The National Hurricane Center said there’s a chance the first tropical storm of 2025 in the Atlantic could develop on Tuesday.
But the storm is expected to be short-lived, and it won’t affect any land areas, including the United States.
The hurricane center on Tuesday raised the probability of a tropical storm forming to high, or 70 percent.
The storm on Tuesday was located in the subtropical Atlantic about 900 miles east-northeast of Bermuda.
Forecasters said it has become better organized on Tuesday and will “likely” become a short-lived tropical storm later today before it moves into a more hostile environment.
If the storm does get a name, it will be Andrea, the first name on the 2025 storm list for the Atlantic.
The system is expected to track to the northeast at 15-20 mph over the open central Atlantic.
As of Tuesday there were no other potential tropical storms in the Atlantic, Gulf or Caribbean.
The Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1, typically starts slow before becoming more active early August. The last day of the season will be
The climatological peak of the season will be Sept. 10.
The Atlantic hurricane season typically peaks in September.
NOAA is forecasting an active season in 2025, with the potential for 13-19 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger storms).
NOAA forecasters are predicting 13 to 19 named storms developing in the Atlantic hurricane basin this year, with 6 to 10 of those turning into hurricanes. Of those, 3 to 5 are expected to strengthen into major hurricanes, which cause the most destruction.NOAA
If you look back through my work, there are two words you will struggle to find.
Liberal and conservative.
Occasionally, I’ll drop one in an ironic context, but I try not to. Sometimes, I might slip up. Perhaps I should keep a swear jar.
There’s a simple reason I don’t like those words. I don’t think they mean much anymore, if they ever did.
Language works only when people share definitions for things. If I say football and you think of a pineapple, we’re not going to get very far.
Likewise, if we were to ask a Bernie Sanders-loving socialist what liberal and conservative mean and then do the same for a MAGA-hat Trump-voter, their responses would look completely different. And sometimes, folks within those partisan tribes can’t settle on what they mean among each other. They’re false cognates within the same language. This should be obvious to everyone, but we keep using these words and then wonder why our political discourse has gone to hell.
Us and them — that’s what they mean. Only you get to pick which is which.
Our broken language is a symptom of our broken politics and, increasingly, our broken culture, government, society, country, world, etc.
What I want to do with this newsletter, in addition to my regular reporting and commentary, is to explore ways of putting these things back together. I’m tired of us versus them. Of the many things I’ve learned growing up in Alabama is that when we catch ourselves griping about those people we’re very rarely working in our own interests. I want to talk more about all of us.
This doesn’t mean I’m giving up on accountability journalism. Quite the opposite. I want to make certain our public officials are working for all of us. I hope you find something in it that you like, a movement we can all be a part of.
But more importantly, I want this to be a group activity. I want this newsletter to be a place where we can come together and see our world in a new way, one that doesn’t exclude or subordinate anybody.
If you want to fix the world, you start with where it is broken. Let’s get to work.
Sen. Katie Britt questions Joe Biden’s mental decline in office, then she endorsed a candidate for governor who couldn’t remember police being attacked on Jan. 6. Office of Sen. Katie Britt
Something I believe is foundational to All of Us is consistency from our leaders. That counts double when it comes to truth.
Alabama Sen. Katie Britt says she wants the truth about how Joe Biden’s decline was hidden from the public. That’s good. Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson seem to have done a good job, but if the U.S. Senate judiciary committee can uncover more, that’s better.
But the consistency isn’t there, especially when we see Britt endorsing someone for governor — someone who, earlier this year, said he didn’t believe Capitol Police were violently attacked on Jan. 6.
The truth matters, all the time. Not just sometimes and for some people.
🤯 DNA only exonerates other states’ prisoners. Imagine being held on death row for a crime you didn’t commit. Now, imagine DNA showing someone else did it and that someone else went on to murder again. Now imagine further that the state ignored that evidence and insisted on executing you anyway. That ain’t make believe. That’s Alabama! AL.com reporter Ivana Hrynkiw looks at Alabama’s messy criminal science, beginning with the case of Christopher Barbour, a man held on death row despite solid evidence that another man committed the crime.
🤪 AI slop says, “We Want Bama!’ If Bible-character TikTok influencers weren’t bad enough, AI slop has flooded football fandom, including the Crimson Tide, Michael Casagrande says. But that pic of Jalen’s baby is so cute!
🙄 They Chose Poorly: The Choose Act was supposed to provide a way for students stuck in struggling Alabama public schools to afford better alternatives. Critics predicted it would be a handout for families with children already enrolled in private schools and parents homeschooling their children. When it passed, every story ended with a variation of time will tell. Well, time has had its say and the critics were right. As my colleague Rebecca Griesbach reports, only 22 percent of the first cohort was enrolled in public school.
The power and poison of false binariesare always close by. I’ve been re-reading Amanda Ripley’s 2021 work “High Conflict,” which looks at how the human bias toward dichotomous thinking leaves us vulnerable to charlatans who would manipulate us.
If you have read Ripley’s book, please shoot me an email and let me know what you thought of it.
Donald Trump on Tuesday morning tore into both Israel and Iran after the countries reneged on the ceasefire the president helped broker, punctuating his anger with profanity.
“Israel — as soon as we made the deal — Israel came out and they dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I’ve never seen before — the biggest load that we’ve seen,” Trump told reporters in Washington.
Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect. Iran’s state media said its military denied firing on Israel.
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says Israel struck an Iranian radar in response to the Iranian missile attack early Tuesday. But it says the Israeli leader held off tougher action after an appeal from President Donald Trump.
“I’m not happy with Israel. You know, when I say, ‘you got 12 hours,’ you don’t go in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them,” Trump continued. “So I’m not happy with them. I’m not happy with Iran, either.”
Trump directed most of his criticism at the Jewish state.
“But I’m really unhappy if Israel’s going out this morning because of one rocket that didn’t land that was shot, perhaps by mistake, that didn’t land,” Trump said. “I’m not happy about that.”
That’s when Trump used profanity to describe the situation in the Middle East.
“We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing. Do you understand that?” he said.
“I think he’s ready to play college football right now,” Jackson coach Cody Flournoy said. “He’s going to get bigger and faster, but he already has size, speed and balance. He’s got it all right now. He is a plug and play guy whatever school he chooses. He can have success in any offense. You just have to give him the ball.”
Crowell rushed for 1,964 yards and 31 touchdowns on 168 carries in 2024 in helping the Aggies to the state title. He was one of three finalists for Class 4A Back of the Year, an award won by his teammate, Landon Duckworth.
The On3 Industry rankings have him as the No. 3 senior recruit in the state behind only Benjamin Russell wide receiver Cederian Morgan and St. Paul’s EDGE Anthony “Tank” Jones. On3’s commitment predictor has Crowell as a heavy favorite to join the Crimson Tide’s recruiting class. He grew up an Alabama fan.
On3 ranks Crowell as the No. 31 overall recruit in the nation and the No. 2 running back.
Crowell’s commitment is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at The Community House in Jackson.
In other recruiting news:
Commitments
Huntsville offensive lineman Michael Price committed to James Madison over other offers including UTEP, Memphis, Colorado State, North Alabama, Dartmouth and Cornell.
Williamson 2026 DB Jermaine McCree committed to Appalachian State. McCree also had offers from Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Arkansas and East Carolina among others.
Montgomery Catholic 2026 OL/DL Cayden Dees announced a commitment to Miami of Ohio. The 6-3, 250-pounder also had offers from Alabama State, Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Dartmouth and Jackson State.
Central-Phenix City EDGE Tristan Lyles announced his commitment to Appalachian State. The senior visited the campus last week.
Narrowing it down
Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 6-2, 220-pound 3-star senior linebacker Zay Hall listed his final 2 of Alabama and Virginia Tech.
Offers
Gulf Shores 2027 WR Carter Davis continued his hot run of offers, announcing an offer from West Virginia. In the last week, Davis also has garnered offers from LSU, Auburn, Alabama and Arkansas.
Maplesville 2028 athlete Nehemiah McCary announces an offer from Tennessee State. Earlier this week, he announced an offer from Alabama. McCary is 6-3, 220. Alabama offered him as an OLB. Georgia has offered him as an inside linebacker.
Central-Phenix City 6-foot-2, 227-pound sophomore DL Marcus Price picked up his first D1 offer from Arkansas State.
Severe weather will again be in the forecast for part of Alabama this week.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center is forecasting Level 2 and Level 1 risks for severe storms on both Wednesday and Thursday for parts of the state.
On both days damaging straight-line winds and hail will be the main hazards. Tornadoes are not expected.
On Wednesday there will be a Level 2 out of 5 (slight) risk for severe weather for most of south Alabama, including Mobile, Dothan, Troy and Greenville (see Wednesday’s severe outlook at the top of this post).
A Level 2 risk means that scattered severe storms will be possible.
The rest of south Alabama and part of central and east Alabama will have a Level 1 risk on Wednesday and could have to deal with isolated severe storms.
The weather service thinks that severe storms will be the most likely during the afternoon and evening hours.
Storms could be moving from east to west on Wednesday, according to the weather service.
The weather service said that forecasters will also be keeping an eye out for the potential for a westward-moving MCS (or complex of storms). Usually those features impact Alabama from the northwest or west.
Forecasters said there is a chance — but not a certainty — that a cluster of storms (or mesoscale convective system) could develop in Georgia and track westward into Alabama on Wednesday, which could increase the risk for severe storms.
THURSDAY
There will be a Level 1 out of 5 risk for severe storms on Thursday for all of Alabama except for the northwest corner.SPC
On Thursday all but northwest Alabama is forecast to have a Level 1 out of 5 (marginal) severe weather risk.
A Level 1 risk means that isolated severe storms will be possible.
The best chances for storms on Thursday will again be during the afternoon and evening hours.
Rain and storms will be possible in Alabama beyond Thursday, but so far there is no risk for organized severe weather in the forecast.
The Chicago Sky play against the Los Angeles Sparks in a WNBA game tonight. The matchup will begin at 7 p.m. CT on NBA TV. Fans can watch this 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 Sky enter this matchup with a 3-10 record, and they have lost six of their last seven games. In their most recent game, the Sky lost 93-80 against Atlanta.
In order to bounce back tonight, the Chicago squad will need a great performance from their star player Ariel Atkins. She leads the team in scoring, as she averages nearly 14 points per game.
Notably, Atkins also leads the Chicago squad with nearly two steals per game.
The Sparks enter this matchup with a 4-10 record, and they have lost three consecutive games. In their most recent game, the Sparks lost 82-66 against Minnesota.
In order to win this game, the Los Angeles squad will need a great performance from their star player Kelsey Plum. She leads the team in scoring this season, as she averages more than 20 points per game.
Plum also leads the Los Angeles offense with nearly six assists per game, which highlights her offensive prowess.
Fans can watch this WNBA 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.
Zappos just dropped a serious discount on the super-cushioned and versatile Ghost Max 2 running shoe among other new sneaker deals happening this week, making now the perfect time to upgrade your running gear for a fraction of the price.
Known for its smooth ride and max comfort, the Ghost Max 2 sneakers are on sale in both men’s sizes and women’s sizes for only $119 instead of its original list price of $150. Both the men’s and women’s sneakers come in a ton of colors/designs to choose from, most of which are included in this sale.
Women’s Ghost Max 2
$150 $119.95
The women’s Ghost Max 2 is on sale at a major discount this week.
The Brooks Ghost Max 2 running shoe features a glide roll rocker that reduces muscular strain at the ankle joint and offers smooth heel-to-toe transitions. Meanwhile, its rubber upper features a lace-up closure for a secure fit, according to Zappos.
“These running shoes are designed with an EVA insole and nylon lining. Broad-based, these lace-up sneakers provide a stable, secure ride. The soft and lightweight cushioning offers you comfort and support all day. These road-running shoes are comfortable, smooth and protective,” Zappos product details state.
The Brooks Ghost Max 2 has a 4.3 star rating overall on Brooks’ website. Many of these reviews rave about the shoe’s super-soft cushioning.
One helpful review states, “As a former marathoner turned senior with arthritis, the Ghost Max series have allowed me to go on extended walks again and even occasionally run a bit, which I miss. I now have four pair and use them most of the time.”
Another promising review reads, “The Ghost Max 2 [has] been an incredible experience after a foot injury avoiding an SUV that almost hit me while on a walk in my neighborhood. I had difficulty walking for days after that incident in my On Cloud shoes, but that changed immediately wearing the Brooks Ghost Max 2.”
As a former member of Congress, I proudly voted for the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act, which delivered meaningful tax relief to Alabama families and businesses. President Trump’s current reconciliation bill represents a natural extension of those successful tax cuts, combining them with important investments in domestic manufacturing and other policies that support Alabama’s job creators.
However, as the reconciliation bill advances, other measures that threaten the very goals we’re trying to achieve have also been introduced in Congress. Such is the case with a dangerous package of intellectual property legislation, which could unleash a wave of frivolous lawsuits and stifle the innovation driving our modern economy.
Intellectual property serves as the cornerstone of today’s economic growth. A recent report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that Alabama-based IP generates nearly $40 billion in value while research and development spending supports tens of thousands of jobs across our state. A trio of IP-related bills — the Promoting and Respecting Economically Vital American Innovation Leadership (PREVAIL) Act, the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA), and the Realizing Engineering, Science, and Technology Opportunities by Restoring Exclusive (RESTORE) Patent Rights Act — threaten to hamper American innovators’ ability to outachieve competitors around the globe. These measures would incentivize legal abuse at the hands of shell companies known as patent trolls, burden business and consumers with higher costs and slow innovation.
Unlike businesses that create jobs in our communities and build products to improve lives, patent trolls exist solely to extract money through patent infringement lawsuits. These entities amass abstract, largely unused, patent portfolios and co-opt them as lawsuit fuel. In the first quarter of 2025, these frivolous lawsuits were responsible for nearly 70% of all patent infringement lawsuits nationally and are often aided by litigation investors, like hedge funds, which pay for legal costs and then share in the proceeds.
This type of lawsuit is most often associated with cutting edge tech companies, but victims include businesses large and small, including here in Alabama. One of our largest companies, Regions Bank, has repeatedly been on the receiving end of these lawsuits, including those related to ATM technology, and Birmingham-based MotionMobs was sued over basic Bluetooth functionality for detecting distance between devices. Huntsville telecommunications company Adtran explained years ago how these attacks force businesses to divert resources from innovation toward expensive legal defenses.
The proposed intellectual property legislation would increase this type of abuse.
To start, PERA relaxes standards for what types of inventions are eligible to be patented and would lead to fresh onslaught of low-quality patents. PERA enables patents on virtually anything that involves a computer or machine and would even go so far as to permit patents on human genes. The result would be a far larger pool of vague, abstract patents perfect for frivolous litigation strategies.
PREVAIL removes businesses’ best defense against the legal attacks. The U.S. Patent Office contains a group of expert judges on the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) who review patents upon request. Congress created the PTAB, in part, to help minimize the damage this litigation causes. Instead of companies lawyering up and going to court, PTAB review is a less costly, more reliable process. If passed, PREVAIL would reshape the PTAB, making it much more difficult for companies to access review when they are threatened with lawsuits, pushing them into litigation or settlements under duress.
Finally, RESTORE attempts to overturn Supreme Court precedent and return to an era of near-automatic injunctions in patent infringement cases. These injunctions prevent defendants from making or selling their products anywhere in the United States. Using the threat of such a draconian outcome, these plaintiffs can extort unreasonably large settlements, no matter how confident a defendant is of their innocence.
Instead of encouraging frivolous lawsuits, Congress should focus on solutions that benefit legitimate businesses and innovators. The Tackling Predatory Litigation Funding Act may get included in the One Big Beautiful Bill and would require litigation investors to pay taxes on their proceeds from patent troll lawsuits — eliminating a key profit incentive that fuels this abusive system. This countermeasure would lead to far better economic outcomes while preserving legitimate intellectual property protections that reward genuine innovation.
Congress should reject these misguided intellectual property proposals and instead prioritize policies that genuinely support American business competitiveness.
Bradley Byrne is the President & CEO of the Mobile Chamber. Congressman Byrne served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2014 to 2021.
Texas-based Rusty Taco has spent the last 15 years expanding to 11 states, and wants to add Alabama to the mix.
Founded in the Dallas area in 2010, the fast casual Tex-Mex company offers tacos with beef, chicken, pork or seafood, along with nachos and margaritas. There’s even a breakfast menu.
Denise Fenton co-founded the company with her husband Rusty – who lent his name to the venture – and their business partner Steve Dunn.
She said Rusty Taco has grown organically, with a footprint stretching from Atlanta to Salt Lake City.
Now they’re targeting Alabama.
“We’ve had some conversations with interested people,” she said. “But we’re really starting to dive into the markets we want to be in.”
Fenton said Birmingham offers a mix of good demographics, with “young professionals, adults, families and young adults. UAB would be a good fit for us.”
But the company is also looking at college towns as well. Fenton has a daughter living in Auburn, she said.
“We would be open to expanding in-state to any market that makes sense,” she said.
Most of its locations are a traditional 2,000-to-3,000-square-foot standalone restaurant, though some are non-traditional at stadiums, airports and a chain of travel centers.
“We’re looking for people who are dedicated to the restaurant business,” Fenton said. “We’re talking about multi-unit operators that are passionate about the business, with experience.”
Another hot and humid day is in the forecast for Alabama, and heat advisories will be in effect for a large part of the state.
The National Weather Service said the combination of heat and humidity will be oppressive enough to send the heat index, or “feels like” temperature, as high as 108 today.
Heat indices that high have the potential to cause heat illnesses for those who don’t take precautions today, according to forecasters.
All of north Alabama and most of central Alabama will be under heat advisories both Tuesday and Wednesday, which could end up being the hottest of the week.
Air temperatures today will climb into the mid-90s in many areas, according to weather service forecasts.
Here are today’s expected highs:
Here are Tuesday’s expected high temperatures.NWS
Wednesday will bring more of the same. Here are Wednesday’s expected high temperatures:
More highs in the mid-90s will be possible in Alabama on Wednesday.NWS
Wednesday will have higher probabilities of rain and storms to cool things off. In fact, there could be a few severe storms.
A Level 2 out of 5 severe weather risk has been added to the forecast for south Alabama on Wednesday, and there will be a Level 1 risk for other parts of the state.
Here’s the severe weather outlook for Wednesday:
Scattered severe storms will be possible on Wednesday for much of south Alabama. There will be a Level 2 out of 5 severe weather risk for the areas in yellow. Areas in dark green in central and eastern Alabama will have a Level 1 risk on Wednesday.Storm Prediction Center
Thursday’s temperatures are expected to continue to be hot, but maybe not quite as hot as today and Wednesday are expected to be.
Highs on Thursday are forecast to be in the low 90s instead of the mid-90s for most of the state (except for the northwest corner), according to weather service forecasts.
Here’s the temperature outlook for Thursday:
Here are Thursday’s forecast high temperatures.NWS
More strong to severe storms will also be possible on Thursday. Here’s the severe weather outlook:
There will be a Level 1 out of 5 risk for severe storms on Thursday for all of Alabama except for the northwest corner.SPC
There is some good news: The weather service expects temperatures to back off from the mid-90s from Friday through the weekend, with only upper 80s or low 90s in the forecast for highs in Alabama through at least next Monday.
But there is a chance that above-average (for late June) temperatures could be in the forecast for Alabama through at least the first of July.
The six- to 10-day temperature outlook from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a 40-50 percent probability of above-average heat for Alabama through July 3:
Alabama will have a 40-50 percent probability of above-average temperatures through July 3.Climate Prediction Center
In fact, most of the the U.S. is expected to be warmer than average through that same period.
