Series

John Archibald: Still Too Many Questions About Airport Tragedy

It's been nearly a week since a large airport sign fell on a Kansas family traveling through Birmingham, killing a ten year old boy and injuring his mother and brothers. Since the accident there have been a lot of questions about why it happened, who is responsible and how authorities are responding.

Kyle Whitmire: Questions for Birmingham’s Airport

There are many questions for airport officials, contractors and city officials following the death of a 10-year-old boy at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. A flight information display weighing at least 300 pounds fell over Friday, killing the boy and injuring his mother and two of his brothers. The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire talks about why the display wasn't inspected and who is to blame.

John Archibald: Railroad Park Shooting and the Birmingham Barons

It's been a bloody week in the Birmingham metro area with five violent deaths yesterday and the fatal shooting of a teenager at a popular downtown park.

Kyle Whitmire: Railroad Park Shooting

For those living in urban areas, it's sometimes possible to become callous or indifferent to the steady drip of crime. While murders in Birmingham are low by historic standards, a shooting this past Sunday in Railroad Park left a 15-year-old boy dead. That's bringing new attention to the issue. The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire talk about the community response.

John Archibald: Education Reforms, Gridlock and what of Atticus Finch?

Education was a leading topic in the courtroom and the statehouse. The Common Core seems to still be the curriculum path of choice in Alabama, despite a major effort to overturn it. Meanwhile, the Alabama Supreme Court has lifted a temporary restraining order that now paves the way for a controversial school choice bill to be signed into law by Governor Robert Bentley. John Archibald and Scott Hanley discuss how leaders came to make changes and also choose to not make a change. Is there room for reason, diplomacy, detail and unwavering decency?

Kyle Whitmire: Fight Continues over School Bill

Alabama Republicans, Democrats and the education community are still in an uproar over the Alabama Accountability Act, almost two weeks after it was rushed through the state legislature. The bill would offer tax credits to parents for transferring their kids from a failing school to a non-failing public or private school. But now there are questions about differing versions of the bill. The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire has details.

School Accountability Act Either Brilliant Politics or Despicable Move

Republican legislators dropped a bomb last week with passage of a heavily revised School Accountability Act. Democrats pushed back with a legal challenge, and now the case may go to the State Supreme Court.

Kyle Whitmire: Controversial School Bill Blocked…For Now

A Montgomery judge is extending a temporary restraining order blocking Alabama's governor from signing a controversial school bill into law. But Republican leaders vow to appeal to the Alabama Supreme Court. We hear about the political fallout from The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire.

Supreme Court Might Dismantle Parts of Voting Rights Act

If the questions that came from U.S. Supreme Court justices yesterday are any indication, there’s a good chance Shelby County could prevail in its effort to challenge the 1965 Voting Rights Act. That’s just one of the stories grabbing local headlines this week.

Cell Phones and Rape Take the Stage in Ruined

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been wracked by war for decades, but most Americans know very little about the struggle. Two Birmingham-area theatre companies hope to change that. They're staging an award-winning play that calls attention to the dark times in the Congo.

Kyle Whitmire: Tough Questions for the Voting Rights Act

Conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court asked tough questions Wednesday about the need for portions of the Voting Rights Act. The court is hearing a challenge to the law filed by Shelby County, Alabama. The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire talks about the case.

Interview: Justin Brown on Sibelius and conducting the ASO

This weekend, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra’s masterworks series features two works by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Music Director Laureate Justin Brown talked with WBHM’s Michael Krall about the concert, as well as his new role with the ASO. Brown says that right from the start, Sibelius made a mark on the Finnish nation….

John Archibald Visits Alabama’s Worst Cities

Birmingham News columnist outraged some readers with his list of Alabama's Best and Worst Cities. He's making amends by visiting some of the underdogs.

Kyle Whitmire: The Fight Over Gambling, Renewed

Alabama's on-again, off-again battle over gambling is definitely on-again this week as Attorney General Luther Strange took action to try and stop four casinos in the state. One is a familiar target -- VictoryLand. The other is newer -- The Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire has more.

John Archibald: Don’t Forget Common Sense in Gun Debate

Gun violence and school safety are taking center stage in Alabama this month. First, the fatal shooting of a school bus driver in Midland City; now, charges against a man accused of holding several Chelsea Middle School girls at gunpoint in a school locker room. And that's just the beginning...

Kyle Whitmire: A Bankruptcy Deal in the Works

Jefferson County commissioners say they have a deal to lower interest rates on a portion of the county's debt. It's a sign a plan to exit municipal bankruptcy could be on the way. The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire explains.

John Archibald: Politics over substance in Montgomery?

With the Alabama Legislature back in session, issues range from cost of living raises for teachers to no fewer than five separate bills dealing with guns. Birmingham News columnist John Archibald says Alabama has hard, weighty problems, that require thoughtful, creative minds. But fixing those problems is something the Alabama Legislature does NOT do well.

Kyle Whitmire: A Penny Sales Tax for Another Five Years

No relief for Birmingham shoppers as the Birmingham City Council, reauthorizes a one percent sales tax for five years. We hear more from The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire

Top 10 Places to Live in Alabama

What do you like about where you live? Maybe it’s your neighbors or the schools. A favorite restaurant or shop. Birmingham News columnist John Archibald has been crunching the numbers and his list of Top Ten Places to Live in Alabama.

Kyle Whitmire: A Big Week for Bankruptcy

This week is an important one for Jefferson County's efforts to exit bankruptcy. Two county commissioners spent time in New York meeting with hedge fund managers. On Wednesday a trail gets underway on creditors' request to lift a stay preventing legal action against the county. The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire explains the situation.

UAB Close to Naming New President

UAB is close to naming a new president. Sources tell the Birmingham News that UAB Medical School Dean Ray Watts will get the job.

Kyle Whitmire: Why the Legion Field Box is so important?

Two Jefferson County Commissioner deny a report they're split over a proposed redistricting plan. But there's no denying that which district Legion Field ends up in has major political implications. The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire explains.

Found Footage Festival

Meet the Instant Adoring Boyfriend, Blue Berry the Creepy Clown, and crowd favorite, the Sleazy Hypnotist. They didn't start out to be funny, but they are. These characters and others star in the Found Footage Festival that stops in Birmingham this weekend. WBHM's Greg Bass has the details.

Jefferson County’s Closed-Door Bankruptcy Meetings

Jefferson County is trying desperately to exit municipal bankruptcy. Earlier this week commissioners met in closed-door sessions with their attorneys to presumably work on another plan to present to creditors. Meanwhile, sewer rates are skyrocketing in another nearby county.

Kyle Whitmire: Inching out of Bankruptcy

A big question this year is whether Jefferson County will exit municipal bankruptcy. County commissioners spent a good deal of time this week working toward that effort in closed door meetings. We talk about it with The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire.

Eden Rise

A small Black Belt town is the scene of a civil rights era killing and years later the defendant is brought to trial in a Birmingham federal court. Sounds like Alabama history, but it’s actually the plot Eden Rise, the first novel from award-winning historian Jeff Norrell.

State Officials Say School Safety a Priority

State officials say making schools safer is a top priority for the upcoming legislative session. More than a hundred people packed a school safety hearing Wednesday. But some communities aren't waiting for the state to take action. They're making moves of their own.

Kyle Whitmire: RSA vs. AEA

There's a battle playing out in Montgomery between the leaders of the Retirement Systems of Alabama and the Alabama Education Association. The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire explains the talk of a board "power play."

What’s Ahead for 2013?

We've closed out one year and are starting another. Seems like a good time to reflect on the big regional news of 2012 and look ahead to 2013. John Archibald says there's one story that could rock the core of the state GOP.

Kyle Whitmire: A New Year for Cooper Green

With the new year comes a new set up for Cooper Green Mercy Hospital. The Jefferson County-owned facility turned its emergency room into an urgent care center on January 1st. The hospital also closed inpatient care and laid off more than 200 people. We talk about it with The Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire.

Will Gun Control Fly in Alabama?

In the aftermath of last week's school shooting, President Obama says it will take a national effort to address gun violence. In a press conference yesterday he mentioned several recent shootings, including the one last weekend at Birmingham's St. Vincent's Hospital.

Kyle Whitmire: A Subpoena for GOP Financial Records

Alabama's attorney general has subpoenaed financial records from the State Republican Party, ones that show a company co-owned by House Speaker Mike Hubbard benefited from party spending. We talk about that with the Birmingham News' Kyle Whitmire.