WBHM Politics: A Look Back at 2017
What a year! It seemed Alabama politics was on overdrive on 2017. We got a new governor after the previous one was forced to resign in the fallout of an alleged affair. Birmingham voters picked a new mayor, representing a generational change in the Magic City. And of course Alabama voters narrowly selected a Democrat to represent them in the U.S. Senate, the first time that’s happened in 25 years.
It’s a lot to talk about as we look back on 2017. Offering their perspectives are WBHM’s local government reporter Sherrel Wheeler Stewart, Birmingham Times executive editor Barnett Wright and Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Listen here or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, Soundcloud, or NPR One.
Scorching Saturdays: The rising heat threat inside football stadiums
Excessive heat and more frequent medical incidents in Southern college football stadiums could be a warning sign for universities across the country.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor to join our award-winning team covering important regional stories across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
Judge orders new Alabama Senate map after ruling found racial gerrymandering
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections.
Construction on Meta’s largest data center brings 600% crash spike, chaos to rural Louisiana
An investigation from the Gulf States Newsroom found that trucks contracted to work at the Meta facility are causing delays and dangerous roads in Holly Ridge.
Bessemer City Council approves rezoning for a massive data center, dividing a community
After the Bessemer City Council voted 5-2 to rezone nearly 700 acres of agricultural land for the “hyperscale” server farm, a dissenting council member said city officials who signed non-disclosure agreements weren’t being transparent with citizens.
Alabama Public Television meeting draws protesters in Birmingham over discussion of disaffiliating from PBS
Some members of the Alabama Educational Television Commission, which oversees APT, said disaffiliation is needed because the network has to cut costs after the Trump administration eliminated all funding for public media this summer.
