Birmingham Becomes First City in Alabama to Ban the Box

| February 4, 2016 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/02/IMG_0597-scaled.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:6:{s:5:"width";i:2560;s:6:"height";i:1920;s:4:"file";s:27:"2016/02/IMG_0597-scaled.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:14:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_0597-336x252.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_0597-771x578.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:578;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_0597-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_0597-768x576.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:576;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"IMG_0597-1536x1152.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:1152;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"2048x2048";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"IMG_0597-2048x1536.jpg";s:5:"width";i:2048;s:6:"height";i:1536;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:18:"IMG_0597-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_0597-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_0597-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_0597-415x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:415;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:"IMG_0597-353x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:353;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_0597-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_0597-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_0597-125x125.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:{}}s:14:"original_image";s:12:"IMG_0597.jpg";}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Gigi Douban
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

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

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:1918437;s:14:"optimized_size";i:839910;s:7:"percent";d:56.219999999999999;}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/2016/02/IMG_0597.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:1665610;s:14:"optimized_size";i:655057;s:7:"percent";d:60.670000000000002;}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:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/02/IMG_0597-771x578.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:112861;s:14:"optimized_size";i:81812;s:7:"percent";d:27.510000000000002;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/02/IMG_0597-451x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:44940;s:14:"optimized_size";i:32867;s:7:"percent";d:26.859999999999999;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/02/IMG_0597-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:27307;s:14:"optimized_size";i:20262;s:7:"percent";d:25.800000000000001;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/02/IMG_0597-415x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:38193;s:14:"optimized_size";i:28114;s:7:"percent";d:26.390000000000001;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/02/IMG_0597-353x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:29526;s:14:"optimized_size";i:21798;s:7:"percent";d:26.170000000000002;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

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

)
1673570216 
1454602242

The mayor of Birmingham announced today new hiring practices aimed at curbing discrimination against those with past criminal convictions. Birmingham now joins the ranks of other states and cities banning the box.

Mayor William Bell said too often, those with past criminal convictions are automatically rejected by employers.

“And it’s all because of that box that they have to check off whether or not they’re a convicted felon and we don’t get a chance to really see what they have to offer,” Bell says.

The city would still examine an applicant’s criminal history, just later in the hiring process.  For now, the move only affects city jobs, but the mayor says he hopes private employers will follow suit. The Obama administration says the Ban the Box initiative can help boost employment and cut recidivism. The mayor was joined by US Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama Joyce White Vance and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Chris Lu.

 

 

Elon Musk’s X faces bans and investigations over nonconsensual bikini images

After the social media app's AI chatbot started generating sexualized images of women and children, two countries have blocked it and several more have launched investigations.

Trump administration tells states to end ‘orphan tax’ on foster kids

There's a growing move to end what some call "the orphan tax" and stop states from taking benefit checks from children and youth in foster care.

Flu shot recommendation for kids dropped just as the illness rages

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dropped its advice that kids get an annual flu shot at a time when flu cases and hospitalizations are surging.

Trump calls for a 10% cap on credit card interest rates

With credit card interest rates near modern highs, President Trump says he wants to cap the rates for one year.

Playing Grateful Dead songs with Bob Weir: Don Was remembers

The Grammy winner and Blue Note label head recalls the unique challenges and rewards he faced when the late Bob Weir recruited him for an intimate new project in 2018.

A judge orders HHS to restore children’s health funding as a lawsuit continues

The judge ordered the restoration of nearly $12 million in funding to the American Academy of Pediatrics, including money for rural health care and the identification of disabilities in children.

More Front Page Coverage