7 Things: The list of those infected with Trump grows as he gets better, Alabama schools have to spend CARES Act funding soon, Jones goes on the attack nationally and more …

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October 5, 2020

7. Alabama high school closes over coronavirus

Cottonwood High School in South Alabama will be closed because multiple members of the faculty and staff have either tested positive for the coronavirus or been in contact with someone who has.
This comes after Cottonwood High School had already canceled last Friday’s football game and noted in a Facebook post that there were a “large amount of students” that were “quarantined at this time.”

6. More jobs for Alabama

Through new economic development projects, 510 jobs will be created in Huntsville and there will be a $71 million investment into the community through eight companies.
Mayor Tommy Battle spoke about the investments, saying, “With COVID-19, this has certainly been a challenging year, but in spite of all that is happening, Huntsville still continues to see job growth in all parts of our city.”

5. Census deadline extended

The deadline to fill out the 2020 U.S. Census has officially been extended to October 31 to help keep states from being undercounted.
Currently, officials across Alabama are trying to get more participation from citizens, since there is congressional representation and federal funding at risk as Alabama remains underreported.

4. Jones holds campaign rally in Tuskegee

Just before the weekend, U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) traveled to Tuskegee to hold a drive-in campaign rally for his reelection, and while Jones did wish President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump well in recovering from the coronavirus, he also criticized some of his comments during the first presidential debate.
Jones fed angry Democrats what they wanted as he hit Trump for not condemning white supremacy during the debate, which is not true. During the Alabama/Texas A&M game, he ran a national TV ad attacking his GOP opponent Tommy Tuberville for his time as a coach in a move that is sure to please the national audience, potential donors and media, but unlikely to have much of an impact among voters.

3. Schools still have some federal money to spend

Out of the CARES Act funding that Alabama received, $170 million for K-12 schools still needs to be spent before December 30, otherwise, the funding will be returned to the federal government. The money was sent to the Alabama State Department of Education by Governor Kay Ivey for $100 million to be spent on distance learning equipment and $70 million on health costs.
Director of School Superintendents of Alabama Ryan Hollingsworth has said that the deadline causes concern since it is “a short period of time” to spend the funding and “only takes us through half a school year.”

2. The list continues to grow

After President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus, the list of those who have also tested positive after being in close contact has continued to grow. The list now includes Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former White House senior advisor Kellyanne Conway.
Also tested positive are U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Ron Johnson (R-WI), assistant Nicholas Luna, three White House reporters, a White House staffer and President of Notre Dame Rev. John Jenkins.

1. Trump hospitalized but improving

President Donald Trump was hospitalized at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center after being diagnosed with the coronavirus and experiencing mild symptoms. This move was said to just be a precaution, and more recent reports have shown he’s improving after his doctor noted that his blood oxygen level dropping twice, but Trump has “continued to improve.”
In a move that riled the media and their Democrats, President Trump decided to leave quarantine and do a drive-by for his supporters who came to the hospital to show their support. The move was approved by his doctors and attacked by his detractors.