News
Alabama Supreme Court Causes Marriage License Confusion
In an order released Monday, the Alabama Supreme Court is inviting parties to submit briefs "addressing the effects of the Supreme Court's decision" in Obergefell v. Hodges. John Carroll, former U.S. Magistrate Judge and Samford law professor, says the order gives probate judges some temporary power. "It meant that the probate judges don't have to issue the licenses [to same-sex couples] ," he says, "but they can if they want to."
Repairing Interstate 20/59
Interstate 20/59 through downtown Birmingham is aging and something needs to be done about it. Most people can agree on that. The Alabama Department of Transportation has a plan they could start implementing this fall, but there are opponents who say that plan is shortsighted and should be scrapped. We talk about it in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Alabama Reacts to Gay Marriage Decision
Gay marriage is now legal in Alabama. In a 5 to 4 decision the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday states can’t stop same-sex couples from marrying and must recognize those unions across the country. Ashley Cleek has an overview of how the decision is playing out in Alabama.
Food Stamp Fraud Investigation Means Fewer Places to Find Groceries
A federal investigation into food stamp fraud called operation T-Bone shuttered 11 stores across Jefferson County in June. The scam allegedly involved store operators buying food stamp debit cards from local customers and then using those cards to stock their own shelves with goods from wholesalers. The investigation turned up the heat on the alleged scam, but it also left many communities in Birmingham without anywhere to buy even the most basic groceries.
University of Alabama History Professor Speaks About Cannonballs Found On Campus
It's not every day you stumble upon a 150-year-old relic. But that's what happened last week when a sidewalk repair crew at the University of Alabama uncovered 10 Civil War era cannonballs buried in the ground. The university called in a bomb squad as a precaution but the cannonballs were removed without incident. WBHM's Stephanie Beckett spoke with University of Alabama history professor Harold Selesky about why they probably came from that time period.
Ruling Means 130,000 Alabamians Keep Insurance Subsidies
The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Care Act means that 130,000 Alabamians will keep subsidies to buy insurance through exchanges.
Arc Stories: June 2015 Edition
Stories about people overcoming challenges both big and small in some unique ways. A man who risks everything to chase a dream; a young woman’s relationship is interrupted by divine intervention; and one man tries to get through one very hot night. (Originally aired June 25, 2015 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.)
Flags and Rebels — What to do with Confederate Symbols
If you walk around the Alabama statehouse now, you will no longer see the Confederate battle flag on the grounds. That flag along with three other Confederate flags were removed from a memorial Wednesday on the orders of Governor Robert Bentley. Last week's shooting at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina, sparked a conversation about symbols of the Confederacy. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald talks about the flag and the mascot of Vestavia Hills High School's mascot, the rebel.
Kyle Whitmire: Alabama Can Either Live In The Past or Future
Governor Bentley removes the Confederate flag from the Alabama Capitol Grounds; Google makes a $600 million dollar investment in Alabama; and the looming special legislative session session will aim to fix problems with Alabama’s general fund including the possibility of gambling. Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for The Birmingham News and AL.com, and he […]
U.S Attorney General Visits Birmingham
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch spent Wednesday in Birmingham to meet with local law enforcement officers and city leaders about improving cooperation between police and their communities. She also addressed issues raised by last week’s shooting at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Google Building $600 Million Data Center in Alabama
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley says Google is planning to build a $600 million data center in northeast Alabama. Bentley said Wednesday that Google will build the data center on a 350 acre plot of land in Stevenson owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Stevenson is about 60 miles northeast of Huntsville.
Uncovering Alabama’s Hidden Hepatitis C Problem
Injection drug use is on the rise around the country, feeding an increase in cases of the blood-borne liver disease Hepatitis C. The Centers for Disease control says that, nationally, Hepatitis C infections rose 150 percent in the last 3 years. But the spread of the disease in Alabama is hard to measure. Doctors and health care officials are trying new ways to determine the true spread of the disease here in Alabama -- doctors like Jim Galbraith, an emergency room physician at UAB.
Drummond Coal Won’t Renew Shepherd Bend Mine Permit
Drummond Company Inc., a global leader in coal production and one of the largest private companies in the U.S., has faced controversy ever since it received a permit to mine coal at Shepherd Bend, an area close to an intake for Birmingham’s drinking water supply. Many groups and consumers, worried about toxins and chemicals reaching the water, […]
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Celebrates Juneteenth in New Way
Today in some deep south states is the 150th anniversary of Juneteenth. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. It began on June 19th, 1865, after Union soldiers finally got word to these states that slavery had ended — almost 3 years after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute normally hosts a festival, but for this particular anniversary members decided to do something different.
Common Core: Can Standards Really Prepare Students for College?
Over the last two years, there has been a lot of debate surrounding the Common Core standards throughout the country. But sometimes, all the political noise can make us forget about the main goal of these standards. Do they really do a better job of preparing kids for college and careers? And if not, what’s stopping them?
General Krulak Wraps up Time at Birmingham-Southern College
When Birmingham-Southern College President General Charles Krulak announced his retirement in December, he told students, “this was a great time.” The former Marine Commandant and former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff came to BSC four years ago when the campus was reeling from major financial turmoil. Faculty and programs were cut. Its accrediting agency issued a warning against BSC. Krulak is recognized for a leading a turnaround at the school that gained accolades from students, faculty and the larger community. As he prepares to step down at the end of June, WBHM’s Andrew Yeager spoke with Krulak in his office.
Birmingham Reacts to the Attack at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church
Local religious leaders are reacting to the Wednesday shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopalian Church in Charleston, S.C. that killed nine people. Reverend Arthur Price is the pastor of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. He told WBHM’s Rachel Osier Lindley how members of his congregation were responding.
Bryan Stevenson on the Possibility of Equality
Bryan Stevenson is the founder of the Montgomery-based Equal Justice Initiative. That group works on behalf of indigent defendants and people who haven’t received fair trials. They were instrumental in This week, the weekly newspaper WELD talked with Stevenson about his bestselling memoir and his social justice work. WELD editor Nick Patterson tells WBHM’s Rachel Lindley more about their conversation and Stevenson's hopes for the justice system.
Re-branding Common Core – Does the Name Make a Difference?
Common Core education standards have been controversial since their adoption nearly half-a-decade ago. Some states have tried re-branding Common Core by changing the name. Others have dropped the standards all together. In the South, states are taking a different approach by asking residents themselves to reevaluate the standards.
Anniston Police Officers Accused of Belonging to Hate Group
Two Anniston police officers were placed on administrative leave Wednesday pending an investigation by the city into their participation in what a Montgomery-based civil rights group describes as a hate group.
Waiting for a Plan for Alabama’s Budget, and Birmingham – Destination City or Not?
Kyle Whitmire says he was certain that a small group of public officials, business leaders, and bureaucrats was busy working and drafting up a solution to the General Fund deficit. But when the session ended, no group was revealed. The Special Session later this summer should offer an ability to work out a deal, since the legislative rules allow leadership to limit the scope of what can be considered, focused on solving the budget crisis. Kyle and Scott also discuss another topic of debate – there’s a debate brewing within the pages, printed and digital, about whether or not Birmingham is a “destination city,” and what that may or may not really mean.
Common Core: Challenges and Opposition
One of the hottest issues in State Houses this year was Common Core, national math and language arts standards released in 2010 and adopted by most states. According to the National Conference of State Legislators, this year more than 730 Common Core bills were introduced across the country, including 21 state proposals for repeal. This week, the Southern Education Desk examines why these public school standards are still so controversial in the South. Today Sherrel Wheeler Stewart from WBHM explains the roots of the opposition and the challenges the standards face.
State Superintendent Says Alabama’s Education Standards Shouldn’t Be Political
The Common Core State Standards have become a target around the country for some politicians and advocacy groups. Released in 2010, they're math and language arts standards intended to raise rigor and establish consistency across the nation. Alabama’s version, the College and Career Ready Standards, survived an attempt at repeal by state lawmakers this spring. In the above interview, WBHM’s Sherrel Wheeler Stewart talks with state superintendent Tommy Bice about the standards, the controversy they've stirred, and why he still supports them. And from Wednesday, June 17 through Friday, June 19, WBHM will air the Southern Education Desk's three-part series on Common Core, an issue that’s turning education standards into political battles.
A Strong Year for Birmingham’s Private Companies
Many of Birmingham’s private companies had a great 2014 with sales up at the largest 100 companies a collective 77-percent. Two-thirds also added employees. Those numbers came from a Birmingham Business Journal survey and we talk about what sparked the increase in this week’s Magic City Marketplace. The newspaper’s editor Cindy Fisher Crawford tells WBHM’s Andrew Yeager about the reasons for these firms growth.
Zoos Aren’t Just About Animals Anymore
The Birmingham Zoo is preparing to spend $15 million of an overall $50 million renovation project. Those dollars will be spent on both animal exhibits and non-animal projects. In today’s contemporary world, zoos must wrestle with how best to spend their funds in order to fulfill their missions and draw more diverse folks, who enjoy and expect interactivity. Les Lovoy reports on how the Birmingham zoo is keeping up with current trends by striking a balance between animal conservation and education and offering an overall entertaining experience for visitors.
Birmingham City Schools Released From State Takeover
State Board commends school system for improvements in finances and governance
Hale Woodruff’s Talladega College Murals At Birmingham Museum of Art
Hale Woodruff is regarded as one of the most important African-American artists of the 20th century. His best-known works are six very large murals he painted for the Talladega College library in the 1930s. An exhibition of the murals, along with early works from Woodruff’s career, opens this Saturday at the Birmingham Museum of Art. WBHM took a tour of the show this week with curators Kelli Morgan and Graham Boettcher.
Birmingham City Schools Free From State Control
Birmingham, Alabama’s school system is now free of state control. The state had taken over after financial mismanagement, corruption, and fighting among local board members so intense it sometimes got physical. Voters have since elected a very different school board. And now, Birmingham’s schools are independent again.
Alabama Has Highest Number of Death Row Inmates Per Capita
Alabama has more inmates on death row per capita than any other state. Anthony Ray Hinton was on death row in Alabama for 30 years, sentenced to death in 1985 for murder. Hinton maintained he was not guilty, and in April he was released after reexamined ballistic evidence raised troubling questions about his conviction. Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD, discusses the state of the death penalty in Alabama.
James Hanks, a Dropout “Recovered”
The U.S. Secretary of Education recently recognized Alabama for having one of the nation’s steepest increases in high school graduation rates. Birmingham City Schools’ rate increased even more – up roughly 23 percent in the last four years. The latest data reported to the state education department puts the system’s rate at 79 percent — just below […]
Commentary: The Steel City’s Spice via Bicycle
When commentator John Houser lived in Indianapolis, the city built a bike and pedestrian path weaving through the city’s downtown cultural districts. After trying bike commuting for just a few months, he sold his car — transforming his commute from a stressful ride on city streets into a leisurely jaunt past parks, public art, and along a downtown canal. […]
The Affordable Care Act and the Healthcare Business, Five Years Later
When the Affordable Care Act was signed into law five years ago, people expected it to dramatically change the healthcare landscape. So how has Birmingham -- the medical epicenter of Alabama -- fared? That’s where we start this week’s Magic City Marketplace. Birmingham Business Journal editor Cindy Fisher Crawford tells WBHM’s Rachel Lindley how the Affordable Care Act’s hit hospital’s bottom lines.
