By Brian Lyman | Editor
Reminder to take no chances this weekend with what is expected to be a hurricane headed for the coast. Be safe however you can.
Auburn University professor Matt Malczycki protests outside the Auburn University Hotel as the university’s Board of Trustees meets on Sept. 11, 2026 in Auburn, Alabama. (Stew Milne for Alabama Reflector)
EDUCATION
By Andrea Tinker
A state law weakening faculty senates and providing compulsory post-tenure review processes formally went into effect last week, but Alabama’s public universities have reacted in different ways to it. At Auburn and Jacksonville State, trustees have voted to abolish and replace their faculty senates, spurring protests. At the University of Alabama and Troy, trustees have maintained the organizations. One UA professor says the compulsory post-tenure review is causing the most concern among her colleagues.
Tropical Storm Isaias's forecasted track is seen as of Oct. 7, 2026. Gov. Kay Ivey Wednesday declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, which is expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Thursday. (National Hurricane Center)
ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
By Alabama Reflector
Gov. Kay Ivey Wednesday declared a state of emergency in 40 counties in central and southern Alabama as Tropical Storm Isaias moved toward the Gulf Coast. The storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane on Thursday and make landfall late Friday evening or early Saturday morning, with winds of up to 110 mph. Forecasters say the coast could see 3 to 7 inches of rainfall, with some areas getting up to 10 inches.
Students at Brantley Elementary School take part in a STEM activity during a visit from Dallas County Schools Superintendent Anthony Sampson on June 30, 2025. (Andi Rice for Alabama Reflector)
ELECTIONS 2026
By Ralph Chapoco
State voters next month will decide whether to approve Amendment 2, which would allow county school boards to pursue mergers. Mergers of two or more boards of education would require a study by the Alabama State Board of Education and the approval of voters, who could send consoldiation to a referendum if 25% of the voters in a county oppose it. Two major education groups say they’re not taking a position on the measure.
ICYMI
Alabama screen time commission makes 1st recommendations on best classroom practices | Andrea Tinker, Alabama Reflector
Abortion foes plan to push pill restrictions in the states | Sofia Resnick, Stateline
Tennessee court rules state must preserve all records from botched execution | Adam Friedman, Tennessee Lookout
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