President Obama brought his Middle Class Economics plan to Lawson State Community College in Birmingham.
The Commander-in-Chief covered everything from Washington policy to a fairly new government agency called the Consumer Financial Protections Bureau. The CFPB was created as part of Wall Street reform after the 2008 financial crisis. It's an independent consumer watchdog, and President Obama says they've already made a big impact.
“Because of the work they've done... it's not a big agency, but they've already put over $5 billion back into the pockets of more than 15 million families. Because they've taken on unfair lending practices and unscrupulous mortgage brokers, and they've gotten refunds for folks.”
Obama also laid out the details for some new restrictions on the way for payday loan companies. This is the President's second visit to Alabama this month after crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma to commemorate the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday."
You can read and/or listen to President Obama's full speech here.
People with ideas for new products and services are heading to Tuscaloosa today. The University of Alabama is holding its second Startup Weekend for entrepreneurs. Experts from UA’s business school will be on hand to offer tips and there will be contests for the best ideas. Pam Hill is a Clinical Instructor for University of Alabama’s STEM Path to the M-B-A program. She says the goal of the startup weekend is to build a community of entrepreneurs.
“It’s a great networking opportunity. We’ve got people from a lot of different areas that are speakers, coaches and judges that makes for very good networking and you meet people within those teams that can help you.”
The event will be held at UA’s South Engineering Research Center starting tonight at 6:30pm. It will end Sunday with the announcements of winners.
More than 1,000 students and staff at Homewood High School in a Birmingham suburb are awaiting results of tuberculosis tests after a freshman tested positive for the disease.
School officials say around 85 percent of the student body was tested for the highly contagious and potentially serious disease that mostly affects the lungs.
Jefferson County health officials administered the first part of the two-part screening Wednesday. Officials will be giving the second portion of the test today.
Not all students exposed to TB will develop an active case, and health officials say if anyone does contract the disease, they can be treated.
Homewood High School will be on spring break next week.
Marine Patrol officers will be offering free boating classes next month in multiple locations in Alabama.
Anyone 12 and older can sign up for one of these classes, which will cover eight hours worth of material. Participants can choose to attend a single eight-hour course or a two-part, four hour a day class.
Students will learn how to operate a boat, how to navigate Alabama waterways both during the day and at night, and how to handle common boating issues. They'll also learn about state boating laws and legal requirements.
One-day classes are set for April 11 in Alexander City and Crane Hill. A two-part course will be held April 14 and 16 in Bessemer.