Via Anna Barrett: In Alabama's lieutenant governor's race, Republican nominee John Wahl and Democratic nominee Phillip Ensler have ambitious plans for an office with very little power. https://ow.ly/VE9q50ZC71s

Via Ralph Chapoco: Alabama Public Library Service staff Thursday advised members of the APLS board to not fill a position created to assist libraries with compliance with controversial administrative code changes over the last two years. https://ow.ly/mC2u50ZC6Mm

Via Stateline: Cities are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to address one of the most persistent sources of housing permitting delays: incomplete applications. And two new streams of federal money aim to help them. https://ow.ly/GLZl50ZC3eh

Via Kelcie Moseley-Morris and Stateline: A federal judge Wednesday blocked U.S. Health and Human Services from implementing sweeping changes to grants under the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program while a lawsuit proceeds, though for now several grants will remain canceled. https://ow.ly/UWte50ZBZcz

Via Jennifer Shutt: President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration will face challenges securing Senate confirmation after the committee chairman in charge of that process expressed doubts. https://ow.ly/CE8L50ZBZvy

Via Anna Barrett: The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) said Thursday that cyclosporiasis, a parasite that causes intestinal illness, is slowing down after a nationwide outbreak.  https://ow.ly/Rjcf50ZBYCq

Via Andrea Tinker: Dress code changes at Tuskegee University sparked strong debates over the summer, but students returning to campus on Wednesday questioned the focus on them. https://alabamareflector.com/2026/08/20/tuskegee-students-question-focus-on-dress-code-changes/

Via Andrea Tinker: Changes to the federal Head Start program could have major impacts across Alabama.   https://ow.ly/GuKe50ZBGb3

Via Ainsley Platt and Arkansas Advocate: At least six Arkansas cities — Centerton, Greers Ferry, Searcy, Mayflower, Farmington and Pea Ridge — have opted to either let their contracts with Flock Safety expire or end them early since the end of July. https://ow.ly/mvUA50ZBE5v

Via Ralph Chapoco: Attorneys for the Southern Poverty Law Center Wednesday filed a motion asking a federal court to take steps during jury selection to protect a trial of the organization from bias.

SPLC seeks jury pool expansion ahead of criminal trial | Alabama Reflector

Attorneys for SPLC want an expanded jury pool and to pose additional questions to screen for bias among the group.

alabamareflector.com

Via SC Daily Gazette: A South Carolina medical school plans to begin clinical trials of a COVID-19 drug whose testing was funded in part out of South Carolina's share of federal pandemic aid. https://ow.ly/y2Hm50ZBAfF

Via Pennsylvania Capital-Star: The district has not elected a Democrat to the Pennsylvania House in more than 20 years. And voters there elected President Donald Trump by an 18% margin in 2024.

Democrats declare victory in Trump+18 Pennsylvania state House district | Alabama Reflector

The victory was a major boon for Pennsylvania Democrats, who are hoping to build momentum going into a series of key elections this fall.

alabamareflector.com

Via Alex Baumhardt and Oregon Capital Chronicle: The Trump administration will move ahead with plans to end more than 25 years of sweeping protections for tens of millions of wild, federally managed acres across the U.S. https://ow.ly/CjGB50ZBvv4

Via Anna Barrett: Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment in Alabama dropped by 95,000 — about 23% — after enhanced premium tax credits expired, leaving many uninsured or paying for private insurance. https://ow.ly/RZEk50ZB6XF

Via Ralph Chapoco: Children raised in the Black Belt continue to see worse health and education outcomes than the state as a whole, University of Alabama researchers said at a press briefing on Monday. https://ow.ly/Rzb450ZB5eM

Commentary: Catherine Dorrough writes that data centers "are not inevitable. They are the product of choices. Choices that should belong with the people who would have to live with them." https://ow.ly/Zxoi50ZB7fI

Via Anna Claire Vollers and Stateline: A lawsuit accuses the country’s three biggest fire truck manufacturers of conspiring to suppress competition, resulting in skyrocketing prices for fire trucks and repair parts, and yearslong manufacturing delays. https://ow.ly/eO6r50ZATy0

Via Ashley Murray: The National Trust for Historic Preservation argued in a brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday that irreparable harm would result if construction on a White House ballroom continued, and that the project is “illegal” without authorization from Congress.

Trump’s ballroom ‘illegal’ without congressional approval, high court told | Alabama Reflector

The Trust lawyers highlighted that the Trump administration has argued in court the ballroom will be “virtually impossible to deconstruct” because it will be constructed out of nuclear power plant-grade concrete.

alabamareflector.com

Via Amanda Watford and Stateline: Violent crime in the United States fell by an estimated 9.3% in 2025, marking the largest year-to-year decline in the national violent crime rate since the FBI began estimating crime in 1936, according to new national data.

Violent crime in US fell at record pace in 2025 | Alabama Reflector

Violent crime in the United States fell by an estimated 9.3% in 2025, marking the largest year-to-year decline in the national violent crime rate since the FBI began estimating crime in 1936, according to new national data.

alabamareflector.com

Via Shalina Chatlani and Stateline: The United States admitted just over 10,000 refugees -- nearly all of them white South Africans -- during the first 10 months of the fiscal year, and is on pace to hit its lowest level on record, according to a new analysis. https://ow.ly/Xj4750ZAT5F

Via Andrea Tinker: One speaker at an inaugural meeting of an Alabama state commission studying screen time instruction Monday encouraged members to consider the quality of a child's screen interaction before implementing strict time limits. https://ow.ly/Qv3H50ZAIf9

Via Andrea Tinker: The Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees said Wednesday that the system has joined a network that works with rural electric cooperatives to expand broadband service around the state. https://ow.ly/qpJE50ZAHKk

Commentary by Allison Berkowitz: "I don't expect Sens. Britt and Tuberville to agree with El-Sayed's politics, and I don't expect every Alabamian to either. But I do expect the senators representing our state to debate ideas rather than brand their opponents as terrorists." https://ow.ly/9mgs50ZAHLX

Via Amanda Watford and Stateline: The question of parental responsibility is again shaping public policy in communities across the country, as state and local lawmakers and prosecutors increasingly look for ways to respond to concerns about youth crime and public disorder. https://ow.ly/b8mH50ZAzNx

Via Anna Barrett: A troubled Montgomery hospital and the state’s largest private health insurance company reached a four-year deal Monday to keep the hospital open after years of financial woes.

Jackson Hospital, Blue Cross Blue Shield reach deal to keep hospital open | Alabama Reflector

Hospitals across Alabama are closing due to financial struggles. State charity programs and federal tax programs aim to prevent closures, but experts say it may not be enough to save hospitals.

alabamareflector.com

Via Ralph Chapoco: The Alabama Department of Corrections signed an agreement in July with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to assist the federal agency to identify and process immigrants with pending or active criminal charges.

Alabama Department of Corrections signs contract with ICE | Alabama Reflector

ADOC is the only state agency that has signed an agreement with ICE, though more than five dozen local law enforcement agencies are enrolled.

alabamareflector.com

My column this week. Jeff McLaughlin, the Democratic nominee for Alabama attorney general, has long championed campaign finance reform and refused to take donations. It’s an admirable stance. Unfortunately, what’s admirable is not necessarily what’s effective.

When a principled stand gets in the way of effective campaigning | Alabama Reflector

Jeff McLaughlin's aversion to political fundraising reflects genuine principle. But it's leaving voters in the dark about his platform.

alabamareflector.com

Via Amanda Watford and Stateline: Families who believe local officials prematurely ruled their loved ones’ deaths suicides or accidents without investigating the role of domestic violence are pushing lawmakers in a growing number of states to require additional scrutiny. https://ow.ly/ihIq50ZAwoS

Via Anna Barrett: The Alabama Supreme Court on Monday extended a briefing deadline for Republican gubernatorial nominee Tommy Tuberville’s responses in a lawsuit challenging his ability to run for the office.

Alabama Supreme Court extends Tommy Tuberville's briefing schedule in residency suit | Alabama Reflector

The court moved the briefing deadline from Friday to Aug. 27. Earlier this month, plaintiffs in the case also sought and received an extension to file their motions with the state’s high court.

alabamareflector.com

Jeff McLaughlin, the Democrats' nominee for Alabama attorney general, has a longstanding policy of not accepting campaign contributions. Editor Brian Lyman writes that it's a sincere stand, but one that's leaving voters in the dark about what he's running on. https://ow.ly/Xb8f50ZzZrK