— Alabama Power Company announced the Gorgas Steam Plant in Walker County will shut down, because of mandates put in place by President Barack Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), on April 15. Alabama Power has said all Plant Gorgas employees will keep their jobs and be transferred to other facilities. Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-4) called this an obvious outcome of the “War on Coal.” He stated, “This is just another example of the ‘War on Coal’ that was prevalent during the Obama Administration and how it deeply impacts rural communities with little concern for those who are hurt.”

5. The State Department says ISIS bride can’t come home to Alabama

— A former Hoover resident and thrice married ISIS bride has been informed that the United States would not welcome her back to the United States. President Donald Trump pushed for that decision and tweeted, “I have instructed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and he fully agrees, not to allow Hoda Muthana back into the Country!” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made it clear she won’t be welcomed. “Ms. [Muthana] is not a U.S. citizen and will not be admitted into the U.S. She does not have any legal basis, no valid passport, no right to a passport, nor any visa to travel to the U.S.,” Pompeo said.

4. White nationalist arrested with an arsenal and a hit list of Democrat politicians and journalists

— Christopher Paul Hasson, a U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant, called for “focused violence” and was planning a mass terrorist attack to kill “almost every last person on earth” and “establish a white homeland.” His targets included MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, Sen. Dick Blumenthal (D-CT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). He also had 15 firearms and 1,000 rounds of ammunition. In court filings, the government said bluntly, “The defendant is a domestic terrorist.”

3. Alabama state law requires advertising in the local newspaper for various state and local entities, this means revenue for papers like the Democrat-Reporter

— A local newspaper embroiled in a racism controversy has benefitted for years from an Alabama law that predates the Internet and guarantees revenue for local newspapers. The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) alone spent over $4,000 last year alone. This is only one agency of the state government and one small-town newspaper. It doesn’t factor in other government entities in the area that are required to do business with the newspaper. These laws represent millions of dollars for newspapers guaranteed by archaic state law.

2. It’s official: Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-Mobile) is running for United State Senate

— Byrne announced his run at a Wintzell’s seafood restaurant in Mobile. Byrne referred to his potential future opponent U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) by criticizing his “radical policies.” Byrne also laid out the fight ahead, saying, “The fight for America’s future is too important to sit on the sidelines. I am running for the United States Senate to defend the values important to Alabama.” Jones responded to the news by hammering Byrne. “Given the results of his losing bid for Governor in 2010, in which he did not even win the Republican nomination, it’s hard to see why they would nominate a career politician like Bradley Byrne now,” Jones stated.

1. After almost two years, the Robert Mueller probe is coming to an end

— Attorney General Bill Barr could be ready to announce the end of FBI special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and could submit a final report to Congress soon as well. These are the most obvious indications that the investigation is almost over. While it is unclear how much of the report will be made public, Barr has made it clear he plans to be “transparent” with Congress and the American people.

All of this is a minor problem. The Democrat-Reporter is a small-town nothing newspaper. If the Auburn Plainsman hadn’t posted the editorial in the form of a photo, no one would have ever known.

This raises another issue. The state of Alabama is providing revenue to this newspaper and other newspapers around the state of Alabama. And it is actually worse than that: Current state law requires government entities in Alabama to advertise legal notices, legislation, constitutional amendments, voter rolls and other public matters in the local print media outlets, which is not cheap.

So, how much does The Democrat-Reporter get from the governments?

Well, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) alone spends thousands every year.

Maybe these aren’t all required expenditures, but for what other reason would ALDOT be spending this money here?

What have the local governments been required to pay this newspaper? What about average citizens and businesses that have to post foreclosures, abandoned property and other matters in a local newspaper by state law?

Even without the racist overtones of this story, this matter should offend you. There is currently a state law that requires we do business with a series of private entities.

This may have been a necessity decades ago, but it is time for the state legislature to readdress this issue for the 21st century.

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

— Libertarians are suing Merrill for charging the party roughly $34,000 for a list of registered voters. Alabama law provides these voters list to Republicans and Democrats at no charge, but that is because they are qualified major parties. Merrill believes he is unable to provide the list for free because the Libertarian Party is not a major party and can’t be without achieving ballot access.

5. President Donald Trump reportedly wanted a friendly district attorney involved in the Michael Cohen investigation in New York

— The New York Times is reporting that the president wanted then-acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to appoint a Trump ally to oversee the investigation into former Trump attorney Michael Cohen. Whitaker told the president he could not, as the person Trump suggested had recused himself from the case. Trump denies pressuring Whitaker, Whitaker denies being pressured and there isn’t much new here. Cohen would eventually plead guilty and say that Trump ordered him to arrange the payments to the women. He will start serving three years in prison for campaign finance violations soon.

4. The U.S. Census Bureau believes hundreds of thousands of illegals will not fill out a census form if they are asked about citizenship

— The government entity told the White House that 630,000 households may not complete the census because a question asking about citizenship question. This only involves .5 percent of the population and a bureau document found “the Census Bureau has identified no credible quantitative evidence that the addition of a citizenship question would impact the net undercount of the 2020 Census.” There are multiple court cases over the matter, including one involving Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville).

3. We have our first look at what a gas tax increase could look like in the upcoming Alabama legislative session

— State Senator Sam Givhan (R-Huntsville) laid out the current state of play for the gas tax debate and signaled the current plan would have a hard time passing. The plan calls for a 12-cent increase in the current gas tax, with eight cents going to ALDOT, three cents to the counties and one cent to the cities. The division of the cities’ money would be based on population with the counties’ money being divided half by population and half split evenly among the 67 counties.

2. More Alabama politicians call for the editor/publisher/owner of a newspaper to step down from his own paper, which has published multiple offensive editorials

— An irrelevant small town paper is under-fire from all political players in Alabama with calls for an apology and a resignation coming from both parties. The Democrat-Reporter in Linden, Alabama, has run a number of offensive editorials in the past few years and its editorial referencing the KKK to its 3,000 readers drew national condemnation. House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) called for readers to cancel subscriptions and advertisers to pull their advertising, which is the right call for a public official being critical of a media outlet.

1. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) could draw his first challenger today

— Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-Mobile) is expected to announce his decision to enter the race for U.S. Senate in 2020. Byrne has been criticizing Jones for months and this was widely expected. Byrne will be a formidable foe in a GOP primary, as he finished second in the 2010 GOP gubernatorial race and in the general election where Jones is expected to face an uphill climb for re-election.

12 cents total
8 cents to Alabama Department of Transportation to continue using at their current discretion
3 cents to counties
1 cent to cities

It is important to note that these taxes do not stay in the cities/counties in which they are collected. The counties share will be divided in two ways: Half will be divided by population, the other half will be divided equally amongst the 67 counties in the state with Dale County and Jefferson County receiving the same amount, Givhan explained.

Givhan made it clear this current strategy was going to have a hard time finding support in the Alabama legislature, adding he is a “no” vote on this proposal as outlined.

The state senator from Huntsville explained that building roads as an economic stimulant is a waste of money and instead wants the state to focus on the state’s major arteries and Interstates that are “largely overcapacity,” mentioning I-10, I-65, I-20, I-565 and more by name.

Givhan said he wants a strategy that is not based on geography, but rather on need.

“The most important thing we can do for our state is expanding capacity on the Interstate. You know building new roads in new parts of the state is just folly in my mind,” he outlined.

Additionally, Givhan mentioned a “sunset” clause, which would set the desired goal (dollar figure or time period) for the revenue raised and then end the gas tax after that is accomplished.

My takeaway:

Givhan’s concerns offer the first public look into the ongoing gas tax debate and should lead us to believe that this is not as much of a slam dunk as most seem to believe.

Listen:

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

— Following accusations from disgraced former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and a tweet from President Donald Trump where he accused him of a coup, Rosenstein is expected to leave in mid-March. Now, officials are disputing these allegations are the reason he is leaving. Instead, they claim Rosenstein was always going to leave when a new attorney general was confirmed.

5. After two-plus years and 90+ percent negative coverage, head-to-head polling still shows President Donald Trump holding his own in 2020 matchups

— You would think the media’s non-stop negative coverage would place the president’s re-election in massive peril, but this may not be the case. Trump still trails all expected Democrat challengers by anywhere from four to 10 points. All things considered, that is not a bad place for Trump to start. All of the races are within the margin of error, except a Trump vs. Biden matchup — where Biden wins by 10.

4. A teacher pay raise is the latest idea that starts to gain traction before the Alabama legislature meets

— With tax revenue in the state of Alabama up almost $400 million over the last year, State Rep. Steve Clouse (R-Ozark) says the legislature could be ready to pass a three percent pay raise for teachers. If that happens, the increase will take place on October 1. There is also talk of limiting cost increased on health insurance for teachers and state employees.

3. An Alabama newspaper owner wants the people to mimic the Klan and string up politicians over taxes

— The publisher of a small town paper called for people to mimic the Klan, “as free slaves did” and take to the capitols of the United States and Alabama because “Democrats in the Republican Party and Democrats are plotting to raise taxes in Alabama,” adding, “[I]f we could get the Klan to go up there and clean out D.C., we’d all been better off.” Universal condemnation and national media attention followed by Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) calling for his resignation. As dumb as this story is, some of the coverage is terrible. AL.com sought and ran quotes from politicians who haven’t even seen the editorial.

2. Alabama ISIS fighter wants to come home

— Hoover’s Hoda Muthana, “one of Isis’s [sic] most prominent online agitators,” wants to come home to Alabama now that ISIS is expected to be on the verge of collapse and annihilation. Complicating the matters is that she has called for the death of Americans at home, “Americans wake up! Men and women altogether. You have much to do while you live under our greatest enemy, enough of your sleeping! Go on drivebys, and spill all of their blood, or rent a big truck and drive all over them. Veterans, Patriots, Memorial, etc day … Kill them.” She has married three jihadists and birthed a son, a son she wants to raise in Alabama.

1. California fulfills Trump’s prediction that we are heading to the 9th circuit court for the legal battle over his emergency declaration

— The state of California is leading the way in challenging the national emergency declaration that will allow the president to build parts of his desired wall. New Mexico, Oregon, Minnesota, New Jersey, Hawaii, Connecticut and others have joined the lawsuit as well. The issue is far more complicated than the media would have you believe. The president invoked a couple of different measures and some of them are not part of these challenged.

— The long battle over the Confederate monument in Birmingham is hardly over, but the AG notched another win when the State Supreme Court won a stay against a ruling that the state’s law was unconstitutional. This means that the city of Birmingham can not remove or obstruct the “Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Linn Park.”

5. Alabama Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy Worley declares attempts to replace her are “racial”

— Chairwoman Worley, who is Caucasian, announced she will comply with the Democratic National Committees decision to force new elections for the top two leadership posts in the state, but she also believes there is a racial component to the challenges. She added, “I think in the whole group, they had maybe one black. But when they lost, they started looking for another avenue to go. And so, I think it is what it is.” That “one black” was the candidate for chairman, Peck Fox. Now, former State Sen. Myron Penn (D-Union Springs) is running.

4. As media outlets call for a higher gas tax, cracks in the ALGOP start to show

— State Rep. Bill Poole (R-Tuscaloosa) is sponsoring the gas tax in the State House, but still doesn’t have a number for the increase he will propose, which makes some legislators uneasy voicing support for something that is undefined. Some, like State Rep. Tommy Hanes (R-Bryant) is already a no on any gas tax hike, saying, “People are just tired of being taxed.”

3. Obviously fake hate crime is fake

— “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett is now accused of hiring two Nigerian actors to stage a hate crime that he would then blame on white Trump supporters. He will now face a grand jury. Media outlets, celebrities and politicians bought the story completely and now deflect their responsibility. Alternately, conservatives were vindicated again after another hate crime or racism hoax proved to be untrue.

2. President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration border wall get the support of Alabama’s governor

— Governor Kay Ivey believes the border needs a wall and that the president chose a reasonable path to make it happen. The governor told reporters, “We certainly have a problem with security at the border and we need to fix that security problem, and so I’m supporting President Trump in his effort to keep our borders safe.”

1. State Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh (R-Anniston) dismisses Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) and his calls to expand Medicaid

— Talk of a plan to expand Medicaid in Alabama has been brought up in the weeks leading to speculation that hospitals will be leading the charge to get a deal that Jones says the state needs to take advantage of. State Sen. Marsh believes the federal government will eventually leave the state holding the bag for increased costs. “We want to encourage an efficient system and the last thing we want to do is send a message that ‘spend as much as you want because the federal government is coming to the rescue and oh, by the way, they are leaving in a few years and then it’s all on us,” he explained.

On the third anniversary of the show, Jackson and Burke are joined by State Senator Tom Butler (R-Madison) to talk about gas taxes and $900 million for new prisons.

Jackson closes the show with a “parting shot” addressing the continued waste of government resources funding subsidies to print media outlets in the state.

Current Alabama law requires government entities in Alabama to advertise legal notices, legislation, constitutional amendments, voter rolls and other public matters in the local print media outlets.

This is not chump change:

• The state of Alabama spends up to $800,000 each year.
• The city of Huntsville spends up to $115,000 each year.
• Madison County spends up to $153,000 each year.

If we were to add up all the costs to local governments, we would find that these costs are in the multiple millions of dollars range.

In a state that has a $6+ billion dollar education budget, this may seem like something that is minuscule and irrelevant, but that is not the case when adding all the entities required by law to hand government money over to private companies to print a product that very few use and could easily be uploaded to an official state/county/city website and be more accessible to your average Alabamians.

The only counter-argument, which will be made by those working in or for the print media industry and no one else, is that there are communities in Alabama that don’t have high-speed Internet and can’t access these websites.

This is a canard that only allows legislators to do nothing and not face the wrath of people who “buy ink by the barrel.”

Keeping these laws on the books only acts to subsidize the print media. It does not benefit your average Alabamian one bit.

This print media subsidy should be ended immediately. Surely there are other things these government entities can spend this money on.

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

— The deal to bring Remington to North Alabama may officially be a bust at this point. They suffered bankruptcy and only hired about a quarter of the people initially promised. Now, the company has repaid some of the incentives totaling more about one million dollars to Morgan County, Limestone County, Madison County and the city of Athens.

5. Another social justice warrior hoax has been exposed — “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett is suspected to have made up his attack narrative

— According to reports out of Chicago, the police knew Jussie Smollett was not telling the truth from the beginning of this ordeal where the actor said he was attacked by two white Trump supporters for being liberal and gay. It is believed Smollett and the two “persons of interest” perpetrated this hoax because Smollett was about to be written out of the television show.

4. The Alabama Democratic Party has its leadership elections voided; They must redo them within 90 days

— The Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) credentials committee has essentially voided the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) leadership elections, meaning they must hold new elections for the top two spots within 90 days. This means very little to most people, but the power struggle in the Alabama Democratic Party is one of many reasons Democrats have almost no power in the state. This decision also forces the state party to change their bylaws, which will limit the ability to party boss Joe Reed to stack the deck. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) called the last elections “a total sham.”

3. The city of Birmingham is still trying to get at their monument to Conferedate soldiers

— Attorneys for the city have asked a judge to keep in place a ruling that would allow Birmingham to remove a Confederate monument, even though the city has not said it will remove the monument while the legal case is ongoing. Another judge ruled last month, 20 minutes before his term ended, that state law barring the modification and removal of these monuments was unconstitutional because it violates the free speech rights of local communities.

2. Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) urged the president to use his veto and have the military to build the wall

— In a fruitless effort to get the president to not sign the latest deal to keep the government open, Brooks said the compromise was a failure by Congress and that “the massive 1,169 page spending bill is a debt junkies’ dream.” Brooks said he will vote no because the bill forces him “to choose between two really bad choices: vote to shut down the government or vote to aid and abet the killing of at least 50 Americans per day who die from illegal alien homicides or from overdoses on poisonous drugs shipped through our porous southern border.”

1. President Donald Trump is set to sign a bipartisan agreement to keep the government open and build some of the wall, also plans an emergency declaration

— The U.S. Senate voted 82-16, with both Alabama senators voting in the affirmative, and all Alabama House Republicans except Martha Roby voted “no” on the compromise to keep the government open and give the president some money for his desires to beef-up border security. Now, to the chagrin of Democrats and shock to Republicans, the president is prepared to make an emergency declaration that he will use to build walls and expand security with monies allocated to other measures. The president will sign the bill and the emergency declaration after the U.S. House votes today.

Forbes also explained that the Democrats’ lurch leftward and their focus on liberal policy dreams like the Green New Deal, Medicare for All and 70 percent tax rates will doom their chances of regaining the presidency in 2020.

When asked about how Republicans should handle these extreme policy proposals, Forbes laid out a plan for Republicans in Congress to fight these proposals that include humor and grim reality.

He praised Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) plan to “put it up for a vote and let them squirm.”

Forbes suggested highlighting the absurdity of these views by asking the Democrats, “[W]hat do you have against cows?”

He also hit the real world danger of their implementation.

“You’re not going to get the healthcare you need any more. You think you have problems now, wait until you just can’t get it for months or years on end,” Forbes stated.

My takeaway:

The former Republican Presidential candidate is clearly optimistic about his party’s future and re-election chances of Donald Trump, both because the economy is doing and because the Democratic Party has adopted the policies of its most extreme members.

Listen:

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

— There is a disingenuous storyline, that even the IRS has debunked, that tells people their taxes are going to go up because of the Trump tax cut. Even with that silly narrative floating around, Gallup found that over two-thirds of Americans expect their financial outlook to improve this year. That is a 16-year high.

5. The media was totally wrong when they relentlessly smeared the Covington Catholic school kids

— When the video of a confrontation between a “Native American elder” and some MAGA hat-wearing Catholic school kids went viral, they were vilified by the media, liberal celebrities and their own church. As usual, this narrative has been busted. An investigation found “no evidence of offensive statements by the kids, no evidence that of a ‘Build the Wall’ chant and the elder in the middle of this lied about his military service, his actions that day and refused to participate with the investigation into this incident.”

4. Alabama legislator continue to demand failing school districts be able to hold students hostage

— State Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison (D-Birmingham) has brought back a bill that would make it harder for smaller communities to break away from failing school district to start their own. This is just another effort by Democrats in Alabama to control students and keep them in failing situations for the benefit of the failing status quo.

3. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill testified on voting issues to a Congressional committee

— Secretary Merrill told the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee that there are a lot of problems with a proposed “vote by mail” legislation being pushed by Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham). He specifically mentioned problems with holding people accountable for voter fraud, usually done by mail, saying, “[W]e have a number of prosecutors in our state that are not really interested in advancing investigations into voter fraud because they think the penalties are too stiff.” Merill also told the hearing that he doesn’t believe we need a national standard for voting, which is something that could be gaining steam for fear of irregularities and foreign bad actors.

2. A judge has now voided a plea deal from former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort

— After cold water was thrown onto the collusion narrative over the last few days, news that Manafort has had his plea deal voided for “intentionally” lying tossed fuel on the fire for the advocates of that storyline. The issue he lied about includes “$125,000 he received for the legal bills, about another unnamed Justice Department criminal investigation and about his interactions with his longtime Russian associate Konstantin Kilimnik while he was campaign chairman and later,” according to CNN.

1. President Donald Trump has still not officially agreed to sign on to the deal to avoid a shutdown he praised “hard working” U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) for putting together

— All signs point to the president signing the compromise deal, but the White House still hasn’t said he will sign it. The bill has the support of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), but there are many members raising concerns about the deal. The White House had not seen the deal as of last night, and Trump said, “[W]e’ll be looking for “land mines.” Soldiers are heading to the border as part of a plan to send 3,750 troops to do surveillance and build wire barriers.

— Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax has denied assaulting anyone, but messages given to Fox News indicate that one of the accusers has been telling people of the assault for years. Meredith Watson told a friend about her knowledge of the rape during Fairfax’s campaign in 2017, saying, “This is absolutely disgusting! This dude raped me.”

5. As more Democrats enter the 2020 field, former Vice President Joe Biden leads

— In an already large field, that is poised to keep growing, the old guard is still leading the way while new upstarts are languishing in single digits. Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) are polling at 29 percent and 22 percent, respectively. The only other candidate with over 10 percent is Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA).

4. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is going to make Democrats vote on their silly Green New Deal

— McConnell wants to make Democrats do more than offer lip-service to a bill that embarrassed many Democrats and had to be pulled off sponsor Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s website after being mocked. McConnell slyly stated, “I’ve noted with great interest the Green New Deal. And we’re going to be voting on that in the Senate. Give everybody an opportunity to go on record and see how they feel about the Green New Deal.”

3. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey will attempt to build three massive prisons at a cost of $900 million dollars

— Ivey may use a bond measure or a build-lease plan to get the prisons built. The latter will be more appealing to politicians as it does not require legislators to give money to prisoners. Senator Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) said, “Getting it out of our hands is the only way you’re going to get this done.” The plan would build two prisons for up to 3,500 prisoners and the third will host “special needs” prisoners, including those battling mental health issues. Alabama has recently come under fire for being “deliberately indifferent” to the needs of mentally ill prisoners.

2. No collusion between Trump campaign and Russians found by Senate investigators 

— In what appears to be a trend, more people associated with the investigation into Russian collusion are declaring there is no collusion. Senate Democrats now agree with Republican Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) who said the same thing last week. A Democrat aide accepted this but, seemed dejected in telling NBC News, “We were never going to find a contract signed in blood saying, ‘Hey Vlad, we’re going to collude.'”

1. President Donald Trump has not been clear about whether he will sign off on the latest border/budget deal

— The president said he is “not happy” with the deal that Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) and other negotiators have come up with that doesn’t fully fund his border wall, but added, “I don’t think you’re going to see a shutdown.” Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called on the president to hold off on signing the bill, but suggested he may declare a national emergency to get to the $5.7 billion he’s wanted for the wall.

Allegedly, a man who hates Hispanics went last weekend to his local Mexican restaurant, Charrito’s Bar & Grill, decided to dine on some Mexican food and utter a racial comment to a waiter.

That racial comment? “Do white people ever use cash?”

Totally believable.

So, I asked the reporter at WHNT-TV in Huntsville a few questions.

Dale, thank you for reading my article.

1. Yes and a picture of the receipt is posted on the restaurants facebook page.
2. It’s signed but you cannot see the signature in the image.
3. His name is not on the receipt and the people I spoke with did not know it.

— Jordan Dafnis (@JordanDafnis) February 12, 2019

The reporter said she saw a credit card receipt with a signature but no name.

But no one she talked to knows the name of the guy? She talked to the owner, by the way.

Totally reasonable.

Neither the reporter or the victims of totally real racial hatred seem all that interested in an outing this vile racist, who left a credit card receipt to go along with his racist tirade.

I understand the restaurateur not wanting to out the racist because … actually, it makes no sense.

But the reporter and anyone else who covered this story appear to have forgotten about the “The Five Ws.” These are the five things you need to know when you gather information: who, what, when, where, why.

WHO did this? Some guy.

WHAT did some guy do? Left a mean note.

WHEN did some guy do it? February 9.

WHERE did some guy do this? The beautiful Charrito’s Bar & Grill at the Villages of Providence, where the owner says they have “A lot of the things that we have are typical Mexican traditions that you would find in the typical Mexican home.”

WHY did some guy do this? Because he is racist and also enjoys Mexican food, making racist comments in public and then paying with his credit card as an identifier.

Reminder: No one at the restaurant knows the name of the guy that used his credit card.

OK, so run the story?

No. As it is written, it appears to be a cry for attention. It’s abetted by the fact that this story is just another story that is too good to check.

Why? Because it allows people who hate the president and his supporters to tar them all as racist monsters.

Why don’t we want to know the name of the guy who did this? They could name, shame and destroy his life. It’s not as if we don’t enjoy doing this on a regular basis in this country.

Why? Because it is fake and has been done plenty of times.

At this point, media outlets should be beyond skeptical of this ridiculous story and its many variations.

We don’t tip terrorists.

We don’t tip black people.

Get a real job.

We don’t approve of the gay lifestyle.

Could all of this be real? Sure.

Is there enough info here to malign an entire group of people or to reward a restaurateur for her unwillingness to tell the whole story? No.

This story should not have been told if the “who” is being withheld. The credit card receipt allows for him to be identified. The only reason not to identify the person is if he can refute this story. Period.

All of this is happening the same day a reporter is complaining about a “Fake News” t-shirt on display at Bloomingdale’s.

Hey @Bloomingdales, this isn’t funny or fashionable. It further delegitimizes hard working journalists who bring REAL news to their communties. pic.twitter.com/NedoHMAZfs

— Allison Kaden (@akadennews) February 10, 2019

Unbelievably, the whining worked.

Bloomingdale's Apologizes Over 'Fake News' T-Shirt, Pulls It From Stores https://t.co/G56gMv0Jzh pic.twitter.com/iFMzIdMbp2

— TheWrap (@TheWrap) February 12, 2019

Imagine if these journalists cared more about their craft as much as they care about the people criticizing their failure to not be terrible.

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

— Last week, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) pulled her state’s National Guard troops from border protection missions and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is following suit. Newsom will rescind the order to send California’s troops to the border and “offer an alternative to the corruption and incompetence in the White House.”

5. Trump is polling pretty well lately, showing that Democrats’ ideas are not that popular and the shutdown didn’t crush him

— There is no other way to put this. Trump’s approval rating is on the way up after the government shutdown and his State of the Union. According to the latest Rasmussen poll, the president’s approval rating has reached 52 percent, which is a 23-month high.

4. Democratic congresswoman apologizes for latest of her anti-Semitic comments

— Representative Ilham Omar (D-MN) sent two tweets referencing Jews using their money to control the actions of American politicians and she was criticized by both Republicans and Democrats. This is a trend for her and is a powerful new strain moving through the liberal base of the Democratic Party. After all of this, Omar will still be speaking alongside a person who praised the killing of Israelis by Islamic terrorists.

3. U.S. Steel is restarting a plant in Alabama, specifically citing President Trump as a reason why

— U.S. Steel Corporation is restarting construction on an electric arc furnace that will cost $215 million and add about 150 full-time workers. US Steel noted President Trump’s “strong trade actions” and improving market conditions, union support and government incentives as a reason to restart the project they mothballed in 2015.

2. Another Alabama Republican comes around on a gas tax and the Alabama Policy Institute wants other reforms if this is going to come to pass

— State Rep. Danny Crawford (R-Athens) opposed a gas tax increase in 2017, but is all in 2019, going as far as to say, “The facts kept coming out that showed me I didn’t know what I was talking about.” Advocates for the tax that could be as low as three and as high as 26 cents will be glad to see more Republicans coming on board. On the other hand, the conservative API is pushing for offsets to other taxes if a gas tax is to pass. They view it as a last resort.

1. We have a budget deal, in principle, as Trump heads to El Paso and the media gives an ex-Congressman equal billing

— The potential deal includes $1.375 billion for physical barriers. Democrats dropped their demand to restrict the number of people who can be detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but there could be a reduction in total beds for illegal aliens. There is no sign that the president will sign on to the deal, but he said “we are building the wall anyway.” In El Paso, Trump pushed a broad range of topics from borders to Russian interference to the Green New Deal, while former Texas Democratic Congressman Beto O’Rourke used his moment to declare that walls work while declaring otherwise, “[W]alls do not save lives. Walls end lives.” He then explained how people will avoid the walls to enter the U.S.

Silence. Deflection. Protection.

But what if these were Republican scandals and faux pas?

Green New Deal disaster? The mockery coming from late-night hosts would be center stage and the endless stories about the savagery of social media sick burns would be seared into our brain.

Virginia is for losers? This is the most amazing scandal to me. If this had been Alabama Republicans, the media would be boosting every obscure protest group, of which there would be many, and pressure would be mounting on every business in the state to get a trio of scalps.

Anti-Semitic Barbie? These comments would bring up comparisons to Charlottesville, KKK and cosplayers with tiki torches, followed by people misquoting the president about people on “both sides” being good people.

Fauxahontas? Not only would Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) 2020 campaign be over with, she would also be facing calls to resign from the Senate by scowling talking heads.

It’s as if the American media is made up of mostly liberals who are more interested in helping Democrats get elected. They are clearly not interested in reflecting the views of the nation and that becomes clearer every single day.

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

— While presidential candidates and Democrats from all over the country have called for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to resign, a poll by the Washington Post shows that black voters may not care all that much. Virginians as a whole are split 47-47 on whether the governor should resign; 58 percent of black voters say he should stay, compared to 46 percent of white voters. He believes he can fix things by reading some books on race.

5. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) somehow says Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s accusations and those of the Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax in Virginia aren’t comparable

— Jones had very strong views on Kavanaugh’s accusations. He tweeted, “Dr. Ford was credible & courageous. What message will we send to our daughters & sons, let alone sexual assault victims? The message I will send is this—I vote no. #RightSideofHistory.” But when asked about the accusation the Virginia lt. governor, his answer was, at best, a cop-out. Jones said, “I don’t know how you can apply to somebody that’s in office now with somebody who is trying to get a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.”

4. Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) combats Congressional office neighbor Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX), who is clearly advocating for illegal immigrants

— Castro hung a poster outside his office declaring that the congressman was “FIGHTING FOR TEXAS DREAMERS,” which Brooks responded with his own sign display that read, “THESE AMERICANS, KILLED BY ILLEGAL ALIENS, HAD DREAMS TOO.” Brooks further explained his position in a press release, “Over 2,000 illegal aliens were apprehended for homicides on American soil in fiscal year 2018 alone. In addition, illegal aliens average committing more than 100,000 crimes and 15,000 sexual assaults on American soil every year!”

3. Democrats’ Green New Deal is a disaster — media find the reaction more interesting

— When Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) released their plan to remake the government, economy, health care, and transportation, two things happened: Democratic presidential candidates signed on and people mocked the absurd proposal so much that the sponsors pulled it off their website. The media praised the plan, complained of conservatives pointing out how absurd it was and boosted the lies told by its advocates.

2. A top Alabama Republican reportedly was pushing for a Medicaid expansion, he says that is not true

— It was widely believed that State Sen. Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia Hills) was coming around on the idea of Medicaid expansion when discussing the closing of rural hospitals with ABC 33/40. He stated, “I think we’re going to take a lot closer look at the Medicaid issue this year, expansion of Medicaid, than in times past.” He walked that back while speaking to state-funded APTV, saying, “All I’m saying is to prevent the closing of rural hospitals we need to study this. We need to take a look at it. I did not endorse expanding Medicaid.”

1. Government shutdown talks stall, the battle continues over the Democrats’ desire to decrease the number of detention beds

— Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) seemed optimistic last week that a deal could be made by Monday, but it turns out that isn’t happening. Even though it appears that the president will not get close to his $5.7 billion for the wall, Democrats are demanding the number of beds for illegal aliens to be lowered from 40,520 to 35,520 and limit the number of illegal aliens caught in the U.S. that can be detained, which would require more catch and release than we already do. The president will not sign this.

On the third anniversary of the show, Jackson and Burke are joined again by their first guest, former Congressman Parker Griffith.

Jackson closes the show with a “parting shot” addressing the continued contrast between the mainstream media’s interpretation of matters involving President Trump with the views of the American public.

The lack of the American left’s outrage on this issue is pretty stunning. Moderate red state Democrats like our own junior Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) has left the door open for his potential challengers to hammer home the fact that his abortion position is not that far from Northam’s comments.

JONES: I’m not in favor of anything that is going to infringe on a woman’s right and her freedom to choose. That’s just the position that I’ve had for many years. It’s a position I continue to have.

But when those people — I want to make sure that people understand that once a baby is born, I’m going to be there for that child. That’s where I become a right to lifer.

---

NORTHAM: This is why decisions such as this should be made by providers, physicians, and the mothers and fathers that are involved. When we talk about third-trimester abortions, these are done with the consent of the mother, with the consent of physicians, more than one physician by the way, and it’s done in cases where there may be severe deformities, there may be a fetus which is non-viable. So in this particular example, if the mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen, the infant would be delivered, the infant would be kept comfortable, the infant would be resuscitated if this is what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physician and the mother.

Listen:

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

— The Senate investigation led by chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) and Mark Warner (D-VA) has been touted as the much more professional of the two investigations in Congress and they have found no collusion with the Russians. Burr stated, “If we write a report based upon the facts that we have, then we don’t have anything that would suggest there was collusion by the Trump campaign and Russia.”

5. The Green New Deal has specifics; Presidential wannabes are onboard, but it’s a plan that even its architect knows won’t work

— Freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’ (D-NY) plan for green energy, guaranteed jobs and high-quality health care is utterly absurd. It requires impossible plans including, “Upgrade or replace every building in the US for state-of-the-art energy efficiency” and providing “a job with a family-sustaining wage, family and medical leave, vacations and retirement security for every American,” including those “unwilling” to work.

4. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) offers his support for President Trump’s attorney general pick

— The support from Alabama’s junior senator is a bit of a surprise from a senator who has opposed the president’s choices for Supreme Court and CIA director. In a move sure to ruffle feathers on the left, Jones believes nominee William Barr would let the Mueller investigation play out. He explained, “In my own conversation with Mr. Barr, he reiterated that no one, including the president of the United States, is above the law. He assured me that he would tolerate no level of interference with the [Mueller] investigation and reaffirmed unequivocally his commitment to the Justice Department’s independence.”

3. Local entities continue to offer their support for a potential gas tax, but there is still no public plan on the table

— With no idea how much the gas tax proposed by Alabama’s legislature will be, arguments for increases from three to 26 cents per gallon have been floated, despite the uncertainty of where that money will go. Supporters are rushing to show their support for the unclear measure. In the last 24 hours, the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, the new president of the Business Council of Alabama and the County Commission of Chambers Autauga county have publicly come out in favor of the new tax.

2. Another Virginia politician has a blackface issue and an Auburn High School student wants to get in on the craze as well

— Not content to let Democrats have all the scandals in Virginia, the Republican future state Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment has been found to oversee a yearbook at the Virginia Military Institute that is full of blackface and racial slurs. He was not in any of the photos. An Auburn High School student is also in trouble for her use of a racial slur and a black facemask on Snapchat. The school system is calling it “inappropriate” and not reflective of the “school system’s statements of belief.”

1. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) is feeling optimistic that a deal is close

— As President Donald Trump kept on his hardline on immigration, Shelby, one of the Republicans’ lead negotiators, said the President is being “very reasonable” and called his meeting with Trump “the most positive meeting I’ve had in a long time.” Saying the deal could be done by Monday to avoid another government shutdown, Shelby added, “He would like us to conclude our bill in a positive way for the American people.” But it is unclear what that bill looks like.

— President Donald Trump now has to worry about an ever-expanding investigation headed by Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA). Schiff said this “pertains to any credible allegations of leverage by the Russians or the Saudis or anyone else.” The president isn’t sweating this and has dismissed him, saying, “He’s just a political hack trying to build a name for himself.” He then called it “presidential harassment.”

5. Alabama inmate has his execution stayed because the state won’t provide a Muslim imam

 — The convicted killer of a 15-year-old girl received his stay from a federal appeals court by saying the state’s position violates freedom of religion protections. The state confusingly agreed to remove a Christian chaplain, but cited security reason for not allowing an imam in the chamber. The stated reason is that they don’t want a non-prison employee in the chamber.

4. Protesters show up at the attorney general’s office to protest the decision not to charge the officer in the Hoover Galleria shooting

— Angry protesters, including the family of E.J. Bradford, Jr., arrived at the attorney general’s Montgomery office to protest the decision to not charge the officer who shot and killed Bradford on Thanksgiving. The protesters chanted for Attorney General Steve Marshall. They were told to disperse, and two individuals were arrested for attempting to enter the building.

3. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) seems to signify that a deal on border security could be close

— Congressional negotiators may be about to avoid another government shutdown, according to Shelby. He said, “I would say we’ve got a much better chance today than we had Monday to reach some kind of resolution on this.” Negotiators met with the Border Patrol and recommended $5.7 billion be spent on a border wall, but Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) said that it is not happening. He explained, “[W]e can probably get there on some sort of enhanced barriers, with local input.”

2. Virginia’s meltdown continues as their attorney general has now admitted to wearing blackface, too

— Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA) is facing racism charges and calls to resign, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D-VA) has now called the woman accusing him of sexual misconduct a “bitch” and Attorney General Mark Herring is under fire for wearing blackface and dressing as a rapper. Herring was considered a rising star and candidate for governor. He also coincidently said that Northam should resign for wearing blackface last week.

1. Potential challengers to U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) attempt to tie him to Democrats’ abortion positions

— As Democrats lurch left seeking to mollify an increasingly radical base, the party finds itself in the middle of multiple attempts to expand abortion on demand until birth. Red state Democrats, like Doug Jones, find themselves in an unenvious position as their opponents tie them to these bills that push positions that are wildly unpopular with the American public, but popular with the hardcore liberals in the base who want abortion on demand.

“I think the Democrats are in a bad spot here,” he added.

The real issue for Byrne, Trump and others in the House hoping to see a ban on this barbaric practice will be moderate Democrats who don’t feel comfortable expressing their true feelings. He cited fear of the Democratic base as a reason some stay silent, saying they are “worried that if they act in accordance with what they believe that they’re going to get attacked by the left and are going to be subject to a primary opponent.”

With an eye toward 2020, Byrne called out his potential opponent in the general election, questioning why Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) has not spoken up about his position on late-term abortion.

“Where does our Democratic senator from Alabama stand on this?” he asked. “I mean, he voted against the 20-week abortion bill. Does he approve of abortion at this point in time in delivery?”

My takeaway:

It’s not just Alabama where this is electoral poison. Late-term abortion polls terribly nationwide, while 60 percent of Americans are for abortion in the first trimester and only 13 percent favor third-trimester abortion.

With the Democratic Party moving on radical immigration issues and the president entering into this fight with a high-profile mention in a State of the Union speech, Democrats like Doug Jones who want to play the moderate type are going to be placed in a box where their silence will be seen as a tacit approval of partial-birth abortion.

Listen:

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

— Last week, conservative pundit Ann Coulter suggested that Brooks would make a “terrific” challenger to President Donald Trump. Brooks is clearly not interested, but in a radio interview, Brooks did mention that he would entertain a U.S. Senate challenge if the president of the United States asked him to and would endorse him. He also cited a poll showing him leading amongst potential GOP primary candidates with 30 percent of those polled choosing him.

5. The drama in Virginia appears to be far from over as Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax’s accuser has hired the attorneys that represented Dr. Christine Blasey Ford

— As part of the fallout following Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D-VA) racist past coming to light, Democrats are saying they don’t know what is happening in Virginia. They are refusing to answer questions and pretending to answer phantom phone calls as ways to avoid taking a position on the allegation of sexual assault against Fairfax. This is a contrast to how Democrats and the media handled allegations against Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Taking a cue from that evidence-free circus, the accuser, Vanessa Tyson, has hired Katz, Marshall and Banks, a Washington, D.C.-based firm to guide her through this issue.

4. Ahead of the State of the Union, and with another caravan at the border, President Donald Trump calls for more military at the border

— A caravan numbering roughly 1,600 people has arrived at the Mexican border city of Piedras Negras as they attempt to make it to the United States and into Texas. They traveled to the city because it lacks a barrier or border wall, but DHS secretary said the “lawless caravan” will not be granted entry. President Trump noted the caravan, tweeting, “We have sent additional military. We will build a Human Wall if necessary.”

3. Attorney General Steve Marshall finds no wrongdoing by police in Hoover Galleria shooting

— Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office concluded the officers involved in the shooting of E.J. Bradford “did not commit a crime under Alabama law and thus will not be criminally charged for his actions,” and added that “the Federal Bureau of Investigation had reviewed the matter and found no evidence to initiate a case against the officer for civil rights violation(s).” The report found Bradford was killed after he chambered a round and ran towards the shooting victim and one other person helping them in what the officer felt was a threatening manner when he was neutralized by the police officer arriving on the scene.

2. “The State of the Union is strong”

— President Donald Trump, in a powerful and well-delivered speech, hit the high-notes you would expect on the economy. He could not get Democrats to cheer for a strong economy, low unemployment numbers and record low minority unemployment numbers, but they did cheer for women employment numbers and paid family leave. Trump also hammered the divisive issues of immigration where he called for border enforcement including a wall and the Virginia governor’s comments where he said they could “execute” a baby as he called for a late-term abortion ban on babies that can “feel pain in the mother’s womb.”

1. A majority of Alabama’s Congressional delegation and an overwhelming majority of viewers approved of the president’s speech

— Rep. Gary Plamer (R-Hoover) focused on the positive overall message, saying “The President’s theme tonight of choosing greatness was what I think the nation needed to hear.” Rep. Mo Brooks praised the speech in his totality, outlining, “Whether the focus was on economic prosperity, free enterprise versus socialism, international relations, health care, national security, or the promise of America, President Trump hit the game-winning grand slam, shot the game-winning three point shot, and scored the game-winning touchdown.” Lastly, in a CBS poll of those who watched the speech, 76 percent approved the speech, including 80 percent of independents.

“[T]here’s not any chance that I’m running for president in 2020. I don’t care what’s been polled, it’s not going to happen,” Brooks stated.

He even said he didn’t want to draw Trump’s ire, joking “Right now, I’m kind of in a foxhole lying low on this particular issue.”

In the interview, Brooks made it seem like challenging Doug Jones was something he also was not planning on doing. But he did mention there was one way he could enter the race, asking, “What percentage is there that President Trump is going to publicly ask me to run and endorse me?”

Brooks revealed that he feels he was burned by Trump’s endorsement of Strange in 2017 and argued he “would’ve prevailed in 2017 had President Trump not endorsed at the last second Luther Strange.”

The Huntsville congressman mentioned a conservative group has promised him $1 million in campaign contributions if he would run against U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL), but Brooks pointed out that is “not enough” to run that race.

He also hinted at some polling done in Alabama that shows him with a lead over other potential candidates in a GOP primary to take on Jones. Yellowhammer News has obtained that poll of 400 likely Alabama GOP Primary voters done by “Victory Phones,” and it backs Brooks’ claim.

Poll results as follows:

Rep. Mo Brooks: 30 percent
Rep. Bradley Byrne: 17 percent
Rep. Gary Palmer: 12 percent
State Senate Pro Tem Del Marsh: 7 percent
Other: 6 percent
Undecided: 27 percent

It seems unlikely that Brooks gets in this race, but the fact that he is talking about it adds some intrigue to a race that is already expected to draw experienced political players and big money in a GOP primary that will likely decide who is Alabama’s junior senator in 2021.

Listen:

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

— Sewell’s office announced that Tiphanie Carter will attend as President Donald Trump delivers the address to a joint session of Congress this evening. Carter was murdered by criminals who shot him in the head while he was investigating vehicle break-ins in downtown Birmingham. Other members of Congress are bringing illegal aliens, furloughed government employees and other members of the public to highlight issues they feel are important. President Trump’s invited guests include victims of illegal immigration, pardoned criminals and a kid bullied for being named Trump.

5. The Alabama Alliance for Infrastructure is using Ronald Reagan to lobby for more spending on roads and bridges

— In 1982, President Reagan lobbied for more spending to fix infrastructure by saying, “The bridges and highways we fail to repair today will have to be rebuilt tomorrow at many times the cost.” Using Reagan in a red state like Alabama to call for a higher gas tax is a unique approach. The organization running the ads is made up of various Chambers of Commerce, the Business Council of Alabama and other business groups. Other states have used this tactic.

4. The governor of Virginia, who admits to wearing blackface, doesn’t want to be seen as a “racist for life” by resigning

—Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA) insisted that he needs “more time” to decide whether he can cling to power after a disastrous week where he has found few allies and increasing calls to resign. In a “solemn” cabinet meeting that included his possible replacement, he told his staff that he would be branded a “racist for life” and that he needs to convince people that he is not in that photo. Reportedly, his own staff is finding that story hard to believe.

3. The potential next governor of Virginia, and the current lieutenant governor, is facing new scrutiny that the media may have actually handled correctly

— Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax has denied that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2014. The denial included a now rebuked assertion that the Washington Post found inconsistencies in the woman’s story. More interestingly, he says the allegations are being pushed to the media by Northam’s supporters. He said, “Does anybody think it’s any coincidence that on the eve of potentially my being elevated that that’s when this uncorroborated smear comes out?” If true, that would mean Virginia Democrats and the media knew about this allegation and said nothing which is a pretty stark contrast with how those two groups handled allegations against now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

2. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) touts up to $1 billion dollars in Alabama investment by the FBI

— Shelby was speaking at a Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce event where he spoke about the potential for 4,000 FBI jobs at the Redstone Arsenal facility. These jobs will have an impact on the state that is on par with the $1.6 billion dollar investment by Mazda-Toyota project. Shelby told the crowd that “Huntsville is on fire,” and added, “The whole area is on fire economically. You’re attracting everything here. You’ve got the brainpower here.”

1. It’s State of the Union day — no one knows which President Donald Trump will show up

— President Trump is going to deliver his State of the Union address tonight, which will be his third address to a joint session of Congress. But this time, his new number one foil, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, will be prominently seated behind him and next to Vice President Mike Pence. The potential of another government shutdown, border security and immigration are sure to be featured in the address. The president will call for bipartisan efforts on trade and prescription drugs, but the speech will almost assuredly touch on divisive issues like abortion and could potentially be used to announce a declaration of emergency on border security.