Good morning and Happy Friday!
It’s a beautiful day at Gulf State Park, where I’m visiting with the Alabama Association of Council Executives today.
Here’s your Daily News for October 8.
1. Four killed from flooding
- Terrified drivers climbed out of swamped cars and muddy floodwater flowed through neighborhoods after a stalled weather front drenched Alabama for hours, leaving entire communities under water much of Thursday and killing at least four people.
- Dozens of people had to be rescued Wednesday night in central Alabama, where the National Weather Service said as much as 13 inches of rain fell, and a south Alabama town temporarily lost its main grocery store when a creek came through the doors of the Piggly Wiggly. Near the coast, heavy rains caused sewage to bubble out of underground pipes.
- Metro Birmingham remained under a flash flood watch much of the day until storms moved into Georgia.
- Read more from Jay Reeves HERE.
2. Senate votes to raise debt limit, avoiding default
- The Senate has dodged a U.S. debt disaster, voting to extend the government’s borrowing authority into December and temporarily avert an unprecedented federal default that experts warned would devastate the economy and harm millions of Americans.
- The party-line Democratic vote of 50-48 in support of the bill to raise the government’s debt ceiling by nearly a half-trillion dollars brought instant relief in Washington and far beyond. However, it provides only a reprieve. Assuming the House goes along with the Senate’s Thursday night vote, which it will, Republican and Democratic lawmakers will still have to tackle their deep differences on the issue once more before yearend.
- That debate will take place as lawmakers also work to fund the federal government for the new fiscal year and as they keep up their bitter battling over President Joe Biden’s top domestic priorities — a bipartisan infrastructure plan with nearly $550 billion in new spending as well as a much more expansive, $3.5 trillion effort focused on health, safety net programs and the environment.
- Read more HERE.
3. Britt again sets pace in Senate race fundraising with $1.5M haul
- U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt touted another pace-setting fundraising report Friday, announcing that her campaign raised more than $1.5 million in the 3rd quarter.
- In total, Britt has raised more than $3.75 million in the first four months of her campaign and, after factoring in campaign spending, has $3.3 million cash on hand.
- An aide to Congressman Mo Brooks said his campaign raised about $600,000 in Q3 and will report more than $1.8 million cash on hand, but details of his report are not yet available. The campaigns of Jessica Taylor and Lynda Blanchard did not offer third quarter fundraising numbers as of this morning. Reports are not due to the FEC until October 15 but campaigns can release their numbers early.
- Britt’s campaign also said that 83% of the funds raised in the third quarter were from Alabamians.
- Read more from Caroline Beck HERE.
4. Bonner a finalist for South Alabama presidency
- The chief of staff of Gov. Kay Ivey, former U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, is among three finalists to become president of the University of South Alabama, the school said Thursday.
- Bonner, who represented the Mobile area while in Congress, is the younger brother of former University of Alabama President Judy Bonner. Trustees at South Alabama will choose between him; Damon Andrew, the education dean at Florida State University; and Michael Tidwell, the immediate past president of the University of Texas at Tyler.
- Read more HERE.
5. Football Saturday
- It’s another big football Saturday in the Southeastern Conference with high-stakes matchups.
- Auburn welcome’s second-ranked Georgia to the Plains for another installment of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. More than any other school, the Bulldogs have had the Tigers’ number in recent years and this might be their best team yet.
- Will Bo Nix have enough magic to give Auburn a chance? Read more about the Auburn game HERE.
- Alabama travels to Texas A&M for what was supposed to be a major SEC West showdown. Now, after two straight losses, the Aggies have dropped out of the Top 25, while Alabama is dominating like usual.
- It’s still an SEC road game and Jimbo Fisher’s squad is loaded with talent, so it could be a test for the Crimson Tide. Read more HERE.
- Also of interest is No. 13 Arkansas at No. 17 Ole Miss and LSU at No. 16 Kentucky.
- Around the state, UAB hosts Florida Atlantic, Troy hosts Georgia Southern, Jacksonville State hosts Stephen F. Austin, South Alabama travels to Texas State, Alabama State hosts Arkansas Pine Bluff, Alabama A&M hosts Jackson State and Tuskegee faces Morehouse College at Legion Field in Birmingham.
Headlines
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Inside Alabama Politics – October 7, 2021
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – 4 killed in Alabama floods from slow-moving front
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Senate avoids a US debt disaster, votes to extend borrowing
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Britt again sets pace in Senate race fundraising with $1.5M haul
AL.COM – Jo Bonner among finalists for South Alabama presidency
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – No. 2 Georgia pits top defense against Nix, No. 18 Auburn
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – No. 1 Alabama looks for 9th straight win over Texas A&M
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – Ivey hosts first Made in Alabama Showcase
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – McConnell offers short-term debt fix
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – COVID-19 waning in Alabama; threat still not over
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS – State still reviewing $2B COVID relief funds for schools
AL.COM – Rare flash flood emergency was second for Birmingham metro area just this year
AL.COM – Alabama flooding: 4 dead in Marshall County and Hoover, woman revived in Birmingham
AL.COM – Former congressman Bonner among USA presidential candidates
AL.COM – Pfizer asks FDA to approve its COVID vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11
AL.COM – Former VP Mike Pence talks to Alabama audience about his Christian faith
AL.COM – Columnist John Archibald: Applaud Montgomery, another city that dares defend right
AL.COM – Mazda announces SUV to be built at Huntsville’s Mazda Toyota plant
Montgomery Advertiser – Man shot to death on South Holt Street; person of interest detained
Montgomery Advertiser – A Montgomery police car was stolen and crashed on I-65 after a multi-county chase
Montgomery Advertiser – Watson Robbins Taylor, who paved way for AUM and east Montgomery, dies at 96
Decatur Daily – State still reviewing $2 billion in COVID relief funds for schools
Decatur Daily – Council reopens search for Environmental Services director
Decatur Daily – Contract awarded for Shady Grove Lane widening
Times Daily – Artwork unveiling today at Pope’s Tavern exhibit
Times Daily – Cherokee Landfill owner says ADEM issues addressed
Times Daily – Colbert judge rules lawsuit against developer can move forward
Anniston Star – Aldi store coming to Anniston, mayor says
Anniston Star – ‘All clear’ at Jacksonville High School following threat
Anniston Star – JSU announces homecoming royalty
WBRC Fox 6 Birmingham – What to do after your car floods
WBRC Fox 6 Birmingham – Jefferson County EMA working to assess flood damage
WBRC Fox 6 Birmingham – UPDATE: Third victim dies after head-on collision
Tuscaloosa News – City in line for 7.1 miles of federally-funded road resurfacing work
Tuscaloosa News – Tuscaloosa StoryWalk gets a permanent home at Jaycee Park
Tuscaloosa News – Brookwood woman becomes third person to die in September head-on crash
YellowHammer News – State Sen. Randy Price earns Alabama Forestry Association endorsement in reelection bid
YellowHammer News – Girls State set to return to campus of Troy University in summer of 2022
YellowHammer News – Brooks alleges ALFA seeks ‘cheap foreign labor,’ supports open borders; Federation calls comments ‘categorically false, egregious’
Gadsden Times – City of Attalla to dedicate Karen’s Park Sunday afternoon
Gadsden Times – Judicial building flag to fly at half-staff to honor attorney, community servant Stivender
Gadsden Times – Commissioners vote to revise temporary alcohol licensing policy
Dothan Eagle – EXPLAINER: How China flights near Taiwan inflame tensions
Dothan Eagle – Journalists from Philippines, Russia win Nobel Peace Prize
Dothan Eagle – Blast at Afghan mosque kills many, witnesses and Taliban say
Opelika-Auburn News – Ireland buckles to pressure, joins global corporate tax deal
Opelika-Auburn News – Senate avoids a US debt disaster, votes to extend borrowing
WSFA Montgomery – The ‘Best 10 Days of Fall’ returns Friday to Montgomery
WSFA Montgomery – Suspect identified after stolen Montgomery police vehicle crashes on I-65
WSFA Montgomery – Prattville team answers overnight call to help with Shelby County flooding
WAFF Huntsville – Sheffield Police Chief: ‘This is one of the hardest things that I’ve had to deal with in my life’
WAFF Huntsville – Commission wants funding for jail improvements and COVID aid
WAFF Huntsville – Brian Martin in isolation and on suicide watch in the Morgan County jail
WKRG Mobile – Alabama woman killed crossing Hwy. 29 in Cantonment
WKRG Mobile – Lawsuit filed against lngalls claims supervisor sexually assaulted, harassed employees
WKRG Mobile – Crestview bicyclist killed in early morning hit-and-run crash
WTVY Dothan – Business boost from entertainment district
WTVY Dothan – Entertainment district influencing new business in Enterprise
WTVY Dothan – Former south Alabama police chief arrested
WASHINGTON POST – Why the Senate blinked and moved back from the brink of a federal default crisis
WASHINGTON POST – Trump and his allies target McConnell over deal to avoid default
WASHINGTON POST – Journalists known for taking on governments of Philippines and Russia win Nobel Peace Prize
NEW YORK TIMES – New York City to Phase Out Its Gifted and Talented Program
NEW YORK TIMES – Live Updates: Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to 2 Journalists, Highlighting Fight for Press Freedom
NEW YORK TIMES – Senate Approves Bill to Raise Debt Ceiling and Avert Default, for Now
WALL STREET JOURNAL – Debt-Limit Bill Passes Senate, Heads to House
WALL STREET JOURNAL – U.S. Job Growth Likely Picked Up in September
WALL STREET JOURNAL – Tesla to Move Headquarters From California to Texas, Elon Musk Says
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