7. NCAA changing definition of “fully vaccinated”
- The National Collegiate Athletic Association released new guidelines for winter sports and announced that merely receiving the vaccine is no longer enough if you are eligible to receive a booster shot of the coronavirus vaccine to be considered “fully vaccinated.”
- Another change to their guidelines will be the quarantine time for people who test positive and those who come in contact with those who have COVID-19. This is an effort to keep games from being canceled. Fully vaccinated players do not need to quarantine anymore after coming into contact with someone who is positive.
6. Casey Wardynski says there should be different January 6 investigations taking place
- Former assistant secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs and congressional candidate Casey Wardynski recently sounded off on the happenings of the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, He called on other angles of the riot need to be investigated.
- Wardynski said, “We have yet to find out if there were provocateurs in there in place by God knows who. There are allegations…that various sources the FBI had provocateurs in the crowd…so, the wrong January 6 investigations are underway.”
5. Ainsworth: Mobile bridge is a top priority
- Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth recently discussed the I-10 Mobile River and Bayway project and said that the project needs to be the “number -one infrastructure project.” He also commented on how well the economy in the state is doing.
- Ainsworth suggested, “[Y]ou can bond all or part of that…you’re going to need a partnership with the federal government.” He pointed to projects in Birmingham that were funded through a bond. Ainsworth added, “[T]his idea that on infrastructure you can’t bond projects and pay for it. You know, it’s been done before, and I certainly think that will be part of it.”
4. Tuberville calling out the hypocrisy of the Democratic Party
- As Democrats and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) continue to push to change the filibuster in a vote to be held by January 17, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) criticized the tactics used in this venture.
- Tuberville said, “They’re going to try to change the rules of the game by waging war against the filibuster.” Tuberville also spoke about how the filibuster is meant to “protect the minority’s voice in the Senate.” He went on to ask, “If we were to throw the rules of the Senate out the window every time power shifts, what kind of nation would we be in? The hypocrisy of the Democrats is astounding, and it is dangerous to the people we represent and to the very core of our Republic.”
3. Alabama has the highest positivity ever
- The Alabama Department of Public Health reported that Alabama currently has a coronavirus positivity rate of 41%, which is one of the highest in the country. The rate of positive tests has risen quickly, rising from only 5% in mid-November to 25% just before Christmas.
- For positivity rates, data lags behind a bit, but the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has placed Alabama in the top seven positivity rates in the country. Most positivity rates that are currently reported only go to the first days of January or late December.
2. As expected, cases at schools are increasing as students return
- Across Alabama, there are now 2,940 students and employees in schools that have tested positive for the coronavirus. This is a steep increase since the week of December 16 when the case count was at 750, but with students returning from winter break, an increase was expected.
- However, this isn’t the full picture yet, since these numbers are only from December 29 to January 4, which is the day most students returned to school. While reporting over break was encouraged, it’s unclear if reporting was actually accurate.
1. January 6 is over, but Democrats want it remembered
- The New York Times kicked off the week of January 6 remembrance/celebration by declaring “Every Day Is January 6 Now.” On Thursday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both delivered remarks condemning the actions of rioters on January 6, 2021, but they made it clear that they want the day remembered for the foreseeable future. They also repeatedly and inaccurately referred to the riot as an “insurrection.” Harris did her part to compare the riot to the attack on Pearl Harbor and 9/11, saying, “Certain dates echo throughout history…Dates that occupy not only a place on our calendar but a place in our collective memory. December 7, 1941, September 11, 2001, and January 6, 2021.”
- In what must have seemed like a good idea at the time, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) actually introduced the cast of Hamilton to sing during a congressional commemorative event. People actually clapped in person and then it was rightly mocked online as a completely pathetic display.
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