7 Things: Ivey’s latest mask order has fans and enemies, Sen. Shelby backs Amy Coney Barrett, Trump reiterates his rebuke of white supremacists and more …

7. Ivey has apologized to 16th Street Baptist Church survivor

• Governor Kay Ivey has officially apologized to Sarah Collins Rudolph, who was a survivor of the 16^th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963, which comes after Rudolph requested an apology and restitution from the state.
• In her letter, Ivey said that “there should be no question that the racist, segregationist rhetoric used by some of our leaders during that time was wrong.” She also recognized that the families and Rudolph “suffered an egregious injustice that has yielded untold pain and suffering over the ensuing decades.” Ivey went on to say that her apology is “an apology that I extend today without hesitation or reservation.”

6. There will be new rules for the next debate

• After the first presidential debate was nothing short of a “dumpster fire” as Jake Tapper put it on CNN, the Commission on Presidential Debates will be making some formatting changes before the next debate to provide a more civil debate.
• The commission issued a statement saying that the “debate made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues.” They’re “considering the changes” that could be made, and will announce them once a decision is reached. The commission also said that they’re “grateful to Chris Wallace for the professionalism and skill he brought to last night’s debate and intends to ensure that additional tools to maintain order are in place for the remaining debates.”

5. James Comey didn’t know anything about his job

• Recently declassified information indicates that the folks investigating the Trump campaign in 2016 knew the predicate for their investigation was bogus and was created by the political operation of Hillary Clinton to distract from her email controversy. This information itself has been called Russian misinformation by Clinton allies because, of course, it was.
• This information was included in a criminal referral to the FBI, but when asked about this and whether he properly investigated it on Capitol Hill Wednesday, former FBI Director James Comey said that doesn’t “ring a bell” and he knows nothing of U.S. intelligence officials forwarding an investigative referral about Clinton approving “a plan concerning U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections.”

4. Trump has clarified his statements

• During the first presidential debate, President Donald Trump was asked to denounce the white supremacy group Proud Boys, to which he said “stand back and stand by,” and was quickly criticized for not condemning white supremacy properly, but he’s now clarified his statements.
• Trump said that he doesn’t “know who the Proud Boys are,” and added that he “can only say they have to stand down and let law enforcement do their work.”

3. Shelby will support Amy Coney Barrett

• After meeting with Judge Amy Coney Barrett, U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) has said that he’s “confident that she is the right choice to serve on the Supreme Court.”
• Shelby also highlighted that she’s “exceptionally qualified” to be on the Supreme Court and brought up that she holds “strong conservative values and a deep commitment to our Constitution.” By comparison, U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) has already said he plans to vote “no” on Barrett’s confirmation.

2. Mask mandate extended

• As expected, Governor Kay Ivey has extended the Safer at Home order, which includes the statewide mask mandate, until November 8, with some minor changes to the order. Starting on Friday, October 2, those living in nursing homes or staying in hospitals will be allowed to have one in-person visitor at a time.
• Ivey made it clear that part of the focus with extending the mandate is to ensure that people can vote in person safely on November 3. Ivey also mentioned that she hopes the state can soon go back to a “personal responsibility” standard instead of a mandate when it comes to masks.

1. Not everyone is in favor of mandatory masks

• As Governor Kay Ivey has announced extending the Safer at Home order and the statewide mask mandate, Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth has voiced his opposition to mandatory masks, saying they should be “voluntary.”
• Ainsworth also voiced that he’s against economic shutdowns. He went on to say that he does support wearing masks, but statewide mandates for masks are “an overstep that infringes upon the property rights of business owners and the ability of individuals to make their own health decisions.”