54 F
Mobile
46.7 F
Huntsville
48.9 F
Birmingham
46 F
Montgomery

7 Things: More troubling information has emerged about the Texas mass shooting, at least one debate runoff will happen and more …

7. Merrill: Mike Lindell has no real accusations

  • Secretary of State John Merrill commented on the accusations by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell about recent elections in Alabama, specifically regarding a lawsuit Lindell filed over the electronic voting machines.
  • Merrill said that this was the 28th time he had been sued as Secretary of State, and added, “The other 27 cases have been adjudicated, and I’m 27-0. Roll Tide. When this one is adjudicated, we’ll be 28-0 because there is no significance to anything that they have claimed and there is nothing we could do different or better than we are currently doing.”

6. Birmingham has fallen to Alabama’s third most populated city

  • The U.S. Census Bureau report for 2021 has shown that Birmingham has fallen to being the third largest city in Alabama, with Montgomery barely surpassing the city. Huntsville remains the largest city with a population of 216,963.
  • Montgomery has reported a population of 198,665, while Birmingham is at 197,575. Mobile remains the fourth largest city with a population of 184,952, and Tuscaloosa is well behind at 100,618.

5. No more monkeying around

  • The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that there are at least nine confirmed cases of monkeypox across the country in seven different states including California, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
  • CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the cases “were identified by local laboratories and triggered local public health action to help with treatment and management of any potential contacts.” Some of those who have recently been diagnosed had just returned from international travel where there were outbreaks of monkeypox.

4. Former Senate candidate and Mike Durant supporter endorses Mo Brooks

  • The first candidate to drop out of the U.S. Senate race, Jessica Taylor, has tossed her support behind the U.S. Senate campaign of U.S Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville). 
  • This endorsement adds more speculation about whether or not Mike Durant intends to get fully involved in the runoff against Katie Britt, who he called “corrupt” after he felt her campaign and allies took him out of the race.

3. There will be a congressional debate; Senate debate not set

  • A debate in the race for U.S. Senate is not set up yet with the runoff election scheduled for June 21. U.S Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) has made it clear he wants one, but Katie Britt has not commented. Congressional candidates for the fifth congressional district, Casey Wardynski and Madison County Commission chair Dale Strong, have agreed to participate in a debate before the election.
  • The debate will be held on June 16 and televised by WHNT-Channel 19. Wardynski released a statement about the debate, saying, “Voters are sick of career politicians who hide behind slick TV ads and refuse to face them where they live and work.” Strong’s statement was that he was participating in the debate. He added, “I hope Dr. Wardynski can join me.”

2. Biden isn’t looking to get rid of the Second Amendment, just gun control

  • President Joe Biden is not considering challenging the Second Amendment as there are calls for more gun control and firearm regulation, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. A bipartisan group of legislators is prepared to meet and discuss background checks and red flag laws.
  • Jean-Pierre said, “The president has been very clear. What he is calling for is common-sense gun reform. That’s it. He’s calling for common-sense gun reform to make sure that if you go to a church, you go to an elementary school, you go to a grocery store that you’re not gunned down. That’s what he’s asking for. We’re not talking about the Second Amendment or doing anything else to get rid of the Second Amendment.”

1. Texas gunman walked in unobstructed; Police response questioned

  • Police in Uvalde, Texas, released an update about the Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers. According to police, the shooter walked into the school through an unlocked door. The shooter was inside the school for about 40-60 minutes before he was shot by Border Patrol.
  • It’s also been reported that citizens standing outside the scene were urging police officers to go into the school, but officers refused. The Wall Street Journal has also released a story about a mother, Angeli Rose Gomez, who rushed into the school to save her children and said, “The police were doing nothing. They were just standing outside the fence. They weren’t going in there or running anywhere.” After Gomez started pleading with officers, demanding they enter the school, she was placed in handcuffs but was eventually released. After being released, Gomez ran into the school to save her children.

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