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Jeffco Commission Pres. Carrington on Budget Cuts
Jefferson County has a new budget. Commissioners approved it yesterday. The Associated Press describes it as a "balanced" budget, which it's required by law to be. Other local media outlets are describing it as "bare bones" or worse. At $160 million, it's more than a $100 million less than the county's budget was just a few years ago.
Alabama’s High Gender Wage Gap
A new analysis of U.S. Census data finds that Alabama has one of the largest gender wage gaps in the country. In 2011, the typical working woman in Alabama was paid only 74.2 cents for every dollar the average man made.
September 26 News
Gadsden and Trussville pass budgets; Birmingham continues talks over $150M bond issue; and Selma stops construction on controversial monument to Civil War general and KKK leader.
Peanut Butter Recall
Several brands of peanut butter sold in Alabama are being recalled over concerns about possible salmonella contamination. Complete list of recalled products here.
Reverse Integration In A Birmingham School
Birmingham was at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, a major front in the battles that ended legal segregation. When the schools were integrated, white people fled the city, taking resources and other advantages with them. That continues today, but about two dozen families are bucking the trend and trying to reverse the process. WBHM's Southern Education Desk reporter Dan Carsen has the story.
Wayne Flynt on Selma Monument Controversy
Protesters backed by several civil rights groups will march in Selma Tuesday afternoon, protesting a planned monument to Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. The project is supposed to replace a bust of Forrest which was stolen earlier this year. While supporters say he was a military genius, Forrest was also an early Ku Klux Klan leader, making him a symbol of hate according to opponents. Alabama is no stranger to these types of conflict, so we asked for some perspective from former Auburn University history professor Wayne Flynt.
September 25 News
Selma debates whether to honor a Civil War general who also led the Ku Klux Klan; Alabamians who lost homes to foreclosure could get piece of $25B settlement; and Alabama newspaper legend dies.
September 24 News
Birmingham man arrested for tweeted death threats against Pres. Obama; UAH professor goes on trial for murdering colleagues; Plea deal may be in the works in running death of Etowah County girl.
Opera Birmingham Announces New Season
Opera Birmingham has announced its 2012-2013 season. The season opener features the winner of the “Opera Idol 2012” Audience Favorite Award and later in the season the company presents Mozart's The Magic Flute for the first time in more than a decade.
September 21 News
Mexico reviews possible NAFTA violations related to Alabama's immigration law; ABC agents seize supplies from Hop City Birmingham; and tests confirm tar balls from BP spill.
September 20 News
Hoover could get three free-standing emergency departments and infant mortality rate is at an all-time low in Alabama, but the news isn't all good.
Is $437M Transfer Just a Temporary Bandaid?
It's official. By a 2-to-1 margin, Alabama voters have approved a constitutional amendment to transfer $437 million from the Alabama Trust Fund to the General Fund Budget. The money will help pay for basic services like Medicaid, prisons and child protective services. But John Archibald says it may just be kicking the can down the road.
September 19 News
Voters approve transfer of $437 million from trust fund to General Fund; BP loosens documentation requirements for oil spill losses; and Alabama faces expensive and deadly obesity crisis.
September 18 News
Polls are open till 7 p.m. and state officials expect low turnout for today's referendum; a lawsuit over segregating HIV-positive prison inmates goes to trial; and heavy rains drench the region.
September 17 News
Birmingham's burgeoning food truck movement could face a setback; forces on both side of the September 18 referendum look forward to tomorrow's vote; UAH professor who murdered colleagues could profit from invention.
The Rise and Decline of the Redneck Riviera
The beaches that run from Mobile Bay to Panama City are some of the most beautiful in the world. Prior to World War Two they were sparsely populated and undeveloped. But that began to change after the war when the beach became a tourist destination.
Norman Rockwell’s America
Few painters have created images as popular and as intertwined with American culture as Norman Rockwell. For decades, Rockwell produced magazine covers for the Saturday Evening Post – illustrations which are folksy, nostalgic and idealized versions of the county. And even if you don’t know anything about Rockwell, there’s a good chance you’d recognize his work. Those covers and other items go on display Sunday at the Birmingham Museum of Art. We sent WBHM’s Andrew Yeager there to get a preview.
September 14 News
Forces are rallying on both sides in advance of next week’s statewide referendum. The constitutional amendment would allow the transfer of $437 million dollars from the Alabama Trust Fund to be used for Medicaid, prisons and other state services.
Sept 18 Vote, More Trouble at School Board, and Big Lobbying Bills
Next week, Alabama residents go to the polls to vote on a referendum state leaders say is vital to the financial health of the state. The vote would authorize moving $437 million from the Alabama Trust Fund to shore up the state’s general fund budget. Supporters say without the transfer critical state services will be hurt, but opponents argue the state should live within its means. John Archibald tackles that and other regional news in this week's interview.
September 13 News
New numbers show poverty is down slightly in Alabama, but median income still lags national average. Also, efforts to reopen Alabama's oldest licensed abortion clinic are dealt a blow.
New Report on Senior Citizens a Mixed Bag
A new federal study offers a snapshot on the status of seniors. Fewer are living in poverty, but more are living with chronic health problems.
September 18th Referendum
Voters in Alabama will go to the polls next Tuesday to vote on a referendum state leaders say is vital to the financial health of the state. The vote would authorize moving money from the Alabama Trust Fund to shore up the state’s general fund budget. That budget supports many services from child protection to prisons. But if the referendum does not pass, one of the biggest programs to feel the effects is Medicaid, as WBHM’s Andrew Yeager reports.
September 12 News
Former UAH professor pleads guilty to murder while former AL Governor reports to prison and Gadsden's federal courthouse targeted in closure.
Andrew Yeager to Deliver Keynote Address at Samford Univ.
WBHM Host/Reporter Andrew Yeager will talk to high school students about the future of journalism at a workshop Thursday at Samford University.
September 11 News
Alabama asks an appeals court to reconsider the state's immigration law; Former Governor Don Siegelman reports to prison today; and Tuscaloosa real estate developer Stan Pate launches media campaign against the September 18 referendum.
September 7 Morning News
Did two Birmingham City Councilmen use city money to attend the Democratic National Convention? Also, financial relief for families affected by last year's tornadoes and a German auto supplier announces plans to open in Alabama.
September 6 Morning News
Tar balls wash up on Alabama shores; Justice Department issues harsh memo on BP action in Gulf; and lawsuit challenging state's segregation of HIV+ inmates moves ahead.
September 5 Morning News
Western and southern Alabama dig out after flooding, while other parts of state gets federal drought aid; Alabama football team No. 1 in country.
September 4 Morning News
Mixed emotions over Barons move from Hoover to downtown Birmingham; oil production resumes post-Isaac; and schools figuring out how to replace textbooks with laptops.
September 3 Morning News
Bessemer residents protest closure of courthouse; U.S. Steel and United Steelworkers reach tentative agreement; and move afoot to pardon the Scottsboro Boys.
August 31 Morning News
Alabama seeks waiver from No Child Left Behind; state's shrimp boats survive Isaac without a scratch, but could still lose millions of dollars; and allegations of voting irregularities in Perry County.
John Archibald on Cooper Green Mercy Hospital
The Jefferson County Commission votes to discontinue in-patient care at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital. John Archibald offers his thoughts that situation as well as the latest from the Birmingham Board of Education, and Artur Davis' political switch.
