General News
Senate’s No. 2 Democrat will not seek reelection during 2026 midterms
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said Wednesday that he will not seek reelection in 2026, ending his more than four-decade career representing Illinois and piling more pressure on the party as it already faced a difficult path to reclaiming a majority in the Senate during the midterm election.
The decision by Durbin, who is in his fifth Senate term and is the chamber’s No. 2 Democrat, will set off a flurry of activity among a scrum of would-be successors, both Democratic and Republican. But in a state that has grown more solidly Democratic, the GOP has captured a Senate seat just twice for six-year terms since 1984.
“The decision of whether to run has not been easy,” Durbin said in a video posted to X. “I truly love the job of being a United States senator. But in my heart I know it’s time to pass the torch.”
Durbin, who’s 80, was first elected to the U.S. House in 1982 and served seven terms before succeeding his mentor, Paul Simon, in the Senate in 1996. From that post, he helped shape the career of an up-and-comer, Barack Obama, who was only four years into his first term in the Senate when he was elected president.
Durbin is the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and sits on the Appropriations and Agriculture committees. His caucus colleagues have chosen him as Democratic whip, the party’s No. 2 position, biennially since 2005.
He has been consistently liberal in Congress. Govtrack’s 2024 report card on Congress lists him as the Senate’s 14th most liberal member — right behind Illinois’ junior senator, Tammy Duckworth.
Among Durbin’s more significant legislative achievements, he is largely credited with putting in motion the movement to ban indoor smoking. Having watched his 53-year-old father die of lung cancer when he was 14, Durbin won approval of legislation he sponsored in 1987 prohibiting smoking on short commercial flights and expanded it to nearly all domestic flights two years later.
“People started asking, ‘If secondhand smoke wasn’t safe on airplanes — why is it safe in public buildings, schools, hospitals or restaurants?’ The answer is simple: It’s not,” Durbin said on the 25th anniversary of the law.
In the early 2000s, he introduced the DREAM Act, which would give immigrants in the U.S. illegally who grew up in the country a pathway toward U.S. citizenship.
It’s never become law, but in 2010, Durbin and Sen. Richard Lugar, an Indiana Republican, wrote Obama asking him to stop deporting so-called Dreamers. Obama responded with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which has covered about 830,000 immigrants, according to Durbin’s office.
Durbin was instrumental in reversing a War on Drugs-era law that penalized crack cocaine in a 100-to-1 ratio to powder cocaine, a law that disproportionately hit Black defendants with long prison terms. The new law was made retroactive, reducing the sentences for those serving time for crack.
And with Republican and Democratic co-sponsors, Durbin pushed the First Step Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in 2018. The criminal justice system revamp aimed to make sentencing laws fairer and provide programs to help people who are incarcerated transition in returning to society.
Richard Durbin was born in 1944 in East St. Louis. In 1966, after graduating from Georgetown University, he interned for Sen. Paul Douglas, whose seat he now holds. It was Douglas, who lost election to a fourth term in 1966, who once mistakenly called him “Dick,” a nickname Durbin adopted.
Durbin earned a law degree from Georgetown and worked as legal counsel for Simon, who was lieutenant governor in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and then for the Legislature through the 1970s. In 1978, Durbin made an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor, after which he maintained a private legal practice and co-owned a Springfield tavern.
A redrawn district, an economic recession and funding from pro-Israel forces were factors when in 1982 Durbin ousted 11-term Republican incumbent congressman Paul Findley, best known for his criticism of American policy toward Israel and support of Palestinians.
In 2000, Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore considered Durbin for the vice presidency, before Gore ultimately chose Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. But a few years later, Durbin influenced another presidential candidate when he served as a sounding board for and adviser to Obama.
Read MoreComedian Shane Gillis coming to Birmingham this week, here’s how to get last minute tickets
Comedian, actor and writer Shane Gillis is on his 2025 standup comedy tour with an upcoming show scheduled at Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham on Saturday, April 26.
The Pennsylvania native is one of today’s top comedians and tends to have an ongoing slew of projects, all of which captivate a vast audience.
In recent years, Gillis released his self-funded debut Shane Gillis: Live in Austin which received over 40 million views, and following the success of this project, Gillis went on to release a Netflix special called Beautiful Dogs. This special reached the streaming platform’s Top 10 category in five countries.
When he’s not on tour, Gillis co-hosts Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast, which includes fellow comedian Matt McCusker. The podcast is not only extremely successful but is currently ranked the number one Patreon podcast globally. Those interested in checking out the podcast through Spotify can do so, while looking forward to upcoming video episodes that will be available on the platform soon.
This year, Gillis launched his biggest tour yet consisting of a 28-city international tour. Since its start in January, the tour has set an all-time ticket record at six arenas. Gillis has 12 stops left on this global tour, all of which are in the U.S.
Those interested in seeing the comedian live can find great ticket deals on secondary markets such as Vivid Seats, StubHub, Viagogo and Seat Geek. Through these sites, users can find the lowest price, best deal and explore perks.
Where can I find last minute tickets to the Birmingham show?
Those interested in attending the Saturday, April 26 show at Legacy Arena in Birmingham can find the current ticket prices below.
Vivid Seats: Tickets start at $50 per person
StubHub: Tickets start at $41 per person
Viagogo: Tickets start at $42 per person
Seat Geek: Tickets start at $43 per person
More upcoming Shane Gillis tour dates
April 25 – Knoxville, Tennessee
May 2 – Albany, New York
May 3 – Buffalo, New York
May 9 – Raleigh, North Carolina
May 10 – Norfolk, Virginia
May 30 – Omaha, Nebraska
May 31 – Des Moines, Iowa
June 6 – Anaheim, California
June 7 – San Diego, California
June 28 – San Jose, California
Sept. 6 – Notre Dame, Indiana
Read MoreUniversity of Alabama graduation 2025: Parking, security, when will Trump speak?
Thousands of people will flock to Tuscaloosa for University of Alabama graduation events the weekend of May 3-4, 2025.
The university is creating a special pre-commencement event to accommodate a historic visit by President Donald Trump.
More than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students are expected to finish degrees and claim their diploma.
Here are some commencement details if you plan to attend one of the many events (or to avoid the traffic). More information can be found at the university’s FAQ.
Schedule of graduation events
All graduation events are at Coleman Coliseum at 1201 Coliseum Drive in Tuscaloosa.
Doors open one hour before the ceremony begins, and each event should last 1.5 hours.
Thursday, May 1
Trump is speaking to graduates at a ticketed event.
Al.com reached out to the university for more details on registering for the event, the cost of tickets and if the public can attend.
Friday, May 2
1:30 p.m.: College of Arts and Sciences (Last names A-L)
4:30 p.m.: College of Arts and Sciences (Last names M-Z)
7:30 p.m.: College of Engineering & School of Social Work
Saturday, May 3
8:30 a.m.: Capstone College of Nursing, College of Community Health Sciences & College of Human Environmental Sciences
Noon: College of Communication and Information Sciences & College of Education
3:30 p.m.: Culverhouse College of Business I (Last names A-L)
7 p.m.: Culverhouse College of Business II (Last names M-Z)
Sunday, May 4
2 p.m.: School of Law
What to know about events
Graduating students have specific instructions on how to participate. Go to UA’s commencement website for more information.
Can I watch online?
Yes. If you’d rather avoid the traffic but still want to support a graduate, the ceremonies will be livestreamed on UA’s commencement site and archived.
Do I need to register for tickets?
For the Trump event on May 1, yes. AL.com will post more information on this event as details are released.
However, for all the other ceremonies, no tickets are needed. Graduates can invite as many guests as they please and guests can seat themselves.
Can I bring food to a graduation event?
No outside food or drinks are allowed, but several concessions will be open selling pre-packaged snacks, drinks and water.
What will security be like?
Anticipate tight security at Thursday’s Trump appearance. Also, there may be airport delays as all planes are grounded while Air Force One is traveling. AL.com will obtain and share more details on security measures.
Metal detectors will be present at ceremony entrances.
Will there be a clear bag rule?
For the graduation ceremonies, you can only bring clear bags into the coliseum.
Where can I park for graduation events?
Free parking and shuttles are available in the Soccer Lot, Lot A at 120 4th St.
The Capstone Parking deck on 921 2nd Ave. will be open, but no shuttles will be provided. To get more details on parking, go to UA’s commencement page.
Is there accessible parking and seating available?
Bring state-issued credentials to use accessible parking. Guests can be dropped off in front of the Coliseum in designated areas.
Accessible seating is first-come, first-served and “plentiful,” according to UA’s commencement site.
Read MoreElon Musk’s time is the latest DOGE casualty as Tesla stock tanks
The latest DOGE casualty: Elon Musk’s time.
The world’s richest person and Tesla CEO said his time spent at the Department of Government Efficiency will “drop significantly” as Tesla stock continues to slide.
During a Tesla earnings call on Tuesday, Musk said the time he devotes to cutting fraud and waste in the federal government will be slashed starting in May.
“I think I’ll continue to spend a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the president would like me to do so and as long as it is useful,” Musk said on the call, according to Yahoo! Finance.
Through DOGE, the billionaire has been one of the most visible political figures of the Trump administration.
But his role is deeply unpopular among the American people, according to a YouGov/Economist poll released Wednesday.
Just 39% of U.S. adult citizens have a favorable view of Elon Musk, the poll found, while 55% have an unfavorable view.
At the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, 44% were favorable toward Musk and 48% were unfavorable, the poll showed.
Meanwhile, Musk has lost more than $131 billion of his net worth since the beginning of the year, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index. Much of his net worth is tied to Tesla stock.
However, the world’s richest man remains in the top spot with a net worth of $301 billion.
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is second with a $195 billion net worth, followed by Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook at $175 billion.
Tesla struggled to sell vehicles as it faced angry protests over Musk’s leadership of DOGE, a jobs-cutting group that has divided the country. The Austin, Texas, company reported a 71% drop in profits and a 9% decline in revenue for the first quarter.
“Investors wanted to see him recommit to Tesla,” Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives said of Musk cutting back the time he spends at DOGE. “This is a big step in the right direction.”
Investors sent Tesla shares up more than 5% in after-hours trading, although they are still down more than 40% for the year.
Tesla said Tuesday that quarterly profits fell from $1.39 billion to $409 million, or 12 cents a share. That’s far below analyst estimates. Tesla’s revenue fell from $21.3 billion to $19.3 billion in the January through March period, also below Wall Street’s forecast. Tesla’s gross margins, a measure of earnings for each dollar of revenue, fell from 17.4% to 16.3% .
Musk did not say Tesla’s stock performance contributed to why he is going to spend less time at DOGE.
The change is coming, according to Musk, “now that the major work of establishing Department of Government Efficiency is done.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read MoreWalmart will renovate these 12 Alabama stores
Walmart is planning remodels of 12 stores in Alabama, including opening a new Neighborhood Market location.
Fox 54 that the upgrades are part of the company’s broader push to remodel more than 650 stores nationwide this year.
The renovations will include new signage, expanded product displays and a wider selection of items.
In addition, Walmart will offer enhancements of its online pickup and delivery services, updated pharmacy areas with wider aisles, private screening rooms and dedicated checkout spaces.
The locations to be remodeled are:
- Huntsville: 330 Sutton Road SE
- Madison: 7140 Wall Triana Highway
- Haleyville: 42466 Alabama 195
- Thomasville: 34301 U.S. 43,
- Robertsdale: 21141 Alabama 59
- Northport: 5710 McFarland Blvd.
- Atmore: 911 N Main St.
- Vestavia Hills: 1300 Montgomery Hwy.
Remodels will also occur at Supercenters in Mobile and Cullman.
In addition to the remodels, Walmart is building a new Neighborhood Market in Tuscaloosa, scheduled to open in early summer. The store will create approximately 100 new jobs.
“Our stores often serve as the heartbeat of the communities we operate in, and these remodels are a testament to our dedication to enhancing that role,” Nick Berkeley, Walmart Senior Vice President for the Southeast Business Unit, said. “By investing in our stores and associates, we are not only improving the shopping experience but also reinforcing our commitment to being a vital part of the community’s fabric, helping to build a brighter future for all.”
Read MoreKash Patel tours Redstone Arsenal with Britt, Tuberville as FBI reportedly moving 500 agents to Alabama
U.S. Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville today are touring the FBI facility at Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal with Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s recently appointed FBI director.
“[We’ll be] looking at all of the capabilities, looking at where we are, looking at current and future threats and we can ensure the FBI is ready to address those,” Britt said in an interview this morning with Alabama Morning News.
“Kash has come in and done incredible things…He has made it his mission along with Attorney General Pam Bondi to end the opioid crisis, to make sure that we’re actually keeping Americans safe in their communities, returning the FBI to what it was intended to do.”
Britt went on to reference a couple of bills that had recently been passed in the Senate, the Laken Riley Act, which requires immigration authorities to detain undocumented migrants that commit theft-related and other crimes, and the HALT Fentanyl Act, which permanently makes fentanyl-related substances a Schedule I drug.
“We’re going to continue to pass legislation that helps him do his job and do it to the very best of his ability,” she said.
“And I am excited to see those capabilities here in Alabama.”
Earlier this month, Patel was quietly removed as the acting chief of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which investigates things like violent crime, gun trafficking, arson and bombings, according to its website.
Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll has taken over Patel’s position, according to a report from AP News, though it is not yet clear why.
An anonymous source told AP Patel was removed at the end of February, just days after he was sworn in.
According to the report, Justice Department officials have been considering a plan to combine the ATF and the Drug Enforcement Administration into a single agency.
There has been no public announcement made yet on why Patel was replaced or why Driscoll, 38, a former adviser to Vice President JD Vance, now oversees the ATF while remaining in his position as secretary of the Army.
Shortly after he was confirmed as FBI director, Patel reportedly ordered the transfer of 500 workers from Washington, D.C. to the bureau’s facility at Redstone Arsenal.
Patel’s directive also includes moving 1,000 FBI agents from D.C. headquarters out into the field, according to NBC News, which cited current and former FBI officials.
During his confirmation, Patel assured Britt he was all for adding 4,000 people to the FBI facility in Huntsville, bringing the total to more than 6,000.
“Four thousand seats still remain open so let’s go to work. I’ll come to Alabama and let’s fill those seats absolutely,” Patel told Britt at his confirmation hearing.
“I really want you to come and visit with me the state-of-the-art facilities that we have there,” Britt said at the time.
“They’re pretty incredible…we have the ballistics research facility, the hazardous device school…the terrorist explosive device analytics center…we have the sprawling North and South Campus of the FBI.”
Read MoreFormer Tide signee, Alabama prep star signs with Jacksonville State out of transfer portal
One of the state’s top prospects from the class of 2022 will be returning to his home state.
Jacksonville State has signed former Alabama defensive back signee and high school star Tre’Quon Fegans, a source confirmed to AL.com on Wednesday.
The move reunites Fegans with new Jax State coach Charles Kelly, who recruited Fegans during his time at Alabama under Nick Saban; Kelly also recruited Fegans’ brother, Anquon, to Auburn before taking the job at Jax State.
Matt Zenitz of 247Sports was the first to report the news.
The former 4-star prospect spent last season at UCF, where he appeared in seven games and logged two tackles for the Knights.
He spent the 2023 season at USC after signing with Alabama out of Thompson High School, where he was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 7 prospect in the state and the No. 14 cornerback in the nation.
As a senior at Thompson, he was a first team all-state pick in Class 7A after logging 45 tackles, five tackles for loss and a team-best four interceptions as the Warriors won a Class 7A state title.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound defender started his prep career at Oxford High School, where he helped lead the Yellow Jackets to a Class 6A state title in 2019 and logged five interceptions, all for touchdowns.
Read MoreFormer Alabama walk-on makes Major League debut with Detroit Tigers
Terming Chase Lee’s Major League debut on Tuesday night as a dream come true wouldn’t be entirely accurate. The right-handed pitcher said playing in the big leagues had seemed far beyond his reach as an Alabama walk-on.
But Lee wasn’t dreaming when he worked 1.2 scoreless innings to finish the Detroit Tigers’ 2-0 loss to the San Diego Padres in an interleague game at Comerica Park in Detroit.
“Honestly, I tried not to dream about it too much,” Lee told mlb.com. “Growing up, this was never reality for me. I didn’t have the opportunity to play collegiate baseball; I walked on. So this has been free baseball since then. I really never expected this opportunity, and so I just tried to take it as it came and not put too much expectations or pressure on it.”
Lee pitched on AHSAA playoff teams in his final two seasons at McAdory High School in McCalla. To continue playing baseball, Lee joined the club team at Alabama as he started work on his degree in aerospace engineering.
For the club team, Lee posted a 7-0 record with an 0.21 earned-run average, which garnered Rawlings National Club Baseball Association All-American honors and an opportunity to walk on with the Crimson Tide team in 2019.
Over the next three seasons with Alabama, Lee went 9-0 with a 1.87 ERA in 49 relief appearances. He struck out 94 in 82 innings.
The Texas Rangers drafted Lee in the sixth round in 2021.
Lee reached the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate, the Round Rock Express, in 2022 and was still there in 2024 when Texas traded him to the Tigers as part of a deal to acquire reliever Andrew Chafin.
Detroit called up Lee from the Toledo Mud Hens on Tuesday.
On Tuesday night, Lee relieved former Auburn pitcher Bailey Horn with one out and a runner on first in the top of the eighth and got a double play to end the inning. Lee gloved a soft liner by designated hitter Manny Machado and doubled Fernando Tatis Jr. off first.
In the ninth, Lee loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter before striking out San Diego second baseman Mason McCoy to close the frame.
“Obviously, I wish we could’ve pulled it out and gotten the win,” Lee said. “The guys were so excited for me. Getting to watch them experience that for me, it was fun to watch their reactions as well as to get to enjoy the moment myself.”
Lee is the fourth player from an Alabama high school or college to make his Major League debut in the 2025 season, joining Washington Nationals pitcher Cole Henry from Florence High School, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson from UAB and Kansas City Royals second baseman/outfielder Tyler Tolbert from Hewitt-Trussville High School and UAB.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.
Read MoreBirmingham-area brunch restaurant closes
A Nashville-based brunch restaurant has closed its location in Cahaba Heights.
Biscuit Love, known for its topped biscuits and biscuit bowls, has closed its Cahaba Heights location, which opened in late 2022.
The restaurant made the announcement on social media Monday.
“After more than two years in Birmingham, we have made the heartfelt decision to close our Cahaba Heights location of Biscuit Love as we continue to focus on our locations in Middle Tennessee and Cincinnati,” the announcement reads. “The business has been sold to a well known restaurant group, who share our same passion for food and connection. It’s been an honor to serve the Cahaba Heights community!”
The management announced that gift cards will be honored at any location.
Husband and wife team Karl and Sarah Worley founded Biscuit Love as a food truck in 2012. Three years later, they expanded the brand with a brick-and-mortar location in 2015. The menu featured more than just biscuits, with salads and bowls.
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