Dale Jackson’s 7 Things: Shutdown becomes less likely, Apple credits tax cuts for big moves, Alabama may make Medicaid recipients work, and more …

The 7 Things You Should Be Talking About Today

1. Shutdown possibility less likely every single day

— President Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan both believe they will be able to avoid a government shutdown with a short-term spending bill.

— In an attempt to get votes, they have inserted a 6-year fix to the always popular CHIP program that provides health insurance to poor children.

— Alabama’s own, Congressman Mo Brooks, who is also part of the House Freedom Caucus, says he will vote yes unless the deal changes to allow amnesty.

2. Apple makes big financial moves to move money back to the U.S., cites tax cuts as the reason

— Apple announced it will be creating 20,000 jobs in the U.S. after the GOP-led tax cuts passed.

— The company will also bring back $252 billion dollars it was keeping off-shore to avoid paying high corporate taxes; they will still pay $38 billion in taxes.

— Apple CEO and Alabama native, Tim Cook says, “Apple is a success that could only have happened in America, and we always felt a very big sense of responsibility to give back to our country and the people who have made our success possible.”

3. Democrat/Media lies on tax cuts start to wear off as reality sets in

— Despite the fact that more than 80 percent of Americans will see a tax cut this year, most incorrectly believed their taxes would go up.

— The reality of tax cuts helping most Americans is starting to seep in and more Americans are realizing that they will receive a tax cut.

— Even as poll numbers improve, most Americans won’t actually see the impact until February, when the Internal Revenue Service issued new tax withholding guidance goes into effect.

4. Alabama could require Medicaid recipients, who can work, to work to get benefits.

— Medicaid officials and Gov. Kay Ivey have said the state is considering making able-bodied Alabamians work, volunteer, or go to school to receive Medicaid benefits.

— More than half of Alabama’s 1,050,117 Medicaid patients are children living beneath the federal poverty line; these children would not be affected.

— Alabama’s Medicaid costs take up one-third of the current General Fund, even with a smaller request for 2019 than in 2018.

5. Steve Bannon will talk directly to Robert Mueller’s team

— Bannon has struck a deal with the Special Counsel and will speak to prosecutors instead of speaking to a grand jury.

— There will be no assertion of executive privilege in this meeting and Bannon is expected to answer questions.

— Axios is reporting that Bannon told congressional investigators he had spoken with other senior White House staffers about the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting that Bannon called “treasonous”.

6. Racist Alabama student apologizes after she is expelled, students protest on campus

— After the University of Alabama expelled Harley Barber, the ex-student told the New York Post, “I did something really, really bad.”

— Barber says she has been receiving threats in response to the videos.

— More than 50 students marched on Alabama’s campus against Barber’s comments after she was expelled.

7. Senator Jeff Flake embarrasses himself on national TV, compares the President to a murderous dictator

—  Speaking on Trump’s “enemy of the people” slam against the media, Flake made the comparison to the phrase “infamously spoken by Joseph Stalin to describe his enemies”.

— Sen. Flake’s comparison to Stalin would normally draw criticism from all fronts, but because this is about Trump, most are pretending the comparison is valid.

— Flake wanted to give this speech on the same day as the president’s “Fake News Awards”, where the president singled out false media stories for derision.