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Woodfin Presents First City Budget Proposal
The Birmingham City Council heard Mayor Randall Woodfin’s first proposed spending plan today, then set a budget hearing for May 14. The mayor says, the city has to make some tough decisions.
Environmental Groups: Fees Tied to Solar are ‘Unlawful’
Attorneys recently filed a complaint with the state Public Service Commission against Alabama Power over extra fees the power company imposes on homes, schools, and small businesses that use solar power. The complaint calls the five-year-old fees “unlawful” and “contrary to the public interest.”
For UAB’s Might, Precision Medicine Was Personal
Medical treatments sometimes have to take a one-size-fits-all approach. But those treatments don’t always work the same way for everyone. Precision medicine is an emerging way to care for patients that considers their individual genes, environments, and lifestyles. And the leader of UAB's effort to do that is here because of his son.
Birmingham Economy’s Prospects? Study Under Wraps Takes Exacting Look
This story by Robert Carter and Carol Nunnelley originally appeared in BirminghamWatch. In January, Alabama’s Department of Labor reported online help-wanted ads for 2,089 openings for registered nurses in the state. Only truck drivers were more highly sought. In metro Birmingham, the help-wanted website indeed.com listed more than 600 openings for jobs with the keyword […]
A Forgotten Civil Rights Battle — Public Libraries
Protests from the civil rights movement centered on lunch counters, buses or the voting booth. But one often forgotten battle was over public libraries.
Judge Sends Case of Huffman High Shooter to Grand Jury
A Jefferson County grand jury will decide the next steps in the case of Michael Barber, accused of fatally shooting his schoolmate Courtlin Arrington in March at Huffman High.
WBHM Politics: Tariffs and China
China and the U.S. have locked horns over tariffs. Alabama companies and farmers are right in the middle.
UAB Hospitals Given Top Marks On Patient Safety
UAB Hospital and UAB Highlands Hospital each scored an "A" on a national nonprofit's patient safety assessment released Tuesday.
Bragg’s Food Memoir is an Ode to ‘The Best Cook’
Alabama author Rick Bragg celebrates his mother's cooking in a new memoir -- The Best Cook in the World: Tales From My Momma’s Table.
Jefferson County Unveils New Mural Showing Diversity
A new mural unveiled at the Jefferson County courthouse Tuesday depicts a diversity community. It's an answer to two murals from the 1930s which show slaves picking cotton and shirtless industrial laborers.
Museum Exhibit Gives a View of 1930s Birmingham
The exhibit Magic City Realism, a collection of etchings at the Birmingham Museum of Art, shows life in Birmingham during the Great Depression.
Mixed Response For Birmingham Horse Carriage Rides
In a few weeks, horse drawn carriages will be plodding around the streets of Birmingham, taking people around the city. The city council unanimously approved the carriage service last week. Some are excited about the new service, while others have serious concerns.
2018 Governor’s Race: State Senator Bill Hightower
Republican State Senator Bill Hightower says Alabama needs a business-minded approach to state government and that’s why he’s running for governor.
Eric Mackey Named State School Superintendent
Eric Mackey is Alabama’s new state superintendent of education. The state Board of Education selected Mackey today after interviewing three finalists. Craig Pouncey of Jefferson County Schools and Kathy Murphy of Hoover City Schools were finalists.
2018 Governor’s Race: Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle
Huntsville is Alabama’s third largest city, but it’s projected to surpass Montgomery and Birmingham in the coming years. Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle says he can expand that kind of growth to the entire state and that’s why he’s running for governor.
Lack of Guidance Leads to Web Access Lawsuits
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act required public places to accommodate people with disabilities. But back then, before the Internet grew into what it is now, the law didn’t address the accessibility of websites. Now, with a proliferation of lawsuits, many companies are racing to bring their sites into compliance with industry standards.
When Your Child Isn’t the Child You Expected
Sometimes children turn out differently than parents had hoped or expected. Writer and psychologist Andrew Solomon, author of Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, looked at how parents manage to find profound meaning in raising exceptional children.
Birmingham Columnist Takes Journalism’s Top Prize
For the first time in eleven years, Birmingham has a Pulitzer Prize winner. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald won the Pulitzer for commentary Monday.
2018 Governor’s Race: Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox
Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox is best known for rebuilding that city after a devastating tornado hit in 2011. In his bid to become the Democratic nominee for governor in the June 5 primary, he's pushing for an education lottery, expansion of Medicaid, and an end to proposals that would have teachers carry guns.
No Decision in the Case of the Covered Confederate Monument
The base of a Confederate monument in Linn Park will remain covered for now. Jefferson County Judge Mike Graffeo did not make a decision after hearing arguments from the City of Birmingham and the state Attorney General’s Office. The state sued Birmingham last year, saying that the city violated the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act in […]
Federal Court to Hear Birmingham Minimum Wage Case
A federal appeals court is scheduled to hear arguments Friday in a case over Birmingham’s attempt to increase the minimum wage in the city to $10.10.
Alabama vs. Birmingham: Court Hearing On Confederate Monument Set for Friday
A Jefferson County judge is scheduled to hear arguments Friday in the state’s lawsuit against the city of Birmingham and former Mayor William Bell for covering a Confederate monument in Linn Park. Bell had city workers cover the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors monument with plywood in August 2017. His action followed a deadly far-right protest in Charlottesville. That […]
Stuck in Parrish: Train Cars Full of Sewage
The weather is warming up. And while many of us welcome springtime temperatures, residents in the Walker County town of Parrish are filled with dread. That’s because the warmer it gets, the smellier the air becomes. That stench is human waste that a private company let sit on train cars for months.
WBHM Politics: Election Season Overview
Election season is underway in Alabama with party primaries June 5th and the general election in November. We'll talk about the upcoming elections, some of the dynamics at play and a few key races.
Watch Live: Zuckerberg Testimony Before House Lawmakers
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is appearing on Capitol Hill for a second day of hearings about protecting its users’ data. The House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing follows hours of questioning by lawmakers in the Senate. Facebook is under scrutiny after revelations that the data-mining and political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica obtained the data of […]
Barons Pick Up the Pace This Season
The Birmingham Barons have their first home game of the season Wednesday against Montgomery. And like many minor league baseball teams, they're implementing some changes to make games faster and more fun to watch.
Study: Alabama Ranks Third in Premature Death
A comprehensive report published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at life expectancy and other key health measures across the U.S. Alabama ranked third-worst in premature death, but there was good news also.
Watch Live: Zuckerberg’s Testimony to Congress
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is testifying on Capitol Hill to answer questions about protecting user data. The hearing held by the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees follows news that the data-mining and political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica obtained personal information of up to 87 million Facebook users. The firm is accused of using that information […]
Tornado-Ravaged Jacksonville State Prepares to Head Back to Class
Classes resume Monday at Jacksonville State University, three weeks after a tornado slammed into the campus and surrounding community. The school was on spring break when the storm hit and that’s seen as a big reason there were no deaths. With students returning to campus, a new phase of recovery begins.
Apple CEO Commemorates King’s Legacy in Birmingham
Apple CEO and Alabama native Tim Cook returned to his home state today to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Cook spoke to a diverse group of high school and college students at a Southern Christian Leadership Conference forum at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.
50 Years After King’s Death, Birmingham Remembers
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a civil rights movement that changed America. His assassination on April 4, 1968, set off deadly riots and protests in places like Chicago and Washington. But Birmingham didn’t have a prolonged violent response, even though some of King’s most noted victories were launched here.
The Story Behind Alabama’s Latest Public Corruption Case
Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald discusses a corruption case involving two state lawmakers, a lobbyist and a California healthcare company.
