Issues
Remembering Rosa Parks
She's being remembered as the 'mother of the civil rights movement.' Rosa Parks died at her home in Detroit of natural causes at the age of 92. Fifty years ago, while living in Montgomery, she defied an order to give her seat up for a white man. She was arrested and a bus boycott ensued. WBHM's Steve Chiotakis spoke with the Reverend Abraham Woods, president of the Birmingham chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He says Parks deserves her place in history for standing up by staying seated.
Young Zombies in Love
Zombie themes are very popular right now - and not just because of Halloween. There's been a resurgence in Zombie movies, including the locally produced hit Hide & Creep. And this weekend, Birmingham Southern College takes the genre to the stage, with a play called Young Zombies in Love. WBHM's Tanya Ott spoke with BSC's Theater director Michael Flowers about the play.
Lemony Snicket
For several years now fans have followed the story of the Baudelaire orphans. The latest and 'last before the last installment' in the Lemony Snicket 'Series of Unfortunate Events' has just hit bookstore shelves. There's been a lot of speculation as to the fate of the Baudelaires. WBHM's Tanya Ott spoke with Lemony Snicket's 'handler' -- Daniel Handler -- in hopes of clearing up some of the mystery. Judge for yourself whether it worked!
Birmingham: Open for Business
Thousands of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita evacuees have made their way through Birmingham in the last month, and now the city is considering rolling out the welcome mat even more aggressively. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports.
Hurricane Ruins Convention Business
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Black Belt Poverty
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Post-Herald Last Edition
Afternoons in Birmingham just won’t be the same anymore — that’s because the Birmingham Post-Herald is no more. Publisher E-W Scripps Company says it just can’t afford to keep the […]
The Last Days
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Shelter Closing
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Hurricane Banking Troubles
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No Child Left Behind
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Teacher Shortage
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One Stasi Victim’s Story
During the Communist era in East Germany dissonance was not allowed. Those who questioned the regime often found themselves behind bars, guests of the Stasi, East Germany's secret police. WBHM's Rosemary Pennington recently returned from Germany where she met one such man.
SciGirls
Research shows that by the time girls enter high school their interest and self-confidence in scientific pursuits has dropped dramatically. One Alabama summer camp aims to spark an interest in science among girls. Amanda Shaw reports.
Winn Dixie Closing
The Winn Dixie grocery store chain has announced it's closing hundreds of stores throughout the southeast in an effort to shore up sagging sales. It's the latest closure in a battle for market share in the grocery industry. WBHM's Tanya Ott reports on the impact the closures will have a certain Birmingham neighborhoods, especially those with high minority populations.
Germany Photos
WBHM's Rosemary Pennington took part in the RIAS/RTNDF German American Journalist Exchange. She spent two weeks in June traveling through Germany and Brussels. These are some photos from that trip.
2nd Homes
Real estate analysts may be warning about the pending burst of the housing bubble, but homebuyers don't seem to be 'buying' it. Vacation homes are selling at a record clip, especially on Alabama's lakes. WBHM's Tanya Ott talks to sellers, buyers, agents and experts about the wisdom of investing in the 2nd home market right now.
Ensley
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Koreans Driving Auto Competition
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Rosemary’s German Weblog
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Brown-vs-Board 2: Resegregation
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Pharmacy’s Prognosis
The pharmacy industry is rapidly changing, with new technology, and a shift in the types of students who apply to pharmacy school. Tanya Ott reports.
Gloria Feldt
The fight over reproductive rights is part of American culture and, over the last few years, that fight's dominated the political landscape. WBHM's Rosemary Pennington spoke with Gloria Feldt, former president of Planned Parenthood of America, about her book on the changing political scene The War on Choice .
TR Pearson
T.R. Pearson has been compared to Mark Twain and William Faulkner for his Southern influenced prose and circuitous, anecdotal narratives. Pearson's first novel, 'A Short History of a Small Place' won rave reviews from readers and the praise of critics as well. 20 years later, he's out with its sequel: 'Glad News of the Natural World'.
The “New” New South
Sociologists and demographers talk about the 'New South'. But there's a 'New' New South, marked by a return of northern African Americans to their southern roots. Tanya Ott reports.
Big FIsh
An appreciation of the fantastic is a requirement when reading Daniel Wallace's 'Big Fish'. The Alabama native struck gold with his tale of love, redemption and relationhips; it's been turned into a feature length movie by director Tim Burton. He recently spoke with WBHM's Rosemary Pennington.
Outside Inside Part 2
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Outside Inside, Part 1
The American South has suffered from stereotyping for much of its existence, stereotyping that doesn't always paint southerners in the best light. But it's about a lot more than just hurt feelings ... especially in Alabama's case. WBHM's Rosemary Pennington has more.
Art as Business
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Music Therapy
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Minority Research Day
UAB hosts its first Minority Research Day today. Organizers say it's a chance to highlight the work of minority scientists -- both graduate students and faculty. It also helps in recruiting new minority faculty to Alabama. Mona Fouad, director of UAB's Minority Health and Research Center, talks with Tanya Ott about the challenges of attracting African-American and Hispanic students and faculty.
A Modern Day Miortia
A man on a mission, a Devil cruising toward retirement and women. These three things dominate the landscape in Andrei Codrescu's novel Wakefield . WBHM's Rosemary Pennington spoke with Codrescu about the novel and his all too familiar Devil.