Nov 20, 2024

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When former Congressman Matt Gaetz as tapped by Donald Trump as his nominee for Attorney General, negative reaction from the left was immediate. And there was clear discomfort from some Republicans as well.

Trump loyalists just as quickly moved to support Gaetz. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama issued a warning that any senators not supporting Gaetz's nomination might lose their seat in the Senate.

The heat on Gaetz is certainly inspired partly by his role in Republican division in the House, but the largest looming questions are over allegations and investigations regarding alleged sexual misconduct. The Justice Department chose not to bring charges in a sex-trafficking investigation.

A separate House Ethics Committee investigation ended when Gaetz resigned from the House. Some or all of that investigation could be brought up during the Senate confirmation hearings. And the Washington Post has reported that a woman testified to the Committee that Gaetz paid her for sex and that she witnessed him in the act with a 17-year-old at a party.

This all gets back to Alabama news this way: Tuberville seems to have identified an escape hatch for his primary threat against Republican senators.

AL.com's Patrick Darrington reports that Tuberville told CBS 42 he spoke to Gaetz and told him that if the misconduct is proven then he won't vote for him. Gaetz has publicly denied the allegations, and Tuberville said that Gaetz told him he was not guilty.

Tuberville's previous praise of Gaetz has centered on his loyalty to Trump.

Alabama's other U.S. senator, Katie Britt, hasn't indicated how she'll vote on Trump's nominees, instead saying they all deserve a chance to make their cases.

Former state finance director Kelly Butler has died of ALS, reports AL.com's Mike Cason.

Gov. Kay Ivey confirmed Butler's passing.

He worked for the state for 36 years and became Ivey's finance director in 2018. He retired in 2021 after his diagnosis. ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Today's classes at the University of Mobile have been canceled after basketball player Kaiden Francis collapsed and died on campus Tuesday morning, reports AL.com's Mark Heim and Ben Thomas.

Possible causes have not been reported. Francis was a freshman guard from Fort Lauderdale.

We've reported before on the U.S. News & World Report's Best Places to Live list. A couple years ago, Huntsville landed at No. 1.

Now we have the U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Places to Retire list. I'll give you one guess at which Alabama city placed the highest.

AL.com's Heather Gann reports that Huntsville ranked eighth on the list, behind retiree meccas such as Naples, Fla., Virginia Beach, New York City, Sarasota, Boise, Raleigh and Jacksonville, Fla.

All those places -- or at least the ones South of D.C. -- sound great, but I'd take a Tennessee River backdrop any day.

The top 150 cities were listed. Other Alabama locations include Montgomery at No. 36, Mobile at No. 94 and Birmingham at No. 139.

While U.S. News & World Report is well-respected and did a fine job with this study, let's acknowledge here that not everybody looks for a population center for retirement. Don't go to sleep on any place with a dock and a cane pole.

If the weather cooperates, a prescribed burn may be taking place today or later this week at the Eagle Loop section of Gulf State Park near Lake Shelby, reports AL.com's Lawrence Specker.

If the Alabama Forestry Commission is burning, then State Park Road will be closed. The purpose for this burn is to clear out dead brush that could lead to an uncontrolled fire.

“There is no destination I’ve ever flown into that is only two miles to the beach.”

Jesse Fosnaugh, airport director at the Gulf Shores International Airport. Allegiant Air announced six routes it would fly out of Gulf Shores beginning next year.

50 pounds

That's how much marijuana the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office says was seized during a traffic stop on I-22.

In 1930, songwriter Curly Putnam of Princeton. His songwriting credits go on and on. He wrote "Green, Green Grass of Home" and teamed up with Bobby Braddock to write "He Stopped Loving Her Today," "D-I-V-O-R-C-E," and, of course, "You Can't Have Your Kate and Edith, Too."

In 1964, actor Ned Vaughn of Huntsville. He's played a lot of military and law-enforcement roles.

In 1969, Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney of Pelham.

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