7. Alabama resident arrested for terrorist ties
- Nayef Qashou is being held in a Montgomery detention facility after being found out through a long FBI terrorism probe. Qashou was found to be an Islamic State (ISIS) supporter and is being charged with destroying records and lying to the FBI.
- Qashou was asked to carry out attacks for ISIS in the United States, and he said that he would only carry out an attack if it was against U.S. soldiers. But he also offered his service to ISIS to “drive fuel trucks, feed troops, and use a gun to defend against U.S.-led attacks against ISIS.”
6. Tommy Battle has announced his reelection
- On Wednesday, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle announced that he will be campaigning for a fourth term as Huntsville’s mayor, which was expected after news that he had an announcement to make was made public last week.
- At his announcement, Battle spoke about the things already accomplished and ongoing improvements made while he’s been mayor, and he noted that while Huntsville is projected to become the largest city in the state within five years, Battle wants “to be the best, and not just in Alabama.”
5. Whistleblower complaint about Trump phone call with a foreign leader
- A whistleblower has alleged that during a phone call between President Donald Trump and a “foreign leader” that a concerning promise was made, but acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire has refused to share details about it with lawmakers because he said it did not meet the “urgent need” standard.
- This argument will boil down to one of executive power and the Deep State, and whether the president of the United States has the power to conduct business as he sees fit on foreign policy; it will end up before a judge.
4. Iran threatening “all-out war” if the Saudis retaliate
- Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif says that if the United States or Saudi Arabia engage in military strikes at Iran that they would fight “to the last American soldier.” The only way they will talk to the United States is if Iran was provided full sanctions relief as promised under the 2015 nuclear deal.
- The Saudis and the United States have publicly made the case that it was in fact Iranians that attacked Saudi Arabia’s oil sector because “[t]he attack was launched from the north and unquestionably sponsored by Iran,” according to the Saudi Arabian military.
3. Pelosi says “no” to impeachment for Brett Kavanaugh
- Once again, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has declined to support impeachment, but this time with Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and, more simply, Pelosi just said “no” when asked about if the House would give attention to the Kavanaugh allegations.
- Other House Democrats are also against seeking impeachment of Kavanaugh. U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA) said that Kavanaugh isn’t a priority, which seems to be the general consensus of most House Democrats.
2. Alabama is the top contender for Space Command
- It was reported by Breaking Defense that it’s rumored that Redstone Arsenal is currently the top pick for the U.S. Space Command headquarters, which would be due to affordability and “access to and knowledge of military space at senior levels.”
- Mayor Tommy Battle, Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope), Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville), Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) and others have argued in favor of making Redstone Arsenal the headquarters, with Battle saying, “We have all the elements of what the Space Command needs to have here.” He added there would be savings of about $100 million if stationed at Redstone Arsenal.
1. Possible gun control proposal going around Capitol Hill
- While President Donald Trump hasn’t made an official decision on any of the gun control proposals, one of the proposals for a gun background-check is being seriously considered.
- The bill would require background checks for all commercial gun sales, which would include gun shows. Trump is expected to announce legislative changes soon.
