7. The media was wrong about an unnamed source on Trump again

• As usual, a reporter claimed an unnamed source said that former President Donald Trump was telling unnamed people that he believed he was going to be reinstated in August. This set off a flurry of speculation and fears for the health of our democracy as it hangs on by a thread.
• New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, who lives in a consequence-free political world, has been asserting this for days, but renowned Trump critic Jim Acosta of CNN is tossing some cold water on the story. He stated, “Now, this adviser, who is familiar with these conversations, went on to say that it doesn’t appear that Trump really believes that he could somehow be reinstated or assume the presidency later on this year,” adding this is “very dangerous” without explaining how.

6. Interesting set of arrests of U.S. Capitol rioters includes an Alabamian 

• The Department of Justice announced a series of arrests for people who participated in the riot at the U.S. Capitol and most of the charges are for conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, aiding and abetting, and entering and remaining on restricted grounds. Missing from this list of crimes is the more serious allegations of treason, sedition, weapons charges or murder, all things the media would have you believe were happening in D.C. that day.
• Unless President Joe Biden’s Attorney General Merrick Garland is part of a conspiracy, it appears the rhetoric surrounding that day is overblown so far. One of the eight Alabamians arrested for their role in the riots is Jonathan Walden of Birmingham, who appears to have planned to disrupt the certification vote with people from other states but their actions are more pathetic role-playing and less toppling of governments.

5. Pence speaks on January 6

• Former Vice President Mike Pence recently attended a Republican fundraising dinner in New Hampshire where he discussed the idea of critical race theory and emphasized that “America is not a racist nation.” However, his comments on the event of January 6, 2021, are far more interesting.
• Pence acknowledged that he and former President Trump won’t see eye-to-eye on the events of that day and added that the attempts to tar half of Americans as monsters are out of line. Pence spoke of the media and their Democrats framing of the events, saying, “I will not allow Democrats or their allies in the media to use one tragic day to discredit the aspirations of millions of Americans, or allow Democrats or their allies in the media to distract our attention from a new administration intent on dividing our country to advance their radical agenda.”

4. Steve Marshall is running for reelection

• As anticipated, Attorney General Steve Marshall has announced that he’ll run for reelection in 2022. Marshall has been AG since 2017.  During his announcement, Marshall noted how he’s pushed back on President Joe Biden’s administration on the issues of federal grants, energy policies, emission taxes for cattle farmers, illegal immigrants being counted in the Census and the Equal Rights Amendment. 
• Marshall was asked about sentencing reform, a favorite of the media that implies we have too many people in jail, and the AG correctly noted, “Alabama doesn’t have an incarceration problem, it has a crime problem. And that’s what we’ll continue to talk about.”

3. Meeting on prisons next week

• Governor Kay Ivey believes there are prisons in the state that are “unsafe for both correctional staff and inmates alike,” and she’s announced plans to meet with lawmakers to figure out a plan next week. 
• Ivey said that they’re meeting to “explore options.” She also noted how the Department of Justice plans to “step in and take over” if something isn’t done soon and advised this “is something we cannot afford to let happen here in Alabama.”

2. Huntsville police officer was acting out of policy

• It’s been confirmed by the Huntsville Police Department that the officer who stomped on the legs of a man resisting arrest at the MapCo gas station was acting outside of department policy and will now face a disciplinary hearing. 
• This determination was made after all the body camera footage was reviewed during an internal investigation. A spokesman for HPD Lt. Jesse Sumlin said, “This action does not reflect the standards of our department.”

1. Fauci should testify about emails; Mo Brooks wants him gone

• U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) joined many of his colleagues on Capitol Hill in calling for President Joe Biden to fire Dr. Anthony Fauci after emails were released showing what Brooks called a “trail of lies and destruction” and showed that Fauci was “A man who says one thing in public and does a completely different thing behind closed doors.”
• U.S. Representative Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) is supporting U.S. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) in his effort to bring Dr. Anthony Fauci to testify before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis and House Oversight Committee on the origins of the coronavirus after his emails have been released. Scalise was joined by U.S. Representative James Comer (R-KY) in a letter written to the committees. They said, “[T]he emails contain new evidence regarding the origins of COVID-19, including the possibility it leaked from a U.S. taxpayer-funded laboratory.” The lawmakers added that it’s “imperative” Fauci testifies.