Issues
Shopping for pricy ACA health plans? Some cheaper options come with trade-offs
Without a fix from Congress, costs for many people who buy health care on the Affordable Care Act marketplace have gone up. Here's what's to know about cheaper choices — and pitfalls to be aware of.
New Orleans musicians share their favorite Christmas songs, from bounce to blues
Rosemary Westwood from member station WWNO asked a few of New Orlean's favorite musicians about the songs they like to listen to around Christmas.
Pope Leo summons cardinals for a key assembly to help him govern Catholic Church
Pope Leo XIV has summoned the world's cardinals for two days of meetings to help him govern the church, in the clearest sign yet that the new year will signal the unofficial start of his pontificate.
Islamic school’s effort to expand draws anti-Muslim backlash
The Islamic Academy of Alabama is a K-12 school that has been in Homewood since 1996. They applied to rezone an office park space in Hoover to expand. The issue has sparked anti-Islamic rhetoric, notably from U.S. Tommy Tuberville.
What to watch for in this weekend’s College Football Playoff first round
An unpredictable and exciting college football season is coming to a close. This weekend's first-round slate is set up for two tight games and two blowouts — but in the playoffs, anything goes.
A family reunion to commemorate the Montgomery Bus Boycott
This month marked the 70th anniversary of the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott. The demonstration was catalyzed when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus. The boycott lasted over a year and is considered a spark of the Civil Rights Movement.
Austrian nuns await word from the Vatican on whether they can stay in their convent
The three octogenarian nuns broke out of a nursing home to go back to live in their convent, sparking a dispute with their church superior. Both sides have appealed to the Vatican for a resolution.
Inflation cools slightly in November as worries about affordability grip Americans
The cost of living in November was up 2.7% from a year ago, according to a report Thursday from the Labor Department. That's a smaller annual increase than for the 12 months ending in September.
New York has a new Archbishop. His background looks a lot like Pope Leo’s
Like Pope Leo, Bishop Ronald Hicks is an Illinois native with deep experience in Latin America.
20 years later, Waveland’s letters to Santa tell stories of recovery from Hurricane Katrina
More than a thousand letters were written and answered after the hurricane. They’re now housed in an exhibit at the Ground Zero Hurricane Katrina Museum.
Former Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron ends campaign for Alabama lieutenant governor
McCarron, who led the University of Alabama to back-to-back championships and played for the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL, announced in October that he was running in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor.
After outcry over prices, FIFA to sell $60 tickets for the World Cup — with a catch
FIFA said it would sell $60 tickets to the World Cup, including for the final — but only for supporters of qualified teams. And the actual number of available tickets is limited.
New report finds the Arctic continues to warm faster than the planet as a whole
This year's Arctic Report Card from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration finds that the northernmost part of the Earth is warming faster than the global average, leading to melting glaciers, shifting fish populations, and rivers running orange.
The U.S. added just 64,000 jobs in November — a sign the labor market is slowing
Hiring cooled this fall, according to delayed figures released by the Labor Department Tuesday. Employers added 64,000 jobs in November as the unemployment rate rose to 4.6%.
The Warner Bros. Curse
Warner Bros. has a history of disastrous mergers and acquisitions. Can they avoid another bad sequel as Netflix and Paramount battle to buy it?
Chain restaurants are hit by tariffs and inflation. How do they control costs?
Inflation, rising food prices and the high cost of living has been top of mind for consumers all year. But then Olive Garden offers an unlimited pasta meal or a chain steakhouse restaurant sells a steak dinner with two sides for less than 30 bucks. So, how are chains are able to keep prices as low as they do in this economy?
Teachers are using software to see if students used AI. What happens when it’s wrong?
School districts from Utah to Ohio to Alabama are spending thousands of dollars on these tools, despite research showing the technology is far from reliable.
An Alabama woman is among two who died in the Brown campus shooting
Mountain Brook-native Ella Cook's life was cut short Saturday when a gunman opened fire inside a classroom in the engineering building.
Professors, students appeal ruling on Alabama law banning DEI initiatives at public universities
The Alabama measure, which took effect in October 2024, is part of a wave of proposals from Republican lawmakers across the country taking aim at DEI programs on college campuses.
With federal relief on the horizon, Black farmers worry it won’t come soon enough
At the National Black Growers Council meeting in New Orleans, Black farmers respond to the $12 billion in tariff relief announced by the Trump administration and outline challenges farms are facing.
Church Nativity scenes add zip ties and gas masks to protest immigration raids
Supporters of the displays say the Bible is on their side, but critics call the scenes sacrilegious and politically divisive, accusing the churches of abusing sacred imagery.
Fired Michigan football coach charged with home invasion and stalking
Fired University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore "barged his way" into the apartment of a woman with whom he had been having an affair after she reported the relationship to the school and he lost his job, prosecutors said.
Democratic former Sen. Doug Jones launches campaign for Alabama governor
He said the state has urgent economic, health care and educational issues that are not being addressed by those in public office.
Head Start centers told to avoid ‘disability,’ ‘women’ and more in funding requests
New court documents reveal a list of nearly 200 words or phrases the Trump administration told Head Start programs it does not want to see in their funding requests.
Alabama commission approves licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries as program eyes 2026 start
Commission Chairman Rex Vaughn estimated the products will be available in the spring of 2026. The state’s medical marijuana program has been delayed by false starts and litigation over who should hold the licenses to sell and grow cannabis.
Was Michael Jordan NBA’s GOAT? Phil Jackson reflects on the ‘Masters of the Game’
Legendary NBA head coach Phil Jackson and sports writer Sam Smith talk about the stars who helped define the sport, including Jordan, Kobe, Shaq and "bad boy" Dennis Rodman.
Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore jailed, hours after his firing
Moore was jailed on Wednesday, according to court records, hours after he was fired for what the university said was an "inappropriate relationship with a staff member."
Philip Rivers’ return to the NFL, by the numbers
Philip Rivers is coming out of retirement at age 44 for a shot at playing for the Indianapolis Colts, who are struggling to make the playoffs. He last played in the NFL in 2021.
Egypt and Iran object to playing in a Seattle ‘Pride’ match in next year’s World Cup
Local organizers had planned to include the June 26 game with Seattle's Pride celebrations. Then, FIFA announced the match would include Egypt and Iran, two countries where gay rights are nil.
Supreme Court struggles over whether Alabama can execute man found to be intellectually disabled
There was no clear outcome apparent after the justices heard two hours of arguments in an appeal from Alabama, which wants to put to death a man who lower federal courts found is intellectually disabled.
What to know about death cap mushrooms, blamed for poisonings in California
Death cap mushrooms look harmless, but are responsible for the majority of the world's mushroom-related deaths. California officials say 21 people have been sickened in recent weeks, one fatally.
A divided Fed is expected to cut rates for a 3rd straight time
The Fed is expected to lower its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point — but with inflation stubbornly high and mixed signals from the job market, it could be a split decision.
