Series
A New Leader for the University of Alabama System
The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees is set to vote this month on a new leader for the three-campus system. Chancellor Robert Witt announced recently he’ll retire next August. He’s recommended current vice chancellor of finance and operations Ray Hayes for the job. We talk about what that next chancellor faces in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
Civil Rights Complaint Filed Against Jefferson County Health Department
North Birmingham neighborhoods have long struggled with pollution from nearby heavy industry. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency accepted a civil rights complaint against the Jefferson County Health department…filed by a local environmental activist group. Nick Patterson, the editor of WELD, tells WBHM what’s in the complaint and why it matters.
Peering Through the Fog of the Governor’s Divorce
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley says his divorce is private matter. They’re the first public comments he’s made since First Lady Diane Bentley filed for divorce Friday after 50 years of marriage. The divorce has helped fuel rumors of an extramarital affair. The personal turmoil comes as the governor prepares for a second special session aimed at resolving the state’s General Fund budget shortfall. We talk about the situation with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Arc Stories: August 2015 Edition
Stories that will make you laugh, make you cry, and perhaps both at the same time — hear what it was like growing up in the Civil Rights era; a […]
Gay Marriage’s Legal Ripples
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision earlier this summer upholding same-sex marriage seems simple enough, but the ruling prompts a wave of new legal questions. Those questions could keep lawyers busy for some time. We talk about some of those questions in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
First Charter Schools Open In Mississippi; Alabama Charters Could Come Soon
States across the U-S have increasingly been turning to charter schools in an effort to bolster struggling public school systems. Two of the most recent states to adopt the controversial form of education are Mississippi and Alabama. As part of a Southern Education Desk series examining charter schools in the South, we turn to Mississippi Public Broadcasting's Paul Boger for a report on how those states are adopting to the alternative form of public education.
Paying For Charter Schools In The South
Florida has about 650 charter schools. They are part of school districts but are privately managed and largely free of many of the rules governing traditional public schools. But as enrollment in charters has increased, so has the financial cost. WFSU’s Lynn Hatter reports for the Southern Education Desk that Tennessee and Georgia are also struggling to find ways to support their charter schools.
A Tale of Two Pay Raises
Some workers in Birmingham will see their paychecks rise in the coming years. The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday passed a minimum wage ordinance for the city, meaning the minimum wage will rise incrementally to $10.10 an hour by July 2017. While advocates for the poor welcome that news, it comes with a dose of deceit according to Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
Getting Parent Buy-In For A New Alternative
The big push for charter schools in Louisiana started after Hurricane Katrina. The state’s Recovery School District took over most of the public schools in New Orleans, and quickly issued charters. The organization has moved on to Baton Rouge, but, without a hurricane scattering teachers and students, charters really have to get parents to buy into the alternative they’re selling.
Lessons For New Orleans
Charter schools are changing American education. Some say for the better, some say the worse. This week the Southern Education Desk looks at the charter school movement throughout the south. We start in New Orleans, the testing ground for the movement.
Sports Medicine, Physical Therapy Business Booming in Birmingham
Birmingham's becoming a hub for sports medicine, and as more clinics open, providers of orthopedics and physical therapy are competing for their piece of the market. Providers are also buying real estate, creating jobs. That's where we start this week's Magic City Marketplace. Cindy Fisher Crawford is the editor of the Birmingham Business Journal.
Controversy Over Birmingham City Council Pay Increase
Birmingham's City Council president Johnathan Austin is defending a recent vote to raise the group's salary. Last week the nine-member city council voted-1 to approve a raise for council members from fifteen thousand dollars to fifty five thousand dollars, a more than 200 percent increase. Council members say it’ll help attract top talent to city leadership. But Birmingham News & Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald tells WBHM's Rachel Osier Lindley why he's skeptical.
Kyle Whitmire Draws Parallels from Special Sessions in 1975
One special session of the Alabama legislature is in the books, another is looming. That’s because the lawmakers were unable to agree on how to fund the state’s $200 million […]
How the Business Community Sees the Birmingham City Schools
Birmingham City Schools students are back in class for another year. It’s a district Birmingham educators say has made progress in the last few years, but one that still faces a poor reputation in the wider community. We talk about how the business community sees the Birmingham schools in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
Little Consensus Among Alabama Legislators During Special Session
Alabama Lawmakers are more than halfway through a special session designed to fix the state’s more than $200 million dollar budget shortfall. Legislators passed no new revenues this week, and agreed on very little. That means Alabama is likely headed to a special session. For more, we talk with Don Dailey. He’s the host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television. Dailey told WBHM’s Rachel Lindley what did and didn’t happen in Montgomery this week.
Birmingham Residents On The Racial Divide
There’s a greater focus on race in public discussion after the June murders of nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina and a recent series of well-publicized deaths or assaults against blacks while in the custody of police custody. A recent poll by The New York Times and CBS News says nearly six in 10 Americans, black and white, think race relations are generally bad. For reaction to the poll and more on the local conversation, WBHM's Rachel Osier Lindley spoke to Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD. He wrote this week’s cover story, “Thoughts on the Racial Divide,” and joins us most Thursday
Lawmakers Appear Headed to Another Special Session
Time is running out for Alabama lawmakers to come up with a solution to the state's general fund budget shortfall. The general fund faces at least a $200 million gap and state legislators are meeting in a special session to figure out what to do about it. But with plenty of disagreement among legislators that's fueling talk of another special session. We talk about it with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
As Heroin Use Rises, More Families Struggle With Loss And Addiction
Heroin use has exploded in Alabama, and heroin-related deaths more than doubled in Jefferson County last year. That means more and more relatives have to cope with the mistrust, deception and shame that come with addiction. Despite the stigma, parents and families are reaching out for help.
Does Anything Look Encouraging in the Special Legislative Session?
The special session in the Alabama legislature is underway, and it turns out to be not much different than the regular session. Lawmakers are unable to agree on how to […]
Upward Bound Takes Students Through High School And beyond
Remember when you could get a job with just a high school diploma? By 2020, it’s projected that 65 percent of jobs will require a diploma, AND, higher education. Upward Bound is more than doubling the chances of low-income, first-generation students graduating and going to college nationwide, including 6,500 in the Deep South. Today, Louisiana Public Broadcasting producers Kevin Gautreaux and Shauna Sanford take a look at this federally funded program and its summer work in Part 3 of the Southern Education Desk’s series on Summer Learning.
Alabama Lawmakers Return To Montgomery For Special Session Monday
Alabama Lawmakers return to Montgomery on Monday to tackle the state’s projected general fund budget shortfall of more than $200 million. Governor Robert Bentley and the legislature couldn’t agree on a budget during this year’s regular legislative session. State agencies have spent the summer anxious, not knowing what their budgets will look like come the start of Alabama’s new fiscal year on October 1. For more on this, we talk to Don Dailey. He’s the host of Capitol Journal on Alabama public television. Dailey will join WBHM each Friday during this special session.
Arc Stories: July 2015 Edition
Stories about how our families shape us, change us, and even surprise us — a man who joins his father to defend their home against an intruder; a young woman defends her […]
There is Never a Final Word on Barbecue, John Archibald
A Road Trip – Columnist John Archibald of the Alabama Media Group has almost finished his month of travelling the highways and two lane roadways of Alabama, writing a story a day from places, all over. He says he's learned a lot from people from all over in a redeeming trip with a lot of miles.
Pushing Middle-Schoolers All The Way Through College
Fewer reading materials in the home. Less access to camps or museums. Those are some reasons summer learning loss disproportionately affects low-income kids. And there are many in the South, […]
Highlights From Issues and Ales: Concussions and the Price of Playing Football
In Alabama, football is a way of life. But after recent revelations about the dangers of football-related head injuries, players and parents are reconsidering their involvement. How are health concerns changing who plays football? How does it change the culture around football, and what will it mean for the future of the sport? Hear highlights from our Issues and Ales panel discussion, Issues and Ales: Concussions and the Price of Playing Football.
Summer’s Season Of Learning Can Impact Graduation Rates
National education leaders are trumpeting recent increases in high school graduation rates, yet about 20 percent of kids still dropout before completing high school. That number jumps significantly among the Southern poor in places like Alabama and Mississippi. And it costs money. Dropouts earn less and governments pay more to support them. One possible solution? Make summer a season of learning for students that could help them stay engaged and in school. Sherrel Wheeler Stewart kicks off the Southern Education Desk series on Summer Learning and its impact high school graduation.
Former Football Players Discuss Rule Changes and Concussions
At WBHM’s Issues and Ales: Concussions and the Price of Playing Football, Bobby Humphrey, former running back for the University of Alabama, the Denver Broncos, and the Miami Dolphins; and Reginald […]
Former UAB Quarterback Talks Concussions
At WBHM's Issues and Ales: Concussions and the Price of Playing Football, former UAB quarterback and NFL veteran Kevin Drake answered some audience questions that the panelists didn't get to address in the discussion. Drake is the program director for the Wise Up Initiative, and he says one of the biggest problems with concussions is that too many go under the radar.
Birmingham Companies Starting to Spend their Piles of Cash
After the recession many American companies were holding onto tons of cash. Birmingham companies were no different. But even with an improving economy, those reserves at Birmingham firms are still growing. We talk about it with Birmingham Business Journal editor Cindy Crawford in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
See Photos From Issues and Ales: Concussions and the Price of Playing Football
On Thursday, WBHM gathered a panel of doctors, former football players and concussion experts at Workplay for the annual Issues and Ales. Andrew Yeager led the panel and opened up the […]
Parents Look to Headgear to Protect Soccer Players from Concussions
Football players suffer the highest concussion rates among athletes. But players of the "other football," soccer, also experience a notable number of concussions. It’s a sport where most players don't wear protective headgear. But that’s changing as parents look for ways to protect their kids.
The Thorny Issues of Alabama’s Black Belt
Alabama's Black Belt historically held the state's wealth. But now that cotton is no longer king, it's one of the most impoverished regions of the country. The Black Belt has beautiful antebellum homes, but those homes were built thanks to slavery. The contrast shapes how Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald thinks about that part of the state. He's traveling Alabama this month and spent time recently in the Black Belt.
