Author: Virginia Martin
Sick and Tired of All the Bad News? You’re Not Alone
“I can’t even.”
That was a common remark on social media in the wake of discovery that a mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, left a 2-year-old boy orphaned. He was found wandering in the street. “Are Mommy and Daddy coming soon?” he later asked his grandfather.
I can’t even.
Of course, what’s the unspoken part of that sentence?
“I can’t even comprehend something so awful.”
“I can’t even imagine what life will be like for him.”
“I can’t even believe we live in a society where that could happen.”
All of the above.
And for some people: “I can’t even bring myself to read the news these days.”
It’s bad out there: COVID, the Ukraine war, mass killings, political insanity, add your own. Many people decide they just don’t want to read or watch it anymore. They engage in “news avoidance.” Read more.
The World Comes to Birmingham
Thousands of athletes from around the world have gathered in Birmingham to compete in The World Games. The 11-day competition is a chance for non-Olympic sports to shine. Read more.
Abortion-Rights Group Navigates ‘Unprecedented’ Legal Territory in Alabama
The Yellowhammer Fund has temporarily stopped funding abortion care for people in Alabama, amid legal concerns for clients and staff. Read more.
World Games Kicks Off in Birmingham
As The World Games begin, residents around event venues already have been dealing with detours and road closures.
If acquiring residents’ passes and plotting new routes already has you frazzled, recite this mantra: $265 million … $265 million. That’s the economic impact the games is predicted to generate throughout the Birmingham metro.
Here is information and on the venues and road closings around them. Read more.
County Election Official Contends Moving Office Is Voter Suppression
Bessemer Absentee Voting Clerk Karen Dunn Burks accused Jefferson County government of voter suppression in moving her office from the ceremonial courtroom in the basement of the Bessemer Justice Center to office space there. Read more.
The Supreme Court’s EPA Decision Could Hamper Regulators’ Ability to Protect the Public
The agency will still be allowed to regulate many forms of air pollution but would need explicit direction from Congress on how to tackle some of the worst aspects of climate change and other pressing issues. Read more.
Birmingham Directs COVID Funds to Public Safety, Public Works and Councilors’ Projects
The Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to allocate roughly one-third of its remaining federal COVID relief funds among the city’s police department, fire and rescue, public works and “district-specific and citywide council projects.” Read more.
Buttigieg Announces Funding Aimed at Reconnecting Communities Divided by Road Projects
The program is designed to unify neighborhoods that previously have been displaced by discriminatory infrastructure decisions. The $1 billion initiative will fund projects that give people more access to their communities like paving more sidewalks, creating new greenways and adding public transportation. Read more.
The Historic A.G. Gaston Motel Comes Back to Life With a Coffee Shop and Exhibit
The motel opened in 1954 and became one of the city’s main Black establishments. The motel served as a first-class lodging, entertainment and dining hall for traveling Black people who came to Jim Crow Birmingham. Read more.
Jefferson County Health Providers ‘Well Equipped’ for The World Games
Officials plan to treat as many people as possible at on site medical tents. They say the biggest concern is heat-related illness. Read more.
