Issues
Kroger and Albertsons grocery megamerger halted by two courts
Two rulings — in federal and state courts — make it increasingly likely that Kroger might abandon its $24.6 billion plan to buy Albertsons. The merger aimed to combine two of America's largest supermarket chains.
Arctic tundra now emits planet-warming pollution, federal report finds
Arctic tundra is releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as hotter temperatures melt frozen ground and wildfires increase.
Alabama lawmakers eye change to school funding formula
Lawmakers have no plans to increase taxes but are looking to revamp the formula that divvies out state funds.
A record-breaking deal for slugger Juan Soto sends the baseball world into a spin
The Dominican-born superstar Juan Soto will take his talents to Queens after the New York Mets reportedly signed him to a $765 million contract — a move that has the rest of the baseball world abuzz.
Supreme Court rejects challenge to Boston’s school admissions policy
The court's action was the second time the justices declined to intervene in an admissions program based on geography since their 2023 ruling invalidating affirmative action in higher education.
Cancer interrupted their school lives, but also set them on a mission
Pediatric cancer survival rates are a crowning medical achievement. But the impact of missing school is a less-discussed side effect children then face.
Photographer pays homage to Our Lady of Guadalupe and reclaims her connection with the divine
Our Lady of Guadalupe is a significant religious figure who signifies hope and protection for countless Latinos in the U.S. and abroad. For photographer Amanda Lopez, she's an emblem of home.
What is your favorite holiday scent and memory?
The holidays are rife with tradition and memories, with more than a few seasonal cookies, coffees and festivities sprinkled in between. So we asked visitors to our recent News and Brews community pop-up in Trussville: what is your favorite holiday scent and memory?
Young people are dying of heat and their risks could grow, study finds
Scientists have pointed out that extreme heat is particularly dangerous for older people. A new study shows that young, healthy people are also dying too often in extreme weather.
After a shocking shooting, Americans vent feelings about health insurance
The death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson triggered a deluge of painful stories about health care denials on social media.
Pope Francis goes electric in new eco-friendly popemobile
Pope Francis, who heads the Catholic Church, has doubled down on his commitment to the environment with a new electric popemobile presented by Mercedes-Benz.
Alabama leads US in ‘pregnancy criminalization’ cases following Dobbs decision: report
The report’s findings help shed light on the use of criminal laws informed by the idea of fetal personhood, a legal premise gaining traction in the South.
Anthem plans to put time limits on anesthesia coverage, alarming doctors
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is under scrutiny for planning to put time limits on anesthesia care. The Connecticut comptroller's office said Wednesday it had intervened to block the policy there.
How a staffing shortage can make special education jobs more dangerous
Special educators are more likely to experience violence or aggression from students. That can make hiring a challenge, at a time when schools nationwide are struggling to fill these positions.
Afghan women reportedly barred from studying nursing and midwivery
Several sources confirm the Taliban pronouncement, part of ongoing efforts to curtail education for girls and women. Women studying these subjects say they were barred from classes this week.
Longer careers in ice hockey are linked to a greater risk of CTE, a new study finds
A new Boston University study of 77 deceased male ice hockey players found that their chances of developing the degenerative brain disease known as CTE increased with each year they played the sport.
One-day strikes are in: Why unions are keeping it short on the picket line
Strikes can be a double-edged sword. Keeping them short can help workers gain leverage while minimizing the pain for those who don’t have it.
Negotiators fail to reach an agreement on a plastic pollution treaty. Talks to resume next year
The negotiations in Busan, South Korea, were supposed to be the fifth and final round to produce the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including in the oceans, by the end of 2024.
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.
A landmark climate change case will open at the top U.N. court
The hearings come after years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could simply disappear under rising sea waters,
FIFA should pay workers harmed in building World Cup venues, its committee report says
The report said the main responsibility lay with the workers' direct employers and the Qatari government, but noted that "a credible argument can be made" that FIFA played a role as well.
Reporter Journal: A sunrise trek through wild solitude in New York City
New York City is home to more than eight million people but NPR's Brian Mann mapped out an urban hike through solitude and parkland wildness.
Bill Battle, former Alabama AD who founded licensing company, dies
Bill Battle, who was athletic director at his alma mater, Alabama, where he played for Paul “Bear” Bryant's first national championship team, has died. He was 82.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, which is more sustainable: real or plasticky?
It's time to discuss one of the perennial debates of the holiday season. Are real Christmas trees or their fake counterparts more eco-friendly?
Disappointed by this year’s climate talks, Indigenous advocates look to Brazil in 2025
Indigenous advocates called the final agreement in Azerbaijan "drastically insufficient." Now they're focusing on next year's global climate summit in Brazil where Indigenous participation is expected to be historic.
Medicaid coverage is expanding into prisons in 2025, starting with children
New federal policies extend Medicaid to incarcerated youth and open the door for adult inmates to get coverage before they’re released.
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.
Traffic citations against Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill are dropped
Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins was cited for careless driving and failure to wear a seat belt in September. The citations were dismissed after the officers involved did not appear in court.
With a record number of international students in the U.S., Trump brings uncertainty
Some schools and international students in the U.S. worry about what's to come in the incoming Trump administration. Meanwhile, a new report finds more international students in the U.S. than ever.
The price America paid for its first big immigration crackdown
The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first significant crackdown on immigration in American history. We explore the factors that led to the Act and examine what happened to the economy after it passed.
Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors’ Cadillac brand and new American team
The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team.
Plastic waste is everywhere. Countries have one more chance to agree on a solution
Negotiations over a U.N. treaty to cut plastics have been bogged down. Environmental groups blame the oil and gas industry.
