A new thriller opens in theaters today. It’s about an American submarine captain on the hunt for a U.S. submarine in distress. The film “Hunter Killer” features some big names including Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman. It was adapted from a novel co-written by Birmingham author Don Keith.

Gov. Kay Ivey isn’t necessarily a big fan of a new state lottery, but she would not get in the way if the Legislature and Alabama voters approved an amendment to the state constitution to legalize the games.

Rhiannon Reese of Crisis Center Birmingham says she doesn’t want to play the blame game about sexual assault kits not submitted for analysis to Alabama’s forensic lab.

Chimney swifts are a common sight in Birmingham. You might notice large numbers of them as they funnel into chimneys. Many people mistake them for bats. But as new development replaces old buildings and their chimneys, the chimney swift population is at risk. Birmingham Audubon is working to reverse the decline by constructing “swift towers” throughout the city.

Birmingham is getting a pro basketball team. The NBA Pelicans are bringing a minor league affiliate, and they'll play at the BJCC Legacy Arena.

After playing defense from charges by her opponent that she was avoiding a debate, Gov. Kay Ivey and her re-election campaign have turned the tables and gone on offense.

Erica Dunning is proud of her tidy house, built by Habitat for Humanity in a quiet Chalkville neighborhood, and her job working for Jefferson County. But she’s not too proud to admit that, once upon a time, she needed help to make ends meet.

Since last year, Lorenzo French says he’s helped about 50 people in rural Greene County regain their ability to vote. Many of them were improperly removed from voter rolls because they had a felony conviction, though not the type that should have banned them from voting, French said. Others didn’t have photo identification, a requirement to vote in Alabama since 2014.

Five years ago, Birmingham poet Emma Bolden faced an excruciating decision. She was 33. She wasn’t married and had no children, but she was considering a hysterectomy because of decades of health issues. That decision and the subsequent surgery became a theme for her latest collection of poems called “House is an Enigma.”

A statewide DMV computer outage Thursday morning prohibited some residents from updating their driver’s licenses just days ahead of Monday’s voter registration deadline. But it’s unclear how many were affected.