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Ann Patchett finds bits of Catholicism and America appalling: ‘But I am those things’
Ann Patchett is owning her shortcomings. On Wild Card this week, she opens up about religion and the place that shaped her as much as any person did.
How one Ukrainian chef is fighting for culinary independence
In a cookbook forged during the war with Russia, a Ukrainian celebrity chef uses cuisine to "continue the story of Ukraine."
The story of White House ‘trophy terms’ offers a cautionary tale
The lessons of history about second-term presidents and second-term Republicans in particular are not just the stuff of textbooks. They can offer guidance and perhaps even temper expectations.
This 72-year-old retreat ‘feels like another home’ for Ukrainian Americans
The Soyuzivka Ukrainian Heritage Center, a resort that sits about two and a half hours northwest of New York City, in Kerhonkson, N.Y., provides a place that "feels like another home" for thousands of Ukrainian Americans every year.
Slower winds aid firefighters battling destructive blaze in Southern California
Firefighters gained ground Saturday on a wildfire that has ravaged more than 100 structures as gusty winds subsided with favorable weather conditions expected through the weekend.
The 2025 Grammy nominations are out. Here are the big takeaways
Stephen Thompson on the biggest surprises, trends and questions to be found in the Grammy nominations, plus the most interesting stories to be found beyond the major categories.
FEMA worker fired for telling hurricane responders to avoid homes with pro-Trump signs
FEMA's administrator said the employee told a team responding to hurricane survivors to skip homes with yard signs showing support for Donald Trump.
These charts show how Trump’s strategy to lose by less won back several swing states
President-elect Donald Trump won the election by flipping Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin after President Biden won them in 2020. Looking at how Democratic counties voted explains how he did it.
Racist text messages referencing slavery raise alarms in Alabama and prompt investigations
The messages, sent anonymously, were reported in several states, including Alabama. They generally used a similar tone but varied in wording.
It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time in McCalla: Smuckers opens biggest Uncrustables factory in the country
The facility represents a more than $1 billion capital investment from Smuckers and is predicted to bring in 750 jobs to the community.
Amazon workers in Alabama will have third labor union vote after judge finds illegal influence
Administrative law judge Michael Silverstein on Tuesday ordered the third vote for Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama after determining that Amazon committed six violations leading up to the second election in March 2022.
Federal regulators waited 7 months to investigate a deadly home explosion above a gassy coal mine
Coalfield residents across the country feel ignored as their homes sink and flammable gas rises from underground mining. In Alabama, U.S. regulators dragged their feet until a former top official called them out for failure to protect the public.
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.
