Good morning and Happy Friday the 13th! Hope you’re not a Friggatriskaidekaphobic. Here’s your Daily News.

1. Swing and a miss for Troy King. 

What Happened

• Former Attorney General Troy King, who is running to get his old job back from current Attorney General Steve Marshall, lost a court case to his opponent Thursday.
• King sued to stop Marshall from being able to use campaign contributions from the Republican Attorneys General Association, claiming it amounts to a PAC-to-PAC transfer.
• After a short hearing, Judge James Anderson threw out the case and denied King’s request for a Temporary Restraining Order against Marshall.

Why it Matters

• Dramatic as the circumstances were, this was a predictable outcome.
• King got what he wanted, which was a ton of press accusing Marshall of impropriety.
• That does not come without unintended consequences, though.
• For one, to be running for Attorney General and to get beat in a local circuit courtroom like that is pretty embarrassing.
• Also, some voters don’t like this kind of tomfoolery.

What’s Next

• The election is Tuesday and I don’t know anybody who isn’t looking forward to this thing being over.
• Until then, enjoy being inundated with all the political advertising on TV, on your internet screens, over the radio, on your cell phone, and in the mail!

2. What a hearing

• Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a joint hearing for the testimony of Peter Strzok.
• Strzok is the FBI Agent who exchanged dozens of anti-Trump text messages leading up to the 2016 election. That’s a problem because he participated in both the Hillary Clinton email/server investigation and the Russia election meddling investigation.
• This was bound to be a contentious hearing. Those two committees generally attract some of the most partisan and aggressive Members of Congress on both sides.
• Republicans were aggressive in questioning Strzok. Democrats were aggressive in defending him / running interference. And Strzok himself was REALLY aggressive in defending himself and the FBI.
• This was no aw-shucks, sorry-about-that, take-your-medicine testimony. While Strzok took responsibility for clearly inappropriate texts, he did not give an inch to Republicans attempting to confirm a larger narrative about investigatory bias.
• The result was a combustable, crazy hearing the likes of which I’ve never seen.
• I don’t think there were any winners. See if you can find any.

What to watch / read

• You can watch the entire hearing for yourself HERE.
• The Washington Post put together a “top seven moments” from the hearing story, which I think is pretty good. That’s HERE.
• Politico: FBI Agent Strzok defiant in face of Republican interrogation.
• National Review: Strok hearing devolves into partisan shouting match.
• Fox News: Fireworks at Strzok hearing as GOP reps fume at anti-Trump FBI agent, threaten contempt.

A message from Troy University

• When one of their own began his battle against Hodgkin’s disease, the members of TROY’s FarmHouse Fraternity chapter resolved that they would not rest until a cure was found for the blood-borne cancer.
• Learn more about their amazing work and how it helps make the TROY family so special HERE.

3. Getting into this Lt. Governor race.

• The race for Alabama Lieutenant Governor is very competitive.
• As tends to happen in such races, it has become a he-said/she-said shouting match full of negative attacks.
• That’s a turnoff, for sure. But, it’s still an important race and voters need to know what their choices are.
• Alabama Daily News reporter CAROLINE BECK took on this task this week, pressing both Twinkle Cavanaugh and Will Ainsworth for answers about what kind of Lt. Gov they want to be.
• She had one rule: you can’t talk about the other candidate. No attacks, no negativity, just tell me what you want to do in the job.
• That’s a refreshing angle, and it made for an informative story that is worth your time this morning.

4. SHIPT expansion is official. 

• SHIPT, a homegrown Alabama shopping service app company, is officially keeping its headquarters in downtown Birmingham and expanding to employ more than 880 people.
• SHIPT is like Uber for grocery shopping. You use the app to choose your groceries, then they do the picking out and checking out for you, and bring it to your house.
• CEO Bill Smith could have relocated to Silicon Valley, where most tech firms are based, or Minnesota, where parent company Target is headquartered.
• But, he choose to keep it in Birmingham, and that’s a big deal for the Magic City and the State of Alabama.
• Helping that cause were incentives from the state and city.
• Gov. Kay Ivey and Mayor Randall Woodfin joined company officials and all manner of local leaders for the announcement yesterday.
• Read all about it HERE.

5. News Briefs.

Prosecution rests in bribery trial

• After three weeks of witness testimony, the government has rested its case in the Oliver Robinson federal bribery trial.
• Prosecutors charge that Drummond VP of Government Affairs David Roberson, and Balch & Bingham attorneys Steve McKinney and Joel Gilbert conspired to bribe former State Rep. Oliver Robinson to oppose an EPA clean-up effort in North Birmingham.
• Thursday testimony included an FBI agent and a reading of the defendants’ grand jury testimonies. The trial will resume Monday when the defenses will begin to make their cases.
• Read more in AL.com HERE.

Hawkins endorses Dial

• Troy University Chancellor Jack Hawkins has endorsed State Sen. Gerald Dial in his campaign for Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries.
• Hawkins is a well known and well respected figure in the state, having built Troy into what it is today. Dial serves on the Troy Board of Trustees.
• Full story HERE.

YellowHammer Editors bid Farewell

• Pepper and Rachel Bryars are leaving YellowHammer News after a year-long stint as editor and managing editor, respectively.
• In a farewell to readers, Pepper wrote:

So now that we’ve successfully reached that “next level,”Rachel and I have chosen to pass along the editing reins and focus entirely on our true passion – writing.

• As someone who enjoys their writing, I look forward to seeing more of it. Best wishes to you both.

One Fun Thing: Ms. Alabama Nursing Home

• Statewide elections for government leaders may be Tuesday, but on Monday Alabama choses its queen.
• The Ms. Alabama Nursing Home pageant is this coming Monday at the Hyatt Regency in Birmingham.
• The winner will serve as a spokesperson for nursing home residents and the Alabama Nursing Home Association (ANHA) for the next year.
• The field of 61 candidates was narrowed to 10 finalists, who will be evaluated on their outlook on life, personality, poise and involvement in their individual nursing homes.
• Check out the names, photos and stories of all the finalists HERE. Maybe you know one of them!

Cool photo to end the week

From @RickartPhoto

Three fishermen wade into #Mobile Bay to throw their cast nets this evening at #sunset at #Fairhope Municipal Park.

Headlines.

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Primary ad rundown. 

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Lt. Governor candidates make their pitch. 

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Judge dismisses lawsuit from AG Marshall’s challenger.

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – US budget deficit totals $74.9 billion in June

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS –  Latino voters seek to challenge Alabama census lawsuit

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Troy University Chancellor Endorses Dial.

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – House District 88 race pits newcomer against political vet. 

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – Montgomery lands $1 million commitment in TV show taping.  

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – Judge dismisses Troy King lawsuit. 

DOTHAN EAGLE – Southeast Alabama Medical Center changes its name to Southeast Health. 

DOTHAN EAGLE – Eagle, Food Bank partner to fight hunger in the Wiregrass.

DECATUR DAILY – Hands Across Decatur: Organization focuses on meeting the needs of the homeless.

DEATUR DAILY – Girl Talk: Decatur program focused on reducing teen pregnancy and drug use.

DECATUR DAILY – Orr: Statewide law needed on inmate jail food money.

FLORENCE TIMES DAILY – Huntsville officials: Toyota could be big for Shoals.

GADSDEN TIMES – Gear up for another bitter confirmation battle.

ANNISTON STAR – Ex-JSU police chief reflects on years in law enforcement.

ANNISTON STAR – What’s at risk at JSU.

ANNISTON STAR – Editor Phillip Tutor: A glimpse of Alabama equality.

OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS – Wright’s Market starts program for food-stamp recipients.

YELLOWHAMMER NEWS – Yellowhammer News editors, Pepper and Rachel Bryars, bid readers a fond farewell.

AL.COM – Troy King’s lawsuit over Steve Marshall campaign funds dismissed.

AL.COM – Birmingham Indivisible protests SCOTUS pick, urges Shelby and Jones to vote ‘no’ on Kavanaugh.

AL.COM – Prosecutors rest case in federal bribery trial involving two lawyers and coal company executive.

AL.COM – FBI agent testifies in federal bribery trial involving two lawyers and coal company executive.

AL.COM – Alabama state Senate candidates talk ‘negative’ campaign during Republican women’s gathering.

AL.COM – Alabama Power’s Coosa River dam licenses fail to protect wildlife, court rules.

AL.COM – Roy Moore says he was duped by Sacha Baron Cohen.

AL.COM – Low voter turnout expected for runoff next week.

AL.COM – Shipt announces Birmingham headquarters expansion, 881 new jobs.

AL.COM – No smoking in public housing after July 31.

AL.COM – Endangered fish holds up Mazda Toyota plant.

AL.COM – Federal judge nixes reading assignment for parties in desegregation case.

AL.COM – ‘Negative,’ ‘personal,’ ‘regrettable’: The ugly showdown for a state Senate seat in Baldwin County.

AL.COM – Hyundai union: Alabama plant could be first shut down under tariff plan.

AL.COM – Alabama’s most (and least) educated counties: How they compare nationwide.

WASHINGTON POST – FBI agent at center of clash over Russia probe faces off with Republicans at tense hearing.

WASHINGTON POST – Sessions targets 10 areas in U.S. for crackdown on the sale of fentanyl.

WASHINGTON POST – The NASA administrator has been lobbying for a space professional to be his deputy. That’s not who the White House nominated.

WASHINGTON POST – Trump voters hit hard by tariffs are standing by him — for now.

NEW YORK TIMES – Supreme Court Could Return Abortion Debate to the States

NEW YORK TIMES – Declaring War on Poverty ‘Largely Over,’ White House Urges Work Requirements for Aid

NEW YORK TIMES – Columnist David Brooks:  The Quiet Death of Racial Progress.

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