News
Will the Moody Landfill Fire Ever Be Extinguished? The EPA Isn’t So Sure.
One resident, a former firefighter, said the fire should be completely extinguished. An EPA official said that may not be possible.
The Gulf South’s rejection of the Summer EBT program puts further strain on child hunger issues
Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama have opted out of the USDA’s Summer EBT program, but advocates say the need is far greater than one program.
What the Lost Cause narrative masks about Alabama history
Many Alabama officials have for generations pushed the false narrative that residents of the state were nearly unanimous in their support for succession prior to the Civil War. Howell Raines, former executive editor of the New York Times and an Alabama native, says otherwise.
Environmentalists rattled by radioactive risks of toxic coal ash
The EPA now recognizes the risks of gamma radiation from radium in coal ash, but many states aren’t even sure where the toxic waste has been used. In Alabama, environmental regulators say they do not track so-called ‘beneficial’ uses of coal ash.
What’s special about historically Black colleges and universities
What do Oprah Winfrey, Roy Wood Jr. and Stacey Abrams have in common? They all received diplomas from historically Black colleges or universities. They’re also 3 contributing writers for NPR Weekend Edition Sunday host Ayesha Rascoe’s new essay collection.
Will other states replicate Alabama’s nitrogen execution?
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said Friday that the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith, a 58-year-old convicted of a 1988 murder-for-hire, went off as planned and his office is ready to help other states if they want to begin nitrogen executions.
Opioid overdoses are on the rise. A Louisiana medical student believes Narcan training can help
Losing his brother to an overdose inspired Jacob Bassin to arm his fellow medical students with free doses of Narcan and train them on how to use it.
Alabama executes a man with nitrogen gas, the first time the new method has been used
Officials said Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58, was pronounced dead at 8:25 p.m. at an Alabama prison after breathing pure nitrogen gas through a face mask to cause oxygen deprivation.
New Alabama law aims to improve police interactions with people with disabilities
Some advocates said the law’s requirement of an hour-long training on working with people with “invisible” disabilities and sensory needs is a good start.
Ahead of Kenneth Smith’s execution, people impacted by Alabama’s death penalty speak out
Death penalty opponents gathered in Birmingham Wednesday to condemn Smith’s execution and hear personal stories about the impact of death row.
Federal court says Alabama can carry out first nitrogen gas execution
A divided panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Kenneth Eugene Smith’s request for an injunction to stop his execution by nitrogen hypoxia Thursday night. Smith’s lawyers, who have argued the state is trying to make him the test subject for an experimental execution method, are expected to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Alabama calls nitrogen execution method painless and humane, but critics are raising doubts
The Alabama attorney general's office told federal appeals court judges last week that nitrogen hypoxia is "the most painless and humane method of execution known to man." But what exactly Kenneth Eugene Smith will feel after the warden switches on the gas is unknown, some doctors and critics say.
Why Birmingham is overlooked when it comes to jazz
Jazz is associated with cities such as New Orleans, Chicago and New York. But Birmingham has had profound influence on the genre too. That’s the argument from a recent book.
Jackson estimated his water bill and overcharged him by thousands. He fought back and won
When James Henley suspected his water bill was inaccurate, he put his spreadsheet skills to use and got back $3,208. Now, he’s helping others do the same.
Alabama plans to carry out first nitrogen gas execution. How will it work and what are the risks?
Kenneth Eugene Smith, who survived the state’s previous attempt to put him to death by lethal injection in 2022, is scheduled to be put to death Thursday by nitrogen hypoxia. If carried out, it would the first new method of execution since lethal injection was introduced in 1982.
New opera delves into less familiar part of Helen Keller’s story
The opera TOUCH, commissioned by Opera Birmingham, depicts Keller's later life as an activist and feminist and conflict with her interpreter Anne Sullivan.
Hale Freezes Over
In Hale County, Alabama, many residents have gone without running water for days. Many more are still boiling water.
Spiritual adviser at first nitrogen gas execution asks Alabama for safeguards to protect witnesses
The Rev. Jeff Hood, who will stand near Kenneth Smith during his execution, sent a letter Monday to the Alabama prison system requesting safeguards in case of a nitrogen leak in the execution chamber.
How an Alabama utility wields influence by financing news
A Floodlight investigation found Alabama Power runs a news service and its foundation bought a Black newspaper. Neither publishes critical stories about the utility.
DeBoer embraces chance to replace Saban at Alabama
The former Washington coach, hired two days after Saban's retirement, said he's giving the 72-year-old ex-coach “100 percent access” to his program
Kalen DeBoer hired to replace Nick Saban at Alabama
The powerhouse program tapped DeBoer on Friday to replace Saban, just two days after the 72-year-old coach announced his retirement.
MLK Day is Monday. In Alabama and Mississippi, it’s also Robert E. Lee Day.
Here’s a quick history lesson on why the unlikely joint celebration of a civil rights icon and a Confederate general is still happening.
Deadline approaches for USDA loan discrimination funds for underserved farmers
Gulf South farmers are racing to meet the deadline for DFAP. Some say the aid is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done.
Alabama can enforce a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, appeals court rules
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had previously ruled that the injunction should be vacated, but the decision had been effectively on hold for more than 18 months while families with transgender children asked the full appellate court to reconsider the decision.
Prisoners’ bodies returned to families without heart, other organs, lawsuit alleges
The family of Brandon Clay Dotson, who died in a state prison in November, filed a federal lawsuit last month against the Alabama Department of Corrections and others saying his body was decomposing and his heart was missing when his remains were returned to his family.
Nick Saban’s retirement is a blow to Alabama football’s fans — and a boon to its haters
Sports fans in Birmingham were more than happy to weigh in on the Alabama football icon’s storied career.
Alabama’s Nick Saban retiring after 7 national titles, most in major college football history
Nick Saban’s coaching reign has come to an end. His dominance over college football, however, will forever linger in the lore of the sport.
Federal judge says Alabama can carry out nation’s 1st execution using nitrogen gas
U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker rejected Alabama inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith’s request for an injunction to stop his scheduled Jan. 25 execution by nitrogen hypoxia.
Mercedes-Benz autoworkers in Alabama want to join the UAW. Here’s what the past could teach them
Amid a new push in a region that’s historically unwelcoming to unionization, author Stephen Silvia details what the UAW could learn from its past efforts.
New Orleans residents are uneasy about the NOPD’s planned drone program, documents show
The Gulf States Newsroom obtained more than 350 pages of public comments concerning the NOPD’s planned drone program. Here’s what they said.
Alabama judge puts a temporary hold on medical marijuana companies
A Montgomery circuit judge issued a temporary restraining order late Wednesday to stop the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission from issuing licenses for “integrated” facilities that grow, transport and sell medical marijuana. The coveted licenses will be on hold while he hears a challenge to the selection process.
Inflation is slowing, unless you’re ‘makin’ groceries’ for New Orleans gumbo. Here’s why
With a variety of ingredients from across the region, making a pot of gumbo can illustrate a lot of the ways inflation impacts the average grocery shopper.
