By Brian Lyman | Editor
Just two weeks to go to Election Day. We have more previews today as we get another day closer to a life without nonstop political ads.
Members of the Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees as seen during its meeting on October 19, 2026. (Andrea Tinker/Alabama Reflector)
EDUCATION
By Andrea Tinker
The Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a replacement for its now-dissolved faculty senate as public universities continue to grapple with the application of a state law that limited faculty senates to advisory roles and gave boards of trustees more power over curricula. Some schools, like JSU and Auburn, dissolved their faculty senates, but the University of Alabama and Troy have maintained theirs.
In Alabama's 7th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham (left), who has held the seat since 2011, faces Republican nominee Ammie Akin (right), a first-time candidate. (Left: William J. Ford/Maryland Matters; Right: Courtesy Ammie Akin; photo illustration by Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)
ELECTIONS 2026
By Forrest Terrell
The two candidates in the 7th Congressional District race — U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham and Republican nominee Ammie Akin — are both focusing on affordability and quality of life issues. Akin said she wants to prioritize crime and education and says federal funding in the district may have been misallocated. Sewell says she will target President Donald Trump’s tariffs, work to restore cuts to healthcare funding and work on affordable housing.
The U.S. Capitol on the evening of Sept. 30, 2025. (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)
DC BUREAU
By Jacob Fischler
House Democrats are expected to pick up 10 to 20 U.S. House seats in November, an analyst with the Cook Political Report said in Washington on Monday, due to President Donald Trump’s low popularity and ongoing inflation concerns. The wave would be smaller than previous ones, due to the Democrats’ large House caucus and gerrymandering. The U.S. Senate is considered to be a pure toss-up.
ICYMI
Commentary: When curriculum decisions get taken from educators | Beth Davis Sramek for Alabama Reflector
Ukrainians and Sudanese with temporary legal status will keep protections for now | Ariana Figueroa, DC Bureau
Trump order sets up new women’s health research initiative at NIH, White House task force | Shauneen Miranda, DC Bureau
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