Associated Press
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What would a government shutdown mean for me?
If a shutdown arrives, millions of federal employees will be furloughed and many others — including those working in the military and the Transportation Security Administration — will be forced to work without pay until it ends.
The Supreme Court will let Alabama’s congressional map be redrawn to better represent Black voters
The justices, without any noted dissent, rejected the state's plea to retain Republican-drawn lines that were turned down by a lower court.
How a rural Alabama school system outdid the country with gains in math
Piedmont City schools notched significant improvement in math, landing in the top spot among school districts across the country in a comparison of scores from before and during the pandemic. Nationwide, students on average fell half a year behind in math, researchers say.
Video shows high school band director shocked with stun gun, arrested after refusing to stop music
State Rep. Juandalynn Givan, who is representing band director Johnny Mims as his attorney, said Tuesday that the incident is an “alarming abuse of power” that instead “should have been should have been deescalated.”
Birmingham marks the 60th anniversary of the 1963 church bombing that killed four Black girls
On the morning of Sept. 15, 1963, dynamite planted by Ku Klux Klan members exploded at the church, killing the girls and shocking the nation. The large, prominent church was targeted because it was a center of the African American community and the site of mass meetings during the Civil Rights Movement.
Hundreds of military promotions are on hold as a Tuberville demands end to abortion policy
Top defense officials are accusing Republican Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville of jeopardizing America's national security with his hold on roughly 300 military promotions, raising the stakes in a clash over abortion policy that shows no signs of easing. Tuberville brushed off the criticism, vowing he will not give in.
Alabama riverfront brawl videos spark a cultural moment about race, solidarity and justice
A week after multiple videos showing the now-infamous brawl at a Riverboat in Montgomery and valiant defense of the outnumbered co-captain were shared widely on social media, it’s clear the event truly tapped into the psyche of Black America and created a broader cultural moment.
Trump boasts at Alabama fundraiser that he needs ‘one more indictment to close out this election’
Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to crimes related to his efforts to overturn the results of his 2020 election loss. Although it's his third criminal indictment this year, this case is the most serious.
Biden decides to keep Space Command in Colorado, rejecting move to Alabama
U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Monday that Biden was convinced by the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness
Mobile homes turn deadly when tornadoes hit. This year has been especially bad
Tornadoes in the United States are disproportionately killing more people in mobile or manufactured homes, especially in the South, often victimizing some of the most socially and economically vulnerable residents.
Alabama authorities charge Carlee Russell for fabricating story about kidnapping, finding toddler
Carlee Russell was charged with false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident, both misdemeanors that carry up to a year in jail. Russell turned herself in to jail Friday and was released on bond.
Hoover woman confesses to fabricating kidnapping
The Hoover Police Department announced the development five days after casting doubt on Carlee Russell’s story. It is possible Russell could face charges.
The fight over Alabama’s congressional redistricting now shifts back to federal court
The outcome could have consequences across the country as the case again weighs the requirements of the Voting Rights Act in redistricting. It could also impact the partisan leanings of one Alabama congressional district in the 2024 elections with control of the U.S House of Representatives at stake.
Alabama lawmakers refuse to create 2nd majority-Black congressional district
The legislation now goes to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who is expected to sign it.
Alabama executes man for the 2001 beating death of a woman, resuming lethal injections after review
James Barber, 64, was pronounced dead at 1:56 a.m. after receiving a lethal injection at a south Alabama prison.
Alabama GOP proposals for second Black district are unlikely to win court approval experts warn
The Republican-controlled state House and Senate will meet Friday and could advance separate plans increasing the share of Black voters in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. Legislative leaders say they intend to meet the deadline, meaning the two chambers must compromise on one plan.
Alabama to carry out first lethal injection since review of execution procedures
James Barber is scheduled to be put to death Thursday evening at a south Alabama prison. Gov. Kay Ivey paused executions in November to conduct an internal review.
Police cast doubt on Carlee Russell’s kidnapping claim after reporting toddler on an Alabama highway
The 25-year-old's return home Saturday following her Thursday disappearance prompted intense speculation about where she had been and what had happened to her.
Alabama rushes to adopt new congressional map amid disagreement on what district should look like
Alabama lawmakers convene in special session Monday tasked by the court with adopting a new map by the end of the week. The directive comes after a surprise U.S. Supreme Court ruling that affirmed the lower court's ruling that Alabama's existing congressional map likely violated the Voting Rights Act.
Hoover woman returns home following disappearance and search after reporting child on interstate
Police said Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell had returned to the home she shares with her parents in Hoover. Russell was the after being the focus of a two-day search by police and family members who reported her missing after she stopped to check on a child who was walking along a highway.
A story about a deadly TikTok boat-jumping challenge went viral. Then it fell apart
National and international news outlets in recent days have cited a local news report in Alabama claiming four people drowned attempting the stunt. But the state’s public safety agency says the claim is false.
Alabama senator says white nationalists are racists after weeks of declining to say so
Tuberville’s brief comment follows several media interviews in which he has repeatedly declined to describe white nationalists as racist. The furor started with a May interview on WBHM
Tuberville’s hold leaves Marines without confirmed leader for 1st time in 100 years
Tuberville has stalled all nominations for senior military jobs because he disagrees with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to have the Defense Department pay for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or other reproductive care. Abortion is now illegal in Alabama.
US Forest Service and historically Black colleges unite to boost diversity in wildland firefighting
Wildfire season around the U.S. continues to grow while minorities remain underrepresented in forestry and firefighting.
Family of Alabama man who died after being stunned demands to see bodycam footage
The family of a 38-year-old man who died after police hit him twice with a stun gun said Thursday they want the City of Mobile to release police bodycam footage of the incident.
United Methodists lose one-fifth of US churches in schism driven by growing defiance of LGBTQ bans
Roughly half of churches in the United Methodist Church North Alabama Conference have voted to disaffiliate within the last year, according to new study.
MLB to stage Negro Leagues tribute game at Rickwood Field next June honoring Willie Mays
The stadium, opened in 1910, is the oldest professional ballpark in the U.S. and a National Historic Site. The game will honor Hall of Famer Willie Mays, a Birmingham native who began his professional career with the Birmingham Black Barons in 1948.
Ivey signs grocery tax reduction into law
Alabama is one of only three states that tax groceries at the same rate as other purchases. Advocates had long argued that taxing food at such a rate placed an unfair burden on families.
New voting districts could change again in some states before the 2024 elections
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling that Alabama’s congressional districts likely violated the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting the political power of Black voters. The ruling also could lead to new U.S. House districts in Louisiana, and potentially Georgia.
Supreme Court rules in favor of Black voters in Alabama redistricting case
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined with the court's liberals in affirming a lower-court ruling that found a likely violation of the Voting Rights Act in Alabama's congressional map.
Voting rights marcher recalls being clubbed, hearing fatal gunshot during pivotal day of protests
Della Simpson Maynor was just 14 when she marched for voting rights in her hometown of Marion, Alabama. But while events in Alabama helped give birth to the Voting Rights Act, court cases originating in the state have led to its steady erosion over the years.
Supreme Court opened the door to states’ voting restrictions. Now a new ruling could widen them
The justices are expected to rule in the coming weeks in a new case out of Alabama that could make it much more difficult for minority groups to sue over gerrymandered political maps that dilute their representation.
