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.

Soon we’ll be offering Recommends via email. Sign up here to receive it. You can also sign up for The WeeklyWatch, the stories we’ve published over the previous seven days, and Monday Morning Watch, a roundup of public meetings scheduled for that week.

15 New Birmingham Developments We’re Keeping an Eye on in 2026 (BhamNow)

Developments highlighted range from a nature preserve in the Hueytown area to new apartments in The Star Uptown.

Report: Alabama Taxes Remain Lowest, Most Regressive Nationally (Alabama Political Reporter)

The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama has released the 2025 edition of its long-running report, “How Alabama Taxes Compare.” The analysis shows that Alabama continues to collect significantly less in taxes per resident than most states in the nation, while also relying more heavily on regressive forms of taxation than many of its peers.

A College Freshman Is the Unlikely Source of Alabama’s New Political Maps (New York Times)

The laptop was cracked open well after midnight, as was a bottle of Sprite. Then, Daniel DiDonato, a college freshman, got to work. But he wasn’t pulling an all-nighter to complete his assignments at the University of Alabama. Instead, fueled by soda and an unusual teenage interest in the wonky workings of redistricting, he set out to create new legislative maps for state Senate Districts 25 and 26 in Alabama.

After 18 Months, Birmingham Begins Construction on Permanent East Lake Safety Barriers (AL.com)

Birmingham has begun construction of permanent barriers originally erected in East Lake as part of a pilot program to slow traffic and discourage crime.

Report: Alabama Cut Environmental Funding in Half Over 14 Years (Inside Climate News)

Fewer inspections, weaker enforcement and less oversight: Deep cuts to state budgets and at the Environmental Protection Agency are preventing regulators from fully protecting the public from pollution, according to a report released earlier this month by the Environmental Integrity Project. States with the deepest budget cuts to environmental agencies from 2010 to 2024, according to the report, are Mississippi, 71%; South Dakota, 61%; and Alabama, 49%.

Alabama Senator Exploring New Funding Option for Higher Education Institutions (Alabama Reflector)

The chairman of the Alabama Senate’s education budget committee is working on drafting a bill that could shift funding for some higher education institutions to outcome-based models, to push colleges and universities to improve graduation rates, increase workforce participation and help with research.

Britt, Tuberville Praise Trump’s Action in Venezuela: ‘This is what America first looks like’ (AL.com)

Alabama U.S. Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville and members of the Alabama’s congressional delegation are quickly responding to surprise U.S. military invasion in Venezuela and the arrest of its president on multiple drug charges.

Alabama Awarded $203M for Rural Health Care in 2026 (Alabama Daily News)

The Trump administration will distribute more than $203 million to Alabama to strengthen its rural health care system next year. The Rural Health Transformation Program is a five-year fund created in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to offset the deep Medicaid cuts in the legislation. Exactly how the funds will be spent in Alabama is still to be determined, but Gov. Kay Ivey said she was “very pleased” with the award.

New Hemp Law Takes Effect — but No Stores Have Licenses (Alabama Political Reporter)

People looking to ring in the new year with consumable hemp products may find themselves out of luck on New Years Day as a new law takes effect requiring licensing — with no known licenses actually issued. Numerous challenges appear to have prevented licenses from moving forward, including confusion from city and county officials about their role in the licensing process, delayed access to applications and onerous restrictions that have many existing retailers choosing to close shop rather than try to comply.

How Alabama Power Has Left the ‘American Amazon’ at Risk (Inside Climate News)

Alabama Power’s coal ash waste, a toxic leftover from decades of burning coal for electricity, is stored in pits at sites across Alabama, including on the Mobile River. In total, more than 117 million tons of coal sludge are stored along Alabama’s waterways, kept in place by earthen dikes.

Lipscomb Council Members Challenge Ruling That Removed Them From Office (ABC 33/40 News)

Arguments over leadership in Lipscomb continue as three people appeal a judge’s ruling that they were not properly elected to the Lipscomb City Council. At issue is how the city adopted its latest redistricting map and whether those three lived in the districts they were elected to represent. Meanwhile, the city lacks enough council members to conduct official business.