News
John Archibald: Birmingham to Host 2021 World Games
Birmingham leaders are celebrating today's announcement the city has won the chance to host the 2021 World Games. It's an international competition of non-Olympic sports. Birmingham beat Lima, Peru, and Ufa, Russia, to capture the games. City officials are not only talking about history and civic pride but economic impact as well. We hear reaction from Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
BPD Issues Statement On Looming Pepper-Spray Trial
If you read this after 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20, the day after Martin Luther King Day, witnesses may already be on the stand in a federal courtroom in yet another Birmingham trial with civil rights implications. Barring a last-minute settlement, the Southern Poverty Law Center's suit against the Birmingham Police Department over officers using mace on city students will go forward, and lawyers representing the city and the police are promising a vigorous defense. WBHM's Dan Carsen has more.
Auburn University’s Rural Studio Brings 20K Houses To Hale County
For some residents of Alabama’' Black Belt, good housing can be hard to come by. In Hale County, 30 percent of the population lives below the poverty line -- meaning an individual lives on less than $11,670 a year. A group from Auburn University wants to help by designing an efficient and inexpensive house that anyone could afford. For WBHM, Ashley Cleek visited Newbern, Alabama to check out the homes.
Two Churches Join Forces For MLK Holiday Worship and Community Service
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "The most segregated time of the week is on Sunday." Reverend James Sutton and Reverend Steven Castello, the leaders of Ardent Church and Holy Trinity World Outreach Ministry, are determined to change that. The two Birmingham churches -- one majority black, the other majority white -- are coming together this weekend to honor Dr. King Jr. by fostering friendships between the members of their congregations.
John Archibald: No Confidence Vote on UAB President
The UAB Faculty Senate will vote Thursday morning on a resolution expressing no confidence in university president Ray Watts. It's the latest fallout from his decision to end UAB's football, bowling and rifle programs. This is in addition to no confidence resolutions passed by the Graduate Student Government and the Undergraduate Student Government Association, the latter saying Watts misled people and didn't adequately inform the UAB community.
UAB Faculty Senate Passes No Confidence Resolution in President Ray Watts
Thursday morning, UAB's Faculty Senate passed a resolution expressing no confidence in university president Ray Watts. It's the latest fallout from his decision to end UAB's football, bowling, and rifle programs. Watts has said he would not resign even if the resolution passed. WBHM's Rachel Osier Lindley has this recap.
Movie Stirs Memories in Selma
The Golden Globe Awards are Sunday and one film that could pick up a few statues is Selma . The film depicts the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches which led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. This weekend, Paramount Pictures began free screenings in the movie's namesake town in Alabama.
Kyle Whitmire: Leadership in the Legislature and at UAB
The Alabama Legislature met for their organizational session this week, and much of their key leadership will remain the same. What does this mean for this year's legislative session? Kyle Whitmire from AL.com and The Birmingham News joins us to discuss this, along with the potential no confidence vote for UAB President Dr. Ray Watts.
Schools Start Later Thursday Due To Cold
More than 30 Alabama school systems are delaying opening on Thursday because of forecasts of bitterly cold weather. Most of the postponements are in north and central Alabama. But systems as far south as southeast Alabama also are telling students to come later than normal. Officials are delaying openings because of temperatures in the single-digits and teens and wind-child readings that are expected to fall below zero in areas.
John Archibald: The Northern Beltline Boondoggle
Supporters of the Northern Beltline had a good 2014. Construction began on the planned 52-mile, $5 billion interstate highway stretching across the northern half of Jefferson County. Critics have long pointed to the price tag as a reason to abandon the proposal, but some new maps and data are adding to the cry of boondoggle. We talk about it with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Nancy Worley and Alabama’s Democratic Party in 2015
What's in store for Alabama's fractured Democratic Party in 2015? A humorous holiday letter sent from party chairwoman Nancy Worley has al.com and Birmingham News political commentator Kyle Whitmire concerned about the party's future.
New Year’s Resolutions for Alabama’s Political Leaders
2014 was a busy year for Alabama -- Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard was indicted on felony corruption charges, Republicans swept all the major elections in the state and Jefferson County had, arguably, its first slow news year in a decade. What's in store for 2015? Kyle Whitmire of al.com and the Birmingham News suggests some New Year's resolutions for Alabama's leaders.
ASFA Musician on NPR’s From the Top
Andrew Downs, a double bass player attending the Alabama School of Fine Arts, recently appeared on the NPR program From The Top. Downs, age 17, spoke with WBHM's Program Director Michael Krall about his appearance on the program and about the double bass itself.
I Don’t Like Christmas and That’s OK
While Christmas can be "the most wonderful time of the year" for some, our guest blogger, Javacia Harris Bowser, thinks the season's social and financial pressures are a bit out of control. She writes about that in her monthly blog post for WBHM, along with the holiday that really brightens her winter: New Year's!
“Black Lives Matter” Protests at The Summit and Riverchase Galleria
Nearly 100 people gathered on Friday afternoon on the slope of yellowed grass at the entrance to the Summit shopping center in Birmingham. The idea was to block traffic on U.S. Highway 280 on one of the season's busiest shopping days, to protest police violence and the unequal treatment of black men and women by the police.
Magic City Writers Read: How the Swampers Changed American Music
The Shoals area of Alabama is known for a long list of popular musicians who recorded there in the 1960s and 1970s. Artists including Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan cut tracks in this otherwise sleepy corner of the state. But a part of the region's musical success is thanks to four men nicknamed the Swampers. In WBHM's first "Magic City Writers Read" event, author Carla Jean Whitley discusses her new book on the Swampers.
Kyle Whitmire: Is Governor Bentley Now Open To Expanding Medicaid?
Governor Bentley has repeatedly said he's opposed to the state expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. But in a speech to legislators last week, Bentley seemed to change his tune. Is Medicaid expansion on the horizon for Alabama?
Ollie’s Barbecue: The Case that Integrated Restaurants
One of the enduring images of the Civil Rights Movement is of black protesters being pulled away from lunch counters. Fifty years ago this Sunday a U.S. Supreme Court ruling effectively ended segregation in restaurants. That case came from Birmingham.
Kidney Chain Links Record Number of Donors and Needing Patients
Traditionally, people who suffer from kidney disease and need a transplant put their name on a national list. Next, they have to wait until their name comes up to receive a compatible kidney. And with over 100,000 names on that list, it can take up to 10 years to receive a kidney. Today, there's a viable alternative. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is at the forefront of a process, which allows someone to receive a healthier kidney in a much shorter time.
John Archibald: UAB President’s Leadership has been Damaged over Football
UAB President Ray Watts' decision to cut the school's football, bowling, and rifle teams has moved beyond a simple matter of athletic priorities now that a no confidence vote is in play. The UAB faculty senate on Tuesday agreed to draft a resolution expressing no confidence in Watts. They could vote on the measure next month.
A Moonshine Renaissance
Mention moonshine and you might think of an illegal backwoods still in the mountains of the South, carefully hidden to evade the authorities. In recent years though, legal distilleries have been popping up in sort of a moonshine renaissance.
Could UAB Afford To Keep Football? Depends Who You Ask
It's been just over a week since the University of Alabama at Birmingham announced it's canceling the university's football, rifle and bowling programs. UAB president Dr. Ray Watts cited the rising costs of college athletics and a report from independent consultants Carr Sports. The decision, the process behind it and the numbers in the Carr Sports report have drawn heavy criticism. But others are calling it an unpopular-but-necessary move.
Faculty Senate Vote For Reassessment of Sports And “No-Confidence” on Watts
It's been a week since UAB announced the end of its football, bowling, and rifle teams. Today at a meeting of the Faculty Senate, at least two-thirds of that body approved drafting two resolutions: a declaration supporting the school's athletic programs and a transparent financial reassessment of them; and, a "no confidence" resolution directed at university president Ray Watts. WBHM's Dan Carsen and Rachel Osier Lindley break down the day's events.
The Debate Rages about UAB Football
Almost a week after UAB President Ray Watts' announcement that the university's football program would end, vigorous debate continues about the decision. Our roundup of what people are saying.
The A.G. Gaston Motel in Birmingham: A Civil Rights Landmark
Many names are associated with the Civil Rights Movement, but sometimes buildings can hold just as much importance. Once such building is Birmingham's A.G. Gaston Motel. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders stayed there and it served as the headquarters for the Birmingham movement. Marie A. Sutton wrote about the history of the building in her new book.
John Archibald: UAB Football was not a Recent Decision
University officials say this week's decision to end UAB's football program came after a strategic planning process revealed increasing costs were unsustainable. In the days since, evidence has emerged that the university had been laying groundwork to cut football for some time. We hear more about that from Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
INTERVIEW: Big-Picture Perspective On Colleges Ending Football Programs
On December 2, the University of Alabama at Birmingham announced it is cutting its football, bowling and rifle teams after the 2014-2015 season. As costs to maintain athletics programs grow, some experts think this could be the beginning of a trend. Malcolm Moran, director of the National Sports Journalism Center, explains why to WBHM's Dan Carsen.
The Business Impact of Ending UAB Football
While many UAB students, staff and alumni are upset over the decision to end the university's football program, the team's influence isn't confined to campus. The football program has an economic impact. We explore that with Birmingham Business Journal managing editor Ty West.
What’s Behind the Decision to End UAB Football?
University of Alabama at Birmingham football players, coaches and staff are trying to figure out what's next after the university announced Tuesday its ending the school's football program. UAB President Dr. Ray Watts says UAB made the decision after a campus-wide study conducted by a consulting firm over the past year. But there's a perception among some that the decision to end football was dictated by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees. Kyle Whitmire from al.com and the Birmingham News explains.
UAB Ends Football
UAB President Ray Watts has announced the university's football program will end with the 2014-2015 academic year. Listen to the complete press conference and read reactions from Governor Robert Bentley, Birmingham Mayor William Bell and Birmingham Business Alliance President and CEO Brian Hilson.
Protestors Demand Assurances UAB Football Will Not Be Cut
Today UAB supporters dressed in green and gold school colors chanted in the sun for their football team while members of the marching band played. But it wasn't a football game. It was on Birmingham's 20th Street South, in front of the university's administration building. They were responding to reports that the football program may be discontinued, and they're angry about that possibility.
Reports: UAB heading toward shutting down football
Multiple news outlets are reporting that UAB is taking steps to disband the football program this week.
