Government
Trump’s efforts to defund NPR and PBS playing out in Congress and the courts
Trump and other Republicans want to rescind more than $1 billion in federal funding already approved for NPR and PBS. The president also issued an executive order intended to prevent federal agencies from funding the two public broadcasting networks.
Looking into Alabama’s ‘Blood Money’: how taxpayers foot the bill for lawsuits by prisoners
The Alabama Department of Corrections settled more than 100 lawsuits against its corrections officers for excessive use of force since 2020. Inmates say officers left them with broken bones and brain damage. Beth Shelburne, a Birmingham-based independent investigative reporter, found that taxpayers are covering the cost in her four-part series for the Alabama Reflector called "Blood Money."
‘I don’t have no pity party’: Alabama execution set for Tuesday evening
Gregory Hunt is scheduled to be executed for the 1988 murder of Karen Lane in Walker County. It would be Alabama's fifth execution by nitrogen gas.
Court fees can pile up. An effort to make a more effective system stalls after Trump administration cuts
Court fines and fees are meant to hold people accountable. But for many, they lead to debt, arrest, and a cycle that’s hard to break. A project that started in Birmingham aimed to make the system better. But recently, the Trump Administration cancelled an effort to expand the research.
In vitro fertilization emerges as a central issue in the Alabama state Supreme Court race
An Alabama fertility lawyer announced her candidacy for the state Supreme Court, emphasizing her personal experience with in vitro fertilization and blasting a controversial 2024 decision that ruled frozen embryos can be considered children under state law.
Why did Alabama families drop their challenge to an anti-transgender law?
Alabama parents sued the state over a law banning gender-affirming care for minors, but they dropped the suit earlier this month.
Alabama AG Steve Marshall to run for U.S. Senate
Marshall, a Republican, announced his candidacy in a video that included multiple clips of him being introduced or praised by President Donald Trump.
US Sen. Tommy Tuberville announces 2026 bid for Alabama governor
His announcement on the Will Cain Show on Fox News followed weeks of speculation, and associates saying Tuberville planned to enter the race. The former coach is expected to be a formidable entry in the governor’s race.
GOP US Sen. Tommy Tuberville is expected to announce run for Alabama governor, associates say
Two people who have spoken with Tuberville about his plans said Thursday they expect him to announce a gubernatorial bid. They spoke on condition of anonymity because were not authorized to talk about a campaign.
Judge considers sanctions against attorneys in prison case for using AI in court filings
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco held a hearing in Birmingham to question attorneys with the Butler Snow firm about the filings. She said there were five false citations in two filings in federal court.
Ivey appoints first Black Republican on Alabama Supreme Court
Judge Bill Lewis replaces Justice Jay Mitchell, who resigned Monday. Lewis most recently served on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals.
Bessemer residents want answers about a four-million-square-foot data center coming to their backyards
Residents in and around Bessemer are furious over Project Marvel, a plan to build a 4.5-million-square-foot data processing facility on 700 acres of wooded land. Public officials have been sworn to silence.
Legislative session ends with debate over police immunity bill
The Alabama legislative session wrapped up this week, but not before some contentious debate in the final hours on Wednesday night. The bill at hand was one that would expand legal immunity to police officers under certain circumstances. That's where we start our final legislative update of the session with Todd Stacy, host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television.
What was approved, and what failed, in the 2025 Alabama legislative session
Alabama lawmakers ended the 2025 legislative session on Wednesday. Here is a look at a few of the notable bills that passed, and some that failed, during the session.
Lawmakers pass bill to criminalize bringing immigrants in the US illegally across state lines
The legislation given final approval Wednesday protects “not only the citizens of Alabama but also the people that are immigrating here legally and doing everything the right way,” said the bill’s Republican sponsor.
Ivey signs a bill regulating the sale of hemp products
The law would allow gummies, drinks and other consumable products to continue to be sold, but limits the amount of psychoactive compounds in the products. It also puts restrictions on where the products can be sold.
Trump’s plan to bring shipbuilding back to the US? Port fees on Chinese vessels
Port fees on Chinese-built ships and operators will start in October, further raising the cost of trading with the United States.
Iranian student in Alabama to self-deport despite withdrawal of initial charge behind his arrest
Alireza Doroudi was detained by immigration officials in March as part of President Donald Trump’s widespread immigration crackdown and has been held at a facility in Jena, Louisiana.
School cellphone ban passed in the final days of the legislative session
Smartphones are practically appendages for many nowadays, but one place you probably won't see them in use soon is in Alabama schools. Alabama lawmakers gave final passage this week to a bill that would ban them during the school day. It's where we start our weekly legislative roundup with Todd Stacey, host of Capital Journal on Alabama Public Television.
Court rules Alabama violated Voting Rights Act in drawing congressional lines
A three-judge panel permanently blocked Alabama from using a state-drawn map that they said flouted their directive to draw a plan that was fair to Black voters. The decision was not a surprise because the panel ruled against the state twice previously and put a new map in place for last year’s elections.
Ivey overhauls Birmingham Water Works Board amid cries of racial discrimination
The bill redistributes power from Birmingham city officials — who currently appoint a majority of the nine-person board — to the governor, the lieutenant governor and the surrounding four counties that are also in the board’s jurisdiction. It also reduces the number of board members to seven.
Alabama lawmakers approve tax cuts for food, diapers and other items
The food tax reduction, if signed into law, will lower the state sales tax on food from 3% to 2% beginning Sept. 1. The reduction comes as lawmakers in both parties said families are being hurt by soaring grocery prices.
Alabama governor signs shark bite alert system into law named after teen who survived attack
The system will issue a public notice to cellphones when there's been a shark attack nearby. The law is named after Mountain Brook teenager Lulu Gribbin, who was one of three people bitten by a shark during a string of attacks off the Florida Panhandle last year.
Birmingham fights against losing control of its water board, citing racial discrimination
Birmingham city officials sued the Alabama governor on Tuesday in an effort to halt the codification of bill that would strip the city of control over the state’s largest water board, alleging the move “constitutes blatant racial discrimination.”
Tax cut bills under consideration in final days of the legislative session
Alabama has already knocked off 1% of its state sales tax from groceries. A bill that would reduce it further is under discussion in the legislature. But there are just a couple of days left in the session to get things done.
Trump offers advice to University of Alabama graduates in speech interspersed with politics
The Republican’s jolting speech was standard fare for Trump and well-received by the crowd in deep-red Alabama, which backed him in all three of his presidential runs.
Bill overhauling Birmingham Water Works Board heads to governor’s desk despite local outcry
Proponents of the bill point to frequent rate hikes and say that the move will prevent catastrophic events that have happened in cities like Jackson, Mississippi, or Detroit, Michigan. Opponents of the bill say that it is a power grab that diminishes the power of Black residents in Birmingham, Alabama.
Alabama Senate advances Birmingham Water Works Board overhaul
A fight erupted this week in the Alabama legislature over a bill that would remake the Birmingham Water Works Board. We dive into that controversy and talk about other legislative action with Todd Stacy, host of Capital Journal and Alabama Public Television.
Alabama executes a man who said he was guilty of rape and murder and deserved to die
James Osgood was pronounced dead Thursday evening following a three-drug injection at a south Alabama prison. A jury in 2014 convicted Osgood of capital murder in the death of Tracy Lynn Brown in Chilton County.
Trade wars grew America’s auto industry. Historians warn today’s tariffs won’t
Past success bringing foreign car companies stateside means the U.S. has more to lose and less to gain in today’s trade wars.
Crowds in Railroad Park protest Trump administration for ‘No Kings’ day
The event was part of protests across the country under a theme of "No Kings in America." The protests, organized by the 50501 movement, was held on April 19, the 250th anniversary of the battle of Lexington and Concord, an early fight in the Revolutionary War.
Alabama to honor wastewater sanitation projects despite losing federal backing
The Alabama Department of Public Health says it will honor its wastewater contracts for Lowndes County in spite of the Department of Justice’s recent decision to cancel its two-year-old agreement with the state supporting septic system improvements in the region.
