7. Ivey apologizes and U.S. Attorney promises to investigate noose at Talladega

• The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, Jay Town, has announced an investigation into the allegation that someone left a noose in the garage of the only black driver in NASCAR, Bubba Wallace, at Talladega Superspeedway.
• In a statement posted to Twitter, Wallace said this “despicable act of racism and hatred” has left him “incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society.” Governor Kay Ivey also addressed the incident, saying she’s “shocked and appalled” at the action, adding “there is no place for this disgusting display of hatred in our state.” The incident is now being investigated by the FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.

6. Birmingham isn’t renaming 16^th street

• 16th Street North in Birmingham has recently been considered for renaming to “Black Lives Matter Boulevard,” but the Birmingham City Council has changed direction at the request of activists. 
• In a letter to the Birmingham City Council, activists argued that renaming a street that played a historical role in the civil rights movement wouldn’t send the same strong political statement that it has in places like Washington, D.C., but instead, “Renaming 16th Street would disrespect the very movement that undergirds this current fight for justice.”

5. There will be three presidential debates

• Former Vice President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign has agreed to have three presidential debates during the general election against President Donald Trump, but said that Trump asking for more debates is just him trying “to change the subject” and create a distraction.
• Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon in a letter wrote that Biden “will accept and participate in the Commission’s planned Presidential candidates’ debates for September 29, October 15, and October 22.” She went on to add that they “hope that President Trump would not break that tradition or make excuses for a refusal to participate.”

4. No football could bring major hurt to local economies

• For Tuscaloosa, not having college football this fall could be “economically catastrophic,” according to Mayor Walt Maddox. He added, “Even a mitigated football season with restricted attendance and number of ball games would have dire economic consequences.”
• From 2014-2015, Tuscaloosa County saw $18.8 million in economic impact per home game, which totaled $131.5 million by the end of the season, but if coronavirus cases continue it’ll be more difficult to have a full football season and packed stadiums safely. 

3. Coronavirus cases are starting to go down again

• After seeing a considerable spike in coronavirus cases throughout Alabama in recent weeks, it seems that daily case numbers are finally falling again, with only 433 cases confirmed on Monday. 
• Over the weekend, there were 472 cases on Sunday and 543 cases on Saturday, which is vastly different than the previous weekend when we saw 1,902 cases. Now the state’s seven-day average has fallen to 591.3, which is the lowest it’s been since June 11. 

2. Tuberville potentially does better against Jones than Sessions, but they both win

• The data firm Cygnal has released more polling data on the 2020 U.S. Senate race, in which former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will be in a July runoff to determine who will be on the ballot against U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) in November. 
• In a general election scenario, both Tuberville and Sessions would defeat Jones, but Tuberville does a bit better with 49.7% and Jones at 35.7% and 12.7% undecided, whereas when Sessions is put in the equation, he gathers 44.7% against Jones’ 35.2%, with 17.5% undecided. 

1. Trump signing executive order on immigration restrictions

• President Donald Trump will expand immigration restrictions and limit the number of guest-worker programs allowed, which will include H-1B visas, through an executive order as many Americans are out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Trump has already restricted some green cards, and this will be the first restrictions on guest-worker programs. The executive order will stop H-1B tech worker visas, some J work and education exchange visitor visas, L executive transfer visas and H-2B seasonal worker visas.