News
Nissan workers in Mississippi consider another union campaign: VW ‘proved it can be done’
Pro-union workers at the Canton, Mississippi, plant say Volkswagen proved the UAW can win in the South, but other factors are in play — like the 2024 election.
Alabama to move forward with nitrogen gas execution in September after lawsuit settlement
Alabama and attorneys for Alan Miller, who was convicted of killing three men, reached a “confidential settlement agreement” to end litigation filed by Miller, according to a court document filed Monday.
Need help with breastfeeding? Here are some local resources for Alabama parents
August is National Breastfeeding Month, but the Gulf South has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the country. Advocates are trying to change that.
Voting advocates in Alabama’s District 2 are training, gearing up for 2024 election
Nearly 40 participants took part in a recent Community Action Training to better prepare for the majority-Black district’s first election since being redrawn.
Court filings provide additional details of the US’ first nitrogen gas execution
The documents filed last month in ongoing litigation provided additional details of the execution of Kenneth Smith, who was the first person put to death using nitrogen gas.
Understaffed, the Birmingham Police Department is trying to rebuild trust and its ranks
Police departments nationally, especially larger agencies, have seen a drop in recruits and an increase in resignations and retirements, since prior to the pandemic. Some indicators are pointing to a turnaround.
Black and other minority farmers are getting $2 billion from USDA after years of discrimination
More than 23,000 farmers were approved for payments ranging from $10,000 to $500,000, according to the USDA. Most payments went to farmers in Mississippi and Alabama.
Alabama, civic groups spar over law restricting assistance with absentee ballot applications
The diverging depictions of the new law were aired during a federal hearing on Alabama’s request to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the statute. U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor did not indicate when he would rule.
Q&A: Baldwin & Co. bookstore owner on James Baldwin’s impact, carrying on his legacy
DJ Johnson discusses Baldwin’s lasting legacy ahead of a 100th birthday celebration, and the importance of keeping Black businesses thriving in New Orleans.
What’s unique about this Gadsden restaurant? It’s more than the food
Beautiful Rainbow Café is unusual. Students with significant cognitive disabilities staff the café, and it’s one of few vegetarian-only restaurants in Alabama.
Former Alabama legislator sentenced to 13 months in federal prison for kickback scheme
John Rogers was charged as part of a kickback scheme that diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars from a fund intended to pay for community projects in Jefferson County.
In Louisiana, mutual aid networks help residents prepare for the peak of hurricane season
Groups like Micah 6:8 Mission are forming mutual aid networks to help fill in the gaps left by federal funding — pooling and volunteering resources.
Women’s health care in the Gulf South is ‘bleak,’ new report says. Here’s how Alabama ranks
Poor ratings in preterm birth rate, infant mortality led to Alabama ranking 45th in the U.S. in the Commonwealth Fund's new "scorecard" on women's health care.
Alabama prison chief responds to families’ criticism
The department said that a number of changes have been made since Corrections Commissioner John Q. Hamm was appointed in 2022. The department said hiring has increased, and there are ongoing efforts to curb the flow of contraband and improve communications with families.
‘Southern Rock Opera’ revisited: celebrating two decades of the Drive-By Truckers’ landmark album
When the Drive-By Truckers released their third studio album, Southern Rock Opera, in 2001, they might not have foreseen the impact it would have on the Muscle Shoals-bred group or the Southern rock style as a whole.
Families describe assaults and deaths behind bars during hearing on Alabama prison conditions
Family members of people incarcerated in Alabama prisons packed the public hearing held by the Joint Legislative Prison Committee, a panel of lawmakers focused on prison oversight. Some wearing T-shirts with photos of their loved ones, family members described assaults, rapes, extortions, deaths and rampant drug availability and overdoses behind bars.
In Mississippi, student filmmakers tell Emmett Till’s story through their lenses
The Mississippi Delta Film Academy's program helps local students reimagine Till's tragic story and deepen their understanding of their region.
Mixed reaction to anti-crime program which blocks some Birmingham streets
Streets in Birmingham’s East Lake neighborhood are now blocked by brightly painted concrete barriers and houseplants in a new effort by Mayor Randall Woodfin to reduce crime. They’ve been placed there by the mayor’s office as part of a new initiative in a neighborhood plagued by shootings, drug dealing, prostitution and more.
This free training aims to address the Gulf South’s shortage of sexual assault nurses
The week-long, free program gives medical professionals tools to provide trauma-informed care — and potentially help with prosecutions.
Gun violence prevention advocates question ammo machines in Alabama
Standing between a coin-to-cash machine and a refrigerator of energy drinks, a new vending machine at a Fresh Value grocery store in Pell City, Alabama, offers something more than a quick snack or drink — bullets.
Alabama birthing units are closing to save money
One of the last remaining birthing units in southern Alabama will close next month to qualify for federal funding that will save the hospital’s emergency services, but doctors warn the move may cost newborns and pregnant women essential access to obstetric care.
Biden drops out of 2024 race after disastrous debate inflamed age concerns. VP Harris gets his nod
The decision comes after escalating pressure from Biden’s Democratic allies to step aside following the June 27 debate, in which the 81-year-old president trailed off, often gave nonsensical answers and failed to call out the former president’s many falsehoods.
In Alabama’s bald eagle territory, residents say an unexpected mining operation emerged
Aside Lake Guntersville, bald eagles are royalty. But locals say a planned chert pit is already changing that status.
The UAW’s union dreams seemed unstoppable. Then came the realities of the South
After a historic victory in Tennessee, the United Auto Workers southern campaign is still recovering from a big rejection in Alabama. How will it recover?
Exhibit shows the ‘real people’ around the Civil Rights Movement
The Temple Beth El Civil Rights Experience is a guided tour that allows visitors to explore the lives of Jewish people during the Civil Rights Movement. The exhibit highlighted Jews who were passionate activists and Jews who didn’t do much for the cause.
Alabama executes man convicted of killing delivery driver during a 1998 robbery attempt
Keith Edmund Gavin was pronounced dead at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in southwest Alabama, authorities said. He was convicted of capital murder in the shooting death of courier service driver William Clayton Jr. in Cherokee County.
Thousands of Dollar General stores now sell fresh produce. Could it improve rural food access?
The discount store chain has added fresh fruits and vegetables at more than 5,400 stores. Grocery store advocates say the move could hurt mom-and-pop grocers.
2 shootings in Birmingham kill 7 people, including young child, Alabama police say
Four people died in a shooting at a Birmingham nightclub late Saturday, while an earlier shooting outside a home in the city killed three people, including a young child, authorities in Alabama said.
Shooting at Trump rally is being investigated as assassination attempt, AP sources say
Donald Trump appeared to be the target of an assassination attempt as he spoke during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, law enforcement officials said. The former president, his ear covered in blood from what he said was a gunshot, was quickly pulled away by Secret Service agents and his campaign said he was “fine.”
Q&A: Prison reform advocate Terrance Winn on gun violence in Shreveport, Louisiana
Winn sat down with the Gulf States Newsroom's Kat Stromquist to discuss what causes Shreveport to struggle with shootings, and what could help.
Should heat waves get names like hurricanes? Some believe it could help save lives
As heat waves and heat domes become more intense, the idea of naming extreme heat as we do with other major disasters is gaining traction with some experts.
Gun violence and incarceration issues go ‘hand in hand’ in this Louisiana city, residents say
Some residents say Shreveport’s history of mass incarceration has changed their community — and their families.
