Posts by Ray Melick

It was a little over a year ago when I first was contacted about 1819 News. It had been over a decade since I was part of a news organization, but journalism — good journalism — has always been my first love.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on The Jeff Poor Show as they discuss teacher salaries versus disappointing student testing results.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on News & Views with Joey Clark as they discuss climate change/global warming/global cooling, Biden gaffes, Parker Griffith's assessment of the Alabama Democratic Party, and Greenetrack's $76 million tax assessment.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on The Jeff Poor Show as they discuss SEC Media Days, political races with their fundraising and potential seniority factors, and medical marijuana and its lack of transparency in the process.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on Midday Mobile with Sean Sullivan as they discuss the irrational domestic and foreign U.S. energy policy, Ukraine, adoption in post-Roe Alabama, and lowering the qualifications for teachers.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on News & Views with Joey Clark as they discuss The World Games, the U.S. Space Command's move to Huntsville, the USS Alabama's deck renovation, the spendthrift Alabama legislature, and the apparent upcoming recession.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on The Jeff Poor Show as they discuss breakfast tacos, the California-doctor-proposed floating abortion clinic in Gulf federal waters, attendance at The World Games, the apparent Birmingham desire to be a sporting event destination and historic stadiums like Legion Field.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on Midday Mobile with Sean Sullivan as they discuss The World Games and voting irregularities in the recent primary runoffs.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on News & Views with Joey Clark as they discuss Boris Johnson, The World Games, "Good Time" laws, the midterms, and the lack of trust the American people have in most offices and institutions.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on News & Views with Joey Clark as they discuss the new 1819 Sports Editor Steve Irvine, the Bibb County officer shooting, questioning why the state resorted to a bond issue when they had cash for the mega prisons, 1819 The Podcast with Richard Simmons, the Hovey/Whatley election challenge, the Family Court judge in Montgomery who lost custody of her children for excessive punishment, and the recent SCOTUS string of conservative decisions.

1819 News is proud to announce that long-time Alabama sportswriter Steve Irvine will become Sports Editor of 1819 News, beginning July 1.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on The Jeff Poor Show as they discuss Democrat interest in issues that don't seem to resonate with the average voter, the potential Democrat generational loss of the political center and the strange circumstances in the primary election runoff challenges.

For those Republicans or Conservative who had trouble voting for Donald Trump in 2016, but did because they hoped his biggest contribution would be on the Supreme Court … This last week has been for you.

The Birmingham Stallions claimed a 31-17 victory Saturday over the New Orleans Breakers to send the team to the inaugural United States Football League Championship Game Sunday. When the Birmingham will play the Philadelphia Stars.

UAB coach Bill Clark announced his retirement on Friday. The Blazer coach released a statement that he had to make the decision to step away because of his health. Clark said that he needs back surgery for long-term back issues.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on News & Views with Joey Clark as they discuss Jabari Smith, Auburn basketball, Tuberville's calling out of the NCAA over Title IX, crossover voting and Alabamians captured by the Russians who were fighting for Ukraine.

Let’s be honest: how do you know that someone hasn’t simply changed their minds, the way so many of our Democrat-turned-Republican political leaders have done in this state over the last two decades?

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on The Jeff Poor Show as they discuss the Primary Runoff, the possibility that the competitive Fifth Congressional District runoff may affect the outcome of other races and the apparent requirement in Alabama that candidates have style and substance.

Tuberville said he believes red-flag laws should be left up to each state, and he believes that federal grant money being offered to states to enact these laws should also be available to other states for mental health programs.

Calling it “refreshing to do something positive,’’ Senator Tommy Tuberville hosted a luncheon to recognize the 12 Alabama students who accepted their appointments to a U.S. service academy.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on Midday Mobile with Sean Sullivan as they discuss the capture of two former U.S. military Alabamians in Ukraine, the Trump endorsement of Katie Britt and the upcoming runoff elections.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on News & Views with Joey Clark as they discuss the closed primary proposals, Trump's endorsement of Katie Britt and the Secretary of State race.

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on The Jeff Poor Show as they discuss the Trump endorsement of Katie Britt, the county-by-county ground game that Britt has run, and the apparent difference between Alabama and Florida in that Florida has competitive political races and Republicans there contrast themselves from Democrats.

Since the 2020 election, the office of Secretary of State has been elevated in the public eye as the office responsible for ‘’free and fair” elections, including certification of results.

“It’s a great food town. … When you talk about a midsize city in this country, I’ve never really been anywhere that has what Birmingham provides. I’m a fan of the little neighborhoods outside of downtown – they are like what we have in Dallas.”

Listen to 1819 News Editor-in-Chief Ray Melick on News & Views with Joey Clark as they discuss why the Alabama U.S. Senate race is the 3rd most expensive in the nation, how congressional leadership fund PACs work and the possible expectations of major donors to campaigns.

Why is this race so important as to be worth $24.5 million from organizations largely outside the state of Alabama? Understand, this is not a race to determine which party controls the Senate in November. Alabama is as safely a Republican seat as there is (notwithstanding the blip that was Doug Jones). The bigger issue for Republicans in November is regaining control of the Senate.