Alabama News

Congress narrowly approved early Friday a bill to rescind $9 billion in federal spending on foreign aid and public broadcasting, cuts that will affect Alabama Public Television, the nation’s oldest statewide public TV network.

The bill, backed by President Trump, will stop $7.9 billion for foreign aid and $1.1 billion for public broadcasting.

Wayne Reid, executive director for Alabama Public Television, said APT will lose just over $2.8 million in restricted and unrestricted grant funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is about 13% of the total annual budget.

“We are currently reviewing all aspects of our operations in light of this change,” Reid said.

“Much of the CPB funding helped support shared system-wide costs such as music licensing and program distribution. We expect to hear from PBS next week regarding their response and future, which will help guide our next steps.

“While we do carry many popular national programs, our mission is on Alabama focused programming.”

APT released a longer statement on its website, saying it would continue to offer educational programming, and content focused on public safety and civic awareness.

APT said the Capitol Journal news program, which covers the Legislature and state politics, will continue.

In addition, APT will launch in August a new program covering high school football that will air on Thursday nights.

“We understand that difficult decisions will need to be made in the weeks and months ahead,” APT said. “However, we will remain focused on our core mission of public service and delivering programming that informs, educates, and inspires.”

APT launched in 1955, nearly 15 years before PBS.

The U.S. House passed the bill early Friday by a vote of 216-213.

Alabama’s five Republican members – Reps. Robert Aderholt, Barry Moore, Gary Palmer, Mike Rogers, and Dale Strong – all voted in favor of the bill.

The two Democrats – Reps. Shomari Figures and Terri Sewell – voted no.

All but two Republicans voted in favor of the bill and all Democrats opposed.

Friday was the deadline to pass the bill, or the funds would have been released.

It goes to Trump, who can sign it into law.

The Senate had passed the bill 51-48 on Thursday. Alabama Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville voted in favor it it.

The Associated Press reported that it was the first time in decades that a president has convinced Congress to rescind its spending decisions.

“We need to get back to fiscal sanity and this is an important step,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

Ryan Williams just did it.

The Alabama football superstar has signed a name, image, and likeness deal with Nike, the company announced Friday. That makes the sophomore receiver a Nike athlete.

“Since I can remember, Nike has always been the best fit on and off the field,” Williams said in a press release. ”Family has always been a huge part of who I am. When I had the opportunity to join the Nike family, I knew I had to just do it.”

Williams is the second college player to have signed an NIL deal with Nike, per On3. The only other one was Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who is now in the NFL.

Williams is fresh off a freshman season in which he caught 48 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. He also rushed four time for 48 yards and two more scores.

The Saraland native reclassified to be able to enter college football a year early. So he will play his sophomore season in 2025 as what should have been his freshman season. During his time at Saraland, he became the state’s first two-time Mr. Football winner.

Williams’ most significant moment during his freshman season came against Georgia. Williams fought off a comeback effort from the Bulldogs, catching a 75-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Milroe

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

A small-town barbecue joint in Alabama has become known for offering its community so much more than just a really, really good place to grab a meal.

While Buddy’s BBQ in Talladega has been open for more than 50 years, owner Shane Denney bought the beloved barbecue joint in December 2023 after moving back to Talladega, the hometown of his wife, Raechel, nine years ago. Since then, the restaurant has only grown in popularity as customers from near and far flock to it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Denney said he first became interested in the restaurant industry after he got a job as a teen at an omelet shop in Gadsden, and while he may have traded in cracking eggs for smoking meats since then, his dedication to offering good food and creating a friendly atmosphere to serve it in has never wavered.

“I’m just extremely passionate about barbecue,” said Denney. “I’m obsessed with it. The food at Buddy’s is just as southern as you could possibly imagine. As for the atmosphere, it’s like we’re a big family. I mean, everybody comes in here and knows everybody, and we just all love each other. It’s a hodgepodge of the community.”

Buddy’s BBQ has a little something for everyone as its regular menu offers fare you’d expect to find at any classic barbecue joint, like pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked chicken and more. Its weekday lunch menu, which changes daily, serves up a long list of Southern dishes, like hamburger steak, catfish strips and plenty of homemade sides, for those looking to take more of a meat-and-thee route for their meal.

The restaurant recently won AL.com’s poll for which unsung barbecue joint was the best in the state after being nominated early and often by its customers, and once you eat there, it’s easy to see why. Denney said they were excited to win and have their barbecue be recognized as it’s been a labor of love over the years that everyone at the restaurant takes pride in.

“All barbecue is different,” said Denney. “Barbecue’s like a fingerprint, and I don’t think any two places are the same. I think what makes ours is just the absolute love we put into it. We sell as many ribs as anything. When I first bought the place, we weren’t selling ribs and we worked really, really hard on our ribs. We sell just an absolute ton of ribs now. We just genuinely care about our barbecue.”

Denney said their hushpuppies, made-from-scratch daily using his personal recipe, are also an unexpected star of the restaurant’s menu, prompting him to share a video about how to make them on Facebook that has since garnered more than 540, 000 views and brought in new customers from all over the South.

“We sell just an abnormally large amount of hushpuppies,” said Denney. “You know it’s funny, I put that post on Facebook a few months ago, and that’s really where we started getting all of the what we call ‘The Roadtrippers Club’. We have people drive here from all over the Southeast, and they put their pin on the map at the doorway and they sign the guest book, but most every one of them comes because of that hushpuppies video.”

That said, good food and hushpuppies recipes aren’t the only thing Buddy’s BBQ is offering the small town of Talladega and its surrounding communities. In recent years, the restaurant has gained recognition for its community involvement.

In 2024, the restaurant donated all of the sales from a Friday shift to the family of Charlee Tayt Hubbard, an 11-year-old from Talladega who died by suicide. Most recently, the restaurant sold 200 slabs of ribs for $25 each on July 4 — all in under 20 minutes — and gave the money raised to five families who lost their homes in the Autumn Trace Apartments in Sylacauga.

The restaurant also serves a free dinner to those in need on Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter every year, in addition to opening its doors to serve as a warming station when extreme winter weather hits.

Ultimately, Denney said it’s the willingness of the customers, as well as the staff at Buddy’s BBQ, to help where they can, whether it’s giving money or their time, that have made so many of these fundraisers a success.

“I think that the community supports our business so it’s important for our business to support the community,” said Denney. “And the community really supports us. They help us with every one of these fundraisers we do. They go out of their way to help.”

So while Buddy’s BBQ might be considered a hidden gem to many who aren’t familiar with the Talladega area, given that there’s often a line out the door, it’s a safe bet that it might not be hidden for long. Regardless of how busy they get, though, Denney said he just wants to feed their customers, whether they’re new or old or from close-by or far away, a meal they’ll remember.

“I just hope we’re making them happy, you know, and so far, I think we are,“ said Denney. ”There’s nothing that gives you more pleasure than feeding people, and that is just one of those things. It’s just the greatest blessing in the world.”

Buddy’s BBQ is located at 103 Haynes Street in Talladega. It’s open from 5 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

This is a humor column ….unless you don’t laugh. Then it’s just a column.

I’ve written many columns about the word “y’all” and its origins. As a y’all-aholic, I say and write it frequently, even though some people claim that using it makes me sound un-educated (as if…that’s all I’m saying, as if).

I’ve also written that the South owns “y’all” like we own sweet tea and fried green tomatoes, which is true because we popularized it, but now a professor from our very own University of Alabama told NPR that people under 40 in all parts of the country have taken a liking to “y’all.” Seems people are using it willy-nilly without properly filing their Southern cards first.

I, for one, say the more the merrier. I am happy to let anyone borrow it and here’s why: Other alternatives for second-person plural pronouns are stupid. The worst culprit is one used on that HGTV show “Unsellable Houses,” based in Washington state. Hosts and twin sisters Leslie and Lindsay are fun and adorable and I love their show but, bless their sweet knees, they use a phrase that really grates my cheese: “your guyses.” I’m not even sure how to write that: “Your guyses? “Your guys’?” However you write it, it is the most loathsome phrase to ever fall out of someone’s brain. It needs to be stopped. So, please, feel free to use “y’all.”

So how did we Americans so carelessly misplace our only second-person plural pronoun? There’s no definitive explanation. Old-English words like “thou” and “ye” eventually fell out of favor in colonial America. Someone replaced “ye” with “you” but whoever was supposed to make up a new word for “thou” must have been out with diphtheria that day.

Centuries later, we have finally come to a consensus, says Paul E. Reed, a linguist at the University of Alabama who studies Southern American English and Appalachian English. “‘Y’all’ has won,” he told NPR.

Well, sure. There was never any real competition.

If y’all’re wondering how to use y’all in compound contractions, I can help. “Y’all’re” (you all are) is certainly acceptable, as is “y’all’d’ve” (you all would have) but many people have asked me whether it is proper to use the phrase “all y’all.” As a professional and mildly respected humor columnist, here’s my opinion: While it seems redundant and makes the English major in me cringe, the phrase “all y’all” does have its uses. Technically, “all y’all” is overkill because y’all already includes “all.” It’s not like you’ve ever heard anyone say, “Do all you all need seconds on banana pudding?”

But…because many people have begun using “y’all” in the singular – i.e.., asking your mother “Where have y’all been?” – I vote we give folks a little leeway on “all y’all.” It definitely gets the point across, as in “All y’all kids get off my lawn before I call your mama’n’em.”

Now for my last lesson: Please – for the love of MeeMaw’s cornbread – please, please, please spell it correctly. Let’s go back to second-grade contraction lessons: The apostrophe takes the place of the omitted letter or letters. Therefore, you should never, ever, ever-times-a-gabillion write “ya’ll.” Treat it with the respect it deserves, y’all.

This is an opinion piece.

To turn the Mary G. Montgomery football program into a winner, Zach Golson had to quickly change a lot at the school.

“Everything is different,” he said this week. “Everything.”

In Golson’s three years as the head coach, MGM has moved from the bottom of 7A, Region 1 to the perennial favorite in the league. One rival coach at the Jubilee 7-on-7 tournament this week told me, “Until someone knocks off Mary G., they are the team to beat.”

Four years ago, no one would have thought that was even a remote possibility.

RELATED: The biggest questions in HS football

It’s quite a testament to what Golson and his staff have built in a relatively short time in Semmes.

“It takes a lot,” he said. “There are a lot of moving parts in 7A football. People and processes. Players, coaches, administrators. Everyone buying into a single-minded vision. Our processes are really good – tried and proven in 20-plus years. A lot of them come from (former Prattville and UAB) coach (Bill) Clark and (former McGill coach) Caleb Ross. Everything we do from a day-to-day standpoint to a year-to-year calendar, all those things have to come together. We have really good people and good processes.”

Just how far have the Vikings come in three years? Consider these numbers.

When Golson left his job as Daphne’s offensive coordinator to take over MGM, the Vikings had won four of the last 40 region games. They had lost 18 of their last 19 games overall. The one win in that stretch? A COVID forfeit over Davidson in 2020.

“Thinking back to Media Days four years ago, we said we could win every game we played that year (2022),” Golson said. “Sure enough, every game that first year we had a chance to win. We lost three games in the last minute. The second year, we went 12-1. We always knew the talent was there. How fast would they develop and buy in? We saw it pretty quickly, and we’ve been able to maintain it, but every year is a new year. Every season a new season.”

In three years under Golson, the team is 27-8 overall, a remarkable 27-4 since losing those first four games – the first three by a combined 6 points, two in overtime. The Vikings have won 17 straight region games and a pair of region titles. They’ve been in the playoffs all three years, including a semifinal run in 2023.

“Without coach Golson, we wouldn’t be where we are today. No way,” senior safety Shondell Harris said. “He runs the show. When he is here, everyone is at 1,000 percent.”

The turnaround truly has been astonishing, but the Vikings haven’t reached their goal yet.

“State championship,” Harris said. “All the way.”

Golson’s goals with a senior-laden team in 2025 are a little more immediate.

“I want to see our guys get better every day,” he said. “That’s what we keep telling them. Focus on getting better. If we do that, we have a chance to be pretty good. If we stay healthy, which comes back to how we train and how we lift weights, we will be fine. As coaches, we will continue to challenge them in that way and try to keep getting better.”

The future beyond 2025 is also bright. Golson said there is a good freshmen class coming in and both of the school’s younger teams had winning records a year ago.

“I don’t see there being a major drop off,” he said. “We have to keep holding on to our kids at Semmes and keep getting better.”

Another key will be MGM holding on to Golson.

As the Vikings continue to be a playoff contender in 7A, Golson will continue to be a hot commodity in the coaching community and deservedly so.

For now, however, as practice starts for real in the coming weeks, he is focused on one thing: the Aug. 22 opener at home against Pace, Fla., another region title and a deep playoff run.

Returning to Jackson

It’s been a dozen years since Saraland coach Jeff Kelly has taken one of his teams back to Legion Field in Jackson.

Kelly coached the Aggies from 2008-2010, leading them to a state title game appearance in 2009, before leaving to take over Spartans’ program.

In 2013, Saraland lost 42-17 at Jackson when the two teams were both members of Class 5A, Region 1. The Aggies and Spartans played a non-region opener last year at Saraland with the Spartans winning 35-27 before a huge crowd.

The same type environment is expected on Aug. 22 when Saraland, the Class 6A runner-up a year ago, travels to face reigning 4A champ Jackson in the opener for both teams.

“It is such a great environment,” Kelly said of Jackson. “There are great people in the community up there. Every time we play, it’s always a big game. It’s such a competitive community. When we played them last year, it was a great crowd at our place. I think everyone from Clarke County showed up. I don’t know who is in charge of keeping the gates or taking up tickets, but I hope they have some extra people to work the gates this fall.”

Thursday Night Lights

It’s become a tradition in recent years for Eastern Shore rivals Spanish Fort and Fairhope to play one of the first football games of the year on the first Thursday of the season.

That will be the case again on Aug. 21 when the Pirates travel to the Hill to take on the Toros. It will make the sixth straight season-opening matchup between the schools. Fairhope holds a 3-2 edge in those games. Spanish Fort, however, won 42-6 a year ago.

“I like it because they are so well coached,” Fairhope coach Tim Carter said. “They play so hard. They get after you. It’s not a region game, so it’s always been a good measuring stick for us. Kids get excited about playing it. They know a lot of the guys. It’s been a good warmup for us getting ready for region play because we can compete at a high level.”

Thought for the Week

“There is a lot to be said for steady.” — Rev. Grant Barber.

Ben Thomas is the high school managing producer at AL.com. He has been named one of the 50 legends of the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Follow him on twitter at @BenThomasPreps or email him at [email protected].

Fans of Chick-fil-A have the chance to win some free food.

The restaurant will be allowing people to win several kinds of food items through its Code Moo digital, app. Fans can play games in the app to win free menu items, including a medium waffle fry, chocolate chunk cookie and a 5-count of chicken nuggets.

Chick-fil-A will launch new games on the app every Tuesday through Aug. 4 in the Chick-fil-A app.

Chick-fil-A is testing two sandwiches

Chick-fil-A is testing two sandwiches in Nevada and Florida.

The first sandwich, the Jalapeño Ranch Club Chicken, features the restaurant’s chicken fillet on a toasted buttermilk ranch bun with caramelized onion, lettuce, tomato, and pickled jalapenos. The sandwich is topped with Pepper Jack cheese and comes with a side of Jalapeño Ranch Sauce. Nation’s Restaurant News reportsthe sandwich is only available in Salt Lake City.

The second sandwich, the Creamy BBQ Chicken Sandwich, features Chick-fil-A’s fillet served on a toasted, buttered bun with a creamy barbecue slaw and pickles. The sandwich is being tested in Jacksonville, Fla.

Earlier this year, Chick-fil-A tested out an Icedream Spin and Icedream Float for a limited time in the San Diego, Salt Lake City, Chicago, and Tampa, Fla., markets.

The Ice Dream Spin is a blend of Chick-Fil-A’s soft serve and a fountain drink. The Ice Dream Float is the restaurant chain’s take on the classic float beverage made with a fountain drink and a swirl of Ice Dream.

We all know fast food isn’t always a healthy option. But where do some of America’s biggest fast food chains rank?

WorldAtlas compiled a list of the 10 least-healthy fast food chains in the country. The restaurants, according to WorldAtlas, “routinely serve meals that can eclipse daily calorie limits in a single sitting while encouraging visits through bargain pricing and around-the-clock service.”

Here’s a look at the 10 least healthy fast food chains, according to WorldAtlas, ranked from better to worst:

10. Chick-fil-A

9. Little Caesars

8. Smashburger

7. McDonald’s

6. Quiznos

5. KFC

4. Dairy Queen

3. Taco Bell

2. Sonic

1. Wendy’s

Here’s what WorldAtlas had to say about Chick-fil-a:

“Chick-fil-A masks calorie-dense fried-chicken fare behind a wholesome image. An “original chicken sandwich” with medium waffle fries delivers ~ 750 mg sodium, about one-third of a day’s limit, and 800 calories, while sugary lemonade and milkshakes push totals sky-high. The chain dialed back its “No Antibiotics Ever” pledge in 2024, though its 2026 cage-free-egg goal remains. With 3,200-plus U.S. outlets and drive-throughs generating 60% of sales, Chick-fil-A encourages frequent, on-the-go indulgence nationwide.”

Here’s what WorldAtlas had to say about Wendy’s:

“Wendy’s square burgers and Frosty desserts create a caloric minefield. A Triple Baconator meal with large fries and medium Frosty hits about 2,160 calories, 54 g saturated fat and 3,400 mg sodium, exceeding most daily limits in one sitting. Seasonal beasts like the Pretzel Bacon Pub Triple top 1,500 calories by themselves. Breakfast croissant combos, Biggie Bag bargains and late-night hours foster oversized, frequent visits, landing Wendy’s firmly atop America’s most waist-widening, heart-straining chains.“

The Boston Red Sox play against the Chicago Cubs in an MLB game today. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 1:20 p.m. CT on MLB Network. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV.

The Red Sox enter this matchup with a 53-45 record, and they have won 10 consecutive games. In their most recent game, the Red Sox defeated Tampa Bay 4-1.

In order to win today’s game, the Red Sox will need to rely on their star player Trevor Story. He leads the team with 58 RBI this season, so he will look to continue his offensive success this afternoon.

The Cubs enter this matchup with a 57-39 record, and they have won three of their last four games. In their most recent game, the Cubs defeated the New York Yankees 4-1.

In order to win this game, the Cubs will need a great performance from their star player Seiya Suzuki. He leads the Chicago offense with 25 home runs and 77 RBI, which highlights his power at the plate.

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

With a long stretch of hot and humid weather on the horizon for Alabama, many are looking forward to that first dose of fresh fall air.

When could it arrive in Alabama?

The Farmers’ Almanac (not to be confused with the Old Farmer’s Almanac) has a fall forecast out, and it suggests Alabama’s future includes a stretch of “pleasant weather — perfect for fall festivals and Halloween preparations” — but not until October.

In fact, the Almanac says a ‘flirty, flurry’ fall with “early chills in the North to lingering warmth in the South, and from stormy skies to tranquil stretches, the fall will keep us on our toes.”

The first day of astronomical fall comes with the vernal equinox, which in 2025 will be on Sept. 22. The first day of meteorological fall will be Sept. 1.

The overall forecast for the Southeast, according to the Almanac, is a warm and dry start with a wet and stormy finish, which falls in line with typical Alabama fall weather.

Alabama typically sees drier weather in September (unless there is tropical trouble) and especially in October, which is usually the driest month of the year.

Then the so-called “secondary severe weather season” gains steam in November and can last through February, with increasing numbers of severe storms and tornadoes, according to data from the National Weather Service.

Here is a look at Alabama tornadoes by month. November is No. 3 for tornado numbers, after April and March:

The Almanac’s outlook for September includes thunderstorms around Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 1) and a possible “notable” hurricane threat to the Atlantic coast during the early part of the month, which possibly wouldn’t affect the state at all if it were to materialize.

October could have stretches of stormy weather across the country, according to the Almanac, but fair skies are predicted for Halloween across the Southeast region (which includes Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida).

“A mix of rain and clearing skies,” is the forecast for the Southeast for November, according to the Almanac, but other spots in the northern states will get their first real taste of winter.

The Thanksgiving holiday week is forecast to be “a meteorological mixed bag — light snow and rain could complicate travel plans in the central and eastern U.S., but many areas should see clearing skies just in time for the holiday feast,” according to the Almanac.

ALMANAC’S FORECAST METHOD

The Almanac says it has been making long-range weather forecasts since 1818.

Its weather predictions are based on a formula originally developed in 1818 by its founding editor, David Young.

According to the Almanac the formula includes influences by the moon, which the Almanac says can act as a “meteorological swizzle stick,” solar activity, analogs (or comparable data from past seasons), the position of the planets in the solar system and more.

The Almanac keeps its exact forecast formula under wraps, saying “to safeguard this valuable formula, the editors of the Farmers’ Almanac keep its weather prognosticator – Caleb Weatherbee – identity and the exact formula as brand secrets.”

WHAT ABOUT NOAA’S FORECAST?

NOAA also issues longer-range weather forecasts. The Climate Prediction Center has three-month outlooks for both temperature and precipitation.

The outlook out now covers the last part of summer and the first part of fall — the months of August, September and October.

The temperature outlook, shown at the top of this post, suggests a higher probability of above-average temperatures for Alabama through that period.

Most of the state has a 40-50 percent probability of above-average temperatures, but the northwest corner has slightly lower odds — 33 to 40 percent.

Here is the precipitation outlook for August through October:

It shows a 40-50 percent probability of above-average rainfall over the three-month period for most of the state. The northwest corner is again the exception and has slightly lower odds — 33-40 percent — of above-average rainfall.

The Climate Prediction Center’s outlooks will be routinely updated as fall edges closer.