UA In the News — Dec 13

UA In the News — Dec 13

UA researchers receive NOAA grant to study how to improve weather warnings for the Blind and the Deaf
WAFF-NBC (Huntsville) – Dec. 12
University of Alabama researchers are studying how they can improve tornado warnings for the blind and deaf. Experts plan to interview deaf and blind communities not just in Alabama but throughout the Southeast region to better understand their needs. In the meantime, they have an idea about helping them better understand tornado warnings through live streaming.
WSFA-NBC (Montgomery) – Dec. 12

Mobile’s business confidence ahead of other Alabama cities
Alabama News Center – Dec. 13
Mobile businesses are markedly more confident as 2017 comes to a close than those in other Alabama cities, which speaks to the overall state of the economy in the Port City. In the fourth quarter Alabama Business Confidence Index (ABCI), the results of six key indicators moved Mobile ahead of Huntsville, Montgomery and Birmingham … The index, compiled by the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama, considers any number over 50 to be a positive outlook. That means more than half the responses came out favorably for expectations of sales, profits, hiring, capital expenditures and other factors.

Meet Doug Jones, the law-and-order man who has won Alabama’s Senate seat
Los Angeles Times – Dec. 12
The odds of any Democrat capturing a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama are steep at best, but Doug Jones was uniquely suited to pull off an upset Tuesday over Republican Roy Moore … “I would expect him to be a very conservative Democrat,” said Joseph Smith, chairman of the political science department at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Dec. 13
Chicago Tribune – Dec. 13
Newport News Daily Press (Virginia) – Dec. 13
San Diego Tribune – Dec. 13
Baltimore Sun – Dec. 13
Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (Florida) – Dec. 13
Annapolis Capital-Gazette (Maryland) – Dec. 13
The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania) – Dec. 13
GVTC Communication – Dec. 13
Sudden Link – Dec. 13
Toshiba – Dec. 13
Cable One – Dec. 13
Atlantic Broadband – Dec. 13
 
Vivian Malone Jones
Historical Marker Database – Dec. 13
On May 30, 1965, Vivian Malone, became the first African-American to graduate from the University of Alabama. To achieve admission at the all-White university, she was forced to confront then Governor, George C. Wallace, in what has become known as “The Stand at the Schoolhouse Door.”
 
‘An uphill fight’: What’s next for Senator-elect Doug Jones?
Al.com – Dec. 13
When Doug Jones is sworn in as Alabama’s newest senator, he will arrive to Washington, D.C. as a “darling” of national Democrats … “He has a very liberal resume in terms of what his positions are on issues and that they differ quite markedly with Alabamians,” said William Stewart, professor emeritus of political sciences at the University of Alabama. “I’m going to be looking to see if he will moderate his views somewhat in order to fit better with the electorate and give him a better chance of staying in the Senate longer than the unexpired session.”

UA political science professor, Allen Linken, comments on Jones’ victory (live interview)
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Dec. 12
Joining us on the phone to give us a little insight to what we are seeing tonight is University of Alabama political science professor Allen Linken. “I think I am a little bit surprised to be frank. Obviously the polls were all over the place …”

Joyce Vance comments on Alabama Senate election (Live interview)
MSNBC – Dec. 12
We’re joined now from Birmingham, Alabama by Joyce Vance. She is a professor of law at the University of Alabama and former federal prosecutor in Alabama. Joyce, being on the ground there in Alabama, what is your sense of where we stand tonight? “Well, this race is obviously still too close to call …”

Susan Pace Hamill comments on Alabama Senate election (live interview)
CNN-International – Dec. 12
Joining me now is Susan Pace Hamill, professor of law at The University of Alabama. She ran for the Alabama House seat as a democrat in 2009. What is your fundamental fear here? If Roy Moore is elected, what’s your fear? “My fear is that our wonderful blitz in bringing new industry to the state could be seriously slowed down or perhaps stopped entirely.”

UA political science professor, Richard Fording, comments on Alabama Senate election (live interview)
KIRO-FM (Seattle, Washington) – Dec. 12
Let’s head down to Alabama where it’s election day. From The University of Alabama, political science professor Richard Fording stops by. Professor Fording, thank you so much for being here. What is the mood like in Alabama tonight? “Well, I guess it depends on what side of the fence you are on. For the Democrats, there’s a lot of optimism right now. They think they can pull this one out …”
WBEN-AM (Buffalo, New York) – Dec. 12


Joyce Vance comments on President Trump’s tweets (live interview)
MSNBC (Live with Steve Kornacki) – Dec. 12
How do any of these women or men leave the Trump White House and find jobs in cooperate America? “The President has seem to have had a little bit of the jump-the-shark moment this morning. I think he may have just gone so far that no one can really take this with seriousness, and that certainly rubs off on the credibility of everyone working in this White House.

‘Trump is not a kingmaker’ as Doug Jones defeats Roy Moore in Alabama
Re-Publish – Dec. 13
Doug Jones made an appeal for “decency” to prevail over partisanship. Deeply conservative Alabama apparently listened, overturning a quarter-century of voting habits to elect him on Tuesday night in a stunning rebuff of the president, of an anti-establishmentinsurgencyand of sexual harassment in Congress, Alabama politicos said … The result spells trouble for the so-called Trump effect, said Joseph Smith, chair of the political science department at the University of Alabama. “Donald Trump is not a kingmaker,” he said. “He does not have enough influence over voters to change races.”
CBC News (Canada) – Dec. 13
ABC.net – Dec. 13

Coral is more resilient to acidifying oceans than we thought
Science Line – Dec. 13
Marine creatures, from spiky sea urchins and tiny phytoplankton to shelled mussels and bright coral, construct their shells or skeletons using the same mineral found in a Tums antacid tablet … No one was sure which calcifiers relied on this alternative process, and to what extent, to assemble their mineral components. “It was suggested for coral,” says Alberto Pérez-Huerta, a geologist at the University of Alabama, “but there was not proof.” Until now.

UA political communication researcher comments on Alabama Senate election
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – Dec. 12
This is a race that has definitely taken a lot of twists and turns. It’s been difficult to predict with plenty of national coverage along the way. Jennifer Howie is a political researcher at The University of Alabama. She told me that could all be factors driving people to the polls tonight.

Bryant Conference Center serves the community (live interview)
ABC 33/40 (Talk of Alabama) – Dec. 12
For more than 25 years, the Bryant Conference Center on the University of Alabama’s campus has proudly served the community with professionalism, courtesy and great service. It’s the premier meeting building in West Alabama. We’ve got the assistant director Josh Rivers here with more details about this.

Moore claims Shoals; party officials studying numbers
Florence Times Daily – Dec. 13
Local Democrats are accessing their tactics after the win Tuesday of Doug Jones over Republican Roy Moore for the Senate seat. Moore won the Shoals area vote … Bill Stewart, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alabama, said the Jones victory shows there is still life in the Alabama Democratic Party. “It shows Alabama is not as red as people may have thought,” he said. “Just because we have voted consistently Republican over a period of years does not mean we have sold our souls to the Republican Party.”

“Dear Alabama”: tweets pleaded with voters not to elect Roy Moore
Vox – Dec. 13
“Dear Alabama,” Twitter users from the other 49 states wrote on Tuesday, a social media plea directed to Alabamians to vote in the special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions … William Stewart, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alabama, suggested in an interview that though Alabamians may not love Moore, there’s a bit of a “he may not be the best guy, but he’s our guy” mentality. Plus, the largely Republican-leaning state knows that Moore will support President Trump’s conservative agenda — ultimately the most critical point for many voters.
Kopitiam Bot (Singapore) – Dec. 13