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Challenges to forced prison labor gain steam, have resonance in the Gulf South
A lawsuit objecting to conditions on the Louisiana State Penitentiary's "farm line" is among at least three legal challenges percolating in the Gulf South.
Figures wins Alabama’s redrawn 2nd Congressional District
Figures, a Democrat, defeated Republican Caroleene Dobson to win the open seat, flipping the district that had been a GOP stronghold until it was redrawn last year.
Live: 2024 Election Updates And Results
November 5th was the final voting day of the 2024 election. The presidency as well as several key Senate, House and gubernatorial races were on the line. Follow NPR’s coverage and results.
Figures and Dobson are in a heated battle for a redrawn Alabama House district
Democrat Shomari Figures, a former top aide to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, faces Republican Caroleene Dobson, an attorney and political newcomer, in the race for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District.
Birmingham’s newest voters: how the latest generation is approaching politics
While Alabama is not a swing state, these students represent an up and coming generation whose voices have not yet been heard in the political world. And this demographic of voters has already proven that they can make an impact.
‘Where’s Jeff?’: Unhoused and struggling with opioid addiction in Birmingham
As Alabama decides how to spend its opioid settlement funds, a good Samaritan spends her free time helping “her people” who struggle with addiction.
What is Amendment One?
This year, there’s just one statewide constitutional amendment on the ballot for Alabama voters. But it affects only two counties.
16th Street Baptist Church wins national historic stewardship award
The 16th Street Baptist Church received national recognition on Monday for its historic site stewardship from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This comes after years of church staff and community members working hard to restore and preserve the structure as it looked in 1963.
Alabama’s 2nd nitrogen gas execution raises questions about method’s future use
As Alabama sets the course for the controversial execution method's future, activists and legal scholars say eyewitness accounts could halt widespread adoption.
Alabama mine expansion could test Biden policy
The project’s fate has become a litmus test for the Biden administration, which has moved to phase out mining of federal coal in the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming.
The anatomy of a rumor about migrants in Sylacauga
This fall, Sylacauga, Alabama, found itself in an uproar. The city gained national attention for what was characterized by some as an invasion of Haitian migrants. But the reality was much more benign, with only a few dozen migrants actually in the city. The Atlantic staff writer, Elaina Plott Calabro, reported on the incident.
In coastal Louisiana, a sacred mound is returned to the Native American tribe who built it
The Atakapa-Ishak/Chawasha tribe views the land’s rematriation as a joyous occasion — even though it’s disappearing due to coastal land loss.
Birmingham police chief announces plans to retire
Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond announced at a press conference that he will step down at the end of November, two years into his tenure as the historic city's top cop.
Alabama lawmakers question parole board chair on low releases, lack of responsiveness
Leigh Gwathney, the chairwoman of the three-person Board of Pardons and Paroles, appeared before the Legislative Prison Committee in a sometimes tense meeting to take lawmakers’ questions about the parole process. The meeting was marked by a series of terse exchanges as lawmakers accused Gwathney of not answering their questions.
What’s your favorite thing about fall?
With cooler mornings and shorter days, if feels like fall is finally here. So what’s your favorite thing about fall? We put that question to people at our recent News and Brews community pop-up in Cullman.
From scrap to sculpture: Joe Minter’s art reflects Birmingham’s pain and joy
Artists often use their surroundings to influence their work. In the case of Birmingham artist Joe Minter, his sculptures can’t be separated from his life in the city – literally. A site-specific exhibit in Titusville recently honored Minter’s legacy. “Joe Minter is Here” highlighted Minter’s life and artwork.
Efforts to restore voting rights for people with felony convictions lag in the Gulf South
A new report shows that more people with past felony convictions can vote in this election cycle than previous ones, but millions remain disenfranchised.
‘Five Points South is so much more than that’: residents reflect one month after mass shooting
How is the neighborhood holding up in the weeks since a mass shooting left four people dead and 17 wounded.
1 reason people don’t evacuate for hurricanes? Rising costs, and they’re getting pricier
One researcher estimates evacuations can cost residents more than five times the amount they did 20 years ago.
Alabama executes man who killed 5 and asked to be put to death
Derrick Dearman was pronounced dead at Thursday at Holman prison in southern Alabama. He pleaded guilty to the killings that prosecutors said began when he broke into the home where his estranged girlfriend had taken refuge.
WBHM welcomes ‘The Lost Child’ to Saturday evening lineup
The Lost Child introduces listeners to an array of roots music from blues to bluegrass and beyond. For more on the show, WBHM’s Richard Banks sat down with the show’s host Burgin Mathews.
Suspect arrested in Five Points South mass shooting
Damien Laron McDaniel III is charged with capital murder in the case. The 22-year-old is also charged with the murder of two other people.
A federal judge halts an Alabama program that purged thousands of legal voters
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco ruled in favor of the Department of Justice and civil rights groups and issued a preliminary injunction against a voter purging program launched by the Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen in August.
Woodfin tasks new commission with reducing homicides
Leaders in law enforcement, the business sector, religious groups and others will draw inspiration from violence reduction methods proven by cities from around the country.
Lilly Ledbetter, an icon of the fight for equal pay, has died at 86
Ledbetter had worked a Goodyear Tire & Rubber plant in Gadsden, Alabama, for 19 years when she received an anonymous note saying she was being paid significantly less than three male colleagues.
Meet Kashus Culpepper, the Alexander City-bred musician on the rise
With a freshly inked major label deal and a handful of official releases under his belt, the rising country crooner has quickly secured his place among the who’s who of the genre. However, stardom was never the goal for the Navy veteran-turned-musical sensation.
Alabama’s construction industry is in dire need of workers. Here’s how companies are responding
Nationally and in Alabama, a construction-workforce shortage has stretched for decades. Now, as increased demand after the pandemic shows no signs of slowing and as billions of dollars in federal funding for infrastructure and manufacturing projects flows to states, the problem is growing.
For small cities across Alabama with Haitian populations, Springfield is a cautionary tale
Amid mounting tension, a bipartisan group of local religious leaders, law enforcement officials and residents across Alabama sees the fallout in Springfield as a cautionary tale. They've been taking steps to help integrate the state's Haitian population in the small cities where they live.
Alabama voting FAQ: How to register, cast your ballot for Nov. 5 election
Election Day is Tuesday, November 5. Here’s how to register to vote, submit an absentee ballot, find your polling location and more.
‘Mississippi Five’ parole issues highlight the toll of ‘graying’ in Gulf South prisons
A campaign to free five women, known as the "Mississippi Five," shows how prison populations throughout the region are aging.
Judge refuses to dismiss Alabama lawsuit over solar panel fees
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson ruled Monday that a group of homeowners and the Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution can pursue a lawsuit challenging the fees as a violation of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, a 1978 law that promotes renewable energy production.
‘A terrible experience’: LGBTQ+ students face challenges amid Alabama’s Title IX, sports ban debate
Transgender students’ rights have come under increased scrutiny with a new school year underway as Alabama continues to push back against new Title IX rules.
