Presented by

Auburn University

1. Zeta damage severe

2. Economy grew 33% in Q3

• The U.S. economy grew at a sizzling 33.1% annual rate in the July-September quarter — by far the largest quarterly gain on record — rebounding from an epic plunge in the spring, when the eruption of the coronavirus closed businesses and threw tens of millions out of work.
• Yet the recovery from the deepest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s remains far from complete. The Commerce Department’s estimate Thursday of third-quarter growth regained only about two-thirds of the output that was lost early this year when the economy essentially froze as safety orders forced restaurants, bars and many retailers to shut down.
• The third quarter GDP gain was powered by a record 40.7% increase in consumer spending. Americans began shopping again after the spring shutdown, which had sent consumer spending plunging by a record 31.4%. Consumer spending accounts for roughly two-thirds of economic activity.
• The economy is now weakening again and facing renewed threats. Confirmed viral cases are surging. Hiring has sagged. Government stimulus has run out. With no further federal aid in sight this year, Goldman Sachs has slashed its growth forecast for the current fourth quarter to a 3% annual rate from 6%.
• Full story HERE.

A message from

Auburn University

3. Closing arguments: Jones, Tuberville attack each other in final ads

• With less than a week to go before Tuesday’s election, Democratic Sen. Doug Jones and Republican challenger Tommy Tuberville are attacking each other in their final campaign ads.
• Jones’ ad focuses on health care and specifically takes aim at Tuberville for supporting the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.
• Tuberville’s latest ad attacks Jones for speaking at a Birmingham rally in protest of police violence against Black people that occurred in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.
• Read more and watch them both HERE.

4. Supreme Court issues several last minute election orders

• North Carolina, yes. Pennsylvania, yes. Wisconsin, no. That’s how the Supreme Court has answered questions in recent days about an extended timeline for receiving and counting ballots in those states.
• In each case, Democrats backed the extensions and Republicans opposed them. All three states have Democratic governors and legislatures controlled by the GOP.
• At first blush, the difference in the outcomes at the Supreme Court seems odd because the high court typically takes up issues to harmonize the rules across the country. But elections are largely governed by states, and the rules differ from one state to the next.
• A big asterisk: These cases are being dealt with on an emergency basis in which the court issues orders that either block or keep in place a lower-court ruling. But there is almost never an explanation of the majority’s rationale, though individual justices sometimes write opinions that partially explain the matter.
• There also is a difference in how the justices act based on whether they are ruling on a lawsuit that began in state or federal court.
• Conservative justices who hold a majority on the Supreme Court object to what they see as intrusions by federal judges who order last-minute changes to state election rules, even in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. The power to alter absentee ballot deadlines and other voting issues rests with state legislatures, not federal courts, according to the conservative justices.
• The court also is divided, but so far has been willing to allow state courts interpreting their own state constitutions to play more of a role than their federal counterparts.
• Full story HERE.

5. Football weekend

• LSU playing Auburn on Halloween in Jordan Hare Stadium? That’s just asking for spooky things to happen.
• Still, it’s the first time in more than 20 years that the two teams will meet while both are unranked.
• Meanwhile, Alabama plays a hapless Mississippi State squad that just lost its best runner to an opt out for the season.
• Read more about the games of the week in the SEC HERE.

A Note to Readers…

• At long last, I’m happy to announce that we have completed the process of merging the Inside Alabama Politics and Alabama Daily News websites.
• As most already know, Inside Alabama Politics has been a staple for 35 years, going back to the days of Bessie Ford and T.J. Potts. I bought a majority stake in the publication last year with the goal of one day combining the quick and to-the-point news reporting of ADN with the one-of-a-kind scoops and insider talk of IAP. That day has come.
• Much like PoliticoPRO or Rivals, Inside Alabama Politics is our premium subscription service in which paid subscribers will have first access to exclusive stories and the famous IAP rumors and rumblings.
• Don’t worry, nothing is changing about the Daily News email. It will remain free and full of all of the news you need to start your day. Ninety-five percent of the articles on the Alabama Daily News site will also remain free, but the occasional scoop behind the paywall will be well worth the money for those of us who work in and follow Alabama politics.
• For existing IAP subscribers, your same usernames and emails have been imported to the new site along with your subscription status. The one step that needs to be taken is changing your password in a quick and easy process. Simply follow THIS LINK to reset your password with the same email you used for the IAP account and you’ll be good to go.
• Those who pay for subscriptions using checks may experience trouble logging in, but it’s an easy fix. Just email me if you have a problem.
• We’ll have a full IAP edition next week, but as an example of the kind of standalone stories subscribers will have access to, read this scoop from Mary Sell on how state leaders are starting to consider their options with CARES Act money as the deadline for spending it approaches (plus a listing of what has been spent so far).

Headlines

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – South digs out from Zeta’s wrath

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – US economy grew at 33% rate in Q3

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Closing arguments: Jones, Tuberville attack each other in final TV ads

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – With CARES Act deadline approaching, some state leaders eye extension, reallocations

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Supreme Court issues flurry of last-minute election orders

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Pelosi, Trump administration trade blame over virus aid

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Matchup of unranked LSU, Auburn highlights Week 6 in SEC

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Mobile, Montgomery and Huntsville to receive mental health crisis centers

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Daily News Digest – October 29, 2020

AL.COM – Alabama adds 1,443 coronavirus cases; 2 counties have COVID death tolls above 300

AL.COM – Gadsden coal ash hearing postponed after Hurricane Zeta

AL.COM – Dr. Anthony Hood, entrepreneurism and inclusion advocate, leaving UAB

AL.COM – Kith Kitchens opening cabinet factory in Florence, creating 131 jobs

AL.COM – In Senate campaign speech, Tommy Tuberville instead tells Trump tales

AL.COM – South has most Black Senate candidates since Reconstruction

Montgomery Advertiser – Hurricane Zeta in Alabama: One death, widespread power outages, damage reported across the state

Montgomery Advertiser – MPS parents ask for support of the property tax for school funding

Montgomery Advertiser – Doug Jones campaign hints at legal action over Tuscaloosa absentee voting waits

WBRC Fox 6 Birmingham – How to spot warning signs to help prevent trees from falling during storms

WBRC Fox 6 Birmingham – Developers looking to transform Brookwood Village into mixed-use space

WBRC Fox 6 Birmingham – Mail carrier OK after tree falls on truck during Thursday deliveries

Tuscaloosa News – Rare Halloween game poses dilemma for Alabama football fans

Tuscaloosa News – Safety work starts Monday on Mitt Lary Road

Tuscaloosa News – Tropical storm causes scattered power outages in Tuscaloosa County

Decatur Daily – Outer bands of Zeta flood some Decatur roads

Decatur Daily – Bond denied for man charged with domestic violence stalking

Decatur Daily – COVID-19-caused dip in kindergarten enrollment concerns educators

Times Daily – Kindergarten enrollment drop worries educators

Times Daily – Cabinet manufacturer to bring 131 jobs to Shoals

Times Daily – Murder suspect claims stand your ground defense

Anniston Star – Flash flood warning until 5 a.m. Thursday for Calhoun, Talladega and St. Clair counties

Anniston Star – Tropical Storm Zeta fells tree near downtown Oxford

Anniston Star – Local schools delayed 2 hours Thursday due to potential bad weather

YellowHammer News – Data: Doug Jones closer to Chuck Schumer, Mazie Hirono than to Joe Manchin on supporting Trump

YellowHammer News – Alabama rocket CEO and former Air Force leader: Military threat from China now extends to space

YellowHammer News – NFIB presents Rep. Robert Aderholt with Guardian of Small Business Award — ‘Small businesses are the lifeblood of the American economy’

Gadsden Times – No injury reports, but many trees down, homes without power in Etowah County after Zeta

Gadsden Times – Three people killed in Southeast U.S. as Hurricane Zeta leaves destruction in its path

Gadsden Times – Etowah Sheriff’s Charities is taking orders in annual fundraiser

Dothan Eagle – Trump fights headwinds as he and Biden battle over Florida

Dothan Eagle – Health contractors vetted stars’ politics for US virus ad

Dothan Eagle – ‘Difficult winter’: Europe divided on lockdowns; cases soar

Opelika-Auburn News – EAMC sees virus hospitalizations decline, fears possible COVID-19 spike

Opelika-Auburn News – Letters, texts, caravans, parades: Advocates mobilize voters

Opelika-Auburn News – The Latest: India’s downward trend in new cases continues

WSFA Montgomery – MPS parents speak out against campaign opposing property tax increase

WSFA Montgomery – Thousands still without power as Zeta cleanup continues in Alabama

WSFA Montgomery – COVID-19 dashboard for Ala. schools to go live soon

WAFF Huntsville – A Huntsville restaurant talks about the struggles with COVID-19

WAFF Huntsville – Voters meet Republican candidates at Freedom Fest

WAFF Huntsville – City of Decatur spokeswoman: Summer Key Apartment’s drain backed up; residents’ cars flooded

WKRG Mobile – Zeta: Post-storm openings, storm cancellations, closures

WKRG Mobile – Local moms getting creative, staying safe during a COVID-19 Halloween

WKRG Mobile – Pensacola Beach urges beachgoers to beware of RIP currents after Hurricane Zeta

WTVY Dothan – Daycare worker charged with abusing children

WTVY Dothan – $5 license fee for emergency services on ballot

WTVY Dothan – Howell School Senior Apartment cuts ribbon for grand opening

WASHINGTON POST – In campaign’s waning days, both candidates seek to shore up support from Latino voters

WASHINGTON POST – Trump, Biden converge on Florida, a key battleground state

WASHINGTON POST – Options dwindle for voters diagnosed with covid-19 as Election Day draws near

NEW YORK TIMES – Trump and Biden Converge in Florida, an Elusive Prize Still Up for Grabs

NEW YORK TIMES – Covid-19 Live Updates: U.S. Reports 90,000 New Daily Cases, the Equivalent of More Than One Per Second

NEW YORK TIMES – These Are the Perks Companies Use to Get Workers Back to Their Offices

WALL STREET JOURNAL – Ant IPO Sets Off $3 Trillion Scramble Among Small Investors

WALL STREET JOURNAL – Dow on Track to Wrap Up Worst Month Since March

WALL STREET JOURNAL – Eurozone Economy Soars but Covid-19 Resurgence Leaves It the Global Weak Spot

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