Brian Lyman

The annual Selma Bridge Crossing celebration is this weekend.

In 11 months in 2016-17, Alabama's House speaker was convicted of felony ethics violations; Alabama's chief justice (Roy Moore!) was removed from office for disobeying the courts (a second time!) and our governor fell under the weight of emojis. That's the backdrop to the 2017 Senate race.

Also Cornyn doesn't owe his U.S. Senate seat to a governor whose administration collapsed under America's first emoji-driven sex scandal

US House also rejects restraint on Trump’s war power in Iran | Alabama Reflector The War Powers Resolution sponsored by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., failed in a 212-219 vote.

Via @ashleymurray.bsky.social: The joint war with Israel that began six days ago has already claimed the lives of six U.S. troops and injured and killed dozens of civilians across Israel and the Persian Gulf nations. Iranian officials say more than 1,000 have been killed since Saturday.

US House also rejects restraint on Trump’s war power in Iran WASHINGTON — House Republicans and a handful of Democrats followed the Senate in blocking a measure Thursday to stop President Donald Trump from furthering the war in Iran without authorization from C...

BREAKING: US House also rejects restraint on Trump’s war power in Iran

My latest for @statesnewsroom.com's DC Bureau:

www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-h...

It reminded me of the quote commonly attributed to Jane Austen: “And Chris Davis takes it in the back of the end zone. He’ll run it out to the 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 45 — there goes Davis! Davis is going to run it all the way back! Auburn’s gonna win the football game!”

George Orwell, who absolutely did not write a whole novel about a society run by rough men

BREAKING: Kristi Noem out as DHS secretary; Trump to tap Oklahoma Sen. Mullin | Alabama Reflector In a heated hourslong oversight hearing before senators, Republicans on Tuesday grilled Noem over her handling of the awarding of no-bid contracts to close allies and slow disaster relief response.

Via @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social: Republicans Tuesday grilled Noem over the awarding of no-bid contracts to allies and slow disaster relief response. Also cited were recordings that contradicted her statements that two people killed by immigration officers in Minneapolis were “domestic terrorists.”

Brooks was a true upper-class twit. He died of croup — effectively choking to death — eight months after he assaulted Sumner.

When Valkyrie Brodt became pregnant for the first time last year, she did an online search to find a clinic that would take someone without insurance. She found what she thought was a pregnancy-focused clinic a couple of blocks from the hospital in Huntsville. But something felt off. buff.ly/4LmnYGj

Ban on foreign national contributions to Alabama campaigns headed to Gov. Kay Ivey | Alabama Reflector The Alabama Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would prohibit foreign nationals from donating to Alabama candidates’ campaigns.

Via @annabjournalist.bsky.social: The bill prohibits foreign nationals from donating “directly or indirectly” to state or local political parties, political action committees, election advertisements or promising to donate to campaigns.

Yeah man, definitely trust this guy

Via @andreadotweb.bsky.social: A bill that would require schools to display the Ten Commandments advanced out of an Alabama House committee Wednesday. buff.ly/HpeWJk5

Killer robots always sounded like a hyperbolic threat, but between AI selecting targets in war and chatbots that encourage self-harm, have we considered that they’re already here?

Nearly identical school prayer bills pass Alabama House committees | Alabama Reflector Both bills would require local boards to adopt policies regarding prayer in school or face losing up to 25% of state funding.

Via @andreadotweb.bsky.social: Two Alabama House committees Wednesday approved bills that could require school boards to mandate the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance and allow public prayers and the reading of religious texts in schools.

Yep. Grandma was an operator.

Telephone lineman; farmer in Ireland

Franklin immediately decamps to Atlanta and takes up residence at Magic City

James Madison's sold-out presentation on the proper role of the judiciary turns into 90 minutes of him wolfing down Twinkies

BECK: Now, George, the necessary and proper clause. Would say that --

WASHINGTON: My god, aspirin. Have you tried this stuff

Via @kelciemmorris.bsky.social: Oregon is set to become the first state in the country to require insurers to cover those costs for cervical cancer patients, and that policy could expand nationwide if a new federal regulation takes effect at the start of next year. buff.ly/i2yO8YO

George Thomas, Civil War general, biker

Creating rigorous defensive schemes that save the lives of his soldiers or cruising through the country on a Sunday afternoon

George Henry Thomas, president of the Civil War Generals Who Look Like Bikers Club.

US Senate rejects limits on Trump war powers, as Hegseth vows ‘death and destruction’ for Iran | Alabama Reflector The resolution failed 47-52, with Sen. Rand Paul, R- Ky., the only Republican to cosponsor the measure, joining Democrats in challenging Trump’s war in Iran.

Via @ashleymurray.bsky.social: Senate Republicans and a single Democrat blocked a War Powers Resolution Wednesday aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s joint war with Israel in Iran that has taken the lives of six American troops and killed top Iranian leaders.

Alabama House committee OKs bill making repeated stalking convictions felonies | Alabama Reflector SB 273, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, makes second and subsequent stalking charges punishable by up to ten years in prison.

Via @annabjournalist.bsky.social: An Alabama House committee Wednesday approved a bill that would make it second and subsequent convictions for stalking a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Via @annabjournalist.bsky.social: An Alabama House committee Wednesday delayed consideration of a bill to regulate the Public Service Commission after the sponsor introduced a substitute requiring the PSC to hold formal rate hearings, something it has not done since 1981. buff.ly/ZUAFDZy

A FWIW: My two older kids (one in college, one about-to-be) love prime Simpsons. They haven't seen Friends, but TBF, I never watched the show either.

@statesnewsroom.com conducted a 50-state investigation examining state and federal budgets, as well as the tax records of crisis pregnancy organizations, finding that while the magnitude of public funding for them is growing, oversight is not. buff.ly/TVF8Y8U

I don’t know who said it (maybe Lars-Erik Nelson?) but there’s an aphorism that the first 100 columns are the easiest. And in my third year of columning, I get that.

Fun Alabama fact: A longtime state representative always appears on the ballot as Thomas “Action” Jackson.