Clinton, Rubio Among Presidential Hopefuls Pushing Through Birmingham

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/02/IMG_0748-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_0748-scaled.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:14:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"IMG_0748-336x252.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_0748-771x578.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_0748-140x140.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_0748-768x576.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_0748-1536x1152.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_0748-2048x1536.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_0748-80x80.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_0748-600x338.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_0748-600x600.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_0748-415x311.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_0748-353x265.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_0748-600x400.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_0748-600x600.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_0748-125x125.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_0748.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:1303350;s:14:"optimized_size";i:617667;s:7:"percent";d:52.609999999999999;}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_0748.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:1063784;s:14:"optimized_size";i:451352;s:7:"percent";d:57.57;}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/2016/02/IMG_0748-336x252.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:23436;s:14:"optimized_size";i:17244;s:7:"percent";d:26.420000000000002;}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:56:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/02/IMG_0748-771x578.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:92228;s:14:"optimized_size";i:58343;s:7:"percent";d:36.740000000000002;}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_0748-451x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:38129;s:14:"optimized_size";i:27842;s:7:"percent";d:26.98;}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_0748-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:26773;s:14:"optimized_size";i:19673;s:7:"percent";d:26.52;}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_0748-415x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:33152;s:14:"optimized_size";i:24207;s:7:"percent";d:26.98;}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_0748-353x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:25848;s:14:"optimized_size";i:19006;s:7:"percent";d:26.469999999999999;}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
        )

)
1647489076 
1456720854

It was a politics-heavy weekend in the state as presidential candidates swept through in the days leading up to Super Tuesday. The Clintons, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, and Donald Trump all held events throughout Alabama.

Democratic Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton told a packed gym at Miles College people deserve a living wage, and praised Birmingham Mayor William Bell for his recent efforts.

“So I want to thank the mayor for doing what he tried to do to raise the minimum wage in Birmingham,” Clinton said.

Last week, the state blocked Birmingham’s wage increase. Clinton challenged Alabama’s governor and lawmakers to live on the minimum wage as an experiment. A little later that day, Senator Marco Rubio was at Samford University tearing Clinton apart.

“Hillary Clinton is unqualified,” Rubio said to applause.

Rubio also attacked his Republican opponent, Donald Trump, saying his proposals are a con job.

“I believe that there are Americans today that are being fooled by this guy,” he said. “I really do.”

Samford pharmacy student Patrick Cashman was impressed with Rubio. He says for conservative millenials like himself, Rubio is the obvious choice. Certainly not Ted Cruz, he said, “and God forbid that Donald Trump become the GOP candidate. I don’t know if we’d go into a world war or the apocalypse would happen.”

Not all of his friends agree, but he’s not giving up on Rubio. Neither is Lizette Zuniga, of Birmingham. She likes Rubio’s intelligence and his plans for a strong national defense. But will Alabamians nominate him?

“I don’t know,” Zuniga said. “I mean there’s so many Trump fans around but I would like to think we could push it more towards Rubio.”

At a rally on Sunday near Huntsville, Donald Trump picked up an endorsement from Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions.

 

 

The March Madness men’s bracket is out, and the SEC dominates with a record 14 teams

In an all-time record, 14 of the tournament's 68 teams all come from one conference — the SEC. The women's bracket will be unveiled at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Games tip off this coming week.

Pope Francis seen praying in first photo since his hospitalization a month ago

In the image published online by the Holy See Press Office, the pontiff was seated in a wheelchair and praying in the private chapel of Rome's Gemelli Hospital.

3 dead in Alabama after tornadoes pummel the South

The deaths came in Dallas and Talladega counties.

Hundreds of alleged gang members deported from U.S. despite court order

It was not immediately clear if the deportations happened before or after a federal judge in D.C. on Saturday issued an emergency order that told the administration to stop using wartime powers to deport anyone, and turn around any planes already in the air.

The missing children of Syria: Hidden in orphanages under Assad, where are they now?

Assad's forces detained mothers and children and sent many of the youth to orphanages. Syrians whose children vanished during the war are now seeking information on their fate. NPR investigates.

51 dead and more than 100 injured in nightclub fire in North Macedonia

A massive nightclub fire killed 51 people early Sunday in North Macedonia 's eastern town of Kocani, and injured more than 100. The blaze broke out during a concert by a local pop group.

More 2016 Election Coverage