The 7 Things You Should Be Talking About Today

1. Donald Trump enters the end of his first year with record low approval ratings, but a long list of accomplishments

— Trump’s approval ratings, while on the rise, are by far the worst of any modern president after one year, with a net negative 15 points (40-55 approval/disapproval).

— These numbers hardly tell the whole story; his list of accomplishments is pretty good with the economy humming, immigration down, ISIS decimated, and appointments of conservatives to the bench.

— His problem appears to be one of personality and style, which is knee-capping his approval numbers.

2. Democrats want a shutdown

— A Democrat aide told NBC News that they have enough votes to “block the spending bill in the Senate and prevent Republicans from keeping the government up and running.”

— Democrats still want Dreamers to be protected, placing those desires over funding the government and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding.

— Sen. Jones doesn’t know what he wants to do: “Still working, still trying to figure it all out. My concern is another CR — that’s no way to run the government.”

3. House votes to avoid shutdown; the ball is in the Senate’s court

— Thursday night, the United States House of Representatives was able to vote to avoid a shutdown, including a 6 year extension of the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and delayed ObamaCare taxes.

— Freedom Caucus members were seen as holdouts, but they came on board; Congressman Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) told me on the radio yesterday he would vote for the bill unless amnesty was added to the equation.

— The bill was hardly a bipartisan effort, with 11 Republicans voting against it and 6 Democrats voting for it.

4. Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle qualifies for governor’s race

— Battle signed his paperwork in a Hoover restaurant surrounded by his family, citing his success in bringing jobs and development to North Alabama.

— Gov. Kay Ivey has over $2 million dollars in the bank and Battle is trailing her with a little over $1 million in the bank; he seems to be the most legitimate challenger.

— Ivey’s approval rating is one of the nation’s more popular governors, but has not been tested in a campaign or on legislative policy; the campaign is starting and should be one to watch.

5. Efforts to change Alabama’s voluntary online sales tax law for Amazon’s benefit has a tough road ahead

— This bill is designed to help Amazon pay less taxes and some lawmakers are balking at the idea.

— Under current law, Amazon is no longer eligible for the lower rate (8 percent as opposed to 10 percent) after they acquired brick and mortar stores in Alabama via their Whole Foods transaction.

— Amazon’s latest decision not to choose Alabama as a finalist in the search for their HQ2 could make changing the law to benefit them harder.

6. The president hooking up with a porn star can’t even dominate the news cycle

— Reports have been circulating that President Trump’s lawyer paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep her quiet about an alleged affair in 2006.

— To further hide the transaction, The Wall Street Journal claims the payments came through a Delaware-based LLC using fake names and lawyers as intermediaries.

— Daniels has reportedly denied the affair, releasing a letter saying she did not take any payment, even though she said in 2011 that she did have an affair with him.

7. Surveillance abuse by Obama DOJ and Comey FBI alleged by Republicans in Congress

— Republican lawmakers are alleging that there is evidence that the Obama Administration was actively involved in using our intelligence agencies to investigate their political enemies.

— Fox News contributor Sara Carter has been told by sources that “they would not be surprised if it leads to the end of Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel investigation into President Trump and his associates.”

— House Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows Tweeted his shock, “It’s troubling. It is shocking. Part of me wishes that I didn’t read it because I don’t want to believe that those kinds of things could be happening in this country that I call home and love so much.”