Cocktails, Costumes, and a James Beard Nomination

The Atomic Lounge serves up costumes and cocktails. The new Birmingham bar is a semifinalist for a James Beard Award.


“Opportunity” the Key Word for Birmingham’s New Economic Development Director

Josh Carpenter, Birmingham's new director of economic development, says his focus is to create opportunity for people to become empowered.

Community Remembers Huffman High School Student Killed in Shooting

Community members and students took to East Lake Park Sunday to remember a high school student who was shot and killed last week.

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Few Students Return Following Huffman Shooting Death

Huffman High School was open today, but only about 150 of the school’s 1,300 students returned. The school was closed Thursday following the death of 17-year-old Cortlin Arrington

A New Way to Grow Tumors in 3-D

If you can grow cancer cells outside the body, it’s easier to figure out how to kill them. With an eye toward faster drug development and more effective treatments, a UAB biomedical engineer has come up with a new way to sustain cancer cells. He calls them “bioreactors.”

One Killed, One Injured in Huffman High School Shooting

Huffman High School is closed today following a Wednesday shooting that killed one student and injured another. Courtlin Arrington, 17, was pronounced dead at UAB Hospital Wednesday evening.


Make Medicaid Recipients Work? Speakers at Public Hearing Say No

Governor Kay Ivey and other state leaders want Alabama to join a handful of states that require some able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work or go to school. But when the Alabama Medicaid Agency held a hearing on the plan Tuesday, the crowd strongly disagreed.

Legislative Wrap-Up: State Ethics Law Revisions and the Ten Commandments

The Alabama legislature considers tightening up the state ethics law and a bill that would allow the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public buildings, including schools. The bill's sponsor says it can deter a school shooter from carrying out an attack.

The Challenges and Triumphs of Foot Soldier Jeff Drew

Jeff Drew was one of the first black students to attend what was then Ensley High School. It was all white, and for students like Drew, it wasn’t easy.

WBHM Politics: When Retailers Close, Taxes Go Too

When a big-box store closes in a smaller community, that drop in tax revenue can be a big hit to the town. That's a situation Fairfield and Irondale are working through.

The “Designated University Kid” on the Alabama Community that Raised him

Eric Motley's memoir is something of an ode to Madison Park, Alabama -- a small, African-American community on the outskirts of Montgomery.

Back to Basics with One of Birmingham’s Oldest Food Trucks

The number of food trucks in Birmingham has exploded over the last couple of years. But the Travis Chicago Style no-frills white truck with a red stripe gets high marks from Birmingham residents, particularly African Americans who grew up seeing his truck.