• Members of Congress have a redacted, declassified version of an intelligence whistleblower complaint that is at the center of House Democrats' impeachment probe into President Donald Trump.
• Lawmakers began reviewing a classified version of the complaint Wednesday evening ahead of testimony Thursday morning by acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire.
• The complaint is at least in part related to a July phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which Trump possibly prodded Zelensky to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden. The White House released a rough transcript of that call Wednesday morning.
• The July 25 phone call is now at the center of House Democrats' impeachment probe.
• Trump repeatedly prodded Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the new president of the East European nation, to work with U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer. At one point in the conversation, Trump said, "I would like for you to do us a favor."
• The initial response highlights the deep divide between the two parties: Democrats say the call amounted to a "shakedown" of a foreign leader, while Trump and the vast majority of Republicans are dismissing it as a "nothing call."
• Read the full story and the full transcript for yourself HERE.

• The Alabama Forestry Commission has restricted outdoor burning across the state due to drought conditions.
• A U.S. Drought Monitor report released Thursday morning showed most of Alabama to be abnormally dry. Portions of 11 states were listed as having severe drought conditions and Shelby County has extreme drought conditions.
• The statewide fire alert issued Wednesday means permits for outdoor burning are required. Anyone who burns a field, grassland, or woodland without a permit could be charged with a Class B misdemeanor.
• With this extremely dry weather, conditions are such that any fire can quickly spread out of control, not only resulting in damage to forests but also threatening lives and destroying property, a Forestry press release Wednesday said.
• In the past week, AFC firefighters responded to 182 wildfires, burning about 2,608 acres.
• Read more from Mary Sell HERE.

• WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy grew at a modest 2% annual rate in the second quarter, a pace sharply lower than the 3%-plus growth rates seen over the past year. Many analysts believe growth will slow further in coming quarters as global weakness and rising trade tensions exert a toll.
• The April-June increase in the gross domestic product, the economy's total output of goods and services, slipped from a brisk 3.1% gain in the first quarter, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
• The government's third and final look at second-quarter GDP growth was the same as the previous estimate, although the components were slightly altered. Consumer spending and business investment rose at slower rates than previously estimated, but this was offset by slightly stronger gains in government spending and exports.
• In the current quarter, analysts believe GDP is likely growing at the same modest 2% rate, and they are forecasting a similar outcome in the final quarter.
• For the year, GDP is expected to rise around 2.2%, down from the strong 2.9% gain seen last year, which had been the best performance since 2015.
• President Donald Trump, who is counting on a strong economy to boost his re-election bid, has called the economy's performance the best ever.

• BEIJING (AP) — Chinese importers have set deals to buy American soybeans and pork, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday, as the two governments make conciliatory gestures ahead of trade talks.
• The announcement follows Beijing's decision to lift punitive tariffs on soybeans, China's biggest import from the United States.
• Chinese buyers have "completed deals to buy soybeans and pork of considerable scale," said a ministry spokesman, Gao Feng. He gave no details.
• Negotiators are due to meet next month in Washington for a 13th round of talks aimed at ending the dispute over trade and technology that threatens to tip the global economy into recession.
• President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, agreed in June to resume stalled talks.
• Trump agreed earlier to postpone a planned Oct. 1 tariff hike on Chinese imports to Oct. 15. That raises the possibility that the increase might be put off indefinitely if the talks make progress.

• SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (AP) — A 72-year-old Alabama man shot by law enforcement in a courthouse last week is still hospitalized.
• Jackson County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen tells The Chattanooga Times Free Press that Fred Swearengin had to undergo a second surgery on his hand.
• Swearengin is accused of entering the Scottsboro courthouse on Sept. 18 with a loaded handgun with a round in the chamber and four loaded magazines.
• Authorities have said Swearengin refused to surrender his weapon when confronted by deputies at the metal detector near the building's entrance and instead drew the gun, prompting a deputy to fire. Swearengin was shot multiple times.
• The involved deputies have since returned to their posts. Swearengin's motive remains unclear. The state Law Enforcement Agency is investigating and reviewing surveillance video.

• JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A 10th man has been arrested and accused of raping two underage teens at Jacksonville State University in Alabama.
• News outlets report the man was arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree rape or statutory rape.
• Seventh Judicial Circuit Major Crimes Unit Investigator Jay Harrington says an investigation led to 12 warrants being issued for statutory rape and second-degree sodomy. Two of the men haven't been arrested yet.
• Harrington says the victims are two girls younger than 16 and older than 12 years old. He says the sexual incidents happened between January and September, both off and on campus, including residence halls and a parking lot.
• Cmdr. Allen George says the men range from 18 to 22 years old and are from Alabama.
• The victims' and suspects' names weren't immediately released.