7 Things: Alabama universities back off vaccine mandate, Zeigler celebrates new entries in gubernatorial race, Biden makes concessions on Ukraine and more …

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December 9, 2021

7. Threat made against Alabama high school being investigated

A Snapchat message had been circulating on social media between students at a Hazel Green High School in North Alabama that threatened a fight and a shooting at the school on Wednesday this week. Some parents decided to keep their children home as the threat was investigated.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office sent extra officers to the school for the day, and authorities believe they have identified the individual who made the original threat. Madison County Schools’ Carter Watkins released a statement that discussed the threat and said, “School officials must treat it seriously when any person causes physical harm or threatens to do physical harm to students or school employees.”

6. Durant is going after Biden on the coronavirus

In a new campaign ad, U.S. Senate candidate Mike Durant has gone against President Joe Biden’s coronavirus vaccine mandate. The ad focuses on Durant’s contracting company, Pinnacle Solutions, where he highlights how the mandate could cost jobs.
Durant says, “[V]accine mandates cost me engineers and people with top level security clearances. They’ll be gone. No vaccine mandates, no more scare tactics on the China virus, and no more career politicians.”

5. Hispanic voters are split evenly between Republican and Democrat

New polling from The Wall Street Journal indicates that Hispanic voters have gravitated more toward the Republican Party, with 37% of respondents answering Democrat and 37% answering Republican.
According to the survey, 22% of respondents said they remain undecided on a general ballot when it comes to party. When given a hypothetical 2024 scenario where former President Donald Trump runs against President Joe Biden, 43% said they’d vote for Trump, while 44% said Biden, a 30-point swing against Biden. A different poll also shows that Hispanic voters really dislike the term “Latinx,” a modern American liberal creation.

4. Brooks wants to investigate Hunter Biden

U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) recently said that he wants an investigation into Hunter Biden if Republicans regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2022 midterms.
Brooks stated, “While Socialist Democrats claim you can identify as just about anything you want, everyone can agree that Hunter Biden can’t identify as an artist. Despite this, his paintings sell for tens of thousands of dollars.” He went on to add, “It is clear that for full transparency, a full select committee investigation into Hunter Biden and all of his scandals, including his laptop, is needed once Republicans take back control of the House in 2022.”

3. Maybe Biden is the Russian asset

Recently, President Joe Biden met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and when later asked about the situation between Russia and Ukraine and whether the United States will deploy troops to Ukraine, Biden advised, “That is not on the table,” but NATO considerations are.
Biden said this is because NATO obligations don’t extend to Ukraine but did add that if Russia invades the country, “there will be severe consequences. Severe consequences. Economic consequences like none he’s ever seen or ever have been seen, in terms of being imposed.”

2. More people in the race apparently means Jim Zeigler will win

State Auditor Jim Zeigler is celebrating as both former U.S. ambassador to Slovenia Lindy Blanchard and former gubernatorial candidate Tim James have announced their campaigns to challenge Governor Kay Ivey, claiming that this will be his key to the governor’s mansion.
Zeigler said that the more candidates in the race, the more likely it is that there will be a runoff. He went on to add, “I believe the people of Alabama are gradually becoming educated about how Governor Ivey rammed the gas tax through, how she tried to ram a toll bridge through on I-10, how she tried to take over the state board of education and eliminate the right to vote and her pick them all…And so, the more candidates there are, who are out there making speeches and spending money, the more people will understand the many, many problems if Ivey and the insiders.”

1. Vaccines won’t be required for some university faculty members

The coronavirus vaccine mandate for government contractors has been blocked. In response, Auburn University tweeted that they will not be enforcing their vaccine mandate anymore, and the University of Alabama System also said that all employees are no longer required to be vaccinated to keep their jobs.
The system did say in a statement, however, “Because the ultimate outcome of the legal challenges is not decided, we will continue to closely monitor developments and provide guidance to our employees.” This includes the University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville.