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Daily News Digest – July 17, 2018

Good morning! It’s (finally) Election Day and polls are open. Don’t forget to vote! Here’s your Daily News for Tuesday, July 17, 2018.

1. Tough to watch. 

President Trump’s public appearance during a summit with Russian President Vladamir Putin didn’t go so well.

It was tough to watch the president, when asked about Russian interference in the 2016 election, offer Putin the benefit of the doubt and moral equivalence to American intelligence assessments just because Putin says he didn’t do it.

Watch the whole thing HERE.

Why?

  • Conspiracy theories are fun, but this might not be so hard to figure out.
  • I agree with Britt Hume‘s and Byron York’s assessment that Trump doesn’t really separate Russia’s meddling from the accusations of collusion, even though they are very separate things.
  • So, to acknowledge Russia meddled would be to give his collusion accusers more fodder and challenge his election victory.
  • You really should read Birmingham-native Byron York’s full piece to get inside Trump’s head on this.

One thing we learned

  • The media’s coverage of this ordeal was, predictably, pretty hysterical.
  • But, in this case, some of that might be justified.
  • The problem is, because so many in the media turn everything Trump does into a reason to call him Hitler, they have desensitized us to real trouble.
  • It’s “The Boy who Cried News,” and it’s a lesson for only shouting when there is truly a reason to shout.

What’s next?

2. Election Day: AG’s race 

  • ADN’s Will Whatley covered how candidates for Attorney General are spending their final 24 hours on the campaign trail.
  • Troy King pulled in some late endorsements from big names like Roy Moore, Trump Advisor Roger Stone, former Attorney General and democratic nominee for governor Charlie Graddick, and former State Rep. Perry Hooper.
  • King travelled around the state with Stone, including to strongholds like Dale County.
  • Steve Marshall campaigned with fellow prosecutors, from local DAs to high profile figures like Florida AG Pam Bondi.
  • Leaked video of a never-aired Marshall campaign ad calling King “creepy” has been getting lots of views in the final days.
  • See all that in Will’s story HERE.
  • [The Associated Press has a well-put together rundown of all the statewide runoff elections HERE.] 

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. Election Day: Lt. Governor’s race

  • Will Ainsworth crisscrossed the state Monday with a fishing boat and a fiberglass tiger in tow.
  • The last-day gambit is an attempt to turn opponent Twinkle Cavanaugh’s attacks about his arrest record into a positive.
  • Ainsworth says his arrest in college for stealing the fiberglass tigers around Auburn was just a prank and that his boating “arrest” was only a citation.
  • It’s a clever play and it has gotten a lot of media attention.
  • It comes with risk, though. It is generally not wise to repeat an opponent’s attacks.
  • Ainsworth wants voters to think Cavanaugh’s attacks were untrue/unfair, but he risks simply reminding voters about his youthful shenanigans as a last impression.
  • Read Brian Lyman’s story HERE and Mike Cason’s story HERE.

4. Election Day: Legislature. 

  • With all the mud flying in the statewide races, it’s easy to forget that we have several important runoffs for State House and State Senate.
  • On the Democratic side, one Senate seat and five House seats have runoffs today.
  • For Republicans, that’s three Senate seats and seven House seats.
  • ADN’s Caroline Beck takes a look at some of the key races that you should be following tonight as results come in.
  • There’s the open Senate seat in Baldwin County, Sen. Larry Stutts in North Alabama, and a few good ones in Central Alabama.
  • Read Caroline’s full story HERE.

5. News Briefs. 

More like this

  • If you haven’t yet, go right now and read Carol Robinson’s story about Birmingham student Walter Carr.
  • When his car broke down and he couldn’t make it to his first day of work. Carr proceeded to walk the 20 miles on foot.
  • You gotta see what happened next. (Not to be click-baity, but it’s Carol’s story and she deserves every click.)

Air Show wins

  • Gov. Kay Ivey and many top Alabama officials are in England this week for the Farnborough Air Show, which is a major aerospace industry event.
  • In the past, economic developers have used the event and the corresponding Paris Air Show to recruit companies like Airbus and Raytheon.
  • This year has produced two successful announcements: Carpenter Technology will build a $52 million emerging technology center at its Limestone County facility and BAE Systems will invest $45 million into an expansion of its Huntsville facility.

Holy Moly

Bentley deposition

  • Former Gov. Robert Bentley was deposed in the lawsuit from his ALEA Director Spencer Collier, and the transcript is out.
  • You can read it HERE. John Papke of NBC13 hit some of the high points, which as you can imagine, are a little cringeworthy.

Headlines.

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – UPDATED: Primary runoff ad rundown. 

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS –  ELECTION DAY: several heated runoffs in Alabama. 

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Runoffs: Legislative races to watch. 

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Attorney General candidates grind out final days.

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Once a Trump critic, Roby seeks redemption in Congressional runoff. 

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Todd Stacy: Demanding more of ourselves and our candidates. 

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS –  Sankey: New gambling laws could result in SEC teams issuing injury reports. 

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Lawmakers call Trump’s comments “bizarre”, “shameful.”  

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – A voter’s guide to the Republican runoff races. 

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – Hold that tiger: GOP Lt. Gov. contenders clash over candidate’s arrest as undergrad.

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – With Trump’s endorsement in hand, Roby emphasizes rural campaign before runoff.

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

DOTHAN EAGLE – If approved, City of Dothan will hire 19 more police officers to protect Dothan City Schools.

DECATUR DAILY – Carpenter Technology CEO says center to develop products from alloys to 3-D printed parts.

GADSDEN TIMES – University of Alabama installing metal detectors at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

YELLOWHAMMER NEWS – Roy Moore backs Troy King in race for AG. 

YELLOWHAMMER NEWS – Here’s who won the money race going into Tuesday’s runoffs. 

AL.COM – Jasper police officers suspended for ‘white power’ hand symbol in post-arrest photo.

AL.COM – Will Ainsworth, Twinkle Cavanaugh swap attacks on election eve.

AL.COM – Birmingham college student walked 20 miles to 1st day of work so his boss gave him his car.

AL.COM – Roy Moore sends out 50,000 fliers endorsing Troy King in Alabama Attorney General race.

AL.COM – Kaishan to build HQ, air compressor plant in Loxley.

AL.COM – ‘Putin is our foe’ say Alabama lawmakers after Trump conference with Putin.

AL.COM – Handicappers move Alabama governor’s race from ‘likely Republican’ to ‘safe Republican’.

AL.COM – Sen. Doug Jones: Tariffs threaten Alabama jobs.

AL.COM – Airbus CEO: Alabama presence vital in ‘uncertain and protectionist’ times.

AL.COM – BAE expanding in Huntsville, adding ‘hundreds of jobs’.

AL.COM – Contributor Ed Castile:  Alabama workforce development programs adapting with the times.

WASHINGTON POST – Trump’s defense of Putin finds few supporters in Congress.

NEW YORK TIMES – Trump, at Putin’s Side, Questions U.S. Intelligence on 2016 Election

NEW YORK TIMES – Deported From U.S., and Picking Up Pieces of a Shattered Dream

NEW YORK TIMES – Hidden From View: The Astonishingly High Administrative Costs of U.S. Health Care

NEW YORK TIMES – Court Orders Temporary Halt to Migrant Family Deportations

NEW YORK TIMES – U.S. Intelligence Community Reacts With Fury to Trump’s Rebuke

Front pages (Images link to newspaper websites, which you should visit and patronize)

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