7. Sporting goods store removes rifles and then lost $150 million
— The change started in February 2018 when Dick’s Sporting Goods announced that it would no longer sell high-powered rifles or sell guns to anyone under 21 years old. It’s now reported that the company has lost $150 million in sales since they removed high-powered rifles. Despite this loss, CEO Ed Stack said, “The system does not work. It’s important that when you know there’s something that’s not working, and it’s to the detriment of the public, you have to stand up.” The company also announced earlier this year that it would remove hunting supplies from select stores as a test run before deciding whether or not to remove the supplies from all stores.
6. A racial row is dividing the Alabama Democratic Party
— In a battle between the old guard of a failing party and the new unlikely United States senator who probably won’t be re-elected. Alabama Democratic Conference Chairman Joe Reed, who has overseen the complete destruction of his party, is calling out Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) and “white people” for the issues facing Alabama Democrats. Reed thinks the national party is giving Jones “another chance” at taking over the party after he failed to unseat him and Chairwoman Nancy Worley. Reed’s comments about white people would be considered inflammatory if the Alabama political media existed. Reed wrote that the problems in the Democratic Party are not his fault. He said, “White people left the democratic party; not blacks.” Reed added, “In 2018 only two white Democrats were elected to the Legislature, one in the House and one in the Senate.”
5. A second woman has accused former Vice President Joe Biden of inappropriate touching
— Amy Lappos is the second woman to accuse Joe Biden of inappropriately touching her. She claims that at a 2009 fundraiser in Greenwich, Connecticut, Biden pulled her in to rub noses with her. Lappos was an aide to Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) at the time. Lappos said, “It wasn’t sexual, but he did grab me by the head. He put his hand around my neck and pulled me in to rub noses with me. when he was pulling me in, I thought he was going to kiss me on the mouth.” Lappos is not accusing Biden of sexual assault, but she has deemed the actions sexist or misogynistic and inappropriate.
4. Trump wants healthcare to be the #1 issue in 2020 for some reason
— The Trump administration is supporting a lawsuit that might take down the entire ObamaCare law. This would fulfill a campaign promise, but it would also create “chaos” in the healthcare market. Republicans seemingly have no plan to address this matter, and President Donald Trump has backed off his plan to address it right now, tweeting, “Everybody agrees that ObamaCare doesn’t work. Premiums & deductibles are far too high – Really bad HealthCare!” and adding that Republicans will totally have a plan ready for a vote that “will be taken right after the Election when Republicans hold the Senate & win […] back the House.”
3. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill continues to call out Senator Jones’ Lying
— Doug Jones has continuously claimed that citizens of Alabama have been victims of voter suppression and that it’s becoming more difficult to vote. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill has responded to these claims by calling them unsubstantiated and that Jones would never have been elected to office if his assertions were true. Jones has also claimed that Republicans “do not want African-Americans and other minorities to vote.” Merrill has time and time again outlined the facts for Jones. He said, “Senator Doug Jones, members of the media, and the hundreds of other educated political elite are entitled to their own opinions but not their own facts!” This is one situation where Jones repeatedly ignores facts to push his own narrative that Republicans don’t want minorities voting.
2. State Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur) is planning for the overturning of Roe v. Wade
— Collins has announced that she is filing a bill that will protect unborn life and attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade by banning abortion in Alabama. The only exception in the legislation would be if the life of the mother is threatened by the pregnancy. Collins referenced the passing of Amendment 2 in November as declaring Alabama a pro-life state and that this legislation is the next logical step in the fight to protect unborn life. Collins’ bill would ban abortions within two weeks of conception, which is the earliest that a pregnancy can be determined. The bill is set to be filed on Tuesday and 63 out of the 105 members of the Alabama House of Representatives have signed on as co-sponsors. However, the ACLU, a known defender of abortion, has said that they will be prepared to sue if the Alabama legislature passes a ban on abortion. The executive director of the ACLU of Alabama claims that bills like this are unconstitutional.
1. President Trump has threatened to shut down the U.S. southern border, which the Chamber of Commerce declares would be catastrophic
— The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has always been pro-illegal immigration. They claim five million jobs and billions of dollars could be at risk if the border is shut down. Regardless, the president has made it clear, saying, “I am not kidding around.” Some are even worried about the tasteless avocados. According to the president and chief executive of Mission Produce Steven Bernard, “You couldn’t pick a worse time of the year because Mexico supplies virtually 100 percent of the avocados in the US right now.” Data from the United States Department of Agriculture also reveals that almost half of the imported vegetables in the U.S. are from Mexico, while 40 percent of the imported fruits are from Mexico. Some would argue that losing these imports for a period of time could negatively impact American citizens, but the bigger picture is that illegal immigration poses a heavier burden to citizens than having to buy more American grown produce.
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