Birmingham

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 […]

“Alabama Unity Rally” Peaceful but Fiercely Anti-Trump

Recent anti-Donald Trump rallies around the nation have been marred by violence. Some feared that would happen in Birmingham, especially after social-media threats. But Saturday night, though hundreds protested, no one got hurt. That’s not to say emotions weren’t high.

KKK Literature Appears in Birmingham Neighborhood After Election

Residents in Southside discovered pamphlets from the Ku Klux Klan asking for Alabamians to “rise up” and join the organization.

Lawsuit Language Sparks Debate at Birmingham City Council Meeting

A $2.5 million lawsuit payout signed by Birmingham Mayor William Bell sparked heated debate during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Members of the Birmingham City Council questioned whether the mayor has the authority to approve expenditures that large without seeking council consent. We talk about this with Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper Weld. Patterson […]

Serious Tailgaters Prepare Days Ahead Of Birmingham Football Rivalry Game

Heard on Weekend Edition Saturday SHERREL STEWART In Birmingham, tens of thousands of football fans will watch Alabama A&M face Alabama State in the Magic City Classic, a big game between two black colleges. SCOTT SIMON, HOST:A giant tailgate party has been underway for days in Birmingham, Ala., as tens of thousands of football fans […]

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…

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 […]

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.

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 […]

Urban Dwellers Making a Push to Save Disappearing Honeybee

A quote about the honeybee made famous by an anonymous thinker states, “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left.” As ominous as that sounds it’s not far from true. Bees play an extremely important role in the production of crops and the […]

Birmingham School Board Ousts Superintendent

After a heated meeting Thursday night, the Birmingham school board surprised many by voting six to three to fire the district’s Superintendent. Kelley Castlin-Gacutan, more often called “Dr. G,” had held the position for 14 months.

A Look at the Struggling Neighborhoods of Birmingham’s West Side

Communities like Ensley, West End and Fairfield were commercial hubs during the industrial heyday of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Gas Flowing Through Pipeline Again, Environmental Groups Following Cleanup

Gasoline is flowing once again through a pipeline that carries fuel to several southeastern states. But, it could still be several days until fuel delivery is back to normal. Crews worked day and night for nearly two weeks constructing a 500-foot bypass off a broken gas pipeline. Officials with Colonial Pipeline – the company that […]

Birmingham Schools Host Charter School Forums

Alabama may very well have its first-ever charter schools next year. The approval process, which has already hit snags in other parts of the state, will go either through a state commission or through local school boards that have elected to become authorizers. Birmingham City Schools is one of just two authorizers in the state, and last night, school leaders held a meeting to explain what that means.

CIA Director Visits Birmingham City School Students

Today Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan spoke to dignitaries and more than 50 high school students at Birmingham City Schools’ Central Office. His main goal was to get Birmingham students interested in careers at the CIA. He also acknowledged the CIA’s lack of diversity. “We need to have people from all different backgrounds and experiences,” he […]

The Junction: Oasis Gardens Ensley

In an alley in downtown Ensley, Hank Layman is transforming a parking lot into something that’s been missing from the community for years: a garden.

Why Is It So Hard to Recycle Glass in Alabama?

Glass is a part of our daily lives. It’s in our refrigerators and our cabinets. We eat off it. We drink out of it. It’s everywhere. Everywhere but in our recycling bins, and that’s because the majority of waste services in Alabama don’t recycle glass. But that’s not the case at the Alabama Environmental Council’s […]

Living in Birmingham and Liking it — 30 Years On

UAB students started classes this week. But for students stepping onto campus 30 years ago in 1986, they had the opportunity to take a class that might sound a little odd. The course was called "Living in Birmingham and Liking it." Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald ran across this tidbit recently. He reflects on it and on Birmingham's changes over the last three decades.

Taking care of your instrument…

Birmingham Cellist Nancy Lewis…

Family photo memories…

Lessie Dingler of Gardendale…

How to Avoid Being the Victim of Violent Crime

Recent studies show that violent crime is on the rise in America, and 2016 homicide numbers in Birmingham are on pace with last year, the highest number of homicides the city has seen since 2008. But does this mean you have a higher chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime?

Randall Woodfin to Run for Mayor of Birmingham

The assistant city attorney's campaign is set to officially kick off Saturday morning at the North Birmingham Recreation Center, close to where he went to elementary school.

Birmingham’s Comprehensive Plan: Four Years After the Launch

Some feel Birmingham residents are worse off now than they were before the Comprehensive Plan was implemented.

Lyrical Skill, Lofty Aspirations: The Monastery

Their inspirations include modern rappers but also go all the way back to A Tribe Called Quest, Jimi Hendrix, and actual monks. They’re The Monastery, a duo making their mark on Alabama’s growing rap scene with intricate lyrics they hope will entertain and enlighten.

Why is Commercial Real Estate such a Hot Commodity in Birmingham?

Birmingham is attracting a lot of commercial investment. Since 2011, out-of-state investors have spent more than $3.8 billion on commercial property in Jefferson and Shelby Counties. This trend is said to have peaked in 2014, but experts say investor money is still flowing into the city. In this week’s Magic City Marketplace, Ty West, editor […]

Housing Authority Fatherhood Initiative Seeks to Strengthen Families

The Birmingham Housing Authority’s Fatherhood Initiative, a program designed to empower fathers to help build strong families, uses barber shop talks to help men feel at ease talking about the issues men and fathers face.

Major Interstate Closure Through Downtown Birmingham this Weekend

Beginning tonight at 7 o’clock, the junction from I-65 southbound to I-20/59 eastbound will be closed as well as the eastbound exit to 17th street.

Woodlawn Runner Jayla Kirkland Goes Against the World’s Best In Poland

Jayla’s time of 23.11 in the 200 meters captured first place last month at the prestigious New Balance Nationals Outdoor competition. In that same competition, she placed third in the 100 meter race.

Birmingham Job Market Near Peak Employment

There's good news regarding the Birmingham job market. Since 2011, the city has added more than 30,000 jobs, just shy of the 45,000 needed for peak employment.