Issues/Program Report 2nd Quarter 2023
July 1, 2023
Per the FCC, this is a list of the most frequently cited issues of concern to the people in the WBHM listening area during the last quarter. The list details the most significant programs addressing these issues. All of these programs were published at WBHM.ORG and broadcast on WBHM 90.3 FM between April 1, 2023 and June 31, 2023. The list includes the following issues:
Government
2023-06-27 19:00:00Birmingham’s most contentious budgeting process in years ended Tuesday with the city council’s unanimous approval of Mayor Randall Woodfin’s nearly $555 million budget.
2023-06-27 15:27:30The U.S. Supreme Court this month affirmed the panel's finding that Alabama likely violated the Voting Rights Act with a congressional map that had only one majority Black district out of seven in a state where more than one in four residents is Black.
2023-06-21 07:00:00As book bans and legislation pile up, a Louisiana trans teen describes the mental toll it’s taking on him and highlights the importance of support systems.
2023-06-16 13:40:10The U.S. Supreme Court last week affirmed a lower-court ruling finding Alabama likely violated the Voting Rights Act with an Alabama congressional map that had only one majority Black district out of seven in a state where more than one in four residents is Black. The state must now draw a new map by July 21.
2023-06-16 11:38:06Alabama is one of only three states that tax groceries at the same rate as other purchases. Advocates had long argued that taxing food at such a rate placed an unfair burden on families.
2023-06-14 10:28:56The Birmingham Bus Rapid Transit system, also known as Birmingham Xpress, will be free for riders for at least the next few months — though exactly how long remains up in the air.
2023-06-12 15:04:10The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling that Alabama’s congressional districts likely violated the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting the political power of Black voters. The ruling also could lead to new U.S. House districts in Louisiana, and potentially Georgia.
2023-06-09 13:55:17Joran van der Sloot pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges that he tried to extort money from the missing teen’s mother in exchange for revealing the location of her body.
2023-06-08 10:16:47Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined with the court's liberals in affirming a lower-court ruling that found a likely violation of the Voting Rights Act in Alabama's congressional map.
2023-06-08 07:00:11Della Simpson Maynor was just 14 when she marched for voting rights in her hometown of Marion, Alabama. But while events in Alabama helped give birth to the Voting Rights Act, court cases originating in the state have led to its steady erosion over the years.
2023-06-07 15:58:32A proposal to exempt overtime pay from state income tax made it out on the last day. A bill that would have put more teeth in the state’s public records law did not.
2023-06-02 11:32:06Gov. Kay Ivey signed both budgets and supplemental spending packages Thursday. A plan to reduce the state sales tax on food is on the way to her desk as well.
2023-06-01 20:44:20The legislation now heads to the desk of Gov. Kay Ivey, whose office said she will review it when she receives it. Alabama is one of only three states that tax groceries at the same rate as other purchases.
2023-06-01 07:00:00When smart water meters work, they can detect expensive leaks early. But the tech’s costly to do right — and even more so when it’s done wrong.
2023-06-01 05:00:00The governor's office set a time frame for the execution of James Barber. The 30-hour window is designed to give the state prison system more time after two most recent executions were called off because of trouble with intravenous lines.
2023-05-30 09:29:08Don Siegelman served as both Attorney General and Governor in Alabama. He says he’s come to believe that the state’s approach to the death penalty is flawed.
2023-05-26 12:11:54Alabama lawmakers gave final passage to an $8.8 billion education budget and $3 billion general fund budget early Friday morning. That doesn’t count supplemental spending plans.
2023-05-23 19:00:00Rep. Fred Plump Jr., a Democrat from Fairfield, will plead guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges related to misusing state funds and resign his position.
2023-05-20 12:00:17The “What is a Woman” Act drew a full crowd to a public hearing Wednesday and LGBTQ advocacy groups marched outside the statehouse.
2023-05-16 10:03:39Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said budget highlights include funding for street paving, public transit and pensions.
2023-05-12 10:37:46An Alabama Senate committee passed a bill this week that would give families almost $7,000 per child in taxpayer money to be used for private school tuition or home-schooling costs. It’s a change from the mixed response the measure received the first time it went before lawmakers.
2023-05-11 08:00:00Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot will be sent to the U.S., Peru announced Wednesday, to face trial on extortion and wire fraud charges, stemming from an accusation that he tried to extort the Holloway family after their daughter's disappearance.
2023-05-10 18:38:47Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville is objecting to the normally routine practice of confirming dozens of military nominations, a move that would force the Senate to hold potentially hundreds of votes to confirm non-controversial senior military officers.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville defends his hold on DOD nominations, and speaks about his bill to ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports and his objections to what he says are attempts by the Pentagon to screen out white nationalists.
2023-05-05 10:08:24The proposed spending package includes a 2% pay increase for teachers along with more money for K-12 schools, higher education and community colleges.
2023-05-05 06:00:00The departments of Justice and Health and Human Services announced the results of the environmental justice probe and a settlement agreement with state health officials to address longstanding wastewater sanitation problems in Lowndes County, a high-poverty county between Selma and Montgomery.
2023-05-04 06:00:00Sen. Katie Britt says she hears about it constantly when she is at home in Alabama. “Parent after parent” come up to her wanting to discuss the way social media was harming their kids.
2023-05-03 08:27:19Robert Findlay Smith, 71, pleaded guilty to capital murder and waived his right to appeal. A judge sentenced Smith to life in prison without parole in the killing of three people at a Vestavia Hills church dinner in June.
2023-05-01 07:37:14Mykola Vyshyvanyuk and his family were forced to flee Ukraine when Russia invaded in 2022. Thanks to local support, they’ve found a new place to call home.
2023-04-28 10:11:35The PRICE Act would give families $6,900 in taxpayer money which could be used for private school tuition or homeschooling.
2023-04-27 14:32:00The bill introduced by Republican Sen. Andrew Jones of Centre would gradually reduce the sales tax on food from 4% to 2% — taking off .5% each year — provided there is more than enough state revenue to offset the loss to the education budget, which relies on sales and income taxes.
2023-04-27 08:52:04Five suspects charged with reckless murder in connection with a shooting at a birthday party in Dadeville that killed four people and injured dozens were not granted bond. A sixth suspect, a 15-year-old, is awaiting a hearing.
2023-04-26 16:00:00The bill would reduce the number of Birmingham Water Works Board seats from nine to seven, removing two of the four currently appointed by the council.
2023-04-26 06:22:30The lead investigator in the case testified at a court hearing Tuesday that could determine if the three adults accused in last week's shooting will be held without bond. The three juvenile defendants will have separate hearings.
2023-04-23 17:18:32Barbara Cooper was forced out as as head of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education after Ivey expressed concern over the distribution of the book to state-run pre-kindergartens.
2023-04-21 13:30:53Democrats called for gun control measures while Republicans argued for a crackdown on crime.
2023-04-18 19:49:54The agreement between the Jefferson County Commission Tuesday follows months of negotiation between the two entities.
2023-04-18 17:00:00As the Alabama Legislature considers a complete overhaul of the Birmingham Water Works Board, the Birmingham City Council is mulling its own legislation to meet state lawmakers halfway.
2023-04-14 11:11:20Alabama legislators also advanced a bill banning teaching “divisive concepts” in the classroom
2023-04-11 16:00:15Alabama is one of only three states that tax groceries at the same rate as other purchases. But as food prices soar — and as the state sees a record budget surplus — Alabama lawmakers are considering removing, or phasing out, the state's 4% sales tax on food.
2023-04-08 10:30:00The lawsuit accuses the commission of intentionally packing Black voters into two supermajority Black commission districts based in and around Birmingham.
2023-04-07 18:00:00Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill into law Thursday after the measure, which sets mandatory minimum sentences, passed both legislative chambers without opposition.
2023-04-04 10:45:16Backers of the bills said the bills will provide more opportunities for rural areas and expand entrepreneurship.
2023-04-03 11:04:20Alabama paused executions for three months after the state failed to execute two men and took more than three hours to kill another man. Now, after an internal review and a rule change, prison officials will resume the procedure.
Economy
2023-04-28 11:37:21A growing number of hikers are tackling Alabama's longest continuous footpath and trail communities are welcoming the growth.
2023-04-12 16:25:00Dollar General opens about three locations a day. Advocates against the rapid expansion released a four-step guide for keeping stores from opening.
2023-04-10 04:00:00A recent report from the Institute for Local Self Reliance laid out 17 problems with dollar stores, but some researchers said there isn’t a consensus yet.
2023-04-06 08:57:48Dollar store brands have expanded at a fast rate across the U.S. — especially in the Gulf South — over the past 15 years. Here’s what’s driving the trend.
2023-04-04 10:45:16Backers of the bills said the bills will provide more opportunities for rural areas and expand entrepreneurship.
Health Care
2023-06-23 07:55:50The Gulf States Newsroom asked Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi residents when they realized things had changed after the ruling. Here's what they said.
2023-06-21 07:00:00As book bans and legislation pile up, a Louisiana trans teen describes the mental toll it’s taking on him and highlights the importance of support systems.
2023-06-16 09:41:17While this is one spot higher than the year before, analysts observed Alabama's improvement is largely the result of other states showing poorer outcomes as opposed to Alabama’s child well-being improving.
2023-06-05 13:03:37With the COVID-19 public health emergency over, Diaper Bank of the Delta is trying to fill in the gap and connect struggling families to more resources.
2023-05-26 13:45:03When it comes to reproductive health care, at what point did you realize things have changed since Roe v. Wade was overturned?
2023-05-23 09:14:37Angelica Lyons knew it was dangerous for Black women to give birth in America. As a public health instructor, she taught college students about racial health disparities. Then, in 2019, it nearly happened to her.
2023-05-12 07:56:26The city of Birmingham has teamed up with BirthWell Partners’ community doula project to sponsor 32 trainees to work in underserved communities.
2023-05-09 05:47:04A new campaign aims to dramatically increase rates of HPV vaccination, cancer screening and follow-up care.
2023-05-04 07:01:00The initiative connects gunshot survivors with resources to try to stop the cycle of violence.
2023-05-03 12:16:13Four women share stories of using and recovering from the deadly opioid fentanyl.
2023-05-02 07:37:55The opioid epidemic continues to evolve. There's been a shift in overdose demographics and ways the drug is consumed. But what hasn’t changed is the strain that opioid addiction can have including on families.
2023-04-19 15:15:00Under pandemic restrictions, only staff at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham were allowed in the wards. Volunteers with the infant cuddling program couldn’t re-enter the NICU until the hospital lightened COVID-19 regulations. That was just four months ago.
2023-04-18 07:01:00Physicians and Gulf South advocates say much won’t change in their states — which have total abortion bans in place — whether mifepristone is banned or not.
2023-04-06 13:47:25Public health officials say the federal rule change should expand access to the overdose-reversing medication, after years of navigating tough state restrictions on who can dispense Narcan.
2023-04-03 11:04:20Alabama paused executions for three months after the state failed to execute two men and took more than three hours to kill another man. Now, after an internal review and a rule change, prison officials will resume the procedure.
Education
2023-06-16 09:41:17While this is one spot higher than the year before, analysts observed Alabama's improvement is largely the result of other states showing poorer outcomes as opposed to Alabama’s child well-being improving.
2023-06-05 13:10:15Montessori is an education philosophy that emphasizes student-led learning. It also tends to be associated with rich, suburban families. One Montessori school in Birmingham is flipping that stereotype.
2023-05-23 11:18:5271-year-old Birmingham native Jeff Drew took part in the movement starting as a young child. Drew sat down with his 14-year-old granddaughter Sidnee King to talk about civil rights then and now.
2023-05-17 07:30:30Mississippi went from being ranked the second-worst state in 2013 for fourth-grade reading to 21st in 2022. Louisiana and Alabama, meanwhile, were among only three states to see modest gains in fourth-grade reading during the pandemic.
2023-05-05 16:58:54Sixty years ago thousands of children took to the streets in Birmingham to protest against racism and discrimination. On Friday, teens from around the city gathered to reenact this historic moment known as the Children’s Crusade.
2023-05-04 15:55:44The fentanyl epidemic has opened a new front for schools in the fight against illegal drugs. That’s changing how groups educate students and parents about opioids and harm reduction.
2023-04-27 14:49:52Fewer young people want to work in trade jobs than ever before, and that’s left a hole in the job market. A private school in Birmingham is giving some young people skills needed to address that problem.
2023-04-27 12:49:08Gov. Kay Ivey replaced a Cabinet member who oversaw the state's award-winning prekindergarten program because of a teacher training book with language about inclusion and combatting structural racism, she said Thursday.
2023-04-23 17:18:32Barbara Cooper was forced out as as head of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education after Ivey expressed concern over the distribution of the book to state-run pre-kindergartens.
2023-04-07 12:45:03The decision follows a few tense months after years of financial stress came to a head in December. The private college is asking for $37 million in public money. It hasn’t received that money, but the future's looking brighter for students.
Science and Technology
2023-05-19 11:47:39Alabama is thought to be home to one of the world's largest populations of the unique flower, which is only in bloom for a few more weeks.
2023-04-28 11:37:21A growing number of hikers are tackling Alabama's longest continuous footpath and trail communities are welcoming the growth.
Arts and Culture
2023-05-16 05:00:00Writer Jonathan Eig’s new biography of Martin Luther King Junior draws on thousands of pages of new documents and audio recordings to paint an intimate portrait of the civil rights leader.
2023-04-17 19:30:00The role the Jackson House played was integral to the Civil Rights Movement, so a family member contacted the The Henry Ford Museum near Detroit about a year ago to ask if it would take over the preservation of the Jackson House and its legacy.
Environment
2023-06-07 07:00:00Climate-smart agriculture is getting a “once-in-a-generation” investment of $20 billion. Louisiana farmers show what a successful rollout could look like.
2023-05-24 07:00:00Strengthen Alabama Homes gives residents up to $10,000 to retrofit homes to the FORTIFIED standard. Other states see it as a model for their own insurance woes.
2023-05-19 11:47:39Alabama is thought to be home to one of the world's largest populations of the unique flower, which is only in bloom for a few more weeks.
2023-05-05 06:00:00The departments of Justice and Health and Human Services announced the results of the environmental justice probe and a settlement agreement with state health officials to address longstanding wastewater sanitation problems in Lowndes County, a high-poverty county between Selma and Montgomery.
2023-04-19 07:00:00Residents in some Mississippi towns didn’t get much warning before deadly tornadoes struck. It exposed the challenges of emergency response in rural areas.
2023-04-18 06:00:00Cherokee Concerned Citizens and Earthjustice are seeking to halt Chevron from producing new chemicals from plastic waste at a nearby refinery.
2023-04-14 07:00:00The Vicksburg Post’s Anna Guizerix discusses the history of flooding in the Yazoo Backwater area, and why finding a solution is considered controversial.
Religion
Crime
2023-05-04 07:01:00The initiative connects gunshot survivors with resources to try to stop the cycle of violence.
2023-04-21 08:46:52The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency on Thursday night announced the arrest of a 15-year-old juvenile from Tuskegee, Alabama, the sixth person charged in the case, but court records were not released because of the person's age.
2023-04-20 15:03:34Willie George Brown Jr., 19, of Auburn, is charged with four counts of reckless murder, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.
2023-04-20 11:29:49Watch a replay of the Gulf States Newsroom's virtual listening session for Bobbi-Jeanne Misick's series on the experiences of Cameroonian asylum seekers.
2023-04-20 09:32:52Two teenagers and a 20-year-old man have been arrested and charged with reckless murder in connection with a shooting that killed four young people at a Sweet Sixteen birthday party in rural Alabama.
2023-04-19 11:09:48An Alabama Law Enforcement Agency spokesman wouldn’t say where the two are being jailed, or whether they already were in custody when they were charged in the case.
2023-04-18 14:00:00Alexis Dowdell’s Sweet 16 birthday party ended with her kneeling beside her fatally wounded brother on the blood-slicked floor of a dance studio in small-town Alabama, the bodies of other wounded teens scattered around them. Dowdell told the story of Saturday’s terror in Dadeville to The Associated Press.
2023-04-17 14:39:40Students at a small-town Alabama school, its flag flying at half-mast Monday, returned to class as investigators worked to piece together what happened at a Saturday night shooting that killed four people, including two Dadeville High School students.
2023-04-16 20:06:29Alabama law enforcement officers Sunday implored people to come forward with information about a shooting in Dadeville that killed four people and injured 28 others during a teenager's birthday party. Among those killed was a high school senior who planned to play college football and was celebrating sister's 16th birthday.
2023-04-10 03:00:00The attorneys and advocates who filed the complaint on Daniel Cortes De La Valle’s behalf are asking ICE to release him immediately.
Race and Culture
2023-05-31 07:00:00The local content creator turned his love of the paranormal into a promising side gig thanks to TikTok. Now, he wants to make space for others like himself.
2023-05-23 09:14:37Angelica Lyons knew it was dangerous for Black women to give birth in America. As a public health instructor, she taught college students about racial health disparities. Then, in 2019, it nearly happened to her.
Weather
Sports
2023-06-20 11:28:26The stadium, opened in 1910, is the oldest professional ballpark in the U.S. and a National Historic Site. The game will honor Hall of Famer Willie Mays, a Birmingham native who began his professional career with the Birmingham Black Barons in 1948.
2023-05-04 15:17:51The firing was announced three days after a report warning of suspicious wagers prompted Ohio’s top gambling regulator to bar licensed sportsbooks in the state from accepting bets on Alabama baseball games. Pennsylvania and New Jersey also have halted bets on Alabama baseball.
2023-04-29 07:00:00HBCUs are riding a wave of popularity not seen in decades. Many are adding sports beyond the more typical offerings of football, basketball and track and field.