51 F
Mobile
42.9 F
Huntsville
46.8 F
Birmingham
46.1 F
Montgomery

7 Things: Trump headed back to Alabama, schools start to put the masks back on, $1 trillion infrastructure deal seems good to go and more …

7. The first U.S. Senator who was vaccinated tests positives for the coronavirus

  • U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has announced that he tested positive for the coronavirus after experiencing “flu-like symptoms Saturday night.” Graham will be in quarantine for 10 days, but said that his symptoms remain “mild.”
  • Graham has continued to advocate for the coronavirus vaccine, saying that if he wasn’t vaccinated, he’s sure he’d have more severe symptoms. It’s always been expected that some vaccinated people would still get the virus but that their cases would be more mild or asymptomatic.

6. No COVID-19 testing for illegal aliens before they are dispersed

  • As the nation is gripped by another outbreak of the coronavirus, public health officials and their media lapdogs insist it is your fault for not masking up and being vaccinated, and the Biden administration is welcoming illegal immigrants into the nation without testing them before they release them across the country.
  • A senior Customs and Border Protection official told the Washington Examiner, on the condition of anonymity, “Illegal immigrants] aren’t tested at encounter. [Unaccompanied children] and family units are moved out of custody quickly. If they are infected and do not have obvious symptoms, they are sent out.” Additionally, Chris Cabrera of the National Border Patrol Council, said, “[M]ajority of people in Border Patrol custody are not tested.”

5. Sheriff Blakely convicted on corruption charges

  • Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely has been convicted on two felony corruption charges and was taken to jail after the conviction was given. The charges were for theft and using his position for personal gain.
  • Blakely was not guilty on the other eight counts of theft and use of position for personal gain that was considered. Since there were initially 13 charges, the defense attorney for Blakely, Mark McDaniel, has already said that they’ll appeal the decision.

4. $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan released

  • A $1 trillion infrastructure package has been announced by U.S. Senators in a bipartisan effort to compromise. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has said that a final vote could be taken “in a matter of days.”
  • The plan has been called “great for the American people” by U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH). There’s likely to be funding for $110 billion on roads and bridges, $66 billion for rail, $55 billion for water and wastewater, and $39 billion for public transportation.

3. Alabama school mask guidance outlined

  • While there isn’t a statewide mandate for masks in schools, the Alabama Department of Public Health has officially put out guidance on what schools should do in terms of masking. They’ve said that masks “will allow more students to remain in school, more parents and grandparents to remain and work and most importantly prevent an outbreak in the school that could spread to the community at large.”
  • There will still be a quarantine period for those who test positive for the coronavirus, as well as those who are in close contact with someone who has the virus. The only way a student can avoid quarantining due to being in contact with someone is if both people were wearing a mask, or if they’ve recovered from the virus in the last three months and are asymptomatic, or if they’re vaccinated and asymptomatic. Contact tracing is also being encouraged in schools.

2. Mask mandates returning to Alabama campuses one by one

  • Auburn University has started requiring that masks be worn by everyone on campus again. The school has said that this is due to the increase of coronavirus cases and the Delta variant. Classes don’t start for the fall until August 16, and this rule will apply to both vaccinated and unvaccinated people on campus. The school has not adjusted its plans for classes this fall, though. The schools going with mask mandates for the fall include Auburn and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The University of Alabama, Troy and the University of North Alabama have not reinstated mask orders.
  • In K-12 schools, Madison, Arab and Homewood have all changed their strategies for masking after the ADPH guidance came out. Expect more to follow suit.

1. Trump is coming to Cullman

  • On August 21, the York Family Farms will host an event with President Donald Trump, according to an announcement from the Alabama Republican Party. York Family Farms is located in Cullman, and Trump will appear at 7 p.m. and the event starts at 5 p.m.
  • Trump has already visited Alabama on a number of occasions, including rallies held in Mobile, Madison, and Huntsville, and he also attended the 2019 Alabama-LSU football game. Tickets for the event in Cullman are available on the Alabama Republican Party website.

Don’t miss out!  Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.