Issues
Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina defeats No. 1 Aryana Sabalenka to win Australian Open
Saturday's win marks the second Grand Slam title for Rybakina, who took Wimbledon in 2022.
Birmingham faith leaders lead community in vigil in response to ICE actions in Minnesota
Members of the Birmingham community bore the cold Friday evening in a two-hour vigil in honor of Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal immigration agents last weekend in Minnesota, and others who have died in incidents involving United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Texas A&M University cancels programs in women’s and gender studies
The university said it had also modified hundreds of courses and cancelled six in efforts to eliminate teaching related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
How American Katie Uhlaender was denied Olympic bid by Canadian coach’s point scheme
Sports officials say a Canadian coach manipulated the point system used by athletes to qualify for the Olympics. His move cost American sled racer Katie Uhlaender her trip to the Milan Cortina Games.
Lawmakers move to place rules on app use by children
For many of us, smartphones are our connection to the world, whether it's messaging friends, watching videos or catching up on the news. That connection gets a little more fraught, though, when the person using the phone is a minor. An Alabama Senate committee this week passed a bill that would put in place new rules around apps and children.
Skier Lindsey Vonn’s Winter Olympic comeback dream is in jeopardy after a crash
Vonn was seen clutching her left knee after crashing in a race in Switzerland on Friday, the last before the Winter Olympics. Her comeback after retiring in 2019 was one of Team USA's biggest stories.
‘ChatGPT saved my life.’ How patients, and doctors, are using AI to make a diagnosis
Hundreds of millions of people are turning to chatbots to help figure out what's wrong with them. Doctors say that's not always a bad thing. In fact, many are using it themselves.
Birmingham Museum of Art brings a century of French Modernist works to town
Claude Monet and Henri Matisse may already be household names for fans of Impressionism, French painting or water lilies, but the Birmingham Museum of Art is offering a fresh look into 100 years of French modern art beyond the famed Frenchmen. It’s all in their newest exhibit Monet to Matisse: French Moderns, 1850–1950, opening Friday.
Trump taps Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve
Trump plans to nominate Kevin Warsh to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve, when Jerome Powell's term expires in May. The president has been pushing the central bank to slash interest rates.
Are you on a high-deductible health plan? What do you wish you knew?
People with ACA health insurance just saw prices surge and many switched to plans with high deductibles and health savings accounts. If that's you, what do you wish you knew about how your plan works?
Q&A: How New Orleans author, journalist Delaney Nolan finds hope in her new novel
Nolan discusses the journey of writing her debut novel, how her journalism informs her fiction and more with the Gulf States Newsroom’s Drew Hawkins.
Senegal and Morocco fined and players banned after African Cup final chaos
Africa's soccer body issued fines worth more than $1 million and banned Senegal's coach and Senegalese and Morocco players Wednesday following a shambolic African Cup soccer final this month.
Trump has sued universities for billions. Here’s what the strategy tells us
Each deal between colleges and the administration is unique, but they have common goals: altering the culture at powerful institutions and making their policies more aligned with President Trump's.
Alabama inmate activists from an Oscar-nominated film are moved to solitary, attorneys say
Family members of the three men said they fear for their loved ones' safety and are concerned the moves to solitary confinement are a form of retaliation for outspokenness about problems within the prison system.
Fed holds interest rates steady, taking a pause from rate cuts to assess the economy
The central bank cut rates at its three previous meetings in an effort to support the job market. But with inflation still elevated, the Fed is cautious about additional rate cuts.
Here’s what to know about the $50 billion states are getting for rural health
To satisfy Republicans opposed to last summer's cuts to health care, the Trump administration launched an ambitious 5-year initiative known as the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Republican candidate challenges Tuberville residency, says he appears to live Florida, not Alabama
Ken McFeeters, who is running against Tuberville for the Republican nomination for governor, filed the challenge Tuesday with the Alabama Republican Party. McFeeters said he believes Tuberville lives in a multimillion-dollar beach home in Florida instead of a smaller home that he has listed as his residence in Auburn, Alabama.
To keep AI out of her classroom, this high school English teacher went analog
Forth Worth teacher Chanea Bond says sticking with pen and paper keeps generative artificial intelligence out of her American literature classes.
Americans may love football, but did you know its origins are in medieval England?
"Football" is a word used to refer to different games: American football, the game played at the Super Bowl, where a foot is rarely used to direct the ball. And elsewhere in the world, football refers to what Americans call "soccer." But where does this word really come from?
Mexican president says her country has paused oil shipments to Cuba
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the pause was part of general fluctuations in oil supplies and that it was a "sovereign decision" not made under pressure from the United States.
Italian officials voice outrage at the presence of U.S. ICE agents at the 2026 Olympics
U.S. Homeland Security agents provided security support at past Olympics. But after violence by ICE agents in Minneapolis, some Italian officials say an ICE unit is unwelcome in Milan Cortina.
Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter joins those calling for boycott of World Cup in U.S.
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter is backing a proposed fan boycott of World Cup matches in the United States because of the conduct of President Trump and his administration at home and abroad.
A crackdown on immigration is leading to a sharp drop in U.S. population growth
A sharp drop in net immigration has led to a slowdown in U.S. population growth. The Census Bureau says the population grew only about half as fast in the year ending last June as it did the previous year.
A crackdown on immigration is leading to a sharp drop in U.S. population growth
A sharp drop in net immigration has led to a slowdown in U.S. population growth. The Census Bureau says the population grew only about half as fast in the year ending last June as it did the previous year.
A crackdown on immigration is leading to a sharp drop in U.S. population growth
A sharp drop in net immigration has led to a slowdown in U.S. population growth. The Census Bureau says the population grew only about half as fast in the year ending last June as it did the previous year.
Trump to hold de facto midterm kickoff in Iowa focused on the economy, energy prices
President Trump's rally in Iowa on Tuesday brings his message to a state disproportionately affected by his economic policies and whose voters could help determine control of Congress.
This Small Alabama Town Was Part of the Manhattan Project. Now It May Host a Hyperscale Data Center.
A town of less than 5,000 could be the site of a $6 billion data center project, its mayor says. Would the project be a boon or a burden?
U.S. sled racer Uhlaender says she was unfairly denied sixth Olympic bid
Five-time U.S. Olympian Katie Uhlaender says a point-manipulation scheme blocked her bid to compete in Milan Cortina. U.S. sports officials are backing her bid for a special berth at the Winter Games.
Super Bowl 60 is set and it’s a rematch from 11 years ago: Patriots vs. Seahawks
The Patriots will seek their NFL-record seventh Super Bowl victory when they face the Seahawks on Feb. 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
U.S. rock climber Alex Honnold reaches top of Taipei 101 skyscraper without ropes
Cheers erupted from a street-level crowd as Alex Honnold reached the top of the spire of the 508-meter (1,667-foot) tower, about 90 minutes after he started.
Here’s how ‘shared decision making’ for childhood vaccines could limit access
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new approach to six shots that were formerly given routinely will introduce new hurdles for getting kids immunized. And it could have a chilling effect on doctors.
Immigration enforcement bill draws public backlash
President Trump has made immigration enforcement a centerpiece of his second term. A bill under consideration in the Alabama legislature would dovetail with those efforts by expanding what law enforcement could do on immigration in the state. We get more details about that and other legislative matters in our weekly check-in with Todd Stacy, host of Capital Journal on Alabama Public Television.
