7. NCAA starts shutting down tournaments as coronavirus panic continues
- As the World Health Organization refers to the coronavirus outbreak as a “pandemic,” which the media has been doing for weeks, more big gatherings, festivals, classes, parades and other events will now not be happening.
- The NCAA Basketball Tournament and various conference tournaments, including the Southeastern Conference after initially resisting, have now all announced they are not allowing crowds.
6. “Born-alive” bill approved by State House committee
- The bill by State Representative Ginny Shaver (R-Leesburg) that would protect babies that survive attempted abortions and require doctors to give them proper medical attention has been approved by the Alabama House Judiciary Committee.
- Shaver has explained, “There is no such thing as a post-birth abortion. … That’s infanticide.” But State Representatives Merika Coleman (D-Birmingham) and Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa) have taken issue with the bill because they’re yet to see a need for this kind of legislation in Alabama. England argued that women and doctors are “demonized” in the bill.
5. Businesses don’t like a bill, so the media likes them now
- A group of 40 businesses, including some with ties to Alabama, signed a letter in opposition to the bill in Alabama that would make it illegal for doctors to prescribe hormone blockers to transgender minors.
- The letter is also against other legislation across the nation, and says that this legislation “would harm our team members ad their families, stripping them of opportunities and make them feel unwelcome and at risk in their own communities.”
4. Sanders to keep going
- Despite his second big loss in the U.S. Democratic presidential primary, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has said that he will continue his campaign and do “everything in my power” to beat President Donald Trump.
- Sanders also directed attention toward former Vice President Joe Biden indicating that Biden only has the “older” vote, and he needs “to win the voters who represent the future of our country and you must speak to the issues of concern to them.”
3. Ivey puts out protocols for government agencies for the coronavirus outbreak
- In preparation for a yet-to-happen coronavirus outbreak in Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey has released protocols for government agencies to follow. Most of them are very similar to what the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has already released.
- Ivey has also said that departments all need to make sure they are able to continue on with business and that while there are no cases in Alabama, “we must be vigilant in our efforts to be as prepared as possible should this illness affect our state.”
2. No surprise that the Trump endorsement matters
- A Club for Growth poll shows that President Donald Trump’s endorsement of former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville may have just made a huge difference in the Alabama 2020 U.S. Senate race against former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
- In the poll, with Trump endorsing Tuberville 58% of voters picked Tuberville, 34% of people picked Sessions and 8% remained undecided, but Sessions has responded to the endorsement saying that he’ll always support the Trump agenda. He added, “We are Alabama. Nobody tells us how to vote or what to do.”
1. Trump lays out coronavirus plan in address to the nation
- President Donald Trump addressed the nation last night to attempt to comfort a nation spooked by a coronavirus outbreak by announcing a European travel ban, United Kingdom excluded, an attempt to create an economic stimulus plan that will calm the panic we are seeing in the market and slow the damage to the economy, a plan for paid sick leave and target small business loans to help cope with the coming fallout.
- Trump sought to comfort the nation by adding, “History has proven time and time again, Americans always rise to the challenge and overcome adversity.” However, the cat is out of the bag and we are in a full-blown panic.
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