Good morning! Here's an update of today's news...

"This will be busing extra." The bingo corruption retrial continued Thursday in Montgomery, and State Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, was a featured witness again — even though he wasn't on the stand. This time, it was federal prosecutors who played a secret recording made by Beason which was a reply to a colleague's comment that if legalizing electronic bingo came up for a statewide referendum, " Every black in the state will be bused to the polls." State Sen. Larry Dixon then said, "HUD-financed buses," to which Beason replied, "That's right, that's right, this will be busing extra." In the original trial last year, Beason was confronted by defense attorneys with a transcript of another recording, in which he referred to predominantly-black customers at the Greenetrack dog track as "aborigines," which brought a firestorm of criticsm and led to Republican leaders in the Senate to remove Beason from the chairmanship of the powerful Rules Committee. Beason is currently running against incumbent Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Vestavia Hills, in the March 13 primary.

Gabe Watson trial continues. Testimony continued in Birmingham Thursday in the trial of a man charged with killing his new bride in a diving incident in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Ken Snyder, who met the couple the night before their dive, succinctly dismissed Watson's claim that Tina Thomas Watson had a panic attack and sank to the ocean floor with the comment, "That's bulls--t." Snyder, a retired Marine who testified as an expert witness, was countered by Stanley Stutz, who supported the defense claim that Gabe Watson did try to save his wife's life. Testimony continues today at the Mel Bailey Justice Center.

It's a deal. Congressional leaders have reached a deal, brokered in large part by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, that would continue a payroll-tax holiday for most Americans, as well as extending jobless benefits and stopping a pay cut for Medicare doctors. House and Senate leaders agreed on provisions that would pay for the cuts, including a sale of parts of the radio spectrum for mobile broadband use.

Sports: Three and out. It wasn't a good night for local girls' prep basketball teams in the sub-regional playoff round. Hayden, Gardendale and Mortimer Jordan all fell by the wayside. Sixth-ranked Hayden saw its season end at the hands of No. 4 Cullman; the Bearcats got out to an early lead that they never relinquished, scoring a 60-47 victory in a repeat of last season's sub-regional loss by the Wildcats. Krista Stricklin scored 31 points in her final high school game; she ends her career ranked ninth on the AHSAA all-time career scroing list. Meanwhile, No. 7 Bessemer City routed the Rockets 56-33, while Mortimer Jordan lost to No. 5 A.P. Brewer 75-47. Tonight in boys sub-regional play, Jordan hosts Brewer in an attempt to seek revenge for the girls, while Corner travels to No. 4 Priceville.

Weather: Nice today, not tomorrow. Today will be sunny with a high in the mid-60s, but clouds roll in tonight with rain possible late and a low of 43. There's a slight chance that storms on Saturday could turn severe, though that likelihood is strongest south of I-20. High's will be around 60. Sunday will be mostly sunny and a little cooler, with a high near 53.