Mike Birbiglia admires his mom’s ‘Forrest Gump’ energy
A note from Wild Card host Rachel Martin: It’s not very often that I listen to a middle aged man from Massachusetts who tells jokes for a living and think to myself, “That dude gets me.” But I actually think Mike Birbiglia and I might have been separated at birth. I know there are big differences. I’m from Idaho, he’s from New England. He is hilarious. I can’t even get my kids to laugh at my jokes. But there are a lot of parallels.
Mike was raised in a really religious family – so was I. His Dad preferred reading books about world wars instead of parenting. Same. He’s an extrovert married to an introvert and we are both perplexed when our kids ask us to explain the world. And he also hosts a podcast where he likes to ask really deep questions, point blank, to many of his guests. I mean, come on. This was meant to be.
Birbiglia’s new comedy special is called The Good Life.
Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones announces run for Alabama governor
Jones announced his campaign Monday afternoon, hours after filing campaign paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office. His gubernatorial bid could set up a rematch with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican who defeated Jones in 2020 and is now running for governor.
Scorching Saturdays: The rising heat threat inside football stadiums
Excessive heat and more frequent medical incidents in Southern college football stadiums could be a warning sign for universities across the country.
Judge orders new Alabama Senate map after ruling found racial gerrymandering
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections.
Construction on Meta’s largest data center brings 600% crash spike, chaos to rural Louisiana
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.
Bessemer City Council approves rezoning for a massive data center, dividing a community
After the Bessemer City Council voted 5-2 to rezone nearly 700 acres of agricultural land for the “hyperscale” server farm, a dissenting council member said city officials who signed non-disclosure agreements weren’t being transparent with citizens.
Alabama Public Television meeting draws protesters in Birmingham over discussion of disaffiliating from PBS
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.
