Welcome back.

It’s never too early to start a weekend, so I’ll be out a couple days but look forward to getting back to it on Monday. Meantime, podcast and newsletter will continue without me.

But first, lets get to today’s report …

A Democrat do-over

The national Democrats are slapping the wrists of the state Democrats again.

The back-and-forth has gone on too long to do all the background here, but you may recall that a few years ago the Democratic National Committee forced changes on the Alabama Democratic Party, and that shift included a turnover of leadership and the introduction of several identity-based caucuses, such as the LGBTQ+ caucus, the Asian/Pacific Islander caucus, the Hispanic caucus, the Native American caucus, the Under-35 caucus and the disabled-persons caucus.

Veteran lawmaker Joe Reed is among the old-guard Democrats, and the leader of the Alabama Democratic Conference, which is the Democrats’ Black caucus. His faction came back into control of the state party, elected Randy Kelley as chair and claimed the new diversity caucuses took power away from the Black caucus. So the state party’s Executive Committee did away with the caucuses by voting to change bylaws.

But AL.com’s Mike Cason reports that the DNC has told the state party to redo the vote that changed those bylaws. That comes after a hearing in September and listening to more arguments last week. The DNC passed a resolution that took issue with the way the vote was held — claiming some members did not receive notice of the meeting and others were told they couldn’t vote because they hadn’t paid a fee.

It also orders Kelley to propose a new set of bylaws by Nov. 28 and for the Executive Committee — with all members receiving a 10-day notice — to vote on the proposed bylaws by Feb. 1.

Kelley said they’d do what the DNC has asked.

Improper spending?

An Alabama judge is under the microscope after an audit found he improperly spent more than $140,000 of court funds, reports AL.com’s Howard Koplowitz.

The audit was of Lauderdale County Circuit Judge Gil Self in July. It found that although he repaid most of the money, he was not allowed to make some of the purchases and did not have documentation for others. Purchases included those for meals, alcohol, travel expenses for guests, handguns and electronics. Auditors also said Self hired his son, paid bonuses to a former assistant and paid other contract-employee wages, but that work for that money had not been verified.

Judge Self told the Alabama Daily News that the COVID pandemic led to sloppy accounting practices in his office.

$1 million car collection

Earl Trammell of Warrior, Alabama, worked on cars for a living. He also collected them along the way, reports AL.com’s Howard Koplowitz.

He was 88 years old when he passed away in May of ‘22. His widow, Patricia, sold one of the vehicles, a 1996 Porsche, to Alabama car wholesaler John Pierce and his business partner, radio talk-show host John Clay Wolfe. Then she reached out to Pierce and Wolfe again to offer to sell a ‘97 Corvette with fewer than a hundred miles on the odometer.

Trammell’s collection is already sounding pretty cool. But by the time they were done doing the Corvette deal it had expanded to the entire remaining collection — 22 vehicles in all, worth around a million dollars. Many of the vehicles were purchased new and just put away in basements, warehouses and a barn, some still with the interior covered in plastic and stickers in the windows. It includes numerous Corvettes, including a ‘71 Stingray and the ‘98 pace car from Indy, a ‘65 Mustang convertible, ‘63 Coupe de Ville.

Wolfe said he’s never seen anything like it in three decades of buying and selling cars. He’s also unsure of what’s next because he knows his partner will sell them and he doesn’t want to turn them loose.

Just like Earl Trammell never did.

Half-staff

I didn’t mention it yesterday but, for those who noticed American flags at half-staff or those who fly their own, Gov. Kay Ivey has ordered the lowering for this week to honor people in Israel killed by the Hamas attacks, reports AL.com’s Mike Cason..

“The repeated acts of terrorism and violation of Israel’s sovereignty must be stopped at all costs,” she said. “Those responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Israeli citizens are not only the enemies of our Jewish brothers and sisters, but the United States and her people, too. For more than 80 years, Alabama has proudly stood in solidarity with the State of Israel, and we will continue to do so through these challenging times.”

Quoting

“If we still have a nonpolitical justice system in this country, then Gen. Hayden will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, in a statement announcing he had reported to Capitol Police former CIA Director Michael Hayden’s social-media comment that Tuberville should be removed “from the human race.” Hayden has said he did not mean “removed” literally.

More Alabama news

Born on this date

In 1967, former NFL offensive lineman Rob Selby of Birmingham. He played college ball at Auburn.

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