Alabama News

The brand new reality series Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind premieres on E! Wednesday, July 9 at 10/9c.

Those interested in catching the premiere of the new series can find it available for streaming through Fubo (free trial), DirecTV (free trial) or Sling (50% off first month).

What is Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind about?

The new E! original series follows nine celebrities and social media influencers as they go through a transformative journey of self-discovery at the “Rewind Retreat.” While there, they decide whether to reverse previous plastic surgeries and return to a more natural look or keep their current look.

Through eye-opening challenges, unexpected emotional connections and laugh-out-loud moments, the participants are asked to look within while reassessing their concept of beauty.

How to watch Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind

Those interested in catching the debut season of the latest E! network reality series can stream the show’s premiere through Fubo, DirecTV or Sling.

Both Fubo and DirecTV offer free trials for new subscribers to enjoy while Sling offers those that commit to a paid subscription through their platform half off their first month and one month free of AMC+.

What is Fubo and DirecTV?

Fubo and DirecTV are two of the top streaming services steadily replacing traditional cable services. Both offer free trials to new subscribers, a plethora of popular live TV channels, on-demand streaming options and helpful features such as unlimited DVR storage.

Fubo considers itself a sports-focused live streaming service, but with over 100 live TV channels available through its base package at just $84.99 after its free trial, it offers much more to its subscribers.

Popular TV channels available through Fubo include ABC, FOX, BET, MTV, CNBC, MSNBC, USA and much more.

DirecTV mirrors Fubo by offering many of the same live TV channels and useful features. The base package starts at just $86.99 a month after its 5-day free trial and includes popular channels such as HGTV, ESPN, Bravo, CMT, CNN, BET and much more.

Two other DirecTV packages are the Choice package (original price $114.99) and the Ultimate package (original price $129.99), both of which are part of an ongoing promotion that offers new subscribers $10 off the original price for the first three months of their subscription.

Those interested in comparing all DirecTV’s channel packages can check them out here.

What is Sling?

Sling is another streaming service to consider if you want to access top-rated TV channels like E!. Though no free trial is available to new subscribers, those who commit to a paid plan get half off the first month and one month free of AMC+.

Both the Sling Orange plan and the Sling Blue plan are normally $45.99 a month, but with the current promotion, Sling users will pay just $23 a month for the first month.

For those who wish to access channels from both the Sling Blue and Sling Orange plans can do so by signing up for the Orange + Blue plan, which combines the best of both plans for just $60.99 a month ($30.50 for the first month).

The 2025 NFL season is quickly approaching. Teams are currently away for the summer but will be ramping up for training camp in two weeks. Week 1 is just about two months away and it’ll be here in no time.

An interesting storyline to follow this offseason has been about the Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback room. Former first-round pick Anthony Richardson has dealt with injuries and inconsistent play, leading the front office to sign veteran Daniel Jones. The battle between Richardson and Jones will be interesting to watch during training camp, as the winner will be the Week 1 starter.

The Colts will host the Miami Dolphins in Indianapolis on September 7. Fans looking to see the Colts take on the Dolphins can do so for pretty cheap, as multiple sites are listing tickets for under $100:

• Vivid Seats – Prices starting at $71 (cheapest)
• Gametime – Prices starting at $73
• Stubhub – Prices starting at $79
• Seatgeek – Prices starting at $124

Colts fans are one of the most passionate groups in the NFL. They always pack Lucas Oil Stadium, so it’ll be no different for Week 1. Fans should definitely take advantage of these cheap prices now.

The Colts will take on the Dolphins on September 7, 2025 at 1 p.m. ET in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Two Alabama brothers are under arrest, accused of shooting at each at a Montgomery apartment.

One of the brothers was wounded, and a woman caught in the crossfire was critically injured.

Radchavius Jackson, 22, and Jordan Harrison, 25, are both charged with first-degree assault, said Montgomery police Lt. David Wise.

The shooting happened at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday in the 5000 block of Paddock Club Court.

Charging documents allege Jackson pulled a gun and fired several rounds at his brother, Harrison, striking him in the leg.

Harrison then pulled a gun and fired several shots back at his brother, instead hitting a 21-year-old woman in the back, left arm and chin.

Both suspects are being held in the Montgomery County Detention Center.

Interest is growing in bringing an IKEA furniture retailer to Huntsville. But is the talk real? Or just wishful thinking?

A social media post about IKEA opening in Huntsville is going viral in the Madison County community after a user posted a chat with the IKEA help bot.

The chat wrote that they haven’t “officially announced” if they will bring a location to Huntsville and indicated it could be a full-size IKEA store or a pickup location. According to the chat, “store format and opening date are still being finalized.”

However, when the same chat service was contacted by AL.com and asked if Ikea was coming to Huntsville, a representative replied, “IKEA has not officially announced a new store or pickup point in Huntsville, Alabama.”

AL.com reached out to its media contact for comment, but IKEA leaders have not responded.

If Huntsville were tapped for a full-size IKEA, it would be the first of its kind in Alabama.

IKEA among the most-wanted retailers

IKEA has landed on Huntsville’s list of most-wanted retailers before.

People across the Rocket City want to bring in the Swedish furniture giant that’s known for its large warehouses featuring showrooms with furniture and decor. The store also offers a wing where you can buy pieces to build personalized furniture. Shoppers also have the option to visit its restaurant and get its famous Swedish meatballs.

Huntsville has gained the majority of the retailers on its 2011 list of most-wanted businesses, including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market and Cheesecake Factory, among many others.

What’s Plan & Order Point?

What if Huntsville doesn’t land a full-size IKEA? It could get a “Plan & Order Point.” The concept features smaller stores dedicating the planning kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms but there are no items to purchase and take home that day.

Instead, it’s a space where people can design areas with the help of in-house specialists or use self-service tools to design a piece of furniture. It’s also used as a pick-up point for ordered items. These already exist in Nashville and Birmingham.

The closest warehouse location is in Atlanta. In 2018, IKEA canceled plans to build stores in Nashville, Tennessee, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season has been quiet so far but has months still to go.

What are forecasters expecting at this point?

Colorado State University issued a forecast update on Wednesday and slightly decreased the number of storms expected before the season ends on Nov. 30.

However, forecasters are still thinking the heart of the season will likely be a busy one.

The updated CSU forecast is predicting 16 named storms, eight hurricanes and three major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger storms).

Earlier forecasts predicted 17 named storms, nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

NOAA’s hurricane outlook, issued in late May, predicted 13-19 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes. NOAA will update its forecast too, but not until early August.

So far in 2025 there have been three tropical storms, Andrea, Barry and Chantal. All of them have been weak and short-lived. But they still mad

Andrea stayed at sea in the central Atlantic and was only a named storm for one day.

Barry made landfall as a tropical depression in late June on Mexico’s Gulf Coast. However, Barry’s remnants helped cause the recent deadly flash flooding in Texas along with another weather system.

Chantal made landfall in the past week in South Carolina and spread flooding rain into the mid-Atlantic states.

Colorado State University has been issuing hurricane outlooks for more than four decades now.

The updated forecast lowers its numbers a bit because of wind shear in the Caribbean, which is expected to continue for a while.

Wind shear tends to dampen tropical activity and can tear storms apart before they can develop.

The CSU forecast said “high levels of Caribbean shear in June/July are typically associated with less active hurricane seasons.”

But don’t let your guard down yet: The CSU report said Atlantic ocean temperatures continue to be warmer than average (though not as warm as last year) and forecasters are not expecting El Nino to become a factor for a while (El Nino conditions typically favor less activity in the tropical Atlantic).

“We anticipate a slightly above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean,” the updated forecast report said.

“As with all hurricane seasons, coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season. Thorough preparations should be made every season, regardless of predicted activity.”

And CSU is continuing to forecast an above-average probability for a major hurricane making landfall.

Here are those probabilities in the updated report:

• Entire continental U.S. coastline: 48 percent (average from 1880–2020 is 43 percent)
• U.S. East Coast Including Peninsula Florida (south and east of Cedar Key, Fla.): 25 percent (average from 1880–2020 is 21 percent).
• Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle (west and north of Cedar Key, Florida) westward to Brownsville: 31 percent (average from 1880–2020 is 27 percent).

Read the full forecast update from Colorado State University here.

Walmart just slashed the price of the best-selling GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker to its lowest ever during Walmart Deals Week, but this limited-time offer won’t last long.

During this major sales event, Walmart customers can score the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker + Side Tank for $391 instead of its typical $550 price tag. This last time this ice maker was on sale at Walmart, it was listed for $435, which means this new deal features an additional $44 discount, a $157 markdown overall.

RELATED: Walmart is selling the $300 Blackstone ProSeries Grill for only $197

The GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker is considered the OG nugget ice maker. However, people continue to gravitate towards this brand despite the price (when not on sale) due to its compact size, stylish design and, most importantly, its ability to store the ice. Other cheaper models require you to transfer the ice to the freezer or it will melt. Not to mention, this particular model comes with a side tank which ensures three times more ice production.

The Frigidaire Gallery Nugget Ice Maker is another notable model that stores the ice and also happens to be on sale this week for only $179, but it is much bigger and takes up more counter space compared to the Opal Nugget Ice Maker.

RELATED: The Frigidaire Nugget Ice Maker is only $179 during Walmart Deals Week

“Nugget Ice. Pellet ice. Drive-in ice. Whatever you call it, you know it’s ‘the good ice.’ Now that chewable ice is available from the convenience of your countertop with the Opal Ice Maker. It stores up to 3-lbs of ice at one time [and] comes with the side tank attachment for three times more ice production,“ the GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker product description states.

“Built on the belief that modern life needs modern solutions. GE Profile Appliances are designed to make daily life simpler by incorporating cutting-edge features in every appliance. GE Profile’s sleek design and quality engineering will give your kitchen the most up-to-date look and the best innovative performance you’ve been looking for.”

Those interested in this deal can checkout the full listing on Walmart’s website here.

The U.S. Energy Department has hired two Alabama scientists who are well-known for their skepticism about human-influenced climate change.

The New York Times is reporting that John Christy, Alabama’s state climatologist since 2000, and Roy Spencer, a colleague at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, are listed in the Energy Department’s internal email system as current employees of the agency.

It is not immediately clear what the two scientists were working on or whether they are being paid.

Dr. Christy told the Times he is an “unpaid person who’s available to them if they need it.”

In addition to his position with the state, Dr. Christy is the Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science and Director of the Earth System Science Center at UAH, and a fellow in the American Meteorological Society. He served with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board, but was dismissed in 2021.

Dr. Spencer, a UAH research scientist, is a former NASA research scientist and a visiting fellow for two conservative organizations, the Heritage Foundation and the Heartland Institute.

Both Christy and Spencer have worked together on several climate projects. The two developed a global temperature data set from microwave data observed from satellites beginning in 1979. Together, they were awarded NASA’s Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement in 1991.

Earlier this year, the two collaborated with UAH researcher William Braswell on a study on the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, which explains why metropolitan areas are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas.

Their study, published this year, looked at temperatures in cities among six classes of population density and in 22 different historical periods between 1880 and 2020. One issue stemming from the data – how the rate of warming is calculated, accounting for the differences in population density.

Christy, while often called a climate change denier, says he acknowledges that the climate is warming and that human carbon emissions contribute to this warming, but argues that the impact is smaller than most other climate researchers contend. He disagrees with the use of the term “denier.”

Christy argues that reducing carbon emissions would have little impact on climate change and is a critic of efforts to mandate reduction of carbon emissions.

In 2016, Spencer wrote that “while the scientific consensus on climate change is a mile wide, it is only inches deep.”

“The most pertinent questions really are: (1) just how much warming is occurring? (not as much as predicted); (2) how much of that warming is being caused by humans? (we don’t really know); (3) is modest warming a bad thing? (maybe not); and (4) is there anything we can do about it anyway? (not without a new energy technology),” he wrote.

A MAGA activist is pressing Vice President JD Vance to persuade Donald Trump to fire Attorney General Pam Bondi over delays in releasing the so-called Jeffrey Epstein files.

Laura Loomer, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump who has been behind the firings of other administration officials, is feuding with Bondi — whom she deridingly refers to as “Blondi” –, claiming the attorney general is ignoring the Epstein case.

On Tuesday, Loomer responded to a four-year-old Vance tweet on the Epstein case while enlisting the vice president’s help in getting Bondi fired.

“I remember when a bimbo Barbie was installed as AG and then all of these child sex crimes were wiped under the rug. How come we can’t talk about what a dumb lying bimbo Pam Blondi is?” Loomer tweeted.

 “@JDVance, please encourage President Trump to fire Pam Blondi,” Loomer continued. “She is a disgrace.”

Loomer accused Bondi of protecting Epstein and the late financier’s co-conspirators dating back to Bondi’s term as Florida attorney general.

“During Blondi’s tenure as Florida’s Attorney General from 2011 to 2019, Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs surfaced, many of his victims filed lawsuits, and substantial new evidence against him came to light. It has to be asked: how come Blondi’s FL AG office did not pursue legal action or launch an investigation into Epstein’s activities in Florida during that period when she was AG in FL?” Loomer asked.

Loomer’s call for Bondi’s head comes three months after at least three National Security Council staff workers were terminated a day after Loomer met with Trump and “excoriated” the officials.

She is known for spreading wild conspiracy theories.

In 2023, Loomer shared a video on X that said “9/11 was an Inside Job!” and claimed it was somehow related to then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s announcing $2.3 trillion in “lost” government funds on Sept. 10, 2001.

The post misrepresented Rumsfeld’s remarks, which were about a challenge in tracking funds due to outdated technology. The day before 9/11 was not the first time the problem had been discussed.

The conspiracy theory that U.S. officials are hiding information about the Sept. 11 attacks or were somehow involved in the planning has taken hold among a segment of determined “truthers,” but many of their most prevalent claims have fallen apart upon further scrutiny.

Loomer also promoted QAnon, an apocalyptic and convoluted conspiracy theory centered on the belief that Trump is fighting the “deep state.”