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How the Gaza war has remade the Middle East
What began as a battle between Israel and Hamas morphed into a much wider regional conflict that has reshaped much of the Middle East.
2025 ABBY Award Entry — News Reporter, Richard Banks
Montage of stories from Richard Banks including: Barely Legal: Some officials in Alabama want to outlaw delta-8. Others want to make it safer — Dec. 18, 2024 Understaffed, the Birmingham Police Department is trying to rebuild trust and its ranks — Aug. 1, 2024 One thing about unspeakable tragedy … you have to speak about […]
2025 ABBY Award Entry — News Reporter, Noelle Annonen
Montage of stories from Noelle Annonen including: ‘Five Points South is so much more than that’: residents reflect one month after mass shooting — Oct. 21, 2024 ‘Iced Cherries’: Joe D. Nelson’s take on modern folk and age old tropes — Nov. 22, 2024 Alabama wants to lower recidivism rates by 2030. What are the […]
2025 ABBY Award Entry — News Reporter, Kelsey Shelton
Montage of stories from Kelsey Shelton including: Pro-Palestinian demonstration draws counter-protest at University of Alabama — May 2, 2024 New opera delves into less familiar part of Helen Keller’s story — Jan. 19, 2024 Anti-DEI bill faces opposition from students across Alabama — March 18, 2024 From scrap to sculpture: Joe Minter’s art reflects Birmingham’s […]
Conan O’Brien will receive the Mark Twain Prize for comedy
"I am honored to be the first winner of the Mark Twain Prize recognized not for humor, but for my work as a riverboat pilot," O'Brien said in a release from The Kennedy Center.
Local LA theaters bring puppets and movies to families for respite from fires
Vidiots and the Bob Baker Marionette Theater teamed up to provide an escape from reality for families facing trauma and loss from the Los Angeles wildfires.
Netanyahu delays ceasefire vote, claiming Hamas created a ‘last minute crisis’
The deal was set to be ratified by Israeli Cabinet on Thursday. But Netanyahu says, without specifying, that Hamas has gone back on several parts of the ceasefire agreement at the last minute.
How would RFK Jr. handle bird flu? His record on vaccines has experts on edge
Trump's pick for health secretary has a record of attacking vaccines. In fact he's even taken direct aim at bird flu shots. Some scientists fear this doesn't bode well in case of a crisis.
Trump’s energy secretary nominee faces questions over climate posts and LA fires
Trump's pick for secretary of energy, fracking executive Chris Wright, faced questions about a past social media post calling wildfires "hype."
What happens after a wildfire destroys your home? A survivor has tips
"What the hell just happened to my future?" — that's the immediate thought for many people when they learn a fire has destroyed their home, says consumer advocate Annie Barbour.
The Transportation Department sues Southwest Airlines for alleged oft-delayed flights
The agency is seeking civil penalties against Southwest Airlines, and also fined Frontier Airlines for its continuous delays.
We asked experts to grade Biden’s job on education. They gave it a C average
We asked more than a dozen educators, researchers, advocates and experts how they would grade Biden's education legacy. He got two F's, no A's and lots of votes in the middle.
Trump wants a quick end to the Ukraine war. That’s a tall order
The war has reached a critical point. A real peace seems unlikely, but a ceasefire is possible, most experts agree. The question is whether it can be achieved without placing Ukraine in further peril.
Trump’s pick for secretary of the Interior Department is Doug Burgum. Here’s what to know
Doug Burgum, former North Dakota governor and businessman is President Donald Trump's pick to be Secretary of the Interior. The confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thurs., Jan 16, 2025.
A need for speed: Several states are looking for ways to count votes faster
Lawmakers in California and other states want to change vote-counting rules to speed up the process. One key question is whether counting can be sped up without sacrificing access to the ballot.
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin launches massive New Glenn rocket on first test flight
The rocket was supposed to launch Monday, but ice buildup caused a delay. It's built to haul spacecraft and eventually astronauts to orbit and also the moon.
Pro-Stacey Abrams groups to pay record fine for breaking Georgia campaign finance law
The two groups' current leadership admitted 16 instances of illegal activity in a consent decree and will pay a $300,000 fine, the largest in state history, according to the commission.
Will Lewis’s first year at ‘Washington Post’: Cancellations, red ink and an exodus
Subscribers and star journalists have fled the Post in its first year under CEO and Publisher Will Lewis. Now staff have signed a petition asking owner Jeff Bezos to intervene.
After half a century in politics, Biden will bid farewell in an Oval Office address
President Biden had once hoped to be giving a second inaugural address. Instead, he'll be saying farewell to public life, and trying to frame his legacy one last time.
Flags to be raised for Trump’s inauguration, despite half-staff order for Carter’s death
The president-elect had expressed concern that Democrats seemed happy to see the flag lowered during the inauguration ceremony despite the tradition of lowering flags after a president's death.
Trump’s Cabinet pick for secretary of transportation is Sean Duffy. Here’s what to know
While some of President-elect Trump's Cabinet nominees faced sharp questioning this week, Sean Duffy received a friendly welcome in his confirmation hearing to be secretary of transportation.
Here’s everyone performing at the presidential inauguration
Unlike Donald Trump's first inauguration in 2017, which reportedly struggled to book high-profile performers, several well-known artists will partake in this year's inaugural events.
Alabama inmate asks court to block nitrogen gas execution
Demetrius Terrence Frazier is scheduled to be executed Feb. 6. His attorneys in a Wednesday court filing asked a judge to block the execution unless the state makes changes to the protocol.
Inflation remains stubbornly high for many Americans. Could it get worse under Trump?
Consumer prices rose 2.9% in December from a year earlier, marking the third consecutive monthly uptick in annual inflation.
How do you ensure good luck on Lunar New Year? NPR wants to know
The Lunar New Year falls on Jan. 29 this year. NPR wants to know what traditions you uphold to ensure good luck in the year to come.
Ancient Celtic tribe had women at its social center
Ancient DNA reveals that during the Iron Age, women in ancient Celtic societies were at the center of their social networks — unlike previous eras of prehistory.
Years ago, writer Pico Iyer lost everything in a wildfire. This is what he learned
After a 1990 wildfire destroyed his home and possessions, Iyer started over. The loss led him to a Benedictine monastery, where he found comfort and compassion in solitude. His new memoir is Aflame.
LA fires are still raging, but forecasters expect calmer winds in the coming days
It was another day of fierce winds gusting to 65 mph in mountainous areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, but weather more conducive to firefighting operations is expected soon.
John Deere faces U.S. lawsuit over farmers’ ability to repair tractors
The Federal Trade Commission and two states accuse Deere of costing farmers time and money by unfairly limiting software access and forcing the use of only authorized dealers.
Invasive green crabs threaten West Coast ecosystems. One solution? Otters
As invasive green crabs wreak havoc on California's estuaries, a new study has found that a restored sea otter population might be the solution.
FBI background checks of presidential nominees, explained
Confirmation hearings for Cabinet members nominated by President-elect Trump are underway. The FBI conducts background checks focusing on "character and conduct" of the nominees. What's involved?
New Drake lawsuit claims his label pushed ‘Not Like Us’ diss to defame him
The Toronto rapper is suing Universal Music Group for defamation, alleging that the release and promotion of Kendrick Lamar's 2024 hit threatened his life and career.
