Ivanka Trump visits state to tout manufacturing jobs, training
The president’s daughter came to Alabama on Tuesday and shined a spotlight on a dark area maybe overlooked by America. There are, Ivanka Trump said, more than a half-million manufacturing jobs unfilled across the country and that needs to change. It’s of particular importance for Alabama and, particularly, in Huntsville where Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA is building a $1.6 billion facility to employ 4,000 people making SUVs for the world. – AL.com
Lockheed Martin looking for recruits at Alabama
Lockheed Martin’s 14-foot tall Challenge Box is in the Ferguson Student Union Building this week. The locked Challenge Box presents one of four challenging science, engineering, math or physics problems each day for students to solve. Those who are able to solve the problem will unlock the box, enter it through a hidden door and then experience a “voyage through the cosmos” according to a company spokesman. That also allows them to be placed at the top of the company’s recruiting list. – WBRC
Hospitals across Alabama file lawsuits against opioid makers
Twenty-one hospitals in Alabama, including Crestwood in Huntsville, are suing some of the makers of opioid-based drugs. Those manufacturers include Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories and more than 40 other companies. – WHNT
Maynard Cooper expanding into Texas market
One of Alabama’s largest law firms is making an entry into Texas. Maynard Cooper & Gale, sometimes referred to as Maynard Cooper, has added a Dallas office, bringing the firm’s number of attorneys to 275 across nine offices in five states. Jeff Grantham, managing shareholder, said the addition of three real estate attorneys in the office are a “great professional and cultural fit.” – AL.com
Universities, Sea Lab picked to operate new research ship
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has selected the Gulf – Caribbean Oceanographic Consortium, cooperatively led by The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), to operate the third new oceanographic research ship to carry out regional scale research in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Dauphin Island Sea Lab is part of the consortium. – News release
Mercedes unveils an electric sibling for the flagship S-Class
Mercedes-Benz gave car buyers a glimpse of the top-end of its electric model plans, showing off a sleek silver battery-powered concept version to complement the flagship S-Class sedan. So far luxury cruisers have remained a mainstay for traditional combustion-era heroes, with only plug-in hybrids available for the likes of BMW 7-Series or the recently revamped Audi A8. – Bloomberg
