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Brian Lyman

@brianlyman.bsky.social
9.8K followers 707 following 7K posts

Editor, Alabama Reflector. Podcaster, Becoming Lincoln. 2024 Pulitzer finalist. Past: MGM Advertiser; Press-Register; The Anniston Star; Norwich Bulletin; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Politics, history, science, horrific puns.

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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 6h
The attorneys general of Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana announced Wednesday they are suing three Democratic-led states over laws that grant immunity to doctors who prescribe abortion-inducing medication to people in states where it is illegal.
alabamareflector.com
Steve Marshall, 2 other AGs sue states with shield laws protecting abortion-pill providers | Alabama Reflector
The AGs are suing Democratic-led states over laws that grant immunity to doctors who prescribe abortion-inducing medication.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 8h
Via Stateline: Twelve states — Republican and Democratic alike — have recently passed bills authorizing residents to install plug-in solar systems, also known as balcony solar. Nine have been signed into law, while three are awaiting signatures from a governor. ow.ly/RHOq50ZT68j
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 11h
Via Jonathan Shorman: President Donald Trump is tapping $20 million in Homeland Security funding to pay for TV ads that heavily feature him ahead of the midterm elections, Democrats said Tuesday as the promos critics call propaganda come under bipartisan attack.
alabamareflector.com
Trump TV ads paid for with $20M in Homeland Security funds, Dems find | Alabama Reflector
President Donald Trump is tapping $20 million in Homeland Security funding to pay for TV ads that heavily feature him ahead of the midterm elections, Democrats said Tuesday as the promos critics call propaganda come under bipartisan attack.
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 13h
Via Ben Sessoms: After nearly a year of discussion among the governing body for Alabama Public Television to drop Public Broadcast Service programming, a survey released Tuesday showed majority support from the public to continue its affiliation with PBS. ow.ly/Ynr750ZSV0u
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 13h
My own (probably naive) take is that the immigration views/attacks as envisioned by Trump and far-right diehards have very little resonance beyond the right-wing base. That they are now a layer of our atmosphere reflects the disproportionate power those folks have in politics and media.
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 14h
Via Andrea Tinker: Members of the Alabama State Board of Education expressed concerns with virtual school performance at a meeting earlier this month. ow.ly/GmUj50ZSUyn
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 14h
Via Jennifer Shutt: The Trump administration must spend the $810 million that it said last week it planned to cancel, according to a report released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office. ow.ly/sCKf50ZSTZl
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
12 yo got her first tour shirt tonight. I will get her to They Might Be Giants one day.
Weird Al Bigger and Weirder sign
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 29/09/2026
Via Ashley Murray: Former special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday defended before a U.S. Senate panel his past investigations of President Donald Trump’s possession of classified documents and alleged role in attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
alabamareflector.com
GOP senator bungles accusation against former special counsel Jack Smith in heated hearing | Alabama Reflector
Former special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday defended before a U.S. Senate panel his past investigations of President Donald Trump’s possession of classified documents and alleged role in attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 29/09/2026
Via Kelcie Moseley-Morris and Stateline: Some anti-abortion advocates fear Democratic victories in November could pose the most serious threat to the Hyde Amendment, barring federal funding for abortions, since the party nearly repealed the amendment in 2022. ow.ly/fxHL50ZSC6K
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 29/09/2026
A bipartisan measure to overhaul the college sports landscape got a step closer to becoming law Monday after passing the U.S. Senate amid criticism from some Democrats for not distinguishing student-athletes as employees with labor rights. ow.ly/umWY50ZSBTb
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 29/09/2026
Via Ralph Chapoco: A new facility at a Perry County education center for people on parole and probation aims to train more people for manufacturing jobs and help them understand the situations they will find with employers. ow.ly/xEXh50ZSsPn
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 29/09/2026
Via Jonathan Shorman: Five weeks before Election Day, President Donald Trump’s sprawling effort to identify and remove noncitizen voters hasn’t produced the kind of large purges that could meaningfully affect the midterm elections. ow.ly/WWLY50ZSsMh
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 29/09/2026
Via Ashley Murray: Small businesses will once again challenge President Donald Trump’s tariffs in federal court this week as they continue to feel the squeeze of the administration’s roller coaster policy on import taxes. ow.ly/AZ0850ZSsOk
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 28/09/2026
Via Stateline: The signs, text messages and mailers promise cash, quick sales and a means of unloading unwanted homes. But advocates say buying homes for cash can confuse vulnerable homeowners and rob them of home equity. And now, many states are cracking down. ow.ly/QJRz50ZSb8t
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 28/09/2026
Bill Poole's departure from the Department of Finance comes as Gov. Kay Ivey's time in office nears an end and ahead of work on state budgets that many officials, including Poole, have said could be difficult.
alabamareflector.com
Bill Poole to step down as director of Alabama Department of Finance | Alabama Reflector
Poole’s departure comes as Ivey’s time in office nears an end and ahead of what several officials, have said could be a tight fiscal year for Alabama.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 28/09/2026
Editor Brian Lyman writes that Tommy Tuberville's disturbing attacks on transgender people and odd tangents about furries last week reflect a candidate who can't seem to stay on script, which could cause headaches for GOP legislators should he enter the governor's mansion. ow.ly/QMBz50ZRG9q
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
My column this week. Tommy Tuberville’s outburst about furries last week reflects a lack of discipline that could erode his financial and organizational advantages in the governor’s race. And if they don’t, they portend headaches for GOP lawmakers next year.
alabamareflector.com
Commentary: Alabama Republicans may have a Tommy Tuberville problem | Alabama Reflector
The Republican gubernatorial nominee can't seem to stick to a script. And if it doesn't cost him the election, it could make GOP legislators' lives difficult next year.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
States Newsroom @statesnewsroom.com · 28/09/2026
News From The States is your one-stop shop for expert, on-the-ground reporting from all 50 states. Your donation helps us to continue to illuminate stories and trends you can’t find anywhere else. Support us today: statesnewsroom.com/donate//?utm...
statesnewsroom.com
Donate • States Newsroom
SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST States Newsroom is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news operation that depends on support from people like you to produce high-quality journalism without paywalls, popups or ads. Please…
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 28/09/2026
Via Stateline: The U.S. Department of Education’s suspension this year of a comprehensive monitoring process puts billions of K-12 dollars at heightened risk of undetected waste, fraud and abuse, according to a new report by the nonpartisan U.S. Government Accountability Office.
alabamareflector.com
K-12 spending, absenteeism programs face risks as feds stop key monitoring, watchdog says | Alabama Reflector
The U.S. Department of Education’s suspension this year of a comprehensive monitoring process  puts billions of K-12 dollars at heightened risk of undetected waste, fraud and abuse, according to a new report by the nonpartisan U.S. Government Accountability Office. The congressional watchdog’s report also raised concerns about the reliability of federal absenteeism data.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 28/09/2026
ICYMI late on Friday.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Remembering the early blogosphere going from “we’ll fact-check your ass” to “The MSM REFUSES to talk about soldiers giving out candy in Iraq” with lightning speed.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 28/09/2026
Via Anna Barrett: The contest for Alabama Secretary of State features two candidates with contrasting visions for running the office. ow.ly/PQOm50ZREJ2
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David_j_roth @davidjroth.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Whispery coffee shop vocal cover of Aerosmith's "Love In An Elevator" at the end of a Grey's Anatomy episode about someone who dies after an elevator accident of some kind.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
One of those rare masterpieces that began with an executive.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Kelcie Moseley-Morris @kelciemmorris.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
We're looking for a major gifts manager to launch a formalized program and establish the strategy and systems that will support a robust and growing portfolio of donors across our network. Salary $85,000-$95,000. Please share!
statesnewsroom.com
Major Gifts Manager • States Newsroom
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I see the “what good is a history degree” discussion, so I will say something I’ve said before: Reading primary source documents for bias and motive in a medieval history class was excellent training for journalism. History is worth studying for its own sake. But it has knock-on effects.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Any contemporary songs I know today, I know because I have a 12-year-old.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 27/09/2026
Via Kelcie Moseley-Morris and Stateline: A group of maternal-fetal medicine specialists has developed new guidelines to help providers in states with abortion bans to navigate legal risks for themselves and medical challenges for their high-risk patients. ow.ly/Ic1I50ZRv6U
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
“The game is over!” NARRATOR: The game was not over
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Half expecting dril to advise him to keep posting this.
Tommy Tuberville: Democrats are the party of Radical Islam, illegal aliens and furry pilots. Lord help us.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
public health guy @publichealthguy1.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
yeah, it’s as bad as it sounds (and often worse behind the scenes). decades of institutional knowledge and work and relationships wiped out in a matter of months. congress is high on their own supply if they think it’ll just reset automagically once they get rid of rfk
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
This is a remarkable interview.
nytimes.com
Sylvester Stallone Hid His Struggles for Decades. Now He’s Coming Clean. (Gift Article)
The legendary actor on his disturbing childhood, his Hollywood missteps and the pain he caused to his loved ones, his body and himself.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
My column from Monday. The emerging consensus to drop Alabama’s grocery tax (yes, non-Alabamians, we tax food) is a reminder that Alabama is only a low-tax state if you own a forest or reside in the top federal income tax bracket, and that we need top-to-bottom tax reform.
alabamareflector.com
Commentary: The grocery tax must go. But Alabama's tax system needs a complete overhaul. | Alabama Reflector
Alabama taxes people based largely on how important the state government views them. And that makes life in this state more expensive.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
A 48% drop in employees at National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Yikes.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
You could easily swap “elite universities” for “news outlets working in good faith” here and have exactly the same situation.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 26/09/2026
Via Amanda Watford and Stateline: The CDC’s latest Youth Risk Behavior Report, a full-color publication with photos, graphics and high school success stories, offers a markedly different portrait of adolescent health than the one it published two years ago. ow.ly/mIEw50ZRvPU
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I have a Chevy Bolt — decent range, very reliable, a fun car to drive and affordable. So naturally, Chevrolet is discontinuing it. gmauthority.com/blog/2026/01...
gmauthority.com
Chevy Bolt Production Will End In 2027
GM will end Chevy Bolt production after just 18 months to build ICE models in Kansas. Tariffs and a lost tax credit cut short the affordable EV's return.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 26/09/2026
Via Ralph Chapoco: The settlement, filed late Friday afternoon, requires the social media platform to employ default time limits for teen users, as well as educational resources and controls for parents.
alabamareflector.com
TikTok to pay Alabama $116 million in lawsuit settlement | Alabama Reflector
As part of the settlement, the company will need to create features that allow parents to limit children's access on the social media site.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Richard M. Nixon @dicknixon.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
As I’ve long said, Ruth was a genius. The value of Jane Leavy’s biography is it restores that to him. He was not Paul Bunyan, and his achievements were not an accident. He was a genius.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 25/09/2026
Via Amanda Watford and Stateline: Ballot measures in nine states this November include questions about pretrial release, fentanyl and human trafficking penalties, immigration enforcement, traffic cameras, drug cartels and marijuana regulation.
alabamareflector.com
States put criminal justice, marijuana policies before voters in 2026 | Alabama Reflector
Voters in nine states will weigh changes to their criminal legal systems and drug policies this fall. The Nov. 3 ballot measures include questions about pretrial release, fentanyl and human trafficking penalties, immigration enforcement, traffic cameras, drug cartels and marijuana regulation.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Kelcie Moseley-Morris @kelciemmorris.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
It's a big day! States Newsroom has an Instagram account at last. Give us a follow if you're over there.
instagram.com
Instagram
Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 25/09/2026
Via Ariana Figueroa: The Trump administration Thursday made an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to allow for rapid third-country deportations of noncitizens to continue, after an appeals court blocked the policy last week.
alabamareflector.com
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to permit quick third-country deportations | Alabama Reflector
The appeals decision found that immigrants must have an opportunity to challenge their removal if they fear for their safety.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 25/09/2026
Via Anna Barrett: President Donald Trump plans to hold a rally in Mobile next week amid concerns in the Alabama Republican Party about apathy among GOP voters in the state.
alabamareflector.com
Donald Trump to hold rally in Mobile amid Alabama GOP turnout concerns | Alabama Reflector
President Donald Trump plans to hold a campaign rally in Mobile next week amid concerns among Alabama Republicans about turnout. 
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Anarchic Squid @leahanelson.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
L. Ron Hubbard and it’s not close
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
This is an interesting essay worth reading. YMMV, but the key to the film to me isn’t Howard Beale but Max Schumacher; his final soliloquy — vain, self-deluded, deeply misogynistic and dehumanizingly angry about The Youth — seems to reflect Chayefsky’s vision for Network, far more than media satire.
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Reposted by Brian Lyman
Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 25/09/2026
Via Ariana Figueroa: A government report released Thursday found the Department of Homeland Security wasted more than $20 million in federal funding in its rapid expansion of immigration detention, including warehouse purchases strongly opposed in many communities. ow.ly/938O50ZR932
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
You could argue he’s trying to boost Rhett Marques in AL-02 (though it’s not the most efficient way to do; Mobile isn’t in the district anymore thanks to redistricting). But it feels more like a nostalgia trip. Mobile was the site of his first big stadium rally in 2015.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Abraham Lincoln looking skeptical
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I get the thinking here, but I've written about this man's political career for nearly a decade and I've never seen anything like Machiavellian chess playing from him. He has attacked a wide range of Americans with little evidence of thinking beyond what will get him the next media hit.
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