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Gigi Douban Chosen to Lead WBHM’s News Team
Gigi Douban has been named news director for Public Radio WBHM 90.3 FM. Most recently, Douban reported extensively for Marketplace, and as an independent producer for public radio since 2006 her work has been heard on WBHM, NPR, Studio 360, and The World. She also writes for Bloomberg News and Runner’s World. “I’m lucky to […]
A Trump Victory Leaves Deep Divides
Political watchers and the public are waiting to see what a Trump presidency will look like. Republican Donald Trump’s stunning victory Tuesday caps an election season that was raucous, divisive and unlike any other in the modern era. After such a campaign, a key question is can the country come together? We talk about it with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
KKK Literature Appears in Birmingham Neighborhood After Election
Residents in Southside discovered pamphlets from the Ku Klux Klan asking for Alabamians to “rise up” and join the organization.
New “Nutritional Labels” For Trails Go Up At Oak Mountain
Hikers and runners who use trails at Oak Mountain State Park south of Birmingham have a new tool to help guide their outdoor fun. They’re trail signs, but they’re more than simple markers.
Alabama GOP Elated as Democrats Deflated over Trump Win
There was little doubt Republican Donald Trump would win Alabama in yesterday’s presidential election. But with a tight race nationally, Alabama Republicans and Democrats gathered at their own watch parties to follow the results.
2016 General Election Results
NOTE: The results listed below are for this evening’s contested races in the state of Alabama. Updates will be made to the page as results are made available. Results courtesy of Associated Press and alabamavotes.gov President 2,522 of 2,522 precincts – 100 percent Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine (Dem) – 35 percent Donald Trump/Mike Pence (GOP) – 63 […]
Heavy Voter Turnout Reported Throughout Jefferson County
Election officials in Jefferson County say voter turnout has been heavy today and could surpass the totals in the previous General Election.
Live Election Day Updates & Results from NPR
Today, as results come in across the country, the NPR Politics team and member station reporters will be updating this breaking news blog in real-time.
Calls for Citizen Poll Monitors Could Lead to Voter Discrimination in Alabama
This coming Election Day in Alabama a record 3.3 million people are registered and waiting to vote. It’s the climax to what has been a long and contentious presidential campaign season. Claims of a possible voter fraud and calls for citizen poll watchers has government agencies and civil rights groups in Alabama taking precautions.
A Birmingham/NASA Connection and Amendment 11
Alabama has a long history with space exploration thanks to the Marshal Space Flight Center and other NASA facilities in Huntsville. But Birmingham is taking a small step toward that space industry through a project at UAB. We hear about it along with Amendment 11, a ballot proposal economic development leaders want to see passed, in this week’s Magic City Marketplace
“What’s Lost is Found” — Photographs of Hale County
For decades, photographers have captured Hale County in Alabama’s Black Belt. Photojournalist Walker Evans documented families there suffering from the Great Depression. Starting in the 1960s, Alabama-native William Christenberry took pictures of decaying buildings. Now photographer Lauren Henkin can add her work to the tradition. Last year, Henkin spent a month in Hale County as an artist-in-residence sponsored by the Do Good Fund, which supports photography of the South. Some of those pictures will be displayed in an exhibit called “What’s Lost is Found.” It opens Friday at the Birmingham Museum of Art where she’ll also talk about the project. Henkin spoke with WBHM’s Andrew Yeager.
Lawsuit Language Sparks Debate at Birmingham City Council Meeting
A $2.5 million lawsuit payout signed by Birmingham Mayor William Bell sparked heated debate during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Members of the Birmingham City Council questioned whether the mayor has the authority to approve expenditures that large without seeking council consent. We talk about this with Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper Weld. Patterson […]
Fear and Division on the Eve of the Election
On Tuesday, millions of voters across the country will head to the polls and make their picks for president. It will be the end of a campaign season that's been nasty, brutish and long. It's also a season in which the campaign rhetoric has been driven at many points by fear. But Birmingham Media Group columnist John Archibald has a different message -- fear not!
Alabama Facing a Water Crisis
Nearly the entire state of Alabama is under the grip of a severe drought and Alabama is facing a water crisis. To date there’s no statewide mandate regarding water usage. However, some public water systems, including the Birmingham Water Works, have begun implementing their own drought conservation plans. Beginning November 19th, in order […]
A Conversation with “Mr. Fred,” 86-Year-Old Learning to Read
Fred Oliver of Birmingham is 86 and a world traveler. He served in the Korean War, spent time in Japan, and has held more jobs than he can count. He loves to visit far-off places, but as we reported yesterday, his latest odyssey is close to home, at the Literacy Council of Central Alabama: he’s learning to read and write.
Fighting Adult Illiteracy, One Reader at a Time
Imagine not being able to read an email from your family. Or a job application. Or medication labels. How about a simple road sign? Adult illiteracy is a complex, stubborn problem. Based on conservative estimates, in the five-county area around Birmingham alone, there are more than 90,000 adults who have trouble reading and writing. There are almost as many reasons as there are people.
One Dead, Several Injured After Gas Pipe Explodes in Shelby County
Colonial Pipeline owns and operates the line located off Grey Hill Road near McCalla which funnels gas to millions of people. It has since been shut down.
U.S. 280 Becoming a Second City Center
There’s been plenty of attention showered on downtown Birmingham for its building boom and growth in restaurants and attractions. But there’s another area that’s been expanding too into almost another economic hub. That’s the U.S. 280 corridor from Jefferson to Shelby counties. We talk about that in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Serious Tailgaters Prepare Days Ahead Of Birmingham Football Rivalry Game
Heard on Weekend Edition Saturday SHERREL STEWART In Birmingham, tens of thousands of football fans will watch Alabama A&M face Alabama State in the Magic City Classic, a big game between two black colleges. SCOTT SIMON, HOST:A giant tailgate party has been underway for days in Birmingham, Ala., as tens of thousands of football fans […]
Big Push to Make AL Civil Rights Monuments National Parks
A big push is underway to designate several Alabama civil rights locations as national parks. National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis, Congresswoman Terri Sewell and Mayor William Bell joined Jewell for a tour of Birmingham's civil rights district.
A Prison Drama Written and Performed by Prisoners
Prisons have been used as a setting for popular entertainment. The Netflix series “Orange is the New Black” is just one example. But a new radio drama is taking that a step further. “Corrections” is a health-themed drama produced by UAB that’s written by and performed by inmates at the Donaldson Correctional Facility in western Jefferson County. The first episode airs Saturday morning on WJLD AM 1400.
Protecting Yourself from a Cyber Attack
A cyber attack known as a distributed denial of service or DDoS took out several website-based companies last Friday. Users of Twitter, Netflix and the Birmingham News’ AL.com were denied access to these sites for several hours. Nick Patterson, from the weekly newspaper Weld, looks at how this attack affects you and what you can do to prevent being a victim of this in the future.
Attorney General Statement Casts Doubt on Governor’s Version of Events
The split between Governor Robert Bentley and the former head of the state's law enforcement office has taken an interesting turn and one that doesn't exactly put the governor in the best light. Earlier this year, former Alabama Law Enforcement Agency director Spencer Collier, one day after being fired, accused the governor of an affair with his top aide. Bentley denied the accusation and instead turned attention to an internal ALEA report that showed financial mismanagement. But as information about the report dripped out, it appeared far less than purported to be. Last week, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange weighed in. We hear about that from Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald
Attorney: Suspension is Not Removal; Roy Moore Still Chief Justice
Attorneys for Roy Moore say he’s technically still Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, despite being suspended for the remainder of his term without pay. Mat Staver is with Liberty Counsel, the group representing Moore. He says Acting Chief Justice Lyn Stuart acted unilaterally when she removed Moore’s name from the court’s letterhead and […]
Arc Stories: October 2016 Edition
Three stories about the lasting impact other people can have upon our lives. An educator is trying his best to create some teachable moments for his students, and it’s through one encounter with a relative of Martin Luther King, Jr., that they finally have a breakthrough. A man who gets arrested and learns a lot about both […]
Alabama Leaders Hope to Land New Air Force Fighters
Earlier this year the Air Force declared its Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning 2 program combat ready. It’s been 23 years in the making and has suffered though shortcomings and budget issues. But with the fighters ready to take the sky, political leaders in Alabama are hoping to bring the program to this state and the economic benefits that come along with it. That’s in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
AL Climatologists: Current Drought Once in a Lifetime Phenomenon
State climatologists say the ongoing drought in some areas of Alabama is a phenomenon seen roughly once in a lifetime. The U.S. Drought Monitor rates stricken areas on a scale of D1 to D4, four being areas of exceptional drought. Northeast and north-central Alabama including Jefferson County are at a D3 or above. “For the […]
Asylum Seeking Detainees in AL Claiming Civil Rights Violations
A new report comprised by several immigration advocacy groups finds that Habeus Corpus is routinely denied for detainees being held at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement complex in Gadsden. The ICE facility at the Etowah County Detention Center houses hundreds of detainees seeking asylum in the U.S. and Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper […]
Your Guide to the 2016 Proposed Constitutional Amendments
When Alabama voters head to the polls November 8, they won’t just choose candidates in the presidential and congressional races. They’ll also have the chance to vote “yes” or “no” on 14 proposed statewide constitutional amendments. Some are technical or just affect a local area. Others have a much wider impact.
Supporters Say Constitutional Amendment Must Pass to Preserve Hundreds of Local Laws
When voters go to the polls next month, they’ll be voting on a proposed constitutional amendment that some say has to pass or cities and towns could be thrown into legal chaos. Supporters of Amendment 14 say without its approval, hundreds of local laws across Alabama could be wiped out by legal challenges. The list includes laws related to schools to local taxes to law enforcement.
Several Alabama Counties Under Drought Emergency
The Alabama Drought Declaration issued Tuesday comes after conditions across the stare continue to degrade due to little rainfall and above normal temperatures.
Birmingham’s Airport Struggles to add Airlines
When a New Orleans-based airline announced it was starting non-stop flights from that city to Alabama earlier this year, they announced those flights would come to Huntsville. It was a blow to Birmingham which had been under consideration. But it also speaks to the position Birmingham is in when it comes to attracting new airlines or flights. We talk about it in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
