7 Things: Democrats debate again, impeachment confusion, Sen. Shelby ushers through appropriations bill and more …

7. Beer-drinking non-student gets Alabama professor suspended

• Professor Joel Strayer was teaching a supply chain management class when Trevor Nappier, a student at Illinois State University, took out a beer and chugged it near a garbage can in the classroom. The professor’s crime was saying, “I am impressed,” and later adding, “I love it.”
• As if the ridiculous suspension wasn’t enough, and he is gone for the semester, UA officials visited the professor’s classes and explained to them what was going on but wouldn’t answer more questions about the matter.

6. UAB faculty is anti-racism

• Very bold moves by the faculty at a major research institution, as they issue a resolution against racism, saying, ” “Every voice, identity, experience and background in our community is paramount to our collective success.”
• At issue is apparently three students, out of 17,000+, who either belong to a racist organization or made racist comments on social media so the entire university needed every to know “the thoughts expressed by such groups and in such posts are not shared by the institution and do not align with our values.”

5. Charges will likely be brought against Andrew McCabe

• The Justice Department has rejected the appeal from former deputy and acting FBI Director FBI Andrew McCabe. U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu has recommended continuing with charges relating to findings that McCabe made misleading statements about a Hillary Clinton investigation.
• McCabe’s legal team has met with Liu and sent a letter to Jeffery Rosen in an attempt to prevent the United States Attorney’s Office moving forward with prosecution.

4. Alabama is a job creator

• Governor Kay Ivey has announced that IBM Services has named Alabama the top job creator for 2018 in America through foreign investments.
• A Global Location Trends report also shows that Alabama is scoring highly among other states in America relating to foreign investments. Ivey said that foreign investments continue “to generate significant new opportunities for communities and working families around the state.”

3. Shelby leading defense bill that would benefit Alabama

• On Thursday, the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations approved a defense funding bill lead by U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) that would benefit Alabama but is also important for national security.
• Shelby said that the appropriations bill will be good for Alabama’s “thriving defense community,” specifying that the “bill will provide funding to support the development of hypersonic weapons in North Alabama, improve our Navy’s shipbuilding industry in Mobile, and provide additional resources for Army aviation training at Fort Rucker.”

2. Democrats are confused about impeachment

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Thursday wasn’t putting up with questions about impeachment when reporters continued to ask her about her opinion on impeaching President Donald Trump. saying, “Impeachment is a very divisive measure.”
• She went on to say that if the facts back up impeachment then a decision will be made at that time, but she refused to answer any more questions on the subject of impeachment, even though Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said it is basically impeachment earlier in the day.

1. Winners and losers of the Democratic presidential debate

• Former Vice President Joe Biden was the big winner Thursday night because he avoided a major meltdown and the media is now attacking the only candidate that came close to harming him. Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) was a winner as well because he wowed Democrats with promises of coming to take your guns.
• Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) were also-rans, but they will remain in the hunt in early states, while Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) was unable to get her spotlight back and her campaign is probably over.