7. Monkeypox leads to WHO to ask men who have sex with men to limit their partners

• In what seems like a non-controversial move, the World Health Organization has announced that gay men should reduce the number of sexual partners to slow the spread of the monkeypox virus. The virus is spreading predominantly among gay and bisexual men, with the WHO noting that 98% of 18,000 recent monkeypox cases had been among men who slept with other men.
• The suggestion this move is homophobic has been tossed about, with Democrat California State Senator Scott Wiener claiming that suggestions like the WHO’s would actually lead to more people catching monkeypox. He cited the original HIV outbreak. Wiener tweeted, “Lots of sex shaming of gay men around monkeypox. The same shaming we saw in the 1980s [regarding] HIV. Lecturing people not to have sex isn’t a public health strategy. It didn’t stop HIV — it made it worse — & it won’t stop monkeypox. What will work is vaccination, testing & education.”

6. Joe Biden met with more than a dozen of Hunter’s business contacts

• President Joe Biden has been known to deny any involvement in his son Hunter’s business dealings. He said in 2019 that he had “never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings.” Despite this, more reports continue to emerge that contradict the president’s statements.
• While he was vice president, Biden met with at least 14 people who were also involved in business dealings with Hunter. Some of the individuals were from Mexico, Ukraine, China, Kazakhstan and the United States, with some of these interactions being revealed by emails sent or received by Hunter. Additionally, the DOJ is now accused by a whistleblower of burying negative information about this case.

5. Justice finally served

• Last night, convicted murderer Joe Nathan James, Jr. was executed after Governor Kay Ivey had announced that she would not stay the execution. The family of the victim, James’ ex-girlfriend, whom he murdered in 1994, has been publicly outspoken against James being executed.
• Ivey said, “My staff and I have researched all the records and all the facts and there’s no reason to change the procedure or modify the outcome. The execution will go forward.” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall had previously commented about the jury’s decision to convict James saying, “it’s our obligation to ensure that justice is done for the people of Alabama.”

4. Opportunity to confront China squandered

• U.S. Representative Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) has voted against the “CHIPS and Science Act,” saying that the legislation was an “unpaid-for bill” and “a wasted opportunity to combat aggression by the Chinese Communist Party and ignores the record levels of inflation American families are facing.”
• Palmer discussed the importance of a bill similar to this one and building more semiconductors but added, “[T]his bill is another example of special interests using legislation to promote their own financial benefit at the expense of American families.”

3. D.C. mayor asking for help to deal with migrants

• Many cities across the country have been accepting migrants from the southern border by the busload, and now, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) is asking for help from the National Guard in this “humanitarian crisis.” Some of the buses that arrived in the area were originally in Texas but sent to the country’s capital by Governor Greg Abbott (R).
• Bowser had previously stated that her city was open and ready to accept migrants but is now saying that those being sent had been “tricked.” She added that the busloads of people were “a federal issue that demand a federal response.” Abbott was happy to see the mayor of D.C. on board, stating, “Washington D.C. finally understands what Texans have been dealing with every single day, as our communities are overrun by thousands of illegal immigrants.”

2. Alabama utility costs are on the rise

• Inflation and fuel costs have now impacted utility costs in Alabama, with a 41.6% increase in overall energy costs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). While there’s been a 9.1% price increase nationally, the South has seen a 9.8% increase in overall costs.
• Alabama Power’s Alyson Tucker advised, “The rising cost of fuel has necessitated an adjustment to our rate.” According to the BLS, electricity costs have increased by 13.7% and natural gas has seen an increase of 38.4%. The Tennessee Valley Authority’s customers are seeing price increases as well, with the adjustment costing around $18 per month for each customer.

1. U.S. in a recession

• For the second consecutive quarter, the United States saw a decline in gross domestic product (GDP), with a decline of 0.9% in the third quarter. By definition, the second consecutive quarter seeing a decrease means that the U.S. economy is currently in a recession.
• While President Joe Biden has denied a recession, U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) has commented, “Our economy shrank for a second straight quarter. Couple that with 40-year high inflation levels, and what are we left with? A recession. President Biden doesn’t want to admit it, but you can’t argue with facts.” U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) also commented, “Under Biden, Americans have been hit with record-high inflation, sky-high gas prices, and now a recession.”