7 Things: Biden crushing Democrats’ 2022 chances, Alabama U.S. Senate debate possible but Durant won’t commit and more …

7. Shooter in New York City subway attack was a career criminal racist

• The attacker in the New York City subway shooting that left 19 injured, Frank R. James, has been charged with a federal terrorism charge. The attack seems to fit the textbook definition of terrorism as James has a lengthy public record of statements about race war, exterminating people, violence, crime, mental health and even world war with Russia over Ukraine. He also voiced support for another mass shooter.

• James has a lengthy record and probably should have been charged with more serious crimes over his lifetime for his multiple criminal acts, including a sex crime. Had he been charged with felonies, he would not have been eligible to purchase the firearm he used to carry out the crime, leading to calls for prosecutors to actually pursue serious criminal charges instead of seeking to put offenders back on the street to offend again.

6. Mark Zuckerberg financial contributions for voting have been banned in Alabama

• “Zuckerbucks” are no longer allowed in Alabama after Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation that bans political contributions of this nature in the state. The “Zuckerbucks” were distributed originally in the 2020 election after $350 million in grants were distributed from the Center for Tech and Civic Life.

• The grants were all funded by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The American Civil Liberties Union criticized the legislation, saying it “perpetuates issues of white supremacy and discrimination.” However, Ivey declared, “Big tech’s efforts to undermine the integrity of our elections has no place in our country, and I’m proud to have signed legislation that ensures Alabama’s election process remains air-tight.”

5. CDC extending the travel mask mandate

• The travel mask mandate from the federal government will be extended for another two weeks, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expected to extend the order. The mask mandate was set to expire on April 18.

• The new expiration date will be May 3. This mandate applies to travel on planes, buses, trains and public transit. There were supposed to be more flexible rules on masking released, but that hasn’t happened yet. Dr. Anthony Fauci recently said that masking and other coronavirus precautions should be a personal decision.

4. Immigrants should not come to Florida

• Texas has made good on its threat of sending illegal immigrants to Washington, D.C., with a bus of 23 migrants arriving at the U.S. Capitol yesterday. After being dropped off, some of the migrants spoke with Fox News and said that they will now travel by train to Miami, Florida.

• However, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) warned migrants not to come to the state, saying, “To those who have entered the country illegally, fair warning: do not come to Florida. Life will not be easy for you, because we are obligated to uphold the immigration laws of this country, even if our federal government and other states won’t.”

3. Britt: Durant’s gun comments were unacceptable

• U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt criticized fellow candidate Mike Durant’s previous comments on the Second Amendment that were delivered during a 2011 speech that recently resurfaced.

• Britt said Durant’s comments about disarming citizens were “disgusting and dangerous,” adding, “[And] no, Mr. Durant, disarming the U.S. citizens would not be a good step toward law and order.” Britt went on to say, “Many people talk about it for hunting and protection, which are both critically important, but the Second Amendment is there to protect against tyranny of the government…and the way that we do that is we arm law-abiding Americans. It is part of what makes this nation so great.”

2. Some Senate candidates are agreeing to debate

• This week, U.S. Senate candidates Katie Britt and U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) expressed their willingness to participate in a debate for all U.S. Senate candidates, but fellow candidate Mike Durant has not agreed to debate.

• Durant’s silence has caused reaction from Brooks and Britt, with Brooks saying, “I think Mike Durant would get clobbered in a debate if somebody asked him a hard question. He would be like a deer in headlights.” Britt mentioned how Durant has not been at recent forums, despite Brooks and herself showing up to all of them. She pointed out how a reluctance to debate showed a lack of consideration for voters and ethics.

1. Biden’s poll numbers crater as inflation soars

• In a headline that continues being repeated, President Joe Biden’s poll numbers keep hitting new lows. A Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday shows the president with an approval rating of 33% with 54% outright disapproving of his performance.

• Democrats are worried and the media is busy crafting a narrative that Republicans are too confident heading into the 2022 midterms while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is worried about “weird” candidates. The biggest issues facing the president’s party are inflation, immigration and crime, but there seems to be no real plan in place to address any of that as they are focused on talking sex with 3rd graders, January 6 paranoia and screeching about Russians.