Issues
2018 Governor’s Race: Scott Dawson
Scott Dawson is a newcomer to politics. But the Republican evangelist says he was inspired to run for Alabama governor after watching former Governor Robert Bentley’s administration fall apart amid Bentley’s alleged affair with an aide.
2018 Governor’s Race: Sue Bell Cobb
Sue Bell Cobb was the first woman to be elected Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Now the Evergreen native has her sights set on the governor’s office. Her conversation with WBHM’s Dan Carsen starts with a horrific event from Cobb’s days as a county judge when a man who’d appeared in her court firebombed her house.
City Cracks Down on Residential Code Violations
Birmingham has a housing problem. Many of the homes – about 42 percent of them – are in need of major repairs, and city officials are cracking down on building code violations.
Networking Company Wins Birmingham Startup Pitch Contest
A Birmingham startup focused on networking won $100,000 in a pitch contest for entrepreneurs.
Viruses Could Trigger Early Gray Hair
A new UAB study looking at stem cells in mice might have nudged scientists toward a better understanding of one of the often-dreaded realities of aging: gray hair. The study published last week suggests certain types of infections can start or speed up the hair-graying process in mice. UAB biologists found that triggering some of the animals’ […]
Birmingham Explores Electronic Payment Options for Meters
If you park at a meter in downtown Birmingham or on Southside, you’d better be carrying change. But maybe not for long. The city is considering electronic payment options for parking meters.
Birmingham Startups Take a Turn in the Spotlight
AOL co-founder Steve Case will bring his "Rise of the Rest" tour to Birmingham Wednesday.
Living History: Nurse to George Washington Carver an Inventor Herself
Meloneze Robinson of Tuskegee has witnessed history, and as a nurse, she's made some of her own. She cared for inventor George Washington Carver at the end of his life. Fifteen years later, she patented a surgical device after assisting with amputations at the former Tuskegee Veterans Hospital.
DA Candidate Fights To Include His Name on Countywide Ballot
Bill Veitch, a candidate for the Republican nomination for Jefferson County District Attorney, has appealed to the state Supreme Court to have his name placed on the ballot in both county jurisdictions.
Ethics Complaint Filed Against Senator Shelby
A watchdog group has filed an ethics complaint against Alabama Senator Richard Shelby.
An Alternative to Delivering Babies at the Hospital
Alabama has the second-highest infant mortality rate in the nation. And more rural hospitals are closing. Now some physicians and nonprofits say birth centers are a way to provide cheaper and safer prenatal care and delivery.
2018 Governor’s Race: Christopher Countryman
Democrat Christopher Countryman has been active as an LGBTQ activist. He now has his eye on the governor's office.
Woodfin Presents First City Budget Proposal
The Birmingham City Council heard Mayor Randall Woodfin’s first proposed spending plan today, then set a budget hearing for May 14. The mayor says, the city has to make some tough decisions.
Environmental Groups: Fees Tied to Solar are ‘Unlawful’
Attorneys recently filed a complaint with the state Public Service Commission against Alabama Power over extra fees the power company imposes on homes, schools, and small businesses that use solar power. The complaint calls the five-year-old fees “unlawful” and “contrary to the public interest.”
For UAB’s Might, Precision Medicine Was Personal
Medical treatments sometimes have to take a one-size-fits-all approach. But those treatments don’t always work the same way for everyone. Precision medicine is an emerging way to care for patients that considers their individual genes, environments, and lifestyles. And the leader of UAB's effort to do that is here because of his son.
Birmingham Economy’s Prospects? Study Under Wraps Takes Exacting Look
This story by Robert Carter and Carol Nunnelley originally appeared in BirminghamWatch. In January, Alabama’s Department of Labor reported online help-wanted ads for 2,089 openings for registered nurses in the state. Only truck drivers were more highly sought. In metro Birmingham, the help-wanted website indeed.com listed more than 600 openings for jobs with the keyword […]
A Forgotten Civil Rights Battle — Public Libraries
Protests from the civil rights movement centered on lunch counters, buses or the voting booth. But one often forgotten battle was over public libraries.
Judge Sends Case of Huffman High Shooter to Grand Jury
A Jefferson County grand jury will decide the next steps in the case of Michael Barber, accused of fatally shooting his schoolmate Courtlin Arrington in March at Huffman High.
WBHM Politics: Tariffs and China
China and the U.S. have locked horns over tariffs. Alabama companies and farmers are right in the middle.
UAB Hospitals Given Top Marks On Patient Safety
UAB Hospital and UAB Highlands Hospital each scored an "A" on a national nonprofit's patient safety assessment released Tuesday.
WBHM Wins Five Regional Murrow Awards
WBHM has won five 2018 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards presented by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) for the region including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The awards recognize the best electronic journalism produced by radio, television and online news organizations around the world. RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism […]
Jefferson County Unveils New Mural Showing Diversity
A new mural unveiled at the Jefferson County courthouse Tuesday depicts a diversity community. It's an answer to two murals from the 1930s which show slaves picking cotton and shirtless industrial laborers.
Museum Exhibit Gives a View of 1930s Birmingham
The exhibit Magic City Realism, a collection of etchings at the Birmingham Museum of Art, shows life in Birmingham during the Great Depression.
Mixed Response For Birmingham Horse Carriage Rides
In a few weeks, horse drawn carriages will be plodding around the streets of Birmingham, taking people around the city. The city council unanimously approved the carriage service last week. Some are excited about the new service, while others have serious concerns.
2018 Governor’s Race: State Senator Bill Hightower
Republican State Senator Bill Hightower says Alabama needs a business-minded approach to state government and that’s why he’s running for governor.
Eric Mackey Named State School Superintendent
Eric Mackey is Alabama’s new state superintendent of education. The state Board of Education selected Mackey today after interviewing three finalists. Craig Pouncey of Jefferson County Schools and Kathy Murphy of Hoover City Schools were finalists.
2018 Governor’s Race: Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle
Huntsville is Alabama’s third largest city, but it’s projected to surpass Montgomery and Birmingham in the coming years. Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle says he can expand that kind of growth to the entire state and that’s why he’s running for governor.
Lack of Guidance Leads to Web Access Lawsuits
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act required public places to accommodate people with disabilities. But back then, before the Internet grew into what it is now, the law didn’t address the accessibility of websites. Now, with a proliferation of lawsuits, many companies are racing to bring their sites into compliance with industry standards.
When Your Child Isn’t the Child You Expected
Sometimes children turn out differently than parents had hoped or expected. Writer and psychologist Andrew Solomon, author of Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, looked at how parents manage to find profound meaning in raising exceptional children.
Birmingham Columnist Takes Journalism’s Top Prize
For the first time in eleven years, Birmingham has a Pulitzer Prize winner. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald won the Pulitzer for commentary Monday.
2018 Governor’s Race: Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox
Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox is best known for rebuilding that city after a devastating tornado hit in 2011. In his bid to become the Democratic nominee for governor in the June 5 primary, he's pushing for an education lottery, expansion of Medicaid, and an end to proposals that would have teachers carry guns.
No Decision in the Case of the Covered Confederate Monument
The base of a Confederate monument in Linn Park will remain covered for now. Jefferson County Judge Mike Graffeo did not make a decision after hearing arguments from the City of Birmingham and the state Attorney General’s Office. The state sued Birmingham last year, saying that the city violated the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act in […]
