Good morning! We are two weeks away from the July 17 runoff. Here’s your Daily News for Tuesday, July 3, 2018. 

1. SCOTUS interviews begin. 

• President Trump has interviewed at least four judges he is considering for an appointment to the Supreme Court.
• They are: Judge Brett Kavanaugh of the DC Circuit, Judge Raymond Kethledge of the 5th Circuit, Judge Amul Thapar or the 6th Circuit, and Judge Amy Barrett of the 7th Circuit.
• In case you wondered who the frontrunner is, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer used a tweet storm to criticize Barrettand claim she would rule counter to the way he would like.
• Remember that two Republican Senators – Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – don’t want a justice who is outspokenly committed to overturning Roe v. Wade. So, Schumer and company are going to try to paint all these candidates as exactly the type who would do that.
• Always listen to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who says this:

“…it’s probably going to be close; I think there will be a big, national campaign rage. But in the end, I’m confident we’ll get the judge confirmed.”

• Read the full AP story from Ken Thomas and Catherine Lucey via Alabama Daily News HERE.
• Read the New York Times story from Maggie Haberman and Michael Shear HERE.
• Read the Washington Post story from Bob Costa and Josh Dawsey HERE.

2. My take on Alabama’s connection.   

• I wrote a column about all this Supreme Court business, which I would love for you to read and share HERE.
• As with most big political stories, there’s an Alabama connection or two: Judge Bill Pryor on the short list, Sen. Doug Jones with a decisive vote; Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the many Alabamians at DOJ involved in the nomination & confirmation process.
• I’d be interested in your feedback about my take on it all.
• Some feedback I’ve already received is that I neglected to include a big Alabama name: Kevin Newsom, who serves alongside Pryor on the 11th Circuit.
• The Harvard Law grad served as Solicitor General in Alabama before being nominated to replace retiring Judge Joel Dubina at the 11th Circuit.
• Of all the candidates on Trump’s list, Newsom got the most confirmation votes in the Senate at 66. Maybe that’s why the Aussies are betting on him.

3. Twinkle nabs Huckabee endorsement. 

• Twinkle Cavanaugh announced yesterday that former Arkansas Gov. and erstwhile presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is endorsing her campaign for Lt. Governor.
• That’s interesting. Endorsements are nice, and Huckabee obviously has appeal here having won Alabama in the 2008 presidential primary.
• But, all campaigns have them. Her opponent, Will Ainsworthhas Rick and Bubba, as he noted in his response.
• What matters is how campaigns use endorsements beyond the press release. 
• The real news here is that the Cavanaugh campaign is airing a radio ad in which Huckabee goes after Ainsworth.
• This race has been chippy for a while now, and both campaigns have had some hard hitting ads.
• Having Huckabee come in and do some fighting on her behalf is a significant and interesting use of his endorsement.
• Expect this knife fight to continue over the next 14 days.

4. In Memoriam.  

• Alabama lost two great newspaper men over the last few days.
• Mitch Snead, Editor of the Alex City Outlook, was killed in a car accident late Sunday night.
• Jack Smith, former Publisher of the Eufaula Tribune, died late last week after a long battle with depression. His family has asked that donations be made to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which has set up a fund in Jack’s name.
• Tragic losses, both, and my thoughts are with the families.

5. News Briefs

Federal Trial

• The Oliver Robinson / Drummond / Balch trial continues in a Birmingham federal court.
• The prosecution questioned a couple of CEOs about their knowledge of the effort to oppose an EPA-mandated Superfund cleanup site in North Birmingham.
• Read Ivana Hyrnkiw’s dispatch from the courtroom HERE.

Tarriffs

• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is pointing out how badly President Trump’s tariffs are going to affect the economy in Alabama.
• In a report released yesterday, they say more than 560,000 jobs and $3.5 billion could be threatened by a trade war.
• Read more in Jeff Poor’s report at YellowHammer and Brad Harpers’ story for The Montgomery Advertiser.

AG Marshall 

• Attorney General Steve Marshall took to Facebook yesterday to thank people for their outpouring of support.
• He stopped short of saying he’d resume a campaign schedule, and who can blame him.
• The awful situation hasn’t stopped some from showing their true colors. Bill Britt posted another nastygram yesterday. I’d say I’m shocked but I’m really not.

Independence Day

• AL.com’s Mary Colurso has compiled a list of 4th of July celebrations around the state.
• That Baldwin County Pops concert sounds especially cool.
• Wherever you celebrate, I hope you’ll remember the true meaning behind the 4th of July and help others to. If you need help, the John Adams series is on Amazon Video.

Headlines.

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Trump interviews first of potential Supreme Court candidates

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Huckabee endorses Cavanaugh in lieutenant governor’s race

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Man sought in triple slaying found dead in Alabama

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS –  Steve Flowers: Trump and Big Jim

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Todd Stacy: As Supreme Court drama unfolds, Alabama plays its part

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Police: Man brandishes gun at Alabama immigration protest

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Trump’s former personal lawyer says he’ll put family first

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – Report: Alabama taking better care of children, but room for improvement.

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – US Chamber: Trump tariffs put $3.5B in Alabama exports at risk.

MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – Two Alabama jurists on Trump’s Supreme Court nominee list.

OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS – Huckabee endorses Cavanaugh in lieutenant governor’s race.

DOTHAN EAGLE – Gas prices down for 4th of July, but increases likely on the horizon.  

YELLOWHAMMER NEWS – U.S. Chamber: 567,500 jobs, $3.6 billion in Alabama exports threatened by Trump tariffs.

GADSDEN TIMES – Majority of US adults are not ‘extremely proud’ to be Americans, survey finds.

ANNISTON STAR – Contributor Parker Snider:  Three Years After Obergefell.

AL.COM – Bribery trial: Drummond CEO thought contract was for community outreach.

AL.COM – AG Steve Marshall on future: ‘Concentrate on how to make it through today’.

AL.COM – Columnist Roy Johnson:  After Maxine Waters cancels, Donna Brazile inspires black female legislators: ‘Don’t fear trouble’.

AL.COM – Alabama Democrats optimistic Walt Maddox can beat Kay Ivey.

AL.COM – Rogers: Trump ordered Space Force on live TV to thwart Pentagon foes.

AL.COM – Columnist Amanda Walker:  The effort to monitor absentee voting in Wilcox County continues.

WASHINGTON POST – Pruitt aides reveal new details of his spending and management at EPA.

WASHINGTON POST – How Trump is changing the face of legal immigration.

WASHINGTON POST – Columnist Michael Gerson:  Will the GOP become the party of white backlash?

WASHINGTON POST – Trump interviews Supreme Court candidates as political fight over Kennedy replacement intensifies.

WASHINGTON POST – Trump lawyer Michael Cohen says his family, not the president, is his first loyalty.

NEW YORK TIMES – Trump Warns NATO Allies to Spend More on Defense, or Else.

NEW YORK TIMES – When Health Insurance Prices Rose Last Year, Around a Million Americans Dropped Coverage.

NEW YORK TIMES – Finally, Some Answers on the Effects of Medicaid Expansion:  Research suggests that access to care has greatly improved, and that quality of care has generally improved.

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