7. Welcome center rocket in its final countdown

• It looks like the fate of the Saturn IB rocket at the Alabama Welcome Center in Ardmore has been decided. NASA and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center said the rocket is degraded beyond repair and could pose a safety issue if left in place. It will cost more than $7 million to disassemble and reconstruct the Saturn IB, with no guarantees it will survive the renovation.
• State Rep. Andy Whitt (R-Ardmore), who chairs the state’s Economic Development and Tourism Committee, who earlier said he planned to fight to keep the rocket, has changed his mind after meeting with NASA and the Rocket Center. “Unfortunately, (the rocket) suffered critical damages to its internal structure. We have had several productive meetings with NASA, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and Limestone County officials … We now need to view this as an opportunity to create a landmark that will withstand the test of time and serve as a symbol of Alabama’s past and current role in space and technology.”

6. Antifa riots in Atlanta

• A mob of Antifa rioters took to the street in a planned riot to respond to the city of Atlanta building a police department training facility after one man was killed and an officer was injured during a previous interaction by the two sides.
• As usual, the media is referring to this as “peaceful” and CNN said property destruction is not violence, “think that there’s a real blurring of the lines in the use of the word violence. Is property destruction violence? To some people it certainly is. But, you know, this idea that breaking windows or other acts of property destruction are the same as actual violence against humans, it’s kind of a dangerous and slippery concept.”

5. Will Ainsworth signals support for real school choice

• Debates over school choice in the state of Alabama could intensify this coming legislative session. There are rumblings that any attempts at school choice will be about increasing charter schools but vouchers are not on the table.
• Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth tweeted a message in support of parents having “real” options in the future, “I believe it’s time for real school choice that allows parents in Alabama to decide what’s best for their children. Who agrees?”

4. Biden being pressed to negotiate by Democrats

• While talk of a looming default on the debt owed by the federal government dominates the news, President Joe Biden’s sole position is that there will be no negotiation with Republicans and other Democrats are saying negotiations threaten the full faith and credit of America.
• But one Democrat, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) says negotiations have to happen, “I think it’s a mistake because we have to negotiate. This is a democracy that we have. We have a two-party system, if you will, and we should be able to talk and find out where our differences are. And if they are irreconcilable, then you have to move on from there and let people make their decision”

3. Tax rebates on the governor’s and Senate pro-tem’s mind

• The debate over how the state of Alabama should provide taxpayers with relief appears to be all but over. There will be no rewriting of the tax code, there will be a one-time rebate if Gov. Kay Ivey and State Senate Pro Tem Greg Reed get their way.
• Ivey appeared on APTV’s “Capitol Journal” and supported tax rebates, “So we are working hard to be sure that if we do give some rebates back that it’s an amount sufficient to make people realize that they got some of their money back,” adding, “That’s important. I don’t want to just give them a token amount.”

2. Americans agree on something for once

• More than 60% of Americans think President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden mishandled classified documents. Seventy-seven percent said Trump’s actions were inappropriate in his handling of the documents, 64% for Biden.
• Showing that a one-sided media narrative works, 43% said that the handling of the documents by Trump was worse and only 20% said Biden’s was worse.

1. Biden graciously allows FBI to find more classified materials at his house

• The inability of President Joe Biden and his team to stop having classified materials uncovered has created a political firestorm of embarrassing incompetence while spokespeople poorly attempt to sell the public on his competence and seriousness on this issue.
• More classified materials were found in a search of Biden’s Delaware home Friday. The Department of Justice said the search was requested by the Biden team, as if that is some sort of point in his favor when in reality they know that a search was warranted and probably coming regardless.