By Brian Lyman | Editor
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Two banners on lampposts outside of the University of Alabama Student Center as seen March 28, 2026. (Andrea Tinker/Alabama Reflector)
EDUCATION
By Andrea Tinker
A former UA professor who sued the university after being fired following the assassination of far-right political commentator Charlie Kirk has cited a conflict of interest with an attorney who represented her in the suit. According to court documents, Candice Hale disputed a lien on a $60,000 settlement with the university negotiated in May. Hale alleged her attorney engaged in “unauthorized settlement negotiations” with the school.
Jim Purcell, executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE), speaks to legislators during a budget presentation on Feb. 5, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama.(Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)
EDUCATION
By Andrea Tinker
The Alabama Commission on Higher Education Tuesday approved four scholarship programs for higher education students for the fall semester. The scholarships will extend aid to members of the National Guard; teachers certified in high-need fields, adult learners and family members of law enforcement officers.
(Illustration by Alex Cochran for Stateline)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
By Jonathan Shorman and Kevin Hardy
President Donald Trump’s assertion of sweeping executive powers is pushing the country toward a stark choice: a more powerful federal government under Trump’s leadership, or one where states provide a heavier counterweight. Democratic-led states have begun developing responses to Trump’s policies that could outlast the president. Some Republicans see an opportunity to build a bipartisan consensus for a convention called by the states to propose constitutional amendments.
ICYMI
With control of US Senate in play, national Dems rush to dump Maine’s Platner | Jacob Fischler, DC Bureau
New ruling against mandatory detention is another blow to Trump immigration policy | Tim Henderson, Stateline
Tick bites are surging in the US this year. Here’s what to know. | Amelia Twyman, DC Bureau
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