News

Birmingham Mayor, Council Pushing Two Separate Wish Lists In Legislature

The city of Birmingham is sending two sets of lobbyists to Montgomery — one from Mayor Randall Woodfin’s office and one from the City Council.

Actor Danny Glover Rallies Support For Unionizing Bessemer Amazon Facility

The "Lethal Weapon" star briefly spoke with workers leaving the facility. He told reporters that the unionization effort in Bessemer is part of a long history of fighting for labor rights.

StoryCorps: “The first time I felt intelligent…”

Karon Bullock fell in love with the outdoors when she attended science camp in the fifth grade. She was soon hiking, biking, or running daily, but a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 24 changed her relationship with the outdoors. Karon came to StoryCorps with her husband Joel.

Alabama Cautiously Optimistic About Improving COVID Numbers

The end of holiday season gatherings and early vaccinations are thought to be factors in the pandemic's positive trend.

Black Residents Call For More COVID Vaccine Outreach And Access

Concerned about disparities in vaccine allocation, Birmingham community leaders want officials to increase outreach efforts in Black neighborhoods.

To Get The Vaccine Or Not: How These Black Health Care Workers Made The Decision

Skepticism around the COVID-19 vaccine appears to be more prevalent within the Black community and among Black health care workers. We talked to a few of them about what’s guiding their decisions.

U.S. Para Cyclists Train For Season Start Amid Pandemic

U.S. Paralympics Cycling will return this Spring in Huntsville, after a year of being benched by the pandemic. Most athletes are looking forward to the start of the domestic season.

Some Schools Delay As Cold Continues To Grip Alabama

A number of schools in the Birmingham area will have delayed starts Wednesday after ice, snow and cold temperatures struck the area.

Bruno Event Team Takes Over JCDH Vaccine Call Center

The Jefferson County United Command Center will bring in a sporting event group to answer more calls to the COVID vaccine hotline.

Federal COVID-19 Rent and Utilities Assistance Set For Birmingham Residents

The City of Birmingham has received nearly $6.3 million in federal funding to assist residents who are unable to pay rent and utilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Winter Weather Brings School Closings

A number of schools are closed or adjusted schedules because of expected ice, freezing rain and sleet.

Surge In Deaths Strains Local Funeral Homes, Morgue

In recent months, deaths due to COVID-19 increased dramatically, further stressing an industry already overwhelmed.

Alabama Senate Committee Passes Gambling Bill Before Break

Sweeping gambling legislation cleared a hurdle in the Alabama Legislature this week.

Jefferson County Commission OK’s More Cleanup Help In Fultondale

"Somebody has to get those big trees out of that creek or it’s going to back up and start flooding and start blocking roads and flooding these houses that are damaged," said Commissioner Joe Knight.

Vaccine ‘Hunters’ Travel To Mississippi, Other States For A Potential Dose

Officials worry that with cross-border travel for vaccines, second doses could get complicated.

Jefferson County Commission May Hire More Road Clean-Up Help

Jefferson County Commissioners are considering whether to hire temporary workers to clean up litter along county roads.

Candidates Lining Up To Run For Birmingham City Council

Several incumbents plan to seek re-election and some challengers have emerged.

Birmingham City Council Approves The Council President’s Trip To Meet With Legislators

The Birmingham City Council has approved its first official travel since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

Lady Justice Is Not Wearing A Blindfold

In Alabama, Blacks make up more than half of the state's inmate population. Some law professionals say racial bias spans from over policing of Black neighborhoods to criminal sentencing.

Dozens Rally To Support Amazon Union in Bessemer

The upcoming union vote is significant for Amazon, which has fought efforts to unionize, and the region as a whole.

‘Huge Number’ Of Jeffco Residents Soon Eligible For COVID Vaccines

Many people will have to wait weeks, maybe months to get the COVID-19 vaccine, despite being eligible.

Remembering Sheila Washington, Who Brought Honor To The Scottsboro Boys

Alabama native, Sheila Washington has died. For several decades she overcame a series of obstacles to tell the story of the Scottsboro Boys -- nine young African-American males falsely accused of rape by two white women in 1931.

Gambling Proposals Must Pass The ‘Smell Test’ Before Going To Voters, Ivey Tells Lawmakers

The governor recapped the challenges of 2020, particularly on schools and the economy.

William Bell Will Run For Mayor’s Seat Again

Former Birmingham Mayor William Bell has filed paperwork to run again for mayor.

Alabama Needs More Vaccines To Stop The Spread Of COVID-19, Doctor Says

The number of new daily COVID-19 cases appears to be on a "downward trend" in Alabama, and the statewide hospitalization rate is improving, according to the head of infectious diseases at UAB.

Bill Would Mandate Feedback On Jefferson County Public Health Rules

Lawmakers have proposed legislation that would require more oversight of the local health officer in Alabama's most populous county. Area physicians strongly oppose the measure.

Uneven Vaccine Rollout Threatens To Leave Black Communities Behind

An NPR analysis of COVID-19 vaccination sites around the country found that access is uneven in cities across the South.

Ivey Signs Contracts To Build Two Mega Prisons

Alabama moves one step closer to replacing most existing male prisons with three privately-built mega prisons.

What To Expect During The 2021 Alabama Legislative Session

Lawmakers will debate perennial issues from the budgets to prisons, but the coronavirus pandemic remains ever present.

Alabama Is Home To 20 Hate Groups, 838 Operate Nationwide, SPLC Says

Alabama had 20 "hate groups" in 2020, according to an annual nationwide report by the Southern Poverty Law Centers.