massive library of audio content that can be streamed or downloaded from anywhere, perfect for summer road trips, workouts or winding down at night.

This is just one of many standout offers going on during Prime Day 2025, so be sure to check out other deals on Fire TVs, Echo devices and Amazon Music Unlimited while they last.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Read More