News
A months-long landfill fire in Alabama reveals waste regulation gaps
An unregulated landfill that accepts vegetative waste has burned underground for months. Neighbors were inundated with smoke and left wondering why the site wasn't regulated in the first place.
Public transit in the Gulf South is in need of an overhaul. The solution could lie in the past
The Gulf South is not known for its great public transit systems. Some believe Bus Rapid Transit could solve lingering issues and lead to a better future.
New exhibition driving bill would stiffen penalties, including fines and jail time
People have been injured, even killed, in exhibition driving-related incidents in Birmingham. Now, lawmakers are addressing the issue on a statewide level.
Legal complaint claims Alabama discriminates when distributing sewage infrastructure funds
Alabama only allows state funds for sewage infrastructure to go to public bodies. A civil rights complaint argues the policy hurts communities of color.
After deadliest year on record, families remember loved ones lost in Alabama prisons
Two hundred sixty-six incarcerated people died inside Alabama's prisons in 2022, and dozens have died so far in 2023.
WBRC’s new podcast explores the disappearance of Kamille ‘Cupcake’ McKinney
The 3-year-old went missing in 2019 outside a public housing complex in Birmingham. Her body was found about a week later in a dumpster.
Ivey calls session on relief funds, proposes tax rebates
Gov. Kay Ivey delivered her state of the state address on the opening night of the 2023 legislative session where key issues include how to use the state's remaining pandemic relief funds as well as a $2.8 billion education budget surplus.
Hoover says a girls basketball team’s treatment after topping the boys is a miscommunication
After a parent wrote a Facebook post alleging gender discrimination when a girls' basketball team was denied trophies, Hoover City officials said it came down to policy.
City relinquishes power over old Powell School, raising concerns about historic preservation
The property has the distinction of being the site of the city’s first public school, though it closed its doors in 2002 due to a sharp decline in enrollment.
The 2023 Alabama legislative session starts Tuesday. Here’s your preview
Lawmakers return to Montgomery at a time when money is flush thanks to federal COVID funds. Education is among the top issues expected to generate discussion.
Mississippi updated its solar energy guidelines. Renewable energy advocates want more
Mississippi added incentives for low-to-moderate income residents to encourage more investment in renewable energy. Activists are pushing for more access.
In Selma, Biden says right to vote remains under assault
President Joe Biden referenced the searing memories of 1965's “Bloody Sunday” in Selma to recommit to securing voting rights.
How this year’s Selma Bridge Crossing could mark a community renaissance
President Biden visits Selma for the 58th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday." Residents there are still recovering from tornadoes that ripped through the city in January.
These billboards want you to know how to get abortion pills — even if your state banned abortions
The nonprofit Mayday.Health organized the campaign to travel across 14 states with abortion bans.
As Alabama coal miners strike nears end, a look at why it started, and how it failed
After 700 days, the United Mine Workers of America Union asked Warrior Met Coal to allow the strikers to come back to work unconditionally.
A small team works to aid immigrants in Louisiana: ‘Do the best you can with the time you have’
Three women detail the grueling, personal work behind regular visits to Louisiana’s detention centers to help immigrants make it through the asylum process.
How a rare edition of ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ traveled from Italy to Lawson State
Lawson State Community College now owns a rare copy of one of the most influential books in American history. And it took a 5,000 mile journey to get there.
Biden to visit Selma for voting rights anniversary
President Joe Biden will speak for the annual remembrance of “Bloody Sunday,” the day in 1965 that police beat civil rights marchers near the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
Red Mountain Cut features time capsule of Alabama’s robust geologic history
A national natural landmark, the road cut along Birmingham's Red Mountain Expressway documents more than a hundred million years of geologic history and was once an educational centerpiece.
‘It’s a fight for freedom.’ Ukraine backers call for continued arms support 1 year into war
A group of supporters gathered at Railroad Park in Birmingham to draw attention to human rights violations in the country and call for continued arms support from the U.S.
Alabama governor says state will resume executions
The governor in November directed the state prison system to undertake a “top-to-bottom” review of death penalty procedures after the state was forced to cancel three lethal injections because of problems with intravenous lines.
Alabama advocates urge treatment over punishment for pregnant women jailed for substance use
Alabama’s chemical endangerment laws are strict, especially for pregnant women. One program offers alternatives to jail for treating prenatal substance use.
JeffCo Commission agrees to support Magic City Classic for 1 year, will consider longer contract later
The annual football game between Alabama State and Alabama A&M Universities has been played 80 times at Birmingham’s Legion Field.
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Alabama has 5th highest U.S. gun death rate. A study blames weak laws, high ownership
The Violence Policy Center, a non-profit educational organization, used the most recent CDC data on gun death rates in the U.S. for its analysis.
Preparing for the ‘experience of a lifetime’: Birmingham students to sing at Carnegie Hall
The choir at Ramsay High School is heading to Carnegie Hall this May. It’s an opportunity to boost school pride, but also to give some students the experience of a lifetime.
Alabama prison chief says lack of staffing remains top issue
Commissioner John Hamm said the department is looking to a combination of outsourcing, pay raises and benefit changes to increase the number of workers.
‘Injustice, Inc.’ uncovers how some in the legal system use poor families to get rich
Daniel L. Hatcher discusses his book, which looks at how state agencies exploit impoverished families to make money through the U.S. juvenile justice system.
Commission considering funding to keep Magic City Classic in Birmingham
The Jefferson County Commission is deciding on a resolution about the level of support the county will provide to the annual football game.
Garrett McQueen: The Sound of 13
Garrett McQueen wants to diversify the perception of classical music. He argues that all cultures and people have music that should be considered classical.
Alabama health officer reflects on lessons learned from COVID-19
Dr. Scott Harris describes the challenges of navigating three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, marked by political divisions and mistrust.
Alabama ‘close’ to finishing nitrogen execution protocol
Alabama has authorized the use of nitrogen hypoxia, but it has never been used to carry out a death sentence.
