7. Huge cold weather day for a large portion of the U.S.; Tuesday’s weather event in Alabama was a general bust
— About 110 million Americans are facing “life-threatening temperatures” because of low temperatures brought by a “polar vortex,” which will bring temperatures as low as negative 28 degrees in Milwaukee and a windchill as low as negative 50 degrees.
— While some schools in Alabama are still closed today, yesterday was a big nothing with one meteorologist in Huntsville apologizing, saying, “I do not like being wrong, but I can admit when I am. I’m sorry that this was a big miss; it wasn’t for lack of effort.”
6. Illegal immigrants who worked at the Trump country club want protection from deportation
— A dozen workers were fired last week for being in the country illegally and working at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. They claim that the managers knew their status, but no reports indicate the president did.
— Some of those illegal aliens showed up in D.C. to ask for an investigation into their hiring where they used false documents. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said he would work to protect them from federal agencies that might impact them “negatively.”
5. An “Empire” actor in Chicago claims he was assaulted by people who told him “this is MAGA country” as they placed a noose around his neck
— Actor Jussie Smollett claims he was attacked in the early morning hours on Tuesday where police say the attackers are accused of “yelling out racial and homophobic slurs” and pouring “an unknown chemical substance on the victim.”
— Police have absolutely no evidence or video that this attack actually took place. The more salacious details of the attack were brought to the police’s attention in their second interview with him after the media covered the story.
4. Michael Bloomberg is worried that the messaging of some 2020 candidates is damaging to Democrats’ plans to unseat the president
— The former mayor of New York said the Medicare for All plans is something the nation can “never afford,” free college tuition is “totally impractical” and he even denounced potential candidate Howard Schultz for running as an independent.
— The messaging by Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is predicated on generally impossible promises of massive government programs that will solve people’s health care, college and income inequality desires.
3. The Bentley/Mason/Collier saga still won’t end — a judge has sent it to mediation
— A lawsuit that involves a number of disgraced Montgomery players is still not over. Montgomery Circuit Judge Greg Griffin ordered the two sides to attempt mediation to resolve the case.
— Former ALEA head Spencer Collier was fired by then-Governor Robert Bentley. Bentley says it was for cause while Collier claimed it was retribution. Collier then decided to claim Bentley was having an affair of some kind with his aide Rebekah Caldwell Mason, which eventually led to Bentley’s resignation.
2. President Donald Trump hits back at Yellowhammer News founder Cliff Sims, which Sims says he expected
— Sims’ new book, “Team of Vipers,” got a big boost when President Trump lashed out at Sims while he was being interviewed on CNN by tweeting that Sims was, “A low-level staffer that I hardly knew named Cliff Sims wrote yet another boring book based on made up stories and fiction. He pretended to be an insider when in fact he was nothing more than a gofer.”
— The Trump campaign says they could be preparing to sue Sims over a violation of a non-disclosure agreement.
1. Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) says President Donald Trump can use the military to build the wall
— Brooks pointed to 10 United States Code 284 while speaking to John Rood, undersecretary of defense for policy, arguing that the president could build a wall to combat drug smuggling. Rood said, “You are correct however that that use of authority would authorize the Secretary of Defense to erect barriers, roads, fencing, those type of materials to disrupt drug smuggling.”
— Brooks followed up by asking, “To build such barriers as are necessary to secure our southern border from drug trafficking and international crime cartels, would the United States military obey that order?” Rood replied, “If we judge it to be a lawful order, yes sir. And I assume it would be.”
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