1. President Donald Trump cans Rex Tillerson, promotes CIA Director Mike Pompeo to Secretary of State
— After multiple public disagreements Tillerson’s tenure as Secretary of State comes to an end with a quivering press conference where his voice cracked and he
— The biggest sticking points for Trump and Tillerson seems to be the Iran nuclear deal, North Korea, and an embarrassing debate about whether Tillerson called the President a “moron”.
2. Rep. Will Ainsworth’s bill allowing teachers to carry will get a public hearing, unlikely it sees a vote
— Even as superintendents and teachers appear to be against anything that would allow teachers to protect themselves and students, a public hearing will happen today.
— For most people watching this legislation it appears to be heading nowhere, but will be used as a campaign issue because Republicans support the idea.
3. Student protests are planned in Alabama and all over the country today, most schools support but some will punish
— Over 1,000 walkouts are planned across the country, including Alabama, to protest gun violence.
— Like many schools, Challenger Middle in Huntsville will lead a student assembly that will hold a “Walk Up not a Walk Out” Assembly to keep the kids in the schools.
4. PA-18 results are not in, choose your own adventure
— If you are a Democrat: The Democrat won regardless of outcome, this is a huge win, and it means Democrats will be seizing the House and possibly the Senate, and Trump is going to get impeached.
— If you are a Republican: The Republican might have lost a seat that is going away in the midterms, the Democrat was not that liberal, the GOP candidate was a bad candidate, and this means nothing about President Trump or the midterms.
5. Alabama House approves money for prisons and a pay raise for state employees
— After years of talks of the prison system needing more money, Alabama legislators approved $80 million dollars ($30 million this year/$56 million next year) for renovations and improvements.
— For the first time in 10 years, state employees will receive a 3 percent cost of living increase.
6. Etowah County’s Sheriff bought a $740k beach house with money meant to feed inmates
— In a move that is completely legal, and that will infuriate many, Sheriff Entrekin has used his “food provision” surplus over three years to purchase the home.
— The Sheriff knows the law is on his side, his office told AL.com “Regardless of one’s opinion of this statute, until the legislature acts otherwise, the Sheriff must follow the current law”.,
7. A Washington Post “analysis” finds white women do what their husbands say, but it does not at all
— The media’s constant need to clean up Hillary Clinton’s sad messes continues whether she is campaigning or not, they assure you her comments about white women were totally smart and accurate, not sad an embarrassing.
— The Washington Post had to mangle Clinton’s clear comments about white women being pressured by the men in their lives in to an incomprehensible mess about women voting in their spouses best interests.