Gulf States Newsroom
‘Driven by something greater’: Meet Birmingham’s trainer to the stars of today and the future
Otis Leverette, better known as ‘Coach O,’ is a strength and conditioning coach in the South that’s impacting athletes' lives beyond sports.
Q&A: The little-known history of how enslaved people were jailed in antebellum New Orleans
Author John Bardes discusses how Louisiana’s complicated history with mass incarceration began with imprisonment being used as a tool against enslaved people.
Alabama leads US in ‘pregnancy criminalization’ cases following Dobbs decision: report
The report’s findings help shed light on the use of criminal laws informed by the idea of fetal personhood, a legal premise gaining traction in the South.
One-day strikes are in: Why unions are keeping it short on the picket line
Strikes can be a double-edged sword. Keeping them short can help workers gain leverage while minimizing the pain for those who don’t have it.
Medicaid coverage is expanding into prisons in 2025, starting with children
New federal policies extend Medicaid to incarcerated youth and open the door for adult inmates to get coverage before they’re released.
Alabama Black Belt’s sewer crisis a tougher fix for residents in manufactured homes
Poor sanitation has long plagued residents in Alabama’s Black Belt. For people with manufactured houses, finding a solution has been more challenging.
In Birmingham, Black men’s groups work to save young men from the cycle of gun violence
As the city inches closer to its homicide record, community members are trying to address a sense of fatalism and lack of opportunity felt by some young men.
Here are 3 questions to ask before panic buying during a supply chain breakdown
The dock worker strike in October led to some shoppers panic buying the wrong items. Here are tips for how to prep the right way, according to experts.
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.
‘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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
‘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.
Alabama, Mississippi receive millions to improve rural health care; here’s how they’ll spend it
The federal funding from the Biden-Harris administration will help each state improve maternal health care and opioid addiction treatment in rural communities.
Q&A: Gulf States Newsroom reporters discuss covering Birmingham mass shooting
Reporters Drew Hawkins and Stephan Bisaha discuss their perspectives of covering the mass shooting in Birmingham’s Five Points Neighborhood.
Q&A: Is an innocent man on Alabama death row? Here’s the latest on Toforest Johnson’s case
Reporter Beth Shelburne talks with the Gulf States Newsroom about how Johnson's case has progressed a year after the release of her podcast, "Earwitness."
How Alabama food banks are keeping rural communities fed
As the November election approaches, food insecurity is one issue that’s top of mind for residents in Alabama’s newly redrawn District 2.
Bill Greason, the oldest-living Negro Leaguer, takes another trip around the bases at 100
Greason, a former pitcher for the Birmingham Black Barons, was honored for his contributions to baseball, his community and his country at a recent celebration.
‘A dream come true’: Alabama ‘grandfamilies’ are set to receive opioid settlement funds
The new state program— the first of its kind in the U.S. — will give $280,000 from opioid settlement funding to grandparents raising their grandchildren.
An art exhibit reckons with Alabama’s death penalty toll
The traveling exhibit includes artwork, letters and audio from people incarcerated on Alabama’s death row.
High school football is back. How are Gulf South schools keeping players safe from the heat?
Student-athletes may not be too concerned about playing in extreme heat, but parents, coaches and trainers are taking plenty of precautions to keep them safe.
These 3 farms are an example of Mississippi’s growing network of sustainable agriculture
A group of Mississippi farmers is taking advantage of more federal support for climate-smart agriculture, with plans to grow membership and train others.
A plan to fix Jackson’s water system could cost all of Mississippi its food stamps
The DOJ and USDA said using a SNAP recipient’s information to distribute JXN Water’s roughly $30 discount to low-income customers would violate privacy.
Q&A: A New Orleans Dollar General employee discusses $12M settlement, store closures, more
Dollar General stocker and advocate David Williams hopes the complaint and settlement will lead to positive changes for employees.
Meet the people working to protect Southern protesters’ civil rights
Legal observers are trained to painstakingly document everything that happens at a protest. They've become more crucial as demonstrations have ramped up.
A new EPA grant is sending millions to the Alabama Black Belt to solve sanitation issues
The team that received the $14 million grant is also partnering with others to help fully address the Black Belt's sanitation issues.
Nissan workers in Mississippi consider another union campaign: VW ‘proved it can be done’
Pro-union workers at the Canton, Mississippi, plant say Volkswagen proved the UAW can win in the South, but other factors are in play — like the 2024 election.
Need help with breastfeeding? Here are some local resources for Alabama parents
August is National Breastfeeding Month, but the Gulf South has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the country. Advocates are trying to change that.
