Governor Ivey Touts Alabama's Global Aerospace Momentum After Farnborough Airshow Generates Major Investments, New Jobs and Strategic Industry Pipeline

State delegation returns from one of the world's premier aerospace and defense trade shows with two major industrial expansion announcements, more than 50 executive meetings, and a strengthened position in the global competition for aviation, aerospace and defense investment.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Governor Kay Ivey announced Tuesday that Alabama strengthened its position as one of America's fastest-growing aerospace and defense hubs following a highly successful showing at the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow, where the state's economic development team secured two significant industrial expansion announcements and conducted more than 50 strategic meetings with global aviation, aerospace and defense companies.

The results underscore Alabama's broader strategy of leveraging its expanding aerospace ecosystem, skilled workforce and business-friendly environment to compete for international investment at a time when defense spending and commercial aviation manufacturing continue to accelerate worldwide.

"Our 10th and final Farnborough Airshow under my administration featured our strongest effort yet," Governor Ivey said. "We brought our A-game by showcasing Alabama's advantages to companies looking for opportunities to expand and invest. With more than 40 percent job growth across aviation, aerospace and defense over the past decade, Alabama is poised to reach even greater heights. The sky truly is the limit for Sweet Home Alabama."

Widely regarded as one of the aerospace industry's most influential trade events, the Farnborough International Airshow brings together aircraft manufacturers, defense contractors, suppliers, investors and government officials from around the globe. More than 1,500 exhibitors representing approximately 60 countries participated in this year's exhibition outside London, making it one of the world's premier venues for industrial recruitment, strategic partnerships and commercial aviation announcements.

VA Pharmacy Chief: Medication Safety, Access and Innovation Remain Top Priorities for America's Veterans

Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System Chief of Pharmacy Nick Bennett discusses prescription safety, digital health tools, chronic disease management, and the evolving role of VA pharmacy services during "Medical Monday" on 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS'.

As healthcare delivery continues to evolve across the Department of Veterans Affairs, pharmacy services have become one of the most critical components of ensuring America's veterans receive safe, effective and timely medical care. From managing chronic illnesses to preventing dangerous drug interactions, VA pharmacists play an increasingly vital role in improving health outcomes for millions of former service members.

During a special edition of Medical Monday on 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS', Nick Bennett, Chief of Pharmacy for the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS), discussed how VA pharmacy professionals are working to enhance medication safety, expand patient access, and leverage technology to better serve veterans throughout Alabama and across the nation.

Originally from Arizona, Bennett spent a decade in community pharmacy before joining the Department of Veterans Affairs. He relocated to Alabama in August 2024 to lead pharmacy operations for CAVHCS, bringing extensive experience in medication management, patient education, and healthcare leadership.

Throughout the interview, Bennett emphasized that modern pharmacy care extends well beyond dispensing prescriptions. Today's VA pharmacists work closely with physicians, nurses and specialists to monitor medication effectiveness, identify potentially harmful drug interactions, improve treatment adherence, and educate veterans about safely managing complex medication regimens.

Veterans Conquer Heat, Rain, and Highland Park as VGA Alabama Crowns Flight Champions in Birmingham

Thirty-six veterans battled torrential morning rain and a scorching 105-plus heat index at Highland Park Golf Course, where resilience, camaraderie, and championship-caliber golf highlighted another memorable VGA Alabama tournament.

The Veterans Golf Association (VGA) Alabama Chapter once again proved that determination outweighs difficult playing conditions as 36 competitors battled through one of the toughest weather days of the 2026 season at Highland Park Golf Course in Birmingham, Alabama.

Beginning the day under rainy skies before enduring a heat index exceeding 105 degrees by the final holes, veterans representing multiple branches of the U.S. Armed Forces demonstrated the perseverance and competitive spirit that defines the Veterans Golf Association. By the time the final putts dropped, nearly every player returned to the clubhouse drenched from either rain or sweat—but with smiles that reflected another successful day on the course.

Despite ongoing air-conditioning issues inside the clubhouse, Highland Park Golf Course maintained its welcoming atmosphere, giving competitors an opportunity to cool down, reconnect with fellow veterans, and celebrate another outstanding VGA event after completing one of the year's most physically demanding rounds.

James Thomas Battles Tough Greens to Finish Fifth in Senior C Flight at VGA Highland Park Tournament

Despite putting struggles on one of Alabama's most challenging municipal courses, Thomas posts a 104 gross, 72 net, and earns valuable VGA Tour points at historic Highland Park Golf Course in Birmingham.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | Golf often comes down to a few strokes on the putting surface, and for James Thomas, that reality was evident Sunday during the Veterans Golf Association (VGA) Tour event at Highland Park Golf Course.

Competing in the Senior C Flight, Thomas battled through a difficult day on the greens to finish fifth, carding a gross score of 104 and a net score of 72 while earning 11 VGA Tour points.

Although his ball striking and course management kept him in contention throughout the round, Thomas acknowledged that missed opportunities with the putter prevented an even stronger finish.

Jackson Koivun Stuns PGA TOUR, Wins 3M Open in Just Third Professional Start While Holding Off World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler

The former Auburn NCAA champion captures his first PGA TOUR victory with a tournament-record 25-under finish, earning $1.584 million and vaulting into FedExCup Playoff position.

BLAINE, Minn. | Jackson Koivun's professional golf career is only three tournaments old, but the 21-year-old phenom has already delivered one of the most memorable performances of the 2026 PGA TOUR season.

The former Auburn University standout captured his first PGA TOUR title Sunday at the 3M Open, shooting a composed final-round 5-under 66 to finish at a tournament-record 25-under-par 259, defeating World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by three strokes despite relentless pressure from the game's top-ranked player.

Koivun's breakthrough victory not only earned him $1.584 million, but also propelled him 124 spots to 70th in the FedExCup standings—the final qualifying position for the FedExCup Playoffs with just two regular-season events remaining.

A Champion Beyond His Years

Winning on the PGA TOUR is never easy.

Winning your first title while the world's best player charges from five groups ahead is even harder.

Yet Koivun never blinked.

As Scheffler posted a blistering 8-under 63 to apply pressure throughout the afternoon at TPC Twin Cities, spectators repeatedly informed Koivun that the world's No. 1 golfer was making a move.

Rather than allowing the scoreboard to dictate his play, Koivun stayed committed to his strategy.

Democrats Overstate Role of Monitoring Program Change in Parasitic Outbreak

As a large outbreak of Cyclospora has ravaged the Midwest, Democrats have frequently pinned blame on the Trump administration for terminating a monitoring program for the parasite. But the surveillance that ended is different from the system used to detect outbreaks.

The change to the program, called FoodNet, is unlikely to have played much of a direct role in the current outbreak, several food safety experts told us. Other staffing and funding cuts, however, likely have slowed or negatively affected the government’s response, experts say. And some pointed out that the reduction in FoodNet monitoring hinders scientists’ broader understanding of cyclospora infection in the U.S.

Since May, there has been a record number of cases of cyclosporiasis, a water- and foodborne intestinal illness caused by the cyclospora parasite, particularly in the Midwest. The Food and Drug Administration is currently investigating multiple outbreaks. While the disease is rarely life-threatening, it can lead to explosive diarrhea that can last for weeks if not treated with antibiotics.

In some states, cyclosporiasis cases are not higher than normal for this time of year, but in others, the caseload is unprecedented. As of July 20, there have been 4,173 laboratory-confirmed, domestically acquired cases of the disease across 41 states, with more than 7,400 other cases pending confirmation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fact Check: Trump’s Distorted Venezuela Elections Claim Reignites Debate Over Democracy, U.S. Foreign Policy, and Latin America

A closer examination of former President Donald Trump's latest comments on Venezuela's elections reveals a more complex political reality shaped by disputed votes, international scrutiny, sanctions, and competing claims of legitimacy.

In claiming that American voting machines are vulnerable to manipulation, President Donald Trump provided an incomplete and distorted summary of the CIA’s reporting about Venezuelan efforts to manipulate electronic voting machines in that country.

“Today, we are releasing documents that show the CIA obtained reporting of a specific plot to do a big number in favor of the corrupt Maduro regime in Venezuela,” Trump said in his primetime address to the nation on July 16, referring to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. “And that’s exactly what happened. Conspiring to digitally rig their own country’s elections in 2020. And that’s what they did. This reporting included precise details about methods to rig the regime, to digitally alter vote totals in ways that could not be detected, even with an audit, no matter how deep they went.

“This intelligence underscores why we must take urgent action to ensure that our own system can never, ever be hacked or compromised like it was in the past,” Trump said.

The documents the Trump administration released don’t say “that’s exactly what happened,” as Trump said. One of the documents released prior to Trump’s address was a recent CIA report, “Summary of Select Intelligence Reporting from 2004-2020 on Venezuela’s Electronic Voting Manipulation Capabilities,” that concluded Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and his successor, Maduro, “developed sustained interest and likely some capability” to manipulate voting machines. But the CIA’s assessment about the ways in which Venezuela could accomplish such manipulation was more of a “theoretical” exercise, and the report stopped short of alleging Venezuela actually carried out plans to alter voting machine tallies.

Moreover, the report concluded that even if Venezuelan officials had the ability to manipulate voting machines in-country, they lacked the capability to alter voting machines outside Venezuela.

House Advances Plan to Rename Pentagon as ‘Department of War,’ Setting Stage for High-Stakes Senate Battle

Supporters say the change restores a wartime mindset, while critics warn it could reshape America's global image, complicate diplomacy, and trigger a costly government-wide rebranding effort.

WASHINGTON | In one of the most symbolically significant provisions of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the U.S. House of Representatives has voted to formally rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, reigniting a national debate over military identity, strategic messaging, and the future direction of U.S. national security policy.

The proposal, approved as part of the House's defense authorization bill in a narrow 216-212 vote, marks the first time either chamber of Congress has endorsed legislation that would restore the historic title abandoned more than 75 years ago.

If ultimately enacted into law, the measure would represent one of the most consequential symbolic changes to the U.S. military establishment since President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act Amendments of 1949, which officially transformed the Department of War into the Department of Defense.

The Senate must still pass its version of the NDAA before lawmakers reconcile differences between the two chambers, making the proposal far from certain to become law.

White House Launches ‘Freedom Haulers’ Initiative to Recruit Veterans as CDL Crackdown Removes Thousands of Immigrant Truck Drivers

New federal campaign seeks to transition military veterans into high-demand trucking careers as stricter commercial driver's license enforcement, English proficiency requirements, and immigration rules reshape America's freight workforce.

The Trump administration is launching a nationwide initiative to recruit military veterans into the commercial trucking industry as federal regulators continue an aggressive enforcement campaign that has removed tens of thousands of commercial drivers from America's highways.

The new initiative, branded "Freedom Haulers," represents a coordinated effort between the U.S. Departments of Transportation, Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Labor to accelerate veterans' transition into civilian trucking careers while addressing ongoing driver shortages that have intensified following expanded federal commercial driver's license (CDL) enforcement.

The program is expected to be formally unveiled as part of a broader White House veterans employment initiative designed to connect former service members with skilled, high-paying civilian careers.

Veterans Positioned to Fill Critical Transportation Workforce Needs

Under the initiative, eligible military veterans who recently operated qualifying military vehicles weighing more than 2.5 tons can bypass the traditional CDL road skills examination through an existing federal waiver program. Applicants must still pass all written knowledge tests and satisfy federal licensing requirements.

The Transportation Department said more than 40,000 veterans have already taken advantage of the military skills waiver program, allowing many to obtain commercial licenses within weeks instead of months.

Texas A&M Bolsters Softball Staff with Rising Pitching Coach Alex Ibarra Following USA Softball Gold Medal Success

Head coach Trisha Ford adds one of the nation's fastest-rising pitching coaches after Alex Ibarra helped lead Team USA to World Games gold and captured the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League championship.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas | Texas A&M softball continues to strengthen one of the nation's premier programs as head coach Trisha Ford announced the hiring of Alex Ibarra as the Aggies' newest assistant coach, bringing an emerging pitching specialist with championship experience at every level of the sport to Aggieland.

The addition comes after Ibarra helped guide USA Softball to a gold medal at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, while also serving as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bandits, who compete in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).

Widely regarded as one of collegiate softball's brightest young pitching minds, Ibarra arrives in College Station with an impressive résumé that spans international competition, professional softball, NCAA coaching, and USA Softball.

Mizzou Athletics Unveils Major Leadership Overhaul as Marcy Girton Retires and Bryan Maggard Returns to Columbia

Missouri strengthens its executive leadership team with key promotions, a national search for a new deputy athletics director, and the return of Bryan Maggard as college athletics enters a new era shaped by NIL, revenue sharing, and the SEC.

COLUMBIA, Mo. | The University of Missouri is reshaping its athletics leadership structure with a series of executive moves designed to position the Tigers for sustained success during one of the most transformative periods in college sports.

Director of Athletics Laird Veatch announced Thursday that Deputy Athletics Director, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Woman Administrator Marcy Girton will retire in mid-August, while former Missouri executive Dr. Bryan Maggard returns to Columbia as the department's new Deputy Athletics Director and Chief Operating Officer.

The changes come as athletic departments nationwide continue to adapt to the rapidly evolving landscape of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), revenue sharing, conference realignment, and expanded athlete compensation, making experienced leadership more valuable than ever.