This week on StoryCorps, Jai'Lynn Witherspoon and Johnathan Tarver discuss the most influential people in their lives and how love from those people have helped them persevere through life's challenges.

America is just a few days away from the Fourth of July and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That day may involve fireworks, a backyard cookout, and possibly a rendition or two of the Star Spangled Banner. Our national anthem hits home with my guest on the national award-winning APR Notebook. Mobile area author Watt Key is known for his classic novel “Alabama Moon,” which was made into a motion picture. But, he's also an indirect descendant of Francis Scott Key, who wrote “The Star Spangled Banner.”

This week, Don reviews I Got to Keep Moving: Stories by Bill Harris.

Celebrate the upcoming Holiday by freeing your pet from having another litter of babies - spay and neuter!

Cam Marston spent Father's Day at church alone, then had dinner with his own dad, and somewhere in between, figured something out.

Michelin North America plans to close its B.F. Goodrich tire plant in Tuscaloosa. The move could cost over a thousand jobs by the end of 2028. The company says the change is part of a reorganization of its U.S. manufacturing network for the B.F. Goodrich brand. All of the work is expected to move to its Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Rescue teams rushed to areas hit hardest by a pair of powerful earthquakes that rocked Venezuela, killing at least 164 people, injuring nearly 1,000 and trapping many under the rubble. Mariangel Rincon is from Caracas. She’s been checking in on family and friends in Venezeula while she studies abroad in Spain. Rincon was part of a U.S. State Department delegation that Alabama Public Radio addressed on the subject of human trafficking and investigating case of human rights violations.

If you want to start an argument at the dinner table, I personally suggest bringing up Artificial Intelligence. There are some that believe AI to be the answer to all of the world's problems, and some that think it could bring about the world's demise. It's one of those topics where the spectrum of support and opinions is incredibly wide. Whether you consider this phenomenon an indicator of progress or a harbinger of doom, our chat with AI researcher Dr. Brian Butler is worth your time. He's been looking into this technology for several years and can tell us plainly what it is, where it's coming from, and where he and other experts think it's going. He brings us good news, bad news, and just, well, news about AI that he thinks our listeners should know!

ESPN is reporting that Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold is facing multiple felony charges after he was arrested in Tampa, Florida. The case stems from an alleged case of robbery and kidnapping in early February

Alabama wasn’t one of the thirteen original colonies that became the United States. That’s not stopping local communities from taking part in the upcoming observance of America’s two hundred and fiftieth anniversary.

Remember learning about stalactites and stalagmites on a school field trip? This week on Quick-Fire Quips, we're stepping inside America's most historic cave! Joy Sorensen, President of Majestic Caverns in Childersburg, shares what it was like growing up in a century-long family business. She also claps back at some wild out-of-state stereotypes ("Yes, our teeth come standard!") and recounts a hilarious, real-life cave encounter with her biggest fear: crabs! From local historical preservation and America 250 celebrations, find out why this natural wonder continues to be a crown jewel of Alabama.

Sportswriters predicted that University of Alabama men’s basketball guard Labaron Philon would go to either the Chicago Bears, the Miami Heat, or the Detroit Pistons in round one of the NBA Draft.The evening led to a different outcome.