7. New “Voice of the Auburn Tigers”
- On Monday, Auburn Sports Properties and Auburn Athletics announced that Andy Burcham will take over as the new “Voice of the Auburn Tigers,” a position that was previously held by the late Rod Bramblett.
- Burcham said that he’s thrilled about being selected, but “it’s a bittersweet time and I wish the circumstances created this opportunity were different, I am honored to be following in the footsteps of such legends as Rod Bramblett, Jim Fyffe, and others.”
6. Changes to the school calendar could happen for reasons unknown
- State Representative Steve Hurst (R-Munford) has been advocating for changing the school schedule in Alabama that would allow students to have summer vacation between Memorial Day and Labor Day, but after appearing on “The Dale Jackson Show,” it became very clear that Hurst doesn’t know if a longer summer vacation would actually improve education.
- Hurst’s main concern is students being able to get summer jobs and students getting skilled training that aren’t going to college, but during the interview, Hurst admitted, “I didn’t say it would get better, and you didn’t say it would get better, and the polls don’t say it’ll get better, what the polls say is it hasn’t improved.”
5. Roy Moore loves his social issues
- California wants to require at least one person “who self-identifies her gender as a woman” on the boards of companies located in their state. U.S. Senate candidate and former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore is having none of it.
- The governor of California, at the time, questioned the legality of the law, but he signed it anyway. Moore says this signals how out of touch California is, stating, “What else can you expect out of California? This will lead to all kinds of problems in an age where people are picking a different gender every other day. They are the model state of liberalism in America and we should not follow their lead.”
4. Steve Marshall is returning gambling money
- Bruce Pettway, the brother of Jefferson County sheriff, had his lawyers file a lawsuit in July against Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office claiming that Marshall’s office illegally seized $240,000 from a bank account due to $150,000 being deposited into the account from Pettway’s bingo operations.
- Now, Marshall has agreed to grant Pettway access to all but $15,500 of the funds that were seized, which was decided after Chief United States District Judge Karon Bowdre wrote that it was possible the state’s “actions against plaintiffs were politically or personally motivated, have been procedurally tainted, were all with intent to harass plaintiffs and were all in bad faith.”
3. People linked to Jeffrey Epstein should be worried
- While it appears it may in fact be suicide by his own hand, Epstein’s legal case may have legs that stretch further than most think. Attorney General William Barr made it clear that there were “serious irregularities” and announced, “Any co-conspirators should not rest easy.”
- Epstein’s “pedophile island” was raided, which signals ongoing investigations. This could mean there are asset forfeiture plans in place or even that there could be additional arrests.
2. Hit the brakes on I-10
- U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) wants to see the I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project paused so that the people of Alabama can be heard. He added that he doesn’t think state officials have listened to the people and their concerns with the current plan.
- Despite the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) being willing to work with Byrne, he said that he’s been working with other state officials in an attempt to “fix” the project, however, Allison Gregg, ALDOT spokeswoman, previously sent an email saying that the “support of all elected leaders is vital” toward the Bridge and Bayway project being a reality.
1. Donald Trump getting tougher on immigration
- On Monday, the Trump administration announced that now federal officials will be able to deny green cards to immigrants that are more likely to rely on government assistance, which is meant to further ensure that more self-sufficient immigrants are granted residency.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) acting Director Ken Cuccinelli told Fox News that this move “will also have the long-term benefit of protecting taxpayers by ensuring people who are immigrating to this country don’t become public burdens,” adding the new “public charge” will be defined as an immigrant who has received Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, most forms of Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), for more than 12 months within a 36 month period.
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