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For UAB’s Might, Precision Medicine Was Personal

Medical treatments sometimes have to take a one-size-fits-all approach. But those treatments don’t always work the same way for everyone. Precision medicine is an emerging way to care for patients that considers their individual genes, environments, and lifestyles. And the leader of UAB's effort to do that is here because of his son.

Study: Alabama Ranks Third in Premature Death

A comprehensive report published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at life expectancy and other key health measures across the U.S. Alabama ranked third-worst in premature death, but there was good news also.

Committee Probes Whether Laws Limit Access for Voters

An Alabama advisory committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights holds its first hearing Thursday in Montgomery. It’s the first of a series of discussions looking into the ways Alabama’s voting regulations affect people’s ability to vote. There will be testimony from academics and policy makers, and members of the public will be invited to comment.

Infectious Strain of Flu Hits Area Hard

This year the flu is peaking early and intensely. It’s one of the most active seasons in decades, and a nasty strain is going around. Area hospitals are at capacity and pharmacies are scrambling to stock medicine. But there are things you can do.

Alabama Has Second-Highest Infant Mortality Rate in U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a major report on infant mortality today. Alabama did not fare well. After Mississippi, it had the highest rate of infant death in the nation.

Endangered Whooping Cranes Are Coming Back

A couple extra wild birds in a creek doesn’t seem too important … until you realize that not long ago, there were barely twenty of them in the world. Whooping cranes are the tallest bird in America and they can live into their thirties, but that didn’t keep them from near-extinction. Now, though, thanks decades of cooperation, they’re making a comeback.

Apathy and a Divide Among Some Black Voters

If he has a chance at defeating conservative Republican Roy Moore in Tuesday’s US Senate election, Democrat Doug Jones needs lots of votes, especially from African Americans. But some in the black community say it’ll take more than a history of prosecuting the KKK members responsible for the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing to energize them to support Jones.

Fear of Concussions Helps Boost Flag Football

With links between head impacts and neurological problems becoming clearer, an alternative to youth tackle football is surging. Flag football is more and more popular, even as participation in other sports declines, and even in a place known for tackle: Hoover, Alabama.

Concussion Expert on Youth Sports: “Time to Make Some Decisions”

Brain injury specialist Dr. Elizabeth Sandel has been studying that organ and bad things that happen to it for more than three decades. With football season in full swing, and the recent publication of a study linking adolescent concussions with multiple sclerosis, we wanted to check in with an expert.

As Flu Season Begins, Shots Boost Health and Bottom Lines

It’s the start of flu season, which for many people means a date with a needle. If you’ve been to a drug store lately, you may have noticed some strong encouragement to get the shot. So why the big push? Is it just about health?

The Accidental LGBT Activist: Jim Obergefell Speaks to Students at UAB

Jim Obergefel was at the center of the U.S. Supreme Court case legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. He spoke at the University of Alabama at Birmingham last night about what’s he’s been doing since that landmark day in 2015.

Tripling Trials? UAB Cancer Center Head Pushes Big Goals

The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center is trying keep the disease from touching so many lives. It recently recruited oncology leader Dr. Michael Birrer to run the center. He tells WBHM’s Dan Carsen that when he was in training, top medical students did not go into oncology because cancer patients had few options, but things have changed.

Morris J. “Mo” Brooks Jr. (R)

Name: Morris J. “Mo” Brooks Jr. Age: 63 Residence: Huntsville Political races run: 5th Congressional District, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016; lieutenant governor, 2006. Political offices held: Alabama House of Representatives, […]

Climate Change Analysis Predicts Losses for South

Scientists and economists have put together a detailed analysis of potential economic damage from climate change. One takeaway: Alabama and the rest of the South could suffer more than other parts of the country.

The Ripple Effect When a Giant Iceberg Breaks Away From Antarctica

This week, scientists watched an iceberg the size of Delaware break away from Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf. The mass of ice that broke off weighs about a trillion tons. It’ll eventually melt, but as UAB polar biologist and Antarctic explorer Jim McClintock tells WBHM’s Dan Carsen, there are some long-term concerns.

New Report Ranks Alabama Second-Worst in Drinking Water Pollution

Contaminants called perfluorinated chemicals or PFC’s have been detected in the drinking water according to findings released on June 8 by The Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization, in conjunction with researchers at Northeastern University.

Former Lawmaker’s Message Led to Concerns About Property Values

Former State Rep. Oliver Robinson abruptly resigned his legislative seat last November. He recently confirmed to WBHM that he is under investigation. The details of that investigation aren’t known, but reports suggest it’s tied to his interference with efforts by the US Environmental Protection Agency to test for contamination in his former district.

Sex Trafficking in Alabama: What a Pediatrician Sees

Each year, an estimated 2 million children are exploited in the global sex trade. As Alabama has become part of an elaborate interstate sex trafficking network, countless underage victims need treatment. That’s where the Children’s Hospital Intervention and Prevention Center in Birmingham comes in.

UAB Program Unravels Mysteries Of The Human Body

Each year thousands of people suffer from diseases that defy diagnosis, sometimes for decades. They are medical refugees. These undiagnosed diseases, as they are called, mean a doctor can’t figure out what’s wrong with their patient. But UAB is trying to change that.

Suspected Bird Flu Poses No Risk to Food Supply, Officials Say

The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Department issued a stop movement order on select poultry after three suspected cases of bird flu were discovered recently.

Life After Hate: Leaving the White Supremacist Movement

Angela King was a neo-Nazi in her home state of Florida for eight years. After the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, King started to question how far she was willing to go for her white supremacist beliefs. She tried to leave the group, but failed.

New Report finds Black Veterans Targeted for Lynching in the South

The Montgomery-based Equal Justice Initiative is building a memorial to lynching victims. The group estimates more than 4,000 African-Americans were lynched in the South between 1877-1950. Among those targeted were black veterans. These men returned from war abroad having experienced something unfamiliar to them, being treated with dignity and respect; something they didn't receive at home in the U.S. Many black veterans challenged the racial hierarchy of the South and were seen as threats to white supremacy.

Two Mountain Brook Students to take the Big TED-Ed Stage

Mountain Brook High School sophomores Brett Lewis and Sean Fredella have been selected to present their talks at the first ever TED-Ed Weekend in New York.

Alabama Joining Antitrust Lawsuit Over Drug Used to Treat Opioid Addiction

Attorney General Luther Strange is joining 35 other Attorneys General in an antitrust lawsuit against the makers of Suboxone, a prescription drug used to treat opioid addiction. Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, […]

McNolia’s in Five Points South Closes After 32 Years

Owner Earl Capellen explains why now is the time to walk away from the Birmingham Southside landmark in operation since 1984.

The Junction: Stories from Ensley, Alabama – Janice Houston Nixon

In 1967, 12-year-old Janice Houston Nixon decided to transfer from the all-black school in her native Ensley, to an all-white school nearby. Nixon was inspired to do so by her sister, […]

How to Protect Yourself Against Mosquitoes and Zika

The Zika virus has popped up in Alabama, although you can't blame mosquitoes yet. The pests spread the disease but so far the only cases in the state are from people who have traveled to Zika infected areas. But public health officials are offering tips to fight mosquitoes, which spread a number of diseases.

Mosquito Control Businesses Expect Boost From Zika

With rising concerns about the Zika virus, mosquitoes have even more of a target on their backs than usual this summer. While the bugs spread the disease, the only cases of Zika in Alabama so far have been related to travel to infected areas. As residents try to protect themselves, one type of business is expecting to do well: mosquito control companies.

Commentary: When it Comes to Opioids, Doctors Need to Focus on People, Not Pills

Opioids include pills like hydrocodone and morphine are often prescribed for pain. They also include drugs of abuse such as heroin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 18,000 people died from opioid overdoses in 2014. Public initiatives from the CDC and the White House have focused on how doctors prescribe opioid pills for pain. Last week the CDC released a guideline urging doctors to show greater care and caution when prescribing opioids.

Crime in Greater Birmingham: Targeting the Violence

There was a spike in homicide last year and Birmingham is on pace to hit a new high this year. Studies show much of this violence isn’t random. According to data from the University of Cincinnati Policing Institute, less than one percent of a city’s population contribute to more than 73 percent of violent crime. Other cities have instituted programs to cut down on homicide, by targeting the groups and people most likely to be involved. Birmingham started its own initiative last year.

Shelby County Residents to Vote on Sunday Alcohol Sales

During Tuesday’s primaries residents of Shelby County will vote on whether to allow alcohol to be sold on Sundays.

Dennis Covington and Revelation: The Search for Faith in a Violent Religious World

"Faith, as St. Paul said in his letter to the Galatians, is a fruit of the spirit, and a fruit is something tangible, life sustaining, a gift." Dennis Covington.