The Year in Alabama Politics

| December 22, 2016 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/09/Alabama-Capitol-Building.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:300;s:4:"file";s:36:"2015/09/Alabama-Capitol-Building.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:5:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"Alabama-Capitol-Building-336x168.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:168;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"Alabama-Capitol-Building-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:34:"Alabama-Capitol-Building-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"Alabama-Capitol-Building-470x235.jpg";s:5:"width";i:470;s:6:"height";i:235;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:36:"Alabama-Capitol-Building-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Carol M. Highsmith
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] =>  Library of Congress
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:232579;s:14:"optimized_size";i:96570;s:7:"percent";d:58.479999999999997;}s:5:"sizes";a:8:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:64:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/09/Alabama-Capitol-Building.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:228580;s:14:"optimized_size";i:92607;s:7:"percent";d:59.490000000000002;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:70:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/09/Alabama-Capitol-Building-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3999;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3963;s:7:"percent";d:0.90000000000000002;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1581971443:113
        )

    [_edit_last] => Array
        (
            [0] => 113
        )

)
1671716786 
1482396702

Alabama’s political world is finishing 2016 in quite a different place from where we started the year. Scandals rocked all three branches of government. We also went through a presidential election in which voters picked Donald Trump for the White House, a decision that sent ripples through state politics. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald discusses all this political change.

 

The 2025 pop culture yearbook, from pettiest cameo to nerdiest movie moment

Dueling Safdie brother movie projects, Love Island USA chaos, a feces-filled And Just Like That … finale: looking back on an eclectic year for pop culture.

How President Trump reshaped capitalism in 2025

His policies are picking winners and losers — and blurring the lines between business and government.

The DOGE mindset is still central to the Trump administration’s agenda as 2025 ends

The Department of Government Efficiency effort was one of the most consequential and controversial – if not entirely successful – changes the Trump administration made in 2025.

How systemic failures turn state mental hospitals into prisons

The share of people with severe mental illness in state psychiatric hospitals accused of serious crimes has risen steeply. The shift has all but halted the possibility of care before a catastrophic crisis.

Here are some of the NPR stories that had a big impact in 2025

A sampling of the stories NPR staff believe made some of the deepest ripples this year — reminders of what rigorous, compassionate journalism can do, and why the work remains as urgent as ever.

Can Americans learn to love tiny, cheap kei cars?

President Trump recently embraced kei cars, tiny vehicles that are popular in Asia but hard to get in the U.S. Kei car enthusiasts are delighted — but doubt whether much will change.

More Front Page Coverage