Alabama
Noise Music and Birmingham’s Growing Local Music Scene
When it comes to live, local music, Birmingham is still in it's infancy. From The Spring Street Firehouse, Saturn and WorkPlay have emerged as creative spaces where the city's many talented, local artists can perform and make a name for themselves.
Attorney General: Alabama Death Penalty Law “Constitutional”
The U.S. Supreme Court is refusing to hear arguments in a case involving Alabama’s death penalty sentencing scheme.
Birmingham Women’s March Draws Massive Crowd
Weather forecasters warned of severe thunderstorms and the possibility of tornadoes, but even that wasn’t enough to keep hundreds from gathering at Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham for the Women’s March.
Birmingham: A Community that Speaks for the Trees
As you travel around Birmingham, you might notice signs that billing it as “Tree City USA.” The city was given the designation because of its sprawling urban forest. The term urban forest refers to the tree-top landscape seen in some major cities, especially ones in the South. However, the issue is how to balance the vitality and existence of Birmingham’s trees with the city’s planned renaissance and expansion.
Achievement, Graduation Rates Top State Superintendent’s Agenda
"There are certain schools, there are certain programs in this state that are as good as you’re going to find in the United States of America. We don’t have enough of them." Michael Sentance.
US Attorney General Lynch Gives Final Speech in Birmingham
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch spoke to a packed congregation at the 16th St. Baptist Church yesterday to commemorate Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Lynch says the city’s past and King’s work have made Birmingham a beacon for civil rights in the United States.
Magical Things Happen Here….
Musician Kevin Kozak of Homewood…
The Power of Music…
Dementia Care Coordinator Pam Leonard of Alabaster…
How Do National Championship Foes Alabama and Clemson Really Compare?
Most analysts compare defensive lines, secondaries, quarterbacks and ground games. But the Southern Education Desk decided to look at other facts about these two southern universities.
U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions and a Look at Civil Rights
Jeff Sessions’ civil rights track record is on trial and is likely to remain a topic of conversation until his confirmation hearing. Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper Weld discusses a little about how civil rights actually work.
Talladega College President Undecided On Band’s Inauguration Performance
Talladega College doesn’t have a football team, but it has a band – the Marching Tornadoes. More than 100 band members from the historically black college east of Birmingham have been invited to perform in President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural parade. The college president is undecided on whether the band will perform, a college spokesman said. Talladega […]
The Queer Library: A New Home for LGBT Literature
The brainchild of Change Project founder Steven Romeo, every book is written by an LGBT author or contains LGBT content.
Gardendale School System Hearings End, Federal Judge Weighs Decision On Independent System
Federal Judge Madeline Haikala is considering whether Gardendale can pull out of the Jefferson County system & start its own without violating civil rights.
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.
First Rain After Drought is Both Good and Bad
Groups that monitor Alabama’s waterways say there are some drawbacks and are warning of potential health risks found in and around rivers and streams.
Alabama Cattle Ranchers Hit Hard by Drought
After months of warm, dry weather, it did finally rain this week. But a few days of precipitation won’t erase months of drought. The lack of rainfall has crippled the state’s $2 billion cattle industry. The drought has forced ranchers to buy hay from out-of-state and if the dry weather persists this winter, things could get a lot worse for farmers and their herds.
Anxiety and Fear: Birmingham Muslims React to Election of Donald Trump
When Donald Trump was on the campaign trail, he made a promise to “make America great again.” Part of that plan involves a complete and total ban on Muslim immigrants trying to enter the United States. But what about the Muslims that already live in the U.S? Many say they’re concerned for their own safety […]
Jeff Co Death Sentence Numbers One of Highest in Nation, Report Finds
Jefferson County has one of the highest rates of capital punishment in the nation, according to a report released last month by Harvard Law School’s Fair Punishment Project. The report found that the county is one of only 16 in the nation to hand down five or more death sentences between 2010 and 2015. We […]
Big Push to Make AL Civil Rights Monuments National Parks
A big push is underway to designate several Alabama civil rights locations as national parks. National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis, Congresswoman Terri Sewell and Mayor William Bell joined Jewell for a tour of Birmingham's civil rights district.
Protecting Yourself from a Cyber Attack
A cyber attack known as a distributed denial of service or DDoS took out several website-based companies last Friday. Users of Twitter, Netflix and the Birmingham News’ AL.com were denied access to these sites for several hours. Nick Patterson, from the weekly newspaper Weld, looks at how this attack affects you and what you can do to prevent being a victim of this in the future.
Affecting your surroundings…
Aspiring hip-hop artist and vegan activist, Walter Duke of Birmingham…
Making a quilt doesn’t have to take that long…
Retired quilter, Vasha Rosenblum of Birmingham…
We have to work together…
Manager of Primates and Giant Otters, Danielle Williams of Birmingham…
Attorney: Suspension is Not Removal; Roy Moore Still Chief Justice
Attorneys for Roy Moore say he’s technically still Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, despite being suspended for the remainder of his term without pay. Mat Staver is with Liberty Counsel, the group representing Moore. He says Acting Chief Justice Lyn Stuart acted unilaterally when she removed Moore’s name from the court’s letterhead and […]
AL Climatologists: Current Drought Once in a Lifetime Phenomenon
State climatologists say the ongoing drought in some areas of Alabama is a phenomenon seen roughly once in a lifetime. The U.S. Drought Monitor rates stricken areas on a scale of D1 to D4, four being areas of exceptional drought. Northeast and north-central Alabama including Jefferson County are at a D3 or above. “For the […]
Several Alabama Counties Under Drought Emergency
The Alabama Drought Declaration issued Tuesday comes after conditions across the stare continue to degrade due to little rainfall and above normal temperatures.
Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Violence
Nick Patterson from the weekly newspaper Weld reports on an effort to stop the cycle of abuse and domestic violence in Birmingham and north-central Alabama.
What Can Finland Teach Alabama About Education?
Several decades ago, Finland’s education system was considered mediocre. But starting around 2001, it came to be regarded as a powerhouse, usually at or near the top of the world’s nations on internationally normed tests. How? And can those strategies work in Alabama?
Education Activists Seek to Rescind Hire of Ala. Superintendent
About three dozen people organized by education advocate Larry Lee have signed on to be plaintiffs in pending legal action intended to rescind the hiring of Alabama Superintendent Michael Sentance.
AL Medical Boards Could Face Scrutiny from Federal Trade Commission
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision set a new precedent regarding federal antitrust laws and state medical agencies. The ruling means regulatory groups made up of members with private sector interests are subject to federal antitrust laws. Agencies like the Medical Association of Alabama - which is headed by several private medical practitioners - could potentially be affected.
Broken Gas Pipe Removed, Investigation Underway
An investigation is underway into what caused a gas pipeline to start leaking near Helena. Officials with Colonial Pipeline say the broken pipe was removed over the weekend and sent to an outside firm for investigation. Crews constructed a 500 foot bypass to circumvent the broken pipe before it was removed. Colonial says they identified […]
Attorney: Moore Decision Disregards “Rule of Law”
Lawyers for former Chief Justice Roy Moore are appealing his removal from office saying the move was a disregard for the “rule of law.” Attorneys with the Liberty Counsel, a conservative non-profit law firm out of Florida that represents Moore, filed the appeal yesterday. It once again comes down to semantics. Among other arguments, Moore’s […]
