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UA In the News — May 17

In deep-red Alabama, would more women in the legislature have made a difference in the heated abortion debate?
Washington Post – May 17
Regina Wagner, a political-science professor at the University of Alabama, said that “being conservative was the more important, more dominant aspect” for the Republican women in the state legislature, who all backed the bill, which only allows abortions when the woman faces a serious health risk. Republican women don’t always mirror their male counterparts’ policy priorities, including on the issue of abortion, Wagner says. In previous research, she said, Republican lawmakers she’s interviewed for previous research have avoided the issue of abortion, focusing instead on child care or discrimination in the workplace. Others take offense that abortion is set aside as a “women’s issue.”
 
UA gets $1.4M grant to boost business development
Tuscaloosa News – May 16
The Alabama Power Foundation has awarded the University of Alabama a $1.4 million grant to support innovation, entrepreneurship, small-business growth and talent retention in the state.

He couldn’t speak as a child. Now this autistic student is giving a commencement address
Los Angeles Times – May 17
When Bruno Youn was 3 years old, his mother noticed something was off about her firstborn son. He could parrot what he heard. He could remember and recite poetry. But he could not string together words to communicate his own thoughts … Among those without intellectual disabilities, only about half pursue college, with most attending community colleges and having difficulty transferring to four-year universities, said Susan White, a University of Alabama psychology professor who specializes in studying autism.
Miami Herald – May 17
Sacramento Bee (California) – May 17
Finger Lake Times (Geneva, New York) – May 17
News Bug – May 17
 
Vote for the 2019 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction
Slaw (Canada) – May 16
Members of the public can help determine the winner of the 2019 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. The prize, which is sponsored by ABA Journal and the University of Alabama School of Law, is “given annually to a book-length work of fiction that best illuminates the role of lawyers in society and their power to effect change.”

These four values lessen the power of transformational leadership
Phys.org – May 16
Transformational leadership is considered one of the most effective ways to motivate and inspire employees. However, new research finds cultural values significantly limit its effectiveness … Because of its widespread acceptance and implementation, Credé and co-authors Jaehee Jong, Northern Illinois University; and Peter Harms, University of Alabama, reviewed nearly 200 studies of more than 57,000 employees from 34 countries to determine if culture plays a role.
Iowa Ag Connection – May 17
EurekAlert – May 16
Health Medicine Network – May 16
Science Daily – May 16

THE NEW ABORTION BAN PROVIDES ONE EXCEPTION; A UA PROFESSOR EXPLAINS IT
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – May 16
On the heels of Gov. Kay Ivey signing Alabama’s Human Life Protection Act into law, the debate over abortion rages on …Allen Linken, an attorney and professor of political science at the University of Alabama, said the law is designed to challenge the United States’ 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – May 16
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – May 16

UA political science professor Allen Linken comments on 2020 Presidential Election (Live Interview)
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – May 16
But is it Joe Biden’s race to lose? Joining us with analysis on that is political science professor at the University of AlabamaDr. Allen Linken. In the latest polling, former Vice President Joe Biden has not only maintained the initial bounce he got after announcing, he is leading the democratic field by a substantial margin.

Why media ignores arson in mosques
Gulf News – May 16
Less than a month after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, a mosque in Victoria, Texas, was set on fire — to be followed by several mosque arsons over the ensuing years … According to researchers at Georgia State University and the University of Alabama, terrorist attacks by someone of Muslim origin receive an average of 357 per cent more media coverage than those by other groups. And their places of worship are considered even more meaningless than their lives.