UA In the News — April 1

Alabama governor tries to focus on agenda, not scandal
Associated Press – March 31
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley toured a women’s prison Thursday and tried to focus on his political agenda, despite being dogged by questions about his relationship with a former aide. Pressure has mounted around the governor ever since he acknowledged last week that he made inappropriate sexual remarks to his former aide, who stepped down on Wednesday … Bill Stewart, the former chairman of the political science department at the University of Alabama, said the full political impact might depend on how long the public’s attention is focused on Bentley. “He’s made some grave mistakes and he’s paying the political penalty,” Stewart said.
Missoulian – March 31
WDRB (Louisville, Kentucky) – March 31
Tampa Bay Times (Florida.) – March 31
NBC 8 (Tampa, Fla.) – March 31
Record-Courier (Ravenna, Ohio) – March 31
 
Ted Cruz says EPA tried to regulate puddles and drainage ditches
Politifact – March 31
Ted Cruz says the Environmental Protection Agency has gone overboard in regulating farms by regulating even puddles and ditches. “They’re hurting from a federal government whose policies have been making it harder and harder for farmers to survive. They’re hurting from an EPA who is imposing massive burdens on farms,” Cruz said in a March 29 CNN town hall in Milwaukee, Wis. “For example, the Waters of the United States Rule (is) where the EPA has tried to define a puddle or a drainage ditch on your farm to be navigable waters and thus subject to massive environmental regulations.” “It is an absurd assertion,” William L. Andreen, University of Alabama law professor, told PolitiFact Florida in October. “There are no cases on point because the agencies have never asserted jurisdiction in such fantastical situations.”

Political Scientist: Trump Is A ‘Wrecking Ball’ Against The Conservative Establishment – Daily Caller
790 Talk (Las Vegas) – March 31
The conservative movement has struggled mightily to defeat the presidential campaign of Donald Trump — so far, to no avail. But, according to one political scientist, the failed efforts of #NeverTrump may be due to the conservative establishment’s declining strength. George Hawley, a professor of political science at the University of Alabama and author of the new book “Right-Wing Critics of American Conservatism,” talked with The Daily Caller this week about the Trump phenomenon and how it is affecting the conservative movement. “The conservative movement would be in serious decline even if Trump had stayed out of this race,” Hawley told TheDC. “The movement simply does not know what to do in a world where big business is allied with the cultural left, secularism is on the rise, changing demographics are weakening the GOP’s base of support, there is no evidence that regime change and democracy are panaceas for terrorism, and we have economic problems that won’t be solved with another tax cut.”

Campus leader hopes to leave legacy
Tuscaloosa News – March 31
Elliot Spillers ends his term as the University of Alabama Student Government Association president hopeful that he has laid the groundwork for a more united and diverse campus. “Because I love this campus, I have to be very critical of it,” said Spillers, a Pelham native, who will leave office April 5. “And I know its potential, and I won’t be satisfied until we fully tap into that potential.” During Spillers’ year in office, he faced obstacles, such as the SGA Senate’s refusal to confirm his chief of staff, but he also successfully launched campus initiatives and institutional changes addressing diversity and inclusivity. A testament to his legacy will be whether those developments continue to progress as new officials are elected to the SGA by a student body that grows more geographically diverse each year.

Every woman has met a man like Donald Trump
Mashable – March 31
There is a reason that Donald Trump’s outrageous statements and behavior feel familiar to many women. It’s not because they know his declarative style and trademark shrug from reality television or political debates. Nor is it because his outsized role in American business made an unforgettable impression on them. Nichole Bauer, assistant professor in the political science department at the University of Alabama, says the response was classic Trump. He’s practiced at denying previous statements even when incontrovertible evidence of them exists. While this isn’t exclusive to his commentary about women, Trump has a track record of making his female targets — and their defenders — seem like the foolish ones.

Getting multiple tattoos can help prevent colds, study says
WKRC (Cincinnati) – March 31
The more ink you get, the more your ability to fight off the common cold improves, according to a new study. University of Alabama researchers found that receiving multiple tattoos can strengthen the body’s immunological responses, potentially making you heartier in fighting off common infections. The researchers say getting just one tattoo can temporarily make you more vulnerable to illness, but adding additional tattoos helps. The study’s authors compare the body’s response to tattooing to a trip to the gym for an out-of-shape person. The first workout might make you sore, but that will quickly fade upon repeating the exercises.
MamaMia – March 31
 
UA professor comments on Mother Angelica
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – March 31
Mother Mary Angelica passed away Sunday at the age of 92. She founded the Eternal Word Television Network in 1981, and it has now become the largest religious media network in the world. Dr. Glenda Cantrell, a University of Alabama associate professor, began working with Mother Angelica at EWTN in 1984, and remembers her as a loving and compassionate woman.
 
Dean’s List students named for UA Fall 2015 Term
Southeast Sun – March 31
A total of 10,626 students enrolled during the 2015 fall semester at the University of Alabama were named to the Dean’s List with an academic record of 3.5 (or above) or the President’s List with an academic record of 4.0 (all A’s). The UA Dean’s and President’s lists recognize full-time undergraduate students. The list does not apply to graduate students or undergraduate students who take less than a full course load.

National scholars group welcomes Pugh as member
Al.com – March 31
Richlyn Sydney Pugh of Mobile has accepted membership in The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS). She is a student at the University of Alabama. NSCS is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies and is the nation’s only interdisciplinary honors organization for first-year and second-year college students. Membership is by invitation, based on grade-point average and class standing. NSCS has over 1 million lifetime members and 300 chapters in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.