PRESENTED BY THE ALABAMA PETROLEUM COUNCIL
Good morning! The World Series starts tonight! Here’s your Daily News for Tuesday, October 23.
1. The Believer.
- I set out to profile both candidates for governor this Fall.
- I wanted to offer readers an in-depth look at each person, who they surround themselves with, and what a day in their life is like.
- I’m grateful to both the Governor’s Office and the Walt Maddox campaign for letting me tag along during a day on the road. Interestingly, they both ended up in the same place: the Wiregrass.
- First up, Walt Maddox.
- He’s a numbers guy, a relentlessly optimistic person, and a true believer in his cause.
- He’s surrounded by a team of both fellow young true believers and old-school operatives who aren’t afraid to wield a political knife.
- His candidacy is an inspiration to other Democrats to “come out of hiding” and run/vote.
- The story is long, but give it a read and let me know what you think.
- Expect my profile on Gov. Kay Ivey tomorrow or Thursday. I wish I could publish it today, but I’m trying to to a thorough job, and these things take time.
2. Vance picks up endorsements.
- Democratic nominee for Chief Justice Bob Vance picked up some notable endorsements Monday.
- Six former Supreme Court Justices signed a joint letter saying Vance “is clearly the most qualified candidate for this high office” and “has judicial temperament and the legal acumen required to decide cases on their merit. He knows that politics has no place in legal decisions.”
- Republicans endorsing are former Chief Justice Drayton Nabers, former Associate Justice Tom Woodall, and former Acting Chief Justice Gorman Houston.
- Democrats endorsing are The Democrats signing the letter are former Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb and former associate justices John England and Mark Kennedy.
- That’s a motley crew to say the least.
- Vance is running against Associate Justice Tom Parker. Most polls have Parker ahead, but this could be the closest candidate matchup on the November ballot.
- Read the full story from Kim Chandler plus the endorsement letter itself HERE.
A Message from The Alabama Petroleum Council
- The United States is the global leader in production and refining of natural gas and oil. It’s an American energy revolution that impacts all 50 states – including Alabama.
- Alabama ranked 18th in oil production in 2016, 16th in natural gas output that same year and natural gas continues to be the leading source of electricity generation in the state.
- The Alabama Petroleum Council exists to support policies that maintain this national energy resurgence – benefiting consumers and producing good-paying Alabama jobs.
- Stay connected to the Alabama Petroleum Council via Twitter.
3. Lyman profiles AG race.
- The Montgomery Advertiser’s Brian Lyman has fresh candidate profile stories on the candidates for Attorney General.
- They get into the top issues and give you a window into the world of both incumbent Attorney General Steve Marshall and challenger Joseph Siegelman.
- Marshall talks about “the toughest year of his life,” making the opioid and mental health issues personal, revising the ethics code, and his firm stance on illegal immigration.
- Siegelman talks about how he’d like people to get to know him and not just his last name and how he’d like to prioritize consumer protection as well as opioids.
- Both are well worth a read this morning. In fact, the Advertiser is chock full of political coverage today.
4. Trump speaks.
President Trump is talkin’.
He’s talkin’ and tweetin’.
Perhaps he’s taking his new approval ratings out for a spin, so to speak, but the president talking to the media a lot more lately and some stories with pretty big implications are the result.
Here are three:
The Caravan
- Trump blasted the caravan headed toward the southern border via Twitter and declared U.S. will begin cutting aid to three Central American countries he accused of failing to stop the mass migration.
- He also said he alerted the military that this was a national emergency.
- The White House, State Department & Pentagon found it difficult to respond to the tweets.
- That story and the tweets HERE.
Tax Cuts
- Trump says he plans to push another set of tax cuts through Congress, this time aimed at the middle class.
- I’m sure Congressional Republicans will forgive him for inferring that the last round of cuts wasn’t for the middle class.
- Most think this is just political posturing before the midterms. I agree, and it’s brilliant.
- Trump just got headlines and newscasts nationwide to say he wants a middle class tax cut juxtaposed to would-be Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying she wants to repeal the current tax cuts.
- Full story HERE.
The Saudi question
- Trump said Monday he’s not satisfied with the explanations he’s heard about the death of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi and is awaiting reports from U.S. personnel returning from the region.
- The Saudis say he was killed in a fistfight, but Turkish officials said the 59-year-old Washington Post columnist was attacked and killed by a 15-man Saudi team.
- Asked if he believed Saudi Arabia’s explanation, Trump said, “I am not satisfied with what I’ve heard.”
- “We’re going to get to the bottom of it. We have people over in Saudi Arabia now. We have top intelligence people in Turkey. They’re coming back either tonight or tomorrow,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House.
- “We’re going to know a lot over the next two days about the Saudi situation. It’s a very sad thing.”
- Full story HERE.
5. News Briefs.
Shelby, Jones get aggressive on catfish
- Sen. Richard Shelby and Doug Jones went to bat for Alabama’s catfish industry this week.
- They’ve joined a group of senators calling on Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to enforce antidumping laws to prevent Vietnamese imports from unfairly affecting American catfish producers.
- They aren’t happy with the International Trade Administration’s deference toward a Vietnamese catfish importer and want the Trump Administration to take a tougher stand.
- “Our catfish farmers rely on strong enforcement of U.S. antidumping laws to ensure they can compete on a level playing field,” the letter reads.
- Read more about the Vietnamese catfish issue HERE and read the senators’ joint letter HERE.
Joe will be Joe
- Jeff Poor got a great scoop yesterday about Alabama Democratic Conference Chairman Joe Reed sending out what amounts to a shakedown letter to candidates and committees.
- “Your fair share for the position you seek is $25,000,” he wrote. “Make your check payable to the Democracy Advancement Fund Incorporated…”
- Yes, that is Reed essentially threatening to leave candidates off of the ADC’s influential sample ballots if they don’t pony up.
- That’s not really the news here, though, because that happens all the time.
- The news is that Democrats are so unhappy with Reed that they are leaking this letter out to embarrass him – to YellowHammer of all places.
- Read Jeff’s full story including the letter HERE.
Academy of Honor Members inducted
- The Alabama Academy of Honor inducted five new members Monday, including former U.S. District Judge U.W. Clemon, Alabama’s first black federal judge.
- Civic leaders Walter A. Bell and Ann D. Florie, former Compass Bank CEO Paul Jones, Jr., and former ProAssurance Corporation CEO Stan Starnes were inducted as part of the new class.
- Read more from Mike Cason HERE.
Headlines.
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Walt Maddox: The Believer.
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – AL Supreme Court: Six former justices, including three Republicans, endorse Vance for Chief Justice.
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – University of Alabama raises $224 million.
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Trump wants to push middle class tax cut through Congress.
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Trump ‘not satisfied’ with explanations of Khashoggi death.
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Trump blasts caravan, threatens to cut aid to Central America.
MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – Man charged with weekend Montgomery Walgreens burglary.
MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – Secretary of State candidate Milam wants to change atmosphere of state politics.
MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – Alabama state auditor candidate Jim Zeigler: auditor is ‘watchman against waste and mismanagement’.
MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – David Sadler once walked to Pennsylvania to clear his name. Now he’s running for Alabama Senate.
MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – With ‘common sense’ platform, Will Barfoot hoping to represent district he grew up in.
MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – ‘Make the statehouse look like the state’: Historic number of women running for office in Alabama.
MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – State Senate District 25: Three questions with David Sadler and Will Barfoot.
MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – 3 questions with Jim Zeigler and Miranda Joseph: state auditor candidates in their own words.
MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – Alabama state auditor candidate Miranda Joseph: ‘Corruption helps make the state auditor’s race more relevant’.
MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER – Alabama state auditor candidate Jim Zeigler: auditor is ‘watchman against waste and mismanagement’.
DOTHAN EAGLE – Center Stage permit renewal approved in close vote.
DOTHAN EAGLE – Robinson challenges incumbent Valenza in Houston County sheriff’s race.
DOTHAN EAGLE – Domestic Violence vigil set for Oct. 23.
YELLOWHAMMER NEWS – Alabama to vote on Ten Commandments amendment.
YELLOWHAMMER NEWS – “Always bald, sometimes loud’ Ainsworth releases new political ad that shares his views on important issues while poking fun at himself.
YELLOWHAMMER NEWS – Twinkle Cavanaugh: President Trump’s Affordable Clean Energy rule is a win for Alabama.
AL.COM – Ivey campaign continues to lead Maddox in fundraising.
AL.COM – Controversial mailer tying Kay Ivey to racist policies surfaces in gubernatorial campaign.
AL.COM – Shelby, Jones go to bat for Alabama catfish farmers amid Vietnamese trade dispute.
AL.COM – Alabama instructor suspended in wake of CBS sexual harassment report.
AL.COM – Sentencing hearing Tuesday for Drummond VP, Balch lawyer.
AL.COM – Ivey overhauls Alabama Environmental Management Commission.
AL.COM – Morgan County sheriff says blogger falsely accused her of Trump assassination plot.
AL.COM – Columnist Cameron Smith: Don’t count out the House Republican majority just yet.
AL.COM – White Northerners seek to redefine the Confederate flag.
AL.COM – Man charged with murder in fatal triple shooting in Mobile.
AL.COM – President Donald Trump stumps for ‘Beautiful Ted’ Cruz at Texas rally.
TUSCALOOSA NEWS – Hotel may lose license; owner accused of promoting prostitution.
TUSCALOOSA NEWS – Teens charged in Tuscaloosa theft ring.
TUSCALOOSA NEWS – Jalen Hurts out this week with high ankle sprain.
TUSCALOOSA NEWS – Editorial: Trump’s tone wrong on caravan, but he’s right to reconsider aid money.
DECATUR DAILY – Carbon monoxide poisoning may have killed 2 North Courtland men.
DECATUR DAILY – City could be ready to ban tethering of dogs.
DECATUR DAILY – Limestone sheriff’s office investigating drive-by shooting.
TIMES DAILY – Survey: Gas prices drop in Shoals.
TIMES DAILY – 2 killed in separate Sunday traffic accidents.
TIMES DAILY – Fatal fire victim identified.
ANDALUSIA STAR NEWS – Straughn grad named Miss Troy University.
ANDALUSIA STAR NEWS – Child Advocacy Center plans fall box lunch sale.
ANDALUSIA STAR NEWS – APPLE invites parents to Lights On event today.
TROY MESSENGER – RAILROAD REPAIR: Maintenance will help smooth crossings.
TROY MESSENGER – Woman driving wrong way arrested on meth charges.
TROY MESSENGER – Commission continues hearing from jail architects.
THE ANNISTON STAR – VeoRide to allocate around 75 bikes to Jacksonville, council learns.
THE ANNISTON STAR – Ohatchee man killed in Saturday crash, troopers say.
GADSDEN TIMES – Gadsden man arrested on sexual abuse charges.
GADSDEN TIMES – ECSO searching for missing person.
OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS – Auburn police arrest Georgia man on warrants of rape and sodomy.
OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS – Auburn man arrested on multiple charges including burglary, drug possession.
CULLMAN TIMES – Council votes to include vaping under Clean Air Act.
SHELBY COUNTY REPORTER – Award-winning columnist speaks to Hoover Chamber.
SHELBY COUNTY REPORTER – HHS hosting fall play at end of October.
SHELBY COUNTY REPORTER – Sweet success: Students rewarded for academic accomplishments.
THE MADISON RECORD – Tim Tebow To Lead FCA “A Strong Night”.
THE MADISON RECORD – Competition Leads To Success For Rowe Kicking Brothers.
THE MADISON RECORD – Trash Pandas Logo Reveal Event At Dublin Memorial Park.
DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE – The Perfect Pumpkin.
DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE – Walker jobless rate declines to 4.1 percent.
DAILY MOUNTAIN EAGLE – Outgoing county BOE members honored.
NEW YORK TIMES – Erdogan Says Saudis Planned Khashoggi’s Killing, and Demands Answers.
NEW YORK TIMES – U.S. Seeks Answers on Khashoggi Killing as Mnuchin Meets With Saudi Prince.
NEW YORK TIMES – Security images show Mr. Khashoggi and his fiancée in his final hours.
USA TODAY – Turkey says Jamal Khashoggi ‘ferociously murdered’ by Saudi Arabian hit squad.
USA TODAY – Registered sex offender police say killed University of Utah student found dead.
USA TODAY – ‘Extremely dangerous’ Hurricane Willa expected to make landfall Tuesday on Mexico coast.
POLITICO – Turkish president claims Khashoggi killing was premeditated.
POLITICO – Supreme Court halts Wilbur Ross deposition.
POLITICO – Trump: ‘I’m a nationalist’.
Front Pages (images link to newspaper websites, which you should visit and patronize).
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