Government
The next Republican debate is in Alabama, the state that gave the GOP a road map to Donald Trump
The state that propelled George Wallace, a Democrat and four-term governor, into national politics is now dominated by Republicans loyal to Donald Trump, another figure who leans heavily on grievance and white identity politics.
City OK’s $5 million to help keep Birmingham-Southern College open
BSC President Daniel Coleman said in a statement that next he’ll ask Jefferson County to meet the city’s commitment, focus on private donors and reengage with state leaders to work on getting more funding.
Alabama inmate executed for the shooting death of man in 1993 robbery
Casey McWhorter was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death for his role in the robbery and shooting death of Edward Lee Williams on Feb. 18, 1993.
Senate takes step toward ending Tuberville’s hold on military nominations
The Senate Rules Committee voted 9-7 to approve a resolution that would allow the Senate to confirm groups of the military nominees at once for the remainder of the congressional term.
Alabama sets January execution date using nitrogen gas
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday announced a Jan. 25 execution date for Kenneth Eugene Smith using the new method.
Tuberville under pressure from Republicans over military holds
Sen. Tommy Tuberville said he's open to negotiating an end to his blockade of almost 400 military nominees after meeting with fellow Republican senators on Tuesday, signaling a shift after he has dug in on his protest of a Pentagon abortion policy for more than nine months.
Alabama can execute inmate with nitrogen gas, state’s highest court says
The justices granted the state attorney general's request for an execution warrant for Kenneth Eugene Smith, one of two men convicted in the 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of Elizabeth Sennett in northwestern Alabama.
Republicans confront Tuberville on Senate floor over military holds
Sen. Tommy Tuberville stood and objected to each nominee — 61 times total, when the night was over — extending his holds on the military confirmations and promotions with no immediate resolution in sight.
Birmingham-Southern hoped to borrow money. Now the school is on borrowed time
Birmingham-Southern College is running out of money and time. After the State Treasurer rejected the school’s $30 million loan application, school officials must now consider their options, including closing the 167-year-old campus on Birmingham’s west side.
Montgomery judge dismisses Birmingham-Southern College lawsuit against state
Judge James Anderson said he was “sympathetic” to the college, but said after a roughly hour-long hearing that phrasing in the law favored the treasurer.
Hendrix and Brinyark winners in Tuesday’s runoff elections
With no Republican opponent, Democrat Travis Hendrix is expected to take the District 55 seat after January's general election.
Birmingham City Council elects new leadership
Birmingham City Councilor Darrell O’Quinn on Tuesday took on the mantle of council president, and former President Wardine Alexander stepped into the president pro tem position.
Runoff Tuesday in race for House District 55
Democrats Sylvia Swayne and Travis Hendrix will meet in the runoff on Oct. 24. There are no Republicans in the race.
Prime suspect admits to Natalee Holloway’s 2005 murder in Aruba
The disclosure came during a plea and sentencing hearing for Joran van der Sloot in a federal courtroom in Alabama — just a few miles from the Birmingham suburb where Holloway used to live.
Woodfin tells parents to get your children to school
Woodfin said ten weeks into the school year, well more than half of third graders are considered truants, which means they have seven or more unexcused absences.
Woman accused of falsely reporting she was abducted seeks to avoid jail
A municipal judge on Wednesday found Carlee Russell guilty of misdemeanor charges of false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident. The guilty judgement came after Russell's attorneys agreed to a legal maneuver to move the case to circuit court where proceedings will start anew.
Book bans are on the rise in the Gulf South. Here’s what’s being challenged in Alabama
Efforts to ban books believed to be inappropriate for children and teens have seen a sharp uptick recently, but some libraries and bookstores are fighting back.
Alabama finally has a new congressional map after a lengthy legal fight
After a high-profile legal fight, a panel of three federal judges on Thursday picked a map that will be used when Alabamians cast their 2024 vote.
Court ruling offers temporary victory for Alabama birth centers
The preliminary injunction requires Alabama public health officials to license birth centers that meet certain national standards.
Judges aiming to give Black voters more influence in Alabama set to redraw congressional districts
U.S. District Judge Stanley Marcus, noting a ruling will be issued “shortly,” said the three-judge panel is aware of the time constraints posed by elections next year when the state's seven U.S. House seats will be on the ballot. The court could rule as early as this week.
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.
State Rep. John Rogers charged with obstruction of justice
The indictment accuses Rogers, a Democrat from Birmingham, and his assistant of offering additional grant money as a bribe to persuade a person to give false information to federal agents who were investigating possible kickbacks that prosecutors said were paid to Rogers' assistant.
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.
Court appointee proposes Alabama congressional districts to provide representation to Black voters
The three proposals all create a second district where Black voters comprise a majority of the voting age population or close to it — something that state lawmakers refused to do when they drew lines this summer.
Elections in two JeffCo-area seats Tuesday
In the House District 55 race, voters will select a replacement for Rep. Fred Plump. The District 16 seat is vacant after former Rep. Kyle South stepped down June 30.
Supreme Court to decide whether Alabama can postpone drawing new congressional districts
The outcome could determine what map the state uses in the 2024 elections and whether the high court will revisit arguments over the role of race in redistricting.
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 Council Amends Laws Affecting Predatory Towing
Among the concrete changes made by the council, it is requiring companies that run private parking lots to post signs within 60 days that clearly state parking rates and give clear information about what to do and whom to contact if your car is booted or towed.
Alabama asks US Supreme Court again to intervene in redistricting case
Despite losing at the Supreme Court earlier this year in the long-running redistricting case, Alabama is pursuing another appeal, hoping for a different result with the most recent GOP version of the map.
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.
Birmingham City Council OKs $4.5 million more for Rickwood Field improvements
Major League Baseball chose Rickwood Field, the country’s oldest surviving baseball field, to host its “2024 MLB at Rickwood Field, A Tribute to the Negro Leagues” game next June.
Judges reject Alabama’s congressional lines, will draw new districts to increase Black voting power
The three-judge panel blocked use of the state's newly drawn congressional map in next year's elections. A special master will be tapped to draw new districts for the state, the judges said. Alabama is expected to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
