Alabama News

President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that Coca-Cola Co. has agreed to use cane sugar in Coke beverages sold in the US.

“I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so,” Trump said. “I’d like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola.”

Coca-Cola didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment. The company already sells a version of Mexico Coke that contains cane sugar.

Coke’s original soda currently contains high-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener made from corn, according to the company’s website. The syrup is commonly used in packaged goods because it is more shelf stable, cheaper and sweeter than regular sugar, according to the Cleveland Health Clinic. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said “high-fructose corn syrup is everywhere” and contributing to making Americans unhealthy.

U.S. cane sugar production in the 2025-26 season is expected to account for roughly 30% of US sugar supply, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The remainder of American sugar comes from sugar beets, as well as imports from Mexico and other countries.

Trump famously drinks Diet Coke, which is artificially sweetened with aspartame. Coca-Cola Chief Executive James Quincey presented Trump with a custom bottle of Diet Coke to commemorate his inauguration earlier this year.

Shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. — a corn syrup maker — fell more than 7% in extended New York trading. Coca-Cola shares were little changed.

(With assistance from Catherine Larkin and Ilena Peng.)

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©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The kickoff to the upcoming SEC season begins where it will end in December, though the SEC Championship Game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Before toe meets leather to kick off the 2025 slate of football game, players and coaches meet with the media to talk about what lies ahead. Each day, AL.com will provide a daily recap from each day with key moments and interesting nuggets of information you might have missed.

Elephants (and Alabama) never forget…

Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos lit a fuse earlier this summer as saying that “they don’t have Nick Saban to save them”. That sparked anger and fired up current and former Crimson Tide players, well ahead of the Alabama season opener at Florida State.

For the first time since those comments, members of the Alabama football team had to address them with the media present at media days. Alabama defensive tackle Tim Keenan authored a short, but direct response to the FSU transfer QB’s comments saying, “the disrespect will be addressed”.

Tide linebacker Deontae Lawson also chimed in saying, “all disrespect will be addressed accordingly”.

It remains pretty clear that Alabama has taken Castellanos’ words personally, and any backfield interactions in Week 1 might have a bit more spice to them.

DeBoer talks Alabama standard

It was his first year on the job at Alabama, and despite the nine-win season, Kalen DeBoer knows better.

While taking the main stage at inside the College Football Hall of Fame, Alabama’s head coach addressed the fact that there is a standard at Alabama, of success, in winning bowl games and ultimately, competing for championships. Something they didn’t do last season with a 9-4 record. Something DeBoer put bluntly while talking with the media.

“If you internally ask us, no,” DeBoer said. “We fell short of making the playoffs. It’s as simple as that, right? Giving yourself a chance to go compete for a championship. I think there’s a lot of things that I’m super proud of that have happened within the program that are part of the progression. Yeah, we want it right now, too.”

The “Alabama standard” has been established, officially. It’s now up to DeBoer, the staff and the players to live up to it over 12 weeks in the fall.

Auburn getting some preseason love from who?!

Throughout the lead up to media days, pundits, experts and armchair experts like to make their picks for who may surprise in a certain league or division.

Usually, it’s a team that finished in the middle and or lower half the previous season. A perfect spot for a team like Auburn to be discussed, right? Correct. That’s not the surprise; it is the person who delivered said surprise.

While handicapping the SEC title contenders, former Alabama quarterback and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy tabbed the Auburn Tigers as his sleeper pick, noting their potential with the weapons on offense and talented defense.

Oklahoma shows love to Arnold

The realities of the transfer portal mean that the bonds you create with teammates may last a year, two years, and if you’re lucky it goes throughout your entire college career.

For former Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold, his time with the OU program lasted two seasons (2023-24) before transferring to Auburn this past spring. When Oklahoma took their place in front of the media, Sooners head coach Brent Venables and the players discussed Jackson at length.

Venables talked about how Arnold handled tough moments and went as far as saying he wanted to keep the new Auburn signal-caller.

When asked about Arnold, former teammate Robert Spears-Jennings remarked about the positive attitude, and R Mason Thomas lauded his professionalism when faced with adversity last season.

Oklahoma and Auburn meet again, this time in Norman, OK on Sept. 20.

Jordan Rodgers gets flashbacks

Being a football player means you’re going to have some hits you don’t remember. Then you have some that you absolutely, positively never forget, and think about so much you wake up in a cold sweat years later.

He may have not woken up in a cold sweat, but it was clear that Jordan Rodgers remembers when he and Mark Barron met when the former Vanderbilt quarterback played Alabama in 2011.

What to watch on Thursday

Thursday in Atlanta is the final day of SEC Media Days 2025. The teams that will take the stage are Kentucky, Missouri, Texas A&M, and Arkansas.

Two schools who are looking to make a breakthrough into the playoff (Missouri, Texas A&M) and two schools with coaches who may need a big season, to return to media days next year in 2026 (Arkansas and Kentucky).

Along with those teams hitting the stage, the preseason predictions for the order of finish and All-SEC preseason teams will be announced soon after. And the only thing left after that is the opening of fall camps, then the season.

Football in the south is on the horizon, just a few more weeks.

Click the following links for recaps from Monday and Tuesday at SEC Media Days. For more on SEC Media Days, visit AL.com for the latest from Atlanta.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida is seeking to join a federal lawsuit aimed at halting the construction and operation of a new immigration detention facility in the Everglades, which tribal members consider their sacred ancestral homelands.

Miccosukee leaders had already condemned the makeshift compound of trailers and tents that rose out of the swamp in a matter of days. But the filing Monday of a motion to intervene in the case initially brought by environmental groups signals a new level of opposition by the tribe, which is also a major political donor in the state.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration rapidly built the facility, which state officials have dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” on an isolated, county-owned airstrip inside the Big Cypress National Preserve, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of downtown Miami.

The Miccosukee have lived on and cared for the lands of Big Cypress “since time immemorial,” the filing reads, noting that the tribe played an integral role in pushing for the creation of the national preserve, the country’s first.

“The area now known as the Preserve is a core piece of the Tribe’s homeland. Today, all of the Tribe’s active ceremonial sites and a significant majority of the Tribe’s traditional villages (sometimes known as “clan camps”) are within the Preserve,” the filing reads.

To DeSantis and other state officials, locating the facility in the rugged and remote Everglades is meant as a deterrent, a national model for how to get immigrants to “self-deport.” The Republican Party of Florida has taken to fundraising off the detention center, selling branded T-shirts and beer koozies emblazoned with the facility’s name. Officials have touted the harshness of the area, saying there’s “not much” there other than the wildlife who call it home.

In fact, the Miccosukee have lived on those lands for centuries, the tribe’s attorneys wrote in their motion, which notes that there are 10 tribal villages within a three-mile (4.8-kilometer) radius of the detention center, one of which is approximately 1,000 feet (304 meters) from the facility.

The preserve is a place where tribal members continue to hunt, trap and fish, as well as catch the school bus, hold sacred rituals and bury their loved ones.

“The facility’s proximity to the Tribe’s villages, sacred and ceremonial sites, traditional hunting grounds, and other lands protected by the Tribe raises significant concerns about environmental degradation and potential impacts,” the filing reads.

The lawsuit originally filed by the Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity seeks to halt the project until it undergoes a stringent environmental review as required by federal and state law. There is also supposed to be a chance for public comment, the plaintiffs argue.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the judge in the case had not acted on the groups’ requests for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to stop activity at the site.

The state raced to build the facility at the isolated airfield before the first detainees arrived on July 3. Streams of trucks carrying supplies like portable toilets, asphalt and construction materials drove into the facility’s gates around the clock as workers assembled a network of massive tents that officials said could ultimately house 5,000 detainees.

What had been an internationally designated “dark sky” park far away from urban development is now blasted by lights so powerful, the glow can be see from 15 miles (24.1 kilometers) away, the environmental groups said.

The area’s hunting and fishing stocks could be so significantly impacted, attorneys argue the tribe’s traditional rights — guaranteed by federal and state law — could be “rendered meaningless.”

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Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene disagrees with President Donald Trump on funding weapons for Ukraine, on whether the Epstein files are worth releasing and on how to regulate cryptocurrency.

And that’s just this week.

She also has split with him on support for Israel and, for a time, on passing his signature legislation known as the “big, beautiful bill.”

But Greene doesn’t believe she’s in conflict with Trump, whose conservative Make America Great Again agenda she supports wholeheartedly. Instead, she says she is merely sticking to her principles and blames people surrounding Trump for not doing the same.

“I’m not fighting with President Trump,” Greene said. “I’m fighting with the people that are trying to take over the agenda.”

On Tuesday, Greene was among 12 Republicans who voted with Democrats against a Trump-backed cryptocurrency bill.

Greene said she was unhappy that Speaker Mike Johnson did not allow an amendment to be added that would have ensured the Federal Reserve did not attempt to launch its own digital currency, something far-right figures have argued against.

Wednesday morning, she and nearly all of the other holdouts reversed course and supported allowing the bill to proceed without any changes. But it was still another example of Greene splitting with the president, even if it was temporary.

While Greene says she remains an ally of Trump and agrees with him on most issues, her willingness to break with him highlights an independent streak that could help her differentiate herself from other Republicans if she decides to run for governor in 2026.

Another example is her long-standing opposition to sending U.S. resources to aide Ukraine in its war with Russia or Israel in its war with Hamas. Greene has consistently voted against legislation that provides funding or weapons to both countries, dating back to her first term when President Joe Biden was in office.

Trump campaigned on ending foreign wars and diverting that money to border security and immigration enforcement. But some notable MAGA figures, including Greene, have questioned some of his foreign policy decisions since taking office in January.

Last month Greene, R-Rome, joined other high-profile MAGA figures who criticized Trump’s decision to launch attacks in Iran in support of Israel.

Then, on Monday, Trump said the U.S. will funnel weapons to Ukraine through NATO, a reversal of an announcement earlier this month that his administration was holding back military equipment that had been promised to Ukraine.

Greene said she is disappointed in the new direction Trump is taking, arguing that it diverts U.S. resources away from domestic issues that matter more to the voters who put him in office.

“I love President Trump; I absolutely love the guy,” she said Tuesday. “I love his agenda. I love so many things that the administration is doing, and I think they’re wonderful, and I want to see him have all the support in the world going forward. But I don’t want World War III.”

The Department of Justice’s refusal to release the full case file outlining its investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, the moneyed sex offender who died by suicide while in prison, has also frustrated Greene and other Trump supporters.

For years, far-right voters have accused Democrats of withholding the Epstein files to protect other rich Americans who might have been implicated. But Trump has refused to release more documents and downplayed the uproar.

“I think they should release the information about the people that were surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, who is the most well-known convicted pedophile in modern-day history,” Greene said.

Greene said she isn’t sure if Trump is receiving bad advice or why there are so many recent decisions she has disagreed with. But she is hoping to get some face time with the president to discuss.

“I really I do look forward to talking with him about it,” she said.

©2025 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The Open Championship round 1 is scheduled to begin on Thursday, as golfers tee off in the morning. The golf tournament will begin at 12:30 a.m. CT, and the first round action will continue through 2:30 p.m. CT.

Fans can watch round 1 of the tournament on Peacock and USA Network. Fans can watch The Open Championship for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

Scottie Scheffler will be a key golfer to watch this week, as he enters the tournament as a favorite. In his most recent outing, Scheffler secured eighth place at the Scottish Open with a -9 score.

Notably, Scheffler won the PGA Championship with a -11 score just two months ago.

Xander Schauffele will be another key golfer to watch this week, as he won The Open Championship last year with a -9 score.

Schauffele has struggled in recent tournaments, but he was able to bounce back with an eighth-place finish at the Scottish Open. With this in mind, he will try to defend his title this year.

Fans can watch The Open Championship for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star game taking place this Saturday, teams are looking to make a strong final push before the midway point of the season. A huge matchup to watch will be between the Indiana Fever and the New York Liberty on Wednesday night. Both teams have already met twice this season, both being extremely exciting matchups to watch.

The Fever have been toting around the .500 mark all season, due to superstar Caitlin Clark missing multiple games. Clark dropped 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds the last time she faced New York in a 102-88 win.

The Liberty remain one of the best teams in the league behind the brilliance of Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, two All-Stars.

Fans looking to tune into the Fever vs Liberty game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Here’s everything you need to know before the Fever and Sun tipoff:

When: Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

Time: 7:30 p.m. E.T.

Fans looking to tune into the Fever vs Liberty game can do so on Fubo, who’s offering a free trial to new subscribers.

The National Weather Service issued a weather alert at 5:54 p.m. on Wednesday for strong thunderstorms until 6:45 p.m. for Colbert and Lawrence counties.

Residents may experience wind gusts of up to 40 mph.

“At 5:54 p.m., Doppler radar tracked a strong thunderstorm near Muscle Shoals. This thunderstorm was nearly stationary,” according to the weather service. “Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects.”

Locations impacted by the alert include Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, Town Creek, Leighton, Northwest Alabama Regional Airport, Ford City, Red Bank and Whiteoak.

According to the weather service, “If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.”

Staying safe as lightning approaches: Expert advice

Each year, lightning strikes the United States approximately 25 million times, with the majority of these electrifying events occurring during the summer months. Unfortunately, lightning is responsible for claiming the lives of approximately 20 people annually, as reported by the weather service. The threat of lightning becomes more pronounced as thunderstorms draw nearer, peaking when the storm is directly overhead and gradually waning as it moves away.

To ensure your safety during a thunderstorm, keep these recommendations in mind:

Lightning safety plan:

• When venturing outdoors, it’s crucial to have a lightning safety plan in place.
• Stay vigilant by monitoring the sky for ominous signs and listening for the telltale sound of thunder. If thunder is audible, it’s a clear indication of nearby lightning.
• Seek a safe place to shelter, preferably indoors.

Indoors safety measures:

• Once you’ve found shelter indoors, abstain from using corded phones, electrical appliances, or plumbing fixtures, and refrain from approaching windows and doors.
• Lightning can follow conductive pathways, and these precautions reduce the risk of electrical surges.

Wait for the all-clear:

• After the last lightning strike or thunderclap, wait at least 30 minutes before resuming outdoor activities.
• It’s important to remember that lightning can strike even when a storm seems to have passed, so exercise caution.

When indoor shelter isn’t available:

If you find yourself outdoors without access to indoor shelter during a thunderstorm, take these steps to maximize your safety:

• Avoid open fields, hilltops, or ridge crests, as they expose you to greater lightning risk.
• Steer clear of tall, isolated trees and other prominent objects. In wooded areas, stay close to lower stands of trees.
• If you’re with a group, ensure individuals are spread out to prevent lightning current from transferring between people.
• Camping in an open setting during a thunderstorm is strongly discouraged. If no alternative exists, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low-lying areas. Remember that a tent offers no protection against lightning.
• Do not approach water bodies, wet objects, or metal items. While water and metal don’t attract lightning, they conduct electricity effectively and can pose significant risks.

In summary, when facing the threat of lightning, vigilance and preparedness are your best allies. By following these guidelines, you can significantly reduce the chances of lightning-related accidents and prioritize your safety.

Mastering wet roads: Safety tips for heavy rainfall

Rain can turn roads into hazards. Stay informed and follow these tips from the weather service to ensure safety during heavy rainfall:

Beware of rapid water flow:

Avoid parking or walking in close proximity to culverts or drainage ditches, as the swiftly moving water during heavy rain can potentially carry you away.

Maintain safe driving distances:

Use the two-second rule to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you and allow an extra two seconds in heavy rain.

Slow down and stay cautious:

On wet roads, reducing your speed is crucial. Ease off the gas pedal gradually and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.

Choose your lane wisely:

Stick to the middle lanes to minimize the risk of hydroplaning. Outer lanes are more prone to accumulating water.

Prioritize visibility

Enhance your visibility in heavy rain by turning on your headlights. Watch out for vehicles in blind spots, as rain-smeared windows can obscure them.

Watch out for slippery roads:

Be extra careful during the first half hour after rain begins. Grime and oil on the road surface mix with water to make the road slippery.

Keep a safe distance from large vehicles:

Large trucks and buses can reduce your visibility with tire spray. Avoid tailgating and pass them swiftly and safely.

Mind your windshield wipers:

Heavy rain can overload the wiper blades. When visibility is so limited that the edges of the road or other vehicles cannot be seen at a safe distance, it is time to pull over and wait for the rain to ease up. It is best to stop at rest areas or other protected areas.

If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible, preferably past the end of a guard rail, and wait until the storm passes. Keep your headlights on and turn on emergency flashers to alert other drivers of your position.

In the face of heavy rain, these precautions can make a significant difference in ensuring your safety on the road. Remember to stay informed about weather conditions and heed guidance from local authorities for a secure journey.

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.

Auburn football’s matchup against Oklahoma last season was a game tiger fans want to forget forever.

However, for Oklahoma it was its first conference victory of the season and planted the seed for the roster they have put together in 2025.

“Well, I mean, as we know, it’s one of the more difficult places, venues, to go and play,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said at SEC media days.

“Had a bunch of babies out there making plays and finding a way to get a win.”

Oklahoma started freshman quarterback Micheal Hawkins Jr. after replacing Jackson Arnold in the game prior against Tennessee.

Auburn took a 21-10 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. Oklahoma would go on to score 17 points in that quarter and defeated Auburn 27-21.

It was also Oklahoma’s first SEC road victory after leaving the Big 12.

“I think the guts and the toughness from Mike Hawkins, our ability to overcome a lot of self-inflicted mistakes, penalties, etcetera, drops,” Venables added.

“Then the ebbs and flows of the game of football, man. The dramatic comeback, the two-point conversion, the critical stops, going on the road, the fight, the guts, the toughness that our players exemplified.”

The game-winning score from the Sooners came from a 63-yard interception return from linebacker Kip Lewis.

Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas talked about how big of a moment that was for Lewis and shared the nickname he earned after the game.

“I remember celebrating with my teammates a lot,” Thomas said. “I was jumping around going crazy especially when Kip caught it. We all call him Kip-six now.”

“After getting that first win in the SEC, it gave us that confidence we needed.”

Auburn will travel to Norman, Oklahoma to face the Sooners September 20th to open up SEC play this fall.

Jerry Humphrey III covers Auburn sports forAL.com. You can follow him on X at @Jerryhump3or email him at [email protected].

The Indiana Fever play against the New York Liberty in a WNBA game tonight. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. CT on CBSSN. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV.

The Fever enter this matchup with a 12-10 record, and they have won three consecutive games. In their most recent game, the Fever defeated Connecticut 85-77.

In order to win this game, the Fever will need to rely on their star guard Kelsey Mitchell. She leads the team in scoring, as she averages more than 19 points per game.

In her last game, Mitchell was able to score a team-high 20 points. If she performs similarly tonight, then the Fever will be difficult to beat.

The Liberty enter this matchup with a 14-6 record, and they have won three of their last four games. In their most recent game, the Liberty defeated Atlanta 79-72.

In order to win tonight’s game, the Liberty will need to rely on their star player Breanna Stewart. She leads the New York offense in scoring, as she averages nearly 20 points per game.

Fans can watch this WNBA game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV.

Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statement Wednesday in response to requests for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to show the family of Jabari Peoples the police body camera video of the fatal shooting of 18-year-old by a Homewood police officer.

“The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency has made this case a top priority, and I am confident they are working to efficiently get this done,” Ivey said.

“As soon as their investigation is complete, the body camera footage will be turned over to the local district attorney who will be able to show it to the family and whoever else he deems appropriate.

“It is important ALEA carefully and thoughtfully work this case, and I am confident the facts will prevail here.”

ALEA has declined a request by a lawyer for Peoples’ family to see the video, saying it could jeopardize the investigation.

The agency cited the Alabama law that says “a custodial law enforcement agency may choose not to disclose the recording if the disclosure would affect an ongoing active law enforcement investigation or prosecution.”

The shooting happened June 23 in Homewood Soccer Park.

Peoples was a 2024 graduate of Aliceville High School where he was standout track athlete and football player.

Peoples had just finished his freshman year at Alabama A&M where he was studying computer information and criminal justice with hopes of becoming a law enforcement officer, specifically a detective. He worked as a security guard at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa.

Homewood police say a veteran officer, who has not been publicly identified, approached a vehicle to investigate because of a recent increase in criminal activity in and around the city’s athletic complexes.

The officer, police say, smelled marijuana and ordered Peoples and his female friend out of the vehicle.

Police say the encounter ended with Peoples resisting, breaking away from the officer as he tried to handcuff him, and grabbing a gun from the driver’s side door pocket.

The officer shot Peoples, who was pronounced dead a short time later at UAB Hospital.

Peoples’ family and attorneys disagreed with that narrative, saying that Peoples wasn’t armed and didn’t resist.

The Homewood Police Department turned the investigation over to ALEA, which is standard policy for many officer-involved shootings.

Homewood Mayor Alex Wyatt, in a statement on Monday, urged ALEA to show the Peoples’ family the video.

Rep. Kelvin Datcher, a Democrat whose House district takes in about 29% of Homewood’s population, sent a letter to ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor last week requesting that Peoples’ family and attorney be allowed to see the body camera footage.

“I understand ALEA – by law – has the authority to withhold the video if its release is believed to compromise the integrity of an ongoing investigation,” Datcher wrote. “I also trust that preserving the integrity of the investigation is a priority for both you and the agency.

“However, I am firmly convinced that allowing the family to privately view the video – with appropriate safeguards – is not only reasonable but necessary to foster transparency and healing.”

Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, whose district includes about 70% of Homewood’s population, said Tuesday he hopes ALEA can show the family the video as soon as possible.

Lawyers for Peoples’ family, Leroy Maxwell and Ben Crump, held a press conference on Tuesday and said an independent autopsy showed that Peoples was shot in the lower back, just above the buttocks.

They said there was little more they could draw from the examination without context that they say could be provided through the release of body camera and dash cam footage.

They also seek other supporting documents, such as police reports and records from the Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s office, which conducted the official autopsy.