The Debate Around Guns Has to Change
San Bernardino, California, is the latest place to experience a tragic mass shooting and joins a list that includes Charleston, South Carolina, Sandy Hook, Aurora, Colorado, and may other places. After such incidents, the issue of gun violence inevitably follows, but the discussion seems stagnant with the various voices involved arguing their positions with little change. One of the most powerful voices is the National Rifle Association and Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald says "to hell with the NRA." He shares his thoughts and explains why the process around Birmingham's approval of Uber and other ride-hailing companies was flawed.
Protesters Show Solidarity for Hunger-Striking Etowah County Detainees
Protesters in Birmingham today clanged forks and spoons against empty plates and marched in a show of solidarity for the 40 detainees currently on a hunger strike at a U.S. Immigration and Customs detention center in Etowah County.
U.S. Department of Transportation Investigating Rural Driver’s License Offices
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday it’s investigating the closure or reduction in services at part-time driver’s license offices in Alabama for civil rights violations.
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City Council Makes Way for Ride-hailing Companies in Birmingham
The Birmingham City Council voted today on revisions to the city’s transportation code which would allow ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft to operate in the city. The council voted 7 to 1 in favor of the changes. Councilwoman Valerie Abbott voted against them. Councilwoman Kim Rafferty abstained.
Birmingham LGBTQ Community Leader Honored by White House
Steven Romeo is founder of the Change Project here in Birmingham. It highlights the lives of LGBTQ people in Alabama and other areas of the South. Recently, Romeo received the White House “Champions of Change” recognition, given to just a handful of LGBT community leaders in the U.S. He stopped by to talk to WBHM […]
Teaching Tough Topics: NPT Reports
What should school children be taught about Islam, the Confederacy and other topics that are sensitive to some in our society? NPT Reports looks at how curriculum standards are set in Tennessee and why state officials are implementing new procedures to address public concerns as part of the Southern Education Desk’s series, “Teaching Tough Topics.”
NPR News
What Expanded Gambling Could Mean for Alabama
State lawmakers took three legislative sessions to craft a bare-bones budget this year. Next year’s budget picture isn’t any rosier so calls are increasing for Alabama to expand gambling or start a lottery. Such a move would certainly mean revenue for the state, but just as with a roll of the dice, there’s risk. We start with that in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
UAB Student, Iraq Vet Hopes to Help Feed Black Belt with Aquaponics
Ramon Jeter was raised by a single mother on the west side of Birmingham. Right out of Ramsay High School he joined the Navy. He eventually served as a field medic in Iraq. Now the married new father is studying public health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and he’s been accepted to Clinton […]
Teaching Tough Topics: Teaching Beyond The Test
Civil Rights, Voter ID laws, Felon Rights. These topics aren’t foreign for teachers and students in Southern classrooms. But what happens when pressure to teach to the test prevents challenging conversations?
More than a Quarter of Alabama’s Children Live in Poverty, Report Finds
A new study shows that more than 26% of Alabama’s children are living at or below the poverty level. The 2015 Kids Count Data Book released this week by VOICES for Alabama’s Children provides a snapshot of well-being across several indicators including education, health and safety. “Well I think any time you’re talking about the […]
Transit Authority Board Under Fire for Meeting
When former Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority executive director Ann August left her post in October, transit board members said they held an emergency meeting to accept her resignation. Transit advocates say she was clearly fired. That distinction could mean the difference between a legal move by the board and something illegal. The Jefferson County District Attorney's office appears to be investigating. We hear about it from Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald and also hear about the Birmingham City Council, which canceled a meeting for lack of a quorum.
Teaching Tough Topics: Teaching Civil War History In Mississippi As Symbols Fall
In Mississippi, the Civil War still stirs emotions. It’s not so much that teachers disagree on how it should be taught, but that ongoing attempts by the University of Mississippi and several cities across the South to shed Confederate symbols have called up old ghosts. Sandra Knispel reports for the Southern Education Desk.
