7. Bellefonte nuke deal falls through, but it still may not be over
— The purchase of the Bellefonte nuclear power plant for $111 million dollars has apparently fallen through as the purchase failed to secure the necessary funding to complete the purchase.
— The CEO of Nuclear Development LLC, Franklin Haney, has sued the TVA for blocking the sale of the plant. If the plant was ever and completed and in operation, it would mean cheaper power and create over a thousand jobs.
6. Bias at Google revealed; Pressure against Internet companies continues to build
— In response to President Donald Trump’s election, Google employees worked to find a way to bury conservative viewpoints and news sources in their search function, which accounts for 90 percent of web searches.
— Internal messaging included a desire to “reverse things in four years” in threads with engineers and a Google vice president. Stories like this are leading to a call for regulation of the Internet by Republicans in Congress.
5. Mexico starts to crack down on illegal immigration — Trump shows no sign of letting up
— Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador signed on to a deal to attempt to stymie the flow of illegals entering his country on their way to the United States. The plan includes a series of “programmes, projects, and specific actions, for the sake of jobs generation and poverty fight in the region.”
— The deployment of active duty troops, in addition to the 2,100 National Guard soldiers at the border is being scaled from 5,900 to around 4,000, but those troops may end up staying longer and a rotation could be created to keep soldiers at the border much longer.
4. Russia tried to meddle in 2018, according to Secretary Mattis; President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have an informal conversation
— According to Secretary Mattis, the situation with Russia’s attempts to influence our elections have not ceased. He said, “There is no doubt the relationship has worsened. He tried again to muck around in our elections this last month.” He added, “We are seeing a continued effort around those lines.”
— After former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s guilty plea, President Trump canceled his summit with Putin, but they still met and had what the White House has called an informal chat that, according to Putin, the discussion was about the situation between Russian and Ukraine.
3. Oklahoma wants ‘Bama; Other Alabama teams get bowl invites, too
— After Alabama’s come from behind victory against Georgia in the SEC Championship, Alabama remains the top team in the country and the favorite to win the College Football Championship. Clemson and Notre Dame join Alabama and Oklahoma as the nation’s top for teams.
— Auburn will face Purdue in the Music City Bowl, while Conference USA champion UAB gets to go to the Boca Raton Bowl to take on Northern Illinois.
2. Riverchase Galleria shooter arrested, E.J. Bradford laid to rest, protesters threaten cops and Hoover PD chief threatens to release the tape of the shooting if ALEA will not
— Jesse Jackson came to Birmingham to deliver the eulogy at the funeral for Emantic “E.J.” Bradford Jr. He said the unnamed police officer who shot Bradford “must face justice” and demanded the release of the video of the shooting.
— Today is the self-imposed deadline by Hoover officials, including Mayor Frank Brocato and police chief Nick Derzis, for ALEA to provide more information about the events of that evening. If the state’s law enforcement agency fails, the city claims it will release the info they have.
1. Former President George H.W. Bush passes and Alabama’s political leaders react
— The former president will be laid to rest on Thursday after a national day of mourning on Wednesday and funerals in Washington D.C. and Houston. His body will be transported on a temporarily renamed Air Force One, which will be called Special Air Mission 41. They will return Bush to Texas on Wednesday after the state funeral and ceremonies.
— Alabama’s political leaders noted the passing of President Bush, who Yellowhammer News noted was an “oil tycoon, a congressman, Ambassador to the United Nations, Republican National Committee Chairman, chief liaison to China, Director of Central Intelligence and Vice President.” Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) said, “President George H.W. Bush was a true American statesman and hero. He dedicated his life to serving the country he loved for more than 70 years. From a young Naval aviator shot down in WWII to Commander-in-Chief, President Bush led our nation with integrity, honor, and measure.”
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