Tanya Ott
Tanya Ott is a part-time editor at WBHM and instructor for the University of Alabama's journalism department. She hosts a podcast on business strategy and emerging technologies and trains public radio newsrooms around the country. Over her 30+ year career, she has reported for Marketplace, NPR and other networks and worked at local stations in Florida, Colorado, Georgia and Alabama, including as WBHM's news director from 2002-2013.
Considering Faith: The Outsiders Perspective
In Alabama, talk about religion almost always revolves around Christianity. But the Birmingham-metro area is becoming increasingly religiously diverse. For the latest installment in our weeklong series, Considering Faith, we talk to some members of minority-faiths.
Considering Faith: Judge Roy Moore Update
When you think about religion in public life, it's hard not to think about Roy Moore and his refusal to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the federal courthouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The former Alabama Chief Justice's fight captivated international audiences. We've got a look back at that controversy and an update on what's Roy Moore is doing these days.
Considering Faith: Marie Sutton’s Christmas
Sometimes, it's difficult to publicly express your faith. Just ask commentator Marie Sutton.
On The Line: Considering Faith
This time of year prompts many people to reflect on the role of spirituality in their lives. From the commercialization of religious holidays to separation of church and state, talk about religion can elicit strong responses. Tonight at 6:30 on WBHM we discuss all this and more during On The Line: Considering Faith.
Mayor Langford Arrested
Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford is free on bond after being arrested on a 101 count federal indictment alleging conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns. He pleaded not guilty to what U.S. Attorney Alice Martin says was a "classic pay to play scheme". WBHM's Tanya Ott has more.
Birmingham Economic Summit
Unemployment is up, housing values are down, and the economy likely may be in recession. It's quite a backdrop for the Birmingham Economic Summit - a three-day event beginning Tuesday. Birmingham City Councilman Steven Hoyt and summit planner Michael Bell sat down with WBHM's Tanya Ott to talk about the challenges facing the local economy.
Should Journalists Vote?
If you're like two million other Alabamians, you tolerated long lines to vote on Tuesday. One man who wasn't in the trenches with you is Birmingham News columnist John Archibald. Since his column this week explaining why he thinks it's a conflict of interest for him to vote, Archibald has received hundreds of critical emails and phone calls. He shared some with WBHM's Tanya Ott.
Jefferson County Bankruptcy Update
Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy became part of federal law in 1934, during the Great Depression, when towns and cities nationwide faced massive drops in tax revenues. Since then, there've been less than 500 municipal filings. But that number may tick up during the current economic crisis. Vallejo, California, has already filed for bankruptcy protection and Jefferson County, Alabama, is on the brink of filing the largest municipal bankruptcy in U-S history. WBHM's Tanya Ott has an update.
Congressional District 3
Alabama congressmen don't normally have to spend much money on television advertising when they're running against an underdog, but that's not the case this year in the 3rd Congressional district. Republican incumbent Mike Rogers is waging an aggressive campaign against democratic challenger Joshua Segall and, as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports, the negative campaigning may continue right up until election day.
Crossing the Divide – A Political Commentary
This presidential election, some people will vote party line. Some will, no doubt, vote race lines. And then there's Birmingham resident Marie Sutton, who feels herself pulled between two very strong influences in her life.
HealthSouth CEO Advises on Tough Economy
There's been a lot of bad economic news lately, with turmoil in the banking and housing sectors and wild fluctuations on Wall Street. HealthSouth President and CEO Jay Grinney says his company's "near death experience" holds lessons for other businesses in the current economy.
Alabama Economy: Big Family
The current financial crisis is fueling chronic stress and limiting some people's ability to think clearly and control their emotions. But for one Trussville family with 16 kids, a little humor help keeps things in perspective.
Alabama Economy: Homeless
A sputtering economy, skyrocketing food and gas prices and the mortgage mess are forcing more Alabama families from their homes. More than 800 houses in Alabama are in some state of foreclosure. That's a big jump from last year. Most displaced homeowners find somewhere else to live, but some end up homeless. And as Les Lovoy reports, Birmingham's homeless shelters are struggling to keep up with demand.
On The Line: The Alabama Economy
The economy again dominates news headlines this week. Nationally, Congress will vote on a massive bailout plan, and locally the Jefferson County Commission grapples with missing another bond payment deadline and filing for possible bankruptcy. The strain trickles down to a very personal level with high gas and food prices hitting everyone in the wallet and the mortgage meltdown leaving some people homeless. Tonight at 6:30 on WBHM we discuss all this and more during On The Line: The Alabama Economy.
Eating Alabama
Food experts across the country are sounding a warning knell that US food systems are dangerously out of whack. They say the current system has undermined local food economies, making it harder for many Americans to get fresh foods. But some local residents are bucking that trend, as Haden Holmes Brown reports.
Wilcox County’s Pain at the Pump
We're all feeling the pinch from gas hovering around $4 a gallon these days, but in Alabama's poorest counties the situation is getting dire. The latest nationwide Pain at the Pump Index' finds that just south of Selma, in Wilcox County, residents are spending nearly 16% of their monthly income on fuel. That's the highest percent in the country. We sent WBHM's Tanya Ott down to find out why.
Larry Langford Profile
Birmingham mayor Larry Langford is a man on fire and under fire. In his first eight months in office, Langford has proposed nearly $1 billion in new projects including a bid for the 2020 Olympics. But his ability to get some of the projects done is being tested by federal investigations into alleged misdeeds and the mayor's own management style. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
Career Colleges
Twenty-five years ago, if someone wanted to continue their education after high school, but weren't inclined to attend a conventional college, they might enroll in a trade school. They'd learn shorthand, typing skills, or how to repair car engines and heating and air conditioners. Critics sometimes viewed trade schools as shady storefront 'diploma mills' handing out meaningless certificates along with an inferior education. But, over time, trade schools have morphed into career colleges, and as Les Lovoy reports they've gained a measure of respect .
Strong Girls
Boot camp might work for some juvenile delinquents, but most troubled girls need a lot less shouting and a lot more talking. One alternative is Strong Girls, Alabama's only arts program aimed at female juvenile offenders. Gigi Douban reports.
Air Quality: Portland
This week we've been talking about Birmingham's air quality: why it's bad on some days and the effect of particle pollutants on your health. We've looked at possible solutions, including 'smart traffic lights' and vehicle emissions testing. Today, we turn our focus to Portland, Oregon, which might seem like a strange choice. But a decade ago that city faced air quality problems like Birmingham's. Reporter Barbara Bernstein explains how Portland turned things around and what new challenges it faces.
Air Quality: On The Line
Birmingham's air quality has improved significantly over the last century. But you wouldn't know it. The area still has problems with smog and other particulate matter, exceeding federal standards. On the next On The Line, Monday June 23 at 6:30 p.m., our guests take your comments and questions about Air Pollution and how to clean up Birmingham.
Air Quality: Traffic
When people and businesses think about moving to a city they consider all kinds of things, including air quality and traffic. The two are linked, afterall. More time spent idling at traffic lights means more CO2 emissions. More air pollution. WBHM's Tanya Ott takes us on a road trip.
Dan Carsen on Larry Langford
Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford's recent public expressions of his faith have met with all sorts of reactions, including these thoughts from commentator Dan Carsen...
Langford and Religion
The phrase 'separation of church and state' can be tracked back to a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists in 1802. He referred to the First Amendment of the Constitution creating a 'wall of separation' between church and state. But in the South, that wall has always been a wobbly one, with local governments and school districts often ignoring court rulings on religion. In his first six months in office, Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford has blurred the line between church and state, and as Tanya Ott reports, his potent mix of politics and religion may result in another lawsuit.
Langford Speaks
Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford is under a cloud of suspicion lately. Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil complaint against him. The S-E-C alleges that Langford accepted money from an investment banker who then got millions of dollars in contracts from the Jefferson County Commission, while Langford was a commissioner. Speculation abounds about the possibility of criminal charges. Mayor Langford sat down the WBHM's Tanya Ott to talk about the allegations and his response.
World’s Top Auctioneer
Drive out to Moody, Alabama and you can catch the 'World's Top Auctioneer' in action. That's not just hyperbole. Alabama's Bryan Knox was declared the best auctioneer in the world about a year ago. He's very good! But, as Gigi Douban reports Knox leads a double life. When he's not moving property, he's in the business of saving souls.
SEC Charges Mayor Langford
This afternoon, the U-S Securities and Exchange Commission charged Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford and two of his friends in a scheme involving county municipal bonds. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
High School Drop Out Rates
A new report says Alabama's high school dropout rate is the number one threat to the state's long-term economic growth. Although the dropout rate has remained relatively constant over the past quarter century, a high school diploma is becoming more important, especially in the metro Birmingham area, where the service sector has replaced manufacturing. And as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports, the lack of a high school degree costs individuals and the state.
Science of Stuttering
More than three million Americans stutter. Researchers don't know what causes stuttering. Theories have ranged from nature to nurture. Whatever the cause, it's a disability that holds its victims in a prison of self-doubt, fear and humiliation. Les Lovoy recalls a personal journey of how he beat stuttering.
Teen Brains
If you've ever gone eye-to-eye with a teenager, trying to get them to see the consequences of their actions you may have been frustrated in your efforts. Are teenagers intentionally being reckless? Do they not even try to understand "this" causes "that?" Scientific research suggests that a young brain may not allow a teenager to fully appreciate the connection between actions and consequences. Les Lovoy reports how new research on teen brains is affecting the juvenile justice system.
College Fight Songs
It's March Madness and, as always, there were a couple of "givens" in the lead-up to this weekend's Final Four. There have been blowouts and upsets. And, if you if you've watched enough games, you've probably been humming fight songs non-stop. But it's not all just team spirit and nostalgia. There are a lot of people making money off university and college fight songs, as WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
On The Line: Funding Arts
When the Jefferson County Commission eliminated its $4.2 million a year allocation for arts and cultural organizations it sent local arts groups scrambling to replace the funding. On the next On The Line (March 31), County Commissioner Sheila Smoot joins the leaders of local arts organizations to talk about Funding the Arts.
