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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Tuberville Says GOP ‘Ain’t Done Anything in the Majority’ (The Hill)

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, said last week that the Republican Party was fractured and has not accomplished “anything” despite its majority in both the House and Senate. “Everything that goes on up here … is about, ‘Oh, we got to get reelected. We got to keep the majority.’ Well, hell, we ain’t done anything in the majority. Why would she, why would, should we keep majority?” Tuberville said during a Wednesday appearance on Benny Johnson’s podcast. Tuberville, who is running for the GOP nomination for governor during the primary next month, said Republican lawmakers don’t have the right “priorities.”

Major League Baseball Returns to Rickwood Field for Juneteenth East-West Classic (Bham Now)

For the third consecutive year, Major League Baseball will celebrate Juneteenth with an event at Rickwood Field. The East-West Classic, a tribute to the Negro Leagues All-Star Games held from 1933 to 1962, will be held June 19, beginning with a Home Run Derby at the field and a Play Ball event at the recently refurbished Willie Mays Park in Fairfield.

The Birmingham Times Editor Lands New Role in Philadelphia — Our Chat With Barnett Wright (Bham Now)

Barnett Wright, longtime executive editor of The Birmingham Times, announced last month that he would move back to his hometown, where he’ll join the Philadelphia Tribune as its managing editor. But Wright can’t say goodbye to Birmingham; he’s still splitting his time between the two cities. Read Bham Now’s chat with Wright about his career at the Times and what it means to be moving home.

French Widow Detained by ICE in Alabama Is Released After 16 Days (New York Times)

An 85-year-old Frenchwoman who had been living in Anniston since marrying a former American G.I. last year has been allowed to return to France after being detained for more than two weeks on an immigration violation. Marie-Thérèse Ross-Mahé was going through the formal immigration process when her husband died in January, kicking off an estate dispute with his sons. She was arrested on allegations of overstaying her visa. The French consul general of New Orleans said the American government agreed to release her because of her age and medical condition, but U.S. officials declined to comment on reasons for her release. She arrived in Paris on Friday still dressed in her prison wear — orange shoes, sweatpants and a gray sweater — covered in stains and holes, according to one of her sons.

Alabama Legislature 2026: A ‘Get In, Get Out’ Session That Wasn’t (Alabama Reflector)

Alabama lawmakers used all 30 days for the 2026 legislative session, an unusual and unexpected move for an election year given leadership’s previously stated priority of “get in and get out.” Election year sessions tend to focus on budgets. But this year, lawmakers found themselves addressing — often unwillingly — many other issues during their 86 calendar days on Goat Hill, including attempts to reform the state’s public utility regulation board amid rising complaints over Alabama’s region-leading power bills, and Alabama Republican Party-pushed legislation that would have closed the state’s primary elections. Impressions of the session divided on party lines. Democrats criticized the Republican majority for focusing on legislation mainly popular with GOP activists.

Alabama, Other States Make It Easier for Physician Assistants to Practice (Alabama Reflector)

Alabama, Maine and Virginia recently adopted policies that make it easier for physician assistants to practice and serve more patients. Alabama became the 24th state to adopt the PA Licensure Compact, an agreement between states that authorizes these clinicians to practice across state lines. The compact can help remove administrative barriers for physician assistants, making it easier for them to fill gaps in rural and underserved communities that don’t have enough primary care medical professionals, advocates say. Alabama has about 1,400 physician assistants.

Artists Respond to the Live Nation Monopoly Verdict (NPR)

A federal jury last week found that Live Nation engaged in anticompetitive practices that stifled competition and harmed the live music industry. The verdict marked a major victory for more than two dozen states in the antitrust trial against the live entertainment company, and it has the potential to transform the concert ecosystem throughout the U.S. Live Nation owns, operates or works with hundreds of venues across the country, including most of the large venues in Birmingham. It also manages artists, promotes concerts, books tours and owns Ticketmaster, which is one of the largest ticketing companies in the world. The jury declared that the company had an unfair dominance in the industry after hearing testimony that the company had inflated prices while also limiting competition. Several artists and organizers said they don’t expect to see immediate changes in the live music industry, but they see this as a first step in the right direction, hoping the verdict leads to lower ticket fees for fans as well as more robust competition and investment in small, local music scenes across the country.

Montgomery Police Staffing Bill Dies in Alabama Legislature (Alabama Reflector)

Despite being rushed through the waning days of the session, a bill that could have subjected the Montgomery Police Department to state control did not win passage in the recent legislative session. The bill would have required the capital city to have at least 1.9 police officers for every 1,000 residents within five years or face state takeover.