1. Syria has once again gassed its own people; President Donald Trump and the United Nations plan to act
— Dozens are reportedly dead and hundreds are injured by what is being called a gas attack delivered by artillery, but Russia has called it a hoax.
— Syria’s latest attack on men, women and children has drawn international condemnation and Israeli action, with Trump blaming Russia because of their unwavering support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assaad.
2. Political science professors think Gov. Kay Ivey skipping the debate is a good call; they are probably right
— Political commentators, media outlets, and Gov. Ivey’s opponents have decried the governor’s refusal to debate her Republican opponents but political scientists across the state believe it may be a smart move.
— University of Alabama’s Richard Fording told AL.com, “The frontrunner has a lot more to lose and relatively little to gain by debating”, and Cal Jillson of Southern Methodist University told them, “I cannot think of examples where someone refused to debate and there was such an uproar over it which led them to lose.”
3. AG Sessions demands a “zero tolerance policy” at the border, as Alabama’s National Guard may be sent
— After calling the situation at the border “unacceptable”, Sessions warned that those illegally entering the country will face the “full prosecutorial powers” of the Justice Department.
— As President Trump continues to talk about immigration and the National Guard moving to the border, Colonel Jim Hawkins of the Alabama National Guard told WKRG, “We can certainly support this mission if the governor approves it and if we’re asked to participate by the national guard bureau.”
4. Just because Governor Bentley isn’t facing criminal charges, it doesn’t mean his legal problems are over
— All 9 members of the Alabama Supreme Court refused to grant immunity to Governor Robert Bentley, so the case will move forward.
— The next step for this embarrassing matter could be a deposition of the former governor and discovery in the case.
5. President Trump is not going to let liberals and the media take out the head of the Environmental Protection Agency
— Pruitt is facing multiple scandals including travel costs, a condo scandal and security concerns, but Trump feels Pruitt is a target because he has been working on deregulation.
— The president Tweeted his support, “Rent was about market rate, travel expenses OK. Scott is doing a great job!”
6. Journalism schools are worried about Sinclair’s impact on the public’s trust in the media, seriously
— Multiple journalism school deans signed a letter to the president of Sinclair taking the company to task for making local news anchors condemn “fake news”.
— These worries are misplaced. Americans don’t trust the media already, and all Sinclair did was weirdly explained why.
7. North Korea continues to signal willingness to denuclearize; not the first time they have said they’d do this
— Press reports say that the North Korean leader is willing to talk about the matter with Trump in their summit which could take place in May.
— North Korea said it would not go nuclear in 1994, Bush tried in 2005, and Obama didn’t really do anything.
