News

Alabama enacts new restrictions on absentee ballot requests

Alabama has placed new restrictions on assistance with absentee ballot requests, making it illegal to return another person's ballot application and making it a felony to pay someone to distribute or collect applications.

This new high-speed fiber internet project aims to close the technology gap in Alabama’s Black Belt

The $230 million project, which broke ground in Selma in early March, will reach around 53,000 homes and businesses.

March Madness is here! Here are the Gulf South teams to watch in the men’s, women’s tournaments

Get info on the seven men’s teams and five women’s teams playing in the NCAA Division I basketball tournament, plus see what time they play.

Alabama pharmacists urge lawmakers to pass HB 238

Supporters of the legislation say it would create a more transparent reimbursement system for struggling pharmacies. The bill's opponents worry it could drive up insurance costs.

Anti-DEI bill faces opposition from students across Alabama

College students across the state are speaking out against Senate Bill 129, which would restrict the funding of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

Alabamians want public officials to mitigate landslide risk

In Birmingham, residents want two properties shielded from development and turned into parkland. Councilors decided to protect one parcel years ago. The vote never stuck.

What do you want state lawmakers to know?

That’s the question WBHM put to people at our recent News and Brews community pop-up at Church Street Coffee in Mt. Brook. Despite the early hour, those at the shop had plenty to share. 

As Alabama tries to legalize sports betting, advocates point to neighboring states’ success

Increased tax revenues in states like Louisiana are one reason many pro-sports betting Alabamians say it’s time to catch up to neighbors in the Gulf South.

Alabama state lawmaker Rogers to plead guilty to federal charges

The charges are related to what federal prosecutors described as a kickback scheme that diverted money from a state fund intended to pay for community projects in Jefferson County.

Britt used decades-old example of rapes in Mexico as Republican attack on Biden border policy

An independent journalist revealed in a TikTok video Friday that the sex trafficking of the victim mentioned by Britt on Thursday did not happen during the Biden administration or in the United States.

What architects learned from 30 years of building affordable homes in Alabama’s Black Belt

Auburn University’s Rural Studio is sharing its wealth of knowledge with partners in a half dozen states to help solve rural homelessness.

SATs are going all digital, and students have mixed reviews of the new format

As SAT season kicks off this weekend, students across the U.S. for the first time will take it with computers and tablets — and not the pencils they've used since the college admissions test was introduced nearly a century ago.

IVF, school choice and gambling dominate the week in Montgomery

Most in vitro fertilization services resumed across Alabama after Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill into law Wednesday night granting immunity to fertility clinics. This is in response to an Alabama Supreme Court ruling last month that found frozen embryos are children.

Clothing makes the character: Disney costumes come to the Birmingham Museum of Art

The Birmingham Museum of Art’s latest exhibit, Heroes and Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume, consists of 70 original costumes from live-action Disney films, offering the Birmingham community a peek behind the curtain to see the costumes’ artistry up close.

Two Alabama IVF providers resume treatment under new law

Patients celebrated the new legislation, which grants civil and criminal immunity to providers involved in IVF procedures.

Sen. Katie Britt will stride onto the national stage to deliver GOP’s State of the Union response

After only a year in the Senate, Britt is wielding her influence to carve out a unique role in the party. As the youngest female senator, she represents a new generation of Republicans in a volatile political era.

Alabama governor signs legislation protecting IVF providers from legal liability into law

Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill after it was approved in a late-night session by lawmakers scrambling to address a wave of criticism after services were halted at some of the state's largest fertility clinics.

The HBCU Legacy Bowl is more than a game. It also prepares students for life after sports

Organizers for the all-star game, now in its third year, host a career fair where HBCU students and recent grads plan for their futures before the big game.

Alabama’s redrawn US House map spurs primary runoffs and ousts an incumbent on Super Tuesday

Alabama voters shook up the state’s congressional delegation Tuesday, throwing out one Republican incumbent and sending four candidates to runoffs in a district redrawn by a federal court to give Black voters greater opportunity to elect a representative of their choice.

Sarah Stewart wins Republican race to lead Alabama Supreme Court, weeks after frozen embryo ruling

Stewart defeated Bryan Taylor, a former state senator and legal adviser to two governors, to secure the GOP nomination. She will face Circuit Judge Greg Griffin, a Democrat from Montgomery, in November.

Thousands honor Selma Jubilee, voting rights ahead of March 5 election

On the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, thousands marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to honor those brutally attacked in the fight for civil rights.

Kamala Harris leads Bloody Sunday memorial as marchers’ voices ring out for voting rights

Harris joined those gathered at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where voting rights activists were beaten back by law enforcement officers in 1965. The vice president praised the marchers' bravery for engaging in a defining moment of the civil rights struggle.

Alabama lawmakers pass protections for IVF clinics

In vitro fertilization dominated the conversation in Montgomery for another week in the wake of last month’s Alabama Supreme Court ruling that found frozen embryos are considered children.

Alabama lawmakers rush to get IVF services restarted

Facing public pressure to get IVF services resumed in the state, both chambers of the Alabama Legislature advanced legislation that would extend lawsuit protections to clinics.

Video shows person of interest in explosion outside Alabama attorney general’s office

The short security camera clip shared by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency shows a person strolling down a sidewalk, wearing a facemask, stocking cap, dark jacket and gloves. A statement from the agency described the person as someone who “may have information related to this crime.”

Here are the details on Tuesday’s proposed constitutional amendment

Voters heading to the polls Tuesday will see a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot. Amendment 1 would remove a procedural step when considering local legislation.

From sea to table to sea: How recycled oyster shells are restoring the Alabama coast

Gulf South oyster reefs are fading because of the changing climate. Alabama hopes to reverse this by using recycled shells to grow oyster gardens.

Alabama IVF patients describe heartbreak, anger after ruling

The panel of patients came in the wake of an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that called into question the future of some fertility treatments in the state.

Alabama fertility care in limbo as lawmakers discuss legislation

As patients lose access to care, the clock is ticking for Alabama lawmakers to agree on legislation to protect IVF.

Lawmakers promise action after Alabama IVF ruling

One story dominated Alabama politics this past week – an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that found frozen embryos are considered children under a state civil law.

A mother asks what’s next after Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are children

Dr. Aubrey Coleman, who’s a mom, pediatrician, and IVF patient, discusses the far-reaching repercussions of the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that finds embryos are legally the same as children.

4 factors besides cold weather that explain expensive winter power bills

Like many in the Gulf South, Will Burt’s power bill spiked in January due to extreme weather. But how much of the increase can be attributed to the cold?