Pat Duggins

Despite national championship victories for both the men’s and women’s teams, wheelchair basketball doesn’t attract the same crowds as Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide football team. However, a recent men’s match in Tuscaloosa between Alabama and the Orlando Magic team from Florida did have people in the stands. That includes Javalla Hardy of Tuscaloosa and her family.

What do you think? Should workers at Mercedes Benz join the United Auto Workers union or not?

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A spokesman for the state Department of Education says about 11,000 students spent Tuesday night at Alabama public schools. Most of those were in the Birmingham area. Spokesman Michael Sibley says about 1,600 students remained at schools as of 2 p.m. Wednesday. He says there are plans to get most of them home by Wednesday evening, but some students will have to spend a second night at school. The students became stranded Tuesday when school buses couldn't get them home and parents couldn't drive to the schools.

Alabama's monster snowstorm that paralyzed cities and left motorists stranded on highways has given weather forecasters a lot to think about. Tuesday's weather outlook called for snow south of Interstate twenty, impacting cities like Montgomery, Selma, and Mobile. By mid-morning, snow was blanketing Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, prompting immediate traffic gridlock that turned into a weather emergency. Alabama Public Radio's Pat Duggins spoke with Renny Vandewege about it. He teaches broadcast meteorology at Mississippi State University.

It was a long night for Alabama motorists, first responders, and for the state emergency managers who coordinated rescue and relief efforts following Alabama’s unexpected monster snowstorm. The icy weather paralyzed roads and highways across the State, and the Alabama Department of Transportation is working to restore traffic. Motorists are warned to remain off the roads if possible to avoid the threat of ice. Alabama Public Radio’s Pat Duggins spoke with Tony Harris of Alabama DOT about the “day after the storm.”

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The APR news team needs your help on stories we're doing about the Affordable Care Act! What are your thoughts about ACA, and what's your health insurance situation? You can call me directly at 205-348-5913 (you can leave a name and number,) or send your thoughts confidentially to aprnews@apr.org (again leave a name and number so we can talk to you.) Thanks! Pat Duggins

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Valley Authority preliminary figures show demand for power at 8 a.m. EST on Tuesday reached the second highest winter peak in TVA history. According to the utility, preliminary power demand reached 32,490 megawatts as temperatures averaged 4 degrees across the TVA region. That is 82 megawatts less than the record winter demand set on Jan. 16, 2009, when temperatures averaged 9 degrees.

TANNER, Ala. (AP) — Authorities in two regions of Alabama say exposure to cold weather likely contributed to the deaths of two women. Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely told AL.com that 59-year-old Sonya Todd was dressed in a light sweater and sweat pants when she was found near a road in Tanner on Saturday. Authorities in Phenix City, about 225 miles southeast of Tanner, say an elderly woman there also likely died because of exposure to the elements. Russell County Coroner Arthur Sumbry Jr.

SELMA, Ala. (AP) — Some Alabama lawmakers say they're planning to continue pursuing tougher regulations for payday lenders in the upcoming legislative session. The Selma Times-Journal reports that Democratic state Rep. Dario Melton, of Selma, has sponsored two bills to try lowering the interest rates on payday and title loans. Democratic state Sen. Patricia Todd of Birmingham says that lowering payday loan interest rates to 100 percent would even be considered a victory.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Holiday cheer may be a little harder to come by in more than a million American households starting today, including an estimated 11,000 Alabamians. The nation's long-term unemployed will be abruptly cut off from federal unemployment benefits after lawmakers left Washington without voting on an extension. Recipients will lose an average monthly stipend of $1,166. Alabama's unemployment rate was 6.2 percent in November, but some counties have double-digit unemployment.

Alabama coach Nick Saban is staying put. The university announced on its Twitter account Friday night that the football coach has reached "a long-term agreement" to remain with the Crimson Tide. Alabama didn't release terms of the new deal, which must be approved by the board of trustees. Saban received an eight-year deal in March 2012 worth about $5.6 million annually and seems likely to remain college football's highest-paid coach. The agreement quells speculation that Saban would take over at Texas if Mack Brown steps down. Saban, who turned 62 on Oct.

The City of Huntsville and the state of Alabama have a Tuesday deadline to present a proposal to Boeing. Huntsville, which is home to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal, and corporations including Boeing and Lockheed-Martin, is in the running for a new assembly plant for Boeing’s 777X aircraft. Other states, including Texas, Missouri, and South Carolina, are also vying for the project. As the deadline draws close, APR student reporter Kyle Lawley spoke with Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle as his community and the state of Alabama makes its case to Boeing.

The City of Huntsville and the state of Alabama have a Tuesday deadline to present a proposal to Boeing. Huntsville, which is home to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal, and corporations including Boeing and Lockheed-Martin, is in the running for a new assembly plant for Boeing’s 777X aircraft. Other states, including Texas, Missouri, and South Carolina, are also vying for the project. As the deadline draws close, APR student reporter Kyle Lawley spoke with Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle as his community and the state of Alabama makes its case to Boeing.