BP’s next try: Cutting riser to add new valve
Miami Herald (Associated Press International Wire) – May 29
…”If they can’t get that valve on, things will get much worse,” said Philip W. Johnson, an engineering professor at the University of Alabama. Johnson said he thinks BP can succeed with the valve, but added: “It’s a scary proposition.”
BBC – May 30
Houston Chronicle – May 30
National Public Radio – May 30
Boston Globe – May 31
Fox News – May 30
New York Post – May 31
Mobile Press-Register – May 30
Guardian (U.K.) – May 30
Aljazeera – May 30
Alabama Dems may nominate 1st black for governor
Forbes.com (Associated Press) – May 29
.…David Lanoue, chairman of the political science department at the University of Alabama, said Davis expects African-American voters will vote for the first serious, well-funded black candidate for governor regardless of who has endorsed him. “It’s a gamble, but it’s a gamble that makes a lot of sense,” Lanoue said.
Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press – May 30
Smooth sailing for Alabama’s Shelby
Market Watch (Wall Street Journal) – May 28
…“There’s no real race here,” said University of Alabama professor David Lanoue. “Senator Shelby has placed himself well within the main stream of Alabama politics. He’s well regarded by the right wing of his party, and he’s brought enormous resources to the state of Alabama.”…The four-term Senator is the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee and a member of the appropriations committee. Constituents aren’t likely to be able to name the committees Shelby sits on, says Lanoue, but they know his long-standing position on Capitol Hill translates into major benefits for Alabama.
“They know he’s powerful, influential and they know that influential has consequences for Alabama,” Lanoue said…
Experts predict state races
Florence Times-Daily – May 31
…University of Alabama political science professor and department chair David Lanoue said barring a bombshell revelation, Davis will win the Democratic nomination. The congressman’s vote on federal health care hurt him with black voters, however. “It was the most visible vote of his career,” Lanoue said. “Sparks basically made gambling his calling card. It was his misfortune that gambling ended up the way it did.” In the Republican governor’s race, Lanoue said the trend is in James’ direction, with Byrne still leading. “If Tim James makes it to a runoff, and it is looking like he will, I’d have to say immigration was the turning point,” Lanoue said…
Tweet Home, Alabama: Can the Internet be a game-changer in the politics of a relatively un-wired state?
Anniston Star – May 30
… “The latest stats show we aren’t really there yet,” said Karen Cartee, a professor specializing in political advertising in the College of Communications at the University of Alabama. “Those numbers show that only 36 percent of the people in Alabama have access to the Internet.” That figure refers to broadband access, through which information leaps onto one’s computer screen almost immediately. Another 17-18 percent have the older, slower dial-up access. The state, Cartee said, is far behind much of the rest of the nation in catching on to the Internet age and perhaps years away from seeing the kind of political connectedness that was shown nationally during the 2008 presidential election. “During the presidential election, the Obama side especially was very effective in using e-mail and texting and all kinds of online resources to build momentum,” she said. “That has not happened on the state level, especially in Alabama.” While acknowledging that young people are big users of social media, she insists they are not crucial in the outcome of most elections. “Yes, of course, teens and young people use the Internet all the time,” she said. “They are the biggest users, but they are also the least likely to vote. The people who are mostly likely to vote in Alabama are not engaged in new media.” From Cartee’s perspective, the role of the Internet in Alabama elections is marginal at best. “In Alabama, most people do not have the means, the time or the opportunity to be engaged online,” she said…And that’s exactly where James wanted to be, argues David Lanoue, a political scientist at the University of Alabama. “If you’re a Republican, it’s a lot easier to run against Rachel Maddow than it is to run against Bradley Byrne,” Lanoue said…
Birmngham taxes, fees not used for dome, transportation as promised
Birmingham News – May 31
…According to numbers from the city’s finance department, the original projection for sales tax revenue this year was $106.7 million, but the amount expected has been lowered to $90.4 million. In business license fee collections, the city anticipated $72 million but now is expected to take in only $54 million. Legal issues notwithstanding, the best action would be to rescind or amend the tax-and-fee ordinance to reflect the changed spending, said Walt Robbins, a University of Alabama professor of accounting and a specialist in governmental and nonprofit accounting. “If I were the mayor or on the City Council, I would want to be open and very transparent in everything I do. I wouldn’t leave it to an attorney,” Robbins said. “I would want it very clear for the citizens to understand.” Robbins said residents would more likely accept changes in spending if officials stated explicitly what had changed and why. “The political leaders need to be transparent to the constituents, and that means going that extra mile to make sure that everything is not just legally appropriate, but understandable,” he said. “If you do that, the constituents are going to have trust in the leadership.”…
Senator’s plan would aid Teamsters’ pension fund
Pittsburgh (Pa.) Post-Gazette – May 31
…”We should, can and must do better to help Americans prepare for retirement than give each of them a savings account and tell them, ‘You are on your own,’ ” said Norman Stein, a professor at the University of Alabama law school. “For such a do-it-yourself system to work, workers must combine Spartan discipline, a Harvard investment degree, and a Cassandra-like ability to predict not only the direction of different investment markets but also the precise date of their own death.”
The rules of investment
Montgomery Advertiser – May 30
Wild swings of hundreds of points per day were the norm on Wall Street recently, but that doesn’t change the basic rules of sound investing, according to market experts in Alabama. The same general rules — don’t try to time the market and diversify investments — apply now as when the market is more stable, according to Robert Brooks, a professor of finance at the University of Alabama. Brooks said the market gyrations are a combination of a lack of investor confidence in market controls and the impact of global political and economic events. Still, he said for patient investors who can wait years for their money to grow, the stock market could well be the best place in the long run…”I think having the Korean crisis and the Euro crisis has sort of highlighted the three assumptions you have to have in place for the market to function,” he said…Even though Brooks said the market has been shaken by a lack of investor trust, it can be a good place for long-term investments. “Equities will be the place to be if you can stomach the volatility,” he said. “Clearly, some days you had better have a high tolerance for risk.”
University of Alabama art collection reveals dedicated spirit
Birmingham News – May 30
An Eyeful: Selections From The Permanent Collection. Sarah Moody Gallery of Art. Department of Art and Art History, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. Through June 4. This sampling of the art collection at the University of Alabama reflects a dedicated spirit that serves the art department well…The 42 works on view include pieces by such internationally known artists as Jim Dine, Alexander Calder, Robert Rauschenberg, Walker Evans, Judy Pfaff, Jack Tworkov, Sam Gilliam, Phillip Pearlstein and William Wegman. Well-known artists who have served on the faculty include Al Sella, Richard Zoellner, Howard Goodson and Maltby Sykes…