BW 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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Amid a Battery Boom, Graphite Mining Gets A Fresh Look in the US  (Associated Press)

Graphite mines in the United States largely closed down seven decades ago. Mining the ubiquitous mineral found in everything from nuclear reactors to lithium-ion batteries to pencils seemed to make little sense when it could be imported inexpensively from other nations, especially China. That view is changing now. As federal officials have become more concerned about a steady supply of critical minerals, several companies have plans to mine graphite. Two of those operations are planned for Alabama.

Hispanic Enrollment Drops Sharply Under New Federal Reporting Rules, PARCA Shows (Alabama Daily News)

A sharp drop in the number of Hispanic students reported in Alabama’s public schools this year reflects a change in federal reporting rules more than a sudden demographic shift, according to an analysis by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama. The report showed that a new method for reporting race and ethnicity dramatically altered how some students are classified, making it difficult to determine whether Hispanic enrollment actually rose or fell. The new rules allow families to identify as multiple races and ethnicities.

How George Wallace and Bull Connor Set the Stage for Alabama’s Sky-High Electric Rates (Inside Climate News)

Alabama’s rate-setting policies have historical roots that go back to the time of the civil rights movement.

Alabama State Appeals Court Upholds Dismissal of Lawsuit Over Prison Labor (Alabama Reflector)

The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals last week agreed with a lower court that had dismissed a lawsuit in which state prison inmates alleged they were being forced to labor in involuntary servitude. The inmates said the state’s policies of punishment for inmates who refused work violated their constitutional rights.

Where Are the Most Expensive Homes in the Birmingham Metro? (AL.com)

Mountain Brook and Homewood home values top the list of most expensive in 2025.