BirminghamWatch Recommends is a rundown of stories you might have missed this week. It offers insight into issues important to our area and sometimes tickles your curiosity.

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Birmingham Protestors Oppose Mass Deportation, Illegal Immigration Bills (WBRC)

Protestors gathered in Railroad Park on Saturday to speak out against mass deportation and bills in the state Legislature that are targeting illegal immigration.

After Counsel From Katie Britt, President Trump Takes Most Pro-IVF Action in Federal History (Yellowhammer)

Alabama’s junior senator had the president’s ear before he signed an executive order directing federal agencies to develop policies to protect IVF access and make it less expensive.

Kash Patel Reportedly Orders 500 FBI Employees to Transfer From Washington to Huntsville (AL.com)

The FBI campus at Redstone has slots for 4,000 employees. Senators Britt and Tuberville have called on new FBI Director Kash Patel to assign 1,000 employees to Huntsville.

What Passed in the Alabama Legislature: Feb. 18-20, 2025 (Alabama Reflector)

Among the bills passed by either the House or Senate last week was one to allow the Board of Pardons and Paroles to electronically monitor juveniles awaiting their court hearings.

Alabama Democratic County Chairs Form New Organization (Alabama Political Reporter)

Heads of the Democratic parties in the state’s 67 counties formed their own association, separate from the Alabama Democratic Party, earlier this month. They said they hope to rebuild the party’s strength in Alabama from the ground up.

Alabama ACT Scores Up Slightly, PARCA Analysis Finds (Alabama Daily News)

The class of 2024’s ACT composite score for Alabama students rose slightly over the previous year, although the scores still remain lower than before the pandemic. Interactive graphics chart the changes by school district and demographics.

Trump Cuts Only School Civil Rights Investigator Based in Alabama, Leaving Families in Limbo (AL.com)

The investigator who looked into civil rights complaints against schools in Alabama was fired last week, worrying parents, particularly of children with disabilities. The investigator had been hired in December and so was a probationary employee.

MAX Transit Unveils 2025 Black History Month ‘Birmingham Has More’ Bus Wrap (Birmingham Times)

Look for the full bus wraps featuring prominent Black figures and historical moments from Birmingham’s past.

Hoover’s Riverchase Galleria turns 39. What’s next for Alabama’s largest mall? (Bham Now)

The city of Hoover is conducting a multi-phase market assessment study to help develop a vision for the future of the state’s largest mall.

Federal Funding Restored for Low-Income Alabama Utility Assistance After Outcry (Inside Climate News)

Alabama has restarted a program that has been helping about 2,000 low-income residents pay their power bills. Funding had been cut to the program in reaction to one of President Trump’s executive orders.