Issues
An inside look at an AP African American Studies class
As Southern political leaders continue to take aim at critical race theory in education, students at Baton Rouge Magnet High call the AP pilot class empowering.
Volunteers are driving in to offer hot meals, necessities to Mississippi tornado survivors
The gym of a Rolling Fork school has become a makeshift hub to get much-needed emergency aid, meals and hope for thousands affected by the tornadoes.
UAB tops Utah Valley, sets up Conference USA showdown in NIT
UAB beat Utah Valley 88-86 in overtime to set up an all-Conference USA final in the NIT. UAB will face North Texas for the fourth time this season on Thursday for the NIT championship.
As midwifery evolves, this Mississippi museum is preserving the history of granny midwives
Granny midwives were some of the first to universalize the practice of midwifery in the South. A permanent installation hopes to share their history.
In Rolling Fork, a congregation comes together to save a century-old church
After a deadly EF-4 tornado, a Mississippi town finds hope in the hands of volunteers.
‘We’re going to help them’: How Mississippians are banding together after a devastating tornado
Officials, aid organizations and volunteers sprung into action on Saturday to help Mississippi begin rebuilding in the aftermath of a powerful tornado.
Bills tackling fentanyl trafficking and ‘good time’ limits in prisons advance
The bills would set a mandatory minimum sentence for trafficking or possessing fentanyl and reduce good time incentives, which can shorten prisoners’ sentences.
Man sentenced to 30 years after police officer shot friend
Alabama’s felony murder law holds someone liable for murder if they participate in a felony that results in someone's death.
US ‘concerned’ by Mexican seizure of Alabama company’s port
Mexico’s seizure of the Caribbean cargo port stretched into its second week Tuesday. Vulcan Materials said that police and prosecutors still had not presented any legal paperwork to justify the seizure.
Proposed Ivey budgets: Income tax rebates; public money for charter schools; modest pay raises
Gov. Kay Ivey’s proposed budget for 2024 will call for state money for start-up charter schools, tax rebates for those who filed income taxes in 2021 and some pay raises for state employees.
Birmingham City Council delays BSC funding decision until at least mid-April
The struggling college is seeking $30 million from Alabama’s Education Trust Fund, as well as $5 million from Birmingham and $2.5 million from Jefferson County.
In the quest for new cancer treatments, researchers look to outer space
The Southern Research team is studying how bacteria reacts in the microgravity environment, and whether it prompts the development of novel cancer therapies.
BSC prez ‘disappointed’ legislature didn’t approve funding but will continue push to stay open
The Alabama Legislature opted not to spend some of the state’s $1 billion-plus allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act to keep the financially troubled liberal arts college open.
Lawmakers wrap up special session on COVID relief funds
Gov. Kay Ivey signed a more than $1 billion plan to spend federal pandemic relief funds after lawmakers approved the package Thursday.
Lawmakers say prison plan will continue despite cost jump
The Alabama Corrections Institution Finance Authority on Wednesday increased the spending cap for a 4,000-bed prison now under construction in Elmore County, from $623 million to $975 million.
With the NCAA Tournament in town, Birmingham is ready for thrilling games, an economic boost
Birmingham is hosting NCAA Tournament games this weekend for the first time since 2008. It's the latest addition to the city's growing profile as a sports hub.
Spurred by slow deportation wait times, Louisiana ICE detainees attempted a hunger strike
A man held at the ICE facility in Jena said detainees are being held in some cases up to three months after receiving their final deportation notices.
Oats steers Alabama to March Madness in a turbulent season
Nate Oats is steering Alabama through the best and most scrutinized season in Crimson Tide history after one player was charged with capital murder and two others were involved.
In rural Mississippi, E.R. staff are being trained to care for moms and deliver babies
Across the Gulf South, hospitals are cutting labor and delivery services. A program at UMMC hopes to equip health care professionals to fill in the rising gaps.
A months-long landfill fire in Alabama reveals waste regulation gaps
An unregulated landfill that accepts vegetative waste has burned underground for months. Neighbors were inundated with smoke and left wondering why the site wasn't regulated in the first place.
Public transit in the Gulf South is in need of an overhaul. The solution could lie in the past
The Gulf South is not known for its great public transit systems. Some believe Bus Rapid Transit could solve lingering issues and lead to a better future.
New exhibition driving bill would stiffen penalties, including fines and jail time
People have been injured, even killed, in exhibition driving-related incidents in Birmingham. Now, lawmakers are addressing the issue on a statewide level.
Legal complaint claims Alabama discriminates when distributing sewage infrastructure funds
Alabama only allows state funds for sewage infrastructure to go to public bodies. A civil rights complaint argues the policy hurts communities of color.
After deadliest year on record, families remember loved ones lost in Alabama prisons
Two hundred sixty-six incarcerated people died inside Alabama's prisons in 2022, and dozens have died so far in 2023.
Special session underway on spending federal pandemic funds
On Thursday, an Alabama House committee passed a plan to spend about $1 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act on mostly health care reimbursements, water and sewer infrastructure and broadband expansion.
WBRC’s new podcast explores the disappearance of Kamille ‘Cupcake’ McKinney
The 3-year-old went missing in 2019 outside a public housing complex in Birmingham. Her body was found about a week later in a dumpster.
Ivey calls session on relief funds, proposes tax rebates
Gov. Kay Ivey delivered her state of the state address on the opening night of the 2023 legislative session where key issues include how to use the state's remaining pandemic relief funds as well as a $2.8 billion education budget surplus.
Hoover says a girls basketball team’s treatment after topping the boys is a miscommunication
After a parent wrote a Facebook post alleging gender discrimination when a girls' basketball team was denied trophies, Hoover City officials said it came down to policy.
City relinquishes power over old Powell School, raising concerns about historic preservation
The property has the distinction of being the site of the city’s first public school, though it closed its doors in 2002 due to a sharp decline in enrollment.
The 2023 Alabama legislative session starts Tuesday. Here’s your preview
Lawmakers return to Montgomery at a time when money is flush thanks to federal COVID funds. Education is among the top issues expected to generate discussion.
Mississippi updated its solar energy guidelines. Renewable energy advocates want more
Mississippi added incentives for low-to-moderate income residents to encourage more investment in renewable energy. Activists are pushing for more access.
In Selma, Biden says right to vote remains under assault
President Joe Biden referenced the searing memories of 1965's “Bloody Sunday” in Selma to recommit to securing voting rights.
