• Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley did an interview with “CBS Evening News” where she opened up about a conversation she had with former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, where they told her that they “resisted the president.”
• Haley said Tillerson and Kelly should’ve told the president what their issues were with what was happening, but their attempt “to undermine a president is really a very dangerous thing.” She added, “And it goes against the Constitution, and it goes against what the American people want. And it was offensive.”

5. A legend is born

• Hoyt Hutchinson posted a video on Facebook declaring that he was going to make a scene at the “Baby Trump” balloon appearance in Tuscaloosa, and he surely did when he stabbed the balloon, deflating it and getting arrested in the process.
• No good deed goes unnoticed, as a GoFundMe was set up to help pay Hutchinson’s legal costs with a $6,000 goal. The goal has been surpassed, and the amount donated currently sits at over $37,000.

4. Impeachment is dead in the Senate

• Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) appeared on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” saying that “any impeachment in the House that doesn’t allow us to know who the whistleblower is to be invalid because without the whistleblower complaint we wouldn’t be talking about any of this.”
• Graham also said that without being able to question the whistleblower, “it’s impossible to bring this case forward.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said this isn’t going anywhere.

3. Sessions hasn’t scared any foes off yet

• Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is officially in the race to take back his former U.S. Senate seat, but so far, his announcement doesn’t seem to have shaken too many of the other candidates.
• Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill has already said that he’s not going anywhere just yet and staying in the race. FarmPAC, who has endorsed former Auburn Football coach Tommy Tuberville, has shown no indication of changing their endorsement to Jeff Sessions.

2. Trump shows restraint in U.S. Senate race — so far

• During a TV interview, former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke about entering the U.S. Senate race in Alabama and mentioned how he thinks President Donald Trump has indicated that “he’s certainly neutral in this race.”
• Sessions went on to say that Donald Trump, Jr. and Vice President Mike Pence’s comments that whoever is elected is up to the people of Alabama is a good sign. Ultimately, Sessions still believes that Trump has “honored the promises he’s made to the American people.”

1. The Trumps were welcomed in Alabama

• On Saturday, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended the University of Alabama vs. LSU game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. As expected, they were greeted with cheers and chants of “USA-USA-USA!”
• Since the game, there have been a few people who criticized Trump for attending the game. Some attempted to downplay the support shown for Trump and exaggerate the minor protests that took place during the game.

Jackson and Burke are joined by a member of the Alabama Democratic Party’s executive committee Lisa Handback to discuss the latest attempts to resolve the issues that have plagued the party for years.

Jackson closes the show with a “parting shot” at AL(dot)com’s obsession with fake news.

https://www.facebook.com/YHN/videos/412680672971697/

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.

• In another eyebrow-raising tweet, Alabama Media Group’s women and gender reporter Abbey Crain asked readers to recall how Trump’s election led to male students at the University of Alabama behaving inappropriately, tweeting, “Remember when all us girls who went to UA were talking to current UA girls about how guys seemed more aggressive/emboldened post ’16 election?”
• She continued to add, “Please be safe this weekend. Do not leave your girl alone. Buddy up. Don’t take drinks from strangers, etc.”

5. Baby Trump will be featured in Tuscaloosa

• The giant inflatable baby Trump balloon will make an appearance in Tuscaloosa while President Donald Trump is also visiting for the Alabama/LSU game.
• Trace Fayard and Nic Gulas started a GoFundMe campaign that has now raised $5,675, more than $1,000 over the initial goal, and the balloon will be stationed four blocks away from the Bryant-Denny Stadium. The media will surely seek it out and feature it prominently.

4. Kamala Harris is grifting off of Senator Doug Jones

• Since former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is coming back to reclaim his Senate seat, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris’ (D-CA) presidential campaign sent out an email on Wednesday asking for funds for U.S. Senator Doug Jones’ (D-AL) campaign while attacking Sessions’ character.
• The grift here is impressive by Kamala Harris. Her email specified that the funds would be split down the middle between Harris and Jones and said that Sessions is guilty of “decades of systemic racism and bigotry” while touting Jones as “a great Senator, a strong defender of civil rights, and a fighter for the people of Alabama.”

3. Jeff Sessions has entered the race as Trump readies attacks

• During his appearance on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that he will be campaigning to win back his former U.S. Senate seat that’s currently held by Senator Doug Jones (D-AL).
• In anticipation of his announcement, the New York Times has already reported that President Donald Trump planned to attack Sessions upon entering the already crowded field of candidates. The report stated that Trump notified Sessions “that he would publicly attack him if he ran.”  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said, “The president said he was very much still opposed to Mr. Sessions and would make that clear if he had to.”

2. Tuberville Super PAC has already released an ad against Sessions

• A Super PAC supporting former Auburn Football coach Tommy Tuberville’s campaign has released a new video ad that compares Tuberville to former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, mainly outlining what President Donald Trump has said about Sessions.
• The ad was released on the one-year anniversary of when Sessions resigned as attorney general and the same day he was expected to announce his Senate candidacy; some of the Trump quotes in the video are from when he called Sessions “a disaster” and an “embarrassment to Alabama.”

1. Latest impeachment witness saw no quid pro quo

• Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent testified to Congress that he was “concerned” about Rudy Giuliani’s attempts to remove an ambassador and Ukrainian foreign policy, but he had no “direct knowledge” of a quid pro quo with Ukraine. He additionally confirmed that “nobody in the Ukrainian Government became aware of a hold on military aid” until a month after the much-ballyhooed July 25 phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
• Kent also informed House members that he had previously tried to raise concerns and look into Hunter Biden’s dealings in Ukraine, but was told not to due to Beau Biden’s poor health.

• The media and their Democrats will treat any attack on Republicans and President Donald Trump as absolute gospel, no matter how far-fetched it is. A book written by an anonymous author claims Vice President Mike Pence was willing to go along with invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump.
• Facts are irrelevant here. Vetting this source is impossible, but if it makes the right people look bad, it will still be portrayed as a scandalous allegation. The attempted coup never happened, and Pence’s team has called the suggestion “fake news.”

5. Pete Buttigieg is now second in Iowa as Joe Biden continues to slip

• The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is now in a statistical tie with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), as well as former Vice President Joe Biden, with all four candidates between 20% and 15%.
• This isn’t the first poll where Biden finds himself in third or fourth place in Iowa, as he is losing momentum in the early contest while maintaining his frontrunner-ish status in the national polls.

4. The impeachment process is “tainted”

• While interviewing with AL.com, U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) discussed the ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump in which he described the process as “tainted.”
• Byrne went on to say that the “resolution that they passed last week is a joke.” He added that after going about impeachment “the wrong way for so many weeks, you can’t un-taint it.”

3. New poll shows Trump could win in 2020

• New data released by Politico/Morning Consult shows that among registered voters, 56% think Trump will be reelected in 2020, with 27% saying reelection is “very likely” and 29% saying it’s “somewhat likely.”
• Only 34% of voters responded to the survey saying they didn’t think Trump would be reelected, while 10% of respondents remained unsure. Among Republicans, 85% believe Trump will win in 2020, but only 35% of Democrats and 51% of Independents think he will be reelected.

2. Sessions about to announce his Senate campaign

• Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will appear on Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Thursday where he is expected to announce that he will enter the race to reclaim his U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL).
• The deadline to qualify for the race is 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Sessions would be entering the race as a clear underdog that will now not only need to convince voters to select him over other candidates, but he will also have to fend off attacks from a popular president from his own party.

1. AL.com starts a fake news storm

• With the upcoming University of Alabama v. LSU game that President Donald Trump will be attending, the University of Alabama Student Government sent an email from SGA vice president Jason Rothfarb to students warning them that “organizations that engage in disruptive behavior during the game will be removed from block seating instantly for the remainder of the season.”
• The email also mentioned that there will be added security. While AL.com’s inaccurate piece about the event said that the University of Alabama was trying to keep students from protesting, the real reason for the email is due to recent altercations that have taken place at games.

2017:

The final results of the Virginia House of Delegates election will be a 50-50 split.

Prior to the election, Republicans held a 66-34 Majority.

The clerk remains a Republican. Democrats: no bathroom breaks or a vote might be called!

Follow @notlarrysabato for all your needs.

— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) November 13, 2017

The surprising result in Alabama gives Democrats a plausible path to take control of the Senate https://t.co/lb9JL3DkYo

— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 14, 2017

2018:

Yes, the 2018 midterms were a blue wave https://t.co/EeTXQV2uUX via @FiveThirtyEight: pic.twitter.com/qrcnAFEFIr

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 14, 2018

2019:

Republicans wake to a blue Virginia https://t.co/A5BF4LFhR4

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 6, 2019

Kentucky election result embarrasses Trump and worries many Republicans ahead of 2020 https://t.co/XQnEdwH0qH

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 6, 2019

Virginia has been lost to the Democrats. It could have been because of federal gerrymandering, Virginia trending blue or hangover from the incident in Charlottesville.

Now, these legislators could be in charge of redistricting congressional seats, which could be bad for Republicans for a long time.

As for Kentucky, the Republican narrative is that Matt Bevin sucked as a candidate. He was brash, picked fights he didn’t need to, had high unfavorable ratings and underperformed other Republicans.

Who does that sound like?

See also:

These are trends. They guarantee nothing, but they are bad signs.

I know, I know, a lot could happen between now and then. But America is all about a nationalized discourse right now. Russia and impeachment are dominating the headlines.

The only economic news we hear is about a trade war and doom-and-gloom wishful thinking about pending economic decline.

Even with all of that, Trump has great stuff happening right now. The economy is humming, record stock market, low unemployment and he still can’t save people down the ballot.

I know, I know, Trump wasn’t on the ballot. But he never had coattails — not even in 2016.

In 2016, Republicans lost two Senate seats, lost six House seats and Trump lost to Hillary Clinton in the popular vote by 2 million.

Trump also did worse than GOP Senate candidates in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, Arizona, Florida and even Utah.

This isn’t good for Republicans. In fact, it is really bad for 2020.

As I said, this could all change, but if it doesn’t, the GOP better be praying for a candidate worse than Hillary Clinton from the Democrats.

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN

• In a piece written for Yellowhammer News, former Auburn Football coach Tommy Tuberville wrote about President Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to Alabama for the University of Alabama vs. LSU game on Saturday.
• Tuberville wrote, “In Alabama, you will not be heckled or booed, but embraced as our commander in chief. We support you, and we are rooting for your continued success.” While Tuberville conveyed that the state supports Trump and will give him a warm welcome, it also reinforces the fact that Tuberville seems to be running his campaign on how much he loves Trump.

5. ABC covered up Epstein story, media covers for them

• Recently, a video of ABC News anchor Amy Robach was leaked that revealed ABC News covered up a Jeffery Epstein story so they could continue their coverage of the royal family.
• A victim of Epstein, Virginia Roberts, said that she had seen Bill Clinton on Epstein’s island, but ABC said her story didn’t meet their “standards” to report. But despite these “standards,” they reported poorly sourced stories on then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

4. Not a good night for Republicans

• Virginia has been trending blue for a couple of years and has now completely become a Democratic state as Republicans lost both chambers of the state legislative body and now are on the outside looking in when it comes to governance in this formerly red state.
• Things went better in Kentucky where Republicans control the legislature and all statewide offices, but they appear to have lost the race for governor by a slim margin. Some attribute that to the unlikeable incumbent while others are trying to blame the president and the national mood. Either way, it is not good news for Republicans.

3. LSU’s quarterback excited the president will be at his game

• LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was asked about President Donald Trump’s upcoming attendance of the Alabama vs. LSU game, to which he responded, “[R]egardless of your political views, that’s pretty cool having the president at the game.”
• Burrow went on to say, “It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, [the] president at the game is pretty cool.”

2. Alabama party switcher explains why he switched

• In 2020, Madison County License director Mark Craig will be running as a Republican. He explained his reason for the party switch is due to “today’s climate and culture, you just realize some of your beliefs and thoughts line up differently.”
• Craig also explained that as time has passed, he’s become more in line with Republican views rather than Democratic views, but he has emphasized that his position is non-partisan and that his office isn’t “making the laws.” He added, “We have zero policy-setting ability and try to help each person as best we can.”

1. Differing opinions on quid pro quo

• Some of the transcripts from impeachment testimonies have been released, but if there’s any “quid pro quo” is still unclear. While some of the contents of the transcripts were concerning, they weren’t necessarily incriminating, and surely aren’t going to lead to the removal of President Donald Trump by the United States Senate.
• The transcripts seem to go back and forth on whether or not Trump was intentionally withholding foreign aid from Ukraine until they agreed to look into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham has pointed out that Ambassador Gordon Sondland said he “cannot identify a solid source” for assuming that there’s an actual link to aid. In another less reported moment, Sondland said the president told him, “I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. I want Zelensky to do the right thing… to do what he ran on.”

• With former Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) out of the 2020 presidential race, gun-grabbing will be approached more subtly, but the idea isn’t working for New Zealand, which implemented a gun “buyback” program.
• Some estimates placed the number of prohibited firearms at around 175,000, but only 32,000 have been turned in with the December 20 deadline approaching. That means roughly 18% of the soon to be illegal firearms have been turned in.

5. Impeachment transcripts are out

• The first round of transcripts from the impeachment inquiry have been released by the House Democrats, which included the testimony of U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanivitch and Michael McKinley, a former senior advisor to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
• The transcripts revealed that Yovanovitch testified that she was told about Rudy Giuliani’s attempts to push her out, but McKinley testified that he resigned because he saw something he hadn’t seen “in 37 years in the Foreign Service,” which was State Department officials trying to gather negative information the president’s opponents.

4. Tommy Tuberville thought Alabama fans wouldn’t vote for him

• Despite the fact that Tommy Tuberville is a former Auburn Football coach, he’s still leading in the U.S. Senate race in Alabama. Tuberville has now said that he thinks it was his coaching past that brought him so much support.
• Tuberville explained that people around the state and country really love football, which is part of why he thinks he’ll get Alabama’s vote, adding it is “because they know I did something that’s hard to do – it’s coach football. And I won at it, you know. And people like winners.”

3. Merrill doesn’t think Sessions is going to run

• During a radio interview, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said that he’s been with former Attorney General Jeff Sessions “a couple of times” recently, and said, “Not one time did [Sessions] mention to me that he might be interested in coming back and retaining his old Senate seat.”
• Merrill also noted that if Sessions does get in the race, it’ll be major news “that will receive national coverage,.” We’ll have the answer for sure by 5:00 p.m. on Friday when the period to qualify for the March 3 GOP primary ends.

2. Angry crowd confronts Alabama sheriff and district attorney

• The shooting death of a black man during an altercation with police in late October sparked an emotional meeting where members of the black community demanded the release of body cam recordings and threatened to vote out elected officials.
• Madison County Sherriff Kevin Turner told the crowd that the shooting was justified, explaining, “Whether you want to believe it or not, there was a weapon involved.” Turner added the 39-year-old Dana Fletcher “pointed the weapon at the officer.”

1. Maybe Trump won’t get booed this time

• President Donald Trump is planning to attend the LSU vs. Alabama game in Tuscaloosa this weekend, which will be just before Louisiana holds its runoff election for the gubernatorial race on November 16.
• The Louisiana runoff is between Governor John Bel Edwards and businessman Eddie Rispone. Trump has already been vocal about his support of Rispone, tweeting that “John Bel Edwards is always fighting our MAGA Agenda.”

Law enforcement is publicly talking about the existence of a gun and the use of less than deadly force in the form of a canine and a taser, but there is a cellphone video of officers screaming about the existence of a gun right before the shooting.

If there is a gun, it will go down as a good shoot.

The ongoing investigation is important. It should happen quickly and thoroughly, but the end of that investigation should bring about the release of the video.

The spokesperson for the Madison County Sherriff’s department seems to think this doesn’t need to happen.

According to AL.com:

A spokesman for the Madison County sheriff’s office, which is investigating the shooting, said he doesn’t anticipate releasing video to the public.

“All video gathered is considered evidence and is part of the investigation,” he said in a statement.

Alabama law makes this possible, and that needs to change. There is no reason to not make these videos public after the investigation is completed.

But even without that, a photo of the gun or other exculpatory evidence would placate a public that is being bombarded with the idea that these shootings take place regularly and intentionally.

Secrecy breeds contempt, which destroys trust.

The tape should be released as soon as possible. Law enforcement should not be making statements about how they don’t anticipate releasing the video. They should be working on clearing up this case so they can release the video.

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN

• It’s been a week since Dana Sherrod was shot by police in the parking lot of Planet Fitness in Madison, and while the body camera footage hasn’t been released, county officials are still investigating the incident.
• An attorney for the Alabama Press Association, Dennis Bailey, said that many other states are arguing police body camera footage should be public record, but the Madison County sheriff’s office spokesman said the footage in this case “is considered the evidence and is part of the investigation.”

5. Battleground polling looks far better than national polls for Trump

• With the media and their Democrats in a full-out coordinated attack on all things related to the Trump presidency, you would think the net effect would be a presidential race that was all but over, but according to new polling in battleground states, the race is far closer than you would imagine if you only consumed traditional mainstream media sources.
• While Trump trails his top three rivals nationally in most polls by a wide margin, in the six closest states that went Republican in 2016, Biden is up on Trump by an average of two points. Trump leads Elizabeth Warren by two points, the same margin he beat Hillary Clinton.

4. Elizabeth Warren’s terrible idea is terrible

• How Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) plans to find $20.5 trillion to pay for her $52 trillion healthcare plan over the next 10 years may be irrelevant because it has absolutely no chance of getting enacted, according to her political opponents. The plan is solely meant to help her get through the Democratic primary because it requires massive changes to defense, immigration and overall tax policy.
• Warren’s biggest threat at this point, Joe Biden, took this as an opportunity to further show he is the moderate voice in the 2020 Democratic race, calling out Warren’s plan, saying, “For months, Elizabeth Warren has refused to say if her health care plan would raise taxes on the middle class, and now we know why: because it does. Senator Warren would place a new tax of nearly $9 trillion that will fall on American workers.”

3. Nancy Worley is out

• Nancy Worley has been voted out as party chair of the Alabama Democratic Party. If the vote holds, she will be replaced with State Representative Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa).
• Worley has already disregarded the vote and said that she’s looking “forward to continuing our leadership roles in the Party.”

2. Alabama congressmen hit the national airwaves on impeachment

• U.S. Representative Terri Sewell (D-Montgomery) appeared Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where she discussed the current impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. She said that she’s seen her “Republican colleagues twist themselves into a pretzel to defend the indefensible.”
• Sunday evening, U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) appeared on Fox News’ “Life, Liberty, & Levin” where he praised Trump, saying, “I’m thankful the president is trying to ferret out corruption wherever it may exist.”

1. The whistleblower to be questioned by Republicans

• The whistleblower’s lawyer, Mark Zaid, has said that the whistleblower is now willing to answer questions from House Republicans. This offer allows Republicans to ask questions without going through U.S. Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA).
• Republicans will be able to ask questions specifically “in writing, under oath & penalty of perjury,” according to Zaid, who added that they are “ready to cooperate and ensure facts – rather than partisanship – dictates any process involving the #whistleblower.”

Jackson and Burke are joined by State Senator Tom Butler (R-Madison) to discuss impeachment, party-switching, and Al-Baghdadi’s death.

Jackson closes the show with a “parting shot” directed at journalists who decided to actually “fact check” a clearly fake photo of a dog receiving an award.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=429381394411402

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.

• U.S. Representative Katie Hill (D-CA) resigned because she misused her office and broke House rules, but in a “fiery” speech, she for some reason declared she wasn’t giving in to a “double standard” that only affects women, declaring she would not be “silenced.”
• Perplexingly, the media and their Democrats are all in on this narrative even though she is actually resigning in disgrace to cut off an ethics investigation after admitting that “[e]ven a consensual relationship with a subordinate is inappropriate.”

5. Moore qualifies on Halloween

• In news that will spook Democrats and Republicans alike, former Alabama Supreme Court Justice (twice removed) Roy Moore has officially qualified to run for the Republican nomination by turning in his filing fee and paperwork at the offices of the Alabama Republican Party in Birmingham.
• Moore, the Republican nominee and loser in 2017’s special election is polling in third place in most polls, but his support is very solid. Missteps by other candidates or the entry of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions could help him make the runoff.

4. Trump is really concerned about Alabama’s Senate race

• While speaking to House Republicans, President Donald Trump asked about the U.S. Senate race in Alabama, and while speaking to U.S. Representative Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) he asked, “Who is gonna win Alabama?”
• Trump added, though, that he didn’t want to hear that Sessions would win. Instead, he asked, “Is it gonna be the coach?” referring to former Auburn Football coach Tommy Tuberville who is the current frontrunner in the race. U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-Saks) reportedly said that U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) would win.

3. Nothing illegal on Ukraine call

• Tim Morrison, a former White House advisor on the National Security Council, has testified that he doesn’t think “anything illegal was discussed” during President Donald Trump’s phone call with Ukraine’s president,
• Morrison clarified his statements, saying that he “was not concerned that anything illegal was discussed.” U.S. Representative Mark Meadows (R-NC) spoke about Morrison’s testimony and has said it was “damaging to the Democrat narrative.”

2. Alabama a “no” on impeachment

• On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives held a vote on the resolution to formally begin an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, and all of the Republican Representatives from Alabama voted against the resolution. On top of that, no Republican Representatives from anywhere in the country voted in favor of the resolution.
• Only two House Democrats voted against the resolution, but U.S. Representative Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) was not one of them as the resolution passed 232-196.

1. Impeachment resolution approved

• After the impeachment resolution passed the House on Thursday, House members went after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), asking why she changed her stance on impeachment when she previously stated she wouldn’t support impeachment without “overwhelming and bipartisan” concern.
• House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy said, “We believe in the rule of law. But unfortunately, in Nancy’s House, we do not.” While speaking on the floor, Pelosi said that she hopes this entire process would take place “in a way that brings people together that is healing rather than dividing,” despite the fact that this is a completely partisan decision.

• U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) on Wednesday filed an ethics complaint with the House Ethics Committee asking that they investigate House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA).
• Gaetz announced the ethics complaint on Twitter, saying it was for Schiff’s actions in “Distorting @POTUS’s call with President Zelensky; Lying to the public about ‘Russian Collusion;’ Blocking Members of Congress from attending impeachment depositions.”

5. Trump has qualified in Alabama

• While Governor Kay Ivey handed over the necessary petitions for President Donald Trump to qualify for the March 3, 2020 primary in Alabama, Ivey also said she’s “very confident that the people of Alabama will again give him strong support.”
• Ivey added, “Progress is what we’ve gotten from President Trump.” She’s encouraging everyone to vote in 2020. Alabama Public Service Commission President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh has echoed Ivey’s claims, saying Trump has “brought unprecedented prosperity to Alabama.”

4. Donald Trump, Jr. doesn’t think the impeachment inquiry will work

• During an exclusive interview with Yellowhammer News, Donald Trump, Jr. was asked about the ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, and the younger Trump said that because the Democrats couldn’t get the president during the Russia probe, impeachment over the phone call with Ukraine’s president is the second option.
• Trump also mentioned how The Washington Post posted an article with the headline, “The campaign to impeach President Trump has begun” on Inauguration Day 2016 to emphasize that Democrats have been working toward this since the election. But he added, “It won’t work and Donald Trump will be re-elected in a landslide.”

3. Obviously Sessions is being supported by Shelby

• U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL)mentioned on Wednesday that former Attorney General Jeff Sessions has “always endorsed” him and is his “friend. He indicated that President Donald Trump might not oppose Sessions getting in the Senate race.
• Sessions only has until November 8 to qualify for the Alabama 2020 Republican Senate primary. Shelby said that there’s “a lot of indications pointing to him running but he hasn’t said unequivocally.”

2. The whistleblower may have been identified, media silent

• RealClearInvestigations, an arm of RealClearPolitics, has identified the whistleblower as Eric Ciaramella and claims he is a clear partisan actor, a critic of Trump’s Ukraine policy and has strong connections to former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden and former National Intelligence Director James Clapper.
• Ciaramella worked at the National Security Council and was a clear opponent of Trump’s foreign policy after he was removed from that position at the NSC for suspected leaks and he returned to the CIA.

1. Impeachment vote is happening but the process is still secretive

• As Democrats move forward with a baby step towards actual impeachment, some polls show that their reasoning isn’t really all that solid across the country. Some moderate Democrats were surprised by the vote, and even NBC’s Tom Brokaw is warning that they “still don’t have the goods” on Trump as they did on Nixon.
• Their move is hardly a true step forward as it keeps the secrecy and multiple committees investigating pretty much everything Trump has ever done. Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) called this process “corrupt” and added, “[T]hey are prosecuting a man without a crime and searching for a crime to prosecute.”

Speaker Pelosi, asked by @AlexNBCNews to comment on the impeachment resolution:

“It’s not an impeachment resolution.” pic.twitter.com/9A6qBan9mf

— Rebecca Kaplan (@RebeccaRKaplan) October 28, 2019

Are they even going to have a vote? That’s complicated:

Majority Leader Hoyer on impeachment resolution : “I have not read it yet. The other members have not read it yet. And we’re going to have to consider whether or not it’s ready to go on Thursday.”

— Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) October 29, 2019

U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) was on WVNN’s “The Dale Jackson Show” Wednesday morning, and he called the current impeachment process “Russia investigation 2.0.”

According to Brooks, the process being proposed is hardly acceptable because it still limits the ability of Republicans to participate.

Brooks lamented that Republicans can’t offer exculpatory evidence and earnestly cross-examine witnesses and accusers in an open forum because doing so would allow the American people to ascertain for themselves what to make of this.

“If they were to claim that this is a judicial proceeding, therefore there is obstruction of justice, then everything in the Bill of Rights designed to protect a criminally accused person comes into play,” he argued. “So, they can’t have it both ways.”​

Brooks believes this impeachment proceeding has been flawed from the beginning and it isn’t getting any better, saying “[T]hey are prosecuting a man without a crime and searching for a crime to prosecute.”

He also thinks this is all just politics.

“What they’re doing is they’re using the House of Representatives for purely partisan purposes in order to accumulate information that they can use in the 2020 election cycle,” Brooks explained.

My takeaway:

This last point is important: Democrats are accusing the president of using his office for political gain while they use their offices for political gain.

If the president has committed a crime, Democrats in Congress need to bring those allegations to the floor of the House, vote on an actual resolution and work to remove the sitting president of the United States from office.

Anything short of that is an admission that this is all damaging the president in the lead up to 2020. Hopefully, Americans will start to see this soon.

Listen:

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN

• Student-athletes can now make money off the use of their name, likeness and image after the NCAA Board of Governors voted unanimously on Tuesday. Board chair Michael Drake said, “We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes.”
• Rules will be established between now and January 2021, and each division will specify their own rules under the new decision. NCAA President Mark Emmert said that this will help maintain “some recruiting balance,” which “is one of the biggest and hardest issues that everyone’s dealing with.”

5. Another ISIS leader gets whacked

• President Donald Trump announced that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s “number one replacement,” ISIS spokesperson Abu Hasan al-Muhajir, has been killed.
• It’s still not clear who will succeed al-Baghdadi, but currently, those who remain in ISIS have not acknowledged the deaths of al-Baghdadi or al-Muhajir.

4. Biden could suffer a “humiliating” loss

• There seems to be some disagreement about who the frontrunner is for the Democrats nationally with polls showing different leaders, but in Iowa, it appears Joe Biden is running in fourth.
• Democratic strategists now warn of a “humiliating” fourth-place finish in Iowa while another poll shows him at third in New Hampshire. Embarrassing losses in these races could doom his campaign.

3. Potential opponents comment on Jeff Sessions possibly entering Senate race

• Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions is seriously considering joining the field of candidates for the 2020 U.S. Senate race in Alabama. His potential opponents should he join are mostly holding their fire and declaring Sessions’ entry doesn’t change their strategies all that much.
• While on Fox Business Network’s “Varney & Co.,” former Auburn Football coach Tommy Tuberville was asked about Sessions joining the race. Tuberville took the opportunity to mention how he’s “an outsider,” but he also went after Sessions, saying, “He had a chance to help President Trump, and he failed him once. We don’t need him to fail him again.”

2. Abortion ban blocked in Alabama 

• U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson did as everyone expected and issued a preliminary injunction to block the Alabama abortion ban from going into effect, which would’ve made performing an abortion a felony in most cases.
• In a statement, Thompson wrote that the abortion ban contradicts the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling and the ban “violates the right of an individual to privacy, to make choices central to personal dignity and autonomy.” He added, “It diminishes the capacity of women to act in society and to make reproductive decisions. It defies the United States Constitution.”

1. Resolution to impeach Trump introduced but it’s unclear

• The resolution to formally begin an impeachment inquiry has been introduced and it specifies that U.S. Representatives Doug Collins (R-GA) and Devin Nunes (R-CA), the ranking Republicans in the minority on the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees, will be able to subpoena witnesses for testimony throughout the process (if Schiff agrees) and the House Intelligence, Financial Services, Foreign Affairs, Ways and Means, and Judiciary Committees will continue their investigations.
• The White House released a statement in response to the resolution saying that it proves the “House Democrats’ impeachment has been an illegitimate sham from the state are it lacked any proper authorization by a House vote.”

Sessions has been calling key people in Washington, D.C. and throughout the state. Odds are he’s gotten favorable polling and has received commitments from some big-time money players.

There had been rumors of an ALFA poll showing Sessions six points behind Tuberville, which is much closer than any candidate in this race right now; that was with Tuberville in the race and spending money as Sessions did nothing.

A little bit of time and money could move those numbers into the margin of error, or even potentially give Sessions frontrunner status pretty quickly.

Club for Growth has suggested that they would back another run by Sessions for his old seat, and the money from them alone would immediately make him formidable.

Sessions also has about $2.8 million left in his campaign account, so he instantly becomes the GOP frontrunner in that category.

We had been hearing whispers for weeks, but now they are more like screams.

Most of those screams should be coming from Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope), Secretary of State John Merrill and State Representative Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs).

The reasoning is simple: Most of the voters supporting a Jeff Sessions candidacy will be coming from those guys.

Tommy Tuberville? He’s not a politician and loves Trump.

He is the anti-Sessions, so this probably won’t hurt his numbers.

Roy Moore? He is Roy Moore. He could marry a 15-year-old girl in the middle of the Gadsden Mall and his supporters wouldn’t care. Sessions’ entry doesn’t harm him one bit. Moore will be right where he wants to be right now — in the teens.

But this move could really hurt Bradley Byrne.

Byrne and Sessions have had a very close relationship for years, but by doing this, Sessions makes it very possible that Byrne does not make the runoff. Byrne campaign press secretary Lenze Morris told Yellowhammer News that he is committed to the Senate race, with or without Sessions in it.

If Sessions gets in, Byrne should probably drop down into the race for his congressional seat, which he would probably win.

The play for the Sessions crowd seems to be that he can take almost all of Byrne’s support and eek by Roy Moore, creating a Sessions-Tuberville runoff with a clear choice: A qualified statesman who knows what he’s doing and whose policies led to President Donald Trump or a football coach who sounds like a Fox News host.

This is a gamble for Jeff Sessions. Can he wipe the embarrassment of his treatment by President Trump away with a Senate win, or will he go down in defeat while the president gloats about him losing the primary?

Either way, I doubt the Twitter user at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is going to sit this one out.

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN

• While the moral and media panic about vaping has led to private companies pulling e-cigarettes from sales and directly contributed to an increase in actual smoking, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says that the deaths are not linked to the nicotine-based products.
• Data involving 19 of the deaths that involve vaping products shows that 84% of those affected admitted (self-reported) to using THC products, 63% said they only used THC products and only 16% said they only used nicotine.

5. Katie Hill resigns

• U.S. Representative Katie Hill (D-CA) has resigned due to her unethical behavior, including having an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, but now Hill is playing the victim because she “never thought her imperfections would be weaponized and used to try to destroy” her.
• Hill described her resignation as a “devastating decision” and she posted a video to Twitter explaining why she made her decision. In the video she referred to what she’s been through in the media as “revenge porn” and that “the right-wing media and Republican opponents, enabling and perpetuating my husband’s abuse by providing him a platform, is disgusting and unforgivable.”

4. Democrats talk to prisoners as Trump talks to sheriffs

• Democratic presidential candidates Tom Steyer and Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) appeared at a hall at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia to talk about criminal justice reform.
• Meanwhile, the media and their Democrats are not happy about the president of the United States appearing at a gathering of international police chiefs in Chicago praising police chiefs and talking tough on crime while comparing Chicago to Afghanistan and calling it “embarrassing to us as a nation.”

3. All signs point to Sessions jumping into the race

• Monday, Yellowhammer News reported that former Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been reaching out to former staff and is close to jumping back into the race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. Politico followed with their own story as well.
• Because President Donald Trump has nothing else going on right now, expect him to start attacking his former attorney general to attempt to keep him out of the race.

2. Stories differ on officer-involved shooting death in Madison

• On Sunday night, Dana Sherrod Fletcher was shot and killed by Madison police, and chief deputy of Madison County sheriff’s office Stacy Bates said that they have video that confirms Fletcher was armed and fighting officers. Sheriff Kevin Turner advised that there will be a “thorough investigation.”
• Fletcher’s wife, Cherelle Fletcher, took to Facebook on Sunday where she claimed to witness the incident, and wrote, “At no point did my Dana have a weapon on him.” Bates detailed that Fletcher didn’t cooperate with officers and a taser was ineffective when he exited a vehicle with a gun.

1. Everyone gets what they pretended they want: an impeachment vote

• Finally, the Democrats might actually vote to formally open an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) sent a letter to Democratic House members informing them of a resolution that will be voted on this week that “affirms the ongoing, existing investigation” and “establishes the procedure” going forward.
• Pelosi went on to say that the vote will be held on the resolution to prevent the Trump administration from being able to “withhold documents, prevent witness testimony, disregard duly authorized subpoenas, or continue obstructing the House of Representatives.” The vote is scheduled for Thursday.

Doug Jones actually did something right in the beginning. After President Donald Trump announced that a United States military operation resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Doug Jones released a completely reasonable statement in which he congratulated the president on making the world safer, which it is now, and applauded our brave soldiers for carrying out a successful operation.

No reasonable person looks at his statement and finds anything wrong with it.

However, we are in stupid times with some pretty unreasonable people, and they let Doug Jones have it.

Somehow, Jones’ statement wasn’t good enough for those on the left because he did not bring up impeachment.

Actress Michaela Watkins, who nobody has ever heard of, responded to Jones’ tweet, saying, “I congratulate our troops and leaders for the operation. Trump is a traitor. Impeach now.”

According to the outraged leftist responses, Jones’ initial tweet should have looked something like this: “RIP al-Baghdadi, screw Trump #Impeach45.”

What disappointment @DougJones has turned out to be. He’s the Tulsi Gabbard of Joe Manchins. 🤮

— Sue Cole (@mscole227) October 27, 2019

He blew himself up. The President of the United States has just become Isis biggest recruiter and has taken America into the abyss. Also, answer this. How can the US military kill someone when the president has stated we haven’t any ammunition?

— Ariesa #Resistance (@AriesaSandino) October 27, 2019

Please name those countries you deem civilized. You’re brave forces were taken out so genocide could be committed and then redeployed for oil. I hope Donald Trump is worth you throwing yourself on the sword and jeopardizing your family’s reputation

— Ariesa #Resistance (@AriesaSandino) October 27, 2019

Totally reasonable.

Jones had a bunch of options to respond to these morons. He could have said he stands by his statement, he could have said that this is a good thing for the country and a time to come together and celebrate as Americans or he could have even said nothing and ignored them.

Instead, he appeased his base of supporters on Twitter.

Folks, for everyone who is sending me what Trump tweeted at Obama after Bin Laden’s death please know that I too remember that and did not like it at all. But we are better than that. Donald Trump did not put country over party, but we will. Let’s transcend partisan hackery. https://t.co/Vwif0pXNg4

— Doug Jones (@DougJones) October 27, 2019

He actually retweeted himself.

Doug Jones needs to know Twitter is not real life.

A Pew study found only around 22% of American adults today use Twitter.

Pew wrote, “That means the conversation on Twitter is dominated by extremely active (or, in their parlance, “extremely online“) users. That means a large majority of Twitter’s content is created by a small number — 10 percent of users are responsible for 80 percent of all tweets from U.S. adults on Twitter.

Despite what the media and their Democrats tell you, killing terrorists is a good thing and warning them that we will keep doing it is a great thing.

Doug, your donors and friends out of state may not like it. For the rest of us, we’re OK with a psychopath who killed thousands of people dying by blowing himself to pieces while cowering in a tunnel “like a dog.”

We like that the president spiked the football.

Senator Doug Jones has shown time and time again he can’t side with this president or normal Americans. The people in New York City, Hollywood, and Washington, D.C. may love this stuff from our senator, but they can’t vote for him and we won’t.

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN

• In line with tradition, President Donald Trump attended Game 5 of the World Series, but he didn’t throw out the first pitch. Instead, Trump arrived after the game already started and left before it ended to make his presence less disruptive.
• The takeaway moment from his attendance was that the president was booed by the crowd to the delight of the media and their Democrats. Some at the game even yelled “Lock him up!”

5. 2020 Senate race has a clear frontrunner

• The field for the Republican primary in 2020 may or may not include former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, yet, but according to a poll conducted by Alabama-based Cygnal, Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville still leads the field.
• Without taking Sessions into account, Tuberville polled at 32% with Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) polling at 18%, former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore (10.6%), followed by Secretary of State John Merrill (8.6%), State Rep. Arnold Mooney (2%) and Stanley Adair (1%), while 27.9% of those polled were undecided.

4. Alabama Congressional candidate makes waves by talking about “The Squad” and impeachment 

• Jessica Taylor is campaigning for the congressional seat in the Second District. She has said that she’s tired of how her generation has been talking about socialists “like that’s an ideology our nation should embrace.” Taylor has received a lot of attention, including a hit on “Fox & Friends.”
• Taylor also said that she thinks she “can go toe-to-toe with that ‘Squad’ better than any other candidate,” noting that something important to her is that there’s someone in Congress “making sure we back up President Trump as these liberals attempt this coup in the House.”

3. Impeachment is preventing Intel Committee from doing their job

• U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) has revealed that the House Intelligence Committee hasn’t been addressing terrorism or ISIS recently due to the impeachment inquiry requiring so much attention.
• While on Fox News Channel’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Ratcliffe specified that “[i]t’s been well over a month” since the last time the committee had a terrorism briefing. Later on Sunday, U.S. Rep.Doug Collins (R-GA), ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, echoed Ratcliffe’s claims, voicing his frustration with Democrats prioritizing the impeachment inquiry over other business.

2. ISIS leader is dead — Media hit the hardest 

• Sunday morning, President Donald Trump confirmed that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi “died like a dog,” specifying that he detonated a suicide vest he was wearing, which also killed three children. Additionally, a spokesman for ISIS was eliminated later that day.
• The media and their Democrats were not happy with Trump tearing down a rapist terrorist slavemaster. Obituaries played up his religious education, some lied about a photo op, ambassadors complained about Trump’s language and journalists fretted that this would just help ISIS.

1. Doug Jones sent a reasonable tweet, but a Hollywood actor forced him to backtrack 

• U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) voiced his support on Twitter of the killing of ISIS’s leader on Sunday, saying, “Last night was a victory for America & the civilized world & a blow to ISIS. Our brave forces who carried out this mission are held in the hearts of a grateful nation. I congratulate President Trump & our military leaders. They deserve great credit & our thanks. They have mine.”
• However, the tweet triggered responses from Jones’ supporters that’s absolutely absurd, with actor Michaela Watkins replying to Jones, saying, “I congratulate our troops and leaders for the operation. Trump is a traitor. Impeach now.” People made sure to bring up when Trump tweeted in 2012 to “stop congratulating Obama for killing Bin Laden,” and Jones quickly cowered under the pressure and tweeted, “Folks, for everyone who is sending me what Trump tweeted at Obama after Bin Laden’s death please know that I too remember that and did not like it at all.”

Jackson and Burke are joined by Brooks to discuss the decision he made to join members of his party who protested the Democratic Party’s handling of the ongoing impeachment inquiry.

Jackson closes the show with a “parting shot” directed at journalists who are hypocritically defending the secrecy of the impeachment inquiry.

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.

• Vice President Mike Pence condemned the NBA and its players for their acquiescence to the Chinese government, saying it is “un-American” for U.S. companies to “embrace censorship,” adding, “In siding with the Chinese Communist Party and silencing free speech, the NBA is acting like a wholly-owned subsidiary of the authoritarian regime.”
• After telling Pence, “to shut the hell up,” Barkley talked about appropriate consequences for Morey’s speech with China (which is exactly what Pence was talking about) and criticized President Trump for his trade war (which isn’t something China wants).

5. Moore doesn’t care if Sessions gets in the race

• It’s been rumored that former Attorney General Jeff Sessions could get in the Alabama 2020 U.S. Senate race, but only if former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore became the Republican nominee.
• During a radio interview, Moore said that Sessions joining the field “wouldn’t affect one way or another what I do … I want to give people a voice. They didn’t have a voice last Senate election. It was stolen from them.” Moore is ignoring the fact that U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) won because he was up against Moore.

4. The investigation into the start of the Russia investigation is now a criminal investigation

• The probe being conducted by Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham was, until this point, an administrative review into potential misconduct at the Department of Justice concerning the launching of the Russia probe, which is now a criminal investigation, according to NBC News.
• The change now gives Durham power to subpoena witness testimony, gather documents, to impanel a grand jury and, if warranted, to file criminal charges. It also marks a ramp-up in potential severity of misdeeds that may have been committed.

3. Two charged in Kamille McKinney case

• The 39-year-old Patrick Devone Stallworth, male, and 29-year-old Derick Irisha Brown, female, have been charged with capital murder in the Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney case, and if they are convicted, they could both face the death penalty.
• Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith said that police are still investigating, but “if appropriate, we will seek additional charges on both individuals. We refuse to stop until prosecution is completely upheld and the light of day is limited to one hour for both.”

2. Polling indicates impeachment is not playing well in battleground states 

• National polls show that Americans are pretty split on impeachment and removal of the president of the United States, but a series of other polls tell a different story on that and it could greatly affect 2020.
• A poll of battleground states shows impeachment unfavorably and shows a 10-point margin against impeachment and removal whiole and another poll says Wisconsin voters aren’t fans either. These numbers and the pressure by Republicans for openness may be why the tone on public hearings has changed in the last 48 hours.

1. Doug Jones is representing his donors well in the Senate but not Alabama

• A resolution by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that would undo the rule that prevents states from using “workarounds” to President Donald Trump’s tax reform was voted down in the Senate on Wednesday, but U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) voted to pass the resolution which would benefit the states most of his fundraising is coming from (not Alabama).
• Later in the day, Jones would embarrass himself and the Montgomery Advertiser’s Brian Lyman by declaring the move by U.S. Representatives Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) and Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) was somehow akin to George Wallace standing in the schoolhouse door. Luckily, no one asked him to explain that silliness further and Lyman just acted as a dutiful scribe.

Dial argued Wednesday that the secrecy is for their protection, and added that they shouldn’t be known, comparing the group’s financial backers to someone in prison who has ratted on other prisoners.

This is obviously the completely wrong position to take. This fight needs to take place, but it needs to be transparent and open rather than with shady dark money being thrown around on each side.

Any regular follower of Alabama politics will clearly see this as a group with likely funding coming from the quasi-legal gambling interests that operate “electronic bingo” in the state.

We say “electronic bingo,” but, of course, we mean “slot machines with extra steps.”

The dog tracks, the state and the Poarch Creek Indians (PCI) have long fought each other over the legality of electronic bingo and other forms of gambling that have been given the greenlight by locals, then ruled illegal by the Supreme Court, with inconsistent enforcement by various attorney generals.

The Indians, of course, don’t want any gambling of any kind to be expanded that they can’t control or benefit from (besides a clean lottery, which they have consistently said they support). They are running a business after all.

But that is exactly the solution being offered by Dial and his group.

Dial explained, “The Poarch Creek in Alabama are the only legalized casinos operating in America where they don’t have a compact with the state and pay any money to the state.”

Of course, this is somewhat true (they still have a large economic and philanthropic impact on the state taxes on gambling operations aside), but Dial continued to argue, “The Indians continually say they want to be a good citizen and contribute to their state so why would they not sign a compact with the governor?”

The answer is pretty obvious: money.

Why would the Poarch Creek Indians agree to a bill that would give them more competition, risk losing millions of dollars and increase their costs?

The competition would come in the form of outright legalizing the quasi-legal gaming operating in the state.

What do the PCI get out of this deal? The opportunity to pay more money to the state of Alabama without an expansion of their gaming operation?

Who willfully does this?

No one.

This argument from the dog tracks – excuse me, from “Poarch Creek Accountability Now” – that the state should expand gambling and that the Indians will somehow just get on board is absolutely bonkers.

Their ideal situation according to Dial is this:

• Create a gaming commission
• Legalize current gaming
• Creates a lottery
• Creates a scholarship commission
• Allow the governor to sign a compact with the Poarch Creek Indians
• Have the PCI pay taxes to the state of Alabama without expanding their interests

And that is never going to happen.

Any compact would have to include expanded gaming for the PCI to make any sense.

Gerald Dial needs to stop pretending he’s working for Alabama, admit he’s working for the dog tracks and that is a fine thing for him to do and find a solution that might actually bring everyone to the table.

Until then, this issue of gambling will continue to go nowhere, with lots of money being thrown down the drain in the process.

If you like the status quo on gambling in this state, these moves are good for you.

Listen:Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.

• You may be hearing radio and online ads from an organization called “Poarch Creek Accountability Now” that calls for taxation on Alabama’s Indian gaming facilities, but no one knows who is actually funding the group.
• Former State Sen. Gerald Dial (R-Lineville), the executive director of the organization, says it doesn’t matter who is funding them. He adds the group is trying to point out how the PCI are opposed a lottery (a dubious fact) and that they don’t pay taxes, which is because as a federally recognized tribe, they are not required to pay state taxes on gambling funds.

5. Poarch Band of Creek Indians would support a clean lottery bill

• The governmental relations advisor for PCI, Robbie McGhee, says that the PCI supports “a clean lottery bill … if it’s part of a larger casino package or whatever, that’s fine.”
• McGhee also insisted that they “believe a standalone lottery could pass on its own.” He pointed to how people in Alabama will drive across state lines to buy lottery tickets. This past legislative session, Alabama had the opportunity to have the lottery, but the bill couldn’t pass the House after passing the Senate.

4. Brooks and Trump have discussed the 2020 U.S. Senate race

• While visiting President Donald Trump with 22 other House Freedom Caucus members, U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) discussed the current impeachment proceedings, but they also discussed Alabama’s 2020 U.S. Senate race.
• For several minutes, Brooks and Trump discussed the race and Brooks said that he “explained to him what the polling data reflected – and that is that Tommy Tuberville has a double-digit lead.” Brooks explained that he believes the lead is due to name recognition and that he isn’t a politician, but he also explained to Trump that while Byrne is in second, he has the largest war chest. He also assured the president that no matter who the nominee is, they “will easily win the general election against Doug Jones.”

3. Permanent cease-fire agreement reached

• Turkey and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have reached a “permanent ceasefire,” President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, and he hopes that this will lead to long-lasting peace between Turkey and the Kurds.
• Trump said, “This was an outcome created by us, the United States, and nobody else … we’ve done something very, very special.” While Trump has removed the sanctions on Turkey, he did say that if the cease-fire agreement is broken by Turkey, sanctions could be imposed again.

2. Ambassador Sondland’s attorney disputes “bombshell testimony”

• For days, the media and their Democrats have unquestionably declared that the secret testimony of “top diplomat” Bill Taylor undoubtedly showed there was a quid pro quo, but a central figure in that accusation, U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, disputes a number of “facts” being reported.
• Highlighting the need for transcripts and transparency, Sondland’s attorney told the Washington Post that Sondland does not recall the key assertion that the Trump administration wanted Ukraine’s president to “go to a microphone” and commit to “opening investigations of Biden and 2016 election interference.”

1. Two Alabamians among Republicans who “storm” secret hearing

• About 20 Republican congressmen, including U.S. Reps. Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) and Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville), went to the secure room in the Capitol where another closed-door impeachment hearing was going to be held, this time with Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper, but Republicans stood outside chanting “Let us in!” When a staffer momentarily opened the door to tell the congressman they weren’t allowed in, the GOP members filed into the room and demanded the impeachment proceedings be made public.
• Instead of making proceedings public, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) postponed the secret hearing, and now Byrne has said on Twitter that Schiff is “threatening” him with an ethics complaint. At the press conference held before storming the hearing, Brooks said, “Show your face so we can see all the travesty that you are trying to foist on America and the degradation of our republic that you are engaged in.”

When confronted by CNN’s Manu Raju, Brooks expressed the frustration that he, President Donald Trump and his supporters have been feeling for quite some time, and visibly rattled Raju.

Brooks told Raju that his reliance on the opening statement to make his case is irrelevant as it ignores the questions asked by other lawmakers about the statement, arguing, “If you were in a court of law would you rely on the opening statement of an attorney or the first witness called?”

Raju attempted to interrupt the congressman but Brooks would not allow it, pointing out that there were questions asked in the hearing that would paint a fuller picture. However, Raju was persistent in only wanting comments on the opening statement with no further scrutiny.

Brooks retorted, “We don’t know whether what he said is true or not because of the sham process being used.”

When the clip ends, Raju repeated that he is only interested in discussing the opening statement, which ignores the point Brooks and others have made about the process the entire time.

My takeaway:

Everyone should want to see what is happening in that room. At minimum, members of Congress should be privy to it after the fact. The media is oddly taking the position that we only need to know what those running the hearing want us to know and what they are handing to them.

By continuing to repeat Democratic talking points without question, the media is helping push a narrative they can’t possibly know is true — and they don’t seem to care.

Again, the media should want as much transparency as possible unless they are pushing for the desired outcome, which is the impeachment of Donald Trump regardless of the facts at hand.

Watch:

Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN

• U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) will be holding a fundraising event in Birmingham on November 21 for his 2020 U.S. Senate campaign where former Vice President Dick Cheney and U.S. Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) will be “special guests.”
• Rep. Cheney and former Vice President Cheney have consistently been critical of President Donald Trump’s foreign policies, more recently over Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria. Currently, Liz Cheney is the third-highest ranking member in the Republican House.

5. McConnell to offer a resolution to oppose Syria withdrawal

• In a break with President Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and other Republican senators have brought forward a resolution to oppose the United States’ withdrawal from Syria.
• McConnell warns that this decision benefits Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, ISIS, Russia and Iran while urging the president pull back his invitation of Turkey’s president to visit the White House until after a “more enduring cease-fire” is established.

4. Testimony feeds the media and their Democrats new attack lines

• On Tuesday, a top U.S. diplomat, Bill Taylor, testified before Congress and said that there were “one regular, one irregular” channels for the Trump administration’s policies with Ukraine, which if true is a big deal.
• But while the media was feeding off of Democrats’ leaks and talking points, U.S. Representative Mark Meadows (R-NC) believes, and some previous testimony agrees, “The bottom line is no one has yet to make the case for why the aid was withheld or even if the Ukrainians knew about it.”

3. Brooks is tired of Schiff’s lies

• The House Resolution involving U.S. Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) that stated that “members of the Intelligence Committee have lost faith in his objectivity and capabilities as Chairman” was tabled with a 218-185 vote, but U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) is calling out the Democrats who voted to table the resolution.
• Brooks made a statement where he pointed out Schiff’s recent actions are the final straw, saying he has repeatedly and “unabashedly lied to the American people.” Brooks said that Schiff should be removed from the Intelligence Committee for his actions and that he hasn’t met the standard set for those on the Intelligence Committee.

2. Remains of “Cupcake” found; Two arrested

• After 10 days of heartbreaking search for Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney, her remains have been found in a dumpster in Birmingham.
• Two individuals who are currently in custody, 39-year-old Patrick Devone Stallworth and his 29-year-old girlfriend, Derick Irisha Brown, will be charged with murder after the remains were found near their home.

1. Trump is getting called out by Alabama Democrats

• President Donald Trump put out a tweet saying, “All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here – a lynching,” while discussing the current impeachment inquiry, and now Trump is being hypocritically and opportunistically called out relentlessly by Democrats.
• U.S. Representative Terri Sewell (D-Selma) shared Trump’s tweet on Facebook and added that for Trump to compare the impeachment to lynching “is despicable,” and that “the people of Alabama’s 7^th Congressional District, who marched, bled and died to end this type of terrorism, the sting of the President’s words is especially sharp.” U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) replied to Trump on Twitter saying, “[T]his is NOT a lynching, and shame on you for invoking such a horrific act that was used as a weapon to terrorize and murder African Americans.”