Is New Orleans ready for Mardi Gras? A Q&A with health director Jennifer Avegno
New Orleans is in full celebration mode with Mardi Gras just days away, but where does COVID fit into the equation? The city’s health director has answers.
The 2021 Jackson water crisis and the cracks that remain in a long-damaged system
A year ago, below freezing temperatures collapsed Jackson, Mississippi’s water system, revealing longstanding cracks in its infrastructure.
World Game medals make their debut in Birmingham, but will soon be all over the world
Medals for the World Games, which will take place in Birmingham in July, were unveiled by city leaders and games organizers Wednesday at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
More News
US vaccination drive is bottoming out as omicron subsides
The vaccination drive against COVID-19 in the U.S. is grinding to a halt, and lagging demand is especially stark in conservative corners of the country where many people weren’t interested in the shots in the first place.
House votes to allow concealed handguns without permit
The Alabama House of Representatives approved legislation ending the requirement for a person to get a permit in order to carry a concealed handgun in public.
Alabama lawmakers advance transgender students bathroom ban
The effort by Alabama legislators comes after the U.S. Supreme Court last year rejected a Virginia school board’s appeal to reinstate its transgender bathroom ban.
NPR News
Bill that would ban concealed carry permits in Alabama advances
Lawmakers also advanced a so-called bathroom bill but delayed a bill increasing penalties for rioters.
Across the bridge: Alabama Dem carries torch for voting bill
Rep. Terri Sewell's voting bill collapsed in the Senate last month, but she is determined to press on. In March, Selma will mark the anniversary of the “Bloody Sunday” voting rights march.
Mississippi’s plan to stop Alabama from stealing its teachers? Pay them thousands more
As Mississippi lawmakers plot how to keep more teachers in the state, educators warn the state’s bill targeting critical race theory could drive them away.
WBHM to bring Birmingham’s voices to national NPR audiences through ‘1A Remaking America’
A two-year public media partnership between WBHM and 1A will explore local threats to America’s democracy.
Amtrak’s proposed Mobile-New Orleans line is ‘a bad idea’ for Alabama, officials say
Mississippi wants to move full steam ahead with plans to restore the passenger rail, but Alabama worries the line will disrupt the freight rail.
Applications close soon for flood damage relief in central Alabama
Jefferson and Shelby counties experienced flooding in October 2021. The federal applications for flooding relief close soon.