Good morning!

Here's your Daily News for Thursday, June 20.
1. New law helps firefighters who develop cancer.
  • Fire officials around the state are praising a new Alabama law that will require local governments to provide supplemental insurance coverage for career firefighters diagnosed with cancer.
  • The bill lists about 20 specific types of cancer, including lung, thyroid, brain, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
  • Officials said the insurance is a better, more flexible option than an expanded workmen's compensation program.
  • "Sometimes the potential battle with workman’s comp can be overwhelming when you’re already in a bad situation," Decatur City Fire Chief Tony Grande said.
  • The bill calls for a lump-sum benefit for firefighters diagnosed with cancer. The cap is $50,000 over a lifetime. There is also a monthly benefit of $3,000 for up to 36 months.
  • House Bill 360 was sponsored by Rep. Phillip Pettus, R-Greenhill. Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, carried it in the Senate.
  • Read the full story from ADN's Caroline Beck and Mary Sell HERE.
2. HD42 race set.
The race is set for the special election in House District 42, which became vacant after the passing of Rep. Jimmy Martin, R-Clanton.

The district includes most of Chilton and parts of north Autauga County.

Qualifying for the Republican primary are:
  • Chilton County Commissioner Allen Caton;
  • Chilton County Commissioner Jimmie Hardee;
  • Autauga County Commissioner Van Smith; and
  • Jemison Town Administrator Shannon Welch.

Read more from Marty Roney HERE .
3. No spending deal in sight.
  • Congress appears to be nowhere near a budget deal, as multiple fiscal deadlines approach.
  • A meeting between House, Senate, and White House negotiators broke up last night when Republicans accused Democrats of moving the goalposts and demanding more spending on domestic programs.
  • Here's the way it's supposed to work: Congress passes a base budget resolution that sets the topline and serves as a framework for federal spending. Then, appropriators work to fill in that framework with twelve individual appropriations bills for the different sectors of government.
  • The problem is Congress hasn't done the first part, pass a budget resolution. So appropriators have no topline to work from and no framework to fill in.
  • House Democrats have gone ahead and started moving appropriations bills anyway, passing the first of a few planned mini-bus packages last night. But the informal topline Democrats are working off of is way more than Republicans in the Senate agreed to during budget negotiations.
  • All that is not unfixable, but it certainly appears as if the ones in the room can't seem to agree on what they've agreed to.
  • I know this is all boring stuff, but trust me that it's going to be front page news in a few weeks when we're running up against the debt limit and Congress approaches yet another "fiscal cliff."
  • Read the latest on the situation from Roll Call HERE.
ďťż4. We've got another year and a half of this.
  • Roy Moore is announcing his candidacy for Senate this afternoon in Montgomery.
  • Of course, there's always the off chance he'll announce he's not running, but that's the kind of thing you do in a press release, not a press conference.
  • Moore's last few weeks has been defined by defying those who are opposed to his candidacy. Last week, it was President Donald Trump and the Trump family. Yesterday it was Sen. Richard Shelby earning Moore's rebuke.
  • When asked about Moore's impending candidacy by the Washington Post, Shelby made clear his position hasn't changed from 2017 and that he won't be supporting the former chief justice.
  • “There are a lot reasons known to you and everybody else... I think Alabama could do better. I think he would be a disrupter. I think we can win that seat back for the Republicans, but I won’t be supporting him... I think we've got a lot of talent in Alabama that maybe could come to the front," Shelby said.
  • Moore fired back via Twitter saying that Shelby helped cost him the election in 2017 by not supporting him. Back then, Shelby said he couldn't vote for Moore after multiple allegations surfaced of sexual contact with underage girls when he was in his 30s. Moore has denied the allegations.
  • Interestingly, Shelby said former Attorney General Jeff Sessions has not fully ruled out a run for his old Senate seat.
  • "...he would be a formidable candidate. I’ve not encouraged him to run, but he’s a friend, and if he ran, I think he’d probably clear the field,” Shelby said.
  • Of course he would. I'd say that's still really unlikely, though. At this point, I think the only way Sessions actually gets in is if it looks like Roy Moore is about to run away with the GOP nomination. But remember the latest polling we've seen indicates Moore might not be a lock for the runoff.
  • Anyway, buckle in for a fun 17 months.
5. Important squirrel update.
  • The squirrel has a name, and apparently does not have a drug problem.
  • The owner of the caged "attack squirrel" happened upon by Limestone County Sheriff's investigators is clearing the record about his furry pet.
  • Mickey Paulk, who is wanted on drug and weapons charges, posted a video to Facebook denying he fed methamphetamine to the squirrel.
  • "You can't give squirrels meth; it would kill 'em. I'm pretty sure, (but) I've never tried it," Paulk said.
  • "The public isn't in danger in any kind of way from the methed-out squirrel in the neighborhood."
  • Police said they were warned about a meth-fueled, trained attack squirrel before conducting a drug search at a rural home near Athens, Alabama, on Monday. One man was arrested at the home and police said they released the caged squirrel.
  • Paulk, who is still at large, also confirmed the name he gave his pet squirrel, which you'll have to click over to see because this is a family email newspaper.
  • Read the full story from Jay Reeves HERE.

Headlines.
ALABAMA DAILY NEWS - Wanted man denies feeding meth to ‘attack squirrel’

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS - New Law Helps Firefighters Diagnosed with Cancer

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS - Roy Moore to announce US Senate plans Thursday

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS - Statewide 5G regulation bill dies, cities want better terms

ALABAMA DAILY NEWS - Daily News Digest – June 19, 2019

AL.COM  - Sessions hasn’t ruled out Senate run, Shelby says.

AL.COM  - Roy Moore lashes out at Sen. Richard Shelby, blames him for 2017 loss
 
AL.COM  - Alabama woman had an illegal abortion in 1969, doesn’t want women to go back
 
AL.COM  - ICE detains 10 people in north Alabama after traffic stop uncovers ‘smuggling operation’: Sheriff.
 
AL.COM  - Council member: New aerospace supplier coming to Mobile
 
AL.COM  - Alabama is great at recycling other people’s trash - just not its own
 
AL.COM  - Mazda Toyota could be considering another collaboration
 
AL.COM  - Contributor Brandon Boykin: Gay bashing in Mobile --‘I’ll never forget it for as long as I live."
 
AL.COM  - Contributor Ben Baxter: Congratulations Alabama pro-lifers, we played ourselves
 
AL.COM  - Columnist John Archibald:  When will Alabama dare defend herself?
 
AL.CCOM  - Contributor Mary Scott Hunter: The work still left to be done for Alabama women and mothers

Montgomery Advertiser - Prattville woman guilty of filing false rape report

Montgomery Advertiser - Jury awards family $5M in Jackson Hospital lawsuit

Montgomery Advertiser - Proposed rule: Kids break the law, parents punished

YellowHammer News - Mooney praises Trump for use of tariff threat on Mexico; Says immigration remains ‘a major issue’ for Alabamians

YellowHammer News - At Paris Air Show, Deloitte gives major gift to advance Alabama Cyber School

YellowHammer News - A ‘Story Worth Sharing’: Yellowhammer News and Serquest partner to award monthly grants to Alabama nonprofits

Dothan Eagle - Dothan couple arrested on multiple theft charges

Dothan Eagle - Dothan native promoted in Georgia State Guard

Dothan Eagle - Jury trial rescheduled for August for Taylor man charged with multiple sex crime charges

Tuscaloosa News - Police search for man accused in neighborhood pool brawl

Tuscaloosa News - New Southview Elementary principal will meet with parents

Tuscaloosa News - North Tuscaloosa Spirits store moving in 2020

Decatur Daily - New law helps firefighters diagnosed with cancer

Decatur Daily - Man denies feeding meth to 'attack squirrel'

Decatur Daily - Decatur's Coleman receives degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College

Times Daily - New law helps firefighters diagnosed with cancer

Times Daily - Sheffield City Council approves sale of building

Times Daily - Boldness needed to address Greater Shoals issues

Gadsden Times - Did a bear kill a deer in Hokes Bluff? City workers don’t think so.

Gadsden Times - Man accused of murder, dismemberment briefly released

Gadsden Times - Man denies giving meth to ‘attack squirrel’

Anniston Star - New law helps firefighters diagnosed with cancer

Anniston Star - Iron Mountain solar project ‘in holding pattern’

Anniston Star - Investigator: Woman took heroin while pregnant

Troy Messenger - Bill alters free speech zones

Troy Messenger - Painful joints? Rain may be on the way, some say

Troy Messenger - WALLS OF LOVE: Smiles abound as Habitat dedicates new home

Andalusia Star News - Retail Sales across Alabama have increased 11 percent

Andalusia Star News - Journey-2-Freedom Director Kim Olson needs help to transport ultrasound machines to South Africa.

Andalusia Star News - AHS alumna Sadie Brown started her own online business.

Opelika-Auburn News - Portion of Toomer Street closed for water main installation

Opelika-Auburn News - Police reports from June 19

Opelika-Auburn News - Trump EPA rolls back Obama rule on coal-fired power plants; foes pledge court challenges

Daily Mountain Eagle - Donations needed for Capstone school supply drive

Daily Mountain Eagle - Error in Sumiton tax ordinance corrected

Daily Mountain Eagle - Joubran wins Week 3 of "Fish Tales"

Trussville Tribune - Severe storms overnight and into the evening Thursday

Trussville Tribune - New Law Helps Firefighters Diagnosed with Cancer

Trussville Tribune - Center Point man identified as victim run over and killed after carjacking

Athens News Courier - Cornfield crash on Alabama 99

Athens News Courier - 'Why not now?' for slavery reparations, House panel is told

Athens News Courier - Fire on Alabama-Florida line destroys beach condos

Sand Mountain Reporter - Grant drug dealers arrested

Sand Mountain Reporter - Lots of fun at Boaz Public Library | Director introduces Lego League, Beam gaming technology

Sand Mountain Reporter - Whole Backstage Theatre to show ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ on Sunday

WSFA Montgomery - Coosa County Jail escapee pleads guilty to federal counts

WSFA Montgomery - Proposed youth ordinance could put more responsibility on parents

WSFA Montgomery - More than $500,000 in damage caused by March tornado in Macon County

Fox 6 Birmingham - Brighton police investigating 2 morning shootings believed to be connected

Fox 6 Birmingham - Bronze sculptures of students coming to Cultural Arts Center

Fox 6 Birmingham - Bessemer homeowner frustrated after house shot up multiple times

WAFF Huntsville - Severe thunderstorm watch overnight

WAFF Huntsville - Sheffield City Council approves sale of building

WAFF Huntsville - Volunteers replacing Old Railroad Bridge decking boards

WKRG Mobile - Okaloosa Co. Deputy arrested and fired for solicitation of a child

WKRG Mobile - VIDEO: Man steals fishing gear from boat in Orange Beach

WKRG Mobile - Witness describes helping pregnant woman after shooting

WTVY Dothan - Daleville City Schools starts hiring process...again

WTVY Dothan - Auburn's Season Ends Against Louisville

WTVY Dothan - Alabama ranked 44th nation-wide in child well-being
 
WASHINGTON POST  - Federal judge says census citizenship question merits more consideration in light of new evidence
 
WASHINGTON POST  - Trump administration backtracks on closure of Job Corps program after bipartisan opposition from Congress
 
WASHINGTON POST  - Trump EPA finalizes rollback of key Obama climate rule that targeted coal plants
 
NEW YORK TIMES  - At Historic Hearing, House Panel Makes History by Exploring Reparations
 
NEW YORK TIMES  - With More Storms and Rising Seas, Which U.S. Cities Should Be Saved First?
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