Search Results for King
Interview: Reporter Brian Lawson Discusses Inmate Healthcare
For the next several months, WBHM joins AL.com and the Center for Investigative Reporting as part of the Alabama Media Group's Investigative Journalism Lab. We're taking a closer look at Alabama's prison problems. Earlier this year, a Department of Justice report detailed cases of rape and sexual abuse at the Julia Tutwiler prison in Wetumpka. As part of their continued investigation of Alabama prisons, the Department of Justice is seeing if inmate medical care and mental health care are constitutionally adequate. AL.com reporter Brian Lawson has been looking into inmate health care, and he's heard some troubling stories for former inmates and their families. WBHM's Rachel Osier Lindley sat down with Lawson to find out more.
UAB’s Florence Nightingale Letters
As UAB nursing students take finals this week, they'll be drawing on what they've learned about the human body in class and in clinics. But students also have had a special way to connect with the history of the field. The school holds 50 letters written by the woman credited with founding modern nursing -- Florence Nightingale. WBHM intern Russ Timothy reports.
Interview: Birmingham Barons General Manager Jonathan Nelson
This Saturday, the Birmingham Barons kick off a five-game series against the Tennessee Smokies. The 2013 Southern League Champions are already off to a strong start for their second season at Regions Field. More than 35,000 fans attended the Barons season-opening homestand earlier this month. For more on what to expect this baseball season, WBHM's Rachel Osier Lindley caught up with Birmingham Barons general manager Jonathan Nelson. This is Nelson's 21st season working in professional baseball, and his 10th season as the Barons general manager. In this conversation, Nelson talks about the pressures of following the 2012-2013 season, the impact of the new Regions Field downtown and his favorite Barons mascot.
INTERVIEW: Arnold Shober On The Importance Of School Board Leadership
Across the country, school boards have been losing power to state and federal authorities, and some experts see local boards as increasingly ineffective. But last month, an education policy think tank released a national report on the influence of school board leadership. According to the Fordham Institute, local boards really do impact student achievement. Given recent events in Birmingham City Schools and other area systems, WBHM's education reporter Dan Carsen caught up with co-author Arnold Shober, who says the overall vision of a school board is key, as is the way members are elected.
Birmingham Barons: National Anthem Tryouts
It's opening day at Regions Field for the Southern League Champion Birmingham Barons. Players and baseball fans have been anxiously awaiting the first pitch. But another group of Barons fans have been looking forward to the season for slightly different reasons.
Don Dailey: 2014 Legislative Session Review
The 2014 Alabama legislative session is in the books. Lawmakers wrapped up the session Thursday evening but there's a looming question about one key piece of legislation -- the education budget. We review the final days of the session with Don Dailey.
Going Natural: It’s Not Just a Hairstyle, It’s a Lifestyle
It was the summer of 2002, and I was probably on hour three of the tedious process of attempting to straighten my hair with all the heat my scalp could stand. This, of course, was in addition to the chemical hair relaxer occasionally applied to my tresses. While I wrestled with my hair, my roommate turned to me and said, "Maybe your hair doesn't want to be straight. Why don't you just wear it curly?"
WBHM Spring 2014 Membership Campaign to feature collaboration with local artist, guests
WBHM's Spring 2014 Membership Campaign will begin Wednesday, April 2. An exciting highlight will be the work of Alabama artist Charles Buchanan. In collaboration with WBHM's Junior Advisors, Buchanan has created a custom and public radio-inspired design for the station, depicting the interconnectedness of the public radio community with Birmingham, and the City with the world.
WBHM’s Spring 2014 Membership Campaign to Feature Collaboration with Local Artist
Public Radio WBHM 90.3 FM/WSGN 91.5 FM's Spring 2014 Membership Campaign will begin Wednesday, April 2, and feature a collaboration with local artist Charles Buchanan. In response to outreach from WBHM's Junior Advisors, Buchanan has created a custom and public radio-inspired design for the station with the theme "Around Your Block; Around the World" depicting the interconnectedness of the public radio community with Birmingham, and the City with the world. The art will be featured on a glass given as a thank-you gift from the station for contributions of $90 or more.
Interview: Reporter Kelsey Stein on Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women
For the next several months, WBHM joins al.com and the Center for Investigative Reporting as part of the Alabama Media Group's Investigative Journalism Lab. We're taking a closer look at Alabama's prison problems. As part of this project, al.com reporter Kelsey Stein has interviewed many former inmates of the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women. The prison gained national attention earlier this year after a Department of Justice report detailed cases of rape and sexual abuse at the prison.
Student Group Helps Alabama Residents Sign Up for Health Insurance
The deadline to sign up for healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act is March 31. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, many of Alabama's uninsured still don't understand how the new healthcare law works. But a group of Alabama college students are trying to change that. For WBHM, Greg Bass takes a closer look at Bama Covered, an organization that's getting Alabama residents signed up for health insurance.
Interview: Michael Saag, M.D., Discusses His New Book
UAB researcher and physician Dr. Michael Saag is know around the world as an AIDS expert. He started working with AIDS in the early eighties, a time when the disease was masked in uncertainty. Since then, he's made AIDS research and improving patient treatment his life's work. This month, Dr. Saag published his memoir "Positive: One Doctor's Personal Encounters with Death, Life and the U.S. Healthcare System." Dr. Saag spoke with WBHM's News Director Rachel Osier Lindley about the book, what it's like to lose a patient and his deep concerns about the U.S. healthcare system.
Sustainability: Creating Art Through Recycled Glass
Recycling glass in Birmingham can be tricky. It can't be put on the curbside like most recyclables. One of residents' few options is to take it to a downtown recycling center where two 30-yard containers wait to be filled with the unwanted material. The glass that's dropped off doesn't stay in Birmingham for long. It's shipped to Tennessee and Georgia to make fiberglass, bottles, and cement. But two Birmingham artists are trying to reuse the glass and keep it in the state.
John Archibald: A Culture of Fear at Tutwiler
State officials are working to turn around conditions at Alabama's Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women after accusations of rape and sexual abuse detailed in a Justice Department report. The prisons commissioner has a 58-point checklist outlining progress. But that tool bumps up against a deep seeded culture of fear at the prison. We talk about it with Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald.
SUSTAINABILITY: Grant Brigham Of Jones Valley Teaching Farm
In the middle of urban Birmingham, there's a farm. Jones Valley Teaching Farm is an education center offering local students and families gardening, nutrition courses, fresh food, and much more. As part of our sustainability series, WBHM's education reporter Dan Carsen sat down with its Executive Director, Grant Brigham. Dan starts off by asking him if he sees the farm playing a part in Birmingham's long-term sustainability:
Sustainability: The Problem with Alabama’s Water Management
Compared to most states, water is plentiful in Alabama. In fact, you can see the many rivers that cross Alabama right on the state seal. But there are some who say Alabama is doing a poor job of managing this resource. As WBHM's Andrew Yeager continues our series on sustainability, that track record could catch up with us with as development, drought, and other pressures increase.
Weekend Edition Saturday
Weekend Edition Saturday, (Saturday from 7 a.m. – 10 a.m.) offers a wrap-up of the week’s news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of […]
3D Printing Pediatric Prosthetics: Changes For A Little Girl, And Much More
In Huntsville, there's a little girl who was born without fingers on one hand, but she now has an affordable prosthetic. Three-dimensional printing made it possible. That technology is spreading, which means her story is just one example of life-altering changes on the horizon. In this national story, with previously unpublished photos, WBHM's Dan Carsen has more.
Morning Edition
The best thing about waking up for more than 13 million people worldwide? Coffee, juice, and a staple to satisfy the curious with Morning Edition (weekday mornings from 5 a.m. – […]
Vets say Ft. McClellan Made them Sick
Life in the military can mean being in harm's way, but not necessarily from bullets and explosions. For instance, some soldiers in Vietnam cleared trees and vegetation with the herbicide Agent Orange. The substance has been linked to cancers and other diseases, which the military didn't acknowledge until years later. A similar situation may be brewing in Alabama. Some veterans of Ft. McClellan near Anniston say they're suffering from debilitating health problems and they're blaming their time spent at the base.
Commentary: What Do Alabama Teachers and School Administrators Think of Common Core?
There's a heated debate in the Alabama legislature, and beyond, about Common Core. It's a set of educational standards used in 45 states, including Alabama, which uses its own slightly modified version. Just last week, Republican Senator Scott Beason of Gardendale said he's working on legislation that would let school systems opt out of Common Core. The state school board originally adopted the standards in 2010. Commentator Larry Lee was curious about the debate, so he went and talked to some people working with the standards -- teachers and school administrators.
INTERVIEW: AdvancED CEO Mark Elgart
AdvancED is a private accrediting firm working with more than thirty thousand schools worldwide. A team from its Southern Association of Colleges and Schools division arrives in Birmingham today. They're checking whether Birmingham City Schools are fixing problems that led the agency to put the system on accreditation probation last summer. It got WBHM's education reporter Dan Carsen thinking about what these firms actually do, and whether they have as much power as it seems. He caught up with AdvancED president Mark Elgart and asked him how his agencies decide which districts get accredited ... and which don't.
In Search of My Womanist Self
When someone says they identify as a feminist, some images and assumptions come to mind. But what if someone were to self identify as a womanist? What would you think then? The meaning behind these two words may sound similar, but they spark great debate. Our guest blogger Javacia Harris Bowser explores this in her monthly post for WBHM.
What’s Next For The Alabama Democratic Party?
It's been almost 12 years since a Democrat held a major office in Alabama. But recently, there seems to be new energy among Democrats. In April of last year, Mark Kennedy resigned as chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party. He created a new foundation, the Alabama Democratic Majority. Kennedy's split with party leadership wasn't pretty, but the new foundation has political leaders talking.
Commentary: Why We Still Need Black History Month
Ahmad Ward is Head of Education and Exhibitions at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Working with BCRI's educational outreach, he regularly meets young people who don't have basic knowledge of Black history. In this commentary, he discusses the origin of Black History Month and why it's still necessary.
INTERVIEW: Controversial Comedian Bill Maher
For his decades-long career, comedian and commentator Bill Maher has skewered cherished customs and beliefs. Whether on his HBO show "Real Time with Bill Maher," in his film "Religulous," or doing stand-up, he doesn't shy away from controversy. Politics, drugs, faith -- nothing is sacred. He'll be performing in Birmingham this Sunday, but WBHM's Dan Carsen caught up with him first. It's a serious conversation, but it starts out on a light note and ranges far and wide from there.
Javacia Harris Bowser: 365 Days of Fitness
Our guest blogger, Javacia Harris Bowser, speaks to WBHM's Sarah Delia about her fitness goal for 2014.
Strong is the New Skinny
I have declared on my blog, on my social media networks, and to all my close family members and friends that I am going to exercise every day in 2014. Yes, I plan to work out 365 consecutive days.
Slow Progress In Road Clearing
ALDOT is working to clear vehicles from roadways once the thaw begins, today.
Coping with the Snow
Roads across the Birmingham area remain slick a day after snow blanketed a wide swath of Alabama. At least five people have died in weather related accidents. Some parents are still trying to get to children sheltering in schools. With many cities and businesses essentially shut down, WBHM's Andrew Yeager has a look at what people are doing to cope in one eastside Birmingham neighborhood.
Helena Could Be A Model Test Case For Citywide Wi-Fi
In Helena, Alabama, a private company thinks its up to the task of providing Helena's 17,000 residents with citywide Wi-Fi, all while competing with much larger internet service providers. Les Lovoy reports on how it's hoping Helena will be a successful test case for citywide Wi-Fi.
Birmingham Schools: Takeover To Today, Part 3
The Alabama State Department of Education's intervention team has left Birmingham City Schools. ALSDE staff are approving local board agendas and monitoring finances from Montgomery. A year and a half after the state first took the reins, the local board is quietly going about its business. As 2014 approaches, there's a new optimism from the Superintendent's office down to the trenches. But is it realistic? In this third and final installment, WBHM's Dan Carsen reports on the reality on the ground, and on where informed stakeholders think it's all headed.