7. Clanton Mayor Billy Joe Driver passes away
- After being diagnosed with the coronavirus, Clanton Mayor Billy Joe Driver has died from the virus at 84-years-old, which was confirmed by Mayor Pro-Tem Bobby Cook.
- Driver had been hospitalized since last week, and his daughter said earlier that he hadn’t been allowed visitors. The Clanton Fire Department said that Driver’s “love for our city runs deep and he will be greatly missed by many!”
6. Pelosi just doesn’t care about monuments
- Based on the lack of attention or even comments made about what’s happened in her own district, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has made it pretty clear that she doesn’t care if people tear down monuments, and now she’s basically saying just that.
- Now in Baltimore, protesters took down a statue of Christopher Columbus, and when asked about the situation at a news conference, Pelosi said, “People will do what they do.” She added that she thinks “that from a safety standpoint it would be a good idea to have it taken down if the community doesn’t want it.”
5. Football is slipping away across the country — The SEC is next
- The Ivy League has canceled fall sports and the Big 10 has decided its teams will only play in-conference football games this year in a move that makes it more unlikely that any football will be played during the upcoming fall. The Pac 12, ACC and Big 12 are expected to follow suit.
- The SEC has not made a decision at this point, but one is expected in late July. With all the other conferences saying they will not play these games, it seems unlikely that non-conference games will be played because we have decided that Florida playing Kentucky is far more dangerous than Florida vs Florida State for some reason.
4. Investigation launched into U.S. Army handout
- U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) took issue with flyers that were distributed by U.S. Army officials at Redstone Arsenal that said President Donald Trump’s MAGA slogan was “covert white supremacy,” and now there will be an investigation into said flyers and how they were used.
- Army spokesperson Cynthia O. Smith said that they started an investigation “as soon as Department of the Army leaders were made aware of these products.” She insisted, “The Army is and will continue to remain an apolitical organization,” adding the materials in question were “copied from a non-government website.”
3. Sewell alleged to have used campaign funds improperly
- A report by Roll Call has been released about members of Congress that have used campaign funds to pay dues for social clubs, and U.S. Representative Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) was featured in the report for spending $9,000 at City Club Birmingham in the last three years.
- Campaign funds can be used on fundraisers and campaign-related meals, but a significant amount of the funds Sewell spent at the club were on membership fees, which is prohibited by the Federal Election Commission. It’s detailed that “Sewell’s campaign spent more than $2,800 on dues to City Club Birmingham and $222 in similar fees to The City Club of Washington, both of which are owned by ClubCorp USA Inc.” However, Sewell’s campaign told Yellowhammer News that the expenditures were all legal.
2. More than 2,000 coronavirus cases in one day
- Alabama continues to see a surge in new coronavirus cases, and a new record has been set by seeing 2,164 new cases in one day. Jefferson County has seen 343 new cases and Madison County saw an increase of 287 cases. The overall statewide count is now 48,588 cases.
- The positive test percentage is also up to 14.6%, up from 11%. Currently, 1,110 people are hospitalized with the virus.
1. Senate Pro Tem Marsh’s comments on coronavirus draw scrutiny
- State Senator Del Marsh (R-Anniston) appears less concerned about the coronavirus spike in the state than most public health officials, stating, “I’m not as concerned as much as the number of cases — and in fact, quite honestly — I want to see more people, because we start reaching an immunity as more people have it and get through it.”
- Marsh obviously is talking about the oft-discussed herd immunity, an idea that is being treated as a non-existent thing by the media today, but if it does not exist in some form, then a vaccine is irrelevant. Most seem to believe a vaccine is possible soon, even though it may not provide immunity forever but any herd immunity is impossible without a vaccine.
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