Government
Despite BP Settlement, Alabama’s General Fund is Still Ailing
Alabama will receive 2.3 billion dollars over 18 years through a settlement with BP over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. One billion dollars of that settlement is to cover economic […]
On the Road with John Archibald
Summer is a time when people take off, hit the road, and step away from their usual routines. For the month of July, Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald is doing just that. He’s traveling Alabama and going to a new place each day. Instead of his usual fare of politics, corruption, and hypocrisy, he’s writing about the people and characters he meets – people whose names aren’t usually in print.
“Confederates in the Attic” Author On The Confederate Flag Debate
The South has been grappling with what to do about Confederate symbols since a gunman shot 9 people at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina, last month. Tony Horwitz, a bestselling author and journalist, spoke with WBHM's Will Dahlberg about Confederate imagery, memorabilia and monuments, and whether the United States should collectively push these pieces of history aside.
Gulf States Reach $18.7B Settlement With BP Over Oil Spill
Officials in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana have announced an $18.7 billion settlement with BP that resolves years of litigation over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
If Everybody Can Get Married, Then Nobody Can Get Married?
The United State Supreme Court rules that gay and lesbian couples have a fundamental right to marry, but several counties in Alabama are not complying. Some probate judges are getting […]
Birmingham Officials Move To Relocate Confederate Monument
A Confederate monument that’s stood in Birmingham’s Linn Park for 110 years may be coming down. The Birmingham Park and Recreation Board voted unanimously today to have city attorneys see if there’s any impediment to moving the monument.
Alabama Supreme Court Causes Marriage License Confusion
In an order released Monday, the Alabama Supreme Court is inviting parties to submit briefs "addressing the effects of the Supreme Court's decision" in Obergefell v. Hodges. John Carroll, former U.S. Magistrate Judge and Samford law professor, says the order gives probate judges some temporary power. "It meant that the probate judges don't have to issue the licenses [to same-sex couples] ," he says, "but they can if they want to."
Alabama Reacts to Gay Marriage Decision
Gay marriage is now legal in Alabama. In a 5 to 4 decision the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday states can’t stop same-sex couples from marrying and must recognize those unions across the country. Ashley Cleek has an overview of how the decision is playing out in Alabama.
Food Stamp Fraud Investigation Means Fewer Places to Find Groceries
A federal investigation into food stamp fraud called operation T-Bone shuttered 11 stores across Jefferson County in June. The scam allegedly involved store operators buying food stamp debit cards from local customers and then using those cards to stock their own shelves with goods from wholesalers. The investigation turned up the heat on the alleged scam, but it also left many communities in Birmingham without anywhere to buy even the most basic groceries.
Ruling Means 130,000 Alabamians Keep Insurance Subsidies
The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Care Act means that 130,000 Alabamians will keep subsidies to buy insurance through exchanges.
Flags and Rebels — What to do with Confederate Symbols
If you walk around the Alabama statehouse now, you will no longer see the Confederate battle flag on the grounds. That flag along with three other Confederate flags were removed from a memorial Wednesday on the orders of Governor Robert Bentley. Last week's shooting at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina, sparked a conversation about symbols of the Confederacy. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald talks about the flag and the mascot of Vestavia Hills High School's mascot, the rebel.
Kyle Whitmire: Alabama Can Either Live In The Past or Future
Governor Bentley removes the Confederate flag from the Alabama Capitol Grounds; Google makes a $600 million dollar investment in Alabama; and the looming special legislative session session will aim to […]
U.S Attorney General Visits Birmingham
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch spent Wednesday in Birmingham to meet with local law enforcement officers and city leaders about improving cooperation between police and their communities. She also addressed issues raised by last week’s shooting at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Improving Birmingham’s Mass Transit
Mass transit is a point of frustration for many Birmingham boosters, who see the bus system as woefully under developed and underfunded. But with the World Games coming to Birmingham in 2021 and the city going after other tourism events, the public transit system gains new importance. We talk about it in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Birmingham Reacts to the Attack at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church
Local religious leaders are reacting to the Wednesday shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopalian Church in Charleston, S.C. that killed nine people. Reverend Arthur Price is the pastor of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. He told WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley how members of his congregation were responding.
Bryan Stevenson on the Possibility of Equality
Bryan Stevenson is the founder of the Montgomery-based Equal Justice Initiative. That group works on behalf of indigent defendants and people who haven’t received fair trials. They were instrumental in This week, the weekly newspaper WELD talked with Stevenson about his bestselling memoir and his social justice work. WELD editor Nick Patterson tells WBHM’s Rachel Lindley more about their conversation and Stevenson's hopes for the justice system.
Anniston Police Officers Accused of Belonging to Hate Group
Two Anniston police officers were placed on administrative leave Wednesday pending an investigation by the city into their participation in what a Montgomery-based civil rights group describes as a hate group.
Waiting for a Plan for Alabama’s Budget, and Birmingham – Destination City or Not?
Kyle Whitmire says he was certain that a small group of public officials, business leaders, and bureaucrats was busy working and drafting up a solution to the General Fund deficit. But when the session ended, no group was revealed. The Special Session later this summer should offer an ability to work out a deal, since the legislative rules allow leadership to limit the scope of what can be considered, focused on solving the budget crisis. Kyle and Scott also discuss another topic of debate – there’s a debate brewing within the pages, printed and digital, about whether or not Birmingham is a “destination city,” and what that may or may not really mean.
Alabama Has Highest Number of Death Row Inmates Per Capita
Alabama has more inmates on death row per capita than any other state. Anthony Ray Hinton was on death row in Alabama for 30 years, sentenced to death in 1985 for murder. Hinton maintained he was not guilty, and in April he was released after reexamined ballistic evidence raised troubling questions about his conviction. Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD, discusses the state of the death penalty in Alabama.
Governor Bentley Vetoes Budget, Pledges to Bring Legislators Back for Special Session
Alabama’s 2015 Legislative session ended last night with Governor Robert Bentley vetoing an austere General Fund Budget that cut $200 million from state agencies. That means lawmakers will be back later this summer for a special session.
UAB Program Expands Access to Heroin Overdose Drug
Police and public health leaders in Alabama are trying to deal with a spike in heroin use in recent years. Naloxone -- or narcan -- is a drug that, when administered correctly, can reverse the effects of a heroin overdose. A bill passed the Alabama Legislature this week that would allow first responders to give narcan to someone dying from an overdose. But some don't think the bill goes far enough. UAB researchers are working on a crowd-funded study that puts narcan directly in the hands of users' and family and friends.
A Look At What Passed And Failed In The 2015 Session
Alabama's 2015 legislative session ended with Governor Robert Bentley vetoing the general fund budget and pledging to bring lawmakers back into special session. Here's a look at what passed and failed this session.
Churches Maintain Stance Against Gay Marriage Despite Cultural Shifts
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule this summer on a case that could legalize same-sex marriage and even many opponents of gay marriage don’t expect the court to rule in their favor. Public support of same-sex marriage has swung dramatically in recent years with a majority of Americans now favoring it. At least 545 gay couples married in Alabama earlier this year during the three weeks it was legal. But many churches in the state still embrace a traditional view of marriage and find themselves increasingly within a culture that doesn’t see things their way.
More Robust FEMA APP Released Just In Time for Hurricane Season
The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is launching a new feature to its app that is a one-stop-shop of sorts that will help people prepare for, respond to and recover from hurricanes.
Bentley Calls Tutwiler Settlement ‘Positive Step’ For State
Governor Robert Bentley is praising a settlement between the state and the U.S. Justice Department over conditions at Alabama's only prison for women. Bentley says the agreement announced Thursday is a "positive step forward" for the corrections agency.
Special Session Likely For Alabama Legislature
With the clock winding down on the 2015 legislative session, Alabama legislators have still not solved the state’s largest problem: a general fund budget shortfall of more than $250 million. While some new revenue measures passed this week, it’s not nearly enough to fill the gap.
Is Birmingham Headed For A Parking Crisis?
There's an attitude in Birmingham that you don't have to pay parking tickets. Is the current system of street side parking sustainable or is Birmingham headed for a parking crisis? For more we talk Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD.
UAB Needs Ray Watts and Football
UAB President Ray Watts should announce by Monday whether the university will revive its football, bowling and rifle teams after shutting them down in December. Football backers have aimed a lot of anger at Watts with some calling for him to go. A few voices have said this was the correct, albeit painful move for an institution of higher learning. But one prominent alumnus says UAB needs both Watts and football. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald talks about that and case of business incentives he says shows bad citizenship on the part of an Alabama bank.
Birmingham’s Broken Parking Meters
Depending on where you are in Birmingham, you could pay around two dollars to park for two hours on a city street. Or – you may not pay at all. Birmingham has more than 5,000 parking meters. With more restaurants, businesses and residents returning to the city center once again, those steel gray meters with an appetite for quarters are stirring concerns among those who live and work downtown.
Mixed feelings for landfill run deep in Tennessee
Residents protest the dump that generates millions in revenue for poor rural area.
Are Cigarette Taxes A Good Idea For Alabama?
The Alabama Legislature is running out of days this session. Today's the last day that any new revenue raising measure can be introduced and still stand a chance of passing during regular session. And there's still disagreement on how to fill the state's more than $250 million deficit. One idea: cigarette taxes. Governor Robert Bentley's proposed revenue package relies heavily on an 82 cent tax increase per pack.
As Newspapers Scale Back, What Happens To Watchdog Journalism?
In the last decade, hundreds of newspapers closed or started publishing less frequently. Locally, The Birmingham News cut back to publishing three days a week in 2012. As newspapers disappear, who is left keep a watchful eye on big business and government? For WBHM, Les Lovoy continues his look at today's media landscape and considers the role of the watchdog journalist.
