This week, Don reviews Sisterhood Above All by Kathleen Barber with Amayah Shaienne.

The "Dog Days" should remind us to find ways to keep our furry friends comfortable and safe in the hot Summer weather!

Cam Marston has been digging into what makes retirement happy, and it turns out, part of the answer is that spouses need a break from each other.

The American Veterinary Medical Association says that roughly one third of all American homes have at least one house cat. That's a LOT of feline companions, especially when you consider that many of these homes have multiple kitties (you can never have just one). Simplified is a podcast committing to simplifying potentially confusing topics, and if you've ever had a pet cat, you can likely attest to its mannerisms and health needs being, at least at times, a bit confusing. But have no fear-- we made a call to our friends "On the Plains" to get some advice on how to best care for your four-legged besties.

Before Arnold Schwarzenegger was “The Terminator,” and before Lou Ferrigno was the “Incredible Hulk,” there was Charles Gaines. The Alabama native and author whose book and documentary “Pumping Iron” helped bring professional bodybuilding into the mainstream and introduce Schwarzenegger to the world, has died. He was 84.

Communities on the U.S. Gulf Coast distributed sandbags and closed beaches as Tropical Storm Bertha threatened to bring flooding and strong winds Wednesday from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana.

The Trump administration may approve a controversial plan to allow state oversight of coal ash ponds throughout Alabama. The website of Inside Climate News reports the proposal would allow millions of tons of toxic coal ash to remain buried in place alongside the state’s rivers. Critics say much of that material is sitting in groundwater where it can leach into the environment.

Defaults on student loans have surged across the United States, reaching record levels as borrowers struggle to keep up with payments. Many of the states with the highest concentrations of defaulted borrowers are in the South, an AP analysis found. Mississippi has the nation’s highest default rate at 28.3%, and others near the top include Louisiana, Alabama, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas.

This week, Warren Billy Young joins StoryCorps and shares what it was like to grow up in Selma during a time of flourishing and integration.

Tropical Storm Bertha strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico and was moving slowly toward the Florida Panhandle, causing a tropical storm warning and storm surge watches around the state line between Florida and Alabama, forecasters said. The storm was about 125 miles south of Panama City, Florida, and 200 miles southeast of Mobile.

This week, Don reviews "The Apprehension of Splendor" by Shawn Sudia-Skehan.

The Food and Drug Administration is apologizing for a false positive test result that linked Taylor Farms to the current outbreak of Cyclospora. The agricultural company recalled lettuce and prepackaged salad kits in twenty seven states, including Alabama, after the FDA announced its original test results. The State Department of Health says one case of Cyclospora is confirmed in Mobile County and one in the Tuscaloosa area.