7. Booming economy helps Birmingham International Airport

• The Federal Aviation Administration has released data for 2018 to show the travel traffic at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport, Alabama’s largest airport.
• The data shows that 1.46 million people flew out of Birmingham. The Huntsville International Airport was second with around 581,000 people flying out of it. Airport Authority President Ronald Mathieu of Birmingham said he expects to see more growth from the 2019 numbers and added the growth is due to the healthy economy.

6. Bring in an Obama advisor? Brilliant

• U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) has a campaign event scheduled next week in Birmingham. It has been announced that a senior advisor to former President Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett, will be headlining the event.
• Jones’ campaign slogan is “One Alabama.” Jarrett is going to lead a “Women for One Alabama” discussion at the event.

5. Alabama not allowed to refuse refugees

• U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte has blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order that would give state and local officials the ability to refuse refugees, but faith-based organizations like Church World Service Inc., HIAS Inc. and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services had requested the preliminary injunction.
• The executive order was issued in September. The order said that “State and local government are best positioned to know the resources and capacities they may or may not have available to devote to sustainable resettlement.”

4. Iran is still making threats

• Iran President Hassan Rouhani said that European soldiers still in the Middle East “could be in danger,” making this the first direct threat made to Europe throughout the high tensions with Iran.
• Rouhani’s statements were made during a cabinet meeting that was broadcast. The president also said that Iranians “were lied to” in the days immediately following the Ukrainian passenger jet that was shot down by the Islamic Republic which killed 176 people.

3. Alabama groups want the president’s confirmation stopped

• President Donald Trump has nominated Judge Andrew Brasher for the Middle District of Alabama federal court, but now the Alabama NAACP and about 30 other organizations are asking the Senate halt confirmation due to the pending impeachment trial.
• The Senate Judiciary Committee is meant to vote on Brasher’s confirmation Thursday, but the organizations are arguing that Brasher has “engaged in aggressive efforts to oppose political participation by voters of color” and that Trump’s judicial nominations shouldn’t be confirmed since he was impeached in the House and has the potential to be removed from office.

2. Alabama Commerce Secretary visits the White House

• While President Donald Trump was signing Phase 1 of the trade deal with China, Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield was in attendance of the signing at the White House.
• The Phase 1 part of the trade deal includes that China must purchase an additional $200 billion in United States goods within the next two years. Canfield stated that this “begins a process to establish a framework from which to create a pathway to more normalized trade on a fair basis between these two nations.”

1. Articles of impeachment have been sent

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has signed the two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump over to the Senate so the trial can take place. Pelosi said that this is “so sad, so tragic for our country.”
• Pelosi added that Trump “will be held accountable” and “no one is above the law.” She also called this a “somber” moment while laughing, posing for pictures and demanding that the United States Senate finish their investigation for them on a case they claim is overwhelming.