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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.
Michigan Wolverines to play for national title after stopping Alabama
Michigan advanced to its first College Football Playoff championship game with a 27-20 victory over fourth-seeded Alabama in the Rose Bow
A tantalizing Rose Bowl matchup pits Saban’s Alabama against Harbaugh’s Michigan in the CFP
Nick Saban has won six national championships at Alabama, establishing the most successful program of the 21st century. Jim Harbaugh has completely revitalized his alma mater, reaching three straight College Football Playoffs at Michigan with style and controversy.
The 2023 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.
A lawsuit challenging Alabama’s transgender care ban for minors will move forward, judge says
U.S. District Judge Liles Burke said no to a request from the U.S. Department of Justice to put the Alabama case on hold until appellate courts decide if they will hear related petitions on whether states can enact such bans.
This New Orleans restaurant made it through the pandemic. Can it survive water billing issues?
Plume Algiers is a mom-and-pop Indian restaurant that overcame every obstacle to open in New Orleans. Now, water billing issues could put them out of business.
Despite strong economic signs, food pantry lines are still growing in the Gulf South
The U.S. economy had a strong year, but more people found themselves in line at their local food pantry due to inflation and a weakened social safety net.
Judge weighs request to stop nation’s first execution by nitrogen, in Alabama
Attorneys for Kenneth Eugene Smith are asking a judge to block his Jan. 25 execution by nitrogen hypoxia. They argued that the method violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment and said the mask would interfere with his ability to pray with his spiritual adviser.
Pajamas, movies, relish: hear some of our favorite holiday traditions
We heard from patrons at Adventurer's Coffee Co. in Calera about their unique holiday traditions.
A books-to-prisons program creates connection behind bars
Katie Willis and Megan Lyle, founders of the local bookstore Burdock Book Collective, began their books-to-prisons program in 2020.
What did Alabama students think of the climate change quip in the presidential debate?
Two University of Alabama students, a conservative and a progressive, said they’re hoping for a more nuanced conversation on the environment.
Place, Erased: A virtual listening session with the Gulf States Newsroom; watch replay
Watch a replay of the Gulf States Newsroom's listening session for its recent series about towns transformed by major environmental shifts.
Alabama Power partners with a company accused of misleading customers
A flier promoting the program began hitting mailboxes in November. In this new arrangement, HomeServe wants to sell what it calls an emergency home repair program to Alabama Power customers.
Jackson State’s Sonic Boom of the South is ready to prove it’s ESPN’s ‘Band of the Year’
The Sonic Boom hopes the inaugural competition to crown the best bands in the nation will expose a wider audience to the rich culture of HBCU schools.
Alabama’s plan for execution by nitrogen gas is ‘hostile to religion,’ lawsuit says
The Rev. Jeff Hood, who plans to enter the death chamber to minister to Kenneth Eugene Smith, said the Alabama Department of Corrections asked him to sign a form acknowledging the risks and agreeing to stay 3 feet away from Smith's gas mask.
Lawsuit challenges Alabama inmate labor system as ‘modern day slavery’
The class action lawsuit also accuses the state of maintaining a discriminatory parole system with a low release rate that ensures a supply of laborers while also generating money for the state.
Meet the tiny fish that only call Jefferson County home
Though the creek water at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve is crystal clear, and thousands visit the preserve each year, it’s highly unlikely most will see three unique fish species that swim alongside them. They are the endangered watercress, rush and vermilion darters
Alabama and Georgia propose a deal to settle their water war over the Chattahoochee River
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said Tuesday they will ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve a plan that would guarantee minimum water flows at Columbus, Georgia and in southeast Alabama.
How making Jackson’s famed Farish Street more green could also help cool it off
On the heels of Mississippi’s record-breaking summer, the historic neighborhood hopes that adding more trees and green space can solve its heat island problem.
How a pianist is using classical music to bridge divides in Alabama
Classically trained concert pianist, Miki Sawada, is aware of the impression classical music has. She's trying to bring the music to a wider audience and bridge the country's divides.
The GOP debate field was asked about Trump. But most attacks focused on Nikki Haley
With just over a month before the 2024 primary calendar begins, the debate demonstrated how firm Trump's grip remains on the party.
Alabama’s prison population sees troubling growth in latest DOJ report
For the first time in nearly a decade, U.S. prison populations are trending up. Alabama's numbers are a part of troubling gains across the Gulf South.
A narrowing Republican presidential field will debate in Tuscaloosa Wednesday
Four candidates will be on stage at the University of Alabama for their last scheduled meeting before the Iowa caucuses kick off the presidential nominating season next month. Former President Donald Trump, the race’s clear front-runner, will not be among them.
Tuberville is ending blockade of most military nominees
Tuberville’s blockade of military promotions was over a dispute about a Pentagon abortion policy. The Alabama Republican said Tuesday he’s “not going to hold the promotions of these people any longer.”
Man featured in ‘S-Town’ podcast shot and killed by police during standoff, authorities say
Joseph Tyler Goodson was shot by officers after he barricaded himself inside a home and “brandished a gun" at officers early Sunday, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said. Bibb County Coroner Patrick Turner said that Goodson was pronounced “brain dead” Tuesday night at a hospital.
The next Republican debate is in Alabama, the state that gave the GOP a road map to Donald Trump
The state that propelled George Wallace, a Democrat and four-term governor, into national politics is now dominated by Republicans loyal to Donald Trump, another figure who leans heavily on grievance and white identity politics.
