When Birmingham lawyer and child advocate Elizabeth “Liz” Huntley describes her childhood, she says it was filled with “nightmarish events” and “tremendous adversity” that she overcame with the life-giving support of mentors and teachers who helped her see her potential. In an inspiring 2015 TEDxBirmingham talk, she described her harrowing early life: Her dad was […]

Anyone who obstructs a human trafficking investigation in Alabama could be met with the same penalties as the traffickers if the governor signs a bill that passed the House this week with near unanimous support. The bill, which already passed the Senate, increases penalties in place for those who obstruct, interfere with, prevent, or otherwise […]

When pro sports star Christy Swaid first moved to Alabama in 2002, she said she immediately fell in love with her new home, but it broke her heart to learn that the state ranks in the top three nationally for diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and hypertension and that Alabama children are developing type 2 […]

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center may teach visitors about space vehicles that defy gravity, but for its CEO and Executive Director Deborah Edwards Barnhart, the center itself has proved gravitational – pulling her into its orbit several times throughout her four-decade career. Barnhart, who will this month be honored as a Yellowhammer Woman of […]

If you only read U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell’s resume, it might be tempting to assume she grew up with connections and privilege. She went to Princeton University for her undergraduate degree. She went to Oxford University for her master’s degree. She went to Harvard Law School for her doctorate in law and began her legal […]

Jan Hess is a 2018 Yellowhammer Woman of Impact who is making history in a company known for making history. In 2000, the Huntsville-native became the first female executive of Teledyne Brown Engineering, the first high-tech company established in Huntsville to help Wernher von Braun build the Redstone Rocket, according to the company website. Teledyne […]

A good Samaritan blew me away with his kindness when I injured myself playing basketball this week and I’ve just discovered who the “stranger” is. I began writing this column about the service of an unknown person, but imagine my surprise when I googled his name just now and realized the soft-spoken gentleman, who I […]

The most important duty of a lieutenant governor is to be ready to become governor. Judging by the significant accomplishments in Kay Ivey’s nearly 11 months as Alabama’s 54th governor, she has proven herself ready by successfully steadying what she called “the ship of state” and then steering Alabama into strong economic waters. Yellowhammer News […]

  Human trafficking survivor Lynne Caffery said she was “sold and given and resold and given to males and females for merchandise and guns and drugs and raped repeatedly” as a trafficked victim of a biker group and the Mexican cartel before landing in prison and, eventually, finding hope, education and a new life. Caffery […]

  Yellowhammer News recently sat down with Alabama School Board member and State Senate candidate Mary Scott Hunter to talk about hot-button topics like school shootings, the #MeToo movement, what she thinks of the Alabama Education Association (AEA), and why she prefers to be thought of as a “candidate”, not a “female candidate”. Hunter is […]

  The beloved American evangelist Billy Graham passed away at his home in North Carolina Wednesday at the age of 99, leaving a life-long legacy of preaching, teaching and evangelism that earned him the nickname “America’s Pastor.” In 1964, Graham offered to bring his team to Birmingham after the 1963 bombing at 16th Street Baptist […]

(Opinion) I think we saw this coming. A sharp increase in male managers say they are uncomfortable mentoring women in the wake of the sexual harassment and #MeToo movement, according to a recent study by women’s empowerment nonprofit Leanin.org and online survey tool SurveyMonkey. Here are some of the survey’s key findings, according to LeanIn.org’s […]

  Human Trafficking Awareness month may officially end Wednesday, but advocates and lawmakers in Alabama are pushing legislative efforts on behalf of victims that will be felt long after January. The Alabama State Senate passed a bill Tuesday that establishes much stronger penalties for anyone found guilty of obstructing an investigation into human trafficking. “Because […]

An at-risk teenager or vulnerable woman begins dating someone who showers her with gifts, takes her on dates, and woos her into loving and depending on him for care and protection – and, often, drugs. She feels that he is her “boyfriend” even though, eventually, he tells her that she needs to perform sex acts […]

    You have to see it in person to believe it, but this Facebook video from Curbed.com comes close to showing the epic grandeur of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament located in rural Hanceville near Cullman. If you are driving north or south on I-65 between Birmingham and Huntsville, consider carving out […]

Alabama State Sen. Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) is expected to introduce a bill Tuesday designed to impose heavy penalties on anyone who obstructs human trafficking investigations. “Human trafficking is a growing problem not just in Alabama, but around the country,” Ward said in an interview with Yellowhammer News. “Particularly human trafficking in young kids, which is […]

The first words a relieved looking Nick Saban said to ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi after winning his sixth national championship — five with the Crimson Tide, one with LSU — Monday night: “Was that a good game or what?” No doubt. Georgia dominated for most of the game, but the Tide came from behind to tie […]

Roy Moore accuser Tina Johnson lost her Gadsden home and all of her possessions in a possible arson this week and now a flood of donations have poured into a GoFundMe account created to help her recover. In 21 hours, more than 3,000 people donated more than $95,000 to the online campaign, blowing past the $40,000 […]

  Anyone who texts with me knows I refuse to give up my emojis. I’ve read that there is a “feminist case for not using” emojis and that it would be “empowering” not to have to do the texting equivalent of emotional labor. I admit they are a bit juvenile. However, I love — nay, […]

Looks like I have a new and improved excuse to stand firm as the only non-Crimson Tide fan in my family: Nick Saban is my trigger. I’ve been having some strange reactions to sports news lately but I couldn’t think why … — First, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey announced that SEC Media Days will no longer be […]

If you live in Alabama, chances are you are more sleep-deprived than people living in New Hampshire, D.C., California, Texas, and 37 other states, particularly if you live in the Birmingham-area and southwest parts of the state. Alabamians report getting “short sleep” in larger numbers than in many parts of the country, according to the […]

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney describes his relationship with David Saville, 27, who is in his seventh season as a Clemson equipment manager and who has Down’s syndrome. “Doesn’t miss a day,” Swinney told ESPN. “He takes unbelievable pride in his job and he’s a part of our team. He’s just got the sweetest spirit.” […]

It’s hard enough to navigate political discussions around the Christmas dinner table, but there are other tricky etiquette questions that come up at Christmas, such as: — What if your gift offends the recipient? — Is it okay to re-gift? — How do you react when you receive the worst Christmas present ever? I stopped […]

Jon Michael Ogletree of Hoover, Alabama, couldn’t reach the piano pedals when he began playing at 3 years old and he can’t reach them now, three decades later. Ogletree calls himself a “little person” and says his dwarfism has come with its share of challenges … and unique blessings. “The outsider looking into my life […]