Maya Angelou dies at 86
Poet and activist Maya Angelou, best known for her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, has died after a long illness at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was 86.
Angelou grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and Stamps, Arkansas. She had a varied career as a dancer, singer, teacher, actor, producer and a political activist. But she’s probably best known as the author of 30 books of prose and poetry. Angelou writes about her life with brutal honesty, an honesty that reflects the courage of someone determined to rise above her meager beginnings.
In 2009 Angelou spoke in Birmingham at an event for the UAB Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center. In an interview with Greg Bass for WBHM she reflected on her humble roots.
Top Instagram reels from Goats and Soda in 2025: Plumpy’Nut, aid cuts, soccer grannies
Our most-viewed Instagram videos include reports from a Rhode Island factory that makes special food for malnourished children and from a tournament for soccer-playing "grannies."
Should the U.S. model its vaccine policy on Denmark’s? Experts say we’re nothing alike
The Trump administration wants to revamp U.S. childhood vaccination recommendations to align with some other peer nations, including one tiny country in northern Europe.
Marijuana rescheduling would bring some immediate changes, but others will take time
President Trump set the process in motion to ease federal restrictions on marijuana. But his order doesn't automatically revoke laws targeting marijuana, which remains illegal to transport over state lines.
The cultural works becoming public domain in 2026, from Betty Boop to Nancy Drew
The original Betty Boop, the first four Nancy Drew books and Greta Garbo's first talkie are among the many works from 1930 that will be free to use, share and remake starting on Jan. 1.
Amanda Seyfried’s tally for 2025: 3 starring roles, 2 Golden Globe nominations
Amanda Seyfried is up for a Golden Globe for her performance in The Testament of Ann Lee, a movie musical about the leader of the Shakers, the 18th-century religious movement that preached celibacy, gender and racial equality, and pacifism.
As insurance prices rise, women puzzle through coverage options for their families
Figuring out the insurance options for families often falls to women. Some say they're delaying marriage, taking side jobs, and putting their kids on Medicaid as premium prices shoot up in 2026.
