Birmingham regional chamber of commerce

It’s an uncertain time in Washington, D.C. Donald Trump is working to cut the federal budget and the size of Uncle Sam’s workforce. One name isn’t making many headlines is the Peace Corps. Trump named a new chief of the program that sends volunteers to help in foreign countries. But, possible changes to the Peace Corps aren’t so far making their way to the public. APR looked into how the organization partners with Alabama universities and one volunteer who stepped up to help…

Fans of an Alabama jazz pioneer are celebrating his life this week. The first ever so-called Sun Ra* Festival runs through Saturday. Birmingham native Herman Blout changed his name to Sun Ra and went onto to inspire modern musical groups like Outkast, Sonic Youth, Radiohead, and Widespread Panic.

Birmingham officials are fighting to keep control of the state's largest water board, alleging in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday that a new bill shifting power to Alabama's Republican leadership and majority-white suburbs "constitutes blatant racial discrimination."

Visitors to the McWane Science Center in Birmingham may be in for a trip down the Yellow Brick Road this weekend. The center’s IMAX theater will be hosting a Saturday screening of the 1939 movie classic The Wizard of Oz with the new movie musical Wicked to begin showings next week.

Halloween is coming early this year for Birmingham residents with the Birmingham Zoo’s Annual Hoots and Howls daytime Halloween event.

A new report lists Alabama alongside Minnesota, Alaska, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Virginia, South Dakota, Illinois, Michigan and top ranked Montana as States where new businesses were likely to survive.

A former Alabama lawmaker was sentenced Friday to a year in federal prison for his role in a kickback scheme involving state grant funds. U.S. District Judge Scott Coogler sentenced former State House member Fred Plump to 12 months and a day in prison and three years of supervised release.

The Alabama State Games were founded in 1982 at the request of the United States Olympic Committee. Each year the games host thousands of athletes through a collection of 20+ sports. Over $364,000 scholarships have been given out over the years at the opening ceremony and this year $50,000 will be awarded.

It's called Birmingham’s longest running event, and it's returning this Saturday for another year of celebration.

MONOPOLY has unveiled a new version of the classic board game that features Birmingham, making it the first time that an authorized version of the game has been based in Alabama.