Associated Press




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Slavery’s ghost haunts cotton gin factory’s transformation

What was once the world's largest cotton gin factory is being renovated into apartments. Some people in Prattville want the stories of the enslaved people who built and worked in the factory told along with that of its founder, Daniel Pratt.

Alabama pausing executions after 3rd failed lethal injection

The move follows the uncompleted execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith, which was the state's second instance of being unable to put an inmate to death in the past two months and its third since 2018.

Party chair says Democrats have work to do after election showing

Democratic candidates in statewide races were held to about 30% of the vote on Tuesday, about 10 percentage points lower than four years ago, in an election noted for low voter turnout and a lack of competitive races at the top of the ticket.

Republican Kay Ivey wins 2nd full term as Alabama governor

Ivey easily won Tuesday's election turning away challenges from Democrat Yolanda Flowers and Libertarian Jimmy Blake.

Auburn fires coach Bryan Harsin

Harsin went 9-12 overall and 3-5 this year. Auburn has lost four straight games while struggling against Power Five opponents. Auburn will owe more than $15 million and half of that must be paid within 30 days.

Outgoing Senator Shelby backs US recognition for state tribe

The MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians are still seeking federal recognition, and they're one of two state-recognized tribes hoping Congress will right what they see as wrongs of the past with the help of two influential U.S. senators who are retiring.

Tuberville: US has too many ‘takers’ who don’t want to work

Tuberville made the remarks, suggesting that many in younger generations — including people in their 40s — don't understand they need to work, while discussing the national worker shortage during a speech to business groups in south Alabama.

Slavery is on the ballot in Alabama and 4 other states

More than 150 years after slaves were freed in the U.S., voters in five states, including Alabama, will soon decide whether to close loopholes that led to the proliferation of a different form of slavery — forced labor by people convicted of certain crimes.

How one small town is teaching English to kids of immigrants

Russellville, with large numbers of Hispanic immigrants, is using federal COVID-19 relief money for an experiment to serve students who are still learning English. They are hiring and certifying more local, Spanish-speaking staff.

Judge dismisses lawsuit over upcoming lethal injection in Alabama

The judge on Sunday granted Alabama's request to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Kenneth Eugene Smith, agreeing that Smith waited too long to file the challenge. But the judge also warned Alabama's prison commissioner to strictly follow established protocol when officials attempt to put Smith to death next month.

Black leaders rebuke Tuberville stance on reparations, crime

Tuberville told people Saturday at an election rally in Nevada that Democrats support reparations for the descendants of enslaved people because “they think the people that do the crime are owed that.”

DOJ finds Alabama’s foster care system violates law

The U.S. Department of Justice said the state's foster care program has illegally placed hundreds of students with disabilities into “segregated and inferior educational programs,” a direct violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Regions Bank to refund $141M for illegal overdraft fees

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that between 2018 and 2021, Regions was charging overdraft fees on some ATM withdrawals as well as some debit card purchases, even after the bank told the customers they had enough funds to cover the transactions.

Alabama prisoners refusing to work in 2nd day of protest

Prisoners including those who provide food, laundry and janitorial services refused to show up for work at major state prisons, leaving staff scrambling to keep the facilities running.

Russian separatists release 2 U.S. veterans as part of a prisoner exchange

Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh went missing in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine near the Russian border June 9. They had traveled to Ukraine on their own and became friends because both are from Alabama.

Video appears to show Alabama corrections officer beating inmate

The video, circulating on social media, shows what appears to be a distressed inmate on the edge of a roof at a building at Elmore Correctional Facility, while a group of prison staff look at him from the ground.

The teacher shortages are real, but not for the reason you heard

The U.S. education secretary has called for investment to keep teachers from quitting. A teachers union leader has described it as a five-alarm emergency. In reality, there is little evidence to suggest teacher turnover has increased nationwide or educators are leaving in droves.

Groups oppose $725 million Alabama bond sale for building prisons

The state is expected to go to the bond market on Tuesday, to provide financing for the construction plan. That money will be added to $135 million in state funds and $400 million in pandemic relief dollars that the state already agreed to put toward the construction project.

Britt wins tumultuous Alabama Senate race scrambled by Trump

Katie Britt won the Republican nomination for Senate in Alabama Tuesday, defeating six-term Rep. Mo Brooks in a primary runoff after former President Donald Trump took the unusual step of rescinding his initial Brooks endorsement.

Gunman kills 3 seniors over potluck dinner at Alabama church

The suspect, 70-year-old Robert Findlay Smith, was charged with capital murder Friday. He is being held on no bond.

Alabama church shooting kills 2, wounds 1; suspect detained

The shooting occurred Thursday evening at Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills.

Katie Britt and U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks are headed for an Alabama Senate runoff

Alabama's Republican primary for U.S. Senate is going to a June runoff between Katie Britt and U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks after neither candidate captured a majority of the vote.

Inside the manhunt for an escaped murder suspect and jailer

U.S. marshals and sheriff’s deputies led an 11-day manhunt for an Alabama murder suspect and jailer who were heavily armed and preparing for a shootout when they were captured.

Alabama jailbreak mystery deepens as manhunt ends with death

Jailer Vicky White was pronounced dead at a hospital after murder suspect Casey White gave up without a fight in Evansville, Indiana. The fugitives had spent more than a week on the run through three states.

Biden visits Alabama Lockheed plant as weapons stockpile strained

President Joe Biden credited the assembly line workers at a Javelin missile plant in Troy for doing lifesaving work in building the antitank weapons that are being sent to Ukraine.

“Still in shock.” Abortion defenders, foes stunned by leak

People on both sides of the abortion divide have been expecting the Supreme Court this summer to reverse the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide. But many said the draft opinion was nevertheless stunning.

Arrest warrant issued in Alabama for missing jail official

An arrest warrant has been issued for a jail official who disappeared while escorting a prisoner last week.

State signs $623 million contract for 4,000-inmate prison

The new prison contact is part of a sweeping construction plan partially paid for by pandemic relief funds.

Alabama signs prison construction contract, quiet on details

The Alabama Department of Corrections declined to release a copy of the contract. A spokeswoman said it needed to be redacted and that would take some time because it is a lengthy contract.

EXPLAINER: What’s known about sudden liver disease in kids

Scientist are puzzled over cases of hepatitis showing up in otherwise healthy children. Nine cases have been found in Alabama.

EXPLAINER: What medical treatments do transgender youth get

Transgender medical treatment for children and teens is under attack in many states, but it has been available for more than a decade and is endorsed by major medical associations.

Saban: Current state of college football not ‘sustainable’

The Alabama Crimson Tide coach is confident his program will thrive in this new era of college football, but he's concerned about the sport overall.