Series
What Will 2017 Bring for Birmingham’s Economy?
We talk about what is expected in the Birmingham area economy in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
A Year-end Political Review with Columnist John Archibald
Alabama politics had a busy 2015. It's a year that saw the return of UAB's football program, the legalization of gay marriage and the end of Governor Robert Bentley's marriage. The year provided a steady stream of fodder for Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald. He looks back over those key stories.
Could Long-Time U.S. Senator Richard Shelby be Dethroned in 2016?
Alabama is bracing itself for a busy election cycle; not only for the presidential race and the new SEC Primary March 1, but also for a Congressional seat that’s up […]
Arc Stories: Holiday Edition
‘Tis The Season: Stories about the Holidays: A Christmas gift that completely changed the trajectory of on man’s life; the first time a little-girl gets a glimpse of the adult […]
Birmingham Council President Racks Up $18,000 in Cell Phone Fees
Birmingham City Council President Johnathan Austin has taken many trips to conventions and meetings on the taxpayers' dime, but city coffers haven't just paid for his hotel rooms. Austin has racked up more than $18,000 in international roaming fees on his cell phone and other electronic devices. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald talks about the situation.
Birmingham’s Forgotten Innovation District
Drive along First Avenue North, just on the other side of the railroad tracks from Regions Field downtown, and you might notice Innovation Depot. This is a business incubator that’s done a lot in recent years to spur entrepreneurship in Birmingham. But it’s actually part of a larger innovation district. Most people haven't heard of Birmingham's innovation district, but some city boosters say it is finally ready to take off. We talk about that in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Birmingham’s Violence Reduction Initiative
Homicides are up in Birmingham for 2015, ending a three-year decline. The reasons for the increase aren’t clear. Some point to a rise in violent crime more generally in cities across the country. Others say Birmingham’s homicide rate had dropped so low it had nowhere to go but up. In any case, city leaders are trying to respond. WBHM’s Andrew Yeager spoke with Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD, about that response.
Fallout from Tuesday’s Fight at City Hall far from Over
Birmingham City Councilman Marcus Lundy no longer faces arrest following a physical altercation with Mayor William Bell during Tuesday's city council meeting. The Mayor's Office said in a statement Wednesday night Bell is withdrawing his complaint for the good of the city. Lundy's attorney says the councilman regrets the negative impact the incident had on the city. But that doesn't mean Tuesday's fight can simply be forgotten. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald offers his reaction.
Fight at City Hall Not Craziest Thing to Happen in Alabama
A fight broke out at Birmingham City Hall between the mayor and a council member, Alabama is now under investigation by the U.S. Department of Transportation for closure of driver […]
Where Birmingham’s Business Community Sends its Campaign Cash
Alabama has seen at least seven presidential candidates make stops in the state. Much of the credit for raising Alabama’s profile on the campaign trail is given to the fact the state banned together with other southern states to hold their primaries on March 1st. It's been dubbed the SEC primary. While candidates are seeing votes, they’re also seeking donors. That’s where we start in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Birmingham Sees Highest Homicide Rate Since 2008
Birmingham is approaching its ninetieth homicide for 2015, making this the city's deadliest year since 2008.
JeffCo Residents Left Paying Bill on Billion Dollar Utility Scandal
Another Alabama lawmaker uses social media as a political podium, this time encouraging his followers to buy more guns, a settlement regarding a major banking institution may have a lasting […]
The Debate Around Guns Has to Change
San Bernardino, California, is the latest place to experience a tragic mass shooting and joins a list that includes Charleston, South Carolina, Sandy Hook, Aurora, Colorado, and may other places. After such incidents, the issue of gun violence inevitably follows, but the discussion seems stagnant with the various voices involved arguing their positions with little change. One of the most powerful voices is the National Rifle Association and Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald says "to hell with the NRA." He shares his thoughts and explains why the process around Birmingham's approval of Uber and other ride-hailing companies was flawed.
Teaching Tough Topics: NPT Reports
What should school children be taught about Islam, the Confederacy and other topics that are sensitive to some in our society? NPT Reports looks at how curriculum standards are set in Tennessee and why state officials are implementing new procedures to address public concerns as part of the Southern Education Desk's series, "Teaching Tough Topics."
What Expanded Gambling Could Mean for Alabama
State lawmakers took three legislative sessions to craft a bare-bones budget this year. Next year’s budget picture isn’t any rosier so calls are increasing for Alabama to expand gambling or start a lottery. Such a move would certainly mean revenue for the state, but just as with a roll of the dice, there’s risk. We start with that in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Teaching Tough Topics: Teaching Beyond The Test
Civil Rights, Voter ID laws, Felon Rights. These topics aren’t foreign for teachers and students in Southern classrooms. But what happens when pressure to teach to the test prevents challenging conversations?
Transit Authority Board Under Fire for Meeting
When former Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority executive director Ann August left her post in October, transit board members said they held an emergency meeting to accept her resignation. Transit advocates say she was clearly fired. That distinction could mean the difference between a legal move by the board and something illegal. The Jefferson County District Attorney's office appears to be investigating. We hear about it from Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald and also hear about the Birmingham City Council, which canceled a meeting for lack of a quorum.
Teaching Tough Topics: Teaching Civil War History In Mississippi As Symbols Fall
In Mississippi, the Civil War still stirs emotions. It’s not so much that teachers disagree on how it should be taught, but that ongoing attempts by the University of Mississippi and several cities across the South to shed Confederate symbols have called up old ghosts. Sandra Knispel reports for the Southern Education Desk.
Kyle Whitmire: Donald Trump, Alan Harper and “Safe Spaces” on College Campuses
An Alabama state legislator asks constituents on Facebook to avoid shopping at stores that aren’t owned by “God-fearing Christians;” College students around the country are demanding their schools provide “safe […]
Teaching Tough Topics: Textbook Fight Riles Tennessee
What should school children be taught about Islam? In Florida and North Carolina, parents claim students are being "indoctrinated" with a sanitized version of the Muslim faith. One of the fiercest fights so far is happening right now in Tennessee. As Chas Sisk of WPLN reports for the Southern Education Desk, it could reveal the playbook for future battles.
Teaching Tough Topics: The South’s Real History
Teaching subjects that trigger strong emotions and political divides is challenging. In the South, many of those fault-lines — racial, religious and otherwise — are intimately tied to its history. This […]
StoryCorps: “There’s a little piece of you that’s still shining through.”
Amanda: So how does your queerness impact you on a day-to-day basis? Steven: My queerness operates in very different ways when I’m in a professional setting. I’m expected to be […]
StoryCorps: “I’m not complicated…”
Lacey: I identify as bisexual so that means that I am attracted to people of multiple genders. I used to feel like, in queer spaces, that I wasn’t queer enough […]
StoryCorps: “You’re a person of value…”
Kristye: I feel like I loved you before our first date, but I didn’t think that was possible. And when I pulled up to meet you, I got out of my […]
Gas Smells Worry Avondale Residents
It’s been almost two years since a gas-leak fueled explosion destroyed an apartment building at a public housing complex in Gate City. The explosion killed one woman and injured seven others. As infrastructure deteriorates across the country, citizens in Birmingham are worried a tragedy like what happened at Gate City could happen again. We hear more on this and other stories from Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD. He joins us most Thursdays during All Things Considered.
The Great Thanksgiving Listen
WBHM is proud to partner with StoryCorps for the Great Thanksgiving Listen. This Thanksgiving weekend, StoryCorps will work with teachers and high school students across the country to preserve the […]
Arc Stories: November 2015 Edition
Stories about people trying to navigate through major dilemmas. A young man tires to discover a family secret; a girl comes to grips with the loss of her mom; and a woman […]
Fear Shouldn’t Define Us After Terror Attacks
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley is standing by his opposition to Syrian refugees settling in the state following last week's terror attacks in Paris. Authorities say one of the suspects in those attacks may have entered Europe with refugees feeling Syria. More than half of governors, mostly Republicans, have made similar moves to Bentley. But it's also prompted plenty of criticism. We talk about it with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Kyle Whitmire: Gov. Bentley and Syrian Refugees
Governor Robert Bentley orders state agencies to turn away Syrian refugees in Alabama, but does he have the authority to do this? WBHM’s Esther Ciammachilli talks with Kyle Whitmire, state […]
StoryCorps: “I got in the most trouble I think I ever had in my entire life.”
Derrick: When I was younger, I remember I was on the playground and I kissed a boy. It wasn’t like anything sexualized or anything like that, but I got in the most […]
Potential Threats to Alabama’s Automotive Industry
Alabama leaders love to tout the state’s automotive industry. What started with the Mercedes plant in Tuscaloosa County in the mid-1990s now includes Honda and Hyundai plants plus numerous suppliers. While the auto industry has increasingly moved to the Deep South, Alabama’s success could be threatened by a place further south. We talk about it in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
StoryCorps: “The difference is in everybody’s heads.”
Jonathan Hankins and partner Maura Barnett are expecting their first child and discuss raising him with their gender nonconforming values. They had a conversation at Storycorp's mobile booth in Birmingham, AL
