Alabama Obstetrician Turned Lawmaker Withdraws Controversial Bill
Republican State Senator Larry Stutts got into some hot water this week after an unsettling connection between his past and a bill he proposed came to light. Stutts said Tuesday that he will no longer push legislation to repeal “Rose’s Law.” The 1999 law requires a minimum postpartum hospital stay— unless the woman gives written consent — and certain bloodwork before a woman is discharged from the hospital.
Unbeknownst to Stutts’s cosponsors of the bill, “Rose’s Law” is named for Stutts’ patient Rose Church, who died of a heart attack 10 days after giving birth in 1998. Her widower lobbied for the new care requirements in 1999.
Kyle Whitmire of al.com and the Alabama Media Group joins WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley to discuss what happened after this connection was revealed earlier this week.
Giant robots battle it out in Detroit’s Robowar
Fighting robots is a cultural fantasy going back at least to Richard Matheson's 1956 story "Steel." One Detroit impresario is now bringing the idea to the stage — and real audiences.
Bill would move Alabama to closed primaries
Right now, any Alabama voter can participate in a primary election. Lawmakers in Montgomery took up a bill this week that would change that system.
Countries are negotiating rules to mine the deep sea. The U.S. is pushing ahead alone
With growing interest in mining critical metals from the seafloor, countries are now negotiating international rules. The Trump administration is forging ahead on its own, speeding up environmental review for mining the fragile ecosystem.
4 confirmed dead after U.S. military aircraft goes down in Iraq
The U.S. Central Command confirmed that at least four of six crew members on the KC-135 aircraft were dead, after the refueling plane went down in western Iraq on Thursday.
It’s Chalamet vs. ballet in this week’s news quiz. Are your answers en pointe?
Meanwhile, if you've been paying attention to medicine, basketball and the British Parliament, you'll get at least three questions right this week.
Bucking stigma, more places turn to factory-built for affordable housing
Mobile homes have long been zoned out of cities and suburbs. But with updated designs and a housing shortage, they're increasingly being welcomed as more-affordable starter homes.
