Alabama News

Fans of Waffle House have a new way to enjoy their coffee.

The Georgia-based breakfast chain recently introduced canned cold brew coffee to its menu.

The Waffle House Cold Brew features a “classic blend with sweet cream,” according to the menu on Waffle House’s website. A can of the cold brew goes for $3.95.

So far, coffee lovers can only get the cans in Georgia. Waffle House is testing the cold brew at nine Atlanta-area locations.

Here’s a list of restaurants offering the cold brew, according to 11-Alive news:

• 2812 Buford Highway NE
• 5071 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
• 3735 Roswell Road
• 2264 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
• 4065 Peachtree Road
• 3016 Piedmont Road
• 2581 Piedmont Road NE
• 4532 Chamblee Dunwoody Road
• 3916 Flat Shoals Parkway

Earlier this year, Waffle House launched a new seasonal item: the Strawberry Shortcake Waffle. The waffle, according to All Recipes, is topped with strawberry-flavored gems, crispy shortcake crumbles, and whipped cream.

Forward Trendon Watford is on the move in NBA free agency, with the former Mountain Brook High School star agreeing to a two-year, $5.3 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Watford cannot sign the contract until July 6, when the NBA’s Free Agent Moratorium Period ends, but the Philadelphia Inquirer, NBC Sports Philadelphia and ESPN have reported the player and the team have a deal in place.

During the 2024-25 NBA season, Watford played in 44 games for the Brooklyn Nets. A hamstring injury kept the 6-foot-9 forward off the court between Dec. 16 and Jan. 29. Watford averaged 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 20.8 minutes per game.

At Mountain Brook, Watford earned first-team All-State recognition three times as the Spartans won the AHSAA Class 7A boys’ basketball championship in each of his final three seasons.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association chose Watford as the state’s Mr. Basketball in 2018 and 2019 as he set the ASHAA career rebounds record with 1,909.

Watford caught on with the Portland Trail Blazers as an undrafted rookie in 2021 after he’d averaged 16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds for LSU in the 2020-21 season.

Watford has split his four NBA seasons between Portland and Brooklyn. In 217 regular-season games, he has averaged 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 17.6 minutes.

With Guerschon Yabusele leaving Philadelphia for the New York Knicks in free agency, Watford joins the power-forward possibilities for the 76ers in a frontcourt with center Joel Embiid and small forward Paul George. Philadelphia also has Justin Edwards and Kelly Oubre Jr. returning and drafted Auburn standout Johni Broome last week.

Last season, the 6-foot-8 Oubre averaged 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 60 games, with 57 starts, and the 6-foot-6 Edwards averaged 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals in 44 games, with 26 starts.

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

South Alabama has picked up a Class of 2026 football commitment from Heij Jackson, a wide receiver out of McDonogh 35 High School in New Orleans.

Jackson (6-foot-3, 190) is rated a 3-star prospect by 247 Sports. He also has offers from Troy, Southern Miss, Texas-San Antonio and Arkansas State, and drew interest from Ole Miss, Arkansas and Louisville.

Jackson totaled 37 receptions for 350 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024 at McDonogh 35, where he also plays basketball and participates in track & field. He is South Alabama’s 18 commitment for the Class of 2026, and third wide receiver along with Brody Jones of St. Michaels and Dominic White of Minor.

The early signing period for high school players begins on Dec. 2.

South Alabama 2026 recruiting class (18)

Sami Abdelhak, OL, 6-3, 305, Baton Rouge, La./Southern Lab HS

Xavious Anderson, LB, 6-1, 215, Hogansville, Ga./Callaway HS

Darius Burwell, SAF, 6-2, 185, Huntsville, Ala./Mae Jemison HS

Deon Callins, CB, 6-1, 180, Pinson, Ala./Clay-Chalkville HS

Lavonte Cole, RB, 5-11, 190, Thomasville, Ga./Thomasville HS

Trakarris Collier, CB, 6-1, 180, Semmes, Ala./Mary G. Montgomery HS

Tyray Darensburg, LB, 6-1, 215, Chalmette, La./Chalmette HS

Teryn Green, SAF, 6-1, 195, Flowood, Miss./Hartfield Academy

Heij Jackson, WR, 6-3, 190, New Orleans, La./McDonogh 35 HS

Taylor Jacobs Jr., QB, 6-1, 185, Tallahassee, Fla./Lincoln HS

Brody Jones, WR, 5-10, 163, Fairhope, Ala./St. Michael Catholic School

Zech Hall, SAF, 6-2, 195, Havana, Fla./Gadsden County HS

Caleb Metzner, DE, 6-2, 215, Mobile, Ala./Cottage Hill Christian HS

Noah Moss, RB, 6-1, 205, Fairhope, Ala./St. Michael Catholic HS

Aaden Shamburger, QB, 6-3, 180, Spanish Fort, Ala./Spanish Fort HS

Camen Upshaw, SAF, 6-0, 180, Tallahassee, Fla./John Paul II Catholic School

Dominic White, WR, 6-1, 180, Adamsville, Ala./Minor HS

Caleb Wynn, RB, 5-11, 205, Oxford, Ala./Oxford HS

Lots of people are used to dashing into Walmart to save money, but now the retail giant is rolling out a store concept that you can’t dash in, but which is designed to save time.

Walmart is testing a kind of store aimed at making its online delivery services more efficient and improving the quality of that service.

They’re calling them “dark stores” because these locations will not be open to the public, but only used to fulfill customers’ online orders.

These stores will add to the 4800 brick-and-mortar stores Walmart already has. The first dark store is already up and running in Dallas, Texas, with another planned for Walmart’s hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas.

The stores are dark for another reason, according to USA Today. They include none of the familiar signage designed to attract shoppers – because they don’t want shoppers going in. Even so, the inside of the dark stores will resemble the stores millions regularly patronize, and will carry some of the retailer’s most popular products, but just for online order fulfillment.

Walmart’s chief executive officer Douglas McMillon said on an earnings call in May that, “Delivery speed continues to help drive our business. We’ll soon reach 95% of the population in the U.S. with delivery options of three hours or less.”

He said that for US Walmart, “the number of deliveries in less than three hours grew by 91% for Q1 versus a year ago.”

Dark stores aren’t Walmart’s only effort to shorten delivery times. The Walmart supermarkets recently expanded drone delivery by 100 additional locations, making the company the first retailer to offer that service in five states.

“We regularly test new tools, features, and capabilities to better connect with and serve our customers — wherever and however they choose to shop,” Walmart told Food & Wine in a statement. “Regardless of the channel, our goal remains the same: to deliver a fast, seamless, and engaging customer experience.”

Greg Cathey, the senior vice president of Walmart U.S. transformation and innovation, said in a release that the company is committed to “pushing the boundaries of convenience to better serve our customers, making shopping faster and easier than ever before.”

Walmart’s dark stores are an obvious effort to compete with retail titans like Amazon, known for delivering orders with impressive speed.

For the Alabama Crimson Tide football program, the last 25 years has seen depressing lows, but also amazing highs. Most of those years under the leadership of Nick Saban, perhaps the greatest coach of the last quarter-century.

If you’re an Alabama fan, you’ll probably call him the greatest coach of the last century.

While Saban may have the title of “The GOAT”, who exactly would be on the team of the greatest Alabama players over the last 25 years?

The staff from AL.com put their heads together and made their picks for the AL.com Alabama Crimson Tide quarter-century team.

Offense

Quarterback

• Tua Tagovailoa

Also receiving votes: Jalen Hurts, Bryce Young

This is a case where you could literally roll the ball out with any of the selected signal callers. However, by the slimmest of margins (1 vote), Tua gets nod.

Tua first came onto the scene during the 2018 College Football Playoff national title game as he entered the game, and in overtime connected with DeVonta Smith for a game-winning touchdown to give Alabama a 26-23 victory over Georgia.

Running Backs

• Derrick Henry
• Mark Ingram

Also receiving votes: Eddie Lacy

Wide Receivers

• DeVonta Smith
• Julio Jones

Also receiving votes: Amari Cooper

Tight End

As one of the few players to have a uniramous vote across the board, OJ Howard is not only one of the greatest players in Alabama history, but also most reliable. Howard’s consistency led to over 1,700 yards and seven career touchdowns as a key piece of national title-winnings teams in Tuscaloosa.

Tackles

• Andre Smith
• Cam Robinson

Also receiving votes: Chris Samuels, Jonah Williams

Guards

• Barrett Jones
• Chance Warmack

Also receiving votes: Mike Johnson

Center

• Landon Dickerson

Also receiving votes: Barrett Jones, Ryan Kelly

Defense

Defensive Ends/Edge

• Will Anderson Jr.
• Marcel Dareus

Also receiving votes: Dallas Turner, Quinnen Williams, Jonathan Allen

Defensive Tackles

• Quinnen Williams
• Jonathan Allen

Also receiving votes: Terrance Cody, Daron Payne

Linebackers

• Rolando McClain
• Reuben Foster
• CJ Mosley

Also receiving votes: DeMeco Ryans, Dont’a Hightower, Will Anderson.

While Ryans, Hightower, and Anderson can certainly make a case for anybody’s quarter-century team, the three selected by the AL.com staff are pretty good themselves.

McClain, Foster, and Mosley have a combined five first-team All-SEC honors, three unanimous All-American selections, and each of them have been named SEC Defensive Player of the Year while at Alabama.

Cornerbacks

• Patrick Surtain II
• Javier Arenas

Also receiving votes: Dee Milliner, Marlon Humphrey,

Safeties

• Mark Barron
• Minkah Fitzpatrick

Also receiving votes: Eddie Jackson, Roman Harper

Special Teams

Kicker

• Will Reichard

Punter

What are your thoughts on the AL.com Alabama quarter-century team? Reach out on all AL.com and AMG social media pages to give your thoughts and comments on who you think should have made the team.

The Auburn and Iron Bowl quarter-century teams are coming as well, stay tuned to AL.com for more details as they come.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested unleashing the DOGE “monster” on ally-turned-rival Elon Musk while leaving deportation on the table for the world’s richest person.

“I don’t know. We’ll have to take a look” at deportation, Trump told reporters Tuesday while touring the “Alligator Alcatraz” for detained migrants in Florida.

Musk is a native of South Africa who moved to the United States in 1992 to advance his education.

He became a U.S. citizen through the naturalization process in 2002.

In a video discussing his immigration status with his brother, Kimbal Musk, at a 2013 global conference, Elon Musk claimed “it was a gray area” after Kimbal Musk said the brothers “were illegal immigrants.”

Trump had another suggestion for dealing with Musk, who is at odds with the president over the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

“We might have to put DOGE on Elon,” Trump said, referring to the Department of Government Efficiency that Musk worked with to root out waste, fraud and abuse in government.

“You know what DOGE is? DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn’t that be terrible? He gets a lot of subsidies,” Trump said.

Musk’s companies have been awarded lucrative government contracts worth $38 billion, according to the Washington Post.

“But Elon’s very upset that the EV mandate is gonna be terminated,” Trump told reporters. “And, you know what, when you look at it … not everyone wants an electric car.

“I don’t want to have an electric car. I want to have maybe gasoline, maybe electric, maybe a hybrid, maybe someday a hydrogen … sometimes it blows up.”

Musk fired the first shots last month, calling Trump’s signature legislation a “disgusting abomination” for increasing the country’s debt.

Trump posted to his Truth Social account that Musk was “wearing thin.”

“I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!” Trump posted.

Musk denied that the subsidies angered him. On Thursday, he claimed that Trump only won the 2024 election because of the nearly $300 million he provided to the president’s campaign.

“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,” Musk responded. “Such ingratitude.”

Trump fired back, suggesting cutting the billions Musk’s companies receive from the government would be “the easiest way to save money in our budget.”

“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!” the president posted.

On Monday, Musk threatened to form a new political party after Freedom Caucus Republicans, who campaigned on reining in spending, voted in favor of the bill.

“It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!“ Musk tweeted.

Country music singer Gavin Adcock, known for songs like “Deep End” and “Ain’t No Cure,” recently shared his thoughts with concertgoers on Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter.”

“That s–t ain’t country music and it ain’t ever been country music and it ain’t gonna be country music,” Adcock told the crowd at his concert this weekend.

He said this in response to his album “My Own Worst Enemy,” (No.5) coming behind Beyonce’s (No.4) on the Apple Music country music charts.

“Cowboy Carter” also took home album of the year at the Grammys in February.

Adcock, who was nominated for new male artist of the year at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards, later posted a video on X explaining his stance.

“I’ma go ahead and clear this up,” he said.

“When I was a little kid, my mama was blasting some Beyoncé in the car. I’ve heard a ton of Beyoncé songs and I actually remember her Super Bowl Halftime Show being pretty kick-ass back in the day. But I really don’t believe her album should be labeled as country music.”

Adcock said, “It doesn’t sound country, it doesn’t feel country, and I just don’t think that people that have dedicated their whole lives to this genre and this lifestyle should have to compete or watch that album just stay at the top just because she’s Beyoncé.”

Ten days before the album released, Beyoncé made a post to Instagram explaining that it has been five years in the making, and was birthed from an experience that she had years ago where she didn’t feel welcomed and “it was clear that she wasn’t.”