• Fresh water from Midwestern floods has killed oysters and other marine life along the coasts of three states.
• Water that came through a Louisiana spillway killed 95% of the oysters in Mississippi Sound and fed toxic algae blooms that closed the state’s beaches, said Joe Spraggins, executive director of the state Department of Marine Resources.
• Seafood and tourism businesses, from bait shops and seafood processors to restaurants and hotels, have lost $120 million to $150 million.
• Gov. Kay Ivey, along with the governors from Louisiana and Mississippi, asked U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to declare a fisheries disaster in order to secure federal grants for those whose livelihoods have been affected.
• Last year, Alabama already saw this problem happening for its oyster population and canceled oyster season for this year.
• Alabama State Health Officer, Dr. Scott Harris announced recently that shellfish growing waters in Mobile County have been closed over concerns of bacteriological contamination to oyster beds from recent rainfall.
• Read more about the floodwater problems HERE.

• A federal judge has ruled that a liberal advocacy group has a First Amendment right to call a Christian ministry a hate group for its opposition to homosexuality.
• U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson, in a 141-page decision issued late Thursday, threw out a complaint filed by the Florida-based Coral Ridge Ministries Media Inc. against the Southern Poverty Law Center of Montgomery.
• Coral Ridge, also called James Kennedy Ministries of Fort Lauderdale, sued the nonprofit law center, Amazon and others in 2017 because it wasn’t included in a program that lets Amazon customers donate to nonprofit groups. The suit said the refusal was because the law center had labeled the ministry a hate group for its stance against homosexual behavior.
• The judge ruled that the liberal watchdog organization has a free-speech right to make the claim, but he didn’t address whether the ministry is a hate organization.
•   Read more about the case from Jay Reeves HERE.

• A subcommittee of the Democratic National Committee decided on Friday the new bylaws for the Alabama state Democrat party, which effectively ordered new elections be held for the state’s party leadership on Oct. 19.
• The new bylaws were supported by a number of prominent Democrats from the Alabama House as a way to improve representation of minority groups besides African Americans in the party.
• Alabama Democratic Party chair Nancy Worley said in a statement on Friday that she hasn’t seen the new bylaws but doesn’t think the DNC shouldn’t be setting the state’s policies and procedures.
• The state party has been facing mounting pressure from the national party to resolve its governance issues and without a delegate plan, Alabama would go unrepresented at the Democratic National Convection next year.
• If the bylaws are eventually voted upon, then that would mean the leadership elections would have to take place on Oct. 19, which the DNC would monitor.
• Read the full story from Brian Lyman HERE.

• Hundreds of motorcycles will be rumbling across north Alabama on Saturday for the 26th annual Trail of Tears commemorative ride.
• There are no registration fees and anyone can participate. Tens of thousands of riders have joined in the event some years, and the weather is supposed to be good for this year's ride.
• The more than 200-mile ride began in 1994 in remembrance of the removal of American Indians from the Southeast to Oklahoma in the 1830s during a forced migration that became known as the Trail of Tears.
• The Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride began in 1995 to honor the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole nations.
• The event also brought together many U.S. military veterans, many of which are also Native Americans.
• Read more about the event from Florence Times Daily’s Russ Corey.