Gulf States Newsroom
Volunteers are driving in to offer hot meals, necessities to Mississippi tornado survivors
The gym of a Rolling Fork school has become a makeshift hub to get much-needed emergency aid, meals and hope for thousands affected by the tornadoes.
As midwifery evolves, this Mississippi museum is preserving the history of granny midwives
Granny midwives were some of the first to universalize the practice of midwifery in the South. A permanent installation hopes to share their history.
In Rolling Fork, a congregation comes together to save a century-old church
After a deadly EF-4 tornado, a Mississippi town finds hope in the hands of volunteers.
‘We’re going to help them’: How Mississippians are banding together after a devastating tornado
Officials, aid organizations and volunteers sprung into action on Saturday to help Mississippi begin rebuilding in the aftermath of a powerful tornado.
With the NCAA Tournament in town, Birmingham is ready for thrilling games, an economic boost
Birmingham is hosting NCAA Tournament games this weekend for the first time since 2008. It's the latest addition to the city's growing profile as a sports hub.
Spurred by slow deportation wait times, Louisiana ICE detainees attempted a hunger strike
A man held at the ICE facility in Jena said detainees are being held in some cases up to three months after receiving their final deportation notices.
In rural Mississippi, E.R. staff are being trained to care for moms and deliver babies
Across the Gulf South, hospitals are cutting labor and delivery services. A program at UMMC hopes to equip health care professionals to fill in the rising gaps.
Public transit in the Gulf South is in need of an overhaul. The solution could lie in the past
The Gulf South is not known for its great public transit systems. Some believe Bus Rapid Transit could solve lingering issues and lead to a better future.
Legal complaint claims Alabama discriminates when distributing sewage infrastructure funds
Alabama only allows state funds for sewage infrastructure to go to public bodies. A civil rights complaint argues the policy hurts communities of color.
Mississippi updated its solar energy guidelines. Renewable energy advocates want more
Mississippi added incentives for low-to-moderate income residents to encourage more investment in renewable energy. Activists are pushing for more access.
These billboards want you to know how to get abortion pills — even if your state banned abortions
The nonprofit Mayday.Health organized the campaign to travel across 14 states with abortion bans.
As Alabama coal miners strike nears end, a look at why it started, and how it failed
After 700 days, the United Mine Workers of America Union asked Warrior Met Coal to allow the strikers to come back to work unconditionally.
A small team works to aid immigrants in Louisiana: ‘Do the best you can with the time you have’
Three women detail the grueling, personal work behind regular visits to Louisiana’s detention centers to help immigrants make it through the asylum process.
Alabama advocates urge treatment over punishment for pregnant women jailed for substance use
Alabama’s chemical endangerment laws are strict, especially for pregnant women. One program offers alternatives to jail for treating prenatal substance use.
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Alabama has 5th highest U.S. gun death rate. A study blames weak laws, high ownership
The Violence Policy Center, a non-profit educational organization, used the most recent CDC data on gun death rates in the U.S. for its analysis.
‘Injustice, Inc.’ uncovers how some in the legal system use poor families to get rich
Daniel L. Hatcher discusses his book, which looks at how state agencies exploit impoverished families to make money through the U.S. juvenile justice system.
While rebuilding homes, Amish volunteers bond with South Louisiana over faith and food
Amish groups have stepped in to help Louisiana storm victims rebuild when other forms of aid have ended. It’s also led to cultural exchanges and connections.
The real winner of Super Bowl 57? The Gulf South and its wide range of football talent
The big game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles will feature nearly 30 players from Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi combined.
In New Orleans, doctors and churches are teaming up to help Black parishioners get needed care
The effort, part of a five-year study, aims to meet Black patients in a space they feel comfortable to treat hypertension and reduce heart disease risks.
‘Unreformed’ podcast tells the largely untold story of an abusive Alabama reform school
A conversation with journalist and podcast host Josie Duffy Rice details the troubled history of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children, or Mt. Meigs.
In post-Roe Mississippi, pregnancy resource centers are becoming the last hope for maternal care
PRCs, like Life Choices in Columbus, can help expecting mothers in several ways, but experts say they're not a substitute for actual health care.
‘Nobody is getting to you’: How workforce challenges leave Gulf South EMS agencies strapped
Emergency services in Louisiana are spending more time waiting to offload patients at hospitals and that means fewer are responding to calls at any given time.
A Mississippi community is ‘grateful’ for more air testing, but skeptical of what comes next
A $500,000 EPA grant will make more air testing in Pascagoula’s Cherokee Forest community possible. Residents worry their voices will — again — not be heard.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Gulf South is dealing with a ‘tripledemic’ of Covid, flu and RSV as the holidays near
Health officials say now is not the time to let your guard down on protecting yourself, and others, as the three contagious viruses spread across the region.
Conflict between Mississippi’s largest hospital, insurer a breaking point for some residents
The ongoing contract dispute between UMMC and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi has no end in sight, forcing some to consider leaving the state for good.