7 Things: Manchin kills Democrats’ radical abortion bill, Tim James responds to attacks as run-off appears possible and more …

7. New details emerge as Casey White has returned to Alabama

• Now that accused murderer and prison escapee Casey White is back in Lauderdale County jail, new details of his time on the run with lover Vicky White are coming into focus. The couple was caught in Indiana after they paid a homeless man to rent them a motel room and were noticed at a car wash, according to Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton during an interview on “News and Views” on Talk 99.5 in Birmingham. Singleton also noted that he does not believe there was any physical relationship between the two while she was a corrections officer and he was an inmate but interviews with other inmates seemed to make it was clear that she had considered him “hers” and he would receive special treatment in the form of contraband cigarettes and extra food.
• Singleton said after White was returned, “He didn’t say a word and I didn’t really say anything to him. He seemed blank. No emotion. No remorse. Nothing.” Singleton did say about White being at the county jail, “County jails are not designed to house these kinds of inmates of a long-term basis. The shorter period of time we can have someone like Casey White in there, the better off we are.”

6. More jobs coming to Alabama

• Aluminum provider Novelisannounced that it will be investing $2.5 billion in Baldwin County and creating 1,000 new jobs for its low-carbon recycling and rolling plant. The project is expected to take about two and a half years, with work starting in 2025. The competition was intense for the project with other Alabama cities in the mix for the facility, as well.
• President and CEO of Novelis Steve Fisher announced the new jobs and facility, and added, “Through this investment, we are making a demonstrative commitment to continue to grow alongside our customers and meet their needs for low-carbon, highly sustainable aluminum solutions.” Governor Kay Ivey reacted to the news, stating, “Novelis will launch a high-tech aluminum mill that will generate significant economic impacts throughout the region for generations.”

5. Pro-life centers vandalized; Protests outside Supreme Court homes continue

• So far, there have been at least five pro-life pregnancy centers that have been targeted by vandals now that it’s expected the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade. Most recently, the First Care Women’s Health facility in Manassas, Virginia, was vandalized with “fake clinic,” “abortion is a right” and “liars” spray-painted on the outside of the building. Another facility in Denton, Texas, was tagged with “forced birth is murder.” Another facility has been set on fire, while some have suffered more paint vandalization and broken windows.
• Last night, there were protests staged outside of the six conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices’ homes, which include Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, John Roberts, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito. The “Walk-by Wednesday” event was organized by the group “Ruth Sent Us.”

4. Somehow the Biden administration seems to be touting .02% drop in inflation

• Surprisingly, the Biden administration appears to be taking a victory lap of sorts as inflation only hit 8.3% down from 8.5% in the previous month. This massive .02% drop is being touted as progress in the fight against inflation. Biden said, “While it is heartening to see that annual inflation moderated in April, the fact remains that inflation is unacceptably high. As I said yesterday, inflation is a challenge for families across the country and bringing it down is my top economic priority.”
• This silliness by the leaders of the country is made worse by the broad acceptance that Biden’s policies absolutely made this issue worse. Some argue about the degree, but no one questions it. In fact, the drop here isn’t because of anything Biden and his team did but, like the drop in the deficit, it was because of what he was stopped from doing.

3. Tim James says he can’t destroy a school system that has been destroyed already

• As recent polling shows Tim James in a potential run-off with incumbent Governor Kay Ivey, the gubernatorial candidate continues to push the issue of school choice for parents in Alabama after it failed to pass in the last legislative session. Critics have said giving parents a choice on schools would destroy the public school system by diverting resources to parents and other educational options.
• When asked about this, James responded to what he called “attacks” from the “education establishment” by stating, “I’m not going to destroy it. It’s already been destroyed. So, the same guys that are saying that we’re going to destroy it are the guys that have been in charge, and it has been in destruction right now because we’re at the bottom of the barrel.”

2. Only weeks before the primary, Ivey needs to be prepared for a runoff

• The primary is set for May 24, and new Cygnal polling released for the gubernatorial election in Alabama shows that Governor Kay Ivey will likely have to prepare for a runoff, gaining only 40% in the survey.
• Candidate and businessman Tim James was the second most popular choice at 17.9%, former ambassador to Slovenia Lindy Blanchard was at 14.6%, followed by Lew Burdette at 5.8%, Dean Odle with 3.5% and Dean Young with 0.6%. According to this survey, 13.8% of voters are still undecided, while 3.5% are choosing another candidate.

1. Manchin stopped Democrats from enacting another radical policy

• Last week, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) praised U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) for having “saved America” from his Democrat colleagues, and it looks like he has done it again. Manchin prevented another radical policy from passing the U.S. Senate after he voted against legislation that would legalize abortion nationally. He did make it clear that he would be open to a national law on this issue — just not this version. U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) suggested the same.
• Manchin said that the Women’s Health Protection Act that they’re currently considering “is not Roe v. Wade codification, it is an expansion. It wipes 500—500 state laws off the books. It expands abortion.” He went on to say, “I would vote for Roe v. Wade codification if it was today, I was hopeful for that. But I found out yesterday in caucus that wasn’t going to be.”