News
Flu Activity Widespread in Alabama
Rates of flu-like activity are on the rise throughout Alabama. They've been increasing for a few weeks now, and a number of schools have closed because of the virus.
Gaelynn Lea: Advocating for Disability Rights Through Music
Gaelynn Lea is a classically trained violinist who was born with brittle bone disease, a genetic disorder that results in very fragile bones. She shares more about her condition and how being a wheelchair user hasn’t stopped her from performing.
Jamie N Commons Makes Tour Stop in Birmingham
Singer-songwriter Jamie N Commons kicks off a tour of the South this weekend with headliner Jacob Banks. Commons is known for his creative blend of rock and soul. He talks about his influences and his upcoming performance in Birmingham.
Officials Won’t Name Hoover Officer Involved in Shooting. Why Not?
Officials still have not released the name of the police officer who shot and killed a 21-year-old black man at the Riverchase Galleria mall. The attorney general cleared the officer of any wrongdoing. Should authorities release his name?
Pig Hearts Could Keep Babies Awaiting Transplants Alive
Scientists hope in the future, pig hearts can be a temporary solution for babies who need a transplant. UAB researchers recently presented their findings about this, and early results seem promising.
Protests Move To Montgomery, Hoover Mayor Speaks Out
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato says the city plans to defend the unidentified officer who shot and killed Emantic Bradford Jr. in any future civil litigation. Meanwhile, outraged protesters demonstrate outside of the state attorney general's office in Montgomery.
AG Steve Marshall Explains Why He Cleared Hoover Officer in Fatal Shooting
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall's office spent more than two months investigating the shooting death of Emantic "EJ" Bradford Jr. at the hands of a Hoover police officer. Marshall released the findings of his investigation and explained to WBHM why he won't prosecute the officer.
AG Marshall: Hoover Police Officer Was Justified in Fatal Shooting
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall says the officer who shot and killed Emantic Bradford Jr. Thanksgiving night was justified. This comes in a report released Tuesday, more than two months after the shooting.
Trump’s State of the Union Address
President Trump is delivering his State of the Union address, which the White House says will outline a “policy agenda both parties can rally behind.” Yet the speech follows the longest shutdown in U.S. history, and the deadline to avoid another one is in less than two weeks. NPR reporters covering the White House, Congress, […]
Doug Jones Plans Summit to Explore HBCU Challenges
Alabama has more Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCU’s, than any state in the nation. Many of those schools struggle financially. U.S. Sen. Doug Jones has worked to boost federal funding of HBCU’s. On Friday he holds the first annual HBCU summit at Lawson State Community College.
ASO Director Reacts to Political Crisis in Venezuela
Venezuela’s political crisis is at a boiling point. There are food shortages, and dozens have died in recent violent protests. Carlos Izcaray, music director of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, has seen Venezuela’s downward spiral firsthand and shares his experience.
At Children’s Hospital, a Note with Lunch
Patients at Children’s Hospital of Alabama now get a little extra pick-me-up. Every day at lunch, kids there receive a note, called a napkinism.
Alabama’s Federal Employees Return to Work as Federal Shutdown Is Temporarily Ended
Federal employees in Birmingham and across the state returned to work Monday after a record-setting, five-week partial federal shutdown that affected about 5,500 workers, almost 10 percent of the state’s 50,000 federal employees.
Alabama Lawmakers’ Pay up 4% in 2019
Alabamians’ median household income increased in 2017, which means Alabama lawmakers received a corresponding 4.03 percent pay increase this year. Their annual salary is now $48,123. This is the third raise for lawmakers since 2014, when their pay was tied to household incomes through a voter-approved constitutional amendment.
School Closings for Tuesday Jan. 29
Many schools systems around Alabama will be closed Tuesday, January 29th due to expected snow.
Bradford Family Renews Calls For Release of Shooting Video
The family of Emantic “EJ” Bradford Jr. renewed the call today for authorities to release all videos from the fatal Thanksgiving night shooting at the Riverchase Galleria mall.
Civil Rights Institute Reverses Decision on Angela Davis Award Again
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute will award Birmingham native Angela Davis its 2018 Fred Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award -- again. Friday's reversal is the latest development in a public controversy that has embroiled the institute for the last month.
Civil Rights Institute Grapples With Fallout From Davis Decision
A few weeks from now, political activist Angela Davis is expected to speak in Birmingham. This despite that earlier this month, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute rescinded an award it initially planned to give to Davis. The decision roiled the city, sowed divisions, and led to the resignation of three board members.
Birmingham Denies Application For Woodlawn Charter School
The Birmingham school board denied the application Thursday for a proposed charter school in Woodlawn.
Jefferson County Commission Plans Town Hall Meeting to Explain Sewer Rate Increases
Jefferson County Commissioners had a lengthy discussion during their committee meeting Tuesday about setting a town hall meeting to focus on rising sewer rates as a result of the county’s bankruptcy.
Scales Opens the Windows of the County’s Committee Meeting Room
Citizens of Jefferson County could only imagine the discussion and debate that happened when commissioners assembled for their committee meetings.
One-Third of Alabama’s Failing Schools Are in the Birmingham Metro Area
The Alabama State Department of Education has posted its list of the state’s failing public schools, and 25 Birmingham metro-area public schools are on it. Statewide, 76 public schools are on the list.
UAB Police Chief Named President of National Accreditation Group
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, or CALEA, has chosen UAB Police Chief Anthony Purcell to lead the national organization. The commission sets hundreds of standards for law enforcement agencies on everything from body cam usage to bias training.
Uniontown Hopes to Finally Fix its Sewage Problem
The city of Uniontown is set to receive more than $31 million in mostly federal money to address a decades-old sewage issue. But some say the problem should have already been fixed.
Alabama Licenses Midwives for the First Time in Decades
For the first time in more than 40 years, Alabama has licensed professional midwives. Last week, the newly formed Alabama State Board of Midwifery issued credentials to five women.
North Birmingham Neighborhoods ‘Have Taken a Beating,’ Work to Unite Over Pollution Concerns
The EPA Superfund cleanup and ABC Coke’s proposed air emissions permit have dominated health concerns of residents in northern Birmingham neighborhoods for months. Now officials and residents of several neighborhoods there are attempting to form a coalition to broaden the concerns to other sources of possible pollution.
Organist Hired by MLK Still Plays at Historic Church
The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church from 1954-1960. King hired an organist named Althea Thomas. More than 60 years later, Thomas still plays at the historic church.
After the Destruction, Wetumpka Begins to Recover
Wetumpka began what will likely be a long road to recovery on Sunday, one day after a powerful tornado ripped through the town causing extensive damage to a number of buildings and homes.
Shutdown Leaves Some Alabama Farmers in Limbo
Tuesday marks one month for the partial federal government shutdown and it’s not just federal workers feeling the pinch. Farmers in Alabama are also seeing its effects.
Tornado Rips Through Wetumpka Causing Extensive Damage
A tornado Saturday caused significant damage to parts of Wetumpka. Numerous reports show the tornado damaged homes, took down trees, and destroyed a church.
This Weekend’s Super Blood Wolf Moon … or Something Like That
Alabamians, along with millions in many parts of the world, are getting ready for a show Sunday night. There will be a total lunar eclipse. Some call it a ‘super blood wolf moon.’
Grand Jury to Decide Fate of Man Charged in Mall Shooting
A Jefferson County judge sent the case of Erron Brown to a grand jury following a Thursday preliminary hearing. Brown is charged with attempted murder in the mall shooting that injured two people and left one dead on Thanksgiving.
