Doctoring the Budget: With the economy of Alabama still in shambles, Governor Bentley will be facing a slew of challenges in the months ahead. Alabama’s constitution mandates a balanced budget, and maintaining that during the next few years will be a difficult task for the new governor.

Bad numbers: Even as the economy as a whole begins to shake off the frost, Alabama is facing a sudden chill. Columbia Law School Professor Ronald Mann discovered in a recent analysis that Alabama counties had the highest average rates of bankruptcy in the nation in December.

It’s all for Naught! With economic growth slowly climbing back, one might think that our economy is finally starting to shake off the frost and turn the U.S. back into a powerhouse. We’re America, baby!

Sailors in the shower: When one says, “Raunchy privately made video accidentally released to the public,” your first thought may be “celebrity sex tape.” Not this time.

Hot Seat & Limelight Should I use the sock puppets? The East Coast is on a very cold hot seat, with massive snowfall stranding thousands of travelers over Christmas weekend and beyond.

Pull up those britches: The Selma City Council voted 5-2 to ban the wearing of pants that sag lower than three inches below the hip.

We got Shanghied: The Program for International Student Assessment released their scores earlier this month, and U.S. students barely passed the average mark. In fact, math scores were below average. Science and reading scores only beat the spread by a couple of points apiece.

Convicted mass murderer Charles Manson probably shouldn’t have access to a cell phone as he rots away in prison in California, right? But he got one.

Time still ticking for Birmingham: A&E’s documentary series First 48 is returning to the Birmingham area after making its first appearance in February 2009 during the ninth season.

A long time coming: A white former state trooper pleaded guilty Monday in Marion to misdemeanor second-degree manslaughter in the 1965 shooting death of a black man at a civil rights demonstration, according to Phillip Rawls of the Associated Press