Independent Senate candidate Craig Jelks toured a Homewood Islamic school to counter conservative misinformation after safety concerns derailed the academy's relocation.
Both the Republican incumbent and a challenger vying for District 5's Democratic nomination decried the shutdown, while splitting on the crisis's cause.
Representative Terri Sewell criticized congressional Republicans for refusing to fund the TSA and other Homeland Security agencies, warning that political games threatened aviation safety.
U.S. Senators Katie Britt and Raphael Warnock introduced a bipartisan bill to streamline federal research funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Alabama's attorney general threatened prosecution and asset seizure for businesses selling liquid supplements containing illegal kratom alkaloids unbeknownst to consumers.