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Brian Lyman

@brianlyman.bsky.social
9.8K followers 708 following 7.1K 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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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 2h
Nearly turned 50 before I learned the line in “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” is “I can’t hide” and not “I get high.”
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 4h
Via Andrea Tinker: An Alabama state commission plans to recommended the state further define screen time and work toward “fostering digital literacy” as it develops best practices for screen use in public school classrooms.
alabamareflector.com
Alabama screentime commission makes 1st recommendations on best classroom practices | Alabama Reflector
The Commission on Screen-Based Instruction, formed by Gov. Kay Ivey, plans to send a final report to the governor within two months.
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 5h
Gov. Kay Ivey Wednesday declared a state of emergency in 40 of Alabama’s 67 counties as Tropical Storm Isaias headed toward the Gulf Coast and continued to strengthen.
alabamareflector.com
Gov. Kay Ivey declares state of emergency as Isaias approaches Gulf Coast | Alabama Reflector
The tropical storm reached 65 mph winds on Wednesday and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Thursday.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 10h
Calvin Coolidge seated at a desk, staring warily into the camera as if someone suggested using the government to help people
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 10h
Via Sofia Resnick and Stateline: As they await a federal decision on a potential nationwide telehealth abortion ban, anti-abortion activists plan to push more states to require women to visit a doctor’s office, get an ultrasound or wait before they can get abortion pills. ow.ly/HLT450ZVsuS
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Christina Lords @christinalords.bsky.social · 12h
Always weird to be on the receiving end of an interview, but I enjoyed my conversation with @wsj.com to talk #idpol. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, you owe it to the generations of people who have fought so tirelessly to ensure you have the right to vote to show up on Nov. 3.
wsj.com
I Went Back to Idaho to See How the Hard-Right Transformed This Deep Red State
Watch as a WSJ reporter visits Idaho, where a battle is under way for the future of the Republican Party.
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 12h
Via Cassandra Stephenson and Tennessee Lookout: Republican leaders in Tennessee’s legislature say they will investigate the reliability of lethal injection as an execution method after the state failed to execute two death row inmates in the span of five months.
alabamareflector.com
Tenn. Republicans: Legislature to investigate other execution methods after failed lethal injections | Alabama Reflector
Tennessee Republican leaders say they will consider firing squad and electric chair as a death penalty alternative to lethal injection.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 13h
There’s just no humane method of execution. The Supreme Court upheld firing squad executions in 1879; that year, Wallace Wilkerson, who had challenged the method, was shot by a firing squad and bled to death for at least 15 minutes because the squad missed his heart.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 13h
Whether that would happen today with this court is an open question. But SCOTUS did allow a lower court in June to permanently block Alabama’s nitrogen gas execution protocol.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 13h
The last states to use the electric chair abandoned it in the late 1990s because it was becoming increasingly likely after a gruesome execution in Florida that the courts would declare the method unconstitutional.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 15h
BlueSky Crashes As Users Flood Servers With Polling Takes
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 15h
Via Ralph Chapoco: The Alabama Public Service Commission Tuesday unanimously agreed on a new process to review electricity contracts between Alabama Power and data centers. ow.ly/l4lr50ZVc3E
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The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 15h
Quite the stat from the Washington Post about how the GOP's massive spending on ads is nowhere close to as scary for Democrats as it looks: In Dallas, Republican groups had to spend *five* times as much as James Talarico "for just 30 percent more impact." www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 16h
Commentary by Rachel Ashcraft: "Families deserve transparency when a recommended treatment is also the company’s most profitable service ... Families should also listen to autistic people, who have spent years describing harm from therapies like ABA." ow.ly/Ks7q50ZVaXs
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 16h
Via Jonathan Shorman: As President Donald Trump refuses to rule out taking extreme action in the midterm elections, voting rights advocates and civil rights leaders are bolstering their voter protection efforts in anticipation of possible federal interference. ow.ly/L5jR50ZVaQ8
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
And the Chevy Bolt is a great car. People don't know what they're missing.
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 07/10/2026
Via Stateline: Democrats this November could win a majority of governorships for the first time since 2010. Currently, Republicans boast a 26-24 gubernatorial advantage over Democrats. ow.ly/eUbT50ZUZE5
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 06/10/2026
Via Jennifer Shutt: The number of women in the U.S. Senate is unlikely to increase and may decline following the November midterm elections, though there are still opportunities for candidates to make history in the upper chamber.
alabamareflector.com
No major gains projected for count of women in Congress after midterms | Alabama Reflector
The number of women in the U.S. Senate is unlikely to increase and may decline following the November midterm elections, though there are still opportunities for candidates to make history in the upper chamber.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Republicans thought that issue could overcome all of Roy Moore's baggage, and no, no it did not.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Doug Jones winning in Alabama in 2017 without downplaying or amending his support for abortion rights should have been a sign.
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 06/10/2026
Via Jacob Fischler: A leading Democratic campaign committee is projecting confidence in U.S. Senate toss-up races four weeks before Election Day, though it has yet to commit resources to the reddest states that have recently entered the Senate map.
alabamareflector.com
Top Democratic US Senate PAC commits to 9 states, eyes more Republican targets | Alabama Reflector
A leading Democratic campaign committee is projecting confidence in U.S. Senate toss-up races four weeks before Election Day, though it has yet to commit resources to the reddest states that have recently entered the Senate map.
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Evan Mealins @evanmealins.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Christa Pike is conscious and speaking.
tennessean.com
Christa Pike conscious and speaking days after failed execution, attorneys say
Christa Pike is conscious and speaking after surviving the state's attempt to execute her, her attorneys said in an emailed statement sent Oct. 6.
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 06/10/2026
Via Stateline: Household water bills are increasing faster than inflation and income, according to a new analysis by the nonprofit Food and Water Watch. ow.ly/wABI50ZUYGq
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 06/10/2026
"Just come here the legal way" was always light years easier said than done; now they aren't even in the same galaxy.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I would like to see more independent polling. The last one we saw in late September had Tuberville up 50-37, but it was commissioned by a right-wing think tank that supports Alabama’s controversial voucher program, and found 70% support — a likely margin if half your respondents support Tuberville.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
What does it mean? No idea. The fundamentals of Alabama and the GOP’s organizational and financial advantages all point to a Tuberville win. But Tuberville has been running a clumsy campaign, and Jones is drawing crowds and moving quickly to exploit his opponent’s mistakes.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Not surprising that Tuberville outspent Jones last month. More surprising that Jones pulled in nearly as much as Tuberville did in September. Typically that’s the month GOP candidates load up on cash and crush whatever feeble hopes Alabama Democrats have.
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 06/10/2026
Commentary: Catherine Dorrough writes that the Donald Trump who appeared in Mobile on Friday seemed a far cry from the one who drew up to 30,000 people to a rally in the city in 2015. alabamareflector.com/2026/10/06/the…
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 06/10/2026
Via Ralph Chapoco: A state legislative committee Thursday approved a contract to audit Alabama’s prisons’ compliance with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act. ow.ly/QMka50ZUL1Q
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 06/10/2026
Via Jonathan Shorman: President Donald Trump wants to curtail mail ballots. He’s baselessly condemned them as a source of fraud. But with Republicans falling behind in the polls, the president is now urging his supporters to vote in the midterm elections, including by mail. ow.ly/9UY550ZUK2J
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
FWIW: The venue for Trump's rally in Mobile Friday was about 75% full, and it holds a max of 11,000 people. In 2015, Trump held a rally at Mobile's Ladd-Pebbles stadium, which drew up to 30,000 people.
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 05/10/2026
Via Jennifer Shutt: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene said during an interview Monday that curbing the war in Iran and working on legislation to address the costs of healthcare would be at the top of the party’s agenda if it is able to flip that chamber.
alabamareflector.com
US House Dems’ campaign chief predicts they'll gain majority control in midterms | Alabama Reflector
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene said during an interview Monday that curbing the war in Iran and working on legislation to address the costs of healthcare would be at the top of the party’s agenda if it is able to flip the U.S. House. 
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madi mcvan @madisonmcvan.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
hey folks. it's fundraising season at the @minnesotareformer.com. if you've found my reporting useful this year, we'd appreciate it if you made a one-time donation or a recurring contribution. donors help keep our reporting paywall free!
minnesotareformer.com
Donate • Minnesota Reformer
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 05/10/2026
Commentary: Editor Brian Lyman read over 200 Alabama political campaign sites while preparing a voter guide. Here's what they told him about the state of this year's contests. ow.ly/v29050ZU7cu
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 05/10/2026
Via Andrea Tinker: An Alabama state representative and the former president of the Satsuma City Board of Education were arrested Friday on charges of attempted human trafficking. 
alabamareflector.com
Alabama state representative, school board member charged with attempted human trafficking | Alabama Reflector
Brett Easterbrook and Kory Wesley were arrested by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Friday afternoon for attempted human trafficking.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
My column this week. I read over 200 Alabama campaign websites to put together our state voter guide. (Journalism: It’s glamorous.) And amid the bluster and endless photos of candidates appearing to be lost in the woods, I noticed some trends.
alabamareflector.com
Commentary: What I learned from reading over 200 Alabama political campaign sites | Alabama Reflector
Amid the posed photos, posturing and ceaseless quests for the center, at least five trends in state elections emerged.
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 05/10/2026
ICYMI.
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 05/10/2026
Via Andrea Tinker: The state’s only Alabama House contest with three qualified candidates features two independents at opposite sides of the political spectrum facing an incumbent Republican for a north Alabama House seat. ow.ly/uI6150ZU7al
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 05/10/2026
Via Ariana Figueroa: An unprecedented increase in cooperation this summer between local and state law enforcement and federal immigration officers through 287(g) agreements drove immigration arrests to their highest levels since President Donald Trump took office. ow.ly/MvzQ50ZU2G6
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Lou Ferrigno as the Incredible Hulk. Conversely, my younger sister thought the Hulk was awesome.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
— I suddenly found myself in a place of peace and comfort and light, and there He was, answering all my questions with a double entendre
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
You don’t get on Fox telling people Jesus looked like Paul Lynde.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
I Dreamed I Saw Joe Krill Last Night
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Josh Fruhlinger @jfruh.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
wild that 30 years ago this was an idea so tasteless that it was a joke in a john waters movie and now ppl are just tweeting it out unironically
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Wanders a bit at the beginning and toward the end as Snyder ticks off a list of policy ideas. But the core of the book is very good, talking about reconceiving freedom as “freedom to” instead of “freedom from,” and helpful as we start to think about what comes next.
Cover of On Freedom by Timothy Snyder
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Oh yeah — I went through some of the old secret segregation commission files a few years back and found officials asking baffled Texas sheriffs if there were warrants out for the arrest of John Howard Griffin, the author of “Black Like Me.” But telegrams were not exactly cheap in 1965 dollars.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Either way, if these telegrams exist I would love to read them.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Entirely possible some people thought Gilligan’s Island was a documentary. But Mad Magazine that year published an article about “43-Man Squamish,” a silly and impossible sport to play. They soon got letters from college students claiming they formed their own teams. Irony is not a recent invention.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Sherwood Schwartz claimed this in a 1965 article (“a dozen or more telegrams” to the U.S. Coast Guard, prompting a visit from a officer) but as far as I can tell, Schwartz was the only source, and if it happened, it’s entirely possible these were jokes not meant to be taken seriously.
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Alabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 04/10/2026
Via Anna Claire Vollers and Stateline: A court battle that began when conservative-led states sued to block protections for transgender people has ended in a rollback of protections for people with disabilities — a result disability advocates have feared for months. ow.ly/z4nu50ZTXxk
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