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Alabama woman who joined IS hopes to return from Syria camp
Hoda Muthana was born in New Jersey to Yemeni immigrants and was raised in a conservative Muslim household in Hoover, Alabama, just outside Birmingham. In 2014, she flew to Turkey and crossed into Syria.
An old school in Birmingham’s Bush Hills is now an urban farm. Residents are thinking bigger
The Bush Hills Community Garden and Urban Farm grows truckloads of produce each year that’s given to area residents free of charge. In addition, the old elementary school on the property will soon be home to a teaching kitchen and community center.
In the fight for environmental justice, Birmingham tells Jackson to stay loud
Gulf States communities have been living in contaminated environments for years. Jackson and Birmingham residents share strategies that can help.
St. Clair County declares emergency in response to landfill fire
The declaration means the county can ask the state for funding and resources. But residents are left with unanswered questions about the fire's affect on the local air and water quality.
Officials see hurdles to putting out landfill fire near Moody as neighbors suffer
Residents near landfill fire say the smoke is affecting their health, but officials are still trying to figure out how to put out the blaze — and who will pay for it.
The Downtown YMCA is closing. Will other Birmingham recreation centers be able to fill the gap?
The closure will leave only one full-service YMCA that’s technically in Birmingham city limits — the Mountain Brook branch.
The 2022 moments that will stick with us: Reflections from the Gulf States Newsroom
Our regional reporters reflect on delightful, discarded moments they had in the field as they covered stories across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Landfill fire near Birmingham burns for more than a month
Smoke from the underground blaze has caused the air quality in the area to reach hazardous levels.
Advocacy group helps Mexican families in Alabama reunite after decades apart
Some Mexican immigrants living in the U.S. hadn't seen their parents for decades. An advocacy group in Alabama is working with Mexican officials to reunite dozens of families in time for the holidays.
Organización ayuda a familias mexicanas reunirse después de décadas separadas
Algunos inmigrantes mexicanos que viven en los Estados Unidos no han visto a sus padres por décadas. Una ONG en Alabama trabaja con las autoridades mexicanas para reunir a decenas de estas familias.
Investigation accuses Alabama Power of funneling money to local news sites for favorable coverage
A trove of leaked documents allegedly shows Alabama Power indirectly and covertly paid news outlets for favorable coverage. A story from NPR and the nonprofit news collaborative Floodlight says the practice continued for almost a decade and hid transactions by utilizing nonprofits and shell companies.
Why 2022 was a rough year for Gulf South food pantries, and those who need them
The federal aid that Gulf South food pantries have relied on during the pandemic ended this year, but the demand for food assistance still remained high.
Students and faculty nervous about Birmingham-Southern’s financial stress, possible closing
Students, alumni and faculty of Birmingham-Southern College are nervous after school officials revealed the campus could close as early as next year. The private college is now asking for $37 million in public money, most of it from the state, to keep the doors open.
The story of Alabama’s favorite homegrown Christmas tree
The Leyland cypress is a holiday staple for Alabama farmers. But the non-native tree has a surprising history.
She was an ABC News producer. She also was a corporate operative
An ABC News freelance producer confronted critics of a consulting firm's powerful clients. Her actions confirm people's worst suspicions about the news media, says a former network news president.
Santa brings in freezing temperatures for the holidays
After a cold blast of air Thursday night, temperatures will plummet to the teens. Birmingham National Weather Service meteorologist John De Block says it's been a while since it’s been this cold.
Wealthy Governor’s Company to Pay Nearly $1 Million for Chronic Air Pollution Violations
In the generations before Bluestone acquired the plant in 2019, people living in the area faced exposure to levels of contaminants in the air and soil that have ranked among the worst in the nation.
Denial, detention and deportation threats: The uphill battle for Cameroonian asylum seekers in Louisiana and Mississippi
A Gulf States Newsroom investigation digs into the Deep South’s thorny regional immigration system and the obstacles and steep odds at every turn.
In the Southeast, power company money flows to news sites that attack their critics
A consulting firm hired by Alabama and Florida power companies paid six news outlets to publish stories in their favor.
Private Alabama college seeks bailout, warning it may close
State legislators warn that Birmngham-Southern College may close within months without money from the state and county.
Alabama Supreme Court denies new trial for man on death row
Lawyers had argued he was due a new trial because the state failed to disclose a key prosecution witness was paid a reward several years after testifying.
Traveling exhibit goes ‘deeper’ into Emmett Till’s story, civil rights history of host cities
The interactive exhibit “Emmett and Mamie Till Mobley: Let the World See” is in the middle of the first of two stops in the Gulf South region.
Underground landfill fire still contained; smoke could be worse for a few days
While rain would typically aid in fighting an above-ground fire, it likely can’t reach fire that is smoldering under the surface.
Shelby ending career as Alabama’s longest-serving senator
Money for universities, the Interstate 22 highway connecting Memphis and Birmingham and the development of the FBI's second campus in Huntsville are a few of the projects that will be associated with Shelby's legacy.
Alabama has a trash fee exemption. Why didn’t the elderly people of Valley know about it?
In Alabama, elderly residents have been arrested, handcuffed, and taken to jail for unpaid trash bills. However, a little-known state law could allow free trash pickup for some residents.
After years in a museum exhibit, Alabama is giving Native Americans their cultural items back
Alabama’s state archive has over 100 sets of ancestral remains and thousands of objects from Native American graves. Now, the institution is giving them back.
Gov. Kay Ivey wants to give the state more time to carry out executions
Under Ivey’s proposal, the state corrections commissioner could immediately designate a new execution date if a delay prevents the state from carrying out an execution on the original date listed on the death warrant.
Smart homes made affordable for Birmingham residents
According to Alabama Power, smart homes are 35% more efficient than standard Alabama homes being built today.
Recorded state government meetings available through new League of Women Voters channel
The Alabama Channel will capture and save live video recordings of legislative meetings and make them available to the public online and on demand.
Lament and Hope Memorial Ride honors those lost to gun violence in Birmingham
This weekend, over 100 cars with flags honoring people who have died in homicides this year will ride through downtown Birmingham.
Late Alabama artist Thornton Dial honored with first full-scale retrospective in his home state
Thornton Dial's art has been recognized nationally, but this is the first exhibit spanning his full career to be shown in his home state.
Old Carraway complex to be demolished all at once under new deal with city
The former hospital site will be turned into a mixed-use development, Star at Uptown, which is to include residential, retail and dining spaces, as well as an amphitheater.
