7 Things: Supply chain issues coming down the tracks (maybe); Shelby, Tuberville say “no” to Graham abortion bill; and more …

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September 15, 2022

7. More details in the Casey White/Vicky White relationship are available

Before the corrections officer and the convict made a run for it on April 29, Casey White and Vicky White (no relation) had 949 phone calls between. The calls showed a growing relationship and even phone sex between August 2021 and Feb. 22, 2022, according to Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton.

This sordid saga ended when Vicky White helped her jailbird boyfriend escape, which led to a nationwide manhunt that ended in Evansville, Ind., on May 9. After a chase and crash, Vicky White killed herself and Casey White was taken into custody.

6. Human trafficking driver arrested in Alabama

It’s been announced that Jeremy Dickens was arrested in Alabama, and authorities have said that he was the driver for a large human trafficking organization. Court filings in Mobile federal court have claimed that the organization smuggled hundreds of people across the border, placing many people in suitcases or in the back of tractor trailers, and other horrible conditions.
The court filing also states Dickens and other drivers were paid about $2,500 for every person they brought across the border. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “The Justice Department will continue to bring our full resources to bear to combat the human smuggling and trafficking groups that endanger our communities, abuse and exploit migrants, and threaten our national security.”

5. Zero arrests have been made in attacks against pro-life establishments

After the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, there were at least 18 attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers, some of which were faith-based. The attacks were in the form of vandalism and arson. Despite these attacks, there have been no arrests made on any of the attacks.
The FBI has said that they’re currently investigating the “series of attacks and threats targeting pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations, and reproductive health clinics across the country, as well as judicial buildings, including the U.S. Supreme Court.” The FBI has been investigating some of these attacks since June, and the FBI has said, “The incidents are being investigated as potential acts of domestic violent extremism, FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Act violations or violent crime matters, depending on the facts of each case.”

4. Aderholt will support pharmacists not assisting with abortions

U.S. Representative Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) has stated his support for pharmacists who would go against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advice and refuse to fill elective abortion prescriptions. Aderholt showed this support by cosponsoring the “Pharmacist Conscience Protection Act.”
Aderholt has said, “Pharmacists should not the forced to surrender their First Amendment rights of religious freedom because of radical policies from the Biden Administration. It’s unfortunate that we need conscience protections like these, but it’s the only way to keep the overbearing Biden Administration from forcing private citizens to violate strongly held convictions.”

3. Possible conflicts in Tuberville’s financial trades

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Auburn) stock trading has been analyzed by The New York Times and criticized for 20 “possible conflicts” of interest in his trading. Tuberville has previously been criticized for some of this financial activity.
One of the listed conflicts was with Hershey stock, since Tuberville serves on Senate Agriculture Committee and Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management and Trade. Tuberville has said his financial advisors make trade decisions, and he doesn’t “limit them to anything, what they can do, what they can’t do. I give them money, say to them: ‘I’m in public service now; you do it. Don’t lose it all!’”

2. Tuberville and Shelby aren’t supporting Graham’s abortion play

While U.S. Sens. Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) are both pro-life, they have not voiced if they will support a new effort from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to ban abortion at 15 weeks nationally.
Shelby and Tuberville’s office had similar comments, with Shelby’s office stating, “Senator Shelby believes that human life is a gift that should be cherished and protected, particularly when it comes to the unborn. Throughout his time in Congress, Senator Shelby has supported pro-life values and ideals and plans to continue to do so for the remainder of his career.”

1. More supply chain issues are possible but unlikely, now

While President Joe Biden was in Michigan touting the power of labor unions, there could be a rail union strike coming that could wreck our supply chain as the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 19 had turned down negotiation offers. If an agreement isn’t reached by Sept. 29, the union has said that they will likely go on strike. Amtrak had already closed Alabama train routes ahead of the strike. In the U.S. Senate, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) scuttled a bill meant to avert the strike.
As of now, the strike may be avoided as a tentative deal was met overnight. Alabama Trucking Association president and CEO Mark Colson has said if IAM ultimately decides to go on strike, supply chains will suffer. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) has also said if a strike happens, “We’ll lose, in this country, $2 billion worth of supplies a day. Our supply chain is already in trouble because of the pandemic. But with this group going down with the train system completely shutting down, it would cost our farmers in Alabama tremendous amounts of money.”