Well, all I can say is that I’m glad last week is over. Here’s to hoping the next one is better. Here is the news you need to know for October 7, 2018.

1. Kavanaugh Confirmed to Supreme Court.

• After a stressful and divisive week, this Saturday a vote was called on the Senate floor and Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court.
• The vote was 50-48 with Sen. Joe Manchin from West Virginia being the one Democrat to vote yes and Sen. Lisa Murkowski being the only Republican to vote no.
• The vote was called amid screams and protests from the gallery of people screaming “shame on you” and “I do not consent” echoing the sexual assault accusations brought against Brett Kavanaugh.
• Kavanaugh had the votes in the end and was then promptly sworn in by both Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and retired Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.
• This confirmation has finally brought the Supreme Sourt under a majority of conservative judges and was a unifying force that finally brought many establishment Republicans and the President together on a common goal.
• But New York Times political correspondent, Alex Burns,makes an interesting point, that now this confirmation is passed, does this open the opportunity for more conflict between the president and Republican leaders now that their most unifying goal is gone.
• And National Review’s Matthew Continetti writes that the days over Republicans and Democrats both supporting Supreme Court nominations are likely over for now.

• Rep. Martha Roby said on Twitter: “Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a conservative, experienced jurist who I believe will be a strict constitutionalist on the Supreme Court. I am pleased that the United States Senate voted to confirm him, and I am confident he will serve the Court and the American people admirably.”
• Sen. Richard Shelby praised Kavanaugh and said he found his testimony credible but did not mention Dr. Ford’s testimony, and also said that after these past weeks, “We need to take some time to reflect on what kind of Senate — and what kind of country — we want to be.” “For the good of our nation, it’s time to bridge the divide and work together.”
• Rep. Bradley Bryne said in a press release that the nation was better off with Kavanaugh confirmed and that “This process and the shameful tactics used have been an embarrassment to our nation, but I hope we can now move forward as a country and not return to these pathetic political games again.”
• Rep. Robert Aderholt said on Twitter: “I am pleased to see that it looks as if Judge Kavanaugh will be confirmed to the Supreme Court. He has served as a federal judge for more than a decade with honor and I believe he will bring that same integrity to our nation’s highest court.”
• Sen. Doug Jones said on Twitter: “We have to step back from the brink from this hyper-partisanship & be rational again. Those who came forward are true heroes. This process was mismanaged from the start & women deserve better. This shouldn’t be political—we have a job to do. Let’s be on #TheRightSideOfHistory“

2. First Maddox TV ad

• Walt Maddox released his first TV campaign ad on Saturday and took a more introduction route.
• In the ad Maddox talks about his time as Mayor of Tuscaloosa for three terms, casts himself as “pro-life” and “pro-second amendment.”
• He ends by saying he will never put party before people and will “never lie to you.”
• The ad is meant to remind voters of past corruption scandal among Republican politicians and candidates in Alabama.
• Governor Kay Ivey’s campaign took issue with the ad, releasing a statement office saying that Maddox is misleading voters on the issues of abortion and gun rights.
• They say that, “Walt has joined Planned Parenthood in opposing the Constitutional Amendment acknowledging the sanctity of life.”
• But Walt Maddox himself has never officially stated his stance on abortion and continues to say he is a pro-life Democrat.
• Ivey’s statement also said that Maddox has “not completed the NRA’s candidate survey and has been endorsed by Moms Demand Action, the same gun control group that endorsed Hillary Clinton.”
• You can read more about the ad from Al.com here.

3. House Race Profile: District 46

• For this Sunday’s race profile, I took a deeper look at the candidate for House District 46, around Mountain Brook and Hoover.
• Republican David Faulkner is running for a second term against Democrat Felicia Stewart.
• This is another seat located in the affluent, normally-Republican suburbs of Birmingham that tilted more in favor of Doug Jones during the special election last December.
• Stewart has shown the ability to fundraise here at the end, though Faulkner has held a consistent and sizable advantage with his war chest.
• Stewart is also one of the few openly gay candidates running in the state, but does not think that will hold her back from winning because she is not running on anything partisan.
• Should be an interesting race to watch so read the rest of my profile here.
• (also, if you have tips on interesting races, email me or Will)

4. The Week in Good News

Here’s some happy news and hopeful reads to bring in the new week:

Nobel Prizes go to Women for first time in 55 years.

• Nobel Prizes were awarded this week, and among them, was Donna Strickland who will be the first woman in 55 years to be awarded the prize for physics.
• Over the 177 years the prize has been awarded, only three women have be given it in physics.
• Also, a woman was given the Nobel prize in chemistry for the fifth time in history as well.
• It’s been a groundbreaking moment for women in the STEM field and these numbers just show how much further we still need to go in society.
• But this accomplishment is fantastic to hear and you can read all about it here.

Wedding on anniversary of Las Vegas Shooting

• A special wedding in Las Vegas happened this weekend, and it involved two survivors of the Las Vegas shooting that happened a year ago now.
• Regina Harris and Billy Bob Mason were those among the crowd during the festival where a gunman opened fire and proceeded to kill 58 people.
• The couple came back an exact year later though, to reclaim the city and to also honor those who were lost.
• They were joined by other survivors at their wedding and it took place in the memorial garden now on Las Vegas strip.
• It’s a really nice story to read about how people recover from such a tragic event and I recommend reading it.

Two strangers help Navy vet raise $58,000

• When Willie Davis, a retired Navy veteran, was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he decided to get all arrangements for his funeral set up so as to not leave the burden on his family.
• So Davis set up a yard sale to sell off everything he owned.
• When two young men stopped by the sale and heard Davis story, they thought that was incredible.
• The two strangers then proceeded to set up a donation account for him and in a couple of weeks, they had raised $58,000.
• Davis decided that whatever money wasn’t spent on the funeral arrangements, would go towards a new foundation to help veterans with funeral costs.
• You can read all about the heartwarming story here.

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