7 Things: Bingo operators seek unlikely reprieve, UAB doc backtracks on suicide support, and more …

—

October 19, 2022

7. Bruce Pearl continues to be the bravest coach in college sports

Auburn’s head basketball coach Bruce Pearl is speaking out against policies popping up on college campuses that refuse to allow speakers who support the state of Israel’s existence to speak on their campus.
Having already said the policies were, “pure discrimination,” Pearl said he will challenge these policies when Auburn football plays at UC-Berkeley because he is going to the game, not that these policies would restrict him. He refuses to accept the restrictions are in good faith, “Simply put, let’s change a Jew-free zone, or a no Jews, or Israelis, or Zionist speakers to no women speakers, to no Black people, to no Muslim guests. I don’t think it’s acceptable.”

6. Pelosi says voters not interested in the economy or crime rates

With the 2022 midterm election less than three weeks away, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell that she doesn’t believe voters are interested in the economy and crime. The host and the speaker lamented that abortion isn’t a bigger deal with Mitchell wondering why Democrats aren’t doing better because they have accomplished so much.
Ignoring the small number of voters saying abortion is the No. 1 issue, Pelosi said those who see it that way want Democrats to win, “I can tell you that women’s concerns about their freedom are very, very much still very significant in terms of how they will vote. In fact, 80% of people who care about a woman’s right to chose to say they will – it will determine who they vote for.” In other polling news, Nancy Pelosi has a -23.3 point polling average deficit with Real Clear Politics’ polling average, also, both voters and her party members want her to leave leadership.

5. Britt is raking in the money, building a considerable war chest she does not need

First-time candidate, obvious front-runner and future United State Sen. Katie Britt continues raising tons of money ahead of her election to the upper chamber. Last quarter she raised $1.3 million and currently has $1.8 million on hand heading in to the home stretch. Democratic nominee Will Boyd raised $45,072.23 from 48 people last quarter and has $8,260.48 cash on hand.
GOP candidate for Congress Dale Strong in the Fifth Congressional District, another first-time candidate, has a big lead on his opponent with $1.5 million raised and $119,000 cash-on-hand with Democrat Kathy Warner-Stanton having just over $8,000 in the bank.

4. Durham probe runs into jury nullification in D.C.-area; they should never be a state

In a disappointing turn of events on a years-long probe into the obvious mishandling of the Trump-Russia investigation, Russian Igor Danchenko has been found not guilty by a jury. Leaving the Durham probe’s final impact to come in the form of a report that no one will read.
Only one conviction has come from the probe, a low-level FBI attorney, and these failures will fuel the fire that nothing wrong has occurred with the FBI’s behavior against then-candidate, former President Donald Trump. Danchenko is alleged to have lied about the source of the now-discredited dossier, that the FBI used to pursue warrants and leak to the media about non-existent Trump-Russian collusion.

3. Man who shot a cop in Hoover randomly targeted a family on I-459, luckily missed all shots

Before Evan Rashad Lucas, shot a Hoover police officer outside an apartment, he took potshots at a husband, wife and their young son while driving on I-459. The attack was random and harrowing with the husband noticing the gun and slamming on his brakes to avoid the shooting.
Lucas has now been charged with three counts of attempted murder and is being held on a $1.5 million bond. He has not been charged in the shooting of a still-unnamed officer who returned fire with another officers and injured Lucas.

2. UAB doctor backtracks on “bold” claim about suicide

A beyond troubling statement about how “boldly” a 16-year-old suffering from gender dysphoria was when she ended her life has led a doctor at UAB’s Gender Health Clinic to cowardly backtrack and issue an apology for her words. Dr. Morissa Ladinsky, an associate professor of pediatrics who also provides care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Gender Health Clinic, which does gender-affirming care, said, “I regret my choice of words that has been interpreted to glorify self-harm.”
Her comments, which glorify suicide, said, “This was never my intent. In discussing the tragic event, I sought to convey my work toward a day when no teen feels they must take their life.” This backtracking appears to be fear-related but UAB says there is a free speech angle here so they seem ready to defend her vile remark, even though the comments were made as part of the job and represent her true feelings.

1. Gambling solution will have to include Gov. Kay Ivey

As Alabama casinos beg the Supreme Court of the state Alabama to let them continue on with their illegal operations, an unlikely scenario, the Alabama Legislature will get a new chance to work on the issue of legalizing gambling in the state. Hooray.
Meanwhile, State Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Atmore), the Alabama Senate general fund budget committee chairman who represents the area where the Poarch Band of Creek Indians operate a casino, says the votes are not there for any plan that would legalize gambling in the state. Albritton also put the onus on Gov. Kay Ivey to move gambling legislation forward. With the illegal bingo operations closing, gambling legislation is possible. But there are many potential options at hand and the state could crap out altogether.