WBHM Reporters Discuss Their Favorite Stories From the Past Year
WBHM’s news team is hard at work each day, bringing you in-depth radio stories you won’t hear anywhere else. In this program, we showcase some of the best work from WBHM over the past year, and each reporter gives WBHM news director Rachel Osier Lindley a behind-the-scenes look into their reporting process.
Sarah Delia discusses her award-winning story “Restoring the Lyric.” As officials work to restore the Lyric Theatre in downtown Birmingham some obstacles could be expected: funding the project, removing lead paint and plumbing issues. But there are tougher, less obvious challenges too. When the Lyric opened in 1914, Birmingham was a city with lines of segregation and the theatre reflects that. So how do you faithfully restore a historic building still physically marked by the city’s racist past?
WBHM education reporter Dan Carsen explores the challenges he faced reporting “Homebound Student Doing Much More Than Surviving,” the story of Joseph Walter. Walter suffers from Pompe disease. It’s a rare and often fatal illness that attacks the heart and skeletal muscles. Many people with the early onset form don’t survive past childhood. But Walter is not only surviving, he’s thriving, and just finished his first year of college. Carsen’s story won two Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards — for Best Use of Sound and Best Feature Reporting.
Andrew Yeager talks about his story “Remembering Bloody Sunday as the Voting Rights Act is Challenged.” The story, which won a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Writing, looks at the 2013 commemoration of Bloody Sunday in Selma. In 1965, civil rights protesters attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery but were quickly met by police billy clubs and tear gas. Bloody Sunday galvanized support for the Voting Rights Act at that time. While the commemoration is an annual event, 2013’s commemoration came just days after the U.S. Supreme Court heard a challenge to a portion of the law.
Portugal’s election falls short of ending political instability. Here’s what to know
Sunday's vote delivered another minority government for the center-right party. The significant rise in support for the hard-right populist party adds uncertainty.
U.S. sends 68 migrants back to Honduras and Colombia in first voluntary deportation
Experts believe the self-deportation offer will only appeal to a small portion of migrants already considering return, but unlikely to spur high demand.
El Salvador arrests prominent human rights lawyer
Human rights groups have called for the immediate release of Ruth López, whose whereabouts are unknown since her arrest by police in El Salvador late Sunday.
Standing by in San Antonio: the luxury plane from Qatar intended to replace Air Force One
The luxury jet needs a security overhaul. That usually takes a few years, meaning it might not be ready until Trump is out of office. Shortcuts could create national security risks.
For the first time, the U.S. is absent from WHO’s annual assembly. What’s the impact?
In the wake of President Trump's decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization, the agency is holding its first major meeting. How will that affect WHO — and the United States?
Federal judge blocks Trump’s takeover of U.S. Institute of Peace
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled the USIP president and board members were unlawfully fired by President Trump and should be reinstated.
