News
U.S. reconsiders Tanzania ties after deadly post-election crackdown
The U.S. is "comprehensively reviewing" its relationship with Tanzania after hundreds were killed in a violent post-election crackdown.
How old is your music taste? Spotify will tell you, though you may not like it
Spotify Wrapped is bluntly telling users their "listening age," which in many cases is several decades older or younger than their actual age. It's a calculated strategy.
Pentagon watchdog finds Hegseth broke policies by using Signal to discuss airstrikes
Inspector General Steven Stebbins says Hegseth's use of the commercially available messaging app to discuss strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen could have jeopardized the safety of U.S. servicemembers.
Putin says there are points he can’t agree to in the U.S. proposal to end Ukraine war
Russian President Vladimir Putin made the remarks to an Indian broadcaster before landing in India for a state visit, but refused to elaborate on what Russia could accept or reject.
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.
Europe’s left is taking notes on Mamdani’s successful campaign for New York mayor
The New York mayor-elect's victory has energized the European left, with politicians casting themselves as their country's version of Mamdani, and strategists eager to study how he won.
Vern Yip’s secret to better home decor? Stop scrolling for inspiration
In the digital age, it's easy to curate the look of your home with the help of artificial intelligence and social media. But designer Vern Yip would like you to take a more hands-on, tactile approach.
FBI arrests suspect in investigation into pipe bombs planted near DNC, RNC before Jan. 6 attack
The FBI has spent years searching for the person who put bombs near the Democratic and Republican committee headquarters, hours before the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Ilhan Omar says Trump attacks on Somali immigrants ‘deflect attention’ from scrutiny
NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who came to the U.S. from Somalia, about President Trump's tirade against Somali immigrants.
This High Arctic rhino may change what we know about ancient animal migrations
A 23-million-year-old rhinoceros fossil is reshaping scientists' understanding of mammal evolution.
‘New York Times’ sues Pentagon over media restrictions
The Times accuses Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth of violating its constitutional rights with a press policy that, the paper says, deprives the public of access to critical national security information.
‘There’s no 911 for us’: Inside America’s elite urban search and rescue teams
America's urban search and rescue teams are facing financial and political pressure. However, their work has never been more in demand, as weather disasters become increasingly common.
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.
Hepatitis B: What parents should know about the virus and the vaccine
For decades, newborns in the U.S. have been given the hepatitis B vaccine. This could change. A CDC vaccine advisory panel may vote to end that routine vaccination. Here's what parents should know.
U.S. health care is broken. Here are 3 ways it’s getting worse
One year after UnitedHealthcare's CEO was shot and killed, the crisis in U.S. health care is intensifying — even for the companies and investors who make money from it.
In an era of rising prices, computers have gotten cheaper. (And why that may end)
One thing has bucked the trend of rising prices: computing. Technological advances have underpinned a consistent drop in the cost of computers. But experts say that this may be reaching a limit.
Congo and Rwanda to sign symbolic peace deal in Washington as fighting rages
A long-awaited U.S.-brokered peace deal between DR Congo and Rwanda will be signed in Washington on Thursday — but the reality on the ground tells a different story.
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.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor to join our award-winning team covering important regional stories across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
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.
