Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 2hNearly turned 50 before I learned the line in “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” is “I can’t hide” and not “I get high.” 251
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 4hVia 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.comAlabama screentime commission makes 1st recommendations on best classroom practices | Alabama ReflectorThe Commission on Screen-Based Instruction, formed by Gov. Kay Ivey, plans to send a final report to the governor within two months. 002
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 5hGov. 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.comGov. Kay Ivey declares state of emergency as Isaias approaches Gulf Coast | Alabama ReflectorThe tropical storm reached 65 mph winds on Wednesday and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Thursday. 21214
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 10hVia 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 113
Reposted by Brian LymanChristina Lords @christinalords.bsky.social · 12hAlways 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.comI Went Back to Idaho to See How the Hard-Right Transformed This Deep Red StateWatch as a WSJ reporter visits Idaho, where a battle is under way for the future of the Republican Party. 2279
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 12hVia 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.comTenn. Republicans: Legislature to investigate other execution methods after failed lethal injections | Alabama ReflectorTennessee Republican leaders say they will consider firing squad and electric chair as a death penalty alternative to lethal injection. 301
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 13hThere’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. 110
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 13hWhether 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. 090
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 13hThe 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. 2103
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 15hBlueSky Crashes As Users Flood Servers With Polling Takes 061
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 15hVia 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 053
Reposted by Brian LymanThe Downballot @the-downballot.com · 15hQuite 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... 310232
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 16hCommentary 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 0162
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 16hVia 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 02416
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026And the Chevy Bolt is a great car. People don't know what they're missing. 010
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 07/10/2026Via 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 262
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 06/10/2026Via 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.comNo major gains projected for count of women in Congress after midterms | Alabama ReflectorThe 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. 032
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Republicans thought that issue could overcome all of Roy Moore's baggage, and no, no it did not. 1161
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Doug Jones winning in Alabama in 2017 without downplaying or amending his support for abortion rights should have been a sign. 17514
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 06/10/2026Via 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.comTop Democratic US Senate PAC commits to 9 states, eyes more Republican targets | Alabama ReflectorA 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. 021
Reposted by Brian LymanEvan Mealins @evanmealins.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Christa Pike is conscious and speaking.tennessean.comChrista Pike conscious and speaking days after failed execution, attorneys sayChrista Pike is conscious and speaking after surviving the state's attempt to execute her, her attorneys said in an emailed statement sent Oct. 6. 11411
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 06/10/2026Via 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 0123
Reposted by Brian LymanGillian 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. 2294102
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026I 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. 0201
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026What 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. 1290
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Not 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. 1018136
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 06/10/2026Commentary: 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… 134
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 06/10/2026Via 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 022
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 06/10/2026Via 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 381
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026FWIW: 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. 1527379
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 05/10/2026Via 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.comUS House Dems’ campaign chief predicts they'll gain majority control in midterms | Alabama ReflectorDemocratic 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. 082
Reposted by Brian Lymanmadi mcvan @madisonmcvan.bsky.social · 05/10/2026hey 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.comDonate • Minnesota Reformer 1147
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 05/10/2026Commentary: 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 263
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 05/10/2026Via 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.comAlabama state representative, school board member charged with attempted human trafficking | Alabama ReflectorBrett Easterbrook and Kory Wesley were arrested by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Friday afternoon for attempted human trafficking. 74531
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026My 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.comCommentary: What I learned from reading over 200 Alabama political campaign sites | Alabama ReflectorAmid the posed photos, posturing and ceaseless quests for the center, at least five trends in state elections emerged. 2208
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 05/10/2026Via 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 051
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 05/10/2026Via 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 075
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Lou Ferrigno as the Incredible Hulk. Conversely, my younger sister thought the Hulk was awesome. 381
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 1141
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026You don’t get on Fox telling people Jesus looked like Paul Lynde. 5193
Reposted by Brian LymanJosh Fruhlinger @jfruh.bsky.social · 04/10/2026wild 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 113530
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026Wanders 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. 030
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026Oh 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. 110
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026Either way, if these telegrams exist I would love to read them. 040
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026Entirely 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. 150
Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026Sherwood 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. 2130
Reposted by Brian LymanAlabama Reflector @alabamareflector.com · 04/10/2026Via 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 097