7 Things: Conservative groups protest critical race theory, Alabama’s federal officials want more defense spending, Mo Brooks wants Fauci fired and more …

7. Worldwide microchip shortage impact felt at Hyundai plant in Montgomery

• The coronavirus pandemic has caused supply disruption around the globe, which includes microchips used in automobiles. This is causing about 1,000 employees at the Hyundai Montgomery plant to be temporarily unemployed.
• Robert Burns, vice president of human resources and administration, says this is a short-term issue and “[n]o other downtime for this reason is expected.” Most of the employees at the plant are still working on maintenance, engines and processing completed vehicles.

6. Alabama student in court for bomb threat to LSU football game

• A former University of Alabama student is facing a felony charge for communicating false information of a planned bombing on school property during a 2019 LSU-Florida game at Tiger Stadium, and his attorney wants to “resolve” the case.
• Connor Bruce Croll confessed to police that he made the threat to stop the game because “his friend was on the verge of losing a large bet,” according to police. There were 102,321 people in Tiger Stadium at the time of the bomb threat. The crime could carry a 20-year prison sentence.

5. Putin asks who shot Ashli Babbitt at the U.S. Capitol 

• The family of former Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt has been trying to figure out who shot her at the U.S. Capitol during the riot on January 6, and they have been joined in their questioning by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Putin asked a reporter asking about political murders in Russia by asking, “Did you order the assassination of the woman who walked into the Congress and who was shot and killed by a policeman?” This is all happening the day before Putin meets with President Joe Biden.

4. Two killed, two injured at shooting at a manufacturing facility in Albertville

• An employee at Mueller Co., a water distribution equipment plant in Albertville, opened fire on his coworkers at around 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The shooter was later identified as Andreas Deon Horton and was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound 15 miles away later that morning.
• The shooter utilized a handgun in the shooting, and no other relationship between the shooter and his victims are known other than the fact that they work together.

3. Mo Brooks calls for Anthony Fauci to be fired

• As Dr. Anthony Fauci’s decision-making continues to be called into question and his emails describe a difference in his public positions and private positions, the pressure for him to be fired is growing. A group of Republican Congressmen is calling for his salary to be $0 and his successor to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
• The “Fire Fauci Act” was proposed by U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) is a cosponsor. Brooks and Greene appeared with other congressmen and explained that Fauci’s credibility is shot, stating “Trust in Dr. Fauci has been shattered. Hence, Dr. Fauci must go.”

2. Alabama federal officials call for more defense spending 

• While congressional Republicans have made it pretty clear that President Joe Biden’s massive spending proposal is a non-starter, Alabama Republicans want more funding for defense priorities. U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) believes that a “50-50 Senate split means Democrats will have to work with Republicans to get a deal done, and if they’re going to spend a hell of a lot of money on social programs at the expense of national security, Democrats are going to have trouble.”
• U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers (R-Saks), Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) and Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) raised various issues about defense priorities including missile defense, Next Generation Interceptor program, the Iron Dome and more.

1. Conservative groups in Alabama oppose critical race theory

• The media and their Democrats are on a full-court press to both defend critical race theory and demand you not even acknowledge it exists as legislators across the country attempt to ban public educators from telling students America was, is and will always be racist.
• In Alabama, two conservative organizations, the Alabama Policy Institute and Eagle Forum of Alabama, have offered up a resolution to the state school board to ban critical race theory in the state. API’s general counsel and former State Senator Phil Williams said the proposal was “prepared with expert input and analysis of the growing trend nationwide to inject the misguided concept that by their very existence our children are born either oppressor or oppressed and that nothing they can say or do will change that.”