Government
Crime and education on the agenda for the 2025 legislative session
The 2025 legislative session in Alabama kicks off Tuesday, Feb. 4 with plenty on the agenda. Education, public safety, and of course the budgets are expected to come up. We get a preview of what's ahead with Todd Stacy, host of Capital Journal on Alabama Public Television.
Steel City Men’s Chorus brings music and friendship to LGBTQ+ community in Birmingham
The Steel City Men's Chorus, formed in 2013, is the only queer identified chorus of its kind in Alabama.
Federal judge hears request to block an upcoming nitrogen gas execution in Alabama
The state of Alabama urged a federal judge Tuesday to allow the nation's fourth execution with nitrogen gas to proceed next week, but a doctor who witnessed an earlier execution by the new method told the judge the inmate appeared to be in distress and awake minutes longer than officials predicted.
Birmingham’s new resilience chief looks to protect residents from climate change
“Fundamentally, to me, it's about survival,” says Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop, Birmingham’s new chief resilience and sustainability officer about fighting climate change.
Alabama’s foster care caseworker turnover is at 50%. What can be done?
Alabama is struggling to keep foster care caseworkers on the job. The state reports a turnover rate of 50%in 2024. Why does the state have such a high turnover rate and what is being done to fix this?
Man charged with 11 homicides — including two mass shootings in Birmingham — pleads not guilty
Damien McDaniel is accused of killing 11 people between July and September of last year in Birmingham — which would account for over 7% of all homicides in the city in 2024.
Trump’s geographic renaming plans leave mapmakers pondering what to do next
Mapmakers and teachers are re-thinking what to call the gulf of water between Mexico, the United States and Cuba after President Donald Trump ordered it renamed from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. There's no agreed-upon scheme to name boundaries and features shared by countries. And map lines are inherently political.
Watch: ‘Voices of District 2’ highlights challenges, strengths of Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District
Watch a replay of the Gulf States Newsroom's virtual listening session discussing its coverage of Alabama's 2nd Congressional District during the 2024 election.
From grief to leadership: Randall Woodfin’s journey in ‘Son of Birmingham’
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin really likes music. That’s one of the throughlines in his new memoir Son of Birmingham which is out January 21. In it he touches on his time in office, the influence of his older brother who died at the hands of gun violence, and of course, his favorite tracks.
Alabama supreme court grants breastfeeding women exemption from jury duty after public outcry
The Alabama Supreme Court issued an administrative order that requires Alabama judges to have written procedures excusing breastfeeding mothers from jury duty. Previously, state code did not specifically make exemptions for nursing mothers.
Alabama inmate asks court to block nitrogen gas execution
Demetrius Terrence Frazier is scheduled to be executed Feb. 6. His attorneys in a Wednesday court filing asked a judge to block the execution unless the state makes changes to the protocol.
Birmingham braces for winter storm: here’s what to do
Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency for 37 Alabaman counties Thursday, including the Birmingham metro area, ahead of a weekend winter storm. Forecasters expect icy weather to sweep through the region from Thursday night through Friday night.
Woodfin to run for a third term as mayor
Woodfin was widely expected to make another run following electoral victories in 2017 and 2021. This year’s contest will take place August 26.
Homicide commission report offers strategies to reduce gun violence
Following a record breaking year of homicides in Birmingham, a city commission submitted a report on potential solutions for the crisis to the mayor’s office on Monday. The report lays out strategies for how the city can reduce its homicide rate, particularly those stemming from gun violence.
Birmingham begins new curbside waste collection schedule
Birmingham’s new trash, recycling and bulk waste collection schedule kicks off on Monday, January 6. Residents can expect regular trash pickup on one specific day each week and recycling collection on the same day every other week.
Alabama profits off prisoners safe enough to work at McDonald’s, deems them too dangerous for parole
No state has a longer, more profit-driven history of contracting prisoners out to private companies than Alabama. Best Western, Bama Budweiser and Burger King are among the more than 500 businesses to lease incarcerated workers from one of the most violent, overcrowded and unruly prison systems in the U.S.
Share your thoughts on gun violence in Birmingham
Anyone in Birmingham who wants to weigh in on how to address the city’s gun violence can do so through a survey offered by an independent gun violence commission. The commission has been working since October to find ways to reduce Birmingham’s homicide rates.
Alabama wants to lower recidivism rates by 2030. What are the obstacles?
Last year, Alabama set an ambitious goal for itself: lower recidivism by 25% and increase post-incarceration employment rates by 50% by 2030. But a recent study on the state's criminal justice re-entry programming shows that many formerly incarcerated people are falling through the cracks.
College sports reform could advance in GOP-controlled Congress
Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican who is set to take over as chair of the powerful Commerce Committee, said recently that a college sports bill will be a top priority, accusing Democrats of dragging their feet on needed reforms.
Alabama man charged in September mass shooting faces more murder charges in July quadruple homicide
Damien McDaniel has been arrested and charged with capital murder in connection with the July 13 mass shooting outside of a nightclub in Birmingham that left four people dead and 10 others wounded.
Alabama carries out nation’s third nitrogen gas execution on a man for a hitchhiker’s killing
Carey Dale Grayson was executed at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in southern Alabama. He was one of four teenagers convicted of killing Vickie DeBlieux as she hitchhiked through the state on the way to her mother’s home in Louisiana.
Federal appeals court won’t block upcoming nitrogen gas execution in Alabama
The 11th U.S. Court of Appeals swiftly affirmed a lower court's decision to let Carey Dale Grayson's execution proceed. Grayson had sought a preliminary injunction to block the execution. The three-judge panel wrote that evidence “did not show that nitrogen hypoxia creates a substantial risk of conscious suffocation."
Alabama’s presidential results shift right — but not because of new GOP voters
Unofficial returns show a nearly 10% drop in Democratic votes between 2020 and 2024 as Trump support remained steady.
Figures wins Alabama’s redrawn 2nd Congressional District
Figures, a Democrat, defeated Republican Caroleene Dobson to win the open seat, flipping the district that had been a GOP stronghold until it was redrawn last year.
Birmingham’s newest voters: how the latest generation is approaching politics
While Alabama is not a swing state, these students represent an up and coming generation whose voices have not yet been heard in the political world. And this demographic of voters has already proven that they can make an impact.
What is Amendment One?
This year, there’s just one statewide constitutional amendment on the ballot for Alabama voters. But it affects only two counties.
Birmingham police chief announces plans to retire
Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond announced at a press conference that he will step down at the end of November, two years into his tenure as the historic city's top cop.
Alabama lawmakers question parole board chair on low releases, lack of responsiveness
Leigh Gwathney, the chairwoman of the three-person Board of Pardons and Paroles, appeared before the Legislative Prison Committee in a sometimes tense meeting to take lawmakers’ questions about the parole process. The meeting was marked by a series of terse exchanges as lawmakers accused Gwathney of not answering their questions.
Efforts to restore voting rights for people with felony convictions lag in the Gulf South
A new report shows that more people with past felony convictions can vote in this election cycle than previous ones, but millions remain disenfranchised.
Alabama executes man who killed 5 and asked to be put to death
Derrick Dearman was pronounced dead at Thursday at Holman prison in southern Alabama. He pleaded guilty to the killings that prosecutors said began when he broke into the home where his estranged girlfriend had taken refuge.
Suspect arrested in Five Points South mass shooting
Damien Laron McDaniel III is charged with capital murder in the case. The 22-year-old is also charged with the murder of two other people.
Alabama voting FAQ: How to register, cast your ballot for Nov. 5 election
Election Day is Tuesday, November 5. Here’s how to register to vote, submit an absentee ballot, find your polling location and more.
