7 Things: Biden might have found aliens; Auburn offers weak defense of BSU; and more ...

7. Spend that money, fellas!

Americans will spend $26 billion on Valentine’s Day, with inflation increasing average spending to $193/person. “The consumer price index shows cards and gift wrap are up 16% from a year ago, candy is up 11%, dining out is up 8%, and jewelry and flowers are up about 6%.”
Candy and gift cards are apparently the most popular gifts, followed by flowers and a night out. Pro-tip: If you haven’t gotten anything yet, you may be too late to get your loved one something. BUT if you roll in after work with a gift, you could always just say, “I just wanted to see how you would react if you thought I forgot.”

6. Racism killed Old Yeller

In a new study titled “Systemic Racism Alters Wildlife Genetic Diversity,” biologists conclude that, “It is clear that systemic racism is altering the demography of urban wildlife populations on a national scale in ways that can shape the evolutionary processes acting on them.”
Why are animals only struggling in the parts of cities populated by minorities? The study is unclear. Do rural areas populated by minorities see a negative impact on their wildlife? The study is again, regrettably, unclear.

5. Moore introduces bill to abolish the Department of Education.

U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) wants the federal government out of the education business: “Across our country, we have seen taxpayer dollars used to expose children to radical gender and race ideologies without the consent of their parents. The education of our children should not belong to the federal government – it is time to return those rights to parents.”
Moore also referred to the department as, “a nest of radical D.C. activists masquerading as educators pushing indoctrination schemes of radical anti-American ideas,” adding, “for our children’s protection, it must be abolished.”

4. Alabama senators reject plan to absolve student loan debt

66 Lawmakers, including Alabama’s U.S. Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and Katie Britt (R-Montgomery), oppose President Joe Biden’s Income Driven Repayment rule for student loans. The plan would slash student debt by 40% according to the loan holders’ income, leaving the federal government, aka taxpayers, to pay an estimated $361 billion to $1 trillion in their place.
When federal courts halted the loan forgiveness program, Biden extended the COVID payment pause to last until 60 days after his litigation is resolved. The pause, which has now lasted 3 years, has cost the government $155 billion in interest payments.

3. Alabama corrections officers continue to quit; the number of officers is at an all-time low.

A federal judge says Alabama prisons are still dangerously understaffed. Despite pay raises and recruiting efforts, the prisons have lost 500 security staff in the past 18 months. In 2022, the average annual salary for corrections officers was $51,000, 11% higher than the national average, but the staffing situation is getting worse.
The lawyer representing inmates, in this case, says that there are now fewer security officers employed than when litigation began back in 2014, reaching the “lowest number in history.” Understaffing in prisons makes it harder for inmates to receive mental health care, which led federal Judge Myron Thompson to declare Alabama’s prisons unconstitutional.

2. Auburn says its BSU isn’t the originator of unclever racism

Auburn University’s argument that the school’s Black Student Union is not wholly responsible for the list of roughly 250 racial slurs for white people seems rather weak. The document is titled “AU Connect: Brought to you by The Throwdown,” but the school says it includes “hundreds of people from multiple universities.”
The suggestion here is that the school’s students are part of a much larger problem, this is not absolution, it shows the issue is actually larger now. Auburn does not absolve the students, it just says the comments were not part of an “official” group or university communication.

1. So … aliens?

The Biden administration continues to bungle its handling of Chinese spy balloons and, potentially, other flying objects the military is shooting down over North America. The U.S. has shot down 4 different objects in just under two weeks. The White House won’t really explain what is happening. After an Air Force general said he couldn’t rule out aliens, WH press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre walked it back, “There is no, again, no indication of aliens or extraterrestrial activity with these recent takedowns.”
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) questioned where the president of the United States is in these unprecedented times. Rubio tweeted, “In its 65-year history, @NORADCommand never shot down an aircraft over U.S. airspace(.) Over the (last) 10 days they have shot down 1 balloon & 3 (“)objects(.”) Americans need to hear directly about this from their President today(.)”