Issues
Alabama lawmaker resigns and agrees to plead guilty to voter fraud
Republican Rep. David Cole, of Huntsville, resigned from the Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday. He will plead guilty to a charge of voting in an unauthorized location, according to a plea agreement filed in state court.
The connection is growing between climate change and big storms
The connection between climate change, hurricanes and tornadoes is not so clear. But data is beginning to show some relationship. That's the topic of the latest story in our series "Alabama's Hot Topic: What Climate Change Could Bring."
From drought to heavy rain, climate change means more of both
Climate change is spurring more big rain events, when several inches fall in a short amount of time. Meanwhile, climate change also makes droughts more frequent, longer, and severe. There's more the latest installment of our series “Alabama’s Hot Topic: What Climate Change Could Bring.”
Alabama describes proposed nitrogen gas execution
The state described the procedures for the proposed new execution method in a redacted court filing. Alabama is seeking to become the first state to execute a prisoner using nitrogen.
Heat is the top weather-related killer. In Alabama, it may just be getting started
Heat kills more people than any other type of weather. Human-caused climate change stands to make that worse. Alabama is one of the few places where temperatures have not increased. But that appears to be changing. It's the latest in our series, “Alabama’s Hot Topic: What Climate Change Could Bring.”
Nature-based education on the rise in Alabama
At least three forest schools have opened across Alabama in recent years. It's part of a nationwide movement to teach kids in nature.
Few bid after U.S. opens first-ever offshore wind leases in the Gulf of Mexico
The entire Gulf of Mexico wind lease sale has the potential to produce 3.7 gigawatts of renewable energy, enough to power 1.3 million homes.
Meet the Alabama scientists connecting soaring global temperatures to carbon dioxide
Two Alabama researchers study ice cores and fossil records from Antarctica, helping connect an alarming increase in the earth’s temperature to rising levels of carbon dioxide.
A campaign aims to bridge the breastfeeding gap for Black mothers in the Gulf South
Despite its well-documented advantages, many regions in the US — especially in the South — continue to grapple with low breastfeeding rates. States like Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana have some of the the lowest rates in the country.
Alabama has escaped the worst of climate change. Is our luck about to run out?
This summer, headlines have screamed climate change. Globally, July was the hottest month on record. Smoke from forest fires choked many parts of the U.S., and the Gulf of Mexico hit a record high for average weekly sea surface temperatures. Here in Alabama, we’ve been spared many of the effects of climate change, but that appears to be changing. We take a look in a new series on climate change called “ Alabama's Hot Topic.”
New mapping tool gives county-by-county breakdown of air pollution
Earlier this month, a researcher debuted a new tool that maps pollution in Mississippi and Louisiana. Some environmental groups are already using it.
Proposal would create 36-mile trail loop around Birmingham
The loop would connect Ruffner Mountain, Railroad Park and Red Mountain Park.
Alabama can enforce ban on puberty blockers and hormones for transgender children, court says
A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a judge’s temporary injunction against enforcing the law. The judge has scheduled trial for April 2 on whether to permanently block the law.
A medical equipment company is trying to turn the tide on the Gulf South’s ‘diaper divide’
Aeroflow Healthcare has been pushing state lawmakers to end sales tax on necessary items such as diapers, breast pumps and other incontinence products.
Birmingham City Council president dissents from vote pledging financial support for BSC
It’s not about Birmingham-Southern College; it’s about the residents of Birmingham. That’s what Birmingham City Council President Wardine Alexander said Tuesday in her dissent from passage of a resolution pledging city dollars to support BSC.
Alabama argues its new standards — not SCOTUS order — should dictate congressional map redraw
Lawyers for the state defended Alabama’s new congressional map before a panel of judges who previously ruled the 2021 map violated the Voting Rights Act.
Alabama riverfront brawl videos spark a cultural moment about race, solidarity and justice
A week after multiple videos showing the now-infamous brawl at a Riverboat in Montgomery and valiant defense of the outnumbered co-captain were shared widely on social media, it’s clear the event truly tapped into the psyche of Black America and created a broader cultural moment.
Alabama artist Delrico Gibson uses ‘Strings of Gratitude’ to tell his story of recovery
Delrico Gibson's new art collection on display at UAB ties together different threads, emotions and stories of his recovery from a life-threatening accident.
As the peak of hurricane season nears, Southwest Louisiana is still recovering from 2020 storms
Three years after Hurricanes Laura and Delta, Lake Charles residents are anxious about the chances of a new storm.
7 cases of tuberculosis found in 4 Alabama chicken processing plants
Alabama state health officials are asking workers in the region’s poultry industry and their close contacts to get screened for TB after the outbreak.
Lawsuit challenges Alabama’s ‘de facto ban’ on freestanding birth centers
The lawsuit — filed by the operators of one birth center that closed and two others that paused plans to open — asks a judge to block the Alabama Department of Public Health from requiring the facilities be licensed as hospitals.
Riverfront brawl brings unwelcome attention to historic civil rights city in Alabama
Three white boaters in Alabama’s capital city will be charged with misdemeanor assault for a riverfront brawl with a Black boat captain that drew nationwide attention, with more charges likely to come.
As infertility rates rise, data shows much of the US lives in a ‘fertility desert’
Factors like the cost of treatment, the location of clinics and a lack of specialized doctors have contributed to the lack of care across the country.
EPA wants to reject Alabama’s coal ash program; says it is not protective enough
The EPA’s proposed denial claims Alabama’s proposed standards are too lax and don’t meet federal guidelines under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
Trump boasts at Alabama fundraiser that he needs ‘one more indictment to close out this election’
Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to crimes related to his efforts to overturn the results of his 2020 election loss. Although it's his third criminal indictment this year, this case is the most serious.
An Alabama family’s water bill tripled after moving just outside of city limits. Here’s why
Rural water customers typically pay more for the same water that city residents use. Some residents, like Jason Clayton, believe the upcharge is unfair.
NIH selects UAB’s Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo to replace Dr. Anthony Fauci
Marrazzo, who has led UAB's Division of Infectious Diseases since 2016, served as a national expert throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biden decides to keep Space Command in Colorado, rejecting move to Alabama
U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Monday that Biden was convinced by the head of Space Command, Gen. James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness
Plaintiffs in voting rights case urge judges to toss Alabama’s new congressional map
Plaintiffs in the high-profile redistricting case accused state Republicans of flouting a judicial mandate to create a second majority-Black district or “something quite close to it" and enacting a map that continues to discriminate against Black voters in the state.
Mobile homes turn deadly when tornadoes hit. This year has been especially bad
Tornadoes in the United States are disproportionately killing more people in mobile or manufactured homes, especially in the South, often victimizing some of the most socially and economically vulnerable residents.
Alabama authorities charge Carlee Russell for fabricating story about kidnapping, finding toddler
Carlee Russell was charged with false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident, both misdemeanors that carry up to a year in jail. Russell turned herself in to jail Friday and was released on bond.
Residents near Louisiana Dow plant are skeptical after explosion: ‘You can’t trust them’
Dow Chemical says the air quality at a plant in Louisiana is safe following a July 14 explosion, but nearby residents remain skeptical based on past incidents.
