Alabama News

The San Antonio Spurs play against the Charlotte Hornets in an NBA Summer League game tonight. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. Fans can watch this basketball game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

The Spurs enter this matchup with a 3-0 record, and they are coming off a 93-91 overtime win against the Utah Jazz.

During the victory, San Antonio’s star rookie guard Dylan Harper struggled offensively. He ended the game with 16 points, but he shot less than 32% from the field. With this in mind, Harper will try to improve his offensive efficiency this evening.

The Hornets also enter this matchup with a 3-0 record, so they will look to remain undefeated tonight. In their most recent game, the Hornets defeated the Dallas Mavericks 87-69.

In order to win this game, the Hornets will need a great performance from their star player Kon Knueppel. He scored 16 points and shot 5-10 from the field last game, so he will try to perform similarly tonight.

Fans can watch this NBA Summer League game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

Anthropologie is known for its high-end style and cultured aesthetic. Right now, you can enjoy the upscale look for a little less.

For a limited time, you can get 40% off sale prices on a ton of clothes, accessories and home goods at Anthroplogie.com. Here are some of our favorite finds if you want to give someone else – or yourself – a treat.

The Mini Beaded Necklace is the perfect addition to any outfit. Available in six colors – Kelly Green, Lavender, Yellow, Orange, Coral and White – the dainty necklaces were originally $38 but marked down to $29.95. During the sale, they are only $17.97 each.

A beaded bag is one of the hottest accessories of the summer. Anthropologie has its beaded stripe pouches, complete with monograms, on sale. They are normally $68, marked down to $39.95 but only $23.97 after the extra 40% off.

The I-SEA Tortoiseshell Metal Sunglasses are a great way to add a stylish twist to any outfit. Normally $48, they are now only $20.97 after all discounts.

Here are more great finds:

Mixed Metal Huggie Hoop Earrings – Normally $36, now $17.97

Kelsi Dagger Brooklyn Pace Raffia Platform Sandals – Regularly $139, now on sale for $83.97.

Crystal Mult-Loop Hoop Earrings – Regularly $36, now on sale for $11.97

Mali + Lili Adjustable Woven Sling Bag – Normally $98, on sale for $35.97

You can see all the 40% off deals here.

More Alabama schools are adding rules for another piece of many children’s school supplies: Water bottles.

Trussville City Schools said local students must bring only clear, plastic water bottles to school. Phenix City schools added a see through water bottle policy too.

Check your local district and school supply lists and handbooks to see what is allowed in the 2025-26 school year.

Trussville’s Paine Elementary school announced on Facebook last month that students would not be allowed to bring metal tumblers or cups next year and that clear liquids are preferred. The bottles must be plastic only, according to the school.

Schools around the country are introducing similar rules and banning Yeti cups, Stanley mugs and other popular brands. Officials say clear plastic makes it easier to see if students are sneaking in illegal drinks.

Some heavy metal water bottles can cause injuries in fights or emergencies. They also can set off metal detectors.

Some districts in Alabama, like Mobile, are allowing individual schools to set water bottle policies.

Anniston’s Wellborn Elementary posted a school supplies reminder about clear water bottles, and clear backpacks for some students, saying the rules help keep things “safe and organized.”

Local districts are also updating rules for cellphones and electronic devices.

The Atlanta Hawks play against the Memphis Grizzlies in an NBA Summer League game today. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. CT on NBA TV. Fans can watch this basketball game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

The Hawks enter this NBA Summer League game with a 3-0 record, so they will look to remain undefeated today. In their most recent game, the Hawks defeated the Houston Rockets 111-108 in overtime.

During the victory, Kobe Bufkin led the Atlanta offense. He ended the game with 25 points and shot 8-15 from the field, so he will try to continue his great offensive play today.

The Grizzlies enter this matchup with a 1-2 record, and they are coming off a 96-84 loss against the Golden State Warriors.

In order to bounce back today, the Grizzlies will need to rely on their star player Cam Spencer. He scored a team-high 23 points last game, so he will try to perform similarly today.

Fans can watch this NBA Summer League game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

Amari Niblack is one his second stop since leaving Alabama following the 2023 season, but Texas A&M coach Mike Elko had good things to say about the tight end at SEC Media Days on Thursday.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Niblack caught 20 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns for the Crimson Tide in 2023, but had only five receptions and no touchdowns in six games at Texas last season. He hit the transfer portal again and landed with the Aggies, where he’ll be reunited with former Alabama receivers coach Holmon Wiggins.

“Niblack was an interesting one because he had spent time with Coach Holmon Wiggins at Alabama,” Elko said. “And so when he decided to enter the portal, there was some familiarity about more so what he had done when he was at Alabama. … We feel like he’s a hybrid kid that adds an awful lot of value in what he can do in the receiving game. He was a great addition for our program.”

Elko was also asked about transfer receiver Mario Craver, a former Clay-Chalkville High School star. Craver caught 17 passes for 368 yards and four touchdown as a true freshman at Mississippi State last season, averaging 21.6 yards per reception.

“Mario was a kid who had exceptional speed; I think we saw firsthand when we played him,” Elko said. “You could feel his speed on the field, and that was something that we really desperately wanted to go out and add. I think he’s done a really good job of going from a young athletic freshman to maybe a more developed SEC receiver heading into Year 2. And so excited for him.”

Texas A&M opens the 2024 season at home Aug. 30 vs. Texas-San Antonio.

Activists say downtown Homewood will become the center of increased protests unless leaders show the “moral clarity and courage” to respond to demands to release footage showing the shooting of an 18-year old man by a police officer.

“We will shut Homewood down for justice,” Wayne T. Harris, director of communications for Black Lives Matter Birmingham told Homewood city leaders Monday evening.

Jabari Peoples, an 18-year-old college student from Aliceville, died June 23 during a confrontation with a Homewood police officer in a city park. Accounts of the incident vary.

Harris told Homewood city leaders that they had failed Jabari Peoples’ family by not demanding that police video of the incident and shooting be made public.

“I do not come in peace. I come in protest. I don’t have any pleasantries for you, but we do have purpose,” Harris said as others behind him displayed posters. “All we’ve heard from you is silence, evasion and delay. This is the narrative that’s always given to Black people.”

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is investigating the shooting. ALEA has declined the Peoples’ family to see the police footage of the incident, saying doing so would jeopardize the investigation.

Harris said the activists represented a coalition of groups who are united in their demands.

“We are organized,” he said. “We will rally, we will host sit-ins, we will hold die-ins and vigils throughout downtown at the doorsteps of your businesses. Your commerce will feel our grief.”

Downtown Homewood is known for its niche small businesses and restaurants that attract shoppers who will crisscross the narrow streets and stroll down the sidewalks.

But Harris is promising a much different scene

“We will not shop where we are shot. We will not dine where we are denied justice. We will not stroll past your boutiques while our brother’s body laid cold in a Homewood park, killed. This is not a threat. This is a multitiered promise to the city of Homewood.”

Homewood Mayor Alex Wyatt this week, asked ALEA to show the Peoples’ family the video.

Some council members and both Democratic and Republican state lawmakers have also asked that the video be shown to the family.

Black Lives Matter Birmingham co-founder Eric Hall told AL.com Thursday the 100-day boycott of Homewood has already begun.

Protesters are a regular presence in front of the Homewood Police Department and Hall said more visibility is coming. The public might have to be made uncomfortable before officials finally take action, Hall said Thursday.

“We will escalate when the demands are not met,” he said. “We are going to attend every Homewood City Council meeting until the demands of the family are met.”

Mayor Wyatt Monday restated his request for a quick release of the video to the family.

“We continue to urge ALEA to allow the family of Jabari Peoples to view the bodycam footage,” he said, taking the lectern near the end of the meeting. “Everyone understands and knows that this is an incredibly difficult time and these are difficult issues. Everybody wants objective results to be made available to the family and to the public as quickly as possible and I truly hope that’s what happens.”

Hall Thursday noted that the mayor, along with other city leaders, have asked the state to release the video to Peoples’ family. Still, he said more should be done to ultimately release the footage.

“Once we put the pressure on Homewood, they will pressure the state,” he said. “We just want justice for Jabari Peoples and we want the family to have the closure and facts to move forward in this process.”

After cameras captured what appeared to be a bruise on Donald Trump’s right hand earlier this week during a meeting with the press, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the president’s recent medical diagnosis.

Leavitt told reporters at a July 17 briefing that Trump had undergone medical tests to examine leg swelling and bruising on the back his hand and had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, this condition, otherwise known as CVI, happens when your leg veins become damaged and can’t work as they should.

“Normally, valves in your leg veins keep blood flowing back up to your heart,” the clinic’s site reads.

“But CVI damages those valves, causing blood to pool in your legs. This increases pressure in your leg veins and causes symptoms like swelling and ulcers.”

Chronic venous insufficiency signs and symptoms include:

• Achy or tired legs.
• Burning, tingling or “pins and needles” sensation in your legs.
• Cramping in your legs at night.
• Discolored skin that looks reddish-brown.
• Edema (swelling) in your lower legs and ankles, especially after standing a while or at the end of the day.
• Flaking or itching skin on your legs or feet.
• Full or heavy feeling in your legs.
• Leathery-looking skin on your legs.
• Ulcers (open sores), usually near your ankles. If they’re very painful, they may be infected.
• Varicose veins.

The disease is very common, and usually affects people over the age of 50, with the risk going up the older someone gets, the site adds.

At 79 years old, Trump is the second oldest person to serve as president of the United States and the oldest ever to begin a term as president.

But Leavitt told reporters Thursday that he remains in “excellent health” and wasn’t in pain.

“Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease,” Leavitt said, reading off a note from Trump’s physician.

“All results were within normal limits.”

Auburn football made a late addition to the 2025 roster this summer, signing former five-star safety Jacoby Mathews in early July.

The signing came after Mathews spent a year in junior college focusing on his academics, following a two-year stint at Texas A&M. Mathews entered the transfer portal in April 2024, but never landed at another Division I school.

His departure from Texas A&M came during the offseason in which head coach Mike Elko was hired. Elko was asked about Mathews’ A&M departure at SEC Media Days on Thursday, but said he “didn’t have much interaction” with Mathews during that offseason.

Elko was part of Mathews’ recruitment during his stint as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator, but was at Duke during Mathews’ two full seasons in College Station.

“Really good kid, really good family, and certainly wish him nothing but the best at Auburn,” Elko said.

After Auburn signed Mathews, head coach Hugh Freeze said the safety “did not receive the blessing that he had at his previous school,” but learned from the experience. While mentioning Mathews’ past and departure from A&M, Freeze acknowledged his talent.

“Talent-wise the guy’s a five-star talent,” Freeze said. “Obviously, he did not own up to the responsibilities you have and the accountability that you should have. We had some great heart-to-hearts. I believe with all my heart that he understands this is his last chance.”

Auburn is set to begin fall camp on July 29. The Tigers will open the 2025 season exactly one month later on Aug. 29 with a road game against Baylor.

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

By Rich Tenorio | Edited by Patricia Guadalupe

From growing up in Colombia to writing for CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in New York City, Felipe Torres Medina’s trajectory has been full of twists and turns. So it makes perfect sense that he views his journey to the US – and those of countless fellow immigrants – as akin to a “Choose Your Own Adventure” story. Now he’s written a book about the innumerable variables and outcomes of such journeys – “America, Let Me In: A Choose Your Immigration Story,” which is published by Abrams Image.

“I wanted to write a humor book first,” Torres Medina tells palabra. “A humor book that happens to be about immigration, not an immigration book that happens to be funny. That was my goal.”

In writing the book, he says, “I thought about being able to tell more than one story – not only in my immigrant journey, but considering different kinds of visas, different ways to remain in the U.S.”

Humor sparkles throughout the pages. The author pokes fun at wealthy (and fictional) French men and women who have a relatively easy path to entering the U.S., thanks to wealth, entrepreneurship, or some combination of both. At an April 10 book talk in suburban Boston, Torres Medina left the attendees laughing – and thinking more about the immigrant experience at a time when it’s on many people’s minds.

The book was released amid increased challenges for immigrants from the Trump administration, such as stepped-up Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on undocumented migrants, with Boston among the cities targeted.

Torres Medina told the gathering at the book signing that humor is “the only way we sometimes deal with the horror.” And, he added, “you just have to keep living your life. Latino communities, Latino people, have to stay alive to fight … Jokes help us stay alive.”

With cameos from Babar the Elephant and a centaur queen, plus digs at Boston, the humor of the book is blended with compassion for the real-life individuals and families who must navigate the U.S. immigration system. Early on, the reader finds four options for immigrating to the United States: easy, medium, hard, and very hard. Those who pick “easy” will be disappointed.

Torres Medina read aloud what readers would see if they chose this option: “Incorrect! There is no easy way to move to America. Your journey has ended before it began!”

“That’s a ‘funny-because-it’s-true’ kind of joke,” he reflects to palabra. “There’s no easy way to move to the U.S. I wanted to make that very clear.”

Torres Medina knows this from experience. Much of the book details his own immigrant journey, which familiarized him with the mind-boggling array of ways to enter the country and their respective requirements. He first came as a student at Boston University, but when his graduate program ended, so did his F-1 student visa. He scrambled to find a way to stay, and in the process learned about options for creative types such as himself, including the O-1B visa that admitted Torres Medina as an “Alien of Extraordinary Ability in the Arts.” As the book details, this did not happen without some initial pitfalls.

Throughout the pages, he shows empathy for fellow Latino immigrants. As he notes, they often face additional challenges from American officials who do not understand certain cultural norms. One such norm is the practice of parents giving a child four names: first, middle, father’s last name and mother’s last name. This has led to the author being mistaken for similarly named individuals, some with criminal backgrounds, while attempting to enter the U.S.

“For a person who writes comedy, the only way to deal with this is to write comedy about it,” he tells palabra. “It’s the only way to deal with things you have absolutely no control over, that you cannot change.”

There were some aspects of the immigrant journey that the author couldn’t joke about. Remember the section where readers could choose the level of difficulty for their immigration journey? Well, for anyone who chooses “very hard,” their path will end as abruptly as the “easy” one. Why? Because Torres Medina does not want to be seen as making light of the arduous journey of impoverished migrants risking their lives.

“A lot of people come here the very, very hard way,” he says, including “thousands and thousands of migrants” from Colombia or Venezuela. Unlike his own journey by plane, these migrants make an arduous overland trek through the Darién Gap, a 60-mile stretch of roadless, dense jungle rainforest and mountains located on the border between Panama and Colombia, the only land bridge between North and South America.

“The most treacherous path of land in their path to the U.S. from South America is in Colombia,” Torres Medina says. “It’s an issue I know a lot about. I want to treat it with respect.”

Ultimately, things worked out well for Torres Medina. Not only did he get to stay in the United States, he wound up falling in love with his future wife, Taylor, a fellow comedy writer who is with HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.”

“I think it was nice to be able to look at it from the rearview mirror,” Torres Medina says of his immigrant journey. “At the same time, any immigrant will tell you the journey never feels quite over.”

An all new season of the hit crime series Homicide Squad New Orleans premieres on A&E Thursday, July 17 at 9/8c.

Those hoping to learn more about this season’s chilling homicide cases can stream the upcoming premiere through Philo (free trial), DirecTV (free trial) or Sling (50% off first month).

What is Homicide Squad New Orleans about?

The hit A&E series chronicles the harrowing work of a committed group of men and women united against the odds to protect their city and home.

During each episode, the team is tasked with putting together the evidence to catch the perpetrator, find answers for the victims loved ones, and keep their community safe.

The season two premiere episode follows the aftermath of an online dispute that quickly turns into a physical fight that ends with a mother losing her life. As Detective Fyfe unravels names of possible suspects, he zeroes in on a gang that has been terrorizing the city.

How to watch Homicide Squad New Orleans season 2

Cord cutters interested in catching the brand new season of Homicide Squad New Orleans can find it available for streaming through Philo, DirecTV and Sling.

Both Philo and DirecTV offer free trials for new subscribers to enjoy before committing to a paid plan while Sling offers those that commit to a paid subscription half off their first month.

Out of the three streaming services listed above, Philo is the cheapest at just $28 a month after its 7-day free trial concludes.

What is Philo?

Philo is considered one of the most affordable streaming platforms on the market. Known as an entertainment-focused streaming service, Philo offers its subscribers access to over 70 top-rated TV channels such as TLC, MTV, BET, AMC, CMT, Investigation Discovery and more.

New users can enjoy Philo’s 7-day free trial and continue to stream top channels, hit TV shows and movies on-demand for just $28 a month once the free trial expires.

Those looking to customize their flow of content even further on Philo can consider including add-ons such as MGM+, STARZ, and AMC+ in their subscription.

What is DirecTV?

DirecTV is a top streaming service perfect for those looking to access a plethora of live TV channels and enjoy helpful features. The base package starts at just $86.99 a month after its 5-day free trial and includes popular TV channels such as HGTV, ESPN, Bravo, CMT, CNBC, BET, CNN and more.

DirecTV has also recently introduced a lineup of genre packs, which allows subscribers to choose their favorite viewing options based on what genre they watch the most. With genre packs, users can get the channels and content they want without filler channel overload. Packs start at just $34.99 a month.

Those interested in comparing all DirecTV’s channel packages and the new genre packs can check them out here.

What is Sling?

Sling is another streaming service to consider if you want to ditch the hassle of traditional cable. Though no free trial is available to new subscribers, those who commit to a paid plan get half off the first month.

Both the Sling Orange plan and the Sling Blue plan are normally $45.99 a month, but with the current promotion, Sling users will pay just $23 a month for the first month.

For those who wish to access channels from both the Sling Blue and Sling Orange plans can do so by signing up for the Orange + Blue plan, which combines the best of both plans for just $60.99 a month ($30.50 for the first month).