Gulf States Newsroom
A rodent infestation shut down Family Dollar stores. How one Alabama town is coping
A Family Dollar in York, Alabama is one of the few shopping options in town. But it's shuttered due to a warehouse rodent infestation.
Is New Orleans ready for Mardi Gras? A Q&A with health director Jennifer Avegno
New Orleans is in full celebration mode with Mardi Gras just days away, but where does COVID fit into the equation? The city’s health director has answers.
The 2021 Jackson water crisis and the cracks that remain in a long-damaged system
A year ago, below freezing temperatures collapsed Jackson, Mississippi’s water system, revealing longstanding cracks in its infrastructure.
Mississippi’s plan to stop Alabama from stealing its teachers? Pay them thousands more
As Mississippi lawmakers plot how to keep more teachers in the state, educators warn the state’s bill targeting critical race theory could drive them away.
Amtrak’s proposed Mobile-New Orleans line is ‘a bad idea’ for Alabama, officials say
Mississippi wants to move full steam ahead with plans to restore the passenger rail, but Alabama worries the line will disrupt the freight rail.
Travel nurse salaries are rising due to demand. Some hospitals say it’s price gouging
In the Gulf South, Mississippi has spent around $90 million on temporary medical staff. Louisiana has spent nearly $250 million.
Gulf South hospitals face ‘worst-case scenario’ as staffing costs skyrocket
Facilities are under strain and federal assistance only goes so far.
Seeking asylum in the U.S. is not easy. It’s harder when you speak a rare language
Two men who speak a rare language languished in Louisiana and Mississippi detention centers, they say, because they couldn't interview in their native tongue.
Critical race theory divides Gulf South educators and state leaders
Critical race theory is a hot-button issue for politicians in the Gulf South. Alabama and Mississippi are attempting to pass new laws prohibiting it.
As demand for travel nurses increases, hospitals in the South struggle to stay competitive
COVID-19 hospitalizations are now twice as high in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama as they were two weeks ago, contributing to now record hospitalization numbers nationwide.
Mississippi wants more tech jobs. Here’s what it can learn from Alabama’s tech success
Louisiana and Mississippi rank at the bottom nationally when it comes to the percentage of tech jobs in the state workforce. Alabama sits in the middle of the list, mostly because of Huntsville’s Research Park.
Guaranteed income is coming to the Gulf South. Take a look at the 3 programs
Guaranteed income programs are coming to three cities in the Gulf South including Birmingham, which is set to launch soon.
With the mental health system strained, here’s how some people are coping during the pandemic
Alabama is among the bottom of states for media health providers per capita. That has people looking online and other places to find help.
The 2021 moments that will stick with us: Reflections from the Gulf States Newsroom
Our regional reporters reflect on the most memorable moment they had in the field as they covered stories across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
As much of the Gulf South remains unvaccinated, New Orleans issues a mandate for kids
The city will expand its mandate in 2022 to include children 5 and older. The city health director said “there was no good scientific or educational reason to wait.”
Prison visits are back in the Gulf States. Many have not seen loved ones for nearly 2 years
This holiday season, many incarcerated people in the Gulf States are seeing their loved ones for the first time since March 2020 due to COVID restrictions.
Gulf States will get $100M to expand internet access. Here’s what they’re prioritizing
Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi will receive $100 million from the infrastructure bill to expand internet access, but each will have different priorities.
How the social safety net has — and hasn’t — changed in 2021 in 5 charts
Updates to SNAP, TANF and the Child Tax Credit have helped families in the Gulf South, but not everyone has been able to access the improved benefits.
Families in need received more from the social safety net in 2021. How helpful was it?
Experts hail changes like the Child Tax Credit and increases in SNAP benefits as historic. But were recipients better off after getting them?
Supply chain issues in California open up a business opportunity for Gulf Coast ports
Southern ports report higher traffic, but problems on the ground keep them from being a true solution to the supply chain tangle.
Tips for a happy, safe and COVID-free Thanksgiving from Gulf South health officials
Hosting a family gathering for Thanksgiving but worried about COVID transmission? Health officials offer these tips for a happy, safe holiday.
Deep South’s most vulnerable residents share their stories during EPA’s ‘Journey to Justice’ tour
Black residents of Southeast Louisiana, dedicated to fighting air and soil pollution in their own neighborhoods and towns met with EPA Administrator Michael Regan on his “Journey to Justice,” listening tour, sharing their stories and frustrations.
Alabama, Gulf States receive F rating in March of Dimes’ 2021 maternal health report
Alabama ranked toward the bottom in the nation for maternal and infant health outcomes in an annual report put out by March of Dimes, an organization that promotes maternal and infant health across the United States through research, education and advocacy.
Gulf South health care systems are failing to equally serve people of color, study says
A new analysis from research foundation Commonwealth Fund shows that health care access and outcomes are poor for people of color across the nation, and even worse in Gulf South states.
Black farmers’ land leases are vanishing. Some say racist policies are to blame
Black farmers and their families once owned and worked on thousands of acres of land in Louisiana’s Iberia Parish. The land has shrunk over the last several decades, and some, like Eddie Lewis III, say it stems from racist policies.
More renters in the Gulf South face eviction, but states are still slow providing aid
A slowed rollout to federal aid, tedious applications and non-cooperative landlords are just some of the issues renters are now facing a few months after the CDC’s eviction moratorium ended.
Wastewater failures for Lowndes County’s Black residents at center of DOJ investigation
The investigation, opened Tuesday, is looking into the Alabama Department of Health’s and the Lowndes County Health Department’s wastewater disposal and infectious disease and outbreak programs.
First kids ages 5-11 to get COVID shot looking forward to sleepovers, ‘feeling safe’
As pharmacies and health care providers begin rolling out the Pfizer COVID vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds, appointments and waitlists are filling up.
Why Black teens are getting vaccinated at higher rates than white teens across the South
Data acquired from health departments across the Gulf South show that among 12 to 17 year olds, Black teenagers are getting vaccinated at roughly one and a half times the rate of white teenagers.
How outreach helped Gulf States outpace national COVID vaccine rate for Black residents
COVID-19 vaccination rates among Black residents in the Gulf States are surpassing that of Black residents in the U.S. Health officials say building trust has been key to reaching this point.
Why nearly $910 million meant to prevent evictions in Gulf States has been left unspent
New data shows about $910 million meant to prevent evictions had yet to be used by the end of September in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
COVID vaccines for young children could be approved soon. Are Gulf States prepared?
Kids between the ages of 5-11 years old might be able to get vaccinated in the near future. Here’s why it would be a game-changer for the Gulf States, and how they’re preparing for the shot’s rollout.
