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UA In The News — March 4,5

Joe Biden wins the Alabama primary, picking up another Southern victory
Vox – March 3
Former Vice President Joe Biden has won the Alabama Democratic primary — and in yet another state, his investment in the South appears to be paying off. Biden struggled through the presidential primary’s first few races but promised his supporters nationally he would perform to their expectations once voting moved to states with more diverse populations. And that suggestion was backed up by the state’s demographics and the concerns of Alabama Democrats, according to the University of Alabama’s Regina Wagner, an assistant professor of political science. Alabama’s electorate skews a bit older (with about 60 percent above the age of 45) and was expected to be about 54 percent black, and it was known that the state’s Democratic voters are largely moderates with an eye on November. “A lot of this race is implicitly about electability,” Wagner told Vox. “Electability in the sense that voters want someone who can beat Donald Trump more than they want someone who agrees with them on every issue.”

UA Chief Medical Officer says flu a bigger threat than Coronavirus nationally
Fox 6 – March 3
Dr. Thomas Weida, the Chief Medical Officer at the University of Alabama, was scheduled to speak at an event at the Bryant Conference Center Tuesday about the human liver. He ended up taking more questions about coronavirus. Dr. Weida is also family doctor. He says it’s too early in the process for people in Alabama to worry about the virus here. No one in the state has tested positive for coronavirus.

Coronavirus Caution Slowly Grows in the CRE Market
National Real Estate Investor – March 4

Fears related to the potential global economic fallout from the coronavirus sparked a meteoric drop in the stock market last week, including a more than 4,000-point plunge in the Dow. People are trying to sort out what’s really happening—what is the economic data showing versus the drama in the news headlines. The most apt description of where we are, whether it is politics, the economy or coronavirus can be summed up in four words—volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (in the data)—or “VUCA” for short, notes K.C. Conway, MAI, CRE, director of research and corporate engagement at the Alabama Center for Real Estate at the University of Alabama and chief economist for the CCIM Institute.

UA offers minor in entrepreneurship (Live interview)
WVUA – March 4
Gina Simpson is our guest today. She is talking about things going on at the EDGE, and also at The University of Alabama. I learned something in talking with you in the hallway that you can actually earn a minor at The University of Alabama in entrepreneurship. Tell me about that.

“It’s Worth It”: The Last Person In Line At TSU Waited Six Hours To Vote On Super Tuesday
Kera News – March 4

He gained national attention through his tenacity at a local polling place, refusing to leave even after others might have: Hervis Rogers was the last man to vote at his Texas Southern University polling place early Wednesday morning, and possibly the last person to cast a ballot in the State of Texas when he did so around 1 a.m. Rogers, who works two jobs, arrived at the polls just before 7 p.m., and his roughly six-hour wait was tough, he said. But that didn’t stop him. “When it comes to voting in November, we should all be as passionate & dedicated as Hervis Rogers,” said Joyce Alene, a University of Alabama law professor. “American citizen.”
KUT 90.5
Texas Public Radio
Houston Public Media
…and many more


IS HEALTH CARE A RIGHT?
The Heartland Institute – March 4

The debate over government’s role in health care and “Medicare for All” frequently revolves around whether health care is a human right. We establish government to secure our rights, so government should not deny Americans’ right to health care. Health care is one of several economic rights, like rights to food, shelter, and education. Arguments concerning health care generally apply to other economic rights. The U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights do not recognize economic rights, which run against our founders’ political philosophy. Americans’ willingness to help those in need makes charity an alternative in providing medical care. Voluntary assistance provided a safety net before the modern welfare state, as documented by University of Alabama historian David Beito.

Who was Maharaja Ranjit Singh?
History Extra – March 4

Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839), founder of the Sikh empire who forged a modern empire of toleration and who famously owned the Koh-i-Noor diamond, has been voted the greatest leader in world history in a poll by BBC World Histories Magazine Ranjit Singh was one of 20 leaders nominated by expert historians in BBC World Histories Magazine. Other contenders included Winston Churchill, Elizabeth I, Boudica, Abraham Lincoln and Oliver Cromwell. Here, Matthew Lockwood, assistant professor of history at the University of Alabama, explores the life and achievements of Ranjit Singh…

Maharaja Ranjit Singh named greatest world leader in BBC Poll
The Economic Times (India) – March 5

Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the 19th century ruler of the Sikh Empire in India, has beaten competition from around the world to be named the “Greatest Leader of All Time” in a poll conducted by ‘BBC World Histories Magazine’. Singh’s name was nominated by Lockwood, who is assistant professor of history at the University of Alabama, as a modernizing and uniting force, whose reign “marked a golden age for Punjab and north-west India.”
Business Standard
Outlook The News Scroll (India)
India Today
The Week
…and many more

UA political science professor comments on Super Tuesday (Live interview)
WVUA – March 3
Political expert and University of Alabama professor Dr. Allen Linken joins me now to talk more about the U.S. Senate race and the Presidential race. Are you surprised there could be a run off between Jeff Sessions and Tommy Tuberville?

University of Alabama grad named first female F-35A Demo Team commander in history
Yellowhammer – March 3

U.S. Air Force Captain Kristin “BEO” Wolfe has taken over as the new F-35A Demonstration Team’s pilot and commander for the 2020 and 2021 air show season. Wolfe is an alumna of the University of Alabama, graduating in 2011 with a degree in chemical engineering. According to an official military release, Wolfe was selected due to her flight experience and leadership abilities. Prior to her selection, Wolfe served as an instructor pilot for the 388th Fighter Wing. She is the first woman selected to pilot and command the F-35A Demo Team.

DOCTOR DECRIES MYTHS, PROVIDES INFORMATION ON CORONAVIRUS
WVUA – March 4

The Coronavirus or COVID-19 is a different strand in the Coronavirus family that the world has never seen before. The Coronavirus started in Wuhan, China, and is suspected to have spread from animals, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many people who were initially infected either worked or frequently shopped in the Huanan seafood wholesale market in the center of the Chinese city. The Coronavirus has since then spread to infect people across the globe, including the U.S.

Addiction recovery programs praise peer support
Crimson White – March 5
College campuses can be oversaturated with alcohol, drugs and other addictive substances. The University of Alabama’s Collegiate Recovery and Intervention Services is arming students struggling with substance use, as well as their peers, with knowledge and resources to treat addiction. Hillary Groover, program manager at The University of Alabama’s Collegiate Recovery and Intervention Services (CRIS), understands the needs of the students she serves since she was once in their shoes.

Empty Bowls event will raise money for church food pantry
The Tuscaloosa News – March 5

Grace Presbyterian Church on Friday will host Empty Bowls, the church’s 12th annual fundraiser for its Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry. The goal of the event, which will be 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the church fellowship hall at 113 Hargrove Road, is to raise awareness about hunger. For a donation of $14, attendees will receive a meal of soup, bread and water. Each attendee will also be allowed to select a handcrafted bowl made by the University of Alabama’s ceramics program.

Want Auburn, UGA tags? Florida House votes for more specialty license plates
Orlando Sentinel – March 5
Over objections of House Democrats, lawmakers are trying to increase the number of specialty license plates while putting new guardrails around the process.  The House voted 78-40 on Wednesday for a proposal (HB 1135) that would expand the potential number of specialty license plates from 121 to 150, while revising the process to discontinue low sellers. The bill would allow new plates to get on the road if supporters can meet higher sales thresholds. It would allow plates for the University of Alabama, the University of Georgia and Auburn University, giving fans a chance to showcase their support for the out-of-state schools.

Life-saving training offered at University
Crimson White – March 5
The University of Alabama offers Save a Life Training (SALT) and ‘Stop the Bleed’ training for faculty, staff and students for free to ensure the safety of all on campus. The instructors train participants through repetition with enthusiasm and keep the environment energized to hold their attention.  Any moment can turn into a tragedy. Threatening cardiac events and heart complications can happen just as people clink their glasses in a bar or flip to the right page of their chemistry textbook. It’s a dark reality that Glen Davis is all too aware of.

UA student from Cookeville, Tennessee talks about tornado that hits hometown
WVUA – March 4
A current University of Alabama student is from Cookeville. He says he is proud to be from a place where everyone has come together in such a difficult time.