Series
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.
Taxes, Gambling, and the Special Session
Governor Bentley calls a special session and then it was promptly adjourned for three weeks. And Republicans face a choice between new taxes or gambling. Here to discuss this (and […]
In Football Country, Concussions Spark A Parental Dilemma
More and more people are learning about the risks contact sports pose to the brain. So even here in football-loving Alabama, parents and young athletes are wrestling with a serious […]
UAB Research Lab Hopes To Define Concussion Biomarkers
There’s been a spike in children under 19 visiting the emergency room with concussions. ERs saw a more than 50 percent increase between 2001 and 2009. Doctors say this could actually be a good thing, resulting in part from improved awareness of what a concussion is. But, perhaps surprisingly, there’s still a lot we don’t know about concussions, like how long they last or what all the long term effects are. A group of doctors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who aim to change this.
New Technology Aims To Measure Concussion Risk In Athletes
Concussions can occur from head injuries while playing any sport where a player receives a blow to the head. And for years, hearing the crack of two helmets colliding or seeing a player crash to the ground headfirst, was the only way to determine if a player might have suffered a concussion. But that’s changing.
As Concussion Awareness Rises, Football Focuses on Safety
Summer is winding down, and for many student athletes, that means one thing: football. Practices are starting across the country. And now more than ever, there’s a focus on safety…especially preventing head injury and concussions. All this week, WBHM explores what this means for football in our state, and highlights homegrown research and scientific developments that could change the game forever.
Birmingham Financial Planners Try To Woo Millennials
There are more than 80 million of them, and one day they could be very rich. They're the Millennials, people born between 1980 and 1999. And while they're still early in their careers, the Birmingham Business Journal's Cindy Fisher Crawford says financial planners are trying to secure their business early. In the process, they're learning some surprising things about millennials money habits.
Register for Issues & 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 […]
On the Road and A Haircut with John Archibald
Columnist John Archibald of the Alabama Media Group continues his sojourn across Alabama, finding interesting people and places - including a storied barber, a church that has taken a trip, and gluten-free soul food.
Despite BP Settlement, Alabama’s General Fund is Still Ailing
Alabama will receive 2.3 billion dollars over 18 years through a settlement with BP over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. One billion dollars of that settlement is to cover economic […]
On the Road with John Archibald
Summer is a time when people take off, hit the road, and step away from their usual routines. For the month of July, Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald is doing just that. He’s traveling Alabama and going to a new place each day. Instead of his usual fare of politics, corruption, and hypocrisy, he’s writing about the people and characters he meets – people whose names aren’t usually in print.
If Everybody Can Get Married, Then Nobody Can Get Married?
The United State Supreme Court rules that gay and lesbian couples have a fundamental right to marry, but several counties in Alabama are not complying. Some probate judges are getting […]
Repairing Interstate 20/59
Interstate 20/59 through downtown Birmingham is aging and something needs to be done about it. Most people can agree on that. The Alabama Department of Transportation has a plan they could start implementing this fall, but there are opponents who say that plan is shortsighted and should be scrapped. We talk about it in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
