Sorry, Democrats: The political news doesn’t get any better for you, even looking ahead to the next national election, according to an Associated Press report by Charles Babington. Senate Democrats running in 2012 will be trying to hold seats in states where Republicans scored big gubernatorial and congressional victories in last week’s midterm elections—Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, New Mexico and Virginia.

It’s the economy, Barack: On the hot seat we find President Barack Obama, who was slapped in the face by voters in off-year elections Tuesday. His mandate for change from 2008 is gone, along with the large margins the Democrats enjoyed in the U.S. House and Senate.

The air’s better… sort of: For the first time since the mid-1990s, the Birmingham area seems to be on course to meet federal air quality standards, according to an article by Birmingham News environmental reporter Thomas Spencer. That’s good news, especially since current standards are tougher than they were in the 1990s, Spencer tells us. But wait, there’s more.

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2008 Homicide Data.

Charles W. Ireland Sculpture Garden.

Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Link Between Gun Laws and Interstate Gun Trafficking,.

University of Alabama Environmental Council,.

Race to the bottom: Alabama’s educational establishment is on the hot seat after some recent newspaper editorials blamed it for the state’s failure to secure coveted federal Race to the Top education grants. Alabama finished last among the 35 states and the District of Columbia that applied for the money.

Black Belt praises, will attack Riley in same week: Leaders from Alabama’s Black Belt region gathered at Alabama State University Monday to honor Alabama Gov. Bob Riley for his work in the impov