7 Things: Small effort to stop illegal immigration works; 12-year-old murder victim laid to rest; and more …

7. Rep. Carl wants Biden to stop messing with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

• When President Joe Biden started raiding America’s petroleum stockpile, many correctly pointed out that the action was one of political expedience and not one meant to actually address supply issues. Releasing the oil into the market would have minimal impact but, politically, it would appear to be doing something.
• U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl appeared on Fox Businesses this morning and made it clear that he wants this reserve refilled and he doesn’t want it used for political reasons, “It’s not for the purpose of raising or lowering the fuel prices for the consumers. It’s for our national defense, and we’ve got to hold the president’s feet to the fire on that. He used it for political purposes, bringing the prices down for election time.”

6. Ethics violations lead to suspension of Blount County judge

• Judge Steven D. King has now been suspended from the bench over allegations stemming from anonymous letters mailed to local media outlets alleging various wrongdoings by local elected officials. There were no allegations being made against the judge, King was the one sending the documents.
• Not only is it alleged that King sent the items to media outlets, but he also demanded the resignation of two county commissioners based on the mailing he himself sent. The Alabama Court of the Judiciary will hear the case and could remove Judge King from the bench already.

5. No, Joe, No

• The current president is not a popular guy, not only do the average Americans not appreciate his job performance, many think he is making things worse, and now even Democrats are saying he needs to announce he is not running. A recent USA Today/ Suffolk University poll finds 67% do not want Biden to run again.
• But Biden is not the only former president that Americans are ready to move on from. The poll shows 69% of Americans are done with Trump, compared to 67% saying they don’t want Biden to run again. In this poll, 4 people out of 1,000 said 80 is the right age to be president.

4. Flight chaos continues and Birmingham is affected

• Southwest Airlines continues to cause problems for American travelers across the country. Thursday saw 58% of their flights canceled, a total of 2,350 flights and bringing the weekly total to more than 10,000 total flights affected.
• Alabama is not immune from Southwest’s issues, Kim Hunt, a spokesperson for the Birmingham Airport Authority, said there were 10 canceled outgoing flights and 9 canceled arrivals yesterday. Those affected include a bride and a man expecting a heart transplant.

3. Alabama’s water issues subsiding

• After the severe winter storms across the state of Alabama, there were busted pipes, rolling blackouts, and water issues due to usage spikes partially brought on by faucets that were left leaking overnight to prevent ice buildup.
• The restoration of water service across the state is now in full swing and returning to normal. But in some places, there is more pain to be felt. Lauderdale County, where pumping stations will be shut down until 10 a.m. today while repairs are made, and other areas of the state will still see some low-pressure issues and service problems for a while longer while service is restored.

2. Family buries 12-year-old murdered in senseless Birmingham violence

• While the year of record homicides is almost over in Birmingham, the pain will go on for years. Audriana Pearson, the 12-year-old who was killed in a hail of gunfire during a drive-by shooting while sleeping next to her friends, was laid to rest as mourners passed by her casket.
• Ja’Von Eric Wilson and Jarei Lamar Vance have been charged with capital murder in Pearson’s death. The pastor at Greater Grace Baptist Church gave the girl’s mother  $1,000 to start a foundation in her daughter’s name, saying, “I don’t believe God sent her here for 12 years for her to be forgotten.”

1. Attempting to stop illegal immigration stops illegal immigration

• The Biden administration is working hard on the issue of illegal immigration, but they are not working to actually stop illegal immigration, they are trying to create more. The administration is going further than just being disinterested in enforcing the law, they are working to stop those who are trying to address the issue.
• For those actually putting some effort into border enforcement, it is working. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is leaning in on his efforts to stop the flow where he can. Abbott tweeted, “Texas is adding shipping containers to the US-Mexico border in El Paso. This is in addition to the razor wire and National Guard. Together, the strategies are causing illegal immigration at that location to plummet.”