7. Not long after the American media (followed by the Internet) caught on to ammo vending machines at grocery stores, the complaints led to a Tuscaloosa grocery store removing their machine, even though it was in the store for seven months. Tuscaloosa City Council President Kip Tyner claimed the machines made the community less safe, but that is obviously untrue as the vending machine only had four purchases. The company says it was removed for low sales but that seems unlikely given the timing.
6. All but 5 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives voted against the SAVE Act which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections on the same day Michigan gutted their election security mechanisms. Meanwhile, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen has garnered praise from Twitter CEO Elon Musk for revealing that illegal immigrants were being provided voter registration forms via state agencies, which he attributes to the Biden administration’s use of the National Voter Registration Act. Musk argued, “When combined with mail-in ballots, the system is *designed* to make it impossible to prove fraud. Mail-in and drop box ballots should not be allowed.”
5. Alabama students showed gains in most subjects on the 2024 spring standardized tests, but concerning trends in second-, third-, seventh-, and eighth-grade math proficiency were noted as problem areas. Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey highlighted the need for more support in math and emphasized the success of the Alabama Reading Initiative. But the Alabama Numeracy Act lacks some of the accountability efforts of the Alabama Literacy Act, which showed positive results last school year.
3. As Democrats are increasingly concerned about President Joe Biden’s ability to win the 2024 election after his shaky debate performance, things keep getting worse with new polls showing New Hampshire, New Jersey, and New York are all moving toward battleground status but Biden’s team insists he is staying in the race. Biden is now facing statements from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) who appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” to urge Biden to decide soon, adding that “time is running short” for Biden to decide even though says he already has.
2. Seth McCollough, a middle school teacher in Auburn, has resigned after controversy over his podcast where he discussed educating students about gender and sexuality outside of school. McCollough, who also performs at drag shows, encouraged students to ask him questions about gender and advised them to distance themselves from “toxic” parents. His statements, which could easily be called grooming, sparked backlash, and his profile was removed from the Auburn City Schools website.
1. An illegal immigrant set free in Alabama after being denied asylum then released after crossing the border is allegedly responsible for the death of a 6-year-old daughter of his girlfriend who was not wearing a seatbelt in his vehicle when he wrecked at 3 a.m. with a .22 blood-alcohol level. 25-year-old Zelvin G. Pavon-Gomez is facing charges including DUI, manslaughter, and first-degree assault after the child’s mother got out of the vehicle with her dog but left the unrestrained 6-year-old in the vehicle. The child was ejected after Pavon-Gomez left the road, while driving 20 mph over the limit, and hit a fence.
