7 Things: Ivey calls another special session, ALBOE addresses Critical Race Theory, Alabama couple charged for smuggling illegal immigrants and more …

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October 15, 2021

7. Benjamin Crump is representing the family of a woman found in a police car

Christina Nance was found dead in the back of an old police van on October 7, and it’s been determined by the Madison County Coroner Tyler Berryhill that there were no injuries or foul play that resulted in her death. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump has decided to represent Nance’s family.
In his announcement, Crump vowed, “We will get to the truth of what happened to Christina Nance, the young Black woman found dead in the police van in front of the Huntsville Police Department.” The police van that Nance’s body was found in was unused. Huntsville police have announced that they will release a video of Nance entering the vehicle on her own.

6. Lawsuits over exemptions are being heard all over the country

U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman in Fort Worth, Texas, has ruled in favor of United Airlines employees who are seeking a medical or religious exemption from the coronavirus vaccine mandate, allowing a restraining order that prevents the company from putting employees on unpaid leave. United Airlines has about 67,000 employees, and there are roughly 2,000 seeking an exemption. The efforts in this lawsuit are to turn their case into a class-action lawsuit against the airline.
Employees at Los Alamos National Laboratory are also suing over a vaccine mandate at their lab after their exemptions were denied. The employees allege the group that runs the lab for the U.S. Energy Department allegedly created a hostile work environment after the implementation of the mandates. They claim that one employee was yelled at for being unvaccinated and told that his family deserved to die by a coworker.

5. Biden cared about supply shortages before he was in office

While President Donald Trump was still in office, President Joe Biden had no hesitation in criticizing supply shortages that were actually caused by the coronavirus pandemic inducing panic buying and industry shutdowns. At the time, Biden said, “We don’t have a food shortage problem — we have a leadership problem.”
Now, as the United States faces another supply shortage caused by Biden’s vaccine mandate, there are empty shelves at grocery stores, but Biden has not stepped up to solve the issue, and inflation has continued to skyrocket to levels not seen in years.

4. Moderna booster favored by FDA panel for some

A panel of advisors to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration have endorsed a booster shot for those who received the Moderna coronavirus vaccine and are at a higher risk of contracting the virus. The FDA has already approved booster shots for those who got the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, but the booster hasn’t been recommended to the entire population yet — only those at higher risk for contracting the virus and having a severe case.
Interestingly, there may be evidence that shows using multiple vaccine types together could be more beneficial. A National Institutes of Health study shows that people who got a Johnson & Johnson shot with a Moderna booster saw their antibody levels rise increase 76 times within 15 days. Johnson & Johnson users only saw 35 times more antibodies with a Pfizer, and those who received a Johnson & Johnson booster only saw four times more antibodies.

3. Federal charges brought in poultry plant case for the people feeding the plant illegal aliens

The Georgia-based Mar-Jac Poultry plant in Jasper had been investigated under the allegation that they were hiring illegal immigrants to work, and now, Deivin Marquitos Escalante-Vasquez and Crystal Gail Escalante have been convicted for conspiring to transport illegal workers and money laundering.
Under the conviction, the couple is said to have provided housing, identification and transportation for the illegal workers. It’s also been found that the couple was paid about $16 million for their actions. Sentencing won’t take place until February, but the couple is facing a possible 30 years in prison. The plant in question had no idea this was going on, which is totally unbelievable, and faces no penalties.

2. Critical Race Theory banned… again

The Alabama Board of Education has officially banned Critical Race Theory by a 7-2 vote. The contentious issue is being dealt with all over the country, and this meeting was no different than we’ve seen elsewhere. The proponents of Critical Race Theory claimed that it was not being taught in Alabama schools while also arguing that banning it will cause massive harm to race relations and classroom discussions.
State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey made it clear that many of these concerns are unfounded because he believes the measure prevents the teaching that one race or sex is superior while allowing for discussion and debate about history and issues in the classroom. Those who oppose this measure always find themselves arguing that no one is teaching CRT but they adamantly defend it anyway.

1. Second special session called

Governor Kay Ivey has called a special session for the Alabama Legislature to handle redistricting in the state. This was anticipated since new lines are drawn every 10 years for the congressional districts. The special session will start on October 28, 2021, but most of the work on this redistricting will be done before the session starts.
There still has been no formal call for a special session to address vaccine mandates, an issue Governor Ivey has been silent on. Many were hoping this would come up, since the deadline for many to be fully vaccinated is November 22 and people are losing their jobs every single day in the state.