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Regions Part of an Industry Rethink of the Bank Branch
Online banking haven't made the bank branch obsolete, but banks are rethinking how they use their brick-and-mortar locations.
ACLU Files Ethics Complaint Against Sessions
The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday filed a complaint with the Alabama State Bar against U.S. Attorney General and former Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions. It alleges he made false statements under oath, violating professional standards.
Are Alabama Prisoners Getting the Mental Health Care They Need?
At the heart of the recent federal trial under way is a question, “Are prisoners getting the mental health care they need? Mental health advocates insist they are not.
Lawmakers Consider a Slimmer Prisons Bill and Monument Preservation
The Senate this week passed a monuments bill, and a committee passed a scaled down version of Gov. Robert Bentley’s prisons bill. The prisons plan price tag went from $800 million to $775 million. Don Dailey, host of Alabama Public Television’s Capitol Journal tells WBHM’s Gigi Douban the revamped plan would build three large prisons, rather than […]
Jefferson County School Leaders Relieved After School Taxes Renewed
Education officials in Jefferson County are breathing a sigh of relief after voters approved the renewal of a property tax Tuesday that will provide about $100 million dollars for the county’s 12 public education systems.
The Pizitz Then and Now
In its prime, you would run into almost anyone from any side of town in Pizitz. The same was true of my lunchtime stroll – then and now, a place to be.
Transcript Puts Indicted JeffCo District Attorney in a Tight Spot
Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald discusses a transcript from the case that led to a perjury charge against Jefferson County's suspended district attorney Charles Todd Henderson.
Jefferson County Voters Approve Tax Renewal For 12 School Systems
Voters approved the renewal of property taxes supporting all 12 school systems in Jefferson County in a Tuesday election. While only 6 percent of voters went to the polls, education leaders say the election win shows that people in Jefferson County support public schools. Larry Contri, interim superintendent of Birmingham schools, says he wanted to […]
Business Groups Oppose Alabama’s Bathroom Bill
Alabama business groups are concerned if a so-called bathroom bill passes in Alabama, the state could suffer the same economic hit as North Carolina. That state suffered boycotts and major sporting events left after a similar bill was enacted there.
Trump Supporters Rally in Hoover
Backers of President Donald Trump gathered in Hoover Saturday, part of a day of marches and rallies across the country to express public support for the president.
Legislature Weighs Removing Gun Permit Requirement
A gun bill sponsored by Sen. Gerald Allen moved ahead in the legislature this week. Allen’s legislation would repeal the permit requirement on concealed pistols. And the Senate Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on Gov. Bentley’s $800 million prison construction bill. Lawmakers can expect to see a downsized version of the plan amid questions around […]
A TV Meteorologist Like No Other
Weld reporter Cody Owens discusses his story on Birmingham TV meteorologist James Spann. Spann has amassed a notable social media presence and personal brand turning him into something of a celebrity.
Giving Juries The Last Word On The Death Sentence
In Alabama, nearly 1 in 5 people on death row were sentenced to death through judicial override, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. Judicial override allows judges to impose the death penalty after a jury returns a life verdict, and Alabama is the last state to allow it. Critics have called override unreliable and arbitrary. Now there's a bipartisan effort in the legislature that could abolish the procedure.
Winning For Wenonah High Basketball Coach Means Triumph On and Off the Court
The Lady Dragons of Birmingham’s Wenonah High School are chasing a fourth girls’ state basketball championship today the at the BJCC. But while these players are looking to triumph with the full court press and clutch shots, their longtime coach, Emanuel “Tubb” Bell is fighting a different battle. Bell has stage 4 lung cancer, but you wouldn’t […]
President Trump Addresses Joint Session of Congress, Annotated
President Trump will address a joint session of Congress for the first time on Tuesday evening at the Capitol, around 8 p.m., Central time. House Speaker Paul Ryan, following tradition, invited the president to make the speech to lay out his agenda in the early days of his new administration.
Talladega College President Addressing Republican Leaders At HBCU Meeting
Hawkins has returned to D.C. this week to talk about improving funding for black colleges, an issue he discussed following his January trip.
One African-American’s Mission to Preserve His Family’s Rural History
Albert “Peter” Datcher Jr. has been tracing his family history -- from slavery to farming -- in a small, rural, predominately white town in Shelby County, Alabama for the past 15 years. He wants to be sure people recognize African-American contributions to the region.
Life After Hate: Leaving the White Supremacist Movement
Angela King was a neo-Nazi in her home state of Florida for eight years. After the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, King started to question how far she was willing to go for her white supremacist beliefs. She tried to leave the group, but failed.
Al Sharpton Challenges Adults To Support Wenonah Students
“You are not responsible for how you was born or who your parents were,” he said, “but you are responsible for what you do with the rest of your life," Rev. Al Sharpton.
Congressman Gary Palmer Holds Town Hall Despite Recent Protests
U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer fielded questions from constituents at a town hall in Hoover Saturday. Palmer’s visit follows a slew of contentious public meetings involving members of Congress and their constituents. Residents flooded the entrance to Hoover City Hall waiting to meet with Palmer. Some members of Congress are refusing to hold town halls after […]
Changes To How Banks Pay Taxes In Alabama
Birmingham Business Journal reporter Michael Seale discusses two bills in the Alabama legislature that would change how banks pay state taxes.
Alabama Senate Votes to End Judicial Override
Alabama is the only state left allowing judicial override. That’s where elected judges can overrule a jury verdict of life to impose a death sentence. But that might come to an end. This week, the Alabama Senate passed a bill that would prohibit the practice. WBHM’s Gigi Douban talked with Don Dailey of Alabama Public […]
Birmingham Immigrant Communities on Edge Following Crackdown
Raids in search of undocumented immigrants have yet to take place in Alabama, but many immigrant communities in the state fear it’s only a matter of time.
Arc Stories: February 2017 Edition
Stories about growing up during the Civil Rights movement in Birmingham. A young black boy who lives in the basement of a wealthy white family’s home and then becomes a key player during the civil rights movement; a young woman who was arrested by Bull Conner, then driven in his car to be dropped off […]
Alabama, the Second Amendment and Reason
Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald discusses how Alabama political culture treats guns which he says is not reasonable.
Living History: A Freedom Rider Shares His Story
The “Freedom Riders” were civil rights activists, black and white, who challenged segregation by riding buses across the South. In 1961 near Anniston, a mob slashed one of those buses’ tires, set it on fire, and beat some of the passengers. Freedom Rider Hank Thomas was one of them.
Morale Improved at Tutwiler After Reforms
Following an investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice that found inmates at Tutwiler were victims of rampant sexual assault and physical abuse. The DOJ investigation also found the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) failed to hold staff accountable. ADOC was forced to overhaul operations and change administration at Tutwiler. Part of the reforms involved hiring staff, like Williams to ensure these changes are being made.
Alabama Industry Hopes For Looser Environmental Rules Under Trump
Birmingham Business Journal reporter Michael Seale discusses what Alabama industries anticipate if President Donald Trump rolls back federal environmental rules.
The Green Book and the Black-Jewish Relationship During Segregation
The Green Book has been described as the Bible for black travelers in the mid-20th century. It featured black-friendly businesses like motels and restaurants where travelers could rest on long road trips. The book’s publisher actually took the idea from a similar book used by Jews.
Week Two of the Legislature: Impeachment Proceedings Gain Momentum, Civics Test Requirement
In its second week of the session, the Alabama Legislature began laying the groundwork for a vote on an impeachment resolution against Gov. Robert Bentley. This after lawmakers put concerns on hold at the behest of former Attorney General Luther Strange, who indicated his office was looking into possible wrongdoing by Bentley. Now legislators are […]
Trump’s Thursday Press Conference, Annotated
President Trump began his press conference Thursday afternoon naming his new nominee for labor secretary, R. Alexander Acosta, a law school dean and former US Attorney. He made an extended opening statement in defense of his administration, trumpeting accomplishments, and then moved on to a range of topics, from the resignation of Michael Flynn as […]
Lawsuits Abound at Birmingham City Hall
A proverbial cat was let out of a proverbial bag at this week’s Birmingham City Council meeting.
