The coronavirus pandemic has brought on calls for the United States to rethink its relationship with the Chinese government. As government officials are taking up that cause, U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) explained that not everyone has always been skeptical of China and its practices, especially regarding human rights and its persecution of Christians under […]

Radio talk show host Dale Jackson and Alabama Democratic Executive Committee member Lisa Handback take you through this week’s biggest political stories, including: — Governor Kay Ivey has called for more of Alabama to open, but is it to soon? — Are legislators correct when they state that the “State of Emergency” powers are too broad […]

President Trump recently announced “Operation Warp Speed,” a plan for a novel coronavirus vaccine by the end of 2020. I welcome the announcement because the greatest impediment to a vaccine now is the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval process. Speedy development of a vaccine is not without precedent. The president’s comparison to the Manhattan […]

Fred Rogers, who helped raise millions of American children over three decades as public television’s icon of kindness, offered the following advice for helping them – really, all of us – deal with disaster: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look […]

These uncertain times have brought many challenges and changes in the lives of individuals and families around the world. I believe that with every obstacle comes an opportunity to grow. Although the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues, it has brought with it the unique chance to pause and truly be present, which is rare in today’s […]

Alabama’s bioscience researchers and organizations have mobilized to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to advance urgent work that could lead to new treatments and vaccines. This includes Birmingham-based TriAltus Bioscience LLC, which developed protein purification technology to support research into a new COVID-19 vaccine under development at the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute in Portland, Oregon. […]

David Platt recently joined Vapor Ministries founder Micah McElveen on a video conference to discuss radical service during the time of a pandemic. Platt is a former pastor at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham and now pastors McLean Bible Church in Northern Virginia. His book, “Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American […]

Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. (MBUSI) team members and the plant have been busy the past few weeks with COVID-19 relief activities. Once all donations are complete, the plant expects to have donated more than $500,000 in funds, goods and services to area nonprofits and health care agencies in Alabama. “The COVID-19 pandemic is placing an […]

Despite a hue and cry from the public regarding State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris’ decision to take a long and deliberative approach to reopen the Alabama economy, most lawmakers have been reluctant to criticize Harris’ effort throughout the pandemic. That includes State Sen. Larry Stutts (R-Tuscumbia),  a practicing medical doctor who sees Harris’ role […]

A Montgomery plumbing company is providing lunches to area healthcare workers as a way show its gratitude to them and to honor the legacy of its founder. “What the doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers have done the past 2 months is nothing shy of extraordinary,” explained Will Imbusch of Bill Bradley Services in a recent […]

Not all superheroes wear capes – some wear masks. Instead of fighting felons, they battle truly deadly forces: COVID-19, cancer and other diseases or illnesses. Wanda Roden is a registered nurse with a passion for her patients and a desire to make the work shift brighter for her co-workers. When she’s not at work, Roden […]

Elon Musk on Saturday declared that Tesla will leave California “immediately,” and Alabama Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth believes the Yellowhammer State would be an ideal replacement as the automotive manufacturer’s base of operations. Musk tweeted that California’s punitive restrictions during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are the “final straw.” Its core Fremont, CA, location has […]

The origins of a much-ballyhooed “wish list” of possible Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act expenditures apparently generated by members of the Alabama Legislature and submitted to Gov. Kay Ivey has been the hot-button topic of the late stages of the 2020 legislative session. The list was disseminated throughout the capitol press corps […]

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama legislature has now sent both the General Fund and Education Trust Fund budgets for Fiscal Year 2021 to Governor Kay Ivey’s desk. The Senate on Saturday unanimously passed the education appropriations package, including three bills with floor substitutes: HB 187 (the ETF budget bill), HB 190 and HB 189. Those bills […]

The World Police and Fire Games Federation has awarded the 2025 World Police and Fire Games to Birmingham, officials announced Wednesday. “From the beginning, we were impressed by all that Birmingham has to offer,” said LC Collins, World Police and Fire Games president. “We believe that this city is the whole package – from its venues, infrastructure and history […]

The results are in from the Alabama COVID-19 Workforce Response Survey, which was developed by AlabamaWorks. Nearly 1,800 business owners across the state participated in the survey, and the results provide an in-depth look at the pandemic’s impact on Alabama’s employers. Ultimately these results will also help determine how private industry and state government together […]

Alabama Goodwill is safely reopening all nine retail thrift stores and five donation centers, and is resuming career services to start rebuilding communities and “Get Alabama Back to Work!” “Now more than ever, our career services will play a critical role in assisting the most vulnerable segments of our community who have been laid off or displaced from employment,” said […]

Governor Kay Ivey’s decision to go public about a disagreement with Republican leadership in the Alabama legislature had upset a number of its members, as many have interpreted a statement she released, along with a list of proposals leaked to the capitol press corps that included a line-item for a new statehouse, as being used […]

Governor Kay Ivey has reopened Alabama’s economy. At a press conference on Friday, Ivey announced that nearly all businesses in the state may reopen starting Monday at 5:00 p.m. In addition, she removed the prohibition on large gatherings, which will allow worship services to resume. A few businesses remain in the restricted category, such as […]

In early March, as many of the nation’s physicians were consumed by a public health care crisis, Susan Harding, M.D., a pulmonologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, was dealing with one that was much more personal. Her beloved father, Darrel, a stoic 92-year-old army colonel, was slowly succumbing to advanced lung disease. “Dad moved […]

Although it had been trumpeted by Gov. Kay Ivey as a reason to be leery of the legislature’s control of an estimated $1.8 billion allocated to the state of Alabama in the name of coronavirus relief, State Rep. Steve Clouse (R-Ozark), the chairman of the House Ways and Means General Fund committee, insists no amount […]

The Alabama wild turkey season, which ended on May 3, will likely have to include an asterisk in the record books for a variety of reasons. Obviously, the COVID-19 restrictions played a role as did a renewed push for successful hunters to report their turkey harvests. Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Director Chuck Sykes […]

The impact of COVID-19 and social distancing has moved much of our lives online – our education, our work, our social lives, and even some of our health care. Broadband-connected technology was already a big and growing part of our lives and our economy. COVID-19 crisis has only made it more so. This is why […]

Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson is strongly recommending members of the public refrain from gathering in groups of 10 or more people for the next two weeks, but is not going issue a health order making that a requirement. Wilson specifically mentioned houses of worship as, in his view, a risky place for […]