In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Neeli Faulkner and Whitney Scapecchi sit down with JaMel Jermaine Brown. He is a Montgomery based pastor, community activist, and Democratic candidate for Alabama governor in 2026. Brown is also the pastor of House of Chosen. He founded the JaMel J. Brown Foundation and hosts The JaMel Brown Show.

Brown describes himself as a conservative Democrat, or what he also calls an independent Democrat. He argues for a blend of labor and economic reforms alongside socially conservative positions. We talk through his core priorities, including fully legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use, establishing a lottery and expanding gambling, a 32 hour work week, criminal justice reform focused on nonviolent offenses and sentencing, and a public safety model that supports law enforcement while demanding stronger training, mental health resources, and accountability.

We also discuss one of the most talked about parts of Brown’s public persona. His social media presence is extremely active, and it can draw strong reactions. In this conversation, he explains why he believes authenticity matters more than fitting the traditional expectations of how a candidate “should” look or sound.

This episode is part of our ongoing Candidate Conversations series, where we give voters space to hear directly from the people asking to represent them. It contains personal opinions and perspectives shared by our guest. Statements made during this conversation reflect the views of the speaker and have not been independently verified by Make It Make Sense, Alabama or Murder Creek Media. We are not endorsing any candidate or position. This interview is presented so listeners can hear directly from the guest and are encouraged to consult primary sources, public records, and multiple viewpoints when forming their own conclusions.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is produced by Murder Creek Media. To learn more about our work or listen to other episodes, visit murdercreekmedia.com.

In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Neeli Faulkner and Whitney Scapecchi sit down with Jeremy and Heather Clark, the husband and wife team behind C.4 Cattle Company and Vets to Cowboys in Grand Bay, Alabama.

What started as a way to feed their special needs son clean, tolerable food grew into a working cattle operation. It also grew into a nonprofit mission. Vets to Cowboys focuses on bridging a real gap in Alabama agriculture. An older generation of farmers is aging out, too many family farms are disappearing, and first generation landowners often have no clear path to learn the basics safely and sustainably.

Jeremy, a retired Army veteran, and Heather, with a background in healthcare and animal husbandry, explain what mentorship looks like in practice. They walk through the “blueprint” they wish they had. Soil studies before cattle. Fence and handling systems before buying animals. Rotational grazing, local networks, and why organizations like the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association matter even for people who do not own cattle yet.

This conversation is about more than cattle. It’s about food, land, workforce, veteran transition, and what it takes to keep Alabama’s country roots alive while helping people build something real.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is produced by Murder Creek Media. To learn more about our work or listen to other episodes, visit murdercreekmedia.com.

In this Candidate Conversations episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Neeli Faulkner and Whitney Scapecchi sit down with Jodie Minor, a Carrollton native, retired U.S. Army officer, and candidate for Alabama State Senate District 21.

Jodie shares the personal losses that shaped him, including the murder of his father when he was a child, and how those experiences pushed him toward public service. He walks through his career path from Army intelligence to becoming an officer, two combat tours in Iraq, and his time on Capitol Hill as an Army Congressional Fellow. He also discusses serving as Human Capital Director at the White House National Security Council under both the Biden and Trump administrations, and why he chose to step away in early 2025 to return home and focus on Alabama communities.

The conversation digs into what Jodie calls the difference between “audio and video” in government: what’s said publicly versus what policy actually does. Together, they unpack school choice and public education funding, the closure of Pickens County Medical Center during the 2020 pandemic and what it has meant for rural families, and why hospital access is tied to economic survival in small counties.

They also connect the dots between rising utility costs, PAC influence, and the push to change the Alabama Public Service Commission from an elected body to an appointed one. Neeli and Whitney keep it grounded in how these decisions hit real families, from monthly bills to poverty being criminalized.

This episode is part of our ongoing Candidate Conversations series, where we give voters space to hear directly from the people asking to represent them. It contains personal opinions and perspectives shared by our guest. Statements made during this conversation reflect the views of the speaker and have not been independently verified by Make It Make Sense, Alabama or Murder Creek Media. We are not endorsing any candidate or position. This interview is presented so listeners can hear directly from the guest and are encouraged to consult primary sources, public records, and multiple viewpoints when forming their own conclusions.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is produced by Murder Creek Media. To learn more about our work or listen to other episodes, visit murdercreekmedia.com.

In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Neeli Faulkner sits down with Kaycee Cavender, Republican candidate for Alabama House District 40, which covers Cleburne County and parts of Calhoun County.

Cavender is a small business owner, homeschool mother of four, and longtime grassroots advocate. In this conversation, she discusses her background in legal advocacy, her work to license midwives in Alabama, and her role in health freedom legislation including HB 12 and the Alabama Right to Refuse Act.

The discussion also covers rural infrastructure concerns, property and grocery taxes, education policy, school choice, disability accommodations in testing, and the role of campaign finance in state politics.

As with all Candidate Conversations episodes, this interview is presented to inform voters about a candidate’s positions in her own words. Make It Make Sense, Alabama provides a platform for candidates across the political spectrum. Views expressed by guests are their own.

Listen on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Visit murdercreekmedia.com/makeitmakesensealabama for links and episode resources.

In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Whitney Scapecchi and Neeli Faulkner sit down with Ken McFeeters, a Republican candidate for Governor of Alabama in the 2026 race. McFeeters is an insurance agency owner, former president of the Mid Alabama Republican Club, and a 2024 GOP primary candidate for Alabama’s 6th Congressional District who now describes his campaign as a grassroots, outsider push for “local control” and a reset in governance.

McFeeters shares what he says pulled him from political involvement into running for office, including his views on COVID era shutdowns and government authority. He lays out his core priorities for Alabama: food independence, education reform, and what he calls a top to bottom rethink of the medical system. He also discusses property taxes, the role of state government under the Alabama Constitution, and why he believes a “virtuous population” is essential to long term freedom and economic growth.

The conversation also touches on Alabama election culture and political fundraising, plus McFeeters’ recent public challenge to Tommy Tuberville’s residency claims, which he argues should be examined under Alabama’s residency requirements for governor. McFeeters explains his unconventional campaign strategy, including taking his message directly to the public with a bike pulled campaign sign, and he closes with the headline he wants voters to remember.

This episode is part of our ongoing Candidate Conversations series, where we give voters space to hear directly from the people asking to represent them. It contains personal opinions and perspectives shared by our guest. Statements made during this conversation reflect the views of the speaker and have not been independently verified by Make It Make Sense, Alabama or Murder Creek Media. We are not endorsing any candidate or position. This interview is presented so listeners can hear directly from the guest and are encouraged to consult primary sources, public records, and multiple viewpoints when forming their own conclusions.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is produced by Murder Creek Media. To learn more about our work or listen to other episodes, visit murdercreekmedia.com.

In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, we sit down with JR Bowling, a candidate for Alabama State Senate District 4.

JR is a North Alabama native with a background in agriculture and manufacturing and decades of experience as a volunteer firefighter. He describes himself as a political outsider. Not because he lacks experience, but because his path into politics came through public service, not party leadership or career ambition.

Our conversation begins with who JR is outside of campaigning. His work history. His family. And the values shaped by growing up in the fire service. From there, we talk about the moment that pushed him to run for office. An annexation bill that raised deeper questions for him about representation, discretion, and who state government is really serving.

We discuss issues JR says he hears repeatedly from voters. Difficulty reaching elected officials. Legislation moving too quickly and without clarity. Decisions that appear to be made before public debate ever happens. He shares why transparency, accessibility, and clearly written laws matter to him, especially when those laws affect families, children, and basic quality of life.

The conversation also touches on DHR concerns raised by parents across the state, the long term impact of Alabama’s gas tax, and the influence of money in politics. JR explains his opposition to HB445, his support for medical cannabis, and why he believes safer alternatives should be part of any serious conversation about public health and the opioid crisis.

This episode is part of our ongoing Candidate Conversations series, where we give voters space to hear directly from the people asking to represent them. It contains personal opinions and perspectives shared by our guest. Statements made during this conversation reflect the views of the speaker and have not been independently verified by Make It Make Sense, Alabama or Murder Creek Media. We are not endorsing any candidate or position. This interview is presented so listeners can hear directly from the guest and are encouraged to consult primary sources, public records, and multiple viewpoints when forming their own conclusions.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is produced by Murder Creek Media. To learn more about our work or listen to other episodes, visit murdercreekmedia.com.

In this Candidate Conversations episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, we sit down with Dale Deas. He is a cardiac surgeon and biomedical engineer running in Alabama’s 2026 Republican U.S. Senate primary.

Deas shares his path from medicine to politics. He details allegations of retaliation and whistleblower suppression after raising concerns about patient care, hospital consolidation, and corporate influence in healthcare. He explains why he believes federal and institutional accountability has failed. And why he says those failures affect everyday Alabamians.

We also discuss his campaign priorities. Healthcare reform. Whistleblower protections. Teacher pay. Grocery taxes. And his pledge to reject corporate PAC money in favor of a people powered campaign.

This conversation includes serious allegations and personal claims made by our guest. These claims have not been independently verified and are shared so listeners can hear his perspective in full. We encourage listeners to review primary sources and do their own research.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is a project of Murder Creek Media. Learn more at murdercreekmedia.com.

In this episode of Make It Make Sense, Alabama, Whitney Scapecchi and Neeli Faulkner sit down with Latoya Garrett, an Alabama mom who has spent nearly a decade fighting to reunite her family after what she describes as a false child abuse allegation that spiraled into years of separation, turnover, and trauma.

Latoya also explains why her case became even more complicated after her children were placed with relatives out of state. She shares how she first learned about Alabama's McClendon standard in family court. She describes it as a high burden that can keep reunification out of reach even after a parent's circumstances improve, and even when a child is old enough to clearly voice where they want to live.

This conversation includes personal allegations and claims related to ongoing child welfare and family court issues. It is shared for public interest and discussion, and reflects the perspective and experiences of the guest.

Make It Make Sense, Alabama is a Murder Creek Media podcast focused on accountability, justice, and clarity around the issues that shape life in Alabama. Follow along and find listening links at murdercreekmedia.com/makeitmakesensealabama.