7 Things: Masks working but ICUs still at risk, Alabama’s budgets are doing OK, Trump and Tuberville have huge leads and more …

7. Space and Rocket Center saved

• After a $250,000 donation was made by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville exceeded the $1.5 million needed to remain open and hold space camp in April 2021.
• Earlier this week, Boeing donated $500,000 to keep the center open. Donations came in from all 50 states and many countries internationally. U.S. Space and Rocket Center CEO and executive director Louie Ramirez said that companies that donated “are true community partners.”

6. There doesn’t seem to be any racism in the death George Floyd 

• The detainment and death of George Floyd led to protests, riots, chaos, carnage, destruction and death across the United States of America after cries of racism and police brutality were used to reinvigorate the Black Lives Matter movement and transform American society, but released video shows no racism of any kind took place.
• Floyd is shown on the tap as agitated and clearly on drugs as he resists arrest for a long period of time, and he was complaining about having claustrophobia before he was laid on the street at his request.

5. Give everyone a free mask?

• U.S. Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) are both pushing for a “mass distribution” of free masks to be provided through the next coronavirus relief package, and they’ve sent a letter to the leadership in the House and Senate.
• In the letter, they wrote, “[I]t’s time to take masks seriously as one of the more effective interventions we have against the virus.” They also mention in their letter the high cost of testing and contact tracing “and the trillions that we spent on economic relief, masks are a low-cost intervention.”

4. Trump is leading Biden in Alabama

• Morning Consult released polling data recently to show how voters in Alabama may vote in the November general election, and President Donald Trump is still expected to beat former Vice President Joe Biden significantly.
• Trump is currently leading in Alabama with 58%, while Biden is only at 36%. The poll shows 4% of Alabama voters are still undecided. This data isn’t unexpected since Alabama notoriously votes Republican.

3. Tuberville is leading substantially

• A new poll by Morning Consult shows that former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville is leading in the U.S. Senate race against U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) by 17 points, and only 9% of those polls remained undecided.
• Tuberville had support from 52%, compared to Jones at 35%. A previous poll earlier in the year showed Tuberville with a 14% lead over Jones, but Jones’ campaign senior adviser Joe Trippi has disputed this data, saying there’s “no way in hell Doug Jones is down by even double digits.”

2. No budget cuts

• According to Alabama Finance Director Kelly Butler, despite slowed tax revenues throughout the state due to the coronavirus pandemic, there won’t have to be any budget cuts for the state. Some of this could be due to Governor Kay Ivey’s decision to delay the tax deadline to July 15.
• The most recent numbers reported also show that income tax receipts for this year were actually up 0.3% compared to the last fiscal year. Butler said this verifies they “will not have to worry about proration or anything like that in the education budget for fiscal year ’20.”

1. ICU beds are nearing short supply

• Alabama’s State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris says he believes the mask ordinance is working with coronavirus cases starting to level out throughout the state of Alabama, but Intensive Care Unit availability is still an issue.
• Alabama Hospital Association’s Dr. Don Williamson says about 15%, or 238, of Alabama’s ICUs beds are available, but Williamson believes the concern is more about with students returning to schools where the spread could easier reach grandparents, parents and teachers.