Birmingham Mayor Undecided On When To Reopen City Economy
The city of Birmingham is working closely with Alabama health officials to determine when the city’s economy will reopen. At a press conference Tuesday, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin offered updates on the city’s fight against the coronavirus. Woodfin said it’s important for residents to continue following the stay-at-home order as local and state officials take the next steps to address the economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Woodfin was joined by Wesley Willeford, medical director of disease control with the Jefferson County Department of Health. Willeford said the number of new coronavirus cases is decreasing each day. He said that’s due to social distancing efforts and the work of the community, as residents limit interaction with each other.
“The best tool at our disposal is to starve the virus of an opportunity to cause infection,” Willeford says.
Woodfin touted the efforts of health care workers battling the coronavirus on the front lines. He also thanked grocery store employees, police officers, fire and rescue teams and public works employees.
The mayor also mentioned a dark side during the crisis. Woodfin said since the shelter-in-place ordinance took effect, the YWCA has seen a 50 percent increase in domestic violence calls.
“The shelter-in-place order does not mean you stay in your home and endure domestic abuse,” Woodfin said.
He urged anyone dealing with domestic violence to contact the YWCA at 205-322-HURT.
Woodfin said he will meet with state and local health officials this week to determine whether the city’s “shelter-in-place” order will be extended. The current order expires on April 30, the same day Alabama’s stay-at-home order is set to end.
Teens are having disturbing interactions with chatbots. Here’s how to lower the risks
Teen use of AI chat bots is growing, and psychologists worry it's affecting their social development and mental health. Here's what parents should know to help kids use the technology safely.
The Best Tiny Desk Concerts of 2025
Which Tiny Desk made an audio engineer question everything? Which one made a producer want to cry? Touch grass? Look back on the year in Tiny Desk, with the people who make them.
Why do so many people ring in the new year on Jan. 1?
Much of the world follows the Gregorian calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, who put the finishing touches on a Roman system that integrated ideas from other cultures.
A ‘very aesthetic person,’ President Trump says being a builder is his second job
President Trump was a builder before he took office, but he has continued it as a hobby in the White House.
Electric vehicles had a bumpy road in 2025 — and one pleasant surprise
A suite of pro-EV federal policies have been reversed. Well-known vehicles have been discontinued. Sales plummeted. But interest is holding steady.
Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted U.S. political parties, memo says
The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of Jan. 6, 2021 told investigators someone needed to "speak up" for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen, prosecutors said Sunday.
