In the 236-year history of the influential House Ways and Means Committee, no Black woman has ever served in a leadership position on the important tax-writing committee or its subcommittees.
Until Wednesday, when Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, was selected to serve as ranking member of the committee’s Oversight Subcommittee in the new Congress.
Sewell, who will be the subcommittee’s top Democrat, became the first Black woman to serve in a Ways and Means subcommittee leadership position.
“I am honored to have been selected by my Democratic colleagues to lead our work on the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee,” Sewell said in a statement.
“As Congress prepares to consider new changes to our tax code, I look forward to fighting alongside my colleagues to protect programs like Social Security and Medicare and ensure that our tax system benefits all Americans, not just billionaires and big corporations. As Ranking Member, I am prepared to work with my Republican colleagues where possible and hold the incoming administration accountable when necessary.”
Until Sewell’s elevation to a subcommittee leadership post, no Black woman had served in a similar position since the committee was established in 1789.
Sewell has served on the Ways and Means committee since 2017.
The committee is the oldest in Congress and is the chief tax-writing committee in the House, with jurisdiction over taxes, trade, Social Security and Medicare.
Sewell was also appointed to serve on the Trade and Social Security subcommittees.
The midseason premiere of the award-winning series Abbott Elementaryseason four will return to ABC Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 8/7c.
During the episode nine premiere, the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia cast will join the Abbott Elementary team in an epic crossover episode as both shows happen to take place in Philly.
In this crossover episode, Ava announces the school district is sending a group of volunteers to help out at Abbott, however, when they arrive, things don’t go as planned.
Where can I watch Abbott Elementary season 4 episode 9?
Although premiering on ABC, those without basic cable can still watch this week’s new episode of Abbott Elementary on Wednesday night with either Fuboor DirecTV Stream.
Both live streaming services offer free trials for new subscribers who can watch this week’s episode for free before committing to a paid subscription.
Both Fuboand DirecTV Stream are set up like any other streaming service, but rather than offering exclusively on-demand content, they both offer exclusive live TV channels. So like cable, but without the hassle.
Fubo considers itself a sports-focused live streaming service, but overall, its standard package comes with over 100 live TV channels for $79.99 a month after its free trial. These channels include ESPN, ABC, NBC, CBS, TLC, MTV and much more.
Fubo also comes with a variety of shows and movies users can watch on-demand along with the option to record your favorite TV shows.
DirecTV Stream is similar to Fubo as it offers many of the same channels and features. At $101.98 a month after its free trial, the base package comes with a little over 90 live TV channels.
While wide receiver Jermaine Burton didn’t become much of a contributor to the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense after being chosen in the third round of the NFL Draft on April 26, he established himself as the team’s kickoff returner in the second half of his rookie season, including compiling 146 kickoff-return yards in a 44-38 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 1, the most for a Cincinnati player in six years.
But on the day before the Bengals’ rematch with the Steelers on Saturday night – a game that Cincinnati had to win to keep its playoff hopes alive – the NFL team announced Burton had been left at home, attributing his benching to a “coach’s decision.”
That news was accompanied by reports, supported by court filings, that the former Alabama wide receiver was being evicted from his apartment.
On Wednesday, a report by the Cincinnati Enquirer cited something perhaps more relevant to the coach’s decision than an eviction: On Dec. 30, a 19-year-old woman who had been dating Burton called 911 to report the wide receiver had chased her into her apartment, broken her phone, choked and hit her.
The woman also said Burton had put a knife to his neck and threatened suicide.
“He said he was going to kill himself,” the 911 call said. “He’s a narcissist. He’s a manipulator.”
The police report said the woman suffered minor injuries that did not need medical attention and had decided not to press charges.
The Bengals released a statement after being contacted by the Enquirer: “We are aware of information related to Jermaine Burton. We will continue to evaluate as we gather additional details and will have no further comment at this time.”
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.
Brace yourself. Tonight could be one of the coldest of the week. But Saturday night is also in the running for the prize.
The National Weather Service is forecasting temperatures to bottom out in the teens in north Alabama overnight. And the 20s will be felt all the way into south Alabama.
South Alabama has been under cold weather advisories for the past two nights and will have another one tonight, according to the weather service in Mobile.
The weather service in Birmingham has also added a cold weather advisory for many of its central Alabama counties tonight:
Cold weather advisories have replaced wind chill advisories, and the criteria varies from region to region.
Wind chills could be as low as 16 overnight in south Alabama.
Central Alabama wind chills could range between 10 and 15 degrees.
Here’s the forecast for low temperatures (air temperatures, not wind chills) tonight from the National Weather Service. North Alabama will be in the upper teens, central Alabama in the low 20s and south Alabama in the mid-20s:
Here are the forecast lows for tonight.NWS
It could end up being the coldest night of a very cold week. Low temperatures on Thursday night into Friday morning, when winter precipitation could be moving in, will be a bit “warmer.”
Here are the forecast lows for Thursday night into Friday morning. Lows will range from the upper 20s in north and north-central Alabama, the upper 20s to low 30s in central Alabama and the mid- to upper 30s in south Alabama, with some colder pockets in eastern Alabama:
Here are the lows expected Thursday night into Friday morning.NWS
Friday night into Saturday morning will again be very cold, but not as cold as tonight could be. Lows will be in the mid-20s in north Alabama, the upper 20s to low 30s in central Alabama, and the mid-30s in south Alabama:
Here are the forecast lows from Friday night into Saturday morning.NWS
Saturday night into Sunday morning will be in the running for one of the other coldest nights of the week. Temperatures could fall back into the teens in north Alabama, and 20s are expected for the rest of the state. Here are the forecast lows:
Saturday night into Sunday morning will bring the teens back for lows in parts of Alabama.NWS
How long will this cold last? The National Weather Service’s forecasts go out only seven days, but the Climate Prediction Center has a probability temperature forecast for next week. It shows a high probability of below-average temperatures continuing through Jan. 17:
Below-average temperatures are expected through next week.Climate Prediction Center
Huntsville International Airport is making cold weather preparations as north Alabama braces for a winter storm that could bring several inches of snow, ice and sleet.
The airport plans to remain open no matter what Old Man Winter throws at the Rocket City, an airport spokeswoman said Wednesday. Public Relations Director Mary Swanstrom also noted the storm, which could drop up to 8 inches of snow in parts of north Alabama on Thursday and Friday, is part of a larger system affecting several states, which could have a ripple effect on flights to and from HSV.
“The airlines make individual decisions for their operations, and we encourage passengers to stay in touch with their airline regarding flight schedules,” Swanstrom said.
As of Wednesday morning, no flights for later in the week have been delayed or canceled. As airlines make schedule changes, they will be shown online at flyhuntsville.com/flights. Weather-related information is also updated on Huntsville International Airport’s social media channels, including Facebook and LinkedIn.
Swanstrom said the airport’s Operations staff has equipment and chemicals ready to treat snowy or icy runways, ramps, roads and paths, if necessary. HSV has two snowplow/broom combo tractors for sweeping large areas like runways and taxiways, she said.
People who are traveling during the winter weather are advised to allow additional time to get to the airport – arriving two hours before a scheduled departure is recommended, Swanstrom said. She noted the Four Points by Sheraton hotel on the property is available for passengers concerned about traveling during the storm.
Visitors should also “be aware of airport snow removal equipment keeping our roadways and parking lots clear for passenger arrivals and departures,” Swanstrom said.
Huntsville city officials are confident the community will fare better this weekend as a winter storm approaches than it did almost exactly a year ago when much of north Alabama was crippled for several days by an ice storm.
But how Huntsville and the rest of the Tennessee Valley fare may depend more on what kind of precipitation falls and how low temperatures dip if the winter storm hits as expected on Friday.
The Huntsville area is expecting more of a snow event according to the National Weather Service when the system hits, with some areas in the valley receiving as much as eight inches.
But that was also the case last year when a winter storm hit Jan. 14-15, 2024.
In his report to the Huntsville City Council last February, City Administrator John Hamilton said the city was prepared for snow when the area was hit by several inches of freezing rain and sleet instead.
That made some of the treatment of city roads ineffective in preparations beforehand. Hamilton said the ice was so hard on the roads, even the blades on motor graders were ineffective.
“They were just chattering across the ice,” Hamilton said. “They had to be pulled off the roads until the weather improved for their tools and their materials.”
This is solid ice on a street in Huntsville, Ala.’s medical district. The ice melted a bit and refroze for several days keeping residents inside and heating units working hard.Lee Roop
But another factor that hindered the city’s response is not expected to be in play this time – temperatures falling into the single digits.
Hamilton said salt and chemicals used to treat roads last year were ineffective when the temperature dropped below 20 degrees. Temperatures dropped into the single digits during the week and did not climb above 20 degrees most days.
“There were periods where all of those agencies pulled crews off the roads because the salt could not be effective,” Hamilton said.
Temperatures are not expected to dip below 20 degrees with this system.
Equipment upgrades, early treatment
Hamilton said the city’s equipment needed to be upgraded to handle winter events Huntsville normally experiences.
Public Works has retrofitted 10 of its 1-ton crew cab trucks with plows and bed mounted spreaders, giving the City a total of 15 trucks that can combat slick roadways for this week’s winter storm.
Those trucks will be distributed throughout the city in preparation for wintry precipitation.
“Should road conditions warrant treatment, Public Works will deploy a fine stone mixture to enhance traction on bridges and overpasses,” Public Works Director Chris McNeese said earlier this week. “The city is also prepared to dispatch trucks to blade roadways and spread salt on asphalt to diminish the impact of accumulating wintry precipitation.”
Huntsville Public Works primarily handles the treatment of roads and streets within the city limits, while the Alabama Department of Transportation manages major arterials such as Governors Drive, Memorial Parkway, U.S. 72 and I-565. Roads and streets outside the city limits fall under the jurisdiction of Madison County.
ALDOT crews began pretreatment on select routes in some areas of the state Tuesday and pretreatments continued to expand across much of the state Wednesday.
Madison Public Works has been working closely with the Madison County Commission office to salt bridges and overpasses. Crews will remain on standby to respond to any roadway needs. Police and Fire teams are also at the ready to respond to emergency calls. Residents are urged to remain off the roadways until conditions clear, the city said in a release.
In Athens, Public Works trucks are loaded with sand, and the plows are ready, Communication Specialist Holly Hollman said.
“If needed, crews will sand the bridges in heavily traveled areas first (I-65, Alabama 251, Forrest Street) and then areas around emergency facilities, such as Athens-Limestone Hospital, Fire Stations and Police Dept. and Nuclear Plant Road to Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant,” Hollman said.
Crews from Athens Utilities have their equipment ready and are on standby in case they need to respond, she said.
Police urge caution
Huntsville Police is monitoring road conditions in anticipation of potential winter weather, which may create hazardous driving conditions and make many roads impassable.
“Periods of heavy snowfall are possible during this timeframe, and road conditions may deteriorate quickly, creating hazardous travel conditions,” HPD Chief Kirk Giles said Wednesday. “HPD urges residents to prepare in advance and prioritize safety during this winter storm.”
If road conditions warrant, HPD will place barricades to block roads that are closed.
“We would like to remind everyone that if you see barricades, there is a reason that it’s there,” HPD Capt. Stephen Anderson said. “Driving around barricades is against the law and can create dangerous situations. We also urge drivers not to abandon their vehicles in the middle of roadways because those vehicles can create hazards and block first responders. Guide your vehicle to the right of way to keep travel lanes open.”
One of the criticisms by residents during last year’s ice storm was a perceived lack of communication about road conditions and which roads were being worked on. But the city of Huntsville did have a webpage alerting residents.
This week, road conditions and closures will be publicized through the City Alert system, local media and City of Huntsville social media.
The Alabama Department of Transportation monitors state and federal highways, including U.S. 231 (Memorial Parkway), U.S. 72 (University Drive), U.S. 431 (Governor’s Drive), and Interstate 565. For real-time road conditions, the Alabama Department of Transportation encourages individuals to visit algotraffic.com.
If there are road closures or widespread power outages or other emergencies, the City of Athens will issue alerts via CivicReady. To sign up, go to the City’s website at: https://public.alertsense.com/SignUp/?RegionId=2060
On Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. the National Weather Service issued a freeze warning valid for Thursday between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. for Coffee, Dale, Henry, Geneva and Houston counties.
The weather service comments, “Hard freeze temperatures as low as 23 degrees expected.”
“Wind chill values can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure. Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing,” explains the weather service. “Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves. Keep pets indoors as much as possible. Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors. Ensure portable heaters are used correctly. Do not use generators or grills inside. Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above-ground pipes to protect them from freezing.”
Freeze watch or warning – this is what it means
Freeze warnings are issued from May to October (but can be extended if necessary), when low temperatures are expected to be 29-32 degrees. If there is a potential for temperatures to fall into these thresholds, a freeze watch may be issued a few days ahead of time.
According to the weather service, if a freeze warning or watch is issued for your area, there is little you can do to protect plants. If you can move your sensitive plants inside, do so because the freeze will likely kill them, depending on the severity of conditions.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
South Alabama on Wednesday made two official additions to its football staff, announcing Cedric Douglas as defensive line coach and J.T. May as assistant athletics director/chief of staff.
Douglas and May both spent the 2024 season at Utah State. Prior to his lone season with the Aggies, Douglas worked at Buffalo (2021-23) and UMass (2019-20) and was a graduate assistant at Arkansas State.
A Northern Michigan graduate, Douglas also has experience in the Kansas junior college system, working at Hutchinson and Coffeyville. He replaces Jonathan Bradley, who left to join the Kennesaw State staff under former college teammate Jerry Mack.
May replaces Jon Clark, who took a similar position at UNLV under Dan Mullen, for whom he previously worked at Mississippi State. An Arizona native, May spent the last five seasons with the Aggies, working as director of internal operations from 2022-24, with previous stints as an analyst and quality control coach.
As was previously reported by AL.com, South Alabama on Tuesday officially elevated Paul Petrino to offensive coordinator following the departure of Rob Ezell to Wake Forest. Petrino will continue to coach South Alabama’s wide receivers, as he did in 2024.
Head coach Major Applewhite will also work more directly with South Alabama’s quarterbacks, which he did as the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator from 2021-23 before becoming head coach last season (Ezell was quarterbacks coach in addition to OC last season). Analyst Doug Ruse will assist Applewhite in coaching quarterbacks.
The Jaguars still have openings for a running backs coach and a cornerbacks coach. Other media outlets have reported that Michigan offensive assistant/analyst Jayden Everett is set to take over as running backs coach, but South Alabama has not officially confirmed that hire.
Everett was previously running backs coach at Vanderbilt (2023), Tulsa (2021-22), Akron (2019-20) and Central Michigan (2017-18). South Alabama is searching for a running backs coach after Effrem Reed followed Ezell to Wake Forest.
South Alabama cornerbacks coach Jay Hopson announced Tuesday that he was leaving after two seasons in what a source told AL.com was a “mutual parting of ways.” Hopson was head coach at Southern Miss from 2016-20 and Alcorn State from 2012-15, and also worked as an assistant at Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Memphis, Michigan and Marshall.
With Applewhite serving as his own quarterbacks coach, South Alabama has one other offensive assistant coaching slot to fill. It is believed the Jaguars will use that position on a general offensive assistant who will also serve as a recruiter (under NCAA rules, only the head coach and 10 on-field assistants are permitted to recruit off-campus).
South Alabama’s other on-field assistants are all expected to return in 2025, including defensive coordinator/safeties coach Will Windham, outside linebackers coach/special teams coordinator Tre’ Williams, offensive line coach Jason Onyebuagu, tight ends coach Kyle Skierski and inside linebackers coach Cam Cleminson. Strength & conditioning coach Rod Grace is also set to return for a second season with the Jaguars.
South Alabama went 7-6 in 2024, beating Western Michigan 30-23 in the Salute to Veterans Bowl.
South Alabama’s updated coaching staff for 2025
Head coach/quarterbacks: Major Applewhite (2nd year)
Offensive coordinator/wide receivers: Paul Petrino (2nd year)
Offensive line: Jason Onyebuagu (2nd year)
Running backs: Open
Tight ends: Kyle Skierski (2nd year)
Offensive assistant: Open
Defensive coordinator/safeties: Will Windham (2nd year)
Defensive line: Cedric Douglas (1st year)
Outside linebackers/special teams: Tre’ Williams (3rd year)
The Alabama National Guard has been activated to help with the severe weather expected in Alabama over the next couple of days.
About 350 Guardsmen will operate mobility support teams that will be staged across the state to help communities and the Alabama Emergency Management Agency respond to the weather, the National Guard announced on social media.
Winter storm watches for north and parts of central Alabama will go into effect at midnight on Friday.
The weather service says north Alabama could see 4 to 6 inches of snow, with 8 inches not out of the question in isolated areas.
Central Alabama areas that are under the winter storm watch could see 2 to 5 inches of snow and sleet.
Hazardous road conditions are expected through Saturday morning.
— 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐄 — The ALNG has been activated for the anticipated weather and will be operating Mobility Support Teams with approximately 350 Guardsmen staged across Alabama to assist our communities and ALEMA with potential impacts of upcoming winter weather. pic.twitter.com/iSyeSVcx5f
