https://wbhm.org en-US 2026 WBHM 90.3 WBHM 90.3 Public Radio for the Heart of Alabama https://wbhm.org false serial WBHM 90.3 larry@wbhm.org WBHM 90.3 Colored powder filled the air at Veterans Park in Hoover on Saturday. Crowds gathered to celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of Spring, usually identified by the throwing of colors.  https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Colors_fly_as_Hoover_celebrates_Holi.m4a Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:35:15 CDT 1:33 WBHM 90.3 The pilot program called Home For All involves building 14 small pallet homes to house those who would otherwise be living on the streets. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Microshelters_for_Birminghams_unhoused_set_to_open_soon.m4a Mon, 09 Mar 2026 7:22:50 CDT 3:33 WBHM 90.3 Alabama's Public Service Commission hasn't held a formal rate hearing for utilities since 1981. A bill that would force the commission to hold such hearings is under consideration in the state legislature, although the measure was delayed in a House committee this week. We get more details on our weekly legislative update with Todd Stacy, host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bill_to_force_formal_utility_rate_hearings_for_the_first_time_in_more_than_40_years_delayed.m4a Fri, 06 Mar 2026 10:31:36 CST 5:05 WBHM 90.3 The controversial John Christy is retiring as Alabama’s state climatologist. Lee Ellenburg now assumes the role and is already making a few changes, including declaring that climate change is real and caused by humans. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Alabamas_new_state_climatologist_takes_the_reins.m4a Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:08:21 CST 4:32 WBHM 90.3 Usually when discussing legislative action, the focus is on what's moving forward. But plenty of bills in a legislature stall or even die. Leaders in the Alabama legislature say a bill involving the Public Service Commission is dead for the session. We get details on that from Todd Stacy, host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bill_making_the_Public_Service_Commission_an_appointed_board_dead_for_the_session.m4a Fri, 27 Feb 2026 8:52:39 CST 5:01 WBHM 90.3 While lack of transportation is a major employment barrier in Alabama, few people take public transit to work. That dynamic is even more pronounced in rural areas. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Lack_of_transportation_keeps_many_Alabamians_from_working.m4a Wed, 25 Feb 2026 8:41:24 CST 5:44 WBHM 90.3 President Trump has taken steps to roll back environmental regulations. Some of that same action is taking place in statehouses, including Alabama's. Lawmakers gave final passage this week to a bill that would ban the state from enacting environmental rules more stringent than those at the federal level. That's where we start our weekly legislative update with Todd Stacy, host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bill_limiting_environmental_regulations_goes_to_the_governors_desk.m4a Fri, 20 Feb 2026 8:40:14 CST 4:44 WBHM 90.3 Alabama lawmakers are considering what would be a sweeping change to the state's utility regulatory board. The members of the Public Service Commission are currently elected to their positions. Under this new proposal, commissioners would be appointed. We talk about that and other legislative matters with Todd Stacy, host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bill_overhauling_Alabama_Public_Service_Commission_delayed.m4a Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:29:38 CST 5:14 WBHM 90.3 After January's winter storm, the Oxford community has come together to take care of those in need — not just while waiting for other responders, but also fill persistent gaps. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Community_organizations_step_up_in_Gulf_South_winter_storm_recovery.m4a Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:05:53 CST 4:48 WBHM 90.3 Alabama is one of the most obese states in the nation. One state lawmaker says SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps, could be used to turn that around. We talk about that and other legislative matters this week with Todd Stacy, host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Lawmakers_advance_restrictions_on_SNAP_benefits.m4a Fri, 06 Feb 2026 2:42:26 CST 4:44 WBHM 90.3 Members of the Birmingham community bore the cold Friday evening in a two-hour vigil in honor of Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal immigration agents last weekend in Minnesota, and others who have died in incidents involving United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Birmingham_faith_leaders_lead_community_in_vigil_in_response_to_ICE_actions_in_Minnesota_.m4a Fri, 30 Jan 2026 22:47:03 CST 3:28 WBHM 90.3 For many of us, smartphones are our connection to the world, whether it's messaging friends, watching videos or catching up on the news. That connection gets a little more fraught, though, when the person using the phone is a minor. An Alabama Senate committee this week passed a bill that would put in place new rules around apps and children. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Lawmakers_move_to_place_rules_on_app_use_by_children.m4a Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:10:26 CST 5:22 WBHM 90.3 Claude Monet and Henri Matisse may already be household names for fans of Impressionism, French painting or water lilies, but the Birmingham Museum of Art is offering a fresh look into 100 years of French modern art beyond the famed Frenchmen. It’s all in their newest exhibit Monet to Matisse: French Moderns, 1850–1950, opening Friday. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Monet_to_Matisse.m4a Fri, 30 Jan 2026 8:45:44 CST 2:16 WBHM 90.3 Nolan discusses the journey of writing her debut novel, how her journalism informs her fiction and more with the Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/How_New_Orleans_author_Delaney_Nolan_finds_hope_in_her_new_novel.m4a Thu, 29 Jan 2026 7:00:00 CST 4:52 WBHM 90.3 President Trump has made immigration enforcement a centerpiece of his second term. A bill under consideration in the Alabama legislature would dovetail with those efforts by expanding what law enforcement could do on immigration in the state. We get more details about that and other legislative matters in our weekly check-in with Todd Stacy, host of Capital Journal on Alabama Public Television. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Immigration_enforcement_bill_draws_public_backlash.m4a Fri, 23 Jan 2026 8:51:34 CST 5:05 WBHM 90.3 Federal funding cuts and a 43-day government shutdown made 2025 a chaotic year for Gulf South food banks. For many, the challenges provide a road map for 2026. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gulf_South_food_banks_look_back_on_a_challenging_year_as_another_shutdown_looms.m4a Fri, 16 Jan 2026 16:20:13 CST 4:36 WBHM 90.3 Lawmakers are often running in Montgomery having finished the first week of this year's legislative session. It's a week that saw the announcement of Gov. Kay Ivey's budget proposal, along with the first bills starting to make their way through the legislative process. We talk about that with Todd Stacy, host of Capital Journal on Alabama Public Television. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Ivey_releases_proposed_state_budgets.m4a Fri, 16 Jan 2026 7:00:00 CST 4:38 WBHM 90.3 State lawmakers will return to Montgomery Tuesday to kick off the 2026 legislative session. It's the final session for Gov. Kay Ivey. It also comes against the backdrop of statewide elections this fall. For a look ahead to what to expect this session we turn to Todd Stacy, host of Capital Journal on Alabama Public Television. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/XGR_1-12-26_for_web.m4a Mon, 12 Jan 2026 7:00:00 CST 7:12 WBHM 90.3 NPR’s Jan. 6 database is now the most comprehensive archive of its kind dedicated to the attack on the U.S. Capitol. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/NPRs_public_archive_features_video_and_court_records_related_to_the_Jan_6_attack.m4a Thu, 08 Jan 2026 15:20:26 CST 4:11 WBHM 90.3 The Magnificat is Mary’s song of praise in the Gospel of Luke. John Rutter's setting is influenced by Latin music. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/John_Rutter_Magnificat.m4a Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:42:29 CST 4:10 WBHM 90.3 The Islamic Academy of Alabama is a K-12 school that has been in Homewood since 1996. They applied to rezone an office park space in Hoover to expand. The issue has sparked anti-Islamic rhetoric, notably from U.S. Tommy Tuberville. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Islamic_schools_effort_to_expand_draws_anti-Muslim_backlash.m4a Fri, 19 Dec 2025 5:00:00 CST 5:26 WBHM 90.3 This month marked the 70th anniversary of the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott. The demonstration was catalyzed when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus. The boycott lasted over a year and is considered a spark of the Civil Rights Movement.  https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/A_family_reunion_to_commemorate_the_Montgomery_Bus_Boycott.m4a Thu, 18 Dec 2025 17:24:31 CST 5:16 WBHM 90.3 The Alabama Ballet is one of only eight companies in the world licensed to perform George Balanchine’s choreography for the Nutcracker. Balanchine’s production in 1954 first popularized the ballet as a Christmas holiday tradition across the country. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/How_the_Alabama_Ballet_makes_Christmas_magic_with_Balanchines_Nutcracker.m4a Wed, 10 Dec 2025 5:00:00 CST 4:25 WBHM 90.3 An investigation from the Gulf States Newsroom found that trucks contracted to work at the Meta facility are causing delays and dangerous roads in Holly Ridge. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Meta_Data_Center.m4a Wed, 19 Nov 2025 6:00:00 CST 4:13 WBHM 90.3 Some members of the Alabama Educational Television Commission, which oversees APT, said disaffiliation is needed because the network has to cut costs after the Trump administration eliminated all funding for public media this summer. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Alabama_Public_Television_meeting_draws_protesters_in_Birmingham_over_discussion_of_disaffiliating_from_PBS.m4a Tue, 18 Nov 2025 17:06:13 CST 2:15 WBHM 90.3 Silver and Ceremony is made up of more than 150 suites of silver, sourced from India, and some of their designs. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Birmingham_Art_Museums_silver_exhibit_tells_a_dazzling_global_story.m4a Fri, 14 Nov 2025 12:22:13 CST 5:39 WBHM 90.3 The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/APT_could_cut_ties_with_PBS_.m4a Fri, 07 Nov 2025 12:20:46 CST 5:41 WBHM 90.3 Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Roy_Wood_Jr_on_his_father_his_son_and_his_new_book.m4a Wed, 05 Nov 2025 9:16:42 CST 5:17 WBHM 90.3 Members of Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham gathered recently for their traditional Friday Shabbat service. But this particular service was different, as could be seen by all the people dressed in their finest pink. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a_visit_to_a_special_healing_Shabbat_.m4a Fri, 31 Oct 2025 8:35:15 CDT 3:38 WBHM 90.3 While Huntsville has been a more affordable market than other growing cities, what’s it been like for those looking for their first home?  https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/What_might_that_mean_for_first-time_homebuyers.m4a Thu, 30 Oct 2025 10:54:49 CDT 4:13 WBHM 90.3 It’s been a year since Alabama legislators passed the CHOOSE Act allowing families to apply for state funds to use towards homeschool expenses and tuition for participating private schools. The Alabama Daily News’ education reporter Trisha Powell Crain has been diving into how the funds are being used. WBHM’s Andrew Gelderman sat down with her to talk about what we’re seeing so far. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Breaking_down_Alabamas_CHOOSE_Act_.m4a Tue, 28 Oct 2025 10:21:38 CDT 4:23 WBHM 90.3 Home prices are rising in Huntsville, but so far, the city’s avoided the skyrocketing costs in other boom towns. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Huntsville_is_growing_fast_Heres_how_its_stayed_affordable.m4a Tue, 28 Oct 2025 6:00:00 CDT 4:30 WBHM 90.3 Imagine getting an invitation to a town hall from someone across the political aisle. That was the idea behind a recent event sponsored by the Calhoun County Democratic Committee. They asked their members to invite Republican friends in an effort to bridge the divide.  https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Democrats_invited_Republicans_to_a_town_hall.m4a Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 CDT 3:38 WBHM 90.3 The immigration raid last month has analysts questioning whether President Donald Trump’s immigration and manufacturing goals are at odds. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Hyundai_still_committing_billions_to_Louisiana_steel_mill_after_ICE_raid_in_Georgia.m4a Wed, 22 Oct 2025 6:00:00 CDT 4:46 WBHM 90.3 "I guess if I had to take it in a positive way, I would say it's making the artists come out of all of the parents," said one Bollywood dance instructor who is forgoing new costumes this year for her students. https://wbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Diwali_is_expensive_to_celebrate_this_year_in_Alabama.m4a Tue, 21 Oct 2025 10:17:34 CDT 3:27