ANNOUNCEMENT
Due to the need for social distancing, UA is operating under limited business operations, which includes remote work assignments. While employees in the department of communications are working remotely, they are available to assist members of the media. Reporters are encouraged to contact the sources below or to use our experts directory to find contact information for other subject matter experts.
BEST BETS
BAMA BUG FEST GOES ON THE WEB – The second Bama Bug Fest will live stream on Facebook and YouTube through July 25. Bama Bug Fest: On the Web, a collaboration by University of Alabama Museums, UA Libraries and the Tuscaloosa Public Library, will provide interactive videos, interviews with experts and storytelling for all ages every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Segments will air at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. each day. A Q&A session with the public will be held at the conclusion of each day. For more information, contact Rebecca Johnson, UA Museums, at rljohnson8@ua.edu.
CURRENT COMMENT
UA EXPERT SAYS WASHINGTON NFL TEAM NAME CHANGE LONG OVERDUE – A professor at UA and co-author of “Mascot Nation: The Controversy Over Native American Representations in Sports,” says changing the name of the Washington NFL team has been a long time coming, but also long overdue. “As much as there might be some immediate outcry from people opposed to changing the name, most evidence shows that shifting a nickname rarely lessens fandom in any significant manner,” said Dr. Andrew Billings, the Ronald Reagan Chair of Broadcasting at UA. To interview Billings, contact Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, at bryant.welbourne@ua.edu.
UA EXPERT TO AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS RARE COMET NEOWISE – The comet Neowise is planning a visit to our inner solar system, a truly once in a generation event that hasn’t happened in 6,800 years. Dr. Bill Keel, a professor of astronomy at UA, said the comet was discovered in March through data from NASA’s WISE infrared telescope during its mission extension devoted to detecting near-Earth objects. He said the comet can be seen with the naked eye where there are very clear skies, just above the horizon, right below the bowl of the Big Dipper. To interview Keel, contact him at wkeel@ua.edu.
UA LAW PROFESSOR: NATIVE AMERICANS WON IMPORTANT DECISION IN U.S. SUPREME COURT – Bryan Fair, the Thomas E. Skinner Professor of Law at UA, said while many Americans are unfamiliar with Federal Indian laws, the U.S. Supreme Court recently announced an important decision vindicating federal jurisdiction over major crimes committed on reservations or Indian lands in Oklahoma and rejecting claims by the state that it had the power to prosecute a sex crime defendant. Writing for the majority, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch declared that only Congress has the power to alter such jurisdiction established under the Major Crimes Act. It is not every day that tribal members win at the Supreme Court, Fair said. To interview Fair, contact him at bfair@law.ua.edu. For more information, contact Monique Fields at mfields@law.ua.edu.
UA EXPERT SAYS SUPREME COURT RULING MAY MEAN MORE FOR OKLAHOMA THAN REALIZED – The Supreme Court’s decision ruling that half of Oklahoma is Native American reservation land has multiple implications, said Dr. Allen Linken, an assistant professor of political science. Linken said the decision may open up other points such as the suggestion that Oklahoma doesn’t have sovereignty to govern the lands. To interview Linken, reach him at aelinken@ua.edu.
UA EXPERTS AVAILABLE TO DISCUSS ISSUES AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC – Faculty at UA are available to discuss aspects of the coronavirus pandemic including topics related to health care, education and the economy. This list will be updated, so check back often for new sources. For assistance with reaching any of these sources or for topics not highlighted, contact Shane Dorrill at shane.dorrill@ua.edu.
NEED A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON TOPICS MAKING NEWS? – See our frequently updated experts directory here.
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