The teacher shortages are real, but not for the reason you heard

The U.S. education secretary has called for investment to keep teachers from quitting. A teachers union leader has described it as a five-alarm emergency. In reality, there is little evidence to suggest teacher turnover has increased nationwide or educators are leaving in droves.


A Black pastor sues the police who arrested him while watering his neighbor’s flowers

Michael Jennings, the Black Alabama pastor arrested while watering his neighbor’s flowers, has filed a federal lawsuit against the police officers involved in his detainment. The lawsuit also names the city of Childersburg, which oversees the police department that arrested Jennings, as a defendant.

School resource officers turn to mental health to make kids safer

Parents’ school safety concerns carry more weight this year after the mass shooting in May at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. School resource officers in Hoover are adjusting by placing a greater emphasis on mental health.

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Musicians say The World Games is shorting their payment for performances during the opening and closing ceremonies.

According the American Federation of Musicians, The World Games changed the contract for orchestra performers after the fact, causing payments to musicians to be reduced by about one-third.

Jefferson County Commission approves extra money for The World Games

Commissioners approved allotting an additional $4 million to help offset the deficit incurred by organizers of The World Games. The matter passed on a 4-1 vote.

Southern Decadence returns to New Orleans, marked by parades and monkeypox awareness

Health officials gave out monkeypox vaccines and encouraged everyone — not just the LGBTQ community — to take the virus more seriously at the annual festival.


In Jackson, Miss., volunteers work hard to bring water to residents who need help

Local nonprofits have been delivering water directly to some residents, but the groups are still working on scaling up to dealing with a problem that stretches across the city.

In Jackson, Miss., football goes on despite the water crisis

Football is a way of life in Jackson, Mississippi. So are boil water notices. The latest water crisis has not stopped fans from filling the stands to support a local college team.

Deion Sanders has ushered in a new era of HBCU football. Will the SWAC capitalize on it?

As a new college football season kicks off, a brighter spotlight will be put on HBCUs in the Gulf South, thanks to the influence of “Coach Prime.”

Imani Perry draws on her hometown, Birmingham, in her new book exploring the South

Perry is an Ivy League professor in New Jersey but a Southerner at heart. She was born in Birmingham, but today she teaches African American studies at Princeton University. In her latest book she argues to truly understand the United States start with the American South.

The story of ‘the Colony’: How a small, Black community thrived, survived in Cullman County

The Colony, Cullman County’s only Black community, has a rich history of resilience and self-made success. Its current residents are working to continue it.

The Tragedy of North Birmingham

Industrial plants in Birmingham have polluted the air and land in its historic Black communities for over a century. In an epicenter of environmental injustice, officials continue to fail to right the wrongs plaguing the city’s north side.