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For Homewood’s spotted salamanders, a win and a warning
A grassroots effort successfully pushed back on a development in that would have destroyed a critical salamander habitat. Still, amphibians face constant risks.
UA graduates take in the opportunity to hear a sitting president speak
Despite being introduced by beloved former University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, President Donald Trump received the loudest welcome of the night when he took the stage at Coleman Coliseum on the university campus Thursday night. He spoke at a special ceremony ahead of the UA commencement ceremonies.
Tax cut bills under consideration in final days of the legislative session
Alabama has already knocked off 1% of its state sales tax from groceries. A bill that would reduce it further is under discussion in the legislature. But there are just a couple of days left in the session to get things done.
Trump offers advice to University of Alabama graduates in speech interspersed with politics
The Republican’s jolting speech was standard fare for Trump and well-received by the crowd in deep-red Alabama, which backed him in all three of his presidential runs.
What’s the deal with torpedo bats? See how this Baton Rouge bat manufacturer makes them
Marucci Sports gave WWNO's Louisiana Considered an inside look at how they make torpedo bats, the oddly-shaped bats giving hitters newfound strength.
Bill overhauling Birmingham Water Works Board heads to governor’s desk despite local outcry
Proponents of the bill point to frequent rate hikes and say that the move will prevent catastrophic events that have happened in cities like Jackson, Mississippi, or Detroit, Michigan. Opponents of the bill say that it is a power grab that diminishes the power of Black residents in Birmingham, Alabama.
How a rural clinic is changing lives in Alabama and why it’s at risk
Cahaba Medical Care, a collection of clinics that get doctors into some of the poorest, sickest communities in Alabama, never turns away patients. But a federal grant that supports the doctors there is at risk of getting cut in the midst of the Trump administration’s efforts to downsize.
Former Birmingham-Southern College students enjoy a graduation tradition for the last time
A year after Birmingham-Southern College closed, having succumbed to financial mismanagement, former students who are graduating this spring from Samford University visited the campus to capture a bit of tradition.
Legendary civil rights attorney Fred Gray honored with statue in Alabama
Gray represented prominent civil rights leaders like King, Rosa Parks and John Lewis throughout the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama, allowing activists to intentionally leverage mass arrests and civil disobedience to push for equal rights.
Lil Wayne’s New Orleans Jazz Fest headlining set is a big moment for hip-hop artists
Lil Wayne will close out the main stage for the first time in his career Saturday — a feat that’s eluded most other rappers who’ve performed at the festival.
Alabama Senate advances Birmingham Water Works Board overhaul
A fight erupted this week in the Alabama legislature over a bill that would remake the Birmingham Water Works Board. We dive into that controversy and talk about other legislative action with Todd Stacy, host of Capital Journal and Alabama Public Television.
Alabama executes a man who said he was guilty of rape and murder and deserved to die
James Osgood was pronounced dead Thursday evening following a three-drug injection at a south Alabama prison. A jury in 2014 convicted Osgood of capital murder in the death of Tracy Lynn Brown in Chilton County.
Celebrating 100 years of speech arts in Birmingham
Women in flowing dresses and glittering cardigans filled the Virginia Samford Theater in Birmingham on a recent afternoon. The event was a celebration for the one hundredth anniversary of the Speech Arts Club of Birmingham.
Trade wars grew America’s auto industry. Historians warn today’s tariffs won’t
Past success bringing foreign car companies stateside means the U.S. has more to lose and less to gain in today’s trade wars.
Birmingham ranked 4th worst in Southeast for ozone pollution, new ALA report says
The American Lung Association's latest "State of the Air" report shows air quality has worsened in some Gulf South metro areas.
The long road to answers for some chronic illnesses
Growing costs, research cuts, and staffing shortages are health care issues that are top of mind for many in the country right now, especially for the millions of people who deal with chronic illness. Some of those people don’t even know what to call their illness.
Crowds in Railroad Park protest Trump administration for ‘No Kings’ day
The event was part of protests across the country under a theme of "No Kings in America." The protests, organized by the 50501 movement, was held on April 19, the 250th anniversary of the battle of Lexington and Concord, an early fight in the Revolutionary War.
Alabama to honor wastewater sanitation projects despite losing federal backing
The Alabama Department of Public Health says it will honor its wastewater contracts for Lowndes County in spite of the Department of Justice’s recent decision to cancel its two-year-old agreement with the state supporting septic system improvements in the region.
Republicans in Gulf states push to embrace Gulf of America name
This week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills requiring the use of “Gulf of America” in state law and textbooks. Alabama lawmakers advanced a similar bill as well.
Alabama lawmakers advance local ‘Laken Riley’ bill that deputizes police to enforce immigration law
The bill was dubbed “Laken Riley Act,” named after the 22-year-old Augusta University student who was killed last year in Georgia by an undocumented immigrant. President Donald Trump signed a similar law into affect in January that requires the detention of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes.
Lawmakers advance religious bills including school Ten Commandments displays
It's no secret that Alabama is among the most religious states. It's also no stranger to fights over displays of the Ten Commandments. The state may be gearing up for another one as the Alabama House passed a bill Thursday that would require public schools to display the Ten commandments. We hear details on that from Todd Stacy, host of Capital Journal and Alabama Public Television.
Lawmakers move to mandate the display of Ten Commandments and ban pride flags in Alabama schools
Alabama lawmakers approved a slew of bills on Thursday that would expand the use of Christian texts in public schools and limit protections for LGBTQ+ students, in lockstep with a national conservative agenda that has divided statehouses across the country.
Will Alabama legislators ban delta-8 this session? It’s coming down to the wire
Several bills currently working their way through the Alabama legislature would effectively ban hemp-derived THC products. Opponents of the bill say it’ll be prohibition all over again.
How neighborhoods in New Orleans are addressing urban flooding
Urban flooding has long plagued Treme, a historically Black neighborhood in New Orleans. Residents are getting creative to find solutions to the issue.
Birmingham legend Odetta to be celebrated in tribute concert
Gina Coleman and her band Misty Blues will bring Odetta back home, performing a live tribute to the Birmingham legend at the historic Carver Theatre on Saturday, April 19.
Review of decision not to award Space Command to Alabama inconclusive, with Trump reversal expected
The inspector general's report, issued Friday, said this was in part due to a lack of access to senior defense officials during the Biden administration, when the review began.
Why is Alabama’s workforce participation rate so low? And what’s being done to improve it?
While Alabama boasts an unemployment rate that is among the lowest in the country, its workforce participation rate consistently lags the national average, meaning a large portion of Alabamians are neither employed nor actively seeking work. This has raised concerns both about barriers to employment for individuals and about the state’s economic future.
Bill would give give non-violent, aging prisoners a chance at freedom
Should the Second Chance Act be enacted, judges could review certain cases where an individual was sentenced to life without parole under the Habitual Offenders Act for potential resentencing.
New drag venue to open in Five Points South
The Opulence Drag Lounge and Taqueria will bring Birmingham’s Five Points South neighborhood both dine-and-go taco cuisine and performance this summer. The new business is planned for the former Hush Lounge location which closed after a mass shooting last year.
DOJ ends environmental justice agreement in Alabama county citing Trump
Justice Department officials said they were ending the agreement reached with the state regarding wastewater issues in Lowndes County. Federal officials said the decision follows President Donald Trump’s executive order forbidding federal agencies from pursuing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
In Homewood, a fight for the spotted salamander
As a Samford University expands its footprint and threatens the amphibian’s habitat, residents are voicing their opposition and searching for another way forward.
Doctors remove pig kidney from an Alabama woman after a record 130 days
Towana Looney is recovering well from the removal surgery and has returned home to Gadsden. In a statement, she thanked her doctors for “the opportunity to be part of this incredible research.”
