7. The Secretary of Defense is making a bad faith argument

• After U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) claimed that the United States Army was making soldiers look like “pansies,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin refuted Cruz’s statement by saying the U.S. military is not and will never be “soft.” He added that places like China and Russia “would like to capitalize on talking points like that,” even though Cruz is criticizing the marketing the military is using to appear “woke.”
• Previously, Cruz took to Twitter to make comments like: “Perhaps a woke, emasculated military is not the best idea” while sharing new recruitment videos for the U.S. Army. Cruz also stated, “We have the greatest military on earth, but Dem politicians and woke media are trying to turn them into pansies.”

6. Media coming to grips with another giant group failure

• The American media has been mocking and declaring they have “debunked” accusations that the Chinese government knew more about COVID-19 than they let on. Unfortunately, for the media, they were wrong again, and some inside the industry are owning it better than others.
• President of the White House Correspondents’ Association and ABC News journalist Jon Karl put it bluntly this weekend when he said that journalists have “egg on their face” and admitting, “[S]ome things may be true even if Donald Trump said them.” But some outlets are still blaming Trump for their failures, so they have learned nothing.

5. Moore discussing the benefits of a closed border

• While appearing on Newsmax TV, U.S. Representative Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) condemned President Joe Biden’s policies on immigration at the southern border, saying it’s a case of putting “America last.”
• Moore discussed how an unsecured border only encourages drug cartels and forces more people to make deals with the cartel to cross. He added that “a closed border is a compassionate border” since it pushes back against the cartels’ authority. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is working to expand immigration.

4. HPD launching another investigation into officer conduct

• A video of police officers arresting a man at a MapCo gas station on University Drive in Huntsville has started circulating due to the conduct of some of the Huntsville officers and one of the stomping on the man’s leg. The man arrested was Kemontae Hobbs, and it’s been reported that he’s being charged with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental operations.
• The Huntsville Police Department has said that they’re investigating the incident, which was confirmed by Captain Michael Johnson. The Huntsville Bail Fund posted about the issue and claimed that Hobbs had the police called on him for panhandling and he’s “has had several run-ins with the cops.” The fund added, “They are aware that he has schizophrenia, and is sometimes known to wander when he isn’t able to access treatment.”

3. AL GOP senators against a $6 trillion budget

• President Joe Biden has proposed a $6 trillion budget for the 2022 fiscal year, but U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) have pushed back against the highest budget seen in generations. 
• Shelby stated that this is “a blueprint for the higher taxes, excessive spending, and disproportionate funding priorities the American people can expect from his Administration over the next four years.” Tuberville said, “[T]he president is asking for a massive and irresponsible increase in domestic programs, apparently forgetting the unprecedented spending levels Congress already reached during the pandemic.”

2. Governor Kay Ivey is running for reelection

• One of the big questions heading into the 2022 election cycle in Alabama has apparently been answered with an unannounced update to Governor Kay Ivey’s Twitter bio. The Governor changed her bio to read, in part, “Running for re-election to continue building on our strong conservative progress.”
• Ivey’s announcement, reported by Yellowhammer News’ Sean Ross, may have been seen by some close to the Governor with Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth launching his reelection campaign this week and no one else from the Governor’s own party talking about running for governor.

1. Alabama reviewing vaccine lottery options

• Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris appeared on Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal” where he discussed methods the state is reviewing to encourage more people to get the coronavirus vaccine. Harris specifically cited the so-called “vax-a-million” program implemented by the state of Ohio to increase vaccinations and that it could be helpful.
• Harris mentioned that they’ve “spent a lot of time talking about how we can do that” when it comes to vaccine incentives. However, he mentioned how it could incentivize low-income people more, which has caused hesitancy to move forward with a similar program in Alabama. He added that they’re “trying to get guidance now from the feds on how federal money can be used to do that.”