Ecuador and Goliath: U.S. oil giant Chevron was recently ordered by a court in Lago Agrio in Ecuador’s Amazon jungle to pay $8 billion in damages. Faulty drilling practices by Texaco, which was purchased by Chevron in 2001, damaged rainforest and harmed indigenous peoples in the 1970s and 80s.

Budget Wars: The governor’s seat in Alabama has turned into a hot seat it seems. Governor Bentley, still only a few weeks into his term, recently told the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, “I’ve been governor now for four years.

The King’s Seat: Piers Morgan, host of “Piers Morgan Tonight”, has found himself in a bit of a rocky position since taking over Larry King’s old time slot.

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.