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Daily News Digest – January 20, 2020

Presented by AlabamaWorks!

 

Good late morning to you!
Here’s your Daily News for Monday, January 20.

 

1. MLK Day

  • I hope you’re getting some time off work on this three day weekend.
  • It’s important to remember what the holiday is about and, here in Alabama, the history is all around us.
  • The ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the movement that he came to Montgomery to lead literally changed the world.
  • Of all the great speeches one can draw on to remember King’s legacy, my favorite is the one he gave on the steps of the State Capitol at the conclusion of the Selma-to-Montgomery march protesting the denial of voting rights to black Alabamians.
  • It became known as the “how long, not long” speech because of the unique and powerful ending. Here’s an excerpt:
“I know you are asking today, ‘How long will it take?’ Somebody’s asking, ‘How long will prejudice blind the visions of men, darken their understanding, and drive bright-eyed wisdom from her sacred throne?’
“Somebody’s asking, ‘When will wounded justice, lying prostrate on the streets of Selma and Birmingham and communities all over the South, be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men?’…
“I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, because ‘truth crushed to earth will rise again.’
“How long? Not long, because ‘no lie can live forever.’
“How long? Not long, because ‘you shall reap what you sow…’ 
“How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. 
“How long? Not long, because ‘Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord'”
  • Listen to the full speech and read the transcript HERE.

 

 

2. As arguments near, Trump lawyers call impeachment case flimsy

  • President Donald Trump’s legal team asserted Monday that he did “absolutely nothing wrong,” calling the impeachment case against him flimsy and a “dangerous perversion of the Constitution.”
  • The brief from Trump’s lawyers, filed ahead of arguments expected later this week in the Senate impeachment trial, offered the most detailed glimpse of the lines of defense they intend to use against Democratic efforts to convict the president and oust him from office over his dealings with Ukraine. It is meant as a counter to a brief filed two days ago by House Democrats that summarized weeks of testimony from more than a dozen witnesses in laying out the impeachment case.
  • The prosecution team of House managers was expected to spend another day on Capitol Hill preparing for the trial, which will be under heavy security. Ahead of the filing, House prosecutors arrived on Capitol Hill to tour the Senate chamber. Opening arguments are expected within days following a debate over rules.
  • Full story HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A message from AlabamaWorks!

Success Plus is Alabama’s program for improving the statewide level of education beyond high school.
Whether it’s a degree earned in a four-year or community college, a professional certification or a credential, this additional preparation creates improved opportunities for Alabamians to better their lives by participating in the workforce.
It also ensures that Alabama businesses can continue to grow with the highly-skilled workforce they need.
Learn more  at  AlabamaWorks.com/SuccessPlus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Trump thanks farmers for backing him through China trade war

  • President Donald Trump thanked farmers Sunday for supporting him through a trade war with China as he promoted a new North American trade agreement and a separate one with China that he said will massively benefit farmers.
  • “We did it,” Trump said, recalling his campaign promises to improve America’s trading relationships with other countries.
  • At one point during his address to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s convention, Trump said he has strong support among farmers following his signing last week of a preliminary trade deal with China.
  • When Trump spoke to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s last year, he urged farmers to continue supporting him even as they suffered financially in the fallout from his trade war with China and a partial shutdown of the federal government.
  • His follow-up speech Sunday at this year’s convention in Austin, Texas, gave him a chance to make the case to farmers that he kept promises he made as a candidate to improve trade with China and separately with Canada and Mexico.
  • He thanked farmers for staying “in the fight.”
  • “You were always with me,” Trump said. “You never even thought of giving up and we got it done.”
  • The Republican president wants another term in office and is seeking to shore up support among his base, including farmers.
  • Full story HERE.

 

4. Church of the Highlands buys property for college campus

  • Birmingham’s Church of the Highlands, one of the nation’s largest churches, continues buying property for a planned new campus for Highlands College, which trains ministers.
  • The church is purchasing the land near the former Cahaba Grand Conference Center in Birmingham.
  • The church this month closed on a deal to pay $32 million for an office building, parking deck and land, real estate records show. The church also purchased additional land and a warehouse for $2.925 million.
  • Highlands College last year announced plans to move its campus by 2021 to the area where the land is being purchased and double its enrollment. There are plans for eventually adding student housing to the site.
  • “This location is perfectly suited for a college campus and relocating there will elevate our visibility within the community,” according to a statement on the school’s web site. “The Grandview location will give us the capacity to create a true college campus designed to promote community with state-of-the-art learning facilities and a beautiful green space that transforms the property into a walkable campus.”
  • Full story HERE.

 

 

5. ICYMI

In case you missed Caroline Beck’s Weekend Digest on Sunday, here are the headlines:

 

Headlines

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – ‘How Long? Not Long’ – Martin Luther King in Montgomery, Alabama, 1965
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Church of the Highlands buys property for college campus
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Trump thanks farmers for backing him through China trade war
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – As arguments near, Trump lawyers call impeachment case flimsy
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Interstate 59/20 set to reopen through Birmingham
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Alabama court won’t reconsider Confederate monument ruling
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Alabama lynching memorial, museum expanding
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Shelby discusses Senate impeachment trial on ‘This Week’
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS  – Candidates clash over government billing dispute
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Weekend Digest – January 19, 2020
AL.COM  – Martin Luther King Day 2020: MLK quotes, inspiration to honor late civil rights leader
AL.COM  – ‘Politically motivated,’ ‘bigoted’ ‘harmful’: How transgender student athlete bill is stoking criticism in Alabama and beyond
AL.COM  – Trump’s Alabama Hurricane Dorian threat defender pushed out of job
AL.COM  – Richard Shelby on Trump impeachment charges: ‘Things happen’
AL.COM  – Columnist Kyle Whitmire: Can Shelby save Fed from fool’s gold?
AL.COM  – Birmingham startup matches seniors and caregivers
Montgomery Advertiser – Suspect in Eclectic thefts arrested after tip
Montgomery Advertiser – Former Montgomery officer Stevie Rodgers found guilty of enticing child
Montgomery Advertiser – Suspect fleeing traffic stop leads to four-car wreck into South McDounough Street business
YellowHammer News – AIDT promotes Allen to high-level communications position
YellowHammer News – Rep. Byrne rips Dems for values at Mobile County stop — ‘They don’t believe in God’
YellowHammer News – Alabama cuts ribbon on Birmingham’s new interstate bridges
Dothan Eagle – Extendicare carries on the legacy started by Frasier-Ellis Hospital
Dothan Eagle – Dothan shooting suspect taken into custody in Montgomery
Dothan Eagle – Woman killed, Dothan woman injured in two-vehicle crash
Tuscaloosa News – Driver, 2 children die in fiery wreck
Tuscaloosa News – Gospel artist Jonathan McReynolds holds concert for Realizing the Dream weekend
Tuscaloosa News – Pumps acquired to help drain lake, ease pressure on dam
Decatur Daily – Homeowners, TVA struggling with aquatic plant life in river
Decatur Daily – Residents had different reactions to King’s assassination
Decatur Daily – Limestone DA wants to resolve homicide cases
Times Daily – Rogersville’s 101 Pizzeria named among best in state
Times Daily – TVA eyeing property in Lawrence County for potential solar farm
Times Daily – Row crop, livestock outlook for 2020 coming Jan. 30
Gadsden Times – Gadsden Public Library to convert Alabama City branch into genealogy library
Gadsden Times – Sheriff Jonathon Horton: One Year In
Gadsden Times – Senators to be quiet, unplugged for Trump trial
Anniston Star – Three killed in fiery wreck in Randolph County
Anniston Star – Family of Anniston native unhappy with burial provided by funeral director under indictment
Anniston Star – Runners’ club hosts ‘Half Naked Marathon’
Troy Messenger – Davis to share Grand Canyon story at festival
Troy Messenger – Convicted murderer to be considered for parole Wednesday
Troy Messenger – New Year is the time to ‘scale back’ in Pike County
Andalusia Star News – Man charged with attempted murder
Andalusia Star News – First baby indigo snake found
Opelika-Auburn News – Dream Day MLK Observance set for downtown Opelika
Opelika-Auburn News – MLK celebrations run throughout the week
Opelika-Auburn News – No-Shave November and Do-It-Again December totals in
Daily Mountain Eagle – Bevill State student donates art supplies to children
Daily Mountain Eagle – Absentees, voter registration available for primary
Daily Mountain Eagle – Crowd gathers to ride for Wyatt
Trussville Tribune – Church of the Highlands megachurch buys more property for new college campus
Trussville Tribune – CRIME STOPPERS: Center Point man wanted on attempted murder charge
Trussville Tribune – Jefferson County DA in Bessemer says Paighton Houston case should not be tried on social media
Athens News Courier – State’s largest weight loss challenge begins Monday
Athens News Courier – 50-yard-line mass baptism prompts complaint in Alabama town
Athens News Courier – 2020 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: Prisons, medical marijuana top the list
Sand Mountain Reporter – Major drug bust in Albertville | Marshall County agents seize several pounds of meth, marijuana
Sand Mountain Reporter – Lions Club starting in Geraldine
Sand Mountain Reporter – Wigley says Brindlee Mountain High School ready for primary students
WSFA Montgomery – Wetumpka man’s drone documents Wetumpka tornado recovery
WSFA Montgomery – Man killed in Mobile Road shooting Saturday
WSFA Montgomery – Kidnapping victim safe, suspect now in custody
Fox 6 Birmingham – Police investigating overnight shooting at B’ham nightclub
Fox 6 Birmingham – 1 killed, 1 injured in shooting at B’ham gas station Sunday afternoon
Fox 6 Birmingham – First woman elected to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama
WAFF Huntsville – CAJA of Madison County looking for new volunteers
WAFF Huntsville – Huntsville Police search for two suspects involved in shooting
WAFF Huntsville – Morgan County Deputies receive anonymous donation of live saving devices
WKRG Mobile – 2 charged with disaster assistance fraud for Hurricane Irma
WKRG Mobile – Two dead, multiple hurt in Kansas City shooting
WKRG Mobile – Martin Luther King holiday: Faith, politics mix this holiday
WTVY Dothan – UPDATE: Kidnapping victim safe, suspect now in custody
WTVY Dothan – Drug bust leads to trafficking arrest in Abbeville
WTVY Dothan – Dothan high-speed chase leads to Sunday night wreck
WASHINGTON POST  – Trump’s China deal was pitched as boon for working class, but he celebrated with Wall Street titans
WASHINGTON POST  – Here are the lawyers defending Trump in the Senate trial
NEW YORK TIMES  – Lawmakers Clash Over Shape of Impeachment Trial as Rules Vote Looms

Front Pages (images link to newspaper websites, which you should visit and patronize)

 

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