7 Things: 'Conspiracy' turns out to be reality; REAL school choice plan released; and more ...

7. This would never happen to a black student at a predominantly white school

Student Michael Newman attended Howard University for two years (2020-2022) before being expelled. Now he is suing the school for $2 million because of their “hostile learning environment” and for the “pain, suffering, emotional anguish and damage to his reputation.”
Newman was reportedly banned from online chat forums for asking to discuss “whether (1) Black voters didn’t question turning to government for solutions, and (2) reliably voting for the same party every election disincentivized both parties from responding to the needs of the black communities.” He was verbally abused despite apologizing and releasing a statement trying to clarify his good intentions, blocked from all online methods of defending himself, then expelled.

6. South Carolina proposes “Yankee Tax”

South Carolina is not happy about the millions of northeasterners moving to their state and apparently reducing their quality of living. So they’ve proposed a “Yankee tax” which would require those moving in from out of state to pay a one-time fee of $500: $250 for new driver’s licenses and $250 for vehicle registrations.
State Sen. Stephen Goldfinch claims this fee is to make new residents “catch up with the rest of us” and that he thinks $500 won’t stop people from moving to the state. He just wants them to contribute to the state’s infrastructure upfront. Meanwhile, California and New York have proposed legislation to tax people for trying to leave the state.

5. Virginia trying to stop China from buying farmland near military bases

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin wants to sign a bipartisan bill that would ban the Chinese Communist Party from buying farmland in the state, especially near military installations such as Quantico and the Pentagon.
Recent U.S. Department of Agriculture records reveal that Chinese companies and private citizens own an estimated 14,000 acres of Virginia farmland and 1.6 million acres across the country. They’re also investigating a partnership between Ford and a Chinese-owned company, which they’re calling a “Trojan Horse” infiltration of American supply chains.

4. Britt and Tuberville seek to extend Medicare program to rural hospitals

Sens. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), along with a bipartisan group of senators, are seeking to extend the Wage Index Hospital Policy, which offers aid to rural hospitals. The senators have asked Medicare and Medicaid for a 4-year extension, in large part because COVID disruptions made it impossible to evaluate the impact of the program.
Britt said, “Every Alabamian deserves access to quality care and the opportunity to thrive in safe, strong communities – no matter their ZIP Code.” This request comes despite the recent discussion of Medicare’s impending insolvency. On the other side, Alabama has come under criticism for being the only state in the country to not cover genetic breast cancer screenings through Medicaid.

3. Let’s roll on the executions

On Friday, The Alabama Department of Corrections announced it is as “prepared as possible” to resume executions. The Alabama Department of Corrections finished its review of the execution process under Gov. Kay Ivey’s order and now the moratorium on executions is over. Attorney General Steve Marshall is clearly ready to get these executions started again.
Now, a new rule which would prevent criminals from abusing last-minute appeals that call off their executions. The ADOC is also seeking to increase the number of medical professionals who can oversee executions, following issues with attaching IV lines to inmates. Opponents of capital punishment are claiming that the internal review did not identify or seek to fix any problems.

2. REAL school choice options are here

The Parental Rights in Children’s Education Act (PRICE Act) could provide about $6,000 a year in tax dollars for each child in Alabama. The money would be put into an educational savings account (ESA) which could then be applied to private schools, church-based schools, homeschooling, or a public school outside their zoned district. Alabama would phase this system in over four years, with families under an income cap eligible to apply for the first two years, and everyone eligible by the fourth year.
“Number one, it’s the parents’ responsibility to determine what is best for their child,” said State Sen. Larry Stutts (R-Tuscumbia). “Number two, the money ought to follow the child. And number three main point, if you don’t want to participate, you don’t have to participate.”

1. Energy Department says COVID-19 leaked from a lab

The Energy Department revised its stance to state that COVID-19 likely came from a Wuhan lab leak after all. The report, shared with the Wall Street Journal, did not share the new evidence that led them to this “low confidence” conclusion. This was dismissed as a “conspiracy theory” and there are still some in the highest level of government who won’t admit it.
Back in 2021 the FBI already said they thought with “moderate confidence” that COVID-19 came from a lab leak. The CIA is still being cagey, but naturally emerging animal sources have never been definitively identified.