Act of Congress: Christmas Vol. 2

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2013/12/aoc_2013.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:375;s:4:"file";s:20:"2013/12/aoc_2013.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:6:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"aoc_2013-336x210.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:210;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"aoc_2013-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"aoc_2013-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"aoc_2013-498x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:498;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"aoc_2013-424x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:424;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"aoc_2013-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:307604;s:14:"optimized_size";i:180812;s:7:"percent";d:41.219999999999999;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:48:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/12/aoc_2013.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:130950;s:14:"optimized_size";i:59603;s:7:"percent";d:54.479999999999997;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/12/aoc_2013-336x210.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:20107;s:14:"optimized_size";i:13505;s:7:"percent";d:32.829999999999998;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:54:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/12/aoc_2013-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3582;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3330;s:7:"percent";d:7.04;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/12/aoc_2013-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:53700;s:14:"optimized_size";i:35403;s:7:"percent";d:34.07;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/12/aoc_2013-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:25973;s:14:"optimized_size";i:17558;s:7:"percent";d:32.399999999999999;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/12/aoc_2013-498x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:37297;s:14:"optimized_size";i:25100;s:7:"percent";d:32.700000000000003;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/12/aoc_2013-424x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:28974;s:14:"optimized_size";i:19488;s:7:"percent";d:32.740000000000002;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2013/12/aoc_2013-125x125.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:7021;s:14:"optimized_size";i:6825;s:7:"percent";d:2.79;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1675852486 
1386806400

Act of Congress is an acoustic quartet with influences from jazz, rock and pop. While they have quite a following here in Birmingham, in the last two years, they’ve partnered with the U.S. State Department and performed at embassies throughout Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Now settling back in Birmingham, they just released an album of Christmas songs. WBHM’s Michael Krall spoke with band members Adam Wright and Chris Griffin and produced this audio postcard…

Download music:
Dance of the Sugar Plumb Fairy
Sleigh Ride

 

For many U.S. Olympic athletes, Italy feels like home turf

Many spent their careers training on the mountains they'll be competing on at the Winter Games. Lindsey Vonn wanted to stage a comeback on these slopes and Jessie Diggins won her first World Cup there.

Immigrant whose skull was broken in 8 places during ICE arrest says beating was unprovoked

Alberto Castañeda Mondragón was hospitalized with eight skull fractures and five life-threatening brain hemorrhages. Officers claimed he ran into a wall, but medical staff doubted that account.

Pentagon says it’s cutting ties with ‘woke’ Harvard, ending military training

Amid an ongoing standoff between Harvard and the White House, the Defense Department said it plans to cut ties with the Ivy League — ending military training, fellowships and certificate programs.

‘Washington Post’ CEO resigns after going AWOL during massive job cuts

Washington Post chief executive and publisher Will Lewis has resigned just days after the newspaper announced massive layoffs.

After the Fall: How Olympic figure skaters soar after stumbling on the ice

Olympic figure skating is often seems to take athletes to the very edge of perfection, but even the greatest stumble and fall. How do they pull themselves together again on the biggest world stage? Toughness, poise and practice.

They’re cured of leprosy. Why do they still live in leprosy colonies?

Leprosy is one of the least contagious diseases around — and perhaps one of the most misunderstood. The colonies are relics of a not-too-distant past when those diagnosed with leprosy were exiled.

More Arts and Culture Coverage