1. President Donald Trump goes after Russia and expels 60 diplomats, Russia vows to retaliate
— The Trump administration’s expulsion of the diplomats, and the closing of a Seattle consulate, signify the toughest stand against Russia thus far.
— Russia responded by asking Twitter users how to respond, specifically followers of the Russian Embassy were asked “What U.S. Consulate General would you close?”
2. Alabama’s schools aren’t great, the state’s superintendent called this out
— While Alabama graduation rate is 87 percent, while only 66 percent of kids are ready for college, Richardson says this misleads graduates and parents.
— Former Governor Bentley declared that, on a whole, Alabama’s school system “sucks” and that didn’t go over very well.
3. The last few days of the Alabama Legislature could be ugly
— This legislative session has been rather uneventful, as are most election year sessions.
— With two days left, there could be moves to get bills on racial profiling, changes to the treatment of those pursuing economic development deals in the state, but most school security laws seem dead.
4. Alabama Democrats may think they can win a special election today, Democrats from out of state want to help
— Late State Representative Jim Patterson’s seat in Huntsville and Madison County is up for grabs between Former police chief Rex Reynolds and retired educator Terry Jones.
— Democrats from outside of Alabama have been sending creative postcards to people in the district imploring them to vote for Jones.
5. Stock market rebounds, China decides they want to buy American computer chips
— After weeks of volatility after reaching all-time highs the stock market saw a major spike of 669 points today, where it regained half of its losses.
— The largest gain since 2008 has led many to believe the fears of a trade war might be overblown as China and the U.S. try to work out a deal.
6. Trump’s low numbers may not be all that fatal to the GOP after all
— While Trump’s approval numbers are not great, the fact is that at this time in their presidency Trump only trails Reagan and Obama by four points.
— A recent report by the Brennan Center for Justice indicated that Democrats need to win by 11 points nationally to take back the House, generic polling only has them up six.
7. The “March for Our Lives” kids aren’t done yet, they have a lot of money
— No matter what your politics are, you have to admit this event was a success. The event this weekend drew massive crowds and is impacting public policy and opinion.
— The organization of this event cost over $5 million dollars, but the group who put it on still has “several million dollars” they plan to use on lobbying.
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