Issues
Supreme Court struggles over whether Alabama can execute man found to be intellectually disabled
There was no clear outcome apparent after the justices heard two hours of arguments in an appeal from Alabama, which wants to put to death a man who lower federal courts found is intellectually disabled.
What to know about death cap mushrooms, blamed for poisonings in California
Death cap mushrooms look harmless, but are responsible for the majority of the world's mushroom-related deaths. California officials say 21 people have been sickened in recent weeks, one fatally.
A divided Fed is expected to cut rates for a 3rd straight time
The Fed is expected to lower its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point — but with inflation stubbornly high and mixed signals from the job market, it could be a split decision.
Feeling burned out? There’s a word for that in Mandarin Chinese
How an obscure term used in anthropology leaped from the pages of academia into the Chinese meme world and then became part of Chinese government policymaking.
Education Department recalls fired attorneys amid civil rights complaint backlog
The department said recalling these fired staffers would "bolster and refocus" civil rights enforcement "in a way that serves and benefits parents, students, and families."
How the Alabama Ballet makes Christmas magic with Balanchine’s Nutcracker
The Alabama Ballet is one of only eight companies in the world licensed to perform George Balanchine’s choreography for the Nutcracker. Balanchine’s production in 1954 first popularized the ballet as a Christmas holiday tradition across the country.
1 student dead, 1 critically injured in shooting at Kentucky State University
Classes and campus activities were canceled for the rest of the week after a shooting that police said left one student dead and another in critical condition. Police said a suspect who is not a KSU student was in custody.
Millions of borrowers in Biden’s SAVE plan would start paying under new settlement
Legal challenges put SAVE borrowers in limbo for months, a time during which they were not required to make payments on their loans. That would change if the proposed settlement is approved.
Are we in a recession? Maybe professional Santas can tell us
Demand for professional Santas and other seasonal workers seems to have cooled. Could that be a sign we're in a recession?
When Christmas is a little too bright … look to Krampus
If Santa Claus is the good cop of Christmas, then Krampus is the bad one: a creature from European folklore who scares children into behaving themselves, complete with goat horns and gnashing teeth.
China’s trade surplus hits $1 trillion for first time ever
China's exports to the U.S. have dropped sharply this year, in the face of President Trump's tariffs — but the country is still finding plenty of customers elsewhere around the world.
Bama, Miami in, Notre Dame out and Indiana No. 1 in College Football Playoff rankings
Nobody paying attention for the past 24 months would be surprised to see Indiana – yes, Indiana – leading the way into this year's College Football Playoff.
McLaren’s Lando Norris wins first F1 title at season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Red Bull driver and defending champion Max Verstappen won the race with Norris placing third, which allowed Norris to finish two points ahead of Verstappen in the season-long standings.
What boycotting looks like 70 years after the Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott is marking its 70th anniversary. For 381 days, an estimated 40,000 Black Alabama residents stayed off city buses. Today, young people use social media and their spending power to make their voices heard.
Alabama inmates plan work strike as families say crisis continues in the prison system
The families held a press conference near the construction site of Alabama’s new $1.2 billion prison in Elmore County. They said a humanitarian crisis is continuing in prisons despite years of federal investigations and attention.
The World Cup draw is here. Here’s why it matters — and how it will work
FIFA is about to determine which teams all 48 participating countries in the FIFA World Cup 2026 will face in the group phase of the tournament, which the U.S., Canada and Mexico are co-hosting.
University of Alabama shutters Black, female student magazines
The editors of Nineteen Fifty-Six and Alice magazines were informed Monday that the university was stopping the magazines immediately. A university official cited July guidance from Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
Announcing the NPR Student Podcast Challenge for 2026 — and a very special prize!
The annual contest for students in grades four through 12 is back for its eighth year — this time with a special prize for a podcast that marks the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Alabama regulators approve two-year electric rate freeze and two solar projects for a Meta data center
Critics say the rate freeze will only delay financial burdens on Alabama Power customers while preserving a high profit rate for the utility.
Auburn tabs USF’s Alex Golesh as its next coach, replacing Hugh Freeze on the Plains
The 41-year-old Golesh, who was born in Russia and moved to the United State at age 7, is signing a six-year contract that averages more than $7 million annually to replace Hugh Freeze. Freeze was fired in early November after failing to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three seasons on the Plains.
Alabama Power seeks to delay rate hike for new gas plant amid outcry
The state’s largest utility has proposed delaying the rate increase from its purchase of a $622 million natural gas plant until 2028.
Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones announces run for Alabama governor
Jones announced his campaign Monday afternoon, hours after filing campaign paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office. His gubernatorial bid could set up a rematch with U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Republican who defeated Jones in 2020 and is now running for governor.
Scorching Saturdays: The rising heat threat inside football stadiums
Excessive heat and more frequent medical incidents in Southern college football stadiums could be a warning sign for universities across the country.
Judge orders new Alabama Senate map after ruling found racial gerrymandering
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections.
Construction on Meta’s largest data center brings 600% crash spike, chaos to rural Louisiana
An investigation from the Gulf States Newsroom found that trucks contracted to work at the Meta facility are causing delays and dangerous roads in Holly Ridge.
Bessemer City Council approves rezoning for a massive data center, dividing a community
After the Bessemer City Council voted 5-2 to rezone nearly 700 acres of agricultural land for the “hyperscale” server farm, a dissenting council member said city officials who signed non-disclosure agreements weren’t being transparent with citizens.
Alabama Public Television meeting draws protesters in Birmingham over discussion of disaffiliating from PBS
Some members of the Alabama Educational Television Commission, which oversees APT, said disaffiliation is needed because the network has to cut costs after the Trump administration eliminated all funding for public media this summer.
Gov. Kay Ivey urges delay on PBS decision by public TV board
The Republican governor sent a letter to the Alabama Educational Television Commission ahead of a Nov. 18 meeting in which commissioners were expected to discuss disaffiliation.
A proposed Bessemer data center faces new hurdles: a ‘road to nowhere’ and the Birmingham darter
With the City Council in Bessemer scheduled to vote Tuesday on a “hyperscale” data center, challenges from an environmental group and the Alabama Department of Transportation present potential obstacles for the wildly unpopular project.
Birmingham Museum of Art’s silver exhibit tells a dazzling global story
Silver and Ceremony is made up of more than 150 suites of silver, sourced from India, and some of their designs.
Mentally ill people are stuck in jail because they can’t get treatment. Here’s what’s to know
Hundreds of people across Alabama await a spot in the state’s increasingly limited facilities, despite a consent decree requiring the state to address delays in providing care for people who are charged with crimes but deemed too mentally ill to stand trial. But seven years since the federal agreement, the problem has only worsened.
Ivey appoints Will Parker to Alabama Supreme Court
Parker fills the court seat vacated by Bill Lewis who was tapped by President Donald Trump for a federal judgeship. The U.S. Senate last month confirmed Lewis as a U.S. district judge.
