7. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is under fire again for her comments on Israel defending itself
— Over the weekend, there was a flare-up of violence in Gaza that was the worst since the 50-day war in 2014. On Sunday night, Omar tweeted, “How many more protestors must be shot, rockets must be fired, and little kids must be killed until the endless cycle of violence ends?” Republicans like former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley responded, “Agreed @IlhanMN so what should be done about Hamas? They are the ones behind all of this.” Omar has been called out multiple times before for her anti-Semitic remarks. A total of 25 Palestinians and four Israeli civilians were killed before a ceasefire on Monday. These were the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 50-day war.
6. A vote will be held on Wednesday to determine if Attorney General William Barr will be held in contempt
— The Justice Department did not turn over the unredacted Mueller report by the deadline set by Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY), so now Nadler has scheduled a vote for Wednesday to decide if Barr will be held in contempt of Congress. The Justice Department has said that they are willing to negotiate with the House Judiciary Committee in good faith, but they’re disappointed that the immediate move was to hold Barr in contempt. Congressional leaders have already been given a less redacted version of the Mueller report, but the Democrats have made it clear that they want the whole report or nothing at this point.
5. Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) is questioning Joe Biden’s ties to China
— Byrne appeared on Fox News and was asked whether or not Biden’s ties to China should be investigated, to which he replied “absolutely.” Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, has a Chinese investment company called Bohai Harvest RST that is part of a group that has made several large investments in many Chinese companies. Biden has also recently downplayed the threat that China poses to the United States. Byrne brought up how Trump and his family were investigated for much less concerning Russia and Biden needs to be held to the same standard. When asked if there was a criminal component with Biden and China, Byrne said, “There might be. Now I’m not saying there is because we don’t know the full facts. But that’s why you have an investigation to get the full facts, and the facts we know of are very troubling.” Biden’s ties to Ukraine have come up recently as well. Meanwhile, his lead on the Democrats presidential primary field has grown to as much as 32 points.
4. Fantasy sports gambling bill will be proposed in the Alabama legislature; Passage is unsure
— State Representative Kyle South (R-Fayette) is sponsoring a bill that would legalize fantasy sports gambling in Alabama. Fantasy sports are most commonly played on apps through the phone, and the peer on peer competition allows people to create their own teams from existing players and how those players actually play affects how their fantasy team does. All of the states surrounding Alabama have fantasy gaming, but South believes that there’s still some confusion in Alabama about the contest. South believes that fantasy sports are more about analytics and further enjoying sports with your friends. The legislation would just allow people to play the game and be the team manager of their own sports team.
3. An overwhelming majority of Americans believe vaccinations should be mandatory
— In light of a recent resurgence of measles in the United States, there has been a small increase in support for mandatory vaccinations. Seventy-two percent of Americans believe that parents should be required to vaccinate their children. There are currently over 700 cases of measles so far this year and health officials expect that number to grow quickly. These numbers are actually only a small increase over polling in 2015 that showed 66 percent of Americans supported required vaccinations. Strangely, that number drops when you ask just parents. Only 61 percent of parents support mandatory vaccines.
2. House Democrats’ request for President Trump’s tax returns has been denied
— On Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin sent out a letter denying House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal’s request for the tax returns since they lacked legitimate legislative purpose. This was only one of the Democrats latest attempts to obtain Trump’s tax returns and financial records. In the letter, Mnuchin said, “As you have recognized, the Committee’s request is unprecedented and it presents serious constitutional questions, the resolution of which may have lasting consequences for all taxpayers.” Trump has continued to imply that he has no intention of releasing any of his financial records.
1. U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) allegedly agrees with State Representative John Rogers (D-Birmingham) on abortion
— This weekend, Jones was publicly condemning Rep. Roger’s comments on abortion that you either “kill them now or kill them later.” According to Rogers, Jones called him and said he was “right” about his abortion comments. Rogers said, “He called me twice. He told me ‘John, I know you’re right but I [have] to come out against you.” On Monday, when Jones was interviewed by Alabama Media Group’s Roy Johnson, Jones was asked about the phone call. Jones’ main comment was “I’m disappointed he made our private conversation public.” He did not dispute Rogers’ claims. It’s no secret that Jones is pro-abortion, but to also agree with Rogers’ terrible comments about abortion after condemning him publicly is a new level for Jones.
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