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World Game medals make their debut in Birmingham, but will soon be all over the world

Medals for the World Games, which will take place in Birmingham in July, were unveiled by city leaders and games organizers Wednesday at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

US vaccination drive is bottoming out as omicron subsides

The vaccination drive against COVID-19 in the U.S. is grinding to a halt, and lagging demand is especially stark in conservative corners of the country where many people weren't interested in the shots in the first place.

House votes to allow concealed handguns without permit

The Alabama House of Representatives approved legislation ending the requirement for a person to get a permit in order to carry a concealed handgun in public.

Alabama lawmakers advance transgender students bathroom ban

The effort by Alabama legislators comes after the U.S. Supreme Court last year rejected a Virginia school board's appeal to reinstate its transgender bathroom ban.

Bill that would ban concealed carry permits in Alabama advances

Lawmakers also advanced a so-called bathroom bill but delayed a bill increasing penalties for rioters.

Across the bridge: Alabama Dem carries torch for voting bill

Rep. Terri Sewell's voting bill collapsed in the Senate last month, but she is determined to press on. In March, Selma will mark the anniversary of the “Bloody Sunday” voting rights march.

Mississippi’s plan to stop Alabama from stealing its teachers? Pay them thousands more

As Mississippi lawmakers plot how to keep more teachers in the state, educators warn the state’s bill targeting critical race theory could drive them away.

WBHM to bring Birmingham’s voices to national NPR audiences through ‘1A Remaking America’

A two-year public media partnership between WBHM and 1A will explore local threats to America’s democracy.

Amtrak’s proposed Mobile-New Orleans line is ‘a bad idea’ for Alabama, officials say

Mississippi wants to move full steam ahead with plans to restore the passenger rail, but Alabama worries the line will disrupt the freight rail.

2022 PMJA Awards — Spot News

Newscast spot aired July 29, 2021 Intro: The rise in COVID cases is on the minds of many as Birmingham City Schools students return to the classroom Monday. But on Thursday some kids had something else on their minds — a fresh haircut for the first day of school. WBHM’s Kyra Miles has more.

Applications close soon for flood damage relief in central Alabama

Jefferson and Shelby counties experienced flooding in October 2021. The federal applications for flooding relief close soon.

PMJA Awards — Breaking News, Part 2

Newscasts from March 26, 2021, the morning after a tornado outbreak in Alabama

PMJA Awards — Breaking News, Part 1

Newscasts from March 25, 2021 during a tornado outbreak in Alabama

How a Birmingham art educator makes art feel accessible and inclusive

Angie May wants art to reach everyone who visits the Birmingham Museum of Art. As the associate director in learning and engagement, she heads inclusive and innovative initiatives to open art history to younger generations.

Alabama Republicans pass bill to hike penalties for removing Confederate monuments

Republicans also advanced a bill that would require jail time for those who participate in a riot, plus another banning certain therapies for transgender youth.

Jewish family faces death threats after complaining about Nazi salute performed in class

A teacher at Mountain Brook High School allegedly led students in a salute that mimics how Nazis raised their arms in World War II. A Jewish student in the class complained and his family says they’re now receiving death and arson threats.

Travel nurse salaries are rising due to demand. Some hospitals say it’s price gouging

In the Gulf South, Mississippi has spent around $90 million on temporary medical staff. Louisiana has spent nearly $250 million.

2022 Murrow Award — Overall Excellence

WBHM’s entry for overall excellence includes the following: 00:00 – “Birmingham Teachers Welcome Students Back to School Amid COVID Surge” (aired 08/02/21) 01:53 – Excerpt from audio postcard – “Alabama’s Frontline Providers: ‘We are Overworked And We are Frustrated” (aired 08/19/21) 04:45 – “Surge in Deaths Strains Local Funeral Homes, Morgue” (aired 02/12/21) 08:53 – […]

2022 Murrow Awards — News Series, Part Two

Second part of the news series “Gun Violence in the Magic City” This piece is titled “Birmingham Residents Offer Solutions to Gun Violence but Some Victims Feel Hopeless” and it aired June 29, 2021.

2022 Murrow Awards — Sports Reporting

Story titled “After a blowout pilot season, high school girls flag football could be an official sport in Alabama” which originally aired on Nov. 30, 2021

After bomb threats, Southern HBCU leaders discuss how to move forward: ‘We can’t cave’

Historically Black colleges and universities in multiple states, including Alabama, have received bomb threats this month.

EXPLAINER: How Alabama congressional map got to high court

A divided Supreme Court is allowing Alabama to use re-drawn congressional districts for the 2022 elections that a lower court found had improperly diluted the votes of Black residents.

New Birmingham Public Library board will decide the future of library closures 

The Birmingham Public Library Board will swear in new board members Tuesday afternoon, making a majority of the appointees first timers.   

Supreme Court lets Alabama use GOP-backed map of the state’s congressional districts

The court's action came on an emergency appeal from Alabama, which challenged a decision by a three-judge federal court panel that included two Trump appointees.

2022 Murrow Award — Breaking News, Part 2

Excerpts from morning newscasts on March 26, 2021, the day after a deadly tornado outbreak in Alabama

2022 Murrow Award — Breaking News, Part 1

Excerpts from WBHM’s afternoon newscasts on March 25, 2021, when a deadly tornados hit Alabama

Gulf South hospitals face ‘worst-case scenario’ as staffing costs skyrocket

Facilities are under strain and federal assistance only goes so far.

School choice and permitless carry bills face rocky road in the Alabama legislature

Legislative committees passed both measures this week, but not before speakers at hearings expressed criticism of the proposals.

Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama vote for second time in union effort

Last year, Alabama workers voted against forming the first unionized Amazon warehouse in the U.S. Then, federal labor officials said Amazon unfairly influenced that election. Now, a re-vote begins.

Seeking asylum in the U.S. is not easy. It’s harder when you speak a rare language

Two men who speak a rare language languished in Louisiana and Mississippi detention centers, they say, because they couldn't interview in their native tongue.

EXPLAINER: COVID vaccines for kids under 5: What’s next?

COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5 may be available in the U.S. as early as March, but there are several hurdles still to clear.