The 7 Things You Should Be Talking About Today
1. Trump taunts North Korea, North Korea talks to South Korea hours later
— After North Korea’s leader referenced a “nuclear button” on his desk, Trump responded by telling him that his nuclear button is bigger and it actually works.
— Hours later North Korea and South Korea spoke on a hotline for the first time in almost two years.
— The two nations discussed technical issues and the upcoming Olympics in South Korea.
2. The Anniston Star’s H. Brandt Ayers admits to spanking employees, won’t quit
— The former newspaper publisher says he went to the employee’s home and spanked her in the 1970s.
— Ayers claims a doctor told him to spank one employee because she was having a psychological issue.
— He also said he will not resign because he is a “third generation of a family that has served honorably, even courageously, in the public interest”.
3. Doug Jones sets staff, snubs Sen. Richard Shelby
— Jones’ Chief of Staff Dana Gresham will be the only black Democrat in that role, there are two Republicans currently holding that position.
— Bucking tradition, Jones has decided to invite former Vice President Joe Biden to escort him to his swearing in today.
— Sen. Shelby, who many think helped Jones win, was not invited by the Senator-elect.
4. Roy Moore’s “Jew” attorney was a Doug Jones supporter
— Judge Moore’s wife Kayla made a ridiculous, and widely-mocked, comment about their Jewish supporters in an attempt to blunt criticism that her husband was anti-Semitic.
— She stated, “Well, one of our attorneys is a Jew … We have very close friends who are Jewish and rabbis” at a rally a few days before the December 12th election.
— The attorney referenced is Birmingham lawyer Richard Jaffe, he is a Jones contributor and supporter, but he did represent Moore’s son on drug charges in the past.
5. More companies react to last year’s tax cuts, including Alabama’s Regions Bank
— Regions Bank will now raise their minimum wage to $15 dollars an hour.
— Southwest Airlines is giving every employee, part-time and full-time, $1,000 dollars each.
— Other companies, including Boeing, AT&T, Wells Fargo and Comcast, have given bonuses and wage increases to their employees.
6. 8 of 10 Senate seats expected to flip are held by Democrats
— The talk of the coming blue wave doesn’t seem backed up by the math we are currently seeing, Democrats will be defending 23 seats to the Republican’s 8.
— The top two most “flippable” seats include seats held by Republicans Dean Heller and retiring-Jeff Flake.
— The next 8 seats in play are all held by Democrats in states that voted for Donald Trump.
7. It’s cold, local schools decide to open late in North Alabama
— School districts across the region are closing or delaying school Wednesday through Friday.
— The lack of uniformity is confusing and silly.
— In Huntsville, where schools are delayed 2 hours on Wednesday, the temperature will be 21 degrees at 8 AM and 28 degrees at 10 AM.
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